He paced.
He ran his hand through his hair. Something he wouldn't normally do. But now he hardly noticed his actions.
He had to pull his frantic thoughts into a semblance of order. He had to calm himself to think rationally or they would be caught.
He had to be steady for her. He refused to let doubt enter his mind.
He wanted this.
She wanted this.
Christ! It had to be a lifetime since she left his pantry. He decided that an appropriate amount of time between their departures would be an hour.
Or forty-five minutes.
Half an hour, rather.
He cursed when he realized that he hadn't noted the time she left him.
Left him.
He would make certain that she never left him again.
After what he thought was probably about thirty minutes, but was really only five, he left his pantry. Violently flinging away the thought that she might have changed her mind and he would find her door locked, he tried to maintain a dignified pace on his trip.
At her door, he didn't even stop to look around him. Nor did he think of knocking. So intent on discovering the status of the lock at her door, he simply took hold of the doorknob and nearly fainted with relief as it turned in his hand.
He stepped quickly into the room and shut the door behind him, locking it.
She turned to him with a start. She hadn't thought he would take her command to hurry quite that much to heart. But she was very glad he did. Worry that he would abandon her kept trying to darken her thoughts. But his eyes on her, now in her nightgown, brushed away her fears and sent warmth through her to pool between her legs.
He paused only long enough to take off his shoes. He rushed across the small room, needing to have her in his arms. She welcomed him with her arms tight around the back of his head and her mouth at his neck. She gasped as she spoke the words she was desperate for him to hear.
"I'm glad you came," she said to the skin beneath his ear.
He pulled her away to look into her eyes, dark and shining now with passion and fear.
"I love you," he answered back. Bravely, firmly, almost defiantly. Daring her to make fun of him again.
Her eyes slammed closed. Two tears made identical tracks down her face. It wasn't too much. Wasn't anywhere near too much, but she had to steal a moment away from him to say a silent prayer of thanks.
He wasn't afraid. Could suddenly read her face like a book. A book that had previously been locked away from him as he searched blindly in the wrong house.
"Open your eyes, Elsie," he commanded softly, happily.
When she complied, he took hold of her face in his hands and waited for her to say the words. It was taking too long. It hadn't really been more than a few seconds, but time seemed to be moving slowly that night.
"Say it," he ordered her and she could hear the impatience and lust and confidence in his voice.
Tears still glistened on her face as she said with as much authority as she could muster, "You're very masterful this evening, Mr. Carson."
The only indication of his furious desire was a twitch in his cheek.
"Right," he said. "Have it your way, then." And he dropped her. She hadn't realized how heavily she was leaning into him until he let go of her and stepped back. She took an unsteady step to regain her balance while she let out a breathy laugh.
He stood still, waiting with an imperious gaze directed at her. They would both wonder later at their confidence, so out of the ordinary for them both. She recognized his actions for what they were: a playful attempt to gain the upper hand. Where he had been genuinely angry with her toying earlier, now it was a game.
She threw up the white flag immediately. She had had complete control over him in their lives before this moment, but he seemed to be able to read her thoughts all of a sudden. And she knew she couldn't keep her hunger from him.
"I love you," she admitted sincerely.
He smiled down at her as they came together again.
"I knew it," he said before kissing her.
Laughing, she pulled away to turn off the light.
Puzzled, he said, "No, don't. I want to see you."
Her confidence faltered then and frightened dismay took over her features.
He tried a different tack. "Or perhaps it's that you don't want to see me?" he teased lightly.
It worked. She was immediately at ease again. Her face seemed to be lit from within as she walked back to him. She tried to shock him by undoing his buttons, but he simply smiled and helped her in her task.
When he was undressed, he reached down to the hem of her gown, keeping his eyes on hers the entire time he calmly and smoothly lifted it over her head.
"Beautiful," he smiled at her, his eyes both kind and filled with passion.
Their earlier, frantic mood was restored when they felt each other, naked, for the first time. When he gently guided her down on the bed, she tried to bring him with her, but he had other plans. Kneeling on the floor next to her, he began to explore her as he'd been longing to. Roughly, he took her breasts in both hands and rolled his fingers around her nipples, making her arch and moan. He leaned his head down to take her breast into his mouth. While he pulled hard at her tightened nipple, he put his hand on the inside of her thigh, letting her know that he wanted access to the heat and moisture between her legs. Without thought, she bent her knees slightly and opened her legs for him. His gentle fingers were in stark contrast to the merciless pulling of his mouth at her breast.
In whispers and whimpers, she told him what she liked. Every 'There' and 'Yes' thrilled him to his core. He couldn't have hoped for a more intoxicating response from her. His every touch made her writhe. While he mapped her with one hand, the other held her cheek, allowing her to bury her cries into the flesh of his palm.
He knew that she needed to be ready for him, and his fingers slick with her wetness told him that she was. When he rose to join her on the bed, he asked,
"Do you think the bed will hold us both?"
He clearly wasn't going to let that concern stop him since he was settling himself between her thighs as he asked the question.
"I don't know," she replied, also unconcerned. "I've never done this before."
He paused to look her in the eyes. He had both hands resting on her legs.
"Really, Elsie?" he asked softly. "Never?"
Smiling, she reached a hand to his face and slowly slid her thumb across his lower lip. He kissed the soft pad of her thumb gently.
"No, dear," she confirmed. "Never."
"Good," he seemed very satisfied with himself and she laughed quietly.
Her hands rested lightly above her breasts as she waited passively to feel him inside of her for the first time. Her trembling manifested itself in subtle, quick jerks through her body.
Instead of thrusting into her as she clearly expected, he took hold of her hips and brought her steadily toward him, sheathing himself inside of her with only the movement of his arms.
She marveled at the strength that was able to lift her as though she weighed no more than a tea tray. And then her thoughts were elsewhere as she felt him pulse and twitch inside of her while he waited for her to get used to his presence.
Purposefully, with as much strength as she could gather, she pushed against him, knowing he would understand that she was ready. Her legs were strong enough to cause pain as they held tightly to him. But he paid it no mind.
Settling her carefully against him, he leaned forward, his palms resting so close to her sides that her breasts pressed against his arms. Then, trying to measure how powerfully he could thrust into her without making too much noise, he pounded into her. Once. She swore under her breath and caught his forearms in a crushing grip. With an appraising eye, he watched her face as he began his thrusts in earnest. She matched his strength and met him evenly for every push and press. Impossibly, her legs tightened around him even further as she came. Her movements stopped completely as she closed her eyes and tried not to scream.
He didn't stop moving within her, making her orgasm stronger, more drawn out, and more excruciatingly intense than she'd ever experienced alone in her room.
He waited to speak until he could no longer feel the waves of her climax milking him.
"Hold on to me," he ordered her in an impossibly low voice.
She looked up at him through tear-filled eyes and flung her arms around his neck. He buried his arms underneath her and held her close while he whispered endearments in her ear. He only stopped when he emptied himself inside of her. She could feel him pulsing inside of her and she jerked involuntarily while tears streamed down the sides of her face.
It wasn't an easy maneuver to roll her out from underneath him while kissing her and making sure he wasn't hurting her. But he managed.
When their breathing had returned to normal and she lay half sprawled across him, he cleared his throat.
"Elsie?"
"Yes, dear?" she asked sleepily, the endearment rolling off her tongue as though she'd been saying it for years.
"Tomorrow… when we're not lying naked in bed —"
She laughed at that. As he'd intended.
"Tomorrow, I'm going to ask you to marry me. I'd like you to say yes. Will you?" He lost a bit of his masterful confidence then. "Say yes tomorrow, I mean?"
She glanced up at his eyes and couldn't hold his gaze for the tears that threatened. Threading her fingers through his, she spoke to their enjoined hands.
"Of course, Charles. Of course I'll say yes. Tomorrow."
The End and fuck 'stately' and if I hear the words 'slow burn' one more time I'm going tolose my shit.