‘Daniel what are you doing?’  Tessa stood with her hands on her hips.

‘Brushing my teeth mum,’ he seemed to have inherited Lyndon’s puppy dog expression.

‘Again?  You brushed your teeth an hour ago.’ 

‘Brushing my teeth again mum,’ he cocked his head pleadingly.  A trail of strawberry toothpaste ran from his cheek towards his forehead.  He was squeezing the dear life out of the tube of toothpaste.

‘Would you like some strawberries to eat angel?  Although you should be going to bed,’ Tessa lifted Daniel into her arms.  She rinsed his brush and washed his face.

‘Can I eat some toothpaste mum?  I don’t want strawberries.’

‘No Daniel.  I have told you before, you do not eat toothpaste.  It is only meant to clean your teeth, and just once, not every hour.’

‘Do I have to go to bed mum?’

‘Yes sweetheart.  Let’s say goodnight to Lyndon and daddy.’  Tessa walked into Lyndon’s room.  He was listening intently to a story his daddy was reading him.

‘I don’t want to sleep mum,’ Daniel pleaded.  ‘Can I watch TV?’

Brad stopped reading when Tessa walked in with Daniel.  Lyndon scowled at the interruption.

Hey tiger, come and lie next to Lyndon and listen to the story,’ Brad tapped the bed.    ‘It’s getting very interesting.  Teeger is building an aeroplane.  He wants to tour the world in it.’

‘I don’t want to listen to a story,’ Daniel turned his back to his father and looked over his mummy’s shoulder at the doorway. 

‘What would you like to do Daniel?’  Brad question.

‘Wanna watch my program daddy,’ Daniel pouted without turning around.

‘You’ve been glued to the television for more than three hours,’ Brad informed Daniel.

‘I wanna watch TV mum,’ Daniel cupped his mummy’s face with his two little palms.

‘You need to be in bed Daniel.  You’ve already watched enough television.’

‘Don’t want a story,’ he sulked.

‘Then say goodnight to daddy and your brother.’

‘Night daddy, night Lyndon’ Daniel puckered his mouth for a kiss.

Brad laughed at Daniel’s cute face awaiting a kiss.  ‘Come here.’

Tessa walked to the bed and lowered Daniel so he could kiss his daddy and Lyndon.

‘Night son,’ Brad kissed his cheek.

‘Good night Daniel,’ Lyndon hugged his brother.

‘Kiss me too,’ Daniel demanded.

Lyndon laughed.  He reached up and kissed Daniel on the cheek.  ‘Why don’t you like story books?’ Lyndon questioned his brother.  They are so interesting.’

Daniel shrugged his shoulders arrogantly and gave his brother a lop-sided grin.  Tessa and Brad exchanged a meaningful look.  They would have to devise a means to get Daniel interested in books.  He preferred toys and television to books.  Neither parent was pleased about that.

‘Did Lyndon talk to you about a barbecue with his friends?’ Tessa asked Brad when he entered their bedroom.  She was towelling her hair.

‘No,’ Brad raised his eyebrows questioningly.  He had just finished showering.

‘He wants to invite Dylan, Tommy and Ellie over on Friday afternoon.’

‘What did you say?’ Brad slipped into bed.

‘I said I’d first have to ask you,’ Tessa answered, as she brushed down her hair.

‘I’m okay with it, except I can’t be here to supervise them if they want to swim.’

‘I can take the afternoon off,’ Tessa offered.

‘You don’t mind?  Five children are going to be a handful.’

‘Stacy will be here.  The kitchen staff can do the barbecue and other refreshments,’ Tessa removed her gown and climbed into bed.  ‘Besides I could get additional help,’ Tessa shifted closer to Brad, ‘if I need to,’ she raked her fingers through Brad’s damp hair.

‘Like who?’ Brad demanded.

Tessa laughed, her eyes meshed with his.  ‘Oh I’m sure you will clear your diary in a huff if any males offered to assist, Blakely.  Her lips brushed his with an erotic kiss.  ‘I thought perhaps to invite one off the mums, not that I need the help.’  Tessa’s fingers grazed his cheek caressingly.  She deepened the kiss, her tongue invading his mouth, entwining with his sensually.

‘In that case,’ Brad responded to the kiss, his lips dragged to her throat and nibbled lingeringly.  ‘I have no problem with your party at all,’ he replied huskily.  His head lowered to her pert breasts.  His tongue laved over her aroused nipple skilfully.  Tessa groaned pleasurably, pulling Brad closer.  She purred blissfully when his hands expertly brushed over her inner thighs and torturously lingered a little higher.  It created a throbbing void, sharpened her need for his possession, bringing her closer to the point where she felt she will explode if he did not immediately enter her.

‘Oh darling---,’ she pleaded.  Her pelvis lifted expectantly.  Her arms pulled at his shoulders hopeful that he would mount her before she detonated.  When Brad was taking far too long to yield to her pleas, Tessa brought him to instant submission.  Firmly gripping his erect form, she threatened to make him explode in her hands.  It was awesomely empowering.

‘Come here,’ Brad chuckled.  He hoisted her onto his chest and hugged his wife possessively, whispering in her ear.    

‘Round two?’ she repeated, laughing softly.

‘Don’t tell me you’re losing it Mrs. Blakely.  ‘Old age?’ he challenged.

Tessa smiled.  ‘Perhaps,’ she felt no pressure to rise to the bait.

Brad smiled back.  He brushed away the loose strands of hair from her cheek and kissed her lips.

Tessa slid back onto her pillow.  ‘I would like to have a discussion with you,’ Tessa murmured, draping one arm around Brad’s neck.

‘It better not be about business,’ his tongue traced a delicious path over the lobe of her ear.  ‘I don’t talk business with my bed partners.

‘It’s not about business,’ Tessa laughed, dragging Brad’s head up, so she could look into his eyes.

‘I’m all ears then,’ he smiled back.

‘It’s about us---about our family.’

‘Our family?’ he dipped his head and feathered more kisses on her lips.

‘I want to increase it,’ Tessa whispered.

The expression on Brad’s face changed so suddenly like the light of day to the dark of night.  If Tessa were to describe it, Brad’s face looked like the course texture of rough granite.

‘What!’  Not only was his face like granite.  The temperature in the room dropped from boiling to ice cold.

‘Daniel is two years old now.  I want to have another baby,’ Tessa expanded, even though she knew Brad understood what she had just said.

‘No!’  Instead of moving away, his grip around her tightened.

‘Can’t we discuss this?’ Tessa pleaded.

‘Are you still on the pill?’ He demanded.

‘Yes, off course,’ she laughed softly, then became serious.  ‘You know I would not be underhanded and fall pregnant without first discussing it with you.’

Yes he knew that.  His wife could have a volatile temper, but he could never accuse her of being deceitful, or selfish. Never.  Brad inhaled sharply. 

‘You are not falling pregnant ever again Tessa.  End of discussion.’

‘How can you be so autocratic?’  She questioned.  ‘Don’t I have a say in the matter?’

‘You listen to me for once in your life Tessa,’ Brad gripped her shoulders so tightly, she winced from the pain.  Immediately Brad’s hold on her loosened.  ‘Maybe you have a short term memory,’ he hissed, ‘although I know that not to be the case.  You almost died with the last pregnancy.’

‘But---you were with me last week with Dr. Leighton,’ Tessa justified.  ‘You heard her.  She said I was fit and healthy and ready to have more children, if we wanted to.’

‘If,’ Brad emphasized.  ‘And that was just a clinical report.  She can offer me no guarantees about your life, should complications arise again.’

‘Why do you have to be so negative? Tessa’s eyes became moist.  ‘We could monitor my progress more closely and I could stay home throughout the pregnancy.’

‘No Tessa,’ Brad’s voice rose.  ‘No more babies!’

‘But I want a baby girl.’

Brad went quiet for a second.  He swallowed painfully.  ‘I’m prepared to give you anything in the world Tessa, but I am sorry no more pregnancy for you.’

‘You can’t do this to me,’ she sobbed, covering her face with her hands.

Brad pulled her up against his chest.  Very slowly he removed her hands.  ‘What if we have another boy?’ he questioned.

Tessa’s eyes lit up.  Was there hope?  ‘Then we will stop.  I promise,’ she whispered.

‘If you want a girl, we can adopt,’ Brad suggested.

‘No,’ Tessa shook her head vigorously.  ‘Why should we?  You and I are healthy adults.  We can create our own baby.  I have nothing against adoptions, but I want our own baby, Brad, please,’ she begged.

‘I am sorry Tessa.  I do not want to go through what I did with the last pregnancy.  I love you,’ he cupped her face.  ‘I am not prepared to risk your life to have another baby.  God has blessed us with two gorgeous babies.  I am thankful for that,’ he smiled.  ‘If you want ten more babies,’ he whispered, I will adopt them with the greatest of pleasure just to please you.’ He inhaled again.  ‘Now this discussion is closed Tessa.’

With that said Brad slipped out of the bed and rushed into the shower.  But not before he saw her bury her head into her pillow, heard her sob into it.  He shut his eyes but a tear still escaped and fell down his cheek as he shut the shower door.

When Brad came back to bed, Tessa kept her back to Brad.  He reached out and draped his arm around her waist.  Tessa stiffened.  When he reached over to kiss her good night, she said good night, but Brad had to content with her cheek, she was not offering her lips to him.

‘Good morning,’ Brad greeted Tessa.  She was feeding Daniel his breakfast.  The blighter was always hungry.  Brad was sure he ate twice the amount Lyndon did.

‘Morning,’ Tessa murmured and continued feeding Daniel. 

Brad was surprised she was up already.  He knew she had hardly got much sleep last night.  She had kept far away from him.  He had laid with his back to her.  More than once in the night, he had heard Tessa softly sniffing.  He dared not turn around to comfort her.  He knew if he looked into those appealing eyes of hers he would give into her earlier pleas.  Brad had awoken when Tessa had gotten up more than two hours ago.   She had attempted to slip out of bed without disturbing him.

‘Morning daddy,’ Daniel greeted with his mouth full of cereal. 

‘Don’t talk with food in your mouth Daniel,’ Tessa spoke softly. 

‘Sorry mum,’ Daniel swallowed his cereal, sipped his fruit juice and lifted his hands expectantly to his daddy.

‘Good morning son,’ Brad first lowered his head, lifted Tessa’s chin and kissed her before he picked Daniel up.  He then kissed Daniel on the forehead.  ‘Big brother still sleeping?’ Brad questioned Daniel with a grin.

‘Yep, big brother still sleeping daddy,’ Daniel bent his head and opened his mouth for another spoon of cereal.’

Brad sat down to his breakfast.  ‘You’re not coming to work?’ he enquired, seeing Tessa in denims and a T shirt.

‘I am,’ she answered ever so politely.  It was still early after her work out and shower, so she had slipped into a pair of denims.  ‘I will change as soon as I’m done with the boys.’

Tessa was a caring, hands on mother.  She loved pampering her boys.  It made it all the more harder for Brad to keep to his decision for her not to fall pregnant.  Well it was not like he was vetoing the idea of any more babies.  Like he said last night, they could adopt, if she would agree to it.

Brad looked at his wristwatch.  Clearly he wanted to leave as quickly as possible.  They travelled to work together, unless Brad left for an early appointment, then Tessa took her own vehicle in to work.

‘Go on to the office,’ Tessa spoke.  ‘I’ll come through when I’m done with Lyndon.’  She was actually pleased for an excuse not to travel with Brad.  Right at this moment, she did not prefer Brad’s company.  Brad looked up after swallowing the last of his coffee.  He replaced his cutlery on his empty plate.

‘Would you like me to give Keri a message?’ he offered.

‘There’s no need.  I don’t have any early appointments today.’

‘Okay darling,’ Brad stood up.  He threw his napkin on the table.  ‘See you at the office.’  His fingers gently clasped the nape of her neck as he kissed her lips again.  Tessa did not look at Brad’s face. 

‘Bye,’ she murmured and immediately lowered her head.

‘Bye darling,’ Daniel mimicked his daddy’s words.  ‘See you at the office,’ Daniel waved his hand at Brad.

‘You coming to the office?’ Brad laughed.  Tessa kept her head lowered, though a smile hovered on her lips.

‘No daddy.  I stay with Stacy.  Today we building a track for my train to ride on.

‘Oh you’re the family comic are you?’ Brad laughed.  ‘Enjoy your day son,’ Brad departed.

‘You’re naughty,’ Tessa laughed softly.

Daniel laughed.  ‘Am I finished mum?  Can I go to Stacy now?’

‘Yes my baby.  Mummy must sort Lyndon out and get to the office.’  Tessa cleaned Daniel’s face and took him through to Stacy.

That night Tessa delayed as long as possible before finally getting into bed.  First she sat on Lyndon’s bed with Brad as he read Lyndon a story.  Then she wasted time in Daniel’s room, joining him to play with his toys even after Brad retired to their bedroom.  When Tessa showered and got into bed, Brad was awake and waiting for her.  She was contemplating how to say good night to him, when he reached out to her.

‘Don’t,’ she whispered, when Brad’s hand touched her naked body.  Brad looked up into her eyes questioningly.  Tessa knew his eyes were demanding an answer from her.

‘I can’t---,’ Tessa covered her face with her hands.  ‘I can’t make love with you tonight.  ‘Don’t make me,’ she sobbed.

Brad drew her towards him, his fingers gently raked through her hair.  Tessa’s hot tears continued to fall on Brad’s shoulder.  He just gently held her in his arms.  It was tearing him apart seeing her cry.  Tessa was not a weak female.  His wife never used tears to win an argument.  It was some time later, that Tessa quietened down, and Brad heard her gentle breathing as she slept.  He dared to look into his wife’s tear stained face.  Her lips were rosy red as if she had been biting on them, but she looked peaceful, as she slept.  He lowered his head and gently kissed her lips.

‘Good night darling,’ he murmured.  He was not expecting a response and he did not get one.

                                                                       -end chapter forty-