His Duchess [Completed]

Epilogue [E]

Annie stoked her protruding belly as she held the ultrasound pictures while lounging on her bed in her light flowing white cotton dress.  The baby kicked her in the ribs and she gasped in surprise.  "Active little guy aren't you?"  He began kicking and moving even more when he heard his mother's soothing voice. 

The bathroom door opened revealing Julien newly showered with a towel draped low on his waist.  The water drops ran along his broad chest as he held another towel drying his slicked back black hair.   He smiled at her making the skin crinkle around his eyes.  Her heart did a somersault as she smiled warmly at her sexy husband.

The last six months were the happiest time of her life.  It was felt like a dream, a dream come true.  Annie had to pinch herself sometimes just to make sure she wasn't dreaming.  She couldn't believe how lucky she was.  Everything she had ever dreamed of was unfolding right before her very eyes.  She had a loving husband, and a child on the way, and it was more than she could ask for in life.  She was grateful for all that she had.  It was a blessing. 

"Julien come here quickly, the baby is kicking up a storm inside me."  He strode quickly towards their four poster bed and laid down beside her, leaning against the propped up pillows behind his wife.

Annie grasped his large hand and placed it where their son was pushing along her side.  The baby kept pushing against her skin when Julien laid his hand against her belly. "That's wonderful, my little man is getting stronger."  He said with love and pride in his eyes when he gazed back at her face.  

"He is."  She said quietly as she kept starring into his eyes, she cupped his cheek and stroked his hard angled features while leaning forward.  Julien lifted his upper torso and captured her lips in a hot heated kiss.  Annie opened her mouth to his invading tongue and twisted to her side to better angle her head.  She wrapped her hands around his shoulders feeling the warmth radiating off his skin and the signature manly spiced smell emitting from his skin. 

Julien placed one arm around her back and the other grasped the hem of her cotton dress inching it upwards. Annie pressed closer to his chest, legs tangled, lips locked in passion, their bodies were as close as they could be when all they wanted was to be closer.

A strong painful kick to her ribs once more forced her to pull away from the kiss. She curls to her side and cringes from the impact.  She held her breath until the baby stopped putting pressure along her rib cage.

"Duchess, what's wrong?  Where does it hurt?  Do you need to go to the hospital?"  Julien started firing questions, the worry evident in his tone.  His hands were hovering above her as if he was afraid to touch her not wanting to cause her more pain.

"No."  She breathed out with clenched teeth, every muscle in her body was tense.  "I'm fine, the baby kicked me really hard in the ribs."  Taking deep breaths to regulate her breathing she closed her eyes and laid back once more.  She felt Julien kiss her forehead and eyelids. He pulled the stray strands of hair from her face and stroked the silkiness of her cheek.

"The little bugger..."  He murmured affectionately and bent forward to kiss her growing baby bump, rubbing his large hand over her belly gently as he lay his head against her chest.  She giggled slightly when the baby nudged Julien's hand again.  Annie opened her eyes and glanced down pulling her hands up to stroke Julien's hair lovingly.

"I love you both."  Julien's voice vibrated along her protruding belly feeling the impact of his words down to her toes.

Like a whisper in the air, the sense of deja-vu opened a path into the back of her mind. Annie stiffened in surprise.

She was laying in bed in a white flowing knee high cotton summer dress. Her belly protruded infront of her. Pulling her hands up around herself she felt him kick and she giggled. A large tanned hand came up to stoke her belly as he kissed the baby. Annie stoked his hair as he laid his head against her chest. "I love you both...." He said.