FF: Beginnings (NC17)
Title: Beginnings
Author: Ellie
Rating: NC17
Summary: Scarlett and Rhett’s honeymoon proves to be a revealing
experience.
****
Scarlett sat gazing out the tiny cabin window, lost in thought. How had
she suddenly ended up here, alone in a cabin on a riverboat with her new
husband, Rhett Butler? She’d meant it when she told Rhett she didn’t
want to marry again, and hadn’t truly believed he’d come back and
marry her. She should have known better.
He’d returned from Europe bearing a nearly vulgar ring, and had given
her only two weeks to parade it around town before marrying her.
They’d spent the last day traveling to the Mississippi River, where for
the first time she’d boarded a boat. She still felt out of sorts, and wasn’t
sure whether it was from the simple fact she was unaccustomed to boat
travel, or from the enormous change her life had undergone in the last
two weeks.
When Rhett’s hands came to rest on her, shoulders, she dropped the
brush she’d been idly holding. "Gracious, Rhett!"
"You look exhausted, Scarlett. Time for bed." His voice was smooth
and polite; he’d been nothing but pleasant since their engagement, and if
only he stayed that way, Scarlett through marriage to him might not be
too bad. Except now they were headed for bed.
"Oh, you go on ahead, Rhett. I’m just finishing up here and will be
along in a few minutes."
Rhett retrieved the brush she’d dropped and looked her in the eye.
"That may have worked on your previous honeymoons, Mrs. Butler, but
it won’t work with me."
Her mouth formed a silent "o" of surprise at how easily, once more,
he’d seemed to read her thoughts and outmaneuver her. Before she was
aware how it had happened, she was divested of her wrapper and under
the covers, wearing only her chemise, and the lights in the room were
being extinguished. A single candle flickered on the far side of the bed,
providing the only illumination as Rhett stripped to his drawers, casually
tossing clothing across a chair, then climbed into bed beside her.
Scarlett drew a deep breath and willed herself to relax and lay back,
going almost limp. This surely wouldn’t be painful as it had been with
Charles, and might even be less awkward and vulgar than it had been
with Frank. Surely Rhett had more experience in this area than either of
them, enough that this duty could be dealt with as easily as possible.
A shiver went through her body when Rhett’s warm hand came to rest
on her hip, stroking in circles than were slowly tugging her chemise
higher and higher.
"You’ve not had very enjoyable experiences in the bedroom, have you,
Scarlett?" Rhett’s voice was a husky whisper. She could only shake
her head in response, trying not to think about what was coming next, or
the indecent places his hands were tracing. "I thought not. This can be
as much fun as spending my ill-gotten money, you know."
At this, she let out a little laugh, and he used the opportunity to sit her
upright and pull her chemise over her head. For a moment, she shifted
modestly away from him, having never been naked around anyone
before, before he tugged her towards him and shattered any hopes she
had. Then she was glad for the darkness, for his inability to see the
redness of her face.
When he kissed her, any thoughts of modesty or embarrassment fled,
and the world shrank to his lips on hers. How could one kiss make her
feel like champagne was coursing through her veins, sending frissons
through her extremities?
She broke away from the kiss with a gasp when one of his hands
caressed lower, across her abdomen, and was suddenly between her legs.
"Rhett!" The whispered pant sounded like anything but a deterrent, as
she twisted in his embrace, moving away from the inappropriate
wandering of his hand.
"You poor neglected woman!" he laughed, pulling her down to lie on
the bed with him, his hand slipping deeper between her thighs. She
could feel his fingers tangling in hair then against embarrassingly damp
flesh. Another deep kiss, his tongue slipping between her startled lips,
muffled any sounds of protest she may have made as one finger pressed
gently yet surely inside of her.
Then any desire to protest his behavior was overwhelmed by pleasure
she was unaware could exist. If a simple kiss had sent champagne
coursing through her veins, she was now bubbling over as his finger
found a spot inside of her that triggered a response beyond her voluntary
control.
When he pulled his hand away, she was almost disappointed. Then he
entered her, not tentatively and awkwardly as her previous spouses had,
but with confident reassurance. For a moment, he was still over her, and
looked down at her.
"Not so bad, is it?"
She shook her head, and he slowly began to move, eliciting gasps of
surprise and pleasure from Scarlett.
Most surprising of all was the fact that when he finished, he didn’t
disappear to the other side of the bed as had her previous husbands.
With a pleased look on his face, he rested on his side immediately beside
her, one hand possessively over her waist. She wanted to roll away from
him, to calm the maelstrom of new thoughts and emotions whirling
through her mind, but his arm, so casually yet emphatically placed across
her body, prevented her from doing so.
So she did the next best thing, and rolled onto her side as well, facing
away from him. Only when Rhett pulled her closer, mirroring her
body’s position to his and dropping kisses on her bare shoulder, did she
realize that this was perhaps not the choice she wanted to make.
Her confusion at the pleasure of what she’d enjoyed with Rhett, and the
comfort she found in his arms around her bare body, troubled her. She
couldn’t imagine anyone else, not even Ashley, touching her the way
Rhett had just done. The depth of feeling that realization stirred in her
was something she wasn’t sure how to process. She didn’t love Rhett,
so how could he make her feel this way? And why did she feel so
certain that her feelings were a direct result of being with Rhett? Was it
just possible that Rhett was right, and marriage to him could be fun?
Pondering those questions kept her awake late into the night.
***
Scarlett was startled awake by a hand between her legs, and a finger
gently sliding into her. Before she could understand what was
happening, she tried to move away from the shocking feeling, only to be
overcome by the tightening of a warm hand on her breast. Moving
almost against her will into that feeling, she shifted in bed and felt the
finger slip deeper inside of her.
"Good morning, Scarlett," Rhett’s moustache tickled her neck as he
spoke in between easy kisses.
"This is certainly an unexpected way to be awakened. Oh!" Scarlett
couldn’t contain her gasp of surprised pleasure as his finger was joined
by another, both finding a spot inside her that seemed to send tremors
through her entire body.
"Well, while you seemed to enjoy our activities last night, " he paused
to nuzzle her earlobe, "I thought perhaps the height of your pleasure had
not yet been reached."
"What?" she panted, trying to control the way her body was responding
to his touch, trying not to cry out, her embarrassment at her response
being rapidly overwhelmed by her pleasure.
"I told you marriage could be fun, Scarlett. You should have as much
fun in bed as I do. And you can."
As the movements of his fingers on her and inside her continued, she felt
the sensations intensify exponentially. Suddenly, they seemed to
explode, shattering all coherence on her part. She could only rest,
drawing great heaving breaths, letting Rhett’s arms surround and
support her.
With the return of coherence came the realization that she had liked that
experience very much. Until this moment, she had no idea such a feeling
could exist, but she wanted more of it. It took a great deal of willpower
on her part to turn in Rhett’s arms to face him in the watery early
morning light. There was a tender look in his eyes she couldn’t quite
understand, but she knew that he was trying to gauge her response, and
seemed pleased at her draping an arm over him and resting her cheek on
his chest.
Before she could put those pieces of the puzzle together, she dozed off
once more, lulled by the sound of his steady breathing.
***
Scarlett woke again as her pillow moved out from under her. Squinting
in the bright daylight, she watched as a still-naked Rhett climbed out of
bed.
"Rhett?" Her voice was husky with sleep.
He settled back down on the edge of the bed and ran a hand through her
tousled hair. "I’m just going to order our breakfast. Are you all
right?"
She smiled up at him. "Never better."
"I’m happy to hear that." There was a twinkle in his eye that lingered
this time, long enough for her to notice. It was still there as he turned
away and rose from the bed, leaving her lying tangled in the sheets, alone
with her thoughts.
Rhett seemed happy, happier than she’d ever seen him. He was always
quick with a smile or laugh, but so often she was able to see that he was
insincere, and this morning, that look in his eye was genuine. She’d
been worried about him remaining pleasant for their honeymoon, but if
this was the precedent being set, such worried were needless.
Perhaps he’d been right, and marriage to him could be a pleasant thing.
Certainly it wasn’t what she’d expected; she’d had no experiences that
could have prepared her for sharing a bed with Rhett. The realization
dawned on her, like the light spilling over her bed, that with no one else
could she ever have such experiences. And she did like her experiences
so far.
****
The next week passed much the same. Scarlett was happy to return
Rhett’s advances and willing to share his bed, but stopped short of
initiating anything herself. Rhett had been indulgent, showering her with
little gifts and catering to her every whim during their first few days in
New Orleans.
On their fourth night in the city, Scarlett had been indulged with too
much champagne and far too much dancing, leaving her head reeling and
her feet sore. Rhett had just settled into a poker game with several
acquaintances, so she left him with a kiss on the cheek and returned to
their opulent suite.
Barely bothering to undress, she fell, exhausted, into the largest, softest
bed she’d ever encountered. Quickly, she was overcome with the deep
sleep that only the intoxicated experience.
The next thing she knew, she was crying fitfully and a soothing voice
was whispering in her ear as strong arms surrounded her. When she
started to shiver, one of the arms dropped away and tugged the silky,
down-filled duvet around her before returning to caress her back
soothingly.
Scarlett flung her arms around Rhett’s strong torso, pulling herself as
close to him as possible while she cried herself out. Even after she
stopped, she continued resting her cheek against his chest, noting the
absence of coat and unbuttoned vest, and half-untied cravat. He’d
obviously been in the middle of undressing when he’d woken her.
After several long, quiet moments, Rhett’s warm voice broke the
stillness. "Do you want to talk about your nightmare?"
She shrugged and tried to snuggle closer to him. "It’s the same one I
always have. I’m running in the dark and fog and can’t see where I’m
going or what I’m trying to find."
"This happens often?"
With a sigh, she pulled away from him slightly and sat up a bit straighter
in his embrace. "Yes." She kissed him on the cheek. "But not
since…" she trailed off with a blush and wave of her hand.
"Not since we’ve been sharing a bed?" He quirked an eyebrow at her
and grinned.
"No." She wrapped her arms back around him and settled her head
against his shoulder to hide the flush of color that came to her face. "I
feel so safe with you," she murmured.
"Good." His arms tightened around her. "I want you to, always."
One of his hands tangled in her hair as he kissed the top of her head
tenderly.
Scarlett would have been happy to remain that way, but after several
moments, Rhett shifted her off his lap. "Will you be all right for a
minute, now? Just let me finish getting ready for bed," he continued at
her drowsy nodding.
Through half-closed eyes, Scarlett watched Rhett undress, noting the
movement of his finely tailored clothes, then of his own skin and muscle
in the candlelight. The last candle was extinguished before he climbed
into bed, and in the darkness, Scarlett found the courage to wrap herself
around him as soon as he was under the covers.
Rhett chuckled, but mercifully didn’t comment. She couldn’t have taken
it if he’d said something smart at that moment, had in any way mocked
her vulnerability. He simply pulled the covers up around them both, then
wrapped his arms just as securely around her.
****
The first bright rays of sunlight were streaming into the room when
Scarlett woke, still curled around a slumbering Rhett. She smiled,
recalling how tenderly he’d acted the night before. Such actions by him
always took her by surprise, but thinking further, she realized that he’d
always been so good to her.
Though he might mock and tease her, when it mattered, he’d always
done exactly what she needed. Heavens, he’d even stolen a horse and
buggy to help her escape Atlanta, when he could have stayed and
laughed while it burned! And for a man who projected such toughness,
he never treated her roughly; that kiss on the road long ago was as
forceful as he’d ever been.
Who else would treat her so well? No other man in her life had done so
much right by her, was exactly who she needed exactly when she needed
him. Not even Ashley had done that for her-he’d been weak just when
she needed him to be strongest.
Her brow furrowed in thought and she bit her lip as she contemplated
how Ashley, every opportunity she gave him, never quite met her
expectations. He’d chosen Melly over her; he’d encouraged her
advances but refused to act on them; he’d been unable to help Tara when
she most needed him to.
"What’s on your mind at this early hour?" Rhett’s voice startled her
out of her reveries.
"Oh, um…" she faltered, knowing admitting the truth would probably
anger Rhett. Yet the insistent look on his face at her delay left her with
no choice. "I was thinking about Ashley."
A dark cloud passed over his face, and he began to move away from her,
but she clutched him to her. "No, Rhett, please, not the way you’re
thinking! Truly!"
He sat up against the headboard and stared at her, his face a mask.
"Pray please explain, Mrs. Butler."
Trying to buy a few seconds to form a coherent thought, Scarlett sat up,
trying to wrap the sheets around her shoulders to preserve what little
dignity she had as she faced his steely gaze. "Well, I woke up thinking
how nice it was to wake up next to you, and about how sweet you were
last night, waking me and taking care of me. Thinking about how you
always do that, really, even though you like to make fun of me
sometimes, too.
"That got me to thinking about Ashley, about how I wished he had been
there for me the way you’ve been." She noticed Rhett’s growing look
of displeasure, and hastened to clarify, "But he’s never been there for
me, not even when I asked him to be. While you always seem to be
there for me, with just what I need, whether I have to ask or not."
The look of displeasure instantly disappeared from his face, replaced
with a curious mixture of intensity and inquisitiveness. "So you like
that, Scarlett?"
Before answering, she kissed his cheek, pleased that he was no longer
unhappy with her. "It’s a wonderful feeling, knowing there’s someone
who cares enough to do anything for me, even when it’s something I
didn’t even realize I needed." She moved closer to him and embraced
him, resting her head against his shoulder.
A second later, her head shot up and she stared into his merry eyes.
"You care enough to do anything for me! You love me, don’t you?"
she demanded.
Rhett kissed away the look of shock on her face, and for several minutes
she allowed herself to be caught up in the whirlwind of sensations he
sent coursing through her veins. Finally, breaking away to catch her
breath, she met his eye once more, demanding an answer.
"Yes, I do," he admitted simply.
"Oh, but I want to hear you say it!"
"I love you, Scarlett. And I believe you’re beginning to realize you
reciprocate that sentiment."
"That I…but…." She shook her head in confusion. Prior to this week,
she’d been so certain of her feelings, that she loved Ashley and that
Rhett was simply the person she got along best with. But the more time
she spent with him, the more she adored his company, especially this
week, when he’d given her everything she wanted. "I feel something for
you, but it’s not what I thought love felt like."
He kissed her again and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. "Then
maybe it’s time to reassess what love should feel like."
"Maybe it is," she said. Then she did something so bold she
astonished herself. Not without some awkwardness, she swung one leg
across his and sat straddling his lap, then leaned down for a long, deep
kiss. "Perhaps you’d like to help me with that reassessment, Mr.
Butler?" Her tongue almost grazed his ear as she whispered.
The shudder that ran through his body encouraged her, and she kissed
him fiercely. It was as if a dam had broken, and instead of the normal
heady current that swept her away, she was now awash in an
overwhelming flood of passion. Her experiences with Rhett had always
been different, better, than anything previous, and this seemed as far
removed from their previous kisses as had been hers and Frank’s from
the kisses Rhett had given her.
Their nudity leapt sharply to the forefront of her mind as Scarlett shifted
to deepen the kiss, guided by Rhett’s encouraging hands on her
backside, and suddenly felt his arousal teasing the entrance to her body.
She blushed and gasped, breaking the kiss and catching his eye. The
love and arousal were all too clear for her to read now, but she could also
detect a note of expectation. Exactly what he wanted, she was unsure of,
but drawing a breath and gathering her courage, she moved against him
once more, teasing the sensitive bundle of nerves so often sought by his
fingers along the length of him, all the while nipping kisses on his neck.
"Scarlett."
She’d always liked the way he said her name, and sighed out now in a
slow drawl, it made her melt against him. Willingly pliable, she allowed
him to guide her up to sink down on him, and both of them sighed as he
slipped inside. For a moment, Scarlett was content just to have him
there, filling her and surrounding her. Then he encouraged her to move
against him, and she pulled away slightly, her eyes widening in shock.
They widened further as she felt the pleasure that the change in angle
produced.
Hesitating, she sank down on his thighs. "How…what do I…?"
Rhett laughed as she stared at him, a puzzled look of astonishment on
her brow. "All you ever have to remember is to do what makes you
happy. Do whatever feels best."
He leaned forward to capture her lips once more as she recommenced
her movements against him, tentatively at first, but gaining confidence as
he guided her in varying angles and degrees. His hands rested at first on
her hips, but as she began to move more assuredly, they slid up her body
to rest on her breasts, caressing and teasing. The sultry New Orleans
morning left her skin slicked with perspiration, which allowed his hands
to travel easily over her.
When Rhett ducked his head to lick a bead of sweat from between her
breasts, Scarlett cried out and was overcome, ceasing her motion against
him, simply resting her forehead on his shoulder and trying to get the
world to cease flickering and spinning. The subtle movement of Rhett’s
hips prolonged the ripples of sensation through her body.
For long moments they were silent, entangled against the headboard,
breath coming in pants. Scarlett recovered first, and began nibbling
kisses up Rhett’s sweat-salted neck. Almost reluctantly, his earlobe
slipped from between her lips as she whispered, "I think you may be
right."
"Oh? I’m right about a great many things. To what specifically are you
referring, darling?" Rhett laughed.
Scarlett frowned and swatted him on the shoulder. "Just for that, I’m
almost tempted not to tell you."
Rhett only laughed harder as she pouted at him for a moment. Then she
leaned in murmured, "I love you."
This time when their lips met, Scarlett understood the increase in her
pulse and the warmth that suffused through her body. The world
contracted to them, in this room, in this bed. She was sure she’d never
need to leave it.
"So my love, what would you like to do today?"
"We have to do something?" she queried, perfectly content to rest here
against him.
"I would have thought you’d appreciate me expressing my love by
purchasing you whatever your heart desires from the finest shops of
New Orleans."
She looked up at him. "On second thought, that does sound quite nice.
And could we go somewhere really decadent for dinner, too?"
"Only if you say it again."
"I love you."
"In that case, I also know a place for lunch, that has ice cream for
dessert." He grinned and started to disentangle the covers, helping her
rise from the bed to truly begin their life together.
****
End
****
Author: Ellie
Rating: NC17
Summary: Scarlett and Rhett’s honeymoon proves to be a revealing
experience.
****
Scarlett sat gazing out the tiny cabin window, lost in thought. How had
she suddenly ended up here, alone in a cabin on a riverboat with her new
husband, Rhett Butler? She’d meant it when she told Rhett she didn’t
want to marry again, and hadn’t truly believed he’d come back and
marry her. She should have known better.
He’d returned from Europe bearing a nearly vulgar ring, and had given
her only two weeks to parade it around town before marrying her.
They’d spent the last day traveling to the Mississippi River, where for
the first time she’d boarded a boat. She still felt out of sorts, and wasn’t
sure whether it was from the simple fact she was unaccustomed to boat
travel, or from the enormous change her life had undergone in the last
two weeks.
When Rhett’s hands came to rest on her, shoulders, she dropped the
brush she’d been idly holding. "Gracious, Rhett!"
"You look exhausted, Scarlett. Time for bed." His voice was smooth
and polite; he’d been nothing but pleasant since their engagement, and if
only he stayed that way, Scarlett through marriage to him might not be
too bad. Except now they were headed for bed.
"Oh, you go on ahead, Rhett. I’m just finishing up here and will be
along in a few minutes."
Rhett retrieved the brush she’d dropped and looked her in the eye.
"That may have worked on your previous honeymoons, Mrs. Butler, but
it won’t work with me."
Her mouth formed a silent "o" of surprise at how easily, once more,
he’d seemed to read her thoughts and outmaneuver her. Before she was
aware how it had happened, she was divested of her wrapper and under
the covers, wearing only her chemise, and the lights in the room were
being extinguished. A single candle flickered on the far side of the bed,
providing the only illumination as Rhett stripped to his drawers, casually
tossing clothing across a chair, then climbed into bed beside her.
Scarlett drew a deep breath and willed herself to relax and lay back,
going almost limp. This surely wouldn’t be painful as it had been with
Charles, and might even be less awkward and vulgar than it had been
with Frank. Surely Rhett had more experience in this area than either of
them, enough that this duty could be dealt with as easily as possible.
A shiver went through her body when Rhett’s warm hand came to rest
on her hip, stroking in circles than were slowly tugging her chemise
higher and higher.
"You’ve not had very enjoyable experiences in the bedroom, have you,
Scarlett?" Rhett’s voice was a husky whisper. She could only shake
her head in response, trying not to think about what was coming next, or
the indecent places his hands were tracing. "I thought not. This can be
as much fun as spending my ill-gotten money, you know."
At this, she let out a little laugh, and he used the opportunity to sit her
upright and pull her chemise over her head. For a moment, she shifted
modestly away from him, having never been naked around anyone
before, before he tugged her towards him and shattered any hopes she
had. Then she was glad for the darkness, for his inability to see the
redness of her face.
When he kissed her, any thoughts of modesty or embarrassment fled,
and the world shrank to his lips on hers. How could one kiss make her
feel like champagne was coursing through her veins, sending frissons
through her extremities?
She broke away from the kiss with a gasp when one of his hands
caressed lower, across her abdomen, and was suddenly between her legs.
"Rhett!" The whispered pant sounded like anything but a deterrent, as
she twisted in his embrace, moving away from the inappropriate
wandering of his hand.
"You poor neglected woman!" he laughed, pulling her down to lie on
the bed with him, his hand slipping deeper between her thighs. She
could feel his fingers tangling in hair then against embarrassingly damp
flesh. Another deep kiss, his tongue slipping between her startled lips,
muffled any sounds of protest she may have made as one finger pressed
gently yet surely inside of her.
Then any desire to protest his behavior was overwhelmed by pleasure
she was unaware could exist. If a simple kiss had sent champagne
coursing through her veins, she was now bubbling over as his finger
found a spot inside of her that triggered a response beyond her voluntary
control.
When he pulled his hand away, she was almost disappointed. Then he
entered her, not tentatively and awkwardly as her previous spouses had,
but with confident reassurance. For a moment, he was still over her, and
looked down at her.
"Not so bad, is it?"
She shook her head, and he slowly began to move, eliciting gasps of
surprise and pleasure from Scarlett.
Most surprising of all was the fact that when he finished, he didn’t
disappear to the other side of the bed as had her previous husbands.
With a pleased look on his face, he rested on his side immediately beside
her, one hand possessively over her waist. She wanted to roll away from
him, to calm the maelstrom of new thoughts and emotions whirling
through her mind, but his arm, so casually yet emphatically placed across
her body, prevented her from doing so.
So she did the next best thing, and rolled onto her side as well, facing
away from him. Only when Rhett pulled her closer, mirroring her
body’s position to his and dropping kisses on her bare shoulder, did she
realize that this was perhaps not the choice she wanted to make.
Her confusion at the pleasure of what she’d enjoyed with Rhett, and the
comfort she found in his arms around her bare body, troubled her. She
couldn’t imagine anyone else, not even Ashley, touching her the way
Rhett had just done. The depth of feeling that realization stirred in her
was something she wasn’t sure how to process. She didn’t love Rhett,
so how could he make her feel this way? And why did she feel so
certain that her feelings were a direct result of being with Rhett? Was it
just possible that Rhett was right, and marriage to him could be fun?
Pondering those questions kept her awake late into the night.
***
Scarlett was startled awake by a hand between her legs, and a finger
gently sliding into her. Before she could understand what was
happening, she tried to move away from the shocking feeling, only to be
overcome by the tightening of a warm hand on her breast. Moving
almost against her will into that feeling, she shifted in bed and felt the
finger slip deeper inside of her.
"Good morning, Scarlett," Rhett’s moustache tickled her neck as he
spoke in between easy kisses.
"This is certainly an unexpected way to be awakened. Oh!" Scarlett
couldn’t contain her gasp of surprised pleasure as his finger was joined
by another, both finding a spot inside her that seemed to send tremors
through her entire body.
"Well, while you seemed to enjoy our activities last night, " he paused
to nuzzle her earlobe, "I thought perhaps the height of your pleasure had
not yet been reached."
"What?" she panted, trying to control the way her body was responding
to his touch, trying not to cry out, her embarrassment at her response
being rapidly overwhelmed by her pleasure.
"I told you marriage could be fun, Scarlett. You should have as much
fun in bed as I do. And you can."
As the movements of his fingers on her and inside her continued, she felt
the sensations intensify exponentially. Suddenly, they seemed to
explode, shattering all coherence on her part. She could only rest,
drawing great heaving breaths, letting Rhett’s arms surround and
support her.
With the return of coherence came the realization that she had liked that
experience very much. Until this moment, she had no idea such a feeling
could exist, but she wanted more of it. It took a great deal of willpower
on her part to turn in Rhett’s arms to face him in the watery early
morning light. There was a tender look in his eyes she couldn’t quite
understand, but she knew that he was trying to gauge her response, and
seemed pleased at her draping an arm over him and resting her cheek on
his chest.
Before she could put those pieces of the puzzle together, she dozed off
once more, lulled by the sound of his steady breathing.
***
Scarlett woke again as her pillow moved out from under her. Squinting
in the bright daylight, she watched as a still-naked Rhett climbed out of
bed.
"Rhett?" Her voice was husky with sleep.
He settled back down on the edge of the bed and ran a hand through her
tousled hair. "I’m just going to order our breakfast. Are you all
right?"
She smiled up at him. "Never better."
"I’m happy to hear that." There was a twinkle in his eye that lingered
this time, long enough for her to notice. It was still there as he turned
away and rose from the bed, leaving her lying tangled in the sheets, alone
with her thoughts.
Rhett seemed happy, happier than she’d ever seen him. He was always
quick with a smile or laugh, but so often she was able to see that he was
insincere, and this morning, that look in his eye was genuine. She’d
been worried about him remaining pleasant for their honeymoon, but if
this was the precedent being set, such worried were needless.
Perhaps he’d been right, and marriage to him could be a pleasant thing.
Certainly it wasn’t what she’d expected; she’d had no experiences that
could have prepared her for sharing a bed with Rhett. The realization
dawned on her, like the light spilling over her bed, that with no one else
could she ever have such experiences. And she did like her experiences
so far.
****
The next week passed much the same. Scarlett was happy to return
Rhett’s advances and willing to share his bed, but stopped short of
initiating anything herself. Rhett had been indulgent, showering her with
little gifts and catering to her every whim during their first few days in
New Orleans.
On their fourth night in the city, Scarlett had been indulged with too
much champagne and far too much dancing, leaving her head reeling and
her feet sore. Rhett had just settled into a poker game with several
acquaintances, so she left him with a kiss on the cheek and returned to
their opulent suite.
Barely bothering to undress, she fell, exhausted, into the largest, softest
bed she’d ever encountered. Quickly, she was overcome with the deep
sleep that only the intoxicated experience.
The next thing she knew, she was crying fitfully and a soothing voice
was whispering in her ear as strong arms surrounded her. When she
started to shiver, one of the arms dropped away and tugged the silky,
down-filled duvet around her before returning to caress her back
soothingly.
Scarlett flung her arms around Rhett’s strong torso, pulling herself as
close to him as possible while she cried herself out. Even after she
stopped, she continued resting her cheek against his chest, noting the
absence of coat and unbuttoned vest, and half-untied cravat. He’d
obviously been in the middle of undressing when he’d woken her.
After several long, quiet moments, Rhett’s warm voice broke the
stillness. "Do you want to talk about your nightmare?"
She shrugged and tried to snuggle closer to him. "It’s the same one I
always have. I’m running in the dark and fog and can’t see where I’m
going or what I’m trying to find."
"This happens often?"
With a sigh, she pulled away from him slightly and sat up a bit straighter
in his embrace. "Yes." She kissed him on the cheek. "But not
since…" she trailed off with a blush and wave of her hand.
"Not since we’ve been sharing a bed?" He quirked an eyebrow at her
and grinned.
"No." She wrapped her arms back around him and settled her head
against his shoulder to hide the flush of color that came to her face. "I
feel so safe with you," she murmured.
"Good." His arms tightened around her. "I want you to, always."
One of his hands tangled in her hair as he kissed the top of her head
tenderly.
Scarlett would have been happy to remain that way, but after several
moments, Rhett shifted her off his lap. "Will you be all right for a
minute, now? Just let me finish getting ready for bed," he continued at
her drowsy nodding.
Through half-closed eyes, Scarlett watched Rhett undress, noting the
movement of his finely tailored clothes, then of his own skin and muscle
in the candlelight. The last candle was extinguished before he climbed
into bed, and in the darkness, Scarlett found the courage to wrap herself
around him as soon as he was under the covers.
Rhett chuckled, but mercifully didn’t comment. She couldn’t have taken
it if he’d said something smart at that moment, had in any way mocked
her vulnerability. He simply pulled the covers up around them both, then
wrapped his arms just as securely around her.
****
The first bright rays of sunlight were streaming into the room when
Scarlett woke, still curled around a slumbering Rhett. She smiled,
recalling how tenderly he’d acted the night before. Such actions by him
always took her by surprise, but thinking further, she realized that he’d
always been so good to her.
Though he might mock and tease her, when it mattered, he’d always
done exactly what she needed. Heavens, he’d even stolen a horse and
buggy to help her escape Atlanta, when he could have stayed and
laughed while it burned! And for a man who projected such toughness,
he never treated her roughly; that kiss on the road long ago was as
forceful as he’d ever been.
Who else would treat her so well? No other man in her life had done so
much right by her, was exactly who she needed exactly when she needed
him. Not even Ashley had done that for her-he’d been weak just when
she needed him to be strongest.
Her brow furrowed in thought and she bit her lip as she contemplated
how Ashley, every opportunity she gave him, never quite met her
expectations. He’d chosen Melly over her; he’d encouraged her
advances but refused to act on them; he’d been unable to help Tara when
she most needed him to.
"What’s on your mind at this early hour?" Rhett’s voice startled her
out of her reveries.
"Oh, um…" she faltered, knowing admitting the truth would probably
anger Rhett. Yet the insistent look on his face at her delay left her with
no choice. "I was thinking about Ashley."
A dark cloud passed over his face, and he began to move away from her,
but she clutched him to her. "No, Rhett, please, not the way you’re
thinking! Truly!"
He sat up against the headboard and stared at her, his face a mask.
"Pray please explain, Mrs. Butler."
Trying to buy a few seconds to form a coherent thought, Scarlett sat up,
trying to wrap the sheets around her shoulders to preserve what little
dignity she had as she faced his steely gaze. "Well, I woke up thinking
how nice it was to wake up next to you, and about how sweet you were
last night, waking me and taking care of me. Thinking about how you
always do that, really, even though you like to make fun of me
sometimes, too.
"That got me to thinking about Ashley, about how I wished he had been
there for me the way you’ve been." She noticed Rhett’s growing look
of displeasure, and hastened to clarify, "But he’s never been there for
me, not even when I asked him to be. While you always seem to be
there for me, with just what I need, whether I have to ask or not."
The look of displeasure instantly disappeared from his face, replaced
with a curious mixture of intensity and inquisitiveness. "So you like
that, Scarlett?"
Before answering, she kissed his cheek, pleased that he was no longer
unhappy with her. "It’s a wonderful feeling, knowing there’s someone
who cares enough to do anything for me, even when it’s something I
didn’t even realize I needed." She moved closer to him and embraced
him, resting her head against his shoulder.
A second later, her head shot up and she stared into his merry eyes.
"You care enough to do anything for me! You love me, don’t you?"
she demanded.
Rhett kissed away the look of shock on her face, and for several minutes
she allowed herself to be caught up in the whirlwind of sensations he
sent coursing through her veins. Finally, breaking away to catch her
breath, she met his eye once more, demanding an answer.
"Yes, I do," he admitted simply.
"Oh, but I want to hear you say it!"
"I love you, Scarlett. And I believe you’re beginning to realize you
reciprocate that sentiment."
"That I…but…." She shook her head in confusion. Prior to this week,
she’d been so certain of her feelings, that she loved Ashley and that
Rhett was simply the person she got along best with. But the more time
she spent with him, the more she adored his company, especially this
week, when he’d given her everything she wanted. "I feel something for
you, but it’s not what I thought love felt like."
He kissed her again and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. "Then
maybe it’s time to reassess what love should feel like."
"Maybe it is," she said. Then she did something so bold she
astonished herself. Not without some awkwardness, she swung one leg
across his and sat straddling his lap, then leaned down for a long, deep
kiss. "Perhaps you’d like to help me with that reassessment, Mr.
Butler?" Her tongue almost grazed his ear as she whispered.
The shudder that ran through his body encouraged her, and she kissed
him fiercely. It was as if a dam had broken, and instead of the normal
heady current that swept her away, she was now awash in an
overwhelming flood of passion. Her experiences with Rhett had always
been different, better, than anything previous, and this seemed as far
removed from their previous kisses as had been hers and Frank’s from
the kisses Rhett had given her.
Their nudity leapt sharply to the forefront of her mind as Scarlett shifted
to deepen the kiss, guided by Rhett’s encouraging hands on her
backside, and suddenly felt his arousal teasing the entrance to her body.
She blushed and gasped, breaking the kiss and catching his eye. The
love and arousal were all too clear for her to read now, but she could also
detect a note of expectation. Exactly what he wanted, she was unsure of,
but drawing a breath and gathering her courage, she moved against him
once more, teasing the sensitive bundle of nerves so often sought by his
fingers along the length of him, all the while nipping kisses on his neck.
"Scarlett."
She’d always liked the way he said her name, and sighed out now in a
slow drawl, it made her melt against him. Willingly pliable, she allowed
him to guide her up to sink down on him, and both of them sighed as he
slipped inside. For a moment, Scarlett was content just to have him
there, filling her and surrounding her. Then he encouraged her to move
against him, and she pulled away slightly, her eyes widening in shock.
They widened further as she felt the pleasure that the change in angle
produced.
Hesitating, she sank down on his thighs. "How…what do I…?"
Rhett laughed as she stared at him, a puzzled look of astonishment on
her brow. "All you ever have to remember is to do what makes you
happy. Do whatever feels best."
He leaned forward to capture her lips once more as she recommenced
her movements against him, tentatively at first, but gaining confidence as
he guided her in varying angles and degrees. His hands rested at first on
her hips, but as she began to move more assuredly, they slid up her body
to rest on her breasts, caressing and teasing. The sultry New Orleans
morning left her skin slicked with perspiration, which allowed his hands
to travel easily over her.
When Rhett ducked his head to lick a bead of sweat from between her
breasts, Scarlett cried out and was overcome, ceasing her motion against
him, simply resting her forehead on his shoulder and trying to get the
world to cease flickering and spinning. The subtle movement of Rhett’s
hips prolonged the ripples of sensation through her body.
For long moments they were silent, entangled against the headboard,
breath coming in pants. Scarlett recovered first, and began nibbling
kisses up Rhett’s sweat-salted neck. Almost reluctantly, his earlobe
slipped from between her lips as she whispered, "I think you may be
right."
"Oh? I’m right about a great many things. To what specifically are you
referring, darling?" Rhett laughed.
Scarlett frowned and swatted him on the shoulder. "Just for that, I’m
almost tempted not to tell you."
Rhett only laughed harder as she pouted at him for a moment. Then she
leaned in murmured, "I love you."
This time when their lips met, Scarlett understood the increase in her
pulse and the warmth that suffused through her body. The world
contracted to them, in this room, in this bed. She was sure she’d never
need to leave it.
"So my love, what would you like to do today?"
"We have to do something?" she queried, perfectly content to rest here
against him.
"I would have thought you’d appreciate me expressing my love by
purchasing you whatever your heart desires from the finest shops of
New Orleans."
She looked up at him. "On second thought, that does sound quite nice.
And could we go somewhere really decadent for dinner, too?"
"Only if you say it again."
"I love you."
"In that case, I also know a place for lunch, that has ice cream for
dessert." He grinned and started to disentangle the covers, helping her
rise from the bed to truly begin their life together.
****
End
****