Sweetest of Hearts - Melissa

Making love later that night, we couldn't stop smiling at each other. Melissa cuddled into me afterwards, trailing my fingers up and down her spine as she snuggled as closely as possible. "Mark?" she whispered.

"Yes, honey?"

"I want to start trying for a baby." She lifted her eyes towards mine. "I love your daughters so much, but I'd love to start trying for a child of our own." She paused before adding, "Though if I could adopt your two as well..."

"They've already adopted you, honey. What they said earlier? Give them a couple of months, and they're just going to call you Mum. My ex-wife is simply known as Claire. The relationship between them is dead."

On Friday night, Melissa was home before me, walking into the living room to find the three women in my life chatting away on the couch. They turned to me and smiled, my daughters greeting me with a kiss on the cheek, Melissa greeting me with a steamy kiss that had me almost growling and ready to drag her to the bedroom.

"Uh-uh, we're going to your parents for dinner."

Smiling to myself, I told them I'll just get ready then we could go. Driving us as always, Melissa always held my hand, my daughters keeping the conversation flowing as always. Walking into the home I'd grown up in, my parents greeted us... As did Melissa's family. She wondered what the hell was going on as she hugged them, glancing at me but I shrugged my shoulders, denying anything to do with it.

Mum and Melissa's mother, Grace, finished preparing dinner before we sat down. I received the occasional glance from Melissa, who was definitely wondering what was going on. It was only once we'd finished the main meal and Mum was passing out dessert that I finally cleared my throat.

Pushing my seat back, Melissa turned to me as she figured it out immediately. I barely had to say a word as I opened the small box to show her the ring I'd bought her that same afternoon. She nodded, whispered, "Of course I'll marry you," as I slid the ring onto her finger before I kissed and hugged her. We were quickly joined by my daughters while our fathers suggested they break out something stronger to celebrate our impending marriage.

Melissa visited the doctor the next week in regards to stopping her birth control as we wanted to start a family. Returning home after her visit, she told me that she could stop the pill immediately. She explained that there will likely be some side-effects, but once she figured out her cycle, we'd definitely focus on her most fertile period.

"Don't think you're not fucking me the rest of the month though," she whispered into my ear in bed that night, "And during those few days it's bad, I can still suck your cock, or my arse is always available."

"I love you," I whispered back.

"I know you do, handsome. Soon, you're going to put a baby in me, then we're going to get married, and we're going to get old and grey together."

Melissa organised the wedding with our parents, while my daughters were eager to help out where they could. The best thing from therapy is that she'd reconnected with a trio of old friends who hadn't actually supported the union between her ex-husband and best friend. When they visited our home for the first time, having organised a barbecue, I'd invited a few friends of my own and it turned into a great night. Her friends absolutely loved me, could see how in love with each other Melissa and I were, and she suddenly had even more help for her wedding.

What helped capture my heart even more is that she had both of my daughters as her bridesmaids.

She forgot that I'd been through a pregnancy before. Sure, it had been nearly sixteen years since Claire had carried our twin daughters, but I remembered the signs. It was the fifth morning Melissa had woken up feeling queasy two months before the date of our wedding. She returned to bed, cuddling into me.

"Honey, you need to purchase a pregnancy test," I whispered. She looked at me wide-eyed in surprise. "Seen it before, honey. Want me to go with you?" She nodded before I kissed her forehead. "We'll get up soon and head to the pharmacy."

The test told us what we both expected. She was pregnant, so she immediately made an appointment to see the doctor. She was nervous and I didn't blame her. All I could do was reassure her that, although it would be difficult at times, I'd be by her side the entire time, and as soon as we told our daughters, family and friends, everyone would be ready to help out, simply due to how much they loved her.

Two months after finding out she was pregnant, we wed in a small, simple ceremony at a nearby park, taking place under a tree in full bloom. She looked gorgeous in a full length white dress, my daughters looked utterly beautiful in their navy blue bridesmaid dresses. I'd gone with a simple black suit, Bill my best man, joking that he'd better not be a bad luck charm after being best man for my first wedding.

The reception was great fun, full of laugher as everyone had a great night. We didn't have a boring sit down meal and then a series of dull speeches. Everyone was up dancing and drinking, serving tasty finger food, the marquee tent ringing with the sounds of conversation and music. We ate, drank, danced and sang until late into the night, only stopping because of noise restrictions and the fact the park was locked overnight.

Melissa wasn't particularly interested in a honeymoon, preferring to spend time of with our daughters and her husband at home rather than taking off for somewhere overseas, or even disappearing to another state. So we took a week off when the girls were on school holidays and went away as a family. The week on a beach certainly proved relaxing, Melissa starting to show, and she couldn't stop smiling whenever her hand ran over her small belly.

Attending the ultrasound where we'd discover the sex of our child, we'd agreed that we'd learn so we could prepare for it. Sitting next to her bed as the doctor ran the scanner over her belly, she eventually smiled as she showed us the picture of our child. She explained what she could see before she asked again if we wanted to know. Sharing a glance, Melissa asked her to tell us.

"You're going to have a son."

Melissa hugged me tightly. I'll admit, I nearly started to weep as I'd always wanted a son. She whispered into my ear, "Just remember, it's only our first child. Think I only want one, Mark?" Then she told the doctor, "Expect to see us here again in around eighteen months to a year."

The doctor though that was hilarious though knew Melissa wasn't lying either.

She was seven months pregnant when we knocked on the front door of a house I'd never visited before. Melissa held my right hand tightly, briefcase in her other hand, attending the meeting as both my wife and my lawyer. The door was answered by the ex-wife's affair partner. I would never refer to him by name. Even after all this time, the urge to punch the prick in the face was overwhelming.

Claire knew we were coming but didn't know why. We accepted the offer of a coffee as we sat at the kitchen table. The conversation was stilted and awkward, waiting until the four of us were sat around the table before Melissa opened her briefcase and passed over the paperwork.

"Melissa and I are married and she, Hannah and Katherine want her to adopt them. Considering you have no relationship with my daughters, we are hoping you'll do the right thing by them and accept that Melissa is now their mother. The only thing she didn't do was carry them for nine months."

"Though I am carrying our first of hopefully three or four children," Melissa stated, squeezing my hand.

Claire read the paperwork and met my eyes. I could see the request upset her but she could do it or not. If she didn't, Melissa would just remain their step-mother. "They've agreed to this?" she asked.

I took out my phone and dialled Katie's number. After informing her of where I was and what I was doing, I handed Claire my phone. It was a longer conversation than I expected. By the end, Claire was crying. I found it hard to be sympathetic.

She signed the papers.

Finishing our drinks, we rose to our feet. "I'm not completely heartless, Claire. I understand that, in a way, it would have been a difficult decision. But Melissa loves our daughters like they're her own, and it is something both Hannah and Katie asked of me to ask of you. Maybe in the future, you might restore some sort of relationship with them. I know it won't matter, but once this is made official, you no longer have to pay child support."

"Thank you for doing this," Melissa said softly.

"Please let them know that I still love them," Claire whispered.

"I'll let them know, Claire, but it's also difficult for them to believe," I stated.

Two months later, Melissa gave birth to a healthy baby boy. We named him Thomas, after my great-grandfather who'd seen action on the Western Front during the Great War. I'd been with her during the birth, and though it wasn't easy, she was in and out of hospital within a couple of days. What amazed me is that, within a couple of weeks, she had a calendar on the wall in the bathroom, with a couple of dates circled. The first was the date we could make love for the first time, and the second was the first time she figured she'd be fertile.

"I won't be going back to work for a while," she stated.

My daughters were thrilled at having a baby brother. More than once, they pretty much insisted that Melissa and I head out so they could babysit him. We grew to enjoy it, heading off on a Friday night and returning on Sunday night after a dirty weekend away. If it was on a weekend she was fertile, god help her pussy, as I would fill her over and over again. If not, then we did a lot of other things, including finally losing our anal virginity together.

To be honest, it wasn't all that it was cracked up to be.

"Much prefer your pussy," I stated. Melissa agreed, and we never did it again.

It was nine months later, Melissa and I sitting back on the couch. Thomas was crawling about on the floor, Hannah and Katherine so besotted by their little brother, the only other thing they focused on was their studies as both wanted to attend university after graduating high school. Melissa took my hand and rested it on her belly.

"Daddy," she whispered, "I have some news for you."

I met her eyes and she didn't need to say another thing.

*****

Epilogue (Melissa)

Mark saved my life. I don't mean I was going to end my own life, but I dread to think of where my life would have ended up had he not walked into my office that day so long ago. The fact I'd fallen in love with him so quickly did surprise me as I'd cut myself off from any such feelings for so long, thinking I was protecting myself, but all I was doing was denying me the opportunity of finding someone who could love someone like me, completely broken after what had happened to me.

In the years since that fateful day, I'd made plenty of mistakes, including wasting six months ignoring him as I believed in my heart that he deserved someone not as fucked up as I was. But he never gave up. I knew he dated around, occasionally had sex, but he messaged me every single day. When I finally gave in, or at least got the kick up the arse I needed from Emily, I never looked back.

Now I was married, the mother to six children - two adopted, four of my own - a grandmother to three grandchildren so far, and still head over hills in love with a man who spent every day making me feel as special as ever. Even though we were both in our mid-fifties, our sex life was still wonderful. Mark didn't need any pills to get hard for me. I'd kept my promise and still loved going down on the man. And he still loved returning the favour, sometimes spending what felt like hours between my legs, giving me so many orgasms, I was sure he was trying to give me heart attack sometimes.

Hannah and Katherine have both left home, married and started their own families, though to call them constant visitors wouldn't be an understatement. To this day, Mark is still 'daddy' in their eyes. It's actually rather adorable to see their relationship has barely changed. In his eyes, they'll always be his little girls.

Thomas was at university and on the verge of moving out. Our three other children - Lucas, Daniel and Charlotte - were still at school. To call Charlotte daddy's little girl wouldn't be wrong. She was a surprise baby as I fell pregnant at forty-five. I'd been sick and it was likely my antibiotics interfered with my birth control. She was eleven years old and the apple of his eye. I loved all four of our children but loved the fact I had a daughter of my own, as in that I gave birth to. Hannah and Katherine were my daughters too.

"Fuck," I moaned as I looked down to meet the eyes of my husband. The hair was going grey now, and his facial hair was now very much salt and pepper. But he was still physically fit and there was little sign of aging just yet.

"Can't get enough of me, honey?"

"I promised you years ago that we'd have sex every day, handsome."

"So what will it be like when we retire?"

"Well, continuous sex will be a fun way to spend the day. And at least there's no chance of pregnancy now."

Menopause hadn't been fun, but my god, I was beyond horny sometimes. I must have leapt on Mark as soon as he stepped through the door so many times, sending the kids off to their rooms so I could fuck my husband senseless before we started preparing dinner. Then we'd make sure the kids were bathed, homework done, before we retired for the night, only so he could fuck me some more.

Rolling me onto my back, I ran my hands up his strong arms as I spread my legs. He still gazed upon my body as if I was a woman thirty years younger. He still called me beautiful every single day and I believed him every time. The man hadn't never told me a lie. He was honest to a fault.

"Fuck," he grunted as he started fucking me harder.

"You own my pussy, honey. You have since that day you walked into my office. You claimed ownership physically that day we made love in that same office."

"Going to fill that same pussy in a minute," he groaned, "Damn, woman..."

"Still nice and tight, baby? Well, your cock still makes me cum. You still make me so fucking wet too."

The older we got, the dirtier we loved to talk to each other. We'd sometimes just make each other laugh, but there were other times it would get so dirty, we'd fuck as long as we could before our bodies imply cried enough.

He started to slam me harder. "My pussy," he growled, "I'm going to fuck you just as hard in twenty-five years' time."

"I should fucking hope so. I don't care how old we are, we're doing this every day. Can't get enough of this dick."

"Blowjobs?"

"On my knees every day for you, handsome, at least until the day I find getting on my knees too difficult. Long as you eat my pussy in return."

"Done."

Wrapping my legs around him, he kissed me hard as he was like a piston. He made me orgasm first, he knew just how to fuck me. My orgasm set off his, feeling his cock throb deep inside me as he filled my pussy again. My god, I'd never tire of that feeling. Good thing he got the snip after I gave birth to Charlotte.

Pulling out, he collapsed onto his back, breathing deeply as I turned onto my side and snuggled into his side, his arm immediately around me, pulling me tight to him in return. I still thanked my lucky stars that he never gave up on me, but it was a just a reflection of how much he actually loved me. I dread to think of where I would have ended up had he not sent that message which finally woke me up and forced me to open up my heart to him.

"So another twenty-five years of this?" I joked.

"Well, that will put us close to if not over eighty years old. Nursing homes are apparently full of randy buggers still busy banging away."

"Long as you don't get any ideas."

"Oh no, we're in the same room and in the same bed, though I might need a little chemical assistance by then."

Running my fingers up and down his chest, his chest hair was starting to go grey and silver. My hair had started to grey at the same time. I wondered about colouring but he assured me going grey didn't bother him, so why should it bother me. He thought I was beautiful and still sexually attracted to me, but he added that if colouring made me feel comfortable, he'd support me either way.

So I thought I'd have fun and go through a series of colours. At the moment, it was a dark red that he admitted to absolutely loving. When I used the same colour on my pussy, he ate me out to some of the best orgasms I'd had in a few years.

If you're wondering about Claire, she is in our lives as Hannah and Katherine slowly but surely introduced her back into theirs. But it was when they had children of their own that the relationship thawed entirely. They still didn't call her Mum any longer, and I knew that hurt, but Claire was happy just to be part of the family again. The major reason why it was easier is that karma bit her in the arse. The guy she had an affair with had another affair. She ended up in a small apartment and completely alone.

Mark had long since forgiven her as he considered me his true soulmate, Claire simply someone he had loved before. So when I approached him about Claire and her isolation, he offered her a deal. He'd build her a granny flat at the end of our backyard. All she needed to do was pay to cover the cost of building and filling it with furniture. We signed a rental agreement, and once everything was paid, she'd only have to chip in for bills.

Claire agreed immediately, and she was now part of our household. Our children called her 'Auntie Claire'. The first time one of our children called her that, she nearly broke down entirely. Watching Mark console her with one of his famous hugs made me smile. No jealousy on my part, though I knew Claire lived with regret about what she did, and had admitted to us more than once that what happened to her was karma for what she did to him. She was currently dating a lovely older gentleman, though she had no plans to leave her little home. What she found real joy in was babysitting our children when Mark took me out on a date.

"What's on your mind?" he asked as he always knew when I was thinking.

"Our lives up to now."

"Anything stand out?"

"Just how much the man I'm in bed with seems to love me."

"And how much do you love me in return?"

"Still not sure I have all the words to explain. All I know is that you saved me, Mark."

"You were worth saving. I'd do it all over again too. No hesitation. You own my heart." He kissed my forehead. "I love you, Melissa," he whispered.

He was soon asleep, running my fingers up and down his chest. My heart swelled every time he told me he loved me. He told me when he woke up, when he left for work, at least once during the day, during lovemaking, and then just before he drifted off to sleep. They were never empty words. He loved me completely and wholeheartedly, and I loved him just as much in return.

"Til death do us part," I whispered back to him before I closed my eyes and let dreams take me again.

*****

A/N - I actually started writing this without any real idea of where I'd take it except the fact it would be a romance between Mark and Melissa instead of Mark and his daughters, but I wanted to ensure his daughters were still an important part of the story.

I think it was at the start of Chapter Four that I mentioned the idea of a 'Mature' story where Mark would fool around with his daughter's friends. Though still an idea, I have quite a few stories on the go, but I might write something in the future.