Still Human (Just Human) (24 page)

“Don’t worry, we’ll soon have more bathrooms than we can use,” I say walking back into the bedroom. I throw on some underwear, sitting on the edge of the bed, then I pick a bottle of water out of our basket. Opening it and taking a swig, I leaf through the contents. It was so sweet, but we were too distracted last night to use any of it. Well apart from the ice, I must be sure to thank someone for that! I pull out the paracetamol, I don’t feel too bad and I don’t think Liv drank too much either. It was a kind thought though. I notice that beside the chocolates are some other snacks in case we were hungry last night. I was, but not for an energy bar. I lift the ice bucket out. It’s now a bucket of warm water with an expensive bottle of champagne floating in it. I’ll put it in the refrigerator and we can open it in the new house. Tucked behind the bucket is an envelope marked MR & MRS MORGAN.

Liv wanders in wearing the silk robe I gave her yesterday. “Look.” I hold out the envelope.

“What’s this?”

I shrug. “A card I guess, it was in the basket.”

“We’ve got loads of these downstairs…and presents. I hope they’re okay. You whisked me away!” She grins, tearing open the envelope. She opens the card and some paper slides out. I catch it and hand it to her. She frowns as she opens it and then gasps.

“What?”

“They’ve got us a night in a really posh hotel, in a suite! Wow, this must have cost a fortune.”

I stand to look at the voucher over her shoulder. “Nice.” I say kissing her bare skin.

“We could use this after we do the legal stuff to make it official. Like a second wedding night.”

I smirk and scoop her up. “Can’t
,” I respond. I hope she’s still naked under that robe. “Got plans.” I lay her back on the bed and crawl over her.

“Plans?” She stops me as I start to pull on the belt. She fixes me with a look that says that she won’t be kept in the dark over everything. Not happily at least.

I laugh. I suppose I’m going to have to tell her. “Don’t do your evil laugh, tell me what’s going on!”

“Alright, I’ll tell you!”

“Everything?”

I screw up my nose, maybe not everything.

“Danny!” She slaps my chest.

“Ok
ay!” I roll off her and hold up my hands defensively. “Okay.” I prop myself up on one elbow. “We’re going on our honeymoon, but not yet. I wanted us to spend time with our families for a few days as they have come such a long way. So we’re leaving Friday.”

“A honeymoon?”
she says with a big smile. “You didn’t have to do that, you’ve done more than enough.”

“You get married, you have a honeymoon. Of course we’re having one. Besides this one
’s on my parents so don’t sweat it.”

“Wow, really?”
she muses. “Everyone is being so generous, are you sure we should accept it?”

I frown. “Damned right we accept it
, are you nuts? My parents know how to do the vacation thing like nobody else, so if they are buying I promise it’s going to be great. Just relax.”

She nods, then smiles again. “So where are we going?”

“Do I have to tell you?” I ask but with resignation in my voice, so she knows she can win.

“Danny!”
she moans because I’m driving her nuts.

“Mexico,
okay. We’re going to Mexico. We fly out Friday to Cancun for five nights and then we fly on to Cabo for five nights. They want us to see the sights in Cabo, as they’re going to be making it home for half the year soon and they’ll want us to visit them there.” I hesitate, but I should at least tell her some of the rest. “Then we’re visiting LA for a few days or so before we come back so that I can look into doing that thing, you know for Jen and Scott. If that really is still okay with you.” I don’t know why it’s taken me so long to check back with her about how she really feels, I guess I’m just afraid she’ll say yes, but mean no. Or simply regret it later. I can’t have this affect our marriage or our future.

She strokes my face. “It really is still alright with me. I was going to come with you, whether you liked it or not, but this is perfect.”

I wince. “Is it okay to visit a sperm bank on our honeymoon, or is it just too weird?”

She laughs hard. “
It’s a little weird I suppose, I doubt most people would get it, but surely we’re just weird enough to pull it off? Besides who will know other than us? You should do it and I support you completely.”

“I promise I won’t go ahead until we have our family. They will completely understand, Jen said as much herself.”

“It’s okay.” She rubs my shoulder. “It will be fine. You’ll donate and it will be kept until you say so. Do you know how many times you have to do it?”

I sigh. “I’ve read so many different accounts. But I think they will need a few because it
’s only half as effective if its frozen. I just need to get out there and meet with them to find out more.” I smile at her. “You are a wonderful person, letting this happen, you know?”

“Me? I’m not doing anything, it’s you doing the wonderful thing.”

“You know what I mean. Most people wouldn’t be okay with this.”

“Well I am
,” she says, putting an end to my fears. “Have you told them yet?”

This is my other problem. I shake my head, twisting my fingers between hers. “It feels like too much pressure. The odds aren’t great. I don’t want to build their hopes up. I’ll tell them once I know more.”

“It will be fine, I promise.” She kisses me gently. “Three weeks huh? You spoil me.”

I managed to shake off my funk and find a pleasing way to pass an hour or so with my wife. I hand her a towel as she steps out of the shower. I should never have worried, she loves our morning ritual as much as I do and we still shower together almost every day, even though she doesn’t need me to help her anymore.

She looks fantastic in her long black dress, so cool and casual, with her sneakers and her hair loose and still wavy from being twisted up yesterday. She picks up her sister’s bracelet from the nightstand before we head down and I hand her her shades as I hook mine on my shirt. It looks bright out and we
're eating in the garden.

Everyone is here already when we get outside, my parents, Liv’s parents, Connie and Jack, Grace Andy and the kids, Jen and Scott
, and Max and Charlie. Our family. They all greet us warmly and then some light-hearted ribbing about our disappearance last night gets a wolf-whistle from Scott. Jen slaps him and it settles down.

They have configured a long table and Liv and I take the last two spaces in the middle. Everyone is chatting and drinks are passed along the line, orders are taken, Matthew is hopping from one grown up to another, making the most of all the attention. Jen is holding baby Mia, which makes my stomach clench tightly. I want that so badly for myself right now but the responsibility I feel for her to have it too is almost overwhelming. It just isn’t fair that
it’s so hard for her. I can remember a time when
not
getting pregnant was her only concern in life and now…this. It sucks. I’m going to do everything in my power to help her.

I’m
intrigued with this new friendship between Grace and Jen. I guess they spoke a few times on the phone when Liv first left me and then again while we were planning this whole week. It’s nice, just weird, considering what Grace used to be like. Jen spies me watching her with Mia and gives me her best ‘I’m okay, really’ smile. I respond with mine that says ‘I’m just concerned that’s all’. She laughs a little and then turns her attention back to the baby.

After a predictably awesome breakfast, the crowd disperses. Some are going shopping, some are just heading off to relax
. Liv and I go back to bed! Hey, it’s our first day as husband and wife and I don’t have to abstain from anything yet!

Chapter Twenty-five

Liv

Funny and wonderful.

“Typical, just as I’m getting on a transatlantic flight!” Jen says as she holds up a tampon. I roll my eyes in empathy then feel a pang of sympathy. It must be awful when you hope so badly that something will happen month after month and then you get the flat out no, in the airport toilets of all places. I can’t imagine the disappointment. I hope I never have to feel that disappointment. I’m not expecting to fall pregnant instantly, but month after month it must be awful, the hope building up and then crashing down. They
’ve been trying for over two years. At least now they’re working on a solution.

When she emerges and uses the sink beside me, I casually ask. “How
is that all going anyway?”

“Oh, you know, it
’s going.” She smiles, it’s obviously a practiced smile. “It’s a lot easier since we know what the problems are. I’m ovulating like clockwork now and we are timing our attempts to coincide as precisely as possible…and the days either side too. I’m killing Scott in the process, mind you. I know it’s unlikely to happen, but the doctor said it couldn’t hurt to keep trying. Especially as we know I’m in full working order now and I’m keeping track. You never know, one of his swimmers might get lucky if we give it a helping hand.” She laughs then wrinkles her nose.

“
It’s disappointing when that happens every month, but I guess we’re used to it. I won’t tell Scott it’s happened again just yet, I’ll wait until we are home. Besides, when I do, I see the look in his eyes, it’s dread more than anything, he makes a mental note that in a couple of weeks I’ll have him on call for days. The fun has well and truly left the building, he almost looks afraid!” She giggles, so do I at the mental image of Scott, running and hiding. I admire her strength for being able to laugh, when it’s far from funny.

I wish I could tell her that Danny is going to help them, but
it’s for him to say not me. I need to let him do it however he feels comfortable. I just can’t help thinking there must be an easier way than the whole freezing thing. But the only thing I can come up with, would involve my new husband crossing a huge line with his best friend during our honeymoon…So freezing it is!

We meet the boys back out in the terminal. Danny’s parents flew home early this morning, but as we are only flying an hour before Jen and Scott, we decided to come to the airport together. It has been nice mooching around the terminal with them, but it
’s time for Danny and me to go to our gate, so we hug them and say our goodbyes. We will see them in ten days, so it’s an easy farewell.

I buckle my seat belt and settle into my large
, comfy seat. We are in Premium, so the seats are bigger and there’s more leg room, but best of all, the seats are in pairs, so we don’t have to share space with a stranger for hours. Danny flips through his magazine beside me, his wedding ring glinting in the light makes me smile.

“Don’t!”
he says, snapping his magazine closed.

“Don’t what?” I frown.

“I saw you smirking at me. I’m excited about the house that’s all, if I want to look at an interior design magazine, I will. I’m comfortable with who I am!” He says, stifling a laugh.

I burst out laughing
. I didn’t notice he was reading
Living etc
. I press my lips together to prevent a mocking remark escaping. He narrows his eyes. “I was smiling at your wedding ring, I like looking at it. God, touchy!” Then I can’t contain my laughter.

He
’s so excited about the house. I’m relieved it was all finalised before we left because it would have eaten him up. It’s bad enough we are both thinking about Jen and Scott so much. I know it’s our honeymoon, but it’s dominating our thoughts. I’d not fully appreciated how much it was affecting Danny and since talking to Jen at the airport, now it’s all I can think about too.

I promise myself a little alone time with the laptop as soon as I can. I want to support Danny, but I need to know more in order to be of use. Until now
I’ve just gone along with what he told me, but if we’re going to do this, then I want it to be together. I’ll always support him and he needs to know that now more than ever. He is taking a huge risk with our fledgling marriage and far from worrying me, it has shown me the faith he has in ME. He’s taken me at my word and believes that I support him in something many people would think of as unacceptable. Especially in this early stage of our life together. I’m going to show him that his faith is warranted. Wow, we’ve come a long way.

We’re offered champagne and then it really feels like our honeymoon gets started. From then
it’s a whirlwind. Cancun is beautiful, we hardly see any of it though, because Danny’s parents have stumped up for the honeymoon suite in the most spectacular hotel I’ve ever seen, and… because they/the universe gave me Danny to share it with.

The food was fabulous, I must have gained at least a stone
. I notice my jeans are tighter when I put them back on to travel, but this is no surprise, there was buffet after buffet. There were snacks and cakes and hors d’oeuvres…We ate on the balcony, in the bath in the centre of our plush suite, in the pool, by the pool (and it wasn’t just gratuitous eating that we did in all those places either). Danny and I have simply lazed in each other’s arms, for a blissful week.

We’d agreed to try and do more this week, in Cabo. Partly because his parents have assigned things for us to see, like the place they’re buying and the surrounding area. Of course we did this dutifully, but it isn’t our fault that they got us another insanely luxurious suite that we never want to leave.

“Come on
, Danny.” I sigh as his arms fold around me and his warm breath stirs the nerves of my neck. “We have to get dressed for dinner.”

“Why? Let’s get room service again, I have everything I need right here
,” he murmurs, pulling me closer.

“We haven’t seen the light of day today, don’t you want to get out?” My pale blue, wedding night underwear presses against his bare golden skin. I put it on for him because it turns him on, and on this occasion he can leave it on me and admire it. We
’re going out for dinner…if he ever puts some underwear on!

“We did, we were on the balcony for ages and we went for a swim.” He softly croons in my ear as his hands snake their way over my body.

“Danny, sex on the balcony and then in the hot tub for three hours, is not seeing the sights!” I giggle trying to extricate myself from his grip.

“I saw some sights,” he smirks. “Now I want to see some more.”

I’m determined to go out tonight, but he’s making it so hard. I turn in his arms and face him. He’s impossible to resist. I gasp as his hand slips inside the delicate lace of my underwear and shudder when his finger brushes my clit. I kiss him, slowly, as his fingers enter me. I know we’re not leaving this room tonight, but I keep up the pretence for a minute longer. While I’m lingering around his ear, I whisper what I wish he could do to me if we weren’t going out to dinner. He moans, turned on by my explicit words, so I continue, telling him what I wish I could do to him. Then, what I say to him turns him on so much it almost gets him there.

I whisper. “Oh, screw it. Use me…don’t hold back, take what you need.”

“Oh God, Liv.” He groans as I sink to kneel at his feet.

I take him in my mouth, running my tongue all the way around him to ease my path. He sighs at first but as I move, his sighs become whispers, the whispers become moans. Then as I begin to accept him deeper and deeper, his hands appear, ready to do what I asked. To use me and take what he needs.

He is never rough, but I love it when he takes control. That first night we were together, it happened by accident, but the effect on both of us was amazing, it’s something he knows I love now and he doesn’t feel bad about it. He forces himself into my mouth, over and over again, while my fingers dig into his thighs. My hands give an indication to him of just how much I can take. Occasionally they twitch up, almost at the point of asking him to stop, but I never do. I can take it, but it drives him crazy, thinking I'm on the verge of begging him to stop.

I make that low throaty moan he loves and he gasps.

“Jesus, Liv.” He hisses. “Touch yourself.”

A thrill goes through me and I willingly oblige, sliding my hand under the soft lace of my underwear. He can’t see, but he knows I’m doing it. I moan to let him know
I’ve hit home and he seems to lose control at the thought. Focusing hard on his goal, he uses long, slow strokes. I roll my tongue around him every time he almost withdraws and accept him back as deep as possible each time he pushes in. His jagged breaths tell me he’s getting close and my fingers bring a stifled moan from me that seals the deal for him.

“I
’m gonna come.” He moans desperately. I simply allow him to use me to get there, I love it when he really lets go “Oh God.” He gasps as his body tenses, then releases into my willing mouth.

He shudders as he finishes
. Looking down at me, he laughs.

I’m
breathless and weak with need, but I’m happy on this occasion to make that all about him. It’s one in the bank for me later, not that we’re keeping score. Trembling a little, I stand and wipe away the tears he forced from my eyes with his deep thrusting.

“Can we go to dinner now?” I smirk.

“I don’t think you were finished.” He grins, trailing a finger along the fabric of my knickers.

“Later.” I say firmly, moving his hand away.

“No, now!” He demands, lifting me suddenly.

I shriek, “Danny! Put me down!” Which he does, on the bed, with a thump. He yanks my underwear to the side and sucks in my clit, before I know what has happened.

“Oh, God!” I cry as his fingers push inside me. He’s unbelievably talented, my husband. He takes me straight to the edge and holds me there longer than I can stand it. I’m begging for mercy within minutes as he relentlessly sucks and licks and occasionally bites. I hiss as his teeth once again close over what, right now, feels like the centre of my being.

“Danny, please
…”

“Uh, uh.” He shakes his head.

“Please…” I whimper.

He sucks me hard again.

“Fuck! Please give it to me…please let me come.”

Then his fingers twist inside me and his free hand reaches up and pinches my nipple…and I’m gone. Shouting his name, I crash out of control into a mind-blowing orgasm.

Panting, I lay tangled in the sheets. Danny flops down beside me looking very pleased with himself.

“Ready to go to dinner then?” He laughs.

“Fuck you!”

“Hey! That better not be an empty promise.” He
pulls the sheet over us and tickles me until I can’t breathe.

“Danny
, stop!” I beg. “I give up!”

“Give up what?”

“We can stay in and get room service.” I giggle, his hands still making me squirm.

“Yeah!” He yells
, fist pumping the air.

“You’re so funny!” I
wipe a stray tear and lift the sheet to peep at him. He laughs and pulls me in, hugging me tight.

“Funny?”

“Funny and wonderful,” I say, lovingly stroking his face.

“You forgot hot.”

“Funny and wonderful and hot.’ I correct myself.

“And virile, don’t forget virile.”

I raise my eyebrows. “How virile?” I ask as his mouth hovers over mine. He looks at me suggestively and then shows me. My God, he shows me.

I still can’t quite believe he managed it. It took him so long to build back up to it that I was completely wrung out by the time he reaches his second and I reached my fourth climax of the night. A record for both of us. Virile hardly covers it!

I’m
actually aching from the things we’ve done to each other. I’m afraid to even calculate the number of orgasms. But if the average is once per new surface and at least twenty per hot tub, I’d say we were in the hundreds. Danny is behaving like we will never have sex again after today, I know we're staying ay Jen and Scotts but we don't have to stop, we just have to learn some restraint. I sigh as I cross my legs and feel the familiar tenderness from our overexertions this morning. Determined to have me while he still could, we had a lovely long shower. My fingers are still pruney.

Sitting in the departure lounge in Cabo, I hold his hand. I can feel the anxiety building in him. Heading back to LA to do his best to help his friends has begun to take its toll on him. The pressure he
’s putting on himself is immense. Our flight is called and he gives me that ‘here-goes’ look as he stands and picks up our bags. His foot begins to tap as we push back from the stand and I touch his knee gently to steady it. I try to offer him a reassuring smile, but he’s lost in the tension. We’ve talked so much about it now, that I know his biggest fear is it never working. The odds are stacked against them, given the restrictions of time and distance and he just doesn’t want to let them down.