A/N: thanks so much for all your amazing reviews! And I must say, judging by some of the suggestions I'm thrilled to discover you're all as filthy minded as I am! ;) I hope you enjoy this next one. I'm probably going to have to change the rating to an M, if not in this chapter then definitely the next.

Georg sidled up to the balustrade and rested the heels of his palms against the smooth stone, taking a deep breath as he looked out onto the lake in front of him. It was a beautiful late summer's day - a gentle breeze caressed his face and two swans in flight chose that particular moment to skim gracefully across the mirrored surface of the water. Birds were chirping happily in the trees above him and the sun was low in the cloudless sky. But despite the idyllic scene, Georg felt completely and utterly restless.

In exactly one hour, it would be time for his weekly meeting with Maria again, and the thought left him with an uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach. It would bode well for him if his uneasiness could be attributed to the fact that he was worried about propriety - but being the inexcusable scoundrel he'd recently become, he had to confess to himself that he didn't give a damn about keeping his hands off Maria. He'd learnt rather quickly that his bride was far from afraid of him, and her bold request to see his arousal during their last encounter had entirely knocked him off his feet. With the worry of scaring her almost completely eradicated, there was nothing to stop the rake in him from desperately wanting to touch her again. Properly. Thoroughly. Possessively. And therein lay the problem: He couldn't do any of those things because of a certain Bridget Von Trapp and her damned open door policy.

He'd spent the majority of the morning trying to clamp down on his desires, knowing full well he wouldn't be able to act on them with an ajar door and a snooping cousin - no matter how eager his bride-to-be was. He'd managed to get through breakfast well enough, but there was only so many heated glances from his fiancé that a hot-blooded man could take. She hadn't even realised she was doing it and yet it had left him squirming in his seat from need - and what was worse; he was pretty sure that Max had caught on to his discomfort, for the impresario had watched him from across the table like a hawk, a wicked smirk plastered across his face.

"The countryside is so restful isn't it," came the breezy voice of the man in question from somewhere behind his shoulder.

"Isn't it just," Georg grimaced sarcastically, shifting down onto his elbows against the balustrade as Max filled the space beside him, "pity I'm in no mood to enjoy it."

"Now what kind of talk's that?" Max retorted gleefully, taking evident delight in Georg's mood as he too gazed out onto the lake in admiration.

"I just have a few things on my mind, that's all," was Georg's bitter response.

"Ah I see," the impresario gave a curt nod of understanding, "Blue eyes and soft curves, by any chance?" Georg immediately stiffened. Was he really that obvious?

"Oh don't look so surprised," Max scoffed, "you couldn't cut the tension with a knife at the breakfast table! Or the dinner table.. or in any room in which you and Maria are drooling all over each other for that matter!"

Georg gave a heavy sigh of defeat, "I'm just-"

"Grumpy? Sexually frustrated? Desperate?"

"I was going to say having a hard time coping with Bridget," he retorted with chagrin, "but thank you kindly Max, for your... keen observations."

"You're very welcome!" His friend crowed smugly, rocking back and forth on his heels like a giddy child, "I also made another observation this morning that I think you'll take kindly to."

"Is that so," Came Georg's sarcastic retort, "and which observation is that?"

"Our dearest Bridget seems to have left the premises."

Almost immediately, Georg jolted ramrod straight, his head spinning to face Max so fast that the impresario thought it might turn a full 360 degrees.

"The baroness insisted after breakfast that she and Bridget needed to head into Salzburg without delay," Max explained nonchalantly, studying his fingernails with exaggerated boredom - clearly enjoying his moment of triumph, "Some kind of emergency in town apparently."

"What kind of emergency?!" Georg needled, eager for more information.

"The fake kind, I should imagine," Max chuckled knowingly, "Something about a dress for Emilia's daughter needing urgent alternations, but the young fraulein Eberfeld is out of town and can't attend the fitting. According to Emilia, Bridget is the only person readily available who's of a similar size. So the baron carted them off into town at the earliest possible convenience."

Georg couldn't contain his incredulous snort and Max flashed him a conspiring grin. Having met the young fraulein Eberfeld on several occasions, both men knew that Bridget Von Trapp was considerably taller and wider... in fact, rather ironically, it was probably Maria whose build was most similar to Fraulein Eberfeld's. Georg made a mental note to shower the scheming baroness with endless gifts upon her return.

"Won't be back until midday, or so I hear," Max continued breezily, "Emilia predicted they might experience some er.. car trouble on the way back that might delay them."

Biting back a conspiring laugh, Georg tried his best to appear unaffected by this wonderful turn of events.

"Don't worry, I promised Bridget I'd keep an eye on you," the impresario continued casually, "But, as it so happens - I quite fancy a mid morning picnic. With the children. All the way on the other side of the lake. Far away. For an entire hour."

Georg swallowed hard, his heart beginning a slow gallop of anticipation in his chest, "that sounds like a... splendid idea."

"Yes, I thought you might agree," Max smirked, rolling his moustache between his thumb and forefinger, "and I also thought I might take a bottle of wine for the journey. From your wine cellar of course."

"Naturally," Georg gritted with a roll of his eyes. It wasn't often that his charming sponge of a best friend had the upper hand over him and he decided he wasn't much enjoying the experience. But if there was any chance of ridding the villa of all their chaperones for an hour he would gladly be subjected to Max's unbearably triumphant smugness - and would hand over every bottle of wine in his possession.

Almost as if he'd read Georg's mind, Max added with exaggerated glee, "In fact, I think I might just keep hold of the cellar's key.."

"Ha!" Georg scoffed, "You'd like that wouldn't you!"

The impresario gave a nonchalant shrug, his eyes positively shining with victory, "Just about as much as you'd like some privacy with your fiancé..."

They eyed each other challengingly for a moment, like alpha males locked in a duel for territory, before Georg finally conceded defeat. Grumbling incoherent curse words and scowling like a teenager, he dug deep in his suit pocket for the key that would not only give Max unlimited access to his wine cellar, but would also unlock the shackles of restraint he and Maria had been forced to endure these last few weeks. It was a no brainer, even if he'd have to be forever subjected to the wicked gleam of triumph dancing in Max's eyes.

"I don't understand," Marta frowned in concentration at the addition and subtraction on the piece of paper in front of her, chewing the end of her pencil absentmindedly.

"It's easy, dummy," Kurt interjected before yelling in protest when Louisa gave him a gentle smack upside the head.

"Kurt," Maria chastised, "don't you remember when you first learned mathematics? It's a difficult subject to grasp at first. And Louisa, less corporal punishment if you please."

The girl gave her a sheepish grin and a shrug before begrudgingly turning back to her Shakespeare.

"I quite like maths," Friedrich declared proudly, "it's the same in every language."

"That's very poetic of you Friedrich," Maria replied, helping Marta with her sums while simultaneously assisting Gretl with a drawing of what appeared to be some kind of deformed horse.

"But it doesn't mean anything," Brigitta argued, "at least with literature, you can interpret several different meanings from the words, all of which are just as wonderful as the last."

Kurt snorted derisively, eliciting another smack from Louisa, and within seconds a verbal war had broken out amongst all seven of her charges.

"Children!" Maria yelled, clapping her hands together until they finally fell silent, "come now, the sooner you all settle down the sooner today's lessons will be over!"

That seemed to do the trick, for her mutinous little troop finally settled down with a few grumbles of apology. She heaved a sigh of relief, basking in the rare and welcoming peace and quiet. But her relaxation was short lived, for a mere thirty seconds later Georg came bursting through the door like a wild animal, chest heaving with excitement, making the entire room jump at the unexpected intrusion. He was practically teaming with anticipation and it would've been quite comical if it wasn't for the fact that Maria found herself completely baffled by his bizarre behaviour. Where on earth was the starched aristocrat she was so used to in company?

"Children," he smiled sweetly as seven pairs of eyes stared at him, "I'm afraid I'm going to have to steal your fraulein for a moment."

A chorus of 'whats' and 'whys' and general protests were all part of the din that he received by way of reply.

"But you're half an hour early father," Marta whined, eager for some more time with her soon-to-be new mother. There was a general murmur of agreement amongst the group and Maria took the opportunity to chance a glance at the clock on the wall. Marta's numeracy skills were evidently improving for she was correct - it was only 10.30am. She wouldn't normally leave the children to join their father for at least another 30 minutes, and a strange sense of curiosity began unfurling in her stomach as she wondered what mischief he could possibly be up to.

"Well if you really want another 30 minutes of mathematics and Shakespeare, I'll just have to tell Max to cancel the brunch by the lake he's kindly decided to take you all on," Georg retorted with a playful smirk, an eyebrow raised in challenge as he crossed his arms and leant confidently against the door jamb.

The room erupted with cries of excitement as all seven children suddenly scrambled to their feet in a flurry of movement, babbling excitedly as they abandoned their learning materials and hastened towards the nursery door. Maria opened her mouth to tell them all to slow down but she was rendered immediately speechless when she caught the eye of the larger-than-life man standing in the doorway. He was staring at her with such carnal hunger in his eyes that she thought he might devour her at any moment. He didn't even flinch when his brood jostled past him in their eagerness to find their uncle, and her heart kickstarted in her ribs when she realised that, any second now, they would be alone. The earthly maiden and Zeus himself.

Before she could even catch her breath the children were gone and Georg was charging across the room without so much as a single word, his eyes blazing as he grabbed hold of her hand and pulled her hurriedly out of the door.

"Georg! What on earth?!"

But he responded only with a growl of determination as he drove them both forward like a man possessed - pulling her through the landing, down the stairs, across the hallway and finally into the sanctuary of his study. The door was barely closed behind them before he had her up against the wood, kissing her with a ferocity she hadn't yet experienced - and she found herself sinking into it willingly. His strong hands gripped her wrists and brought her arms high above her head, anchoring them firmly against the door so that he could press every inch of his solid body against hers. She could barely catch her breath, liquid fire curling low in her stomach as he licked hungrily into her mouth and rolled his hips against hers in a movement that made her knees threaten to buckle beneath her.

She panted involuntarily against his lips and he pulled away for the briefest of moments to let her catch her breath - but when her eyes met his, the remaining oxygen was momentarily robbed from her lungs. Never had she seen anything so frightening and yet so feverishly arousing in her entire life. The man in front of her was hungry and wanton, his chest heaving as his face glowed with uninhibited desire. She wondered briefly where the rigid aristocrat had disappeared to, but then all rational thought left her head as his lips began their welcome assault once again - frantically moving over her mouth, her neck, her décolletage where the material of her blouse exposed a tantalising swathe of milky skin.

"What are you doing?" She rasped, the air around them thick with heat.

"Showing you what I could only tell you last time," he growled against her throat, nipping the pulse he found thundering there.

"What about Bridg-"

"Gone," was the grunted response, as his tongue reached a place made of fire behind her ear, "everyone is out."

The realisation was both thrilling and terrifying but she didn't have time to dwell on it, for his long fingers began a dangerous descent from her wrists, down the inside of her forearms, past her elbows, dancing along the sensitive skin like silk and sandpaper all at once - until they came to rest at the neckline of her blouse. He toyed gently with the first button, rolling it between his fingers as he watched for her reaction.

"Can you feel it Maria?" he breathed, resting his forehead against hers as they shared the oxygen around them, "what I taught you about female arousal? Can you feel it?"

She looked to the floor, suddenly flushing with embarrassment. She couldn't deny it, she could feel it all the way to her toes. She ached for him, her entire body was burning for him and she did nothing to stop it when his fingers finally began their languid journey down her chest, undoing each button one by one. With deliberate slowness, he parted the fabric, his eyes drifting lower appreciatively to hunger over the breasts that heaved in the confines of her bra, and instinctively she moved her arms to cover herself.

"Oh nein, nein Maria," he whispered, gently moving her hands back to her sides, "you are much too beautiful to hide away from me."

His words set her alight and she could do nothing but close her eyes against the combination of arousal and shame, welcoming those wonderful hands as they travelled up her ribcage, skimming along the underside of her undergarments. Georg gave a satisfied sigh at her reaction, his breath hot against her face as he slowly pushed the cups of her bra aside, exposing her breasts to the cool air.

She heard his appreciative groan and blushed profusely, but her self-consciousness lasted barely a moment before his strong hands suddenly engulfed her breasts, the warmth fuelling the flames lapping at her stomach. She gasped and let her head fall back against the door, writhing against the intoxicating sensation of his thumb stroking across a nipple. When he took the other rosy peak in his mouth, she thought she might combust, the wet heat of his swirling tongue making her grab at fistfuls of his hair for support.

"Tell me to stop," he murmured against her breast, his voice throaty with lust, "if it's too much.."

"Please don't stop," she begged, holding his head firmly to her chest where she gripped him, no longer caring if she sounded like a complete wanton. Much to her relief he gave another appreciative groan and continued his affectionate assault, pressing his whole body against her whilst he continued to suckle gently. Maria's stomach knotted yet again with arousal when she felt the evidence of his enthusiasm hard as steel against her, a reminder of what she still so desperately wanted to see. She moved her hips very slightly, enjoying the friction it created against the solid heat, and an overwhelming urge began pounding in her head, an urge so irresistible that she couldn't stop herself.

Acting only on bodily desire and burning curiosity, she moved a trembling hand down between their bodies and brushed her palm against his arousal, her face glowing with a combination of satisfaction and shame when his entire body jolted violently. But rather than welcome her unexpected touch, he gasped loudly and slipped from her arms instead, hurriedly putting some distance between them. His eyes were blown wide and he was panting as he looked at her, running his fingers agitatedly through his hair. Her blood ran cold and she immediately mourned the loss of him.

"Did... did I do something wrong?" She stammered, her voice betraying her panic. Suddenly she was all too aware of her semi nakedness under the intensity of his gaze but she was far too stunned to cover herself.

"No! God no!" He choked, "no, you did everything right. I just er... need a moment."

This time she didn't even try to stop her eyes from drifting down his body, a strong surge of desire coursing through her veins when they came to rest on his straining erection. His trousers did very little to hide the conspicuous shape and she could hardly believe she'd been so bold as to touch it. It was just that he was so tempting, and she'd found herself momentarily gripped by an impulse she couldn't control. With every passing moment in his arms, it seemed that she grew bolder, more daring, more eager, until all reason left her head entirely.

"Perhaps we er... better talk about this first," he panted, "What happens next I mean.. when we're both this aroused."

She stared at him blankly.

"Today's tutorial.." came his gentle reminder.

"Oh! Right.. yes of course." she replied in a fluster. If she was completely honest with herself, she'd forgotten all about their blasted tutorial.

"It's just that men - and women for that matter - can sometimes be driven solely by need," he explained, still panting slightly, "the truth is Maria I want you rather desperately, but I also want you to understand everything before we.. " he gestured between them with a shaking hand, "allow ourselves to get carried away."

She nodded mutely, doing her best to hide her disappointment. She knew all too well what he meant - had she not just lost control of her senses and grabbed the most intimate part of his body? What he must think of her! Feeling her heart sink slightly, she composed herself and began to right her dishevelled clothing.

"No don't," he demanded softly, taking her by surprise. She looked at him questioningly, her brows knitted in confusion.

"If I can't touch you, I at least want to look at you," he explained on a murmur, his eyes roaming over her bare breasts, making her shiver.

"You.. you want me to stay like this?" She asked innocently, "While we talk?"

"Yes, my darling."

She knew him well enough to realise that it was not a request, but a command.

"Surely that's not approp-"

"Remember that propriety is whatever we want it to be, Maria," he purred dangerously, "You must allow me to tell you how incredibly beautiful and desirable you look at this very moment. If you would rather compose yourself then I will understand, but the truth is I am a selfish man. And I want nothing more than to look at your breathtaking body."

She quivered with longing as his eyes moved over her again and she could've sworn the swell in his trousers shifted exquisitely under the material. She'd touched him there for only a second, but the solid heat from his body still seared the palm of her trembling hand.

She took a shuddering breath, "You won't think me distasteful?"

"Quite the opposite Maria, I think you are the most arousing sight I've ever laid eyes on."

His words and his evident arousal filled her with a newfound confidence that she hardly dared to acknowledge, but still she hesitated.

"Would you think it distasteful if I were to remove my shirt?" He asked playfully, the hint of a challenging smile pulling at the corners of his mouth.

The question took her by surprise but the very thought set her body alight. Long before they'd ever confessed their feelings for one another, she'd often wondered what kind of body lay beneath that starched white shirt and rigid jacket of his. Broad shoulders, a slender waist and strong arms made for an imposing male figure, one that had intrigued her and intimidated her from the minute the ballroom doors had slammed open on her very first day at the villa. She hadn't been able to mask her intrigue then and she was finding it even more difficult to do so now. Could it be that she was now permitted to see the raw man behind the mask? Her heart began a slow gallop in her chest at the realisation.

When she dared to look at him again it was to discover that all humour had left his face, his eyes darkening as he watched her internal struggle.

"Would you like me to?" He whispered, his voice hoarse with anticipation.

Her nod was barely perceptible but she managed to hold his gaze despite the burning in her cheeks.

"Well then.." he murmured, as though no further words were needed, gesturing slowly for her to make herself comfortable on the sofa behind him.

The room was suddenly heavy with a new and dangerous charge, the sultry tones to his baritone voice giving her the last shred of courage she needed to wordlessly cross the room and sink down against the plush cushions, her blouse still parted and her breasts very much exposed where he'd moved her bra aside. The way his eyes followed her every move, his mouth parting in disbelief as she lay back gently against the pillows, made her feel more than ever like the bare breasted maidens in those stirring paintings.

His low groan was enough to eradicate any self doubt she might've felt in behaving so boldly. And then there was nothing - not the ghost of a whisper, not a single sound other than his shallow breathing as he stood in front of her and removed his jacket and tie - letting the pristine garments fall to the floor next to his polished shoes. Painfully slowly, as his gaze locked with hers, he reached for the top button of his shirt, popping it open with a spine-tingling snap of his fingers that left her blood roaring in her ears. The next button followed, then another... and another - until she was met with the intoxicating glimpse of dark skin and light curls where the material shifted against his torso. Deftly, his fingers continued their languid journey down the row of buttons until they reached his waist.

Her mind was a war zone of emotion as she watched him bunch the white material firmly in his fists and pull it free from his trousers, exposing a tantalising trail of hair that descended his abdomen and disappeared into his waistband. Making work of the final button and letting the garment slide from his shoulders, he finally stood bare chested before her - and her heart was in her mouth as she allowed her eyes to roam freely. She couldn't help but memorise every distinct understated abdominal muscle, the way his forearms flexed softly as his body tensed under her gaze, how the light glinted from his defined shoulders, the way the smattering of hair across the planes of his chest lit a path down his stomach and lower - drawing her gaze towards what still strained so conspicuously against his suit.

"Do I arouse you Maria?" His voice was low with desire and she could only moan by way of response, a heavy flush creeping down her chest. How could he speak so brazenly about the feelings that existed between them?

"When we are aching for each other this way, when we find that we can wait no longer - this is when our bodies will be joined."

Her eyes flickered anxiously towards his groin and she swallowed hard - she couldn't quite fathom how something so powerful and imposing in nature could nestle inside her. He must've sensed her unease because he immediately went to reassure her, "the very first time it may cause... discomfort, but it will last only moments before giving way to a wonderful feeling you've never known before," his voice was tender and gentle, a direct contrast to the rigid tension in his stance, "Our bodies will work in harmony to experience more of this sensation. And it will grow more and more intense, more and more pleasurable. Until..."

"Until..?" She implored, utterly enraptured by the picture he was painting with his words.

"Until we reach climax," he breathed, the word seeming to roll off his tongue like velvet, "I can't assign words to the physical feeling but I assure you it's extremely pleasurable."

"How pleasurable?" She bleated, her mouth parting.

"The greatest, most intense and euphoric pleasure a human being can naturally experience..."

She felt as though the floor had bottomed out underneath her. She'd read about how babies were made - how the man's seed spilled into the woman to find the egg, but the encyclopaedia hadn't said much about the pleasures involved. She felt the skin around her nipples tighten with anticipation at the thought, and he must've noticed, for his eyes blackened and his tongue darted out to wet his lips like a wild animal spotting its prey.

"And this..this climax-" she pressed, unable to meet his gaze as her voice shook.

"Also known as an orgasm.."

"This.. orgasm.. " she repeated, feeling her core temperature sky rocket, "does it happen to the woman too?"

"Not if the man works only to bring himself relief," came his low reply, "But that is not what I have planned for us, Maria. You have such passion and fire in you, and your body is capable of a pleasure you haven't even dreamt of yet. And quite honestly, I have my own selfish reasons for wanting to bring you to orgasm."

She looked at him questioningly, watching as his fists balled at his sides as though he were trying desperately not to touch her. Or himself.

"Because just the thought of watching you come apart while I'm inside you is enough to bring me close to climax."

His words sent her into a minor convulsion as they reached into her ears and grasped at a dark pool of liquid fire deep in her gut. She was surely flushing scarlet from her hairline to her breasts but she forged bravely on, her curiosity winning out over her embarrassment.

"How...how do our bodies work in harmony to get there?" She rasped through ragged breaths.

His eyes were suddenly black as night and something unidentifiable and dangerous shifted in his demeanour. Seconds of unbearable tension passed before he strode purposefully towards her, hooking his hands behind her knees and pulling until she was suddenly on her back, sinking into the plush cushions. All too quickly and yet not fast enough, he was climbing onto the sofa and sidling between her legs, her skirts bunching around them as arms of steel cradled her firmly. Her heart galloped on an off beat and she gasped aloud when she felt his arousal suddenly press intimately against her wet heat. His proximity, his scent, the heat of his bare skin - it was enough to turn her blood hot - and the contact was extraordinary, alleviating some of the pulsing ache even through their clothing.

"Like this," he growled, and began shifting his hips in a languid rhythm against her. The effect was electric, sending bolts of pleasure through her body from the place where hard and soft were skimming against each other, her nipples brushing against the thatch of hair on his torso, leaving her in knots. She cried out helplessly, her head falling back and her eyes fluttering closed as she gripped his shoulders for dear life. His breathing was suddenly ragged against her and his lips sought hers, biting possessively at her mouth. The sensations were coming at her faster than she could absorb them and she found her own hips shifting back against him as she writhed desperately, eager for more of this incredible new pleasure. His needy groan almost undid her and she squirmed impatiently when he latched on to her breast with an eager tongue, suckling forcefully.

"Georg," she choked, her fingers fisting into knots in his hair, "we should stop shouldn't we."

He could only grunt in agreement but did nothing to halt his actions.

"But I don't want to stop," she contradicted herself, her words coming out on strangled breaths.

Another grunt as he took the other rosy peak hungrily into his mouth.

"Do.. do we have to be joined?" She rasped suddenly, her breath hot in his ear.

"Hmm?"

"For me to... achieve climax?" She panted, her eyes squeezed tight shut against his administration, "Do you need to be.. inside me?"

He froze, his mouth agape as his eyes jerked up to meet hers. Was she asking what he thought she was asking? The possibility was enough to send a fresh wave of arousal straight to where their bodies gyrated against one another. Mutely, he gave a barely perceptible shake of his head, "it can happen just with touch," he whispered, "or taste..." and suddenly the room was thick with an expectant tension, mixing with the heady combination of desire and heavy arousal already in the air. She said nothing, watching him through thick lashes as though hoping he would offer what she was silently asking of him.

"I need to hear you say it Maria," he commanded, "you must tell me what you want."

She hesitated for only a moment.

"Please," came her breathy response, "please Georg, touch me."

A/N: well, there you have it. Not sure if I'm too happy with this update but let me know what you think. I couldn't possibly fit their uninterrupted interlude into one chapter so this little exchange will continue in the next update soon to come!