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Today is all about spoiling her.

I would never be able to convince her to take a baby moon, but I can push her into doing this.

The Playground Resort has a gorgeous spa retreat on its grounds. When you arrive, it looks like you’re entering a cave oasis, and there’s a small water feature that adds to the ambiance. The interior of the space is just as luxurious feeling as the price tag on their services would make you think it would be.

“Mr. Law and Ms. Snow. Welcome in!” The cheerful front desk girl says. “I’ve got you scheduled for a couples massage and facials as well, correct?”

“Yes.” I reply, a little shocked that the staff already know who we are without giving them our names. “How did you know it was us?”

“Oh. Ms. Selene called ahead for you both to confirm everything. She told us to be on the lookout for a gorgeous redhead and her tattooed partner.” The girl giggles. “She speaks very highly of you both.”

“Ms. Selene.” I shake my head, smiling. “Of course she did.”

“That woman doesn’t trust you as far as she can throw you, Marshall.” Elsie teases, and it is so good to see her smile at me again that I’d take any kind of humiliation Selene wants to throw my way.

“One day, she’ll come to trust me. You have.” I say with a shrug and immediately regret it when I see how Elsie tenses up.

Turning back to the young woman checking us in, she hands us some paperwork, and we go to the plush couches to fill it out.

“Why do they need medical history?” I ask, staring at the lengthy questionnaire.

“You’ve never done this before, have you?” Elsie chuckles at my bewilderedness. “They need to make sure none of the treatments or products they use are going to have a reaction. Like if you’re taking acne medication, they can’t use certain chemical exfoliants in your facial. Then, if you have physical limitations, pain, or nerve damage in certain areas, they’ll want to know that for your massage.”

“I guess that makes sense,” I mumble.

“You’ll be thanking them later. Promise.” She says with a reassuring pat on my knee.

Forgetting about the paperwork momentarily, I study Elsie as she fills out her form, biting her lip as she does.

I want to pull that lip out and bite down on it myself. I want to pull her close and kiss her with every ounce of lust I have for her.

I need her viscerally, but I know if I tried to force anything, she would panic and flee.

This is the long game now. I’ve rushed her and pushed her every step of this pregnancy, and to a certain extent, she’s let me, but now it’s time for me to be patient and let her come to me.

She needs to come to this realization in her own time.

There’s nothing I can do to speed that process up.

So, for now, I’ll study the slope of her button nose and the tiny freckles that peak out from under her lightly applied foundation. I take in how the light bouncing off the water fixture’s falling streams makes the red in her hair stand out.

Elsie is the most beautiful person I’ve ever seen.

She holds herself with such quiet confidence that the world around her just seems inferior. She has a strength that I do not possess and can only hope that our daughter will have as well. She’s magnificent.

She’s my queen.

“Marshall. Focus.” She snaps when she catches me looking, but there’s a small smile on her face, which tells me she’s not too upset about me staring.

“Right. Sorry.” I apologize and go back to working on the paperwork before me.

When we’re finished, I take our clipboards up to the front and let the woman know we’re ready.

A few minutes later, we’re being led back through the hallways of the spa and into the room where our massages are then left alone.

Elsie’s been unusually quiet since we went to visit my family. Something changed on Sunday, and I’m not quite sure what.

This week has been really good for us, though. The sex between us has always been incredible, but it feels like there’s a new intimacy between us that wasn’t there before.

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