Where Do We Go From Here?

Note to the readers: This is my first story here at Literotica. It is non-erotic story about a couple and deals with a sensitive adult theme. It has an erotic ending.

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Chapter 1

Mark knew she had a secret. And unless he discovered it, he was going to lose her. There was no way he was ready for that. How could he let her go after just three months together? The last few months with Emma had been one of the best times of his life. He had finally found a connection with another person; a connection that went beyond mutual interests and physical attraction and he wanted it to last longer. He knew something was off since the past 2 weeks but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. She was definitely worried about something but she didn't give any hint whether it concerned him.

He had met Emma about a year ago at a bar, where she was celebrating the bachelorette night of a close friend. There she was dressed in flirty red dress, her brown hair let down in loose waves. She had walked straight up to his table and looked at him unsurely. She had then proceeded to finish his scotch in one go and had kissed him on the lips. His friends had hooted loud but she hadn't noticed any of that. She had given him a little smile and left his table just like that. He hadn't expected to meet her again but a few months ago he bumped into her one morning on his way to his studio. He hadn't forgotten that kiss and by the flutter of her eyelashes, neither had she. He had to ask her out and he did. They had been going strong ever since. She worked as a financial analyst with crazy working hours and he got to know how determined she was to perform well. He found that his sense of humour and carefree attitude brought out the lightness in her personality and balanced her seriousness. Besides they really liked being with each other. The romance had been blossoming ever since that first coffee.

Lately she had been a little distant though. She had been worried and seemed to be contemplating something. In the past two weeks, he had often caught her staring at him when he wasn't looking. She hadn't been accepting his invitation to stay the night at his place and this time it didn't seem like it was because of her work schedule. He knew she wasn't losing interest in him because she didn't push him away; she just held him at a safe distance. This was tough especially when he had started feeling so strongly for her. He had this sudden urge to comfort and protect her and being unable to do so frustrated him. So he was going to find out her secret.

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Emma had seemed to find her perfect other when she met Mark. She had kissed him on a dare and was thankful that it hadn't been with a weird stranger. He had accepted her kiss and had steadied her with his hand on her waist. She had wanted to pursue him right then but she was drunk beyond her senses by the end of the night and she wasn't one to start a liaison when drunk. She was glad she found him on her way to the coffee shop one morning and it all seemed to fall into place. He was an upcoming photographer. They had very different personalities but they complemented each other. She was practical and logical, while he was emotional. But they balanced each other. He adjusted their dates according to her work hours and cooked her warm meals when she had to work really late. He came over to just sleep besides her when they hadn't been able to see each other. Incompatible work hours had never been an issue with them. It was also rare for her to find someone who understood her need to excel. She had been handed the feminine frailty card one too many times and she wanted to break the glass ceiling. It had been a great courtship so far and even though it hadn't been long, she knew she had found someone who understood her.

It had all come crashing down two weeks ago. She had been worried about a possibility but had brushed it off earlier. Things had been going really great, there was no way something could spoil it. She couldn't have been more wrong. Usually she was good to tackle an unexpected situation but she couldn't decide this time. She was still figuring out how she felt about it herself. Of course she spent time away from him, because she needed to think first. Time was running out. She couldn't hold him out for much longer.

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Emma was finishing up her makeup when the doorbell rang. Mark was standing at the door, in a powder blue suit with a crisp white shirt. He looked handsome as ever and her heart did a somersault.

"Hello beautiful, Ready to go?"

"Hi babe, just give me a few minutes. I hope it's going to be a short ceremony. I can't wait to get back from there already."

"Rough morning? I thought you were excited for Macy's wedding."

"Oh yes! I am. It's just that I feel a little under the weather."

He was her plus one for a colleague's wedding; their first social event together. She had wanted to skip it altogether but couldn't get out of it. It was a beautiful ceremony by the beach. Thank god she had Mark around to socialize at wedding. She was a bit lost today and people talked so much at weddings. Everybody was busy drinking and dancing now but she was crumbling inside. Nobody would realise she is missing.

"Something's the matter, Emma? You just disappeared. Still feeling queasy?" Mark found her standing alone at the far-off end of the pier.

"No, I feel better now. You were having fun there and didn't want to pull you away. It's such a beautiful day, I wanted to look at the sea." She gave him a small smile that didn't reach her eyes.

"I don't mind. I came here to have fun with YOU. Besides I didn't know you'd look so ravishing in this dress."

He hugged her from behind and whispered in her ears, "Who knew ruffles can be so sexy!" Emma giggled and leaned back into his embrace and he moved his hands lower and caressed her tummy, pulling her tight against him.

"Your tummy's so soft. You know it's my favourite spot these days and I want to kiss it so badly." He grabbed her tummy possessively and kissed her neck.

Emma stiffed suddenly and wrenched his hands away from his body.

"Don't touch me like that!" Mark stood confused with his mouth open and he looked hurt. She should tell him.

"I mean I am going back. It is bad manners to abandon a wedding party like this."

She hurried back leaving him alone at the pier. Nobody would have even realised that they weren't around. He didn't know why she blew hot and cold. He couldn't understand why she pushed him away every time he tried to get close. She had been quiet since morning but he gathered that her mood had improved. A drink or two would have mellowed her down but she had declined. She hadn't eaten much either.

Mark turned around and stared at her silhouette from the pier. She looked heavenly in her peach shift dress and baby's breath adorned her hair. The gauzy fabric swished about her legs and the bodice cupped her full breasts. He loved looking at her. God! He loved her. She was talking to someone and unconsciously smoothed the dress over her stomach. Her hand lingered there for just a moment but Mark caught that move. He exhaled a breath he was holding. If what he was thinking was true, she couldn't hold him out for long. He knew he wouldn't let her keep the secret and started walking towards her.

Chapter 2

It had been one long, quiet ride back home. Emma avoided him and Mark stared ahead the entire time. She had planned to say a quick goodbye but Mark held her hand as she tried to climb down the car.

"I have to get up early tomorrow."

"It's Sunday, Emma. I am sure you can take some time off on the weekend."

"Mark, I can't - "

"I have missed you. I am just asking to spend time together tonight."

"We already spent hours together today."

"Emma, do you really want me gone?" His frustration was visible now.

She knew she couldn't win this one. Besides it had been weeks since they spent a night together. He followed her as she led him inside her apartment. The way he kept staring at her unnerved her. It was the same way she would stare at him sometimes. She had not thought this through. She had to get away from him.

"Uhh I am going to go change and then we could watch a movie or just relax or whatever." She didn't wait for his answer. He watched silently after her, thinking whether his guess about her secret was true.

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She stared at herself in the mirror. Why could she still not make up her mind? Why couldn't she just tell him? She was removing the pins from her hair when she felt him enter the room behind her. She looked up at his reflection in the mirror as he started to help her with the pins. He looked at the helplessness and desperation in her eyes. He understood what she was going through. He felt sorry that he couldn't figure it out earlier. She shouldn't have been dealing with it all alone.

He helped her out of her dress without a word, caressing every inch of skin he exposed. He pulled her back into his embrace, keeping his touch light. She had closed her eyes and let the soft sensations wash over her. She wanted to forget everything else. She felt safe with him.

"Would you like a bath? It's been a long tiring time for you. A bath will help you relax."

Emma kept her eyes closed and nodded. There was nothing else that she needed more right now.

They sat together in her tub with the bathroom lights dimmed, her soft body cradled into his strong one. It had been so long since she had felt his body against hers. He kept kissing her neck and shoulders and his hands massaged her aching body. She felt like she had been standing alone for so long. Tears stung her eyes. She was wrong trying to take this decision alone. He had a right to know. She needed him to know.

Her body relaxed and he tightened his hands around her. The air was rife with silence and Mark's soft words echoed loud.

"Why didn't you tell me, Emma?"

Emma jerked but he didn't let her slip out of his arms. He kept holding on to her.

"Please baby. I already know but I need to hear it from you."

She turned to face him and hurt was written all over his features. She also felt a reigned in anger beneath his demeanour. Her lips quivered. Telling him would make it all real. He held her gaze and urged her to confess.

"Do you know that I love you?" He held her face tenderly in his hands and massaged her earlobes.

"Yes", she whispered.

"Then don't keep me away from you. Tell me and we can face it together." His words gave her strength and she knew they could figure it out together.

"Mark. I - I am", she stuttered. "I am pregnant with your baby." A tear rolled down her cheeks and she gave him a shrug. He closed his eyes and let his head lean back on the tiles. He pulled her to him and held her tightly. She had started sobbing softly. Her tears seared his skin. She was his soulmate. It shouldn't have been like this.

"Why - why didn't you tell me?"

"I am so sorry. I got scared and -"

"Why didn't you tell me, Emma?" he thundered. He hadn't meant to be harsh but felt betrayed.

"I didn't know what to tell. This wasn't what I planned. I didn't -"

"So you don't want this with me." His accusation hurt her. She had been afraid of this. She had been tearing herself to pieces trying to figure out how she wanted to deal with the situation. She couldn't handle him thinking that she didn't want him. He stormed out of the bathroom leaving her miserable. She had never loved a man more than she loved him. She didn't know if she could bear being without him. But they seemed to be at crossroads at the moment. This was going to tear them apart. She held onto the edge of the tub and cried.

Chapter 3

When she walked into her bedroom, she saw him staring at her pictures - Emma as a little girl, Emma at her graduation, the one with her giving the valedictorian speech, when she had won a young achiever's award. She had expected him to leave but he was still there. She slumped down on her bed and said in a defeated tone, "I never said I didn't want it with you."

He turned and looked at her tear-stained face.

"I know. I am sorry I said that to you." He kneeled down in front of her and sat near her legs. "I was just angry that you didn't tell me about the pregnancy." He took her hands into his own and looked up at her. "Do you really have to work tomorrow?"

"No. I was bluffing." She snickered.

"Ok then. Tell me why you had been hiding this from me." He looked up at her earnestly, hanging onto her next words. There was still hope.

"I wasn't just expecting this to happen so soon. You and I are so good together and we have been having such a good time but it's still so new. I mean we still aren't over our honeymoon period. We haven't discussed so far ahead into the future. And you know how much I have been focusing on my work and it has all just started to bear fruits. I have so much more to do. This was just not in my plans. I am not ready for this. I always thought that I was smart enough to avoid such mistakes. This could ruin my career right now. I -"she'd started to sound hysterical.

"Emma, you don't have to do anything that you don't want."

"It isn't so simple, Mark. With anybody else, I know what my decision would have been. But this is with you. I have been trying to figure out what I want to do for two weeks now. I sat there with that strip in my hand for hours and I didn't know if I was happy or disappointed. I just didn't know. I wouldn't have kept it from you forever. I was going to tell you myself in a few days. I just didn't know how I'd deal with your reaction. I was having such a hard time coming to terms with this pregnancy myself."

"Come here." He pulled her into his lap and looked into her eyes, tucking her hair behind her ears. "I know we haven't been together for very long and this pregnancy is unexpected but please remember that we are in this together. Honestly I have wanted this with you, not like this of course. But I thought that we are headed that way. It seems unfortunate that this caught us off-guard like this but sometimes things aren't in our control. Since the past few weeks I had been so afraid that I was going to lose you and I had no idea why. When it finally dawned upon me today why you had been acting so strangely, it knocked the breath out of me. I don't think I can live without you, Emma."

"I know it's too early in our relationship to get pregnant but," he moved a hesitant hand towards her and cupped her tummy reverently, "I will support you whether you decide to have our child or not."

When he touched her like that, she let herself feel for the first time that she had their baby growing inside her. She knew she wanted to have a family with him in the future. She had often thought about what a good father he would make. She knew she would be a terrible mother and was relieved that she'd have him with her. She had only pictured all this to happen once she was settled in her career and they were married. Fate had been cruel to her, dangling in front of her something she desired so much, in the most inopportune time. Any decision she took would end up hurting her in a way.

He lifted her in his arms and laid her on the bed. He tucked her inside and slept beside her.

"How far along do you think you are?"

"A month or so maybe. I missed my period and started throwing up in the mornings 2 weeks ago."

"Is that why you wouldn't let me sleep over?"

"I didn't want you find out like that. What are we going to do?"

"For starters, I want you to move in with me or I can come stay here and we will go see a doctor tomorrow, get you checked and discuss our options. We'll need to take a decision soon. Is that fine with you?"

"Yes."

Mark closed his eyes and tried to imagine what the morning would bring.

"Mark, can we forget about all of these complications tonight?"

"Hmm. We don't have to decide tonight."

He looked at Emma and saw pure love in her face. They were in a difficult situation but he could see that some part of her wanted to keep their baby. She wanted to feel the bliss of her pregnancy without the pressing concerns of a decision and he realised that he had been waiting for the same ever since he figured out her pregnancy. He was dying to show her what she meant to him and how he felt about the possibility of their child. He gathered her into arms and kissed her deeply. She moaned softly as she felt his hands take off her robe and touch her skin. He pushed her onto her back and slid down her body. Going down on her was one of his favourite things. He kissed a path down her torso and stopped above her mound. His hands caressed her stomach and it brought tears to her eyes. The wetness on his stomach told her he was crying too. He wiped his eyes and proceeded to kiss her stomach slowly, every touch lingering but light as if he was afraid he'd break her. "I love you", he whispered to her stomach.

His lips moved down to her mound and he spread her thighs apart. There was no urgency in his movements and he took his time licking and kissing his pussy. Little contractions started within her leading to her orgasm but he didn't stop his attentions. He sucked onto her clit and slid a finger inside her and slowly massaged her sensitive spots. She started to climb the high again. All the stress of the past few weeks began to disappear and all she remembered was her lover between her legs, making sweet love to her. She moved her hands into his hair and felt him respond with a groan. She wrapped her thighs around his head as she felt another orgasm approaching and called out his name as she erupted. She held on to him as the contractions subsided and her breathing returned to normal. She felt a warmth spreading across her body as she pulled Mark up. For the first time in weeks, she let herself kiss him without hesitation. She pulled him close against her and poured all her love in her touch. She wanted to show him how she felt about him, just as he had done earlier.

"I am sorry I didn't tell you earlier."

"Shhh. You don't have to be."

He melted under her touch and her kisses were like a balm to his soul. After so long away from her, he finally felt at peace. They belonged together. He knew she felt the same way, otherwise she wouldn't have been so distressed by the situation. He looked deep into her eyes and thought about the life they had accidently created. He almost laughed at the futility of his actions when he reached for a condom and handed her the condom letting her make the decision. She tossed it away. It wouldn't serve any purpose now and she didn't want any barriers tonight. He slid inside her and felt the warmth and wetness of her pussy. She moaned at the novel sensation of the skin-to-skin contact and her walls pulled on him. He held her face in his hands and started moving slowly. He didn't let her break eye-contact for even a second. He hungrily demanded all her attention and she gave it to him.

"I really love you, Emma."

"I love you too, Mark."

"Together." She knew he meant more than one thing by this simple word.

"Always."

It was only then that he let go of his control and buried his face in her neck. His slow, rhythmic thrusts became more urgent. Both of them abandoned their inhibitions and spoke of their heart's desires. He told her how much he needed her and how the thought of her carrying his child made him feel. His hand kept on straying towards her womb. She let herself speak of her desire to have a family with him. Under the dark blanket of the night, she told him things which she hadn't even acknowledged to herself. And he adorned her with kisses and even sweeter whispers, amidst which they drifted towards a simultaneous orgasm followed by a peaceful sleep.