The Royal Contract

"Aren't you tired yet?" He dropped down on the sand as he tried to catch his breath.

He had been swimming to pass the idle time. But he was already exhausted. He wanted to return to the comfort of their room and the cold air conditioning, but his wife refused to leave just yet.

"What are we waiting for anyway?" Marcus confusedly asked, watching his wife with curiosity.

His wife had been sitting in the lounge chair under a big umbrella for an hour. But it seemed she had no plan of moving just yet.

"I just want to savor this moment," Jacky sweetly responded with a beaming smile. "Who knows when we will be able to do this again?"

He could not blame his wife for thinking that. They could afford a hundred trips like this with the money he was earning, but it was time that was the problem.

His busy schedules and responsibilities prevented him from taking his wife on vacations more than he should.

Although Jacky assured him it was ok since she was also busy with work, he knew they would have to find a way to change their working habit.

With their baby on the way, they had to learn to find more time for their child and their growing family. After all, they were trying to make a living for their family, not living only to work.

"I guess I can agree with that." He leaned closer to his wife until he hovered over her swollen baby.

He could not wait for their baby to come out and meet them. He believed it would be one of the most exciting things that could happen to him.

He followed Jacky's eyes, trying to see what she was looking at. But all he saw were random things. The waves became more tenacious with the passing minutes before the water splashed on the shore.

Then, his eyes noticed two kids on the sand, laughing as the water tickled their feet. Another boy stubbornly fought the waves as the water tried to reclaim the sand castle he had worked hard to make.

He could only guess the focus of his wife's fascination was on them. He, too, could not pry his eyes away from them, imagining that someday, they could be their daughters and son.

"What do you want, a boy or a girl?" She suddenly uttered out of the blue as her eyes glanced at him. It was quick, but he saw her curiosity in them.

He had never thought about it. Before, he always wanted a boy when he decided he was ready to have a family. But after losing their first child, it did not seem to matter anymore.

He guessed he just wanted a healthy baby. It could be any gender as long as he would live longer than him. He did not want to bury another child for as long as he lived if he could help it.

"I don't care as long as our child will be as beautiful and stubborn as you." He pulled her finger into his lips, peppering them with kisses.

They might not be as petite as they used to be since Jacky had been gaining weight, but he still loved kissing them. He liked everything about her, even if she grew up the size of a whale.

"You are only saying that, but do you think I'll believe you? I bet you don't find me as attractive as you used to." She complained as her mood slightly changed.

But based on what he read, a pregnant woman could be temperamental most of the time. In addition, they could have low self-esteem because of their sudden body changes.

And their hormones could be all over the place. Therefore, depression was normal if they would not feel some assurance from their partner that nothing had changed between them.

"No. I am not. I assure you that you are still the most beautiful woman in this place. And the sexiest." Marcus quickly added the last part.

Maybe there was a time when he was younger that he had a specific type of woman. He might have some biased against those who had extra body fat in their body.

But Jacky was different. In his eyes, she was the most attractive woman he had ever seen. Most of all, he loved her more because she was sacrificing herself for the sake of their child.

No father could ever equal what a mother had to do to give birth to a child. They were mere sperm donors. Unfortunately, the rest of the process dropped on the shoulders of the mother. Or, in this case, their womb.

"If you don't believe me, I can show you." He moved closer, letting his lips travel from her knuckles up her arm and along her slightly pinkish shoulders, not failing to notice the sun was doing wonders on her skin.

And he liked it.

"What are you doing?" She protested but also moaned at the same time. "Ah, that is nice." Letting his fingers work their magic as he grabbed the lotion and spread it across her back.

Of course, he did not want her to have a sunburn as the scorching sun struck down on everyone on the beach.

"Do you like that?" He let his lips move closer to her ears, letting his breath touch her skin. It would make her feel he was near but not quite close enough.

"You are just teasing me." She snapped at him, but he could see she still enjoyed how his fingers moved across her arms, back, and shoulders.

"I can show you more if you escort me back to our room." He whispered again. This time, he allowed his lips to graze the outer part of her ears.

He knew it would send waves of electricity on her spine and all over her body. He could already feel the slight tremor that radiated on her skin.

"I think I like that." Jacky expressed her excitement as she helped him gather their few things and walked straight to the villa where they were staying.

He knew, just like that, he had convinced his wife that she was still the most beautiful woman in the world, at least in his eyes.

They were barely inside the room when Jacky attacked him. They said that pregnant women were more horny than the normal ones.

Truthfully, he had started to believe that, concluding that Jacky was wilder in bed, considering she was already a temptress back then.

"Take off your clothes." She commanded as she slowly removed hers, dropping each article seductively on the floor.

Of course, how could he not comply with such an order? With one swift movement, he was bare. In fairness, he hardly had clothes in him to begin with.

"But I think it would be best if we shower first." He did not think it was wise to lay on their bed with all the sand that dried out and stuck on his skin.

With one swift movement, he picked up his wife in his arms and carried her effortlessly to the large bathroom with a huge tub inside. He preferred the jacuzzi, but they would have to go outside on the patio to enjoy that.

Maybe some other time, like later.

"I think you forgot to remove this." He told her as his eyes stared at her, not breaking their contact while his fingers moved upward, burying them in her hair until he reached the bond that tied her hair into a knot.

With one firm pull, he removed the bond and released her hair, letting them cascade around her shoulders. He loved it when she made an effort to make herself beautiful when they went out.

But he also loved her simplicity when she was at home, caring for him. He also liked touching and watching her hair curling and dancing around her face.

Then, he felt the water drop down on his head, traveling through his skin. Then, his eyes watched as it also soaked her hair, face, and body, making her glisten like a Goddess.

"I love you, Jacky." He whispered again in her ears. "And I love the child you carry in your womb." Then, he dropped down to his knees, facing his unborn child.

"And I am forever yours..." He looked up to gaze into his wife's eyes. "And yours." He shifted his eyes to her belly, speaking directly to their child.

He could not think of any future without Jacky and the child growing in her belly. And, of course, their future children, thinking that he wanted more.

But, it would all depend on Jacky if she was still up to carrying more of his children. He would not force it, knowing the pain that Jacky had to go through.

He could not ask her to do that again unless she wanted it. And it would also depend if fate would still bless them with more children.

He had seen many couples who failed to produce children in their marriages. Many had filed for divorce, and some resorted to adoption.

He was not against adoption if that was their destiny. He only wanted a family to love, whether it be blood or not.

"And we are forever yours." Jacky happily responded, burying her fingers through his hair as she guided him toward her belly, allowing him to feel their child move inside.

"Did he just kick?" Somehow, the thought of a boy kicking a ball entered his mind.

"And..." She stopped him from his daydreaming. "...it could be a girl, showing you how tough she is." She reminded him that it could be either way.

He guessed it did not matter, boy or girl. Their child would be the most precious treasure he could ever have.