Richard looked at the outline of his wife's body as she laid in bed, her back to him. He stood in the doorway for a moment, watching her sleep. There was something about watching her sleep that had always intrigued him. Perhaps it was that she was totally unaware of others and not trying to put on an appearance for anyone. He was the only one who saw her sleeping and thus she did not have to be on guard or preoccupied. She was simply her beautiful self, entirely unaware of anything or anyone around her.
He finally crossed the room to his closet, quietly shutting the door before he turned on the light. It was not like Emily to go to bed without telling him goodnight. Richard knew that she was still upset with him. As he emerged from the closet, he quietly made his way to the bed. Trying to carefully slip into it so as not to wake his wife, Richard pulled the sheet up around his chest. Yet Emily was already awake; she had been the entire time. However, she wasn't in the mood to speak to him and thus she chose to let her husband think she was asleep.
As Emily felt Richard's body move closer to hers, she couldn't hold back. She had no intentions of letting him puts his arm around her or lay against her body as if they were a perfectly happy couple. No, she was still too angry. He could not just insult her life and then expect her to forget about it in a matter of days.
"Don't touch me." Her voice was cold and unattached and it startled Richard. He instantly froze, not expecting her to be awake.
"Emily …"
"I'm not in the mood, Richard," she stated flatly.
Richard sighed. "So I'm not even allowed to touch my wife?"
"No."
"This is ridiculous." He rolled onto his back.
Emily pushed the covers away, rolling over in a huff to face him. "Ridiculous or frivolous?" she asked. Before Richard could reply, she had thrown her legs over the side of the bed and was already angrily putting on her robe.
"Where are you going?" he asked, watching her as she moved to the door.
"I'm going to sleep in the guest room."
Richard sighed. "This is ridiculous, Emily…"
"You've already said that," she stated, clutching the doorknob in her hand.
"Please wait," he pleaded.
Emily stopped when she heard the tone in his voice. She stood stiffly in the doorway, waiting for him to speak. "I'm tired, Richard." The sound of her voice made it obvious that she was more than just physically tired and worn out.
"I don't want you to sleep in the other room."
"And I don't want to be married to a man who thinks my life is frivolous and meaningless, but at some point we have to realize that things are the way they are."
"Emily, I did not-"
"I don't want to hear it, Richard," she said, cutting him off from finishing his thought. "You want me to roll over and tell you that I love you and then you can assume that all is forgiven, just like always. I can't this do that time, Richard. I'm sorry, but I can't." Despite desperately trying to hold herself together, her voice broke slightly as she turned her head to look at him.
"I know you're upset…" Richard looked down, unable to hold his wife's gaze.
"I'm not upset," she snapped. "I'm furious."
Richard didn't know what to say. When he was about to speak again, he heard the door shut. In forty years, she had never gone to sleep in another room. Sure, she had sent him to sleep down the hallway. Yet she had never been the one to actually go herself. It worried him. She really was upset about this. Of course she was upset. What he had said to her was horrible. It was unthinkable. She would never dare say such inappropriate things to him. Yet he had said it to her without thinking. And then he had let her walk out of the room without explaining himself, without apologizing. Days later and he had yet to apologize for his words.
Closing his eyes and taking in a deep breath, Richard realized that he had to go talk to her. He had to go apologize and make her forgive him. Richard pushed himself out of bed and made his way down the hall. As he approached the guest room, the door was shut. He grasped the knob, but found it locked. She had locked him out!
"Emily!" he yelled, banging on the door. "Open the door!"
Emily was about to get settled into the guest bed, annoyed that Richard would not just leave her alone. "No!"
"I am not interested in playing games with you, Emily. Open the door!" His tone was a bit harsher than he had intended, but she had never locked him out before.
She groaned, cursing under her breath as she crossed the room. Emily flung the door open. "The last time I checked the deed to this house, my name was listed there next to yours. Not below it, but next to it. I think that gives me the right to lock whatever door I damn please, Richard."
He could tell that she was mad. Her posture changed when she was mad. Part of him was actually glad that she was angry. They tended to make more progress when she was angry enough to yell at him. Otherwise she would just walk away and not deal with her emotions. She would suppress them until she had finally stopped caring about whatever had upset her and she felt nothing.
Emily stared at her husband, the doorknob still in her hand. "You wanted me to open the door… what do you want now?" she asked, the irritation evident by her tone of voice.
"Could we act like adults for a minute, Emily?"
"Adults?" she laughed. "You sulk in your office for hours, you drink a few too many brandys, insult my life, show no remorse for days, and now you want to act like an adult?"
"No remorse? You haven't given me a chance to even speak to you for three days now!"
"I'm sorry, Richard. I didn't know that I was the one who needed to invite you to apologize to your wife! I apparently missed my Trophy Wife Lesson of the Week!"
Richard sighed. "I'm sorry."
Emily laughed haughtily. "Oh, wow. That was so heartfelt. I could literally feel it right here," she motioned to her heart. Then she turned away from him, moving back into the guest room again.
"You know that I did not mean what I said…"
"Do I?" she asked, turning back to face him. He could see the anger in her eyes even in the darkness of the room.
"We have been married for over forty years, Emily."
"I know how long we've been married, Richard." She was irritated. Tired, angry, and irritated.
Richard reached his hand out to touch her, but she pulled away from him. "Emmy…" He moved quicker this time, pulling her into his arms. She struggled with him, trying to get him to let go of her.
"Please don't," she begged, the pain evident in her voice as she finally gave up struggling with him. He was much stronger than her and it was of no use waste her energy struggling in vain.
Richard was glad when she stopped fighting him. He pulled her against him, nuzzling his face against her neck. Emily's hands grasped his upper arms, as if she wanted to push him away. Her body was stiff and unmoving. "I'm sorry," he whispered into her ear. "I would never intentionally hurt you. You have to know that, Emily."
Her grasp lightened and Richard felt her actually lean herself against him. She laid her head on his shoulder and he felt her body shake. It was not often that she cried in front of him. It was really quite rare. She didn't like to show that type of emotion, not even in front of him. She preferred to cry alone where no one could see her pain.
Emily didn't pull away from him until her tears were gone. Even then she quickly turned away, shielding her face from Richard's view. He hadn't realized until now just how deeply he had hurt her. It tugged at his heart to know that he had made his wife cry. He had hurt her enough that she actually cried in front of him. There were only two other times that people had upset her and led her to cry in front of him. One time involved his mother and the other Lorelai. He was now part of that group. With his words, he had hurt her so deeply that she had felt degraded enough to cry in front of him. He didn't want to be like his mother and Lorelai. They were the two people in her life that disregarded her feelings and showed such little concern for her. He did not want to be a member of their group.
As she stood, her back to him, Richard came up behind her. He reached out his hand, touching her shoulder. She flinched at the unwanted touch, her head snapping up suddenly.
"I'm still angry," she stated, a slight quiver in her voice.
Richard removed his hand from her shoulder and turned to leave the room, to let her be alone.
Emily sighed, calling out to him even though it was against her better judgment. "Don't go." She reached out, grasping his forearm.
Richard stopped, turning back to face his wife. She shook her head. "I know that you didn't intentionally hurt me, Richard." She closed her eyes, her face still partly shielded from his view because of the darkness of the room. "That's the worst part. You can do it so easily without even thinking." Emily held her grasp on his arm, not letting go as she bowed her head down.
Richard, with his free hand, reached out to caress her cheek. "I would never intentionally hurt you." She closed her eyes, taking in a deep breath. "I'm sorry, Emily," he stated, forcing her to look up at him.
Emily sighed, shaking her head. "It infuriates me that I can be so upset with you and yet still feel so attracted to you," she said, looking up at him. Her voice was calm and even. "Looking into your eyes, I can forget about everything and it frightens me sometimes that you have that effect on me." Being this open with anyone, even him, was not her usual style. Yet somehow she felt the need to share what she was feeling. She felt the need to make him understand.
His body brushed against hers as he moved his hand to wipe away the moisture from her cheeks.
Emily closed her eyes again. "I'm still mad, Richard," she whispered, reaching for his hand as she pulled it away from her face.
"I know," he said, his hand moving to the back of her neck.
Emily looked down and Richard finally let go of her, taking a step back. Her head shot up as he moved away from her. Without thinking, she slipped her arms around his neck and crushed her lips against his. The bodies collided suddenly and Emily forced her tongue into his mouth.
Richard was surprised by her sudden force, yet he didn't pull away from her. His arms found their way around her waist, holding her to him. "And you're always attracted to me," he whispered, his mouth close to her ear, "especially when you're mad." His lips brushed against her neck as his hand held her to him, pressing against her back.
"The size of your ego," she breathed, dipping her head back. He was being his usual tender self, kissing her neck, touching her gently, yet she had no desire to be placated tonight. She was still much too angry with her husband to want to feel him gently caress her skin and have him look lovingly into her eyes. No, she didn't want any of that tonight. She positioned her leg between his, shifting suddenly. Richard coughed, feeling her knee pressing against him.
"My ego isn't the only thing growing at the moment," he whispered into her ear. "But I think you can feel that now." He smiled devilishly at her and it made her want to bite his tongue as he spoke.
Emily grasped his shoulders. "Just shut up and kiss me," she ordered, not giving him time to respond before she took his face in her hands and crushed her lips against his.
Richard bent down, lifting her into his arms. "I intend to do more than just kiss you," he stated, carrying her to the bed. He dropped her down and Emily grasped the neckline of his pajama top. She held it firmly, preventing him from bending down to kiss her. Instead, she pushed him back, using her knee in just the right place to render him powerless for a moment while she shoved him onto his back. Richard was a bit surprised by her uncommon behavior, yet he decided to remain quiet and see where she was going.
Her left leg pressed against the side of his hip and her other knee rested directly between his legs. As she looked down at him, he could still see the anger in her eyes. She bent down, her hair tickling his cheek as she whispered in his ear. "I don't know if I'm angrier with you or with myself." She kissed his earlobe before running her tongue along it.
"How so?" he asked, his hands running up the sides of her body.
"For allowing myself to be so attracted to you." She bit his earlobe, delighting in his surprised gasp.
Richard laughed smugly, grabbing her waist and quickly rolling her beneath himself. He covered her body with his, not allowing her to move. She moaned, almost in pain, as he rubbed himself against her. Before she knew what was happening, he had grabbed her hands. Emily demanded that he let her go, yet he had no intentions of freeing her. "You don't 'allow' yourself to be attracted to me," he stated, pinning her hands down on each side of her head. "It's something that you can't control, whether you like it or not." He bent his head down to kiss her neck, not letting go of his grasp.
"Richard! Let me go!" She jerked her hands, but it was of no use.
"Not until you admit that you like it." He grinned down at her. She was entirely at his will and that, too, angered her … but not enough that she wasn't enjoying it, even if she would never admit to it.
"You're egotistical," she spat, continuing to struggle with him.
"Flattery will get you nowhere, Emily." Richard tightened his grasp, not enough to hurt her, but enough that she couldn't free herself.
Emily groaned, refusing to give into anything he wanted. She tried to move her hands, to dig her nails deep enough into his skin that he would have to let her go, but his grasp was too powerful and she couldn't get the upper hand over him this time. Finally, she gave up fighting with him and ceased her movements. "Fine," she spat, raising her head and glaring at him. "I do like it. I like that there is one part of our life that never suffers, even when you're acting like a complete ass." She jerked her arms, trying to catch him off guard. "Now let me go!" She jerked her arms again, hoping to get the upper hand on him. Yet he was always one second ahead of her.
Richard smiled, tightening his grasp on her wrists. "All in due time, Emily." He looked down at her. He could still see the anger in her eyes, yet he could also see that deep down she wanted him as much as he wanted her. Richard bent his head down and kissed the area right below her ear. "Believe me, you won't be dissatisfied," he promised, tracing a pattern with the tip of his tongue. His breath was warm against her skin and she closed her eyes for a moment as his words reverberated in her ear.
Emily yelped as she felt Richard nip at her neck with his teeth. However, she soon forgot about the moment of pain as his lips kissed down her neck and across her chest. Despite the barrier of her silk nightshirt, Richard moved his mouth to her breast. He could feel her hardened nipple beneath his tongue. Emily moaned as he flicked over it rather roughly. He looked up at her with a smile, watching her open her eyes when she realized that he had stopped what he was doing. He was suddenly looming above her once again.
"If I let go of you to remove your top, do you promise to be a good girl?" he asked. His wife nodded and he grinned, knowing that she was lying. He pulled her hands above her head, using his left hand to hold her wrists together. Emily once again tried to free herself, yet with just one of his hands he was still stronger than she. Richard laughed, "It's of no use to fight me, dear."
Emily let out a deep breath and he smiled, touching her cheek with his hand. "You're quite sexy when you're angry." Richard's hand moved down her neck and chest to her nightshirt. He slid his hand between the buttons, pulling on the top harshly. The buttons that didn't fall open snapped off. Emily's eyes widened and it made Richard smile to see her look of shock and annoyance.
"Do you have any idea how much I paid for you to ruin my top?" she asked, exasperated.
Richard laughed. "I know exactly how much you paid for it. And I'll buy you a dozen more if you promise to let me rip them off you every night." There was a boyish grin on his face that she hadn't seen in quite a long time.
"You're insane," she groaned, writhing beneath him as she felt his hand upon her breast. He felt warm against her skin and the way his thumb was teasing her nipple was making it difficult to think about anything else. Emily had to force herself not to moan, not to let him know that she was enjoying what he was doing. Yet he already knew it. He was already aware that she was playing right into his hands. It took her a moment to regain herself and in that instant Richard had moved his hand down her stomach and repositioned himself. His knees were now pressing against her thighs, not allowing her enough room to move as he bent above her. He had also managed to remove her pajama bottoms and she was left to try and figure out how he had done it so quickly.
As she was trying to remember, she felt Richard's hand on her hip, tugging at the side of her panties. She shifted her legs, trying to make it hard for him. "I'm not afraid to rip them off of you," he warned.
"As exciting as that sounds, I'd rather you didn't," she informed him. Richard toyed with the idea of doing it to spite her, but relented when she lifted her hips and allowed him to slide her panties down her legs. His hand trailed down her leg and back up again. It rested against her thigh and she could feel the sensation intensifying as his thumb began to wander, his hand moving towards her inner thigh. He brushed his fingers against her, tempting her with the idea of his caress.
Emily moaned as she felt his touch against her skin. Richard changed his position, moving so that he could push her legs apart. She willingly followed him, content to feel his fingers upon her sensitive skin. Yet he didn't go any further, causing her to moan his name in frustration.
"What do you want, Emily?" he asked. The tone in his voice caused her skin to tingle.
"You know what I want," she moaned, her eyes closed as he touched her everywhere but the one place she wanted. Richard's fingers moved in circles against the inside of her thigh and she kept her eyes closed, concentrating on the feeling he was creating within her.
"Tell me, Emily," he demanded.
"Please don't make me say it," she pleaded. Talking dirty was not exactly easy for her. She was the type of woman who believed that you could please your partner without having to spell out every desire. If your lover truly knew you, then he wouldn't need to be told what to do.
"Say it…"
Emily moaned. "I want to feel you inside of me," she breathed, her voice almost a whisper. She wanted him so badly that she could barely hold herself under control.
"Say it louder," he pushed her. Richard knew that she was on the edge, but he also knew that it was in moments like these that the anticipation and the buildup were the most satisfying. His thumb brushed over her sensitive skin and she emitted a sound that was reminiscent of a whimper.
Her hands were still pinned above her head and she felt herself completely at his will. It was exciting and her pulse raced, wanting to know what he would do next. "Make love to me," she pleaded.
Her eyes remained closed as she lay beneath him. It caught her by surprise when she felt her husband thrusting into her. She gasped as he shoved himself directly into her, filling her completely within seconds. Her breath caught in the back of her throat and she groaned as she felt Richard's hand grasping her hip. All she could do was lie there for a moment as he dominated her movements before she could force her mind and her body to work together. She tugged at his hold on her hands, but he didn't seem to notice.
Richard watched his wife's face as she reacted to him entering her. Her harsh expression had faded and her head rolled back in delight as he moved his body against hers. She moaned lightly at first yet became louder as he moved against her over and over again. He finally let go of her hands, freeing her from his grasp.
Emily sighed, relieved to be able to move again. Richard's lips were upon her neck. Her hands slid down to grasp Richard's shoulders. Finally, she opened her eyes, looking up at her husband. "Kiss me," she breathed.
Richard smiled before bending down to do as she'd requested. Their lips met and Emily slid her arms around his neck, holding him against her body. She let his tongue explore the inside of her mouth, moaning as he ran his tongue along her own. He bit her lip and she instinctively pulled back. Richard stopped, reaching up to touch her lip with his finger. Emily took his hand, intertwining it with her own. "Don't stop," she moaned into his ear, her arms wrapped tightly around him.
Emily held onto her husband, using all her strength to force him to roll over. Pushing him back, she groaned as both his hands held onto her hips, moving her back and forth as the feeling of him being inside of her intensified with each tiny movement. Emily propped her hand against his chest, using it to hold herself up as her body reacted to the sensations that he was creating within her. She could literally feel him brushing against every inch of herself. With her other hand, she grasped her breast, squeezing it when Richard shifted his hips suddenly and she felt an entirely different sensation between her legs. Crying out, she nearly fell forward but caught herself as her hands rested against his shoulders.
Richard' hands moved down her behind to grasp the back of her thighs as he pushed himself deeper into her, causing her to scream out. Richard smiled, watching her face as she reacted to him. The muscles in her thighs at first tightened but Emily forced herself to relax as she allowed her body to accept him. Emily collapsed forward a bit, her hands resting on the outsides of his shoulders as she palms dug into the mattress. She bit her lower lip, her eyes closed tightly as she moved atop of him. Every movement that she made brought about a new sensation and another wave of pleasure overtook her body.
Emily opened her eyes as Richard's hands moved to her upper arms. They watched each other for a few moments, not needing to speak any words between them their bodies moved together in unison. Richard finally verbalized what their eyes seemed to be saying. "I'm sorry," he reached out to push her hair behind her ear. His hand rested behind her neck and he pulled her head forward to kiss her lips. As her body moved lower, she felt yet another sensation taking over her senses. Groaning deeply, Emily felt the familiar tingle working its way through her body as she lay against him. His skin was warm and it felt comforting to lie atop of him.
As their lips met, Emily felt herself letting go. Her body accepted his apology and she let go of the anger that was holding her back from giving herself over to him completely. She breathed deeply, feeling Richard's arms wrapped tightly around her as he too experienced his own release. His hand grasped her behind, pushing himself deeper. Emily whimpered, her head resting just beneath his chin.
Laying her head on his shoulder, she was content to lie in his arms for a while longer.
Richard reluctantly broke the silence, asking, "Are you still mad at me?"
Emily opened her eyes, nuzzling her head against his neck. "I'm still hurt," she admitted. Richard's hand ran down her back. "It's because I love you so much that your words hurt me so deeply."
"I don't think your life is frivolous or meaningless. I was upset with myself and I lashed out at you. This whole situation is my own fault. I forced you into going against Lorelai."
Emily sighed, not wanting to think about all of it right now as they lay together peacefully. She gently ran her fingertips over his shoulder and down his arm.
Richard seemed to have dropped the subject, but only for a few moments. "Some of the events that you organize are a bit …" Emily looked up at him, silently cautioning him to calculate his comments carefully. "Unique, I suppose, but then I also get to see the things that you don't."
"Like what?" she asked, intrigued. Emily propped her head up to look at her husband.
"Do you remember the Swansons's granddaughter? She was one of the girls that Bitty trained last spring for their debutante ball. You spent a few weeks helping her teach them to dance."
"Lauren, yes, she was a terrible dancer. No coordination at all."
Richard laughed. "I overheard her grandmother telling her how beautifully she danced that night."
"She did improve significantly by the end of our lessons, but why are you telling me this, Richard?"
He ran his hand through her hair as her head once again lay against his shoulder. "After her grandmother complimented her, she said that it was all because of you."
"I taught all of the girls how to do that dance."
"But you didn't spend hours after class helping the other girls to improve their dance skills."
"They didn't need the improvement," she countered.
"You're modest. You're also an amazingly giving woman. You do a lot of things that no one sees. Your life is not meaningless, Emily. I could never think that."
"Well, it was a big night for all the girls. I just wanted Lauren to have a good time."
"And you spent hours of your free time helping her because you felt obligated?" He knew that she was not going to give in to him and admit that she had helped the girl out of the goodness of her heart. That was not his wife's style. She did that sort of thing in silence, not wanting the applause that came with helping someone for no particular reason. She would also never brag about being asked to take over the classes for Bitty next fall.
Emily kissed Richard's shoulder. "I was lonely. My husband works so much that I get lonely," she added, looking up at him.
Richard kissed the top of her head. "Well if I have something intriguing to think about…" His hand brushed down her back. "I might be inspired to come home at a reasonable hour …"
Emily rose up a bit, cocking her head to the side. "I have no idea what you are referring to…"
Richard laughed, rolling her beneath him, "That's because you're so modest." The sound of her laughter faded out as their lips met.
As usual, many thanks to Cira for being a faithful and dilligent beta!