As he watched her sleep, the sun streaking her hair, making it glow, he smiled to himself. It had started with an argument. She had been testy and short with him since luncheon, and it had been putting him in a bad mood all day. Finally, when she did not come to his pantry after dinner he went to her sitting room to confront her.
He couldn't believe his ears when she told him what she thought. The nanny! As if he could ever have eyes for any other woman. As if he hadn't loved her so long that all memories of other women had faded from his mind, had faded from his heart. As if the first touch of her fingers on his bare chest hadn't hooked him, made him an addict. As if the first morning waking up in her arms hadn't been the very end for him, hadn't become his home. He had told her how ridiculous she was being, and she had scowled at him. She hated being called ridiculous, he knew she never believed him when he called her that, but she wasn't at all fond of it. She conceded, in the end, she knew in her heart that he would never, could never entertain the idea of another woman. "I don't know what gets into my head sometimes. I know better than to listen to T-" She had stopped herself right there, and looked off, embarrassed, to the side of him.
"Thomas? You've got this preposterous idea in your head because of Thomas? I agree, my love, you do know better. The boy lives to stir up trouble."
She shrugged in agreement. "Now come here, Mrs. Carson" he said gently, as he pulled her in to kiss her. It was a long, slow kiss. He took his time with her, trying communicate the depth of his love with the caress of his lips. When they met in their shared room after finishing up the night's duties he had coaxed her into letting him demonstrate his admiration further. He basked in her beauty, lavished her figure with kisses, lay back in awe when she rolled him over and took control.
Now he ran his index finger softly over her bare skin, which, too, seemed to glow in the early morning light. His hands always looked so very big to him when they were on her, her frame was so slight next to his that when they were in bed like this he could curl, almost entirely around her. Their bodies fit together nearly as perfectly as their souls. He leaned over her and placed a gentle kiss on her nose "It's time to wake up now, Elsie." The sun is shining just for you. That was something he would never say, even though it was how he always felt these days; he knew how ridiculous it sounded, and he knew that she would laugh, but something in him always kept him from saying it, kept him from saying a lot of things. He kissed her on the cheek now, and on her lips. She smiled and stretched and opened her deep blue eyes, and took his breath away once again.