Disclaimer: Hi Folks at CBS, Beth Sullivan and all involved with our beloved DQ. Just borrowing them again, they will be returned in perfect condition I promise!
Author's note! I hope you enjoy, it's a little different from my usual fare, but I thought I would give it a go!! Please read and review! Rianne x
Freedom.
By Rianne.
She sighed softly as she finally settled into the armchair by the unlit fire. She hummed in comfort, letting her shoulders sag. The summer heat had sapped her energy and the quiet made her drowsy, her head lolling back against the chair. Her bare toes stretching and flexing against the cool wooden floor.
Looking to the side she drank in the sight of the matching chair. Sully's chair. Her mouth drew up into a small smile as pleasant warmth filled her chest. Her husband's chair! It had been a whole month since their return to Colorado from their dream of a honeymoon and she could hardly believe it.
Her fingers caressed gently over the plush fabric, the utmost in luxury, and these chairs had already been on quite a journey in their short ownership, all the way to Denver and back in the honeymoon carriage! Her smile widened, and she averted her gaze towards the empty fireplace as the emotions of the grand goodbye at the train station and Brian's surprise drew the heat from her chest and splashed it familiarly across her cheeks.
It had been such a sweet gesture, but, oh the embarrassment! It was common knowledge that most couples spent their honeymoon… she couldn't even think the words… but to have it there openly, to have the beautiful bed that Sully had carved with his bare hands right there.
She had felt like she was dreaming, felt the tight bodice of her dress increase her struggle to breathe, the joy, the love, the nervousness that had spiralled around inside her, whilst she had continued to function, had managed to say goodbye to the children and her family and her friends, all with her mind clearly focused on only one thing; the prospect of finally being alone with him.
Now that she thought, it had been somewhat of a relief to be prevented from thinking about what was to come. The run up of events, the bridal shower, the trauma of Sully's disappearance, Marjorie's troubles, and finally the wedding itself had certainly kept her more than occupied in the week preceding the big event.
She sighed softly, closing her eyes as she remembered the look on Sully's face as she had glided towards him crossing the meadow through the crowd of guests. She had never felt more beautiful.
He descended the stairs with exaggerated quiet, not wanting to disturb the cloaking calm of the midsummer evening. The children were finally asleep, and although he was enjoying this new domesticity it was taking a little more getting used to than he had anticipated.
Sully reached the very last step as his eyes swept over the open plan of the downstairs of his home. Never usually a man to be immodest he was unused to the swell of pride that he felt at seeing all this hard work come to fruition. He had created the perfect home, perfect for Michaela, perfect for her family. His family.
His gaze came to rest upon Michaela who reclined in a chair by the fireplace. His wife. He did not think he would ever fully believe that it was true. He found himself thanking anyone up there that would listen everyday that he had been granted such happiness.
Moving closer to her he realised that her eyes were closed, but he knew she was not sleeping as a soft smile graced her beautiful features.
Reaching her he leant down, placing his hand over her much smaller one, which still lay against the arm of the chair. Her eyes blinked open sleepily, adjusting to the dim room.
"S…" she began, but he held a gentle finger to her lips to silence her.
Lifting her hand he entwined their fingers, tugging her gently to her feet, not looking at her face, knowing that it would be full of questioning, he guided her across the floor and over to the stairs. Hands still tangled together he manoeuvred them up the steps, carefully and quietly, thankful that the house had not been built long enough to have developed creaks, all the time gently teasing his thumb over the soft skin of her palm, so lightly that her fingers shivered around his in pleasure. Just what he wanted, for them tonight was going to be different.
He paused by the bedroom door, always the gentleman, as he allowed her to enter before him, breathing her in as she passed close, the soft ends of her hair trailing over the bare skin of his arms.
He followed her into the bedroom, which glowed with the light of the oil lamp beside the bed, a faint breeze from the open window keeping the room fresh and cool. Turning away from her he secured the door, with a click that seemed to resound through the room. If he had been able to observe her at that moment he would have seen how the sound sent a shiver of nervous anticipation rushing through her body.
Turning to her, he saw that she hovered in the middle of the room, unsure of herself, her head dipped, carefully twisting her fingers in the soft comforting fabric of her dress.
He crossed to the bed, and with a gentle gust of breath he extinguished the oil lamp that burned there.
She could feel the heat in the air around them increase as he stepped closer to her. She studied his bare feet, so much larger than hers, as they came to a stop directly in front of her.
She was holding her breath, the tension between them shimmering. She sensed his movement before it came.
He lifted his hand, finger curling under her chin, tilting her face so she could meet his gaze, before he withdrew his touch lifting his hand higher until he gently touched the tips of his fingers to her hairline. Ignoring her curious expression he slowly began to move his hand lower. Trailing the pads of his fingers delicately down her forehead. Over her eyebrows. He drew her eyelids shut, his touch feather light and intimate. Her eyelashes flickered against him as they met the curve of her cheek, his middle finger following the upturned curve of her nose and then falling onto the rise of her upper lip, as its companions stroked down her cheeks and over the pillowy soft of her lips, which parted slightly with a heated gasp. Continuing down over her chin, to follow the graceful arch of her throat to the hollow between her collarbones. Finally trailing just a single finger down the exposed flesh of her chest, visible above the neckline of her dress, until he met the fabric, bumping teasingly over the shiny buttons. Coming to a halt over her heart. Where he pressed his palm, feeling the erratic thumping beneath.
She was trembling, her mind unable to comprehend how he had managed to take away the outside world with a single touch. Her eyes blinked open dazedly, but he intercepted quickly shaking his head and whispering "shhhh!" As he lifted his free hand to cover her eyes and guide them closed again.
The hand against her heart moved gently, the fingers caressing slow circles, the motion heightened by the movement of her dress over the softer material of her camisole.
She gave in, keeping her eyes closed as the hand covering them slid away, coming to rest against the uppermost button of her dress. He paused, feeling each shuddery breath she took create an enticing rise and fall of her chest against his fingers.
With a smile on his lips he slowly began to unlock each button from its fastening, repeating the motion with agonising slowness until he reached the waistband, the hand over her pounding heart slipping away as he knelt to tug the fabric down over her hips to pool at her feet.
The weather being what it was and it being a slow day at the clinic she had escaped home to her family, and at some point removed the heavy warmth of her petticoat, leaving her in just a camisole and bloomers beneath. He smiled wider at this, even though she was still mostly covered, certainly more covered than he liked, but that would soon change.
He lifted her feet, one at a time, to withdraw the dress from under her, throwing it without thought across the room, where it missed the dresser chair and fell back to the floor.
Her distracted fingers now played with the fabric at the side of her bloomers. She trusted Sully completely, but this was still so new. Still so strange to be touched this way, to be undressed with such care. And not to be allowed to look! Her breath shuddered out of her. She felt her body changing, felt something deep stirring. Her senses heightened by the restriction of her sight.
His fingers were back, gliding lightly over her blushed cheeks, lifting upwards to her hair. Gently untangling the pins that held it back from her face, as the curls the style had set tumbled forward. She sighed softly at the blissful feeling of his scalp massage as it sent shivers down her spine, caused her to sway on the spot, glad of the nearness of his body which kept her from stumbling.
He smiled at the very soft purr that radiated from the back of her throat as she leaned into his fingers. It was working.
He knew that their encounters so far had not been unpleasant for her, knew that she enjoyed the close contact, the quiet intimacy, but she had yet to learn that it could be so much more, yet to be completely free with him. It was something that talking could not solve, it required action. He wanted to show her just how much more it could be, knowing that he needed to be just as slow with her body as he was with her soul.
Her fingers shattered his thoughts as they fell against his chest to steady her, already working in gentle circles against his chest, working their way upwards to the buttons on his shirt. Sliding his fingers from her hair he caught her hands, stilling them before drawing them away from his chest, pressing hot kisses to the centre of each palm. Knowing that her touch would be his undoing, he could not allow her to touch him just yet, wanting this night to be about her.
He let her hands fall back to her sides, as he leaned in closer, caressing over the bare skin of her shoulders, the straps of her camisole sliding away down her arms before he undid the first button. Hearing her soft gasp as he placed a light kiss to the newly exposed skin. Moving down to repeat the sequence, his little finger stroking over the inside of her breast each time he slipped a button loose. Lingering longer than necessary with his kisses. Inhaling the sweet scent of her warm skin.
He placed his final kiss at her belly button, before straightening to ease the camisole off her shoulders, smiling in awe at the sight before him as the item fell forgotten to the floor. He ran his fingers lightly up her upper arms before his palms slid down over her breasts, coming up to gently cup their weight, thumbs brushing feather light over the tips. Her head fell back a little on her shoulders, as she bit her lip, holding back a quiet groan.
He leaned in, nudging her nose with his before placing the first soft kiss to her lips. Easing her lower lip from the imprisonment of her teeth, hearing her groan repeated into his mouth as his fingers continued to tease her.
His mouth kept hers occupied, stroking her lower lip with the tip of his tongue, seeking entrance, as his hands left her breasts to encircle her and draw her flush against his body.
The feel of his hot chest, still fully clothed against her bare skin was sweet torture. Her head falling back once more as he trailed a line of soft kisses down from behind her ear to the sensitive spot under her jaw. Feeling her pulse throbbing wildly there.
Keeping her distracted with his kisses, his warm hands glided lower, over her hips, down her thighs, pulling her lower body into greater contact with his, feeling his own shuddering response, as she moved willingly against him. He slipped his hands into the lace tipped waistband of her bloomers, sliding his kisses lower to avoid breaking contact with her skin as he eased them off her body.
She was completely naked before him, she had hardly processed a single thought, and he was still fully clothed before her.
He maintained his contact, sliding his hands up her back as he returned to his full height, and began to guide her slowly backwards, until she felt the soft quilt touch the back of her thighs. She allowed him to lift her slightly as he eased her up onto their bed, crawling over her to hover, scant millimetres apart.
She arched her face upward, eyes still closed, her mouth blindly searching out his and he did not deny her. Their kisses growing more and more powerful as his hands continued their exploration of her flesh.
She hardly comprehended what was happening! Her body was flooding with a deep aching heat, the likes of which she had never felt before, his touch was searing through to her, melting her reserve, she had to touch him.
Her hands reached for him, dragging him down so that his chest was in complete contact with hers, her fingers bravely slipping under the back of his shirt, gliding over the heated skin, feeling his muscles ripple as she tried to drink him in with her swollen mouth. She caught the bottom of his shirt, tugging it upwards, a fever building within her, dragging it over his head hearing the ping of several buttons as they tore and bounced away across the wooden floor.
She shook at the contact of their bare skin, his composure barely intact now as he shifted their position, rolling them over on the bed so that she was the one above him, easing a buckskin covered knee between her soft thighs, which fell open to welcome him, before he trailed fire up her thighs with the slow torturous glide of his warm fingers.
He swallowed her first aching cry as he touched her, he could not believe the sultry softness of her, his fingers coaxing her to tremble and pant.
And then she could take it no longer; he cried out in surprise as her tiny hands delved for the button of his buckskins, her shaking fingers suddenly frustratingly useless to her.
And he too could wait no longer, as he dragged her fingers away, toppling her gently into the quilt beside him as he shucked the rest of his clothing off in a scramble before crawling back to her. He hitched her over closer to the centre of the bed, moving over her once more, his heart pounding as she instinctively parted her thighs to cradle his. A whimper escaping her as their bodies came into momentary contact.
He could not hold back the swell of pure love for her, as he nuzzled his nose against hers whispering, "Open your eyes."
It took her a few seconds but finally they drifted open, widening to drink in the love that was reflected in the deep blue. He kept their gaze locked as he slowly slid himself home. Watching as she arched back, her mouth falling open, never breaking the gaze.
The next moments passed in a blur of movement, heat and pleasure. As they tangled and writhed, unfurling their deepest desires, finally setting themselves free as the intensity mounted. Both shuddering together, somehow remembering to keep quiet, still unable to break the gaze that kept their souls entwined.
It was simply incredible. She could not believe the rolling waves that rumbled through her. Not even recognising her own voice as she cried out with him, dizzy with abandon. Within minutes she finally understood the power of this sacred act as they reached a heady crescendo together in the sweetest explosion.
Both collapsed, the bed seeming to sink beneath her, his warm weight heavy, but she did not care. Her mind swirled as her body continued to strum in ebbing waves, her breathing quaking through her, his back moist and smooth as she weakly continued to caress her fingers over him.
After a few moments, with a shuddery groan he tightened his weak hold, tumbling them over so she could lie against his still heaving chest, as he gently stroked back the tangled hair from her forehead with soothing fingers that trembled softly. Trailing them lower to caress over her lips that were curved into a sated smile.
He dipped his head to draw her in for the slowest kiss. As the breeze from the open window drafted the calm cooling summer air over their heated flesh.
"S…" she tried to speak awe tingeing her soft sound, but he stopped her with another soft kiss, now was not time to talk. Instead he curled her closer as both felt the enticing draw of sleep and exhausted and happy they simply gave in.