A/N: Ok, I wrote this shortly after the wedding night and I told myself that if chapter 1 got at least 10 reviews, I would post this. Well, it currently has 22, so WOW! Thank you so much, everyone! I appreciate it more than I can say! This chapter is a bit darker than the wedding fluff of the previous chapter. It was inspired by a reviewer from "Marriage is Just…" (StrawberryBookworm) who mentioned that her friend said that you "could see a bit of a dark lover in hatter." StrawberryBookworm, if you read this, thank your friend for me!


Another party. Mirana loved throwing parties and balls for any occasion. I think she was just trying to balance out all the heartache and pain that her sister caused for so many years.

Tarrant and I were dancing and laughing. We were always determined to make the most of these events, even if we weren't all that impressed by them.

As we twirled around, I noticed a man in the corner, staring at us.

"Tarrant, do you recognize that man?"

He turned his head slightly to see him. "No, love. Can't say that I do."

We spun again and fell back into the steps of the dance. In the 2 years that we had been married, Hatter and I had become quite the dance pair. I always said it was because we were so in sync with everything else.

The man kept staring and after a while, Tarrant began to notice it as well.

"What do you think he wants?" he asked.

"How would I know? I haven't a clue who he is."

I felt Tarrant's grip on my waist tighten. He was a very jealous and protective husband and I knew this was beginning to bother him.

"I don't like how he's looking at you."

"Maybe he isn't even looking at us," I said, placing some emphasis on "us." "Maybe he's just staring into space. Or at a couple behind us."

"Alice, you are the most beautiful woman in this room. Of course he is looking at you."

I sighed. I could see this would probably get bad.

And then, it happened. The strange man walked over.

"Hello. This is my first ball at the palace and I was wondering if I might cut in and dance with the lady."

Tarrant spun around and instantly had me behind him. "Um, no, sorry. The lady is dancing with her husband and no cutting in is permitted."

"Ah, I see. Well, if the lady changes her mind later…"

"She won't," I added, hoping to make Hatter feel better.

"Ah suggest yeh listen an' find some other lass teh stare at, yeh dog," Tarrant growled, Outlandish accent becoming prominent.

The man walked away, but I knew that Tarrant was still on edge.

"Hatter, the party is almost over. Why don't we return home?"

"Aye, home. Perhaps tha' tis a good idea."

He summoned a carriage and we went back to our house. He was still and quiet the entire way. I was quiet as well, but I was plotting.

Once we entered our home, I spun him around and pinned him to the door.

"You know, Tarrant. I love it when you get all protective and possessive."

His eyes changed faster than I had ever seen and his brogue instantly appeared.

"Liked tha', did yeh?"

"Mmm-hmm."

Instantly, he bent down and tossed me over his shoulder and carried me that way upstairs.

"Ah hate when men look at yeh, Alice. Ah hate it."

"There's nothing you have to worry about," I tried to reassure him.

We got to our room and he set me down.

"Sweetness, Ah worry constantly." He suddenly pressed me to the wall and covered my mouth with his.

After the kiss, he pulled back to look at me. His eyes were the deep emerald that made me shiver. I took the hat from his head and placed it on my own. If possible, his eyes got even darker.

"Tha' looks good on yeh," he whispered as he bent down. He began to place kisses all down my neck.

I gave a little moan and Tarrant practically growled.

"Ah love th' noises yeh make, love. They let meh know Ah'm doing mah job well."

I smiled wickedly. If he wanted noises, then noises he would get. I whimpered and whispered his name.

"Say it ag'in, Alice."

This time I moaned it.

And I began to wake the monster.

"Yehr mine, yeh know," he said, deeply.

"All yours."

I began unbuttoning his jacket and then his waistcoat and then his shirt. Why did he have to wear all these layers?

At the same time, he was trying to undo the laces at the front of my gown.

"Bloody hell. Did yeh have teh tie it so tight?" he asked with frustration.

By now, I had everything unbuttoned and untucked. "Then rip it," I suggested, pressing my lips to his shoulders.

He looked torn. The lust wanted him to just tear into it. The milliner wanted him to be delicate with such fine clothing.

The lust won out.

Suddenly he ripped open the front of my dress. "Ah'll repair it later."

I went to remove his hat, but he stopped me. "Leave it on," he said, his brogue almost becoming dark.

So we were going to play it that way tonight … game on, Hatter.

I grabbed his shoulders and spun us around, pinning him to the wall like I did downstairs. I knew I would lose at this part of the game, but really, were there any real losers at a time like this?

"Show me who's I am," I purred before attacking his mouth with my own. I almost heard his mind snap and I could see tiny flecks of orange forming in his green eyes. But, of course, I knew he would never hurt me in a million years, so sometimes letting the madness go made things a bit more exciting.

"Oh, lass, Ah'll show yeh who's yeh are," he said, spinning us back around again. He grabbed my hands and held them above my head as he continued to kiss me. I licked his bottom lip and was granted access. Our tongues danced as one of his hands held mine up, while the other found its way into my hair.

Finally, just when I began to think that I would have to beg for more, he picked me up and tossed me unceremonially onto the bed.

He finished tearing open my dress and began to kiss and suck at my breasts. It amazed me that even during these kinds of lovemaking when things were a bit rougher, he was still just as tender.

"Tarrant…" I moaned.

"Tha's right, lass, only mah name."

His hat began to come off my head and he put it back. "It stays on," he reminded.

It was just another way to prove I was his, wearing his hat. Tonight must have really bothered him. Silly creature. As if I could ever be without him.

He sat up and removed all those layers from the top and then began to work on his pants. I reached to help him, but he swatted my hands away. He stood and made quick work of removing them and his shorts and was swiftly back on top of me. Tarrant bunched my skirts up around my waist, not even bothering to remove the rest of my dress. He fiddled with the waist of my knickers, glancing to me for permission. Even after all these times, he still always asked for permission. As if I would deny him.

I nodded and he pulled them off. He used his knees to nudge my legs apart and then returned to kissing me, caressing my breasts at the same time.

"Mine," he murmured into the kiss.

"Always," I whispered.

He reached down between my legs to see if I was ready. I almost laughed. I had been ready for most of the evening. Dancing with Tarrant always made me hot and bothered. My knickers were damp from the first step of the first dance.

He touched his forehead to mine and thrust within me. I gasped and moaned at the delicious feeling.

"Oh Alice," he moaned. "Wonderful."

As he began to move, I decided to play a little more. "And whose are you?"

He glanced up and his eyes went through a myriad of changes, finally settling back on the deep emerald.

"Yehrs, cricket. All yehrs. Forever yehrs."

And then he moved at an excruciatingly slow pace.

"Tarrant, please!"

"Yes, m'lady." He smirked knowingly at me and drove into me with everything he had. Finally!

I began to moan again as the wonderful sensations began to take over and I scratched down his back. Each time he pushed into me was better than the last. The moans turned into screams and cries of his name.

"Oh, those noises. You are perfect, love," he whispered.

I moaned some more and pulled his hair a little. I knew that would make him even crazier.

"Alice," he groaned. "Ah need teh do this with yeh. Yeh feel so close."

"I'm ready, Tarrant. So ready."

"Look at meh."

I was so caught up in the pleasure that I hadn't realized I had closed my eyes. When I opened them, I saw his smoldering gaze, a green so dark it was flirting with black.

He reached between us and it was all I needed. We both shouted each other's names as we tumbled over the edge together.

As we lay there, panting, we must have looked a sight! Tarrant completely nude, save for his socks and me in my torn gown, bunched up around my waist. Yet, it seemed so right for us.

He rolled off of me and placed his hand on my cheek.

"Took a chance tonight, playing with the madness when I was already so upset," he said, eyes already back to the original green.

"You would never hurt me and you needed this."

He nodded, but just barely. "I just get so jealous when other men look at you."

I knew my poor Hatter had so little self-esteem and that just made the jealousy worse. "No reason to be. I only have eyes for you. And only will have eyes for you. But, for what it's worth, I like the possessive side."

He smiled. "I could see that. Besides, you were a woman with a mission tonight."

"I had to prove it to you somehow." I suddenly yawned.

"And it seems as though I wore you out while you were trying to convince me."

"Best way to get worn out."

"Let's get some sleep now, my minx." He reached up and took the hat from my head. "And for what it's worth, you look sexy in my hat."

I giggled as he placed it on the nightstand. "I love you, Tarrant."

"And I love you, sweet Alice. Good night, lovely."

"Good night."


End note: Ok, so I'm still terrified to post these, so please be kind!