Wishes

"What did you say?" She asked, her heart full of amazement and wonder dripping together in her being.

"I love you, Michaela." His grip tightened on her hands and brought them to his heart trying to make her feel a fraction of what he was at that moment. "I love you….everything about you." He struggled to go on, wanting her to know…wanting her to feel the depths of this unknown territory. "Your stubbornness…your beauty…your caring soul, everything."

"Sully…" she quaked. Never had anyone said anything like that to her before. It was so new and she didn't even know what to say to him that would come close. She tore her hand away from his and fingered it through his hair, looking into his beautiful blue eyes that she could see in the darkness. She closed her eyes and slowly placed her lips over his. She wanted him to feel the words she couldn't speak. To feel the words that touched her heart so.

The kiss was slow and sensual and as they broke apart she let her cheek lay next to his. Their skin touched and they could feel each others breaths on the back of their necks. They were both staring off in opposite directions, directions that each of them came from, directions that brought them together.

Michaela closed her eyes not able to take the quietness any longer. Her heart was beating in her ears and she knew Sully was able to hear it. She leaned into his embrace and while her cheek was against his she whispered in his ear. "I love you, too." She smiled. "So very much."

The wind blew stronger causing Michaela to fall deeper into his embrace. Wrapping his arms around her to block the cold night air he smiled into her hair breathing in her intoxicating scent.

"Sully?" she timidly broke the silence.

Letting go of her he picked up the blanket that fell to her waist and wrapped it around her, swaddling her in a gulf of warmth. "Yes..."

Taking a deep breath she found his hand in the darkness and held onto it tightly. "I wanted to believe that it was true. But I didn't dare hope."

"It's always been here, Michaela, unspoken, but true. It's always been here." He pointed to his heart. "I've always felt it."

"I…I think I know what you mean. That feeling that grips your heart. That tiny fluttering spark that just…just-"she looked down. "That's silly," she felt embarrassed.

"The spark that just starts in your throat and works its way through your body till you feel it in your toes?" he asked.

She looked up and searched his eyes. "How…how did you know?" She couldn't grasp the complexity of his knowledge.

"Cause I feel the same thing every time I look at you." His hand cupped the rosy apple of her cheek and his thumb slowly rubbed away the small tear that was escaping her eye. "Every time I looked into your eyes, I feel something…something I always wanna feel."

Swallowing hard she felt the need to go on, to be truthful with him, to open up like he was doing to her. She wanted to reciprocate all the feelings that were washing over her. "Until…until I met you, I never knew what I really wanted. What my heart wanted."

"What do you want now, Michaela? Tell me, what do ya wish for?"

"I…I want to be complete. I guess that's all I've ever wanted, but I never knew how to get there or where to even start."

"The Cheyenne say that you can never be complete till you find the other half of what makes you that way."

"I'm…I'm afraid I don't understand." She tried to search the ambiguity of his words.

"Your soul," he smiled. "You have to find the other half of your soul." Sully searched her eyes and saw the first inkling of a smile play on her lips. "What it is?"

"I think my wish may come true." She hoped for the first time.

"I would do anything to make that come true for ya." Sincerity dripped from his eyes and surrounded her. "There's nothing I want more."

Leaning forward she wrapped her arms around him and Sully pulled the blanket around them both as they tumbled backward into the protective canopy of his lean-to. Their eyes were locked on one another feeling as though the other might disappear if they looked away. He pulled her in closer feeling her warmth surround him, he watched her close her eyes and reach in for another kiss. Closing his own he felt her silky flesh upon his lips and he dipped her to her side drawing her in closer than he had ever before. And this time she didn't pull away, she pulled him in tighter. Slowly he opened his mouth to hers deepening the kiss instantly. He could feel and smell everything about her and it sent his senses into over drive.

She didn't even know if she was breathing. She didn't think she was. It was points like this when she would have turned away in fear, turned away and ran back within herself. But not this time, this time everything felt right, everything. She slowly drew her arms around Sully's waist and for the first time she felt the skin of his torso and she could feel him moan into her mouth with pleasure, causing her to stop momentarily. "I'm sorry, I –" she blushed and shivered in embarrassment.

"Don't be." Sully pulled the blanket around them wrapping them in their own little world. He looked across to her and caught her timid smile. "Are ya all right?"

"This is just all so…so-"

"New." He finished her sentence.

"Yes," she looked down. "Everything is just so-" she couldn't think of the word.

"Are ya scared?" he wondered.

"A little," she confessed. "I'm afraid that I can't…that I don't-" she became frustrated.

Sully reached for her hands under the blanket. "You can tell me anything, you know that."

"Sully-" she breathed. "I'm afraid that I don't know how to love you," she searched his eyes for any hint of understanding. "I know how I feel in here," she put her hand over her chest. "But I don't know how to bring it out."

"I know what ya mean. I was scared too."

"You were?"

"Yes. I wanted you to know how I really felt. I wanted ya to feel it in here." He covered her hand with his. "I didn't know how to tell ya."

She bit her lower lip and closed her eyes fighting the words that were going to spill out to his ears. "Then…then will you show me?"

"What?" he didn't know if he understood correctly.

She drew her arms around his neck bringing their faces mere inches apart. "Show me how much you love me. I want to feel it too," she breathed. "I want to know."

Sully looked into her eyes not saying a word. And Michaela features changed within his gaze. "My goodness….I-" her face turned red. "You must think I'm so-"

Sully chuckled, "Michaela Quinn you're like the sun and the rain."

"What?" she didn't know when either to laugh or cry.

"Fire and ice." He covered her mouth again before she could say another word. His hands entangled in her hair pulling out the pins that confined it. He could feel her breathing become even as she relaxed beneath him. His hand was at her waist slowly moving upward till he could feel the edge of her breast.

Michaela's eyes shot open at the feeling of his hand on an area of her body that had never been touch before.

Sully could feel the change in her body and looked down to her. "Is this what you want? I have to know."

Michaela closed her eyes and then opened them quickly shaking her head yes. "I want to feel it Sully, I want to feel your love."

"Then I want to share it with you." He kissed her again and slowly began to unbutton her blouse. Looking at her he saw the reflection of the sky dance in her eyes. With the last button undone he removed it from her body and cast it to the side. He could see the rise of her breasts with each haggard breath she took and he slowly placed a kiss on her chest.

He slowly undressed her until she was only clad in her bloomers and camisole. "I…I never-"

"I know…" he breathed into her ear. "Well go slow." She felt his hand at her waist slowly pulling down her bloomers till they pooled around her ankles. "I don't want to hurt you."

"I don't think you ever could." She closed her eyes relishing in the feelings he was evoking in her. "I don't think you ever could…"

Watching her facial expressions Sully cautiously placed a kiss on her lower stomach and worked his way up teasing her flesh through her camisole.

"Sully…"

Torturously he lowered the strap and kissed his way down her neck wanting nothing more than to pleasure her with delight. This was for her, everything was for her. And he was surprised when he felt her hands touch the opening of his buckskins, slowly tugging them downward.

He quickly helped her pull them off and in a fluid motion he tossed off his shirt as well throwing it in the pile next to them. He looked back down at her and placed his hands at her ribcage easing up the camisole and finally bringing it over her head. He gazed down at her knowing what she was thinking. "You're beautiful." He fulfilled her thoughts. "Everything about you."

She smiled as she felt a rush of warmth at his words. Nothing felt more right in her entire life as everything that would have made her run, left her mind. Sully's lips found the delicate flesh behind her ear and he softly kissed it. She could feel his weight on top of her and she pulled him in closer. "Love me, Sully."

That was all the invitation he needed. His lips connected with hers again and his hands drew down her side. "I love you, Michaela Quinn." He breathed into her mouth as he slowly entered her for the first time.

Her eyes were shut so tightly she didn't know if they would ever open again. And her hands clutched tightly at his sides as the pain overtook her. She moaned deeply back into his mouth sighing out her frustrations.

"Are you okay?" He asked looking down, noticing her eyes shut tightly and her lips pursed inward. "Michaela?" He slowly began to with draw from her.

"No, don't" she arched her back clutching onto him.

He was scared, "I don't want to hurt you."

"Just… don't stop." Her lips covered his in silence.

His thrusts were slow and he held her like she was the most precious gift ever given to him. She felt the feelings began to change from that of pain to pleasure…extreme pleasure.

"Sully…" her breathing began to quicken. "Oh…" she moaned as she writhed beneath him. His hands joined hers in an interlocking symbol of love. Michaela began to move her hips to match with his thrusts bringing her more pleasure than she ever imagined possible

"Michaela…" Sully showered her face with kisses as perspiration began to cling to their bodies. He continued to make slow love to her, wanting her to feel the wondrous sensations that were overtaking his own body.

Their passions were growing at the moment when they both reached their pinnacle together, in a timeless dance of love. She clung to his chest as if he were her life support, trying to clam her breath.

"I… I didn't know it could feel…like that." She laid back down under the lean-to as Sully's arms engulfed her.

He smiled looking deeply into her eyes. "I knew it was going to be special and wonderful." He kissed her. "Just like you."

Her insecurities began to surface. "Did I…I mean… did you feel-" her faced turned an even darker shade of crimson.

Sully knew what she was trying to utter and buried his face in her neck, kissing his way up to whisper in her ear. "Everything was perfect." He kissed her fully on the lips. "What about you, did you…enjoy it?" he hoped.

She closed her eyes looking down before she could face him. And all she could do was simply shake her head yes before she could find the words. "I don't think I could love you any more than this moment right now. Being with you like this, feeling you so close, I never want it to end."

"It doesn't have to," he pulled her even closer. "Stay with me tonight."

She slowly pulled away from him and looked into his blue eyes. "No…" she breathe.

Sully's brow wrinkled as he felt the first stings of disappointment. "I'll take ya-"

"Can I stay with you forever?" she hoped.

Sighing he laid back on to the blankets and pulled her back down with him. Michaela laid her head on his chest and linked her fingers with his. No words were spoken for the longest time, both content with feeling each others heartbeats and the up and down motions of their breathes.

"It came true you know." Her lily soft voice broke their silence.

"What did?" he smiled.

"My wish…"

"So did mine," he confessed.

"What…what was your wish?" she wondered.

"You…"