Chapter 37

The words hung in the air between them like a dark cloud. Faith waited for him to say something. Richie sat and looked at her, pregnant, she's pregnant. As the words finally sank in a smile started to spread across his face. "You're pregnant?" She looked at him, uneasiness showing on her face, "so it seems." The smile on his face broadened, "thank God." Faith was puzzled, "thank God?" He got up and went to her, taking her hands in his. "I didn't know what you were going to tell me, but I had thoughts of it being some horrible malady. You're pregnant, I think that's fantastic." She looked up into his face, "you're really okay about this? I didn't do it on purpose or anything. I didn't think I could get pregnant again."

Richie led her to the bed and they sat down together. "I remember you telling me that. Apparently there was some miscommunication there." She smiled at him for the first time in an hour, "yeah, I guess there was. My doctor said that the problem may have been my husband's and not mine though, so I am not really sure anymore." Still holding her hand he brought it to his lips and kissed it, "I think I would have to agree with the doctor. Now, when are you due?" "End of March, beginning of April, I'm not sure yet. I have to go back in two weeks and I will know better then." He nodded his head, "okay, just one more thing, you need to slow down some Faith. Three jobs is just way too much, especially now." She looked up at him, he was so concerned for her. "Well, it's only two jobs now. I cleaned the studio for the last time over the weekend." He let go of her and and pulled her close, kissing her head "that's a good start. You're going to let me help you, right?" Faith pulled back, eyeing him warily "help me do what?" "Help you with whatever you need. I want to be involved Faith." Faith stood up and faced him, "I'm quite capable of taking care of myself Richie. I have been doing it for a while now and I think I have been doing just fine."

Richie just looked at her. He knew she was independent, but now she was just being stubborn. "I know you can take care of yourself, but" he laid a hand over her stomach,"there is part of me in there and I want to make things easier for you if you'll let me." Faith laid her hand over his, "I don't need a hand out Richie, I can do this myself." He looked up and caught her eyes with his, "but you don't have to Faith. I love you and I want to help you." She softened at the look on his face, "you really want this, how can I argue with that?" He kissed her stomach, "you can't. You just have to deal with it." She smiled and pulled his head up, "is that so?" He winked at her, "yeah, get used to it. I am going to spoil you something terrible, starting now." He kissed her, teasing her lips open and slipping his tongue in and tasting her fully.

As his mouth explored hers, his hands went to the tie on her wrap. Loosening the knot it fell to the floor leaving Faith clad in only her bikini. Richie pulled back to look at her, "you are beautiful" he told her before dragging her closer. He nuzzled between her breasts, drawing a pleasured sigh from her. He lay back on the bed, pulling her with him. She straddled him and sat up, gazing down on him "I could get used to this kind of spoiling." He pulled her to him and kissed her hungrily. He untied her top and tossed it to the floorbefore rolling them so she was under him. He kissed down her neck to the valley between her breasts. He looked up at her, "I can't wait to see our baby suckle you here" he told her as he laved first one breast and then the other. "Oh God Richie" was all she could say.

He continued, kissing down across her stomach, "I can't wait to see you swollen with our child." He swirled his tongue in her navel, hooking his fingers into the bottom of her suit and sliding it down her legs.

He had brought every nerve ending in her body to life and Faith felt as though she were going to explode if he didn't touch her soon. He kissed his way back up her body, running his tongue over her, teasing her clit but not giving her the relief she craved. She reached for him, grabbing a handful of shirt as he moved over her. She pulled it up as best she could and he flipped it off as her mouth roamed over his chest. Her hands found the drawstring of his trunks and tugged. As he helped her slip them off she wrapped her hand around him and slowly slid her hand up and down his hard length. He closed his eyes, reveling in the feeling of her hands on him.

When he couldn't take it anymore he stopped her, pulling her hand from him, "Faith, I need you now" he told her as he moved over her. He slipped into her, filling her in one long slow thrust. "You feel so good darlin'." He started to move slowly at first, wanting to take his time. She wrapped herself around him and met each thrust, taking all he had to give her. "Richie, please" she pleaded for more. He moved faster, giving her the release she needed and as she shuddered around him, he let himself go, giving her everything.

They lay tangled together, slowly coming back to themselves. Faith decided she never wanted to move. She wanted to stay right where she was for the rest of her life. She had wrapped her arms around Richie and his weight on her was pure heaven. She felt his lips moving on her neck and against her hair. He shifted and tried to move from her, but she hugged him close, "not yet." He picked his head up and looked at her, she had tears in her eyes, "what's wrong." One fell down her cheek as she shook her head "nothing it's... she sighed, I love you." He kissed her, stroking her cheek with his fingers, "I love you too darlin'." He moved then and pulled the blankets down on the bed. They crawled under and he pulled her close.

Faith lay with her head on Richie's chest, listening to his steadying heartbeat. "Richie?" "Hmm, what?" She looked up at him, "I take it you were happy to see me today?" He laughed, "nah, not at all." She pouted playfully at him and made to move away from him, "maybe I should just go find a room of my own then." He pulled her back to him, "oh no, you get back over here, you're stuck with me now." She laughed and let herself be pulled back against him. "Well, if you insist." He nuzzled her neck, "I insist."

Richie's hand slid down and caressed her stomach. Faith watched his hand, "are you sure you're okay with this?" He brought his hand up to her face and lifted it, his eyes meeting hers. What she saw there was more than she had hoped for. "I love you Faith and I couldn't be happier." She smiled and wrapped her arms around him. "I love you too Richie." She relaxed into him and, as she listened to the steady beat of his heart she dozed.

When Richie felt her drop off into sleep he shifted her off of him and eased out of the bed. He couldn't sleep now. He was too full of excited energy to sleep. He pulled on his shorts and went and knocked on the door across the hall.

Jon had just stepped out of the shower when he heard the knock. He wrapped a towel around him and opened the door. "Hey man, what's up?" He let Richie in and went back to the bathroom and pulled his trunks back on. He walked back in the room to find Richie standing looking out the window. "What's going on?" Richie turned to Jon with a big smile on his face. "Did you have anything to do with her being here?" Jon couldn't lie to his best friend, "we, her and I, wanted to surprise you for your birthday." "Thanks. That was the best gift you could have given me." Jon looked around, "so, where is she?" Richie motioned toward the door, "she's sleeping." Jon studied his friend, "there's something else, what is it?" Richie's eyes widened, "really man, how the hell do you do that?" Jon laughed, "now if I told you that, I would have to kill ya. Just spill it." He hesitated and then decided to just put it out there, "Faith is pregnant. I am going to be a dad again."

Jon was surprised. He hadn't expected that, but looking at Richie he could tell that he was happy about it. "Congratulations. And you were all worried that there was something seriously wrong with her." Richie shook his head, "I know, but it never crossed my mind that she could be pregnant." He filled Jon in on the conversation he and Faith had had several weeks ago and what she had told him about her difficulty in that particular area. "We weren't being careful, but she didn't think it was possible. I'm not sorry though." Jon nodded, "well if you aren't careful you are going to end up with a litter like I got." Richie laughed, "a litter huh, don't let Dorothea hear you say that. She'll kick your ass." Jon laughed, "I know, but you know there's nothing wrong with a little spanking now and then." Richie grimaced, "that's a bit too much information for me my friend." He moved toward the door, "dinner at 8?" Jon nodded, "yeah we'll meet in the bar at 7:30."

Walking back into his room Richie heard the water running. He stripped off his trunks and joined Faith in the shower. "Hey, where did you disappear to?" He wrapped his arms around her, "I went to talk to Jon. He's happy for us." She looked up at him, "couldn't wait huh?" He let her go and stepped into the spray of water, "nope" he smiled, "was I supposed to?" Secretly she was glad he was so excited. "I guess not. I haven't told anyone yet, not even Hannah." He smiled at her, "why don't we tell the girls together when we get back?" Faith agreed.

Richie came up behind Faith at the mirror as she was finishing putting her lipstick on. "You are stunning." She looked up and caught his gaze in the mirror, "thank you, I think I am overdressed though." He had on dark jeans and a dark blue shirt with half the buttons left open. "Not at all, you look great. Isn't that the dress from our 'dinner'?" He ran his hands lightly over her bare shoulders, "you have a good memory." He kissed her shoulder, "I think it needs something though." She looked down at herself and then back up at him, "what could it possibly need?" "This."

She looked and dangling from his fingers in front of her was a delicate gold chain with a ruby heart hanging from it. He had picked it up when he was in New Jersey and was going to save it for her birthday but he decided not to wait. He clasped it around her neck and she looked at it in the mirror. "Richie, it's beautiful but you really shouldn't have." He turned her to face him, "I wanted to. It was supposed to be for your birthday but I decided I didn't want to wait." She kissed him, "thank you. It's perfect." She picked up her purse and took Richie's hand, "shall we?" He led her out and down the hall to meet the guys for dinner.