Macy wanted to die of embarrassment...and shame. Though somewhere in the recesses of her mind and heart, she was glad that finally, Twain knew.

She wiped her mouth with the towel. 'W___what are you doing in my bedroom?'

'Answer my question, Macy,' he gripped her shoulders angrily. 'How far are you?'

'You know we had sex  six weeks ago Einstein. Do the math!'

'Why have you kept it from me?' he demanded.

'I don't know Twain,' she hissed. 'Maybe because I hate the way you want to rule my life!'

Twain was immune to her angry vent. Pride and jubilation washed over his face.
'You're carrying my baby,' he hugged her, pressing his lips to her temple. One could safely say he was in a state of euphoria. Twain hoisted her into the air. He walked to the settee, sunk down with her still in his arms. 'Macy, I'm ecstatic,' he ravished her with kisses.

'I'm not,' she wrestled him, until she escaped out of his arms.

'Why?' He stood up, dejection replacing his earlier display of elation.

She glared at him. 'You would think after one unplanned pregnancy, I would err on the side of caution!'

Twain laughed heartily. 'I am delighted, darling' he clapped his hands. 'I wouldn't mind four more children,' he lifted her into his arms again, and twirled around with her.

'Not with me___.' She smacked his hands. 'Put me down.' Her stomach was still queasy, she quickly sat down.

'So you're giving me permission to umm...play the field,' he teased.

Hell no!
'Whatever Romeo,' she feigned indifference.

Twain threw his head back and laughed, not believing her unresponsiveness for a second.

'Put your feet up,' he lifted her legs onto the settee. 'And I will never allow you such liberties,' his voice became deadly serious. She knew that without him having to issue his warning. But his eyes were filled with gentle concern as he took the towel and brushed it over her face.

'And how dare you come into my bedroom? Were you hoping to seduce me?' Her eyes narrowed irritatedly. That was so unfair, considering she had tried to seduce him last night. And more importantly, he had been the perfect gentleman, comforting her, yet holding his own desire at bay. Shameless truth be told, she had hoped last night Twain would come to her bed, the door had been unlocked, but he hadn't. Her face flushed guiltily. If only he could know how much she wanted to sneak through the door that connected her suite to his and climb into his bed last night. It was only the fact that Parker was in the smaller room, in her suite, that she did not want him waking up in a strange city, wondering where he was or why his mum was not there.

Twain looked away, but not before she saw the hurt in his eyes. She wanted to kick herself.

'Can I get you some refreshments?' He offered, 'toast? Tea?'

'No thank you,' she mumbled, 'I need to check on Parker,' she brushed past him.

'Hey Parker,' Macy smiled, rushing into the lounge of her suite, to find her son sitting anxiously at the table.

'Are you going to die mum?' Tears were streaming down his cheeks.

'No sweetheart,' she knelt down in front of him. 'No,' she murmured, wrapping her arms around him. 'I'm fine now,' she smiled.

'I ___ called Twain, when I heard you being sick in the bathroom,' he confessed. You' didn't look well mum, like you're in a lot of pain when you clutched your tummy and ran to the bathroom.'

May shut her eyes for a second. She had not realized Parker had seen her.

God, I am such an idiot.

Why hadn't he defended himself?

She dragged her eyes up to meet Twain's. 'I'm sorry,' she mouthed the words.
She had been brutally scathing in her misguided attack as to why he was in her bedroom. With his eyes dark and impenetrable, Twain nodded.

'Parker, mum is pregnant,' Twain announced.

Macy waited with baited breath to see if Parker was going to have a tantrum. He was quiet for so long, she lifted her head to his.

Parker knew from his doctor, mother, that pregnant mums were prone to being sick in the mornings. He smiled with relief. 'Is that why you're sick mum?'

'Yes,' she smiled.

'Are you happy mum?' His eyes were suspiciously directed on the guilty party who had obviously impregnated his mum.

Macy's eyes flew to Twain's. He was holding his breath. He knew she'd be honest with their son.

'Yes. Yes I am,' she smiled at Parker.

'Then I'm happy too,' Parker threw his arms around Macy. 'I'm glad to have a brother or a sister mum,' he smiled happily at his mum, seeing in her eyes that she was truly blissfully happy.

Twain watched from the outside uncomfortably, as mother and son embraced. He wanted Parker to love him that way too, but he will wait. It required baby steps and he would be patient. He would earn Parker's love, even if it took him the rest of his life to do so.

'Twain?'

'Yes?'

'Parker said, you must join in,' she laughed softly.

'Yes, of course,' he rushed forward and dropped to his knees. 'Thank you Parker,' Twain murmured in a hoarse tone.

'Macy are you sure you're fine to go on the hike?' Twain asked with concern.

'Yes, yes.'

She wished he would stop fussing. Twain had got each one of them back packs. Her backpack and Parker's had two bottles of water each and some light snacks. Twain's had six bottles of water. She was sure, it was all for her. He was going to extreme measures, to make sure she stayed hydrated, even though they were still in civilisation and there would be drinks and refreshments that could be accessed within walking distance on the trail they were hiking on.

'We're not trekking into the Namib Desert,' she teased him.

He smiled sheepishly. 'I don't want you getting dehydrated,' he mumbled.

'I'm ready,' Parker came rushing to where they stood. He was still rubbing sunblock on his face and arms.

Twain smiled at his son. He was wearing a different baseball cap today, but Parker seemed to enjoy wearing them back to front.

South Africa's Western Cape is more botanically diverse than the richest tropical rainforest in South America, including the Amazon. There was a wealth to see and learn about. This morning Twain, Macy and Parker were doing a biodiversity walk. Twain had insisted they do the shorter walk. They would be meandering up a mountain to get some of the best aerial views of the valley and view some of the wildlife elements that lived up in the mountains. The walk would take them roughly about two hours in total. Macy was quite keen to hear the biodiversity talk about the fynbos environment, its medical properties and how the fynbos is encompassed within a wine farm.

Twain could not take his eyes of Macy. She looked adorable. He could not believe she was pregnant again. He wanted to stand on the rooftop and scream out that he was going to be a father for the second time. Macy was strikingly beautiful today. She was wearing khaki walking shorts, a white vest and a fuchsia coloured short sleeved cardigan. She was showing of her sexy legs in tan coloured hiking boots. Twain held his breath. He could not believe that in the ten year period that he had not been around, Macy had not taken a single lover. She was sexy and beautiful. Surely it was not from a lack of offers, so why had she maintained a life of celibacy? Twain knew he had had to contend with his brother and Alec Stuart vying for Macy's attention when he'd returned. He'd also seen the other male doctors giving her the look! Being the Chief of Staff had its little advantages. It seems word had gotten around that he was courting Dr. Macy Skye, he indulged in a self-satisfied smile.

'What's tickling your fancy?' Macy nudged him in the ribs as they began their hike.

'Nothing,' he grinned, tipping her hat lower over her forehead. Twain looked back, making sure Parker was close by.

'Parker you can't eat those berries.'

Parker ran to keep up with his mother and father. 'If they're called berries, why can't I eat them?' he frowned disappointedly.

'Some are regarded as berries,' Twain answered, 'though they're protective measures for the plants. Humans and animals can move to protect themselves from attack or predators, but plants can't. So, some have thorns and others have chemicals, in the form of misleading "berries," Twain laughed.

'They're deceptive like the female species?' Parker whispered to Twain.

The smile quickly disappeared of Twain's face. He hoped Macy had not heard Parker's teasing. And like a god send, one of the mammals dependent on the fynbos for their nourishment suddenly emerged. 'Look,' Twain pointed, with one hand on Parker's shoulder, 'a baby jackal,' he murmured softly.

'He's beautiful,' Parker whispered. 'Will he not die from eating berries?'

Twain shook his head. 'Some of nature's vegetation are good for animals but not for human consumption.'

'Will we also see the baboon and the antelopes?' Parker pointed to his brochure.

'I'm sure we can, they can't be too high up,' Macy announced.

Twain knew they could be found much higher up in the mountains, but he was loathe to exert too much strain on Macy, on the other hand, he wanted to see Parker's face light up when he saw the antelope.

'Maybe tomorrow, if there is time,' Parker perceptively grasped Twain's dilemma.

'It's still early, we can go on for a little more,' Macy countered.

'I'm hungry mum, can we go back and have lunch.'

'You're always hungry,' Macy laughed, playfully roughing up Parker's hair. She could not believe Parker wanted to stop the hike so quickly. He loved the outdoors and she was thrilled that Parker's behaviour had been nothing short of exemplary so far on the trip. Macy led the way down, followed by Parker and Twain behind him, down the trail.

'Thank you Parker,' Twain whispered into his son's ear.

Parker grinned. 'Perhaps after lunch and after mum has rested, we can do a different tour,' Parker whispered back, pointing to the chocolate tour.

Twain would have given a fair amount of his own possessions to indulge in the chocolate tour. He had thought neither Macy nor Parker would have read the brochures he handed to them, but Macy had circled the biodiversity hike and his son amazingly had spotted the one fetish they jointly shared, the chocolate tour!

Twain chuckled, shaking his head. Parker laughed right back.

'What's funny, you two?' Macy looked over her shoulder as she hiked down, to their lodgings.

'Twain tripped me,' Parker accused.

'Parker shoved me,' Twain rebutted.

Macy smiled amusedly. There was nothing in either's tone denoting the slightest animosity. She said a silent thank you prayer. Her son and her ____ lover's relationship was definitely improving.

When they returned to the vineyard, Macy sunk into one of the comfortable sofa's in the vineyard near the pool and ordered a tall glass of fruit juice. She was not unwell, just a tad out of shape. It was a long time since she'd indulged in that much physical activity.

'Tired?' Twain smiled, sitting at the foot of her sofa and tugged at the lace of her hiking boots.

'You don't have to do that,' she resisted.

'I want to,' he smiled lazily, his fingers tracing over her shapely legs, caressingly.

'I thought you're removing my boots,' she reminded him, but he caught the way she held her breath and how her betraying eyes responded to the obvious spark of pleasure she felt.

'After I do this.' He leaned over her, his lips brushing hers erotically. Her lips were chilled, but delicious, and fruity from her drink. Macy curved one arm around his neck, the other was still holding her drink.

'Break it up, you two,' Parker instructed, staring down at his mother and father.

Macy smiled and sipped from her drink. Twain squinted his eyes, looking up at Parker.

'Mum, can I go for a swim, please?'

'I thought you're hungry.'

'I am ___ but I'm hot now and I can't swim after I eat.'

'Go on,' Twain assented. 'I'll order lunch, it should get here, after you enjoy a quick swim.'

'Thank you,' Parker ripped his top and cap of and dived into the cool, refreshing pool.

Macy gazed into Twain's eyes after watching Parker do a swift dive into the water. He was smiling sexily as he undid her lace. He removed her hiking boots but left her socks on, his palms massaging gently over her feet and her toes. Macy wanted to scream or groan loudly from the sheer erotic pleasure.

'You're ordering lunch,' she breathed uncomfortably, 'just make sure, it's nothing that's going to make me throw up,' she warned.

His hands stopped their soothing exercise. 'So Parker and I have to eat only greens?' His face contorted disbelievingly.

'Well I did not get pregnant by myself, so if I'm having the time of my life, you can share some of the joys of it,' she teased with a straight face.

'So I should order three ___ salads?' Twain could barely get those seemingly ghastly words through his lips.

Macy threw her head back and laughed.

'What's funny?' Twain's face looked a picture of torture.

'I wish I had my camera,' she bit on her lower lip.

He just smiled, not saying anything.

'Would you like a cheese burger?' Her free hand linked with his.

Twain looked up, his fingers laced with hers, tightening their hold. He loved cheese burgers. Their first meal together ten years ago had been cheese burgers. He knew, she remembered.

'Yes please, thank you,' he smiled, leaning over, to kiss her lips.

'I'll have a salad,' Macy informed him. 'You can order the burgers with all the trimmings for you and Parker.'

'We'll eat out here, then I want you to rest in your suite for a while,' the boss returned in dictator mode.

Macy's eyes rose piercingly, it narrowed penetratingly, as she glared at Twain.

Twain shifted uncomfortably, 'rest for a little while please, even if you don't sleep.'

Her eyes fell at his change of tack. He could be charmingly endearing, when subtly pushed to a corner.

Macy was relaxing in her suite, reading a magazine. Twain and Parker were at the table looking at more brochures. She could hear arguments and debates about what they should do for the one day that remained of what she thought was a successful weekend so far. She could not believe this was the autocratic Chief of Staff, sitting here, so casually dressed, not firing instructions about what they should do, or where they should go, instead, he took the lead from her and Parker.

Why couldn't he be like this every day?

Macy observed Parker and Twain whispering incessantly. She wondered what they were up to. It amazed her how unguarded Parker was here with Twain in these "neutral settings" as Twain would describe them. It gave her immense pleasure to see Twain and Parker's head bowed together...almost conspirationally.

'Mum, you look beautiful,' Parker looked up from the brochure in his hands.

'Yeah, and the designer hiking shorts are stunning,' Twain added, towering over Parker, but his eyes were locked on her shapely legs. Macy suppressed a grin when Parker's elbow jabbed into Twain's stomach none too gently. Parker may have thawed a little towards Twain, but he was not tolerating any unsolicited compliments directed at his mum.

Macy suspiciously put down the magazine she was browsing through. 'When the male species throws out compliments so freely, there's always a caveat attached,' she looked from one to the other. Whilst Twain was tactfully formulating a defensive response, Parker went rushing to his mum.

'We're not busy this afternoon, right mum,' he hopped onto the sofa, thrusting the brochure in front of her face. It only takes half an hour mum and I'll be good I promise and I'll make sure Twain is good too.'

Macy laughed. She could not imagine Twain being contained within any parameters. Her eyes lifted to his, he was standing there looking so irresistible, with his arms folded across his chest, a mischievous smile hovering on his face. She let her eyes fall to Parker's brochure. Ogling Twain, was just exacerbating her growing need for him, it was getting to the point where, the need was transcending to excruciating pain. She wanted desperately to get into Twain's bed and assuage her throbbing need to have sex with him. Added to her frustration, she knew that Twain new, she wanted him. It was evident there in his mocking eyes, every time their eyes locked, which was happening too frequently in the last twenty four hours.

'A chocolate tour!' Macy laughed. 'I should have guessed,' her eyes gently chided Parker. He smirked adoringly. The brochure informed of a half hour chocolate tour, an history all about chocolate, and a demo of chocolate-making, and of course, the most important part, the tasting.

'It says, "booking in advance is essential",' she informed them.

'Done,' they chorused in unison.

Her eyes narrowed suspiciously. When had they made the booking? When she was taking a shower after their hike?

'Just a teeny-weeny, taste mum,' Parker pleaded, his thumb and fore finger, demonstrating how little he would taste.

She looked up again at Twain, he dished out one of his endearing smiles.

'Sounds interesting,' she murmured, with a smile.

'Yesss!' Parker went running to Twain, smacking a high five, and spontaneously threw his arms around Twain's waist.

Macy's eyes widened to saucer size. She saw the surprise reflect in Twain's face as well, before he returned Parker's hug.

'You will only sample three chocolates,' Parker raised a cautionary finger towards Twain.

'Yes, sir,' Twain saluted good naturedly.

Macy smiled, shaking her head. 'So it starts at three?' she enquired.

"Yes,' Twain walked towards Macy. 'Enough time for you to rest ___ if you need to,' he quickly added, before she speared him with another of her fiery glances.

'Okay,' she agreed.

Seeing he was at pains, trying not to be overbearing. And he was so attentive and doting towards Parker. And the thing that annoyed her to no end and counted most in his favour, he was making no effort whatsoever to get her into bed ... damn the man! He was being so gentle manly, she wanted to scream with frustration.

'Won't harm you to rest,' Twain placed a palm casually on her shoulder. She hated that he was so conservative in front of Parker, it was killing her. Why couldn't he just lean over and kiss her? She wanted it. He knew it and she bet he wanted to as well.

       The entire weekend had been a resounding success. The whole of Sunday, Twain just tactfully left Parker to initiate all their activities. Macy was just happy to go along. Last night she spent alone, again. After dinner in the restaurant, Twain had come into their suite, just to watch some game on the television with Parker. It was torture watching Twain being so close and not being able to touch him. Macy decided to seek solace in her bedroom. She bid Twain and Parker good night and marched off to bed. Twain locked their door and after the game, Macy heard Twain wish Parker good night and slip through the adjoining door to his own room. She wanted to scream to Twain to come and kiss her goodnight, instead, she pulled the covers over her head and bit on her palm, preventing herself from screaming. She had mixed feelings then when they returned to Johannesburg.

Claudia had prepared dinner. She wanted Twain to stay for supper. He eagerly agreed. At the dinner table, Parker was relaying nonstop to his grandma, every minute of what they had done in the three days. Diplomatically, Parker did not recount the kiss between his mother and father at the poolside, or should Macy thank God for small mercies? After dinner, Twain declined coffee.

'I'll walk Twain out,' Macy offered.

Twain was pleased, because he wanted a minute alone with Macy. Twain extended his hand to Parker, to thank him for the weekend. Unexpectedly, Parker threw his arms out and offered Twain a hug. Twain was surprised, he had thought when Parker returned to his surroundings, he would put his guard up again. Smiling, pleasurably. Twain greeted Claudia good night and took Macy's hand as they walked out.

When they stood outside, Twain put his arms around Macy. 'I can't thank you enough for allowing me this weekend,' he murmured in a husky tone.

'We enjoyed it as well,' she confessed.

'May I live in hope that we can do another one soon?' he asked in a tone that lacked his normal confidence.

'Yes of course,' she responded without hesitation.

'Thank you Macy,' he pulled her closer and kissed her passionately. Her arms circled his neck. She had been waiting all day to kiss him, in fact she had been craving his love, since he kissed her so erotically at the poolside the previous day. Macy held onto him tightly, making sure he did not stop kissing her until she was satisfied and ready to disengage her hold of him.

'I have something for you,' he murmured huskily against her lips.

'What is it?' Macy laughed softly, looking up into his face.

Twain had bought her so many gifts in Franschhoek, wines, books, ornaments, scarves, a jacket. Pickled foods, dried fruit for Claudia and he'd bought Parker tons of stuff as well, T shirts, caps, a leather jacket, DVD's, cd's, and more Xbox games for Parker. She could not think of what else he would want to lavish upon her.

'Close your eyes,' Twain's voice was low.

She complied with his wish...reluctantly.
'Oh Twain ___ what on earth can you be so mysterious about?'

Macy's eyes flew open, when she felt the cool, heavy weight on her finger. 'Twain ___ no!'

'Don't remove it ___ please,' he urged in a whisper.

'What are you doing?'

'We're officially engaged,' he took possession of her lips, before she offered any more resistance.

         -end chapter twenty-