Maria closed her eyes and leaned back on the thick blanket. She inhaled deeply. The air war so different here, thicker somehow than in her mountains. It smelled of salt and sea and fish. The night was warm and beautiful, the sky clear and she knew there were thousands of stars blinking above her. Never in her entire life had she felt this free. This perfect. She felt like she belonged, with this formidable man who was currently anchoring their little sailboat close to the beautiful island of Capri in the Mediterranean Sea.
This was the last leg of their honeymoon that had taken the former sea captain and the former postulant all over southern Europe. Initially, they took the train to Paris where they'd spend a little more than a week. Maria loved the city of lights, the museums, the opera, the architecture. But it was a very busy city as well, something the mountain girl in her found extremely exhausting.
Georg had only planned for ten nights in the French capital. He wanted to show his new wife this city that he loved to dearly, where he'd spend a lot of time as a young man and where he'd gotten his appreciation for architecture and the joie de vivre – even if that had left him for a couple of years after Agathe's death. He knew that he wanted to spend at least a month with Maria alone. No children, no staff, no Max. They had to get to know each other better, in ways that only a husband and wife could.
So, he offered some suggestions to Maria halfway through their time in Paris. Going to Switzerland into some of the beautiful villages deep in the Alps, where they could hike up some of the more spectacular mountains, mountains that Austria didn't have. Mountains almost 11 000 feet high, in a landscape that was so very different from that of their home country.
Crossing the English Channel to go to London and the south of England. Spain. Italy. In the end, Maria had listened to all his suggestions and they had decided to stay in France. In the south of France, in Cannes, for a couple of days. The weather was still beautifully warm and they could bask in the sunlight, swim in the ocean and enjoy a very leisurely life.
Georg had the greatest idea ever, in her opinion. Instead of booking them into a hotel in Cannes, he rented a sailboat. A boat just for the two of them, no staff around and no other guests anywhere. Of course, said boat was quite spacious and luxurious, but it was still a sailboat. And they could take her out whenever and wherever they wanted. Sometime, they just anchored the boat in the old port in the city of Cannes and didn't bother to even make it up on deck. Sometimes they would stroll around in the beautiful old town or "Les Croisettes", the road closest to the ocean. They'd have breakfast in beautiful little cafés that served the freshest croissants, brioches and tasty bread. And they would have their other meals in the restaurants around the port that served fresh seafood and other scrumptious dishes.
After having been in Cannes for a couple of days, Georg suggested that they should sail the Mediterranean, see where the winds would take them. Even though Maria had never been out of the country, let alone by the ocean, she trusted her husband completely. He was a decorated sea Captain, after all.
And she could see that he was in his element. Never before had he been so casual, so relaxed. They had gone shopping once they arrived by the ocean, but not for ball gowns and
fine suites this time, but for leisure clothes that fit the warm weather. Both of them needed swimwear as well as light clothing that didn't restrict their movement on the boat and was comfortable to wear. Maria decided that Georg looked gorgeous in his linen pants and the wide shirts that he hardly ever bothered to button up.
Georg had also picked up some surprises in a very exclusive shop hidden in a tiny side street in Cannes. So, once in a while, a little package would appear on Maria's pillow or in other places. And she would immediately model the fine scrapes of fabric that her husband had chosen for her: lingerie, negligées, chemises made of silk and lace. Georg's eyes lit up every time he saw her in the skimpy pieces – and that reaction helped her overcome the last bits of shyness that remained.
He had often told her how beautiful he thought she was, and she believed him. He was such an intense man, an intense lover. And she saw that he had eyes only for her.
Now she was laying back contentedly on the blanket and the pillows that she had brought up to the bow of the boat. She sighed and wondered what was taking her husband so long. They had found a secluded spot not too far away from the shore of the rocky Italian island, but far enough that nobody could spot them. The few lights were shining low in the distance, but most of the fishermen and the few tourists had long since gone to bed.
This silence and peace had prompted Maria to do something she had never done before. She had shed all of her clothing and laid down in all her naked glory, waiting for her husband to join her.
Eventually, Georg made his way from the cabin up on deck where he had washed up and shaved, after not having bothered with a blade for the last couple of days. He couldn't remember a time when he felt so relaxed, so content with the world. He was in his own little bubble of happiness with his wife, where they had locked out the outside world with all its problems. He knew he had to speak with Maria about the German threat, that was a very distinct threat to him and his family. But that would have time until they were back in Aigen – and then they could make plans for their future. Together.
Now he just wanted to relish the time he had with his Maria, to enjoy the time that was theirs alone. Oh, how he loved her. Her zest for life, for discovering the world. Her joy, her honesty. Her bravery, her boldness – and her courage to enter a whole new world. But, just like himself, she felt most comfortable and confident when it was just the two of them.
They had spent so much time in their rumpled beds in the last couple of days and nights that he had lost count of the times they'd made love. She was so very responsive to him and had even initiated a few encounters herself.
She had surprised him on their wedding night that had been postponed until their arrival in Paris. She was afraid of the unknown, she had admitted that to him on the train ride when they had gone to bed together for the first time, albeit clothed in their comfortable nightwear. He hadn't wanted their first time to be in the cramped compartment of a train and Maria couldn't believe how considerate he was. He wanted to ease them into the physical intimacy, especially because he knew that there was a passionate woman inside his ex-postulant and he wanted to gently coax that woman out to be with him for the rest of their lives.
So, they had kissed in their hard, little bed on the train, more passionately than ever before. And they both had managed to caress some bare skin.
"Maria, I want for you to tell me if anything doesn't feel right – will you promise me that?" Georg had asked of her. She had promised, but there had never been a reason for her to stop their actions. When they'd finally arrived in their hotel in Paris after long hours on the train, the skies had opened and the rain started pouring down.
"So, my darling, how do you think about some sightseeing in this weather?" he asked her with a neutral face.
While Maria was certainly a tough cookie in regard to the outdoors, staying inside, especially in a luxurious suite of rooms and with her handsome husband, appealed to her much more. But instead of answering him verbally, she walked up to her husband, grabbed his tie and kissed him. Passionately.
"I don't think so", she finally said, breathlessly. "We have this beautiful room with a cozy fire and a bathroom that is larger than my cell at the abbey was. Why should we go anywhere anytime soon?"
While her attempt at seduction lacked a little experience and vivacity, her husband knew what she was getting at. He was prepared to give her all the time in the world to get comfortable with that aspect of marriage, with him – but it seemed he didn't have to wait after all.
He smiled his most charming smile at her and nodded. "Good thinking", he said. Taking her in his arms, he caressed her face tenderly and asked: "So, what would you like to do then?"
Maria looked around the suite, the balcony and finally looked at him. "Honestly, I would love to take a bath in that enormous bathtub. That is something that I got used to in your villa, Georg. I never had the luxury of my own bathtub, let alone the bubbles that you so thoughtfully provided or the time to indulge in a relaxing bath."
Georg smiled at her. Yes, he had indeed seen to it that she got some toiletry products that were above the basic necessities, some fragrant bath oils, salts and bubbles amongst them. It seemed she had made good use of them.
"Then, by all means, my darling. Go ahead."
She went into the dressing room, shed the jacket of her travel suit and fetched her toiletry case. Walking into the bathroom, she stopped at the door and turned around, somewhat hesitantly. "Would you…", she faltered. "Would you like to join me?" she asked, blushing.
Georg almost choked on the water he had just drunk. Was this his innocent wife? Had she just suggested that they get into the bathtub together? He turned around and looked at her. "Are you sure, Maria? As I said, I don't want to rush you and I hope you don't feel you have to prove anything to me."
"No, Georg. You are not rushing me. And to be honest, while I was laying in my bathtub in the villa during the last couple of weeks, I have often dreamed about you being in there with me. Even…, even though I have no idea what it feels like."
He was treading on dangerous ground here, Georg knew. He had a hard time concealing his arousal as it was, whenever he was alone with Maria. Now, there was no reason to hide anything any longer. Still, he didn't want to overwhelm her. But how could he refuse such an invitation?
"I would love that, my darling", he said, taking off his suit coat and shoes and moving closer to her.
Maria smiled and turned around to start the tabs. She had brought her favorite bath oil with her, a mixture of orange blossoms and something spicy that very much reminded her of her captain.
When Maria reached for the buttons on her silky blouse, Georg stopped her gently. "Let me", he said, in a hoarse whisper. They've had a few encounters during their courtship when their passion had gotten the better of them. But never had they seen the other without clothes. Georg reached for his wife and kissed her, slowly, languidly, tenderly. He held her in his arms securely and caressed her back, letting his hands roam lower and lower until they reached her shapely backside. While the tub was filling beside them, he slowly reached for the tiny buttons on her blouse and slid them through the eyelets, one by one. What he saw then surprised him somewhat – because he could see nothing but a very pretty bra made of silk and lace in the color of her blouse. He looked up at her with a raised eyebrow.
"I don't like all these layers of underwear, too constricting", she admitted. There she was, his free-spirited spouse. He couldn't find a point against her reasoning.
"It's a good thing I didn't know that before", he said, grinning at her. "And now, it will be our secret." He kissed his way down her jaw, her neck to the top of her cleavage. She seemed to have no reservations about his ministrations, so he started feeling for the fastenings on her skirt. Easing that off her long, slender legs, he had a vision in his arms. His Maria in beautiful lingerie, with her garters and sheer stockings. "You are so beautiful, my darling", he said, admiring her and reaching to kiss her intensely once more.
Maria swallowed. Never before had she shown so much skin to anyone, let alone a man. And they weren't done undressing yet. But he seemed to like what he saw. And she wanted to see her man under that starched shirt as well. "And you are overdressed, my Captain", she said.
He smiled at that and reached for his tie, only to be stopped by his wife. "Let me", she said, repeating his earlier words. She took of his tie and started on the buttons of his white shirt, revealing a tanned and muscular chest with a generous amount of hair. Maria ran her hand through it, getting used to the texture and revelling in his warmth. She then ventured to his belt and the fastenings on his trousers.
Georg had a hard time standing still - but Maria eventually figured everything out and helped him out of his pants. Now they were standing close to each other, each in noting but their underwear. Maria frankly watched her husband's form, never before had she seen a man in the nude. An obviously aroused man. Oh, she had felt him before, several times actually. But now she could see him, in all his magnificence.
Georg took her hand and pulled her to him, kissing her once more to overcome the sudden need to free her of her underwear and make love to her right there on the bathroom floor. The tub had filled by the time they came up for air and he closed the tabs. "Let's get in, shall we?" he said to a somewhat dazed Maria. He stepped up to her, slowly reaching for her garter belt and unhooking the clips that held her stockings. He rolled them down her long legs tenderly and left a kiss here and there. Standing up, he then asked her to turn around. But before he opened her bra, he pulled her back to him and caressed her flat stomach, kissing her neck all the while.
He reached higher and higher with his hands until he met her breasts. Only after she moaned lowly did he finally open the bra and let it fall to the floor where all their other things lay. Again, he caressed her breasts from behind and slowly turned her to face him. He then knelt before her and hooked his fingers into the delicate lace that was the waistband of her panties. He pushed them down slowly, looking up from his position before her to see her blush. He then quickly kissed her navel and stood up, offering her a hand to get into the tub. He then made quick work of his briefs and followed her. He thought it wise to sit across from her for the time being, but she was having none of that. Maria pushed herself forward to make room and looked at him expectantly, so he slid in behind her.
They both leaned back, enjoying the heat and the scent of the water – and each other. Slowly, they started kissing and caressing each other's skin. Eventually, the need to unite their bodies became too big, and Georg stepped out of the tub, quickly drying himself off before he grabbed a large, fluffy towel and dried of Maria as well. He picked her up in his arms and laid her gently on the bed where he proceeded to kiss and caress her once more until they finally became husband and wife in every sense of the word.
Just thinking about their first time aroused Georg. Frankly, he felt like a very young man since Maria and he had embarked on their journey together. Suddenly, Georg just wanted to be with his wife, to hold her and to love her under the stars in the Mediterranean Sea. He put his things away and rushed up on deck. But before he even reached Maria, he stopped short.
She was quite a sight, lying there on the bow of the boat in all her naked glory, one knee pulled up slightly. She seemed completely relaxed and at ease, her eyes closed and her arms behind her head, her rosy nipples hard little knots in the night air. Georg felt all the blood rush south in his body, he became almost painfully aroused seeing her, like a painting in the near-darkness.
"Maria", he moaned, startling her from her dreamlike state. But all she did was open her eyes and held out a hand for him, asking him silently to lie with her.
Maria was delighted that he was finally with her, and without that scruffy beard no less! While she didn't mind seeing him so relaxed, she had to admit that his stubble caused some irritation on her skin, especially at some rather sensitive places. He wore a light blue linen shirt that he hadn't buttoned up and a pair of white linen pants that hung low on his hips. And if she wasn't mistaken, that was it. "Delicious", she thought to herself, especially because she could see his arousal straining against the front of the pants.
She opened her legs and he kneeled between them, leaning forward to capture her lips with his own. She opened her mouth to him immediately and caressed his smooth face while he was frantically kissing her.
"Oh, my darling!", he moaned again, kissing her neck and shoulders, pinching her nipples between his thumbs and forefingers. His mouth and tongue paid special attention to her tummy, and the he went lower still, until it was Maria who was moaning loudly. While he was kissing Maria with abandon, his hands were busy undoing his pants and pushing them down his legs. When she was writhing underneath him, his tongue led a wet trail up her body toward her lips and then he was inside her with one thrust.
His shirttails were billowing in the wind as he pushed into her, his fingers finding the little nub of pleasure that send her over the edge quickly. As she cried out in her ecstasy, he followed her quickly.
"Maria, what you do to me", he said, breathlessly. "I'm sorry that it was so fast, but you have the most amazing effect on me."
"There's nothing to apologize for, my darling", she said tenderly, stroking his cheek. "I love that you love me so passionately." Georg kissed her then, tenderly and grateful to have found this amazing woman to love. "The night isn't over yet, is it?", she added sassily, while he laid down beside her on the plush blanked and put his head on her breasts.
TBC…, maybe?
xxx
I don't own TSOM, just my own ideas.
I hope you liked this little travel story, if so please let me know :)