Sue Ellen emerged shyly from the bathroom. Wearing a classy yet sexy white, lace trimmed negligee, her hair falling loosely around her shoulders, she looked beautiful, JR mused as he beckoned her to him. "Don't be afraid" he told her, taking her hand in his and leading her to the bed. She noted that he had removed his tie and loosened the collar of his shirt but no more. His eyes glistened in the lamp light and he smiled at her reassuringly.

"Here you are, drink this" he told her, handing her the half- finished glass of champagne. She sat on the side of the bed sipping her drink as he started to undress. She gulped slightly with nerves as he unclothed himself confidently and unashamedly. He'd done this many times before, she reckoned. Tonight, for her, however, this was the first time she had ever seen him or any other man for that matter, naked.

Before he had removed everything, he sat down by her, took her face in his hands and kissed her. "I love you Mrs Ewing, you do know that don't you?" he asked, pausing to gaze into her eyes. Sue Ellen nodded in acknowledgment. Yes, there had been times when she had doubted his feelings for her, convinced that all he wanted was to get her into bed and then move on to the next woman who took his fancy, but, tonight, from the way he looked at her, the way he was with her, she knew.

"Now, this is real pretty but it needs to come off" he told her, slipping the straps of her negligee from her shoulders, delivering feather light kisses to them instead. His touch was electric, sending shivers down her spine. Instinctively she stood, permitting the garment to fall to the floor. JR gasped, thrilled by her appearance, consumed by lust. "Oh yeah, sugar, you are just amazing" he complimented her before pulling her back down onto the bed.

Thirty minutes later and it was over. She had let him take the lead, submitted to him totally, put her hands where he showed her, responded to his kisses and his touch, oh how good was his touch, and now she was, indeed, his. As he held her in his arms she reflected on Paula's words of wisdom about it getting better, becoming deeper and more pleasurable the more that they got used to each other and worked out what the other liked. Not that it hadn't been wonderful though, because it had. They were just married and they truly belonged to each other now. More than that, he had made her a woman.

JR looked into her eyes. She smiled. "Will you teach me?" she asked. He raised an eyebrow quizzically. "How to please you? How to make you feel good?" JR chuckled. "What we just did made me feel really good, darlin. I know what you mean though and I have a feeling that you're going to be a quick learner!"

He pulled her closer. "Come on, let's snuggle down and go to sleep. We have to be at the airport for eight." "Please tell me where we are going?" she begged, unable to wait for a moment longer. "It's a surprise! One I think you are going to like though" he admonished her, turning her over onto his side so that he could spoon her.

She closed her eyes and tried to get to sleep but the excitement of the day combined with what they had just done together wouldn't permit her. Within minutes JR's breathing had changed and she realised he was asleep. Closing her eyes, she cast her mind back to the day, from getting up that morning to her first experience of love-making it had been wonderful. She was lucky to have met JR, serendipity that participation in the Miss Texas pageant only to appease her mother, had led to this. Deciding that it must have been fate, she eventually succumbed and fell asleep, her husband's arms around her.

JR gently shook Sue Ellen's shoulder. For a few seconds, she didn't know where she was. Then she remembered. In the early hours he had woken her, needing her again, and, that time, it had been better, more natural, playful at the start but then descending into something much more intense. She knew she had pleased him and, in turn, he had given her pleasure too. Sitting up in bed she no longer felt self-conscious, JR having explored every inch of her body and she his.

"It's time to get up, honey" he told her. "We need to get to the airport." She rose watched by JR, delighted that she made no attempt to cover herself up and stepped into the shower. Fifty minutes later they were both ready, bags packed and excited to go. JR took her hand in the limo and kissed her cheek. "We are going to have two whole weeks to spend all by ourselves" he whispered to her. She knew all too well what he meant. "I know, yesterday was just marvellous but this is going to be the best part, having you all to myself" she responded. "Now, please tell me where we are going? I can't wait a moment longer. The suspense is killing me!"

JR shook his head. "In just a few more minutes we'll be at the airport and then you will know." She put her head on his shoulder and sighed. JR Ewing was a lot of things, that she realised, but his stubbornness was something else. That was probably why he was so successful and, for that, she supposed that she could only be thankful.

As the vehicle drew closer to Departures her heart started to beat more quickly. This was it, they were finally going on the honeymoon she dreamed of. The limo pulled over into an unloading bay, the driver got out and began quickly lifting out the bags, smiling to himself about the weight of what was almost certainly the bride's luggage.

JR took Sue Ellen's hand and helped her out of the vehicle. They entered the Departures Hall and she scanned the banks of check-in desks hoping for a clue. JR led the way to the First- Class line of a flight that bore a sign as headed for Costa Rica. Sue Ellen squealed and threw her arms around him, delighted.

Tbc