A/N: I've been most remiss in not declaring my undying love and adoration for the incomparable L. M. Montgomery sooner, dear readers. Just to be clear, without our beautiful Maud, this story means nothing and these glorious characters are all her creations. Amazing, isn't she? For those of you gorgeous readers who have compared the writing in this story to canon, please know there is truly no greater compliment you could pay this writer. :)
Thanks again for all your lovely reviews, favs and follows! I'm thrilled to bits you're enjoying this story so much. I'm still amazed that anyone is even reading this story, hidden away as it is in the teeny-tiny M corner of AoGG! Your encouragement means more than you'll ever know. :)
Part Two has jumped forward by two years, dear readers, and we're now firmly planted in Anne and Gilbert's honeymoon period...
The Blue Suit – Part Two
(September 1890)
Chapter Four:
It is just after five o'clock on a Friday evening in late September two years later and Anne Blythe is dressing for a very important dinner function. She and her husband have been invited to attend a supper being hosted by Doctor and Mrs William Parker of Lowbridge. Anne has been married for exactly three weeks now, and she is thrilling with pride at the prospect of being introduced tonight as Mrs Doctor Gilbert Blythe.
Anne knows this evening is important to Gilbert and she wants to make sure that she is looking her best for him. She is surveying her reflection critically in the long cheval glass mirror in one corner of their bedroom, her eyes searching for any flaw in her outfit. Anne has spent a great deal of time dressing and even longer on styling her hair, having tried it several different ways before deciding that pinning her red-gold tresses up high on her head will complement her gown best.
After considering several dresses hanging in her small blue-painted pine armoire, Anne has selected a cream-coloured satin silk gown with a print of tiny rosebuds which trail downwards from her bodice and then spread out diagonally across the front of her skirt. The tight-fitting bodice accentuates Anne's slim waist and is trimmed with creamy lace at her throat. The back of her skirt is embellished with elegant flouncing and she smooths the front of her skirt with her hands, then pats her hair in place with satisfaction as she glances at her long satin gloves lying on the white covers of the neatly made bed.
Anne smiles dreamily when she fastens a threadlike gold chain about her neck from which a tiny pink enamel heart pendant is glistening daintily. The necklace is the final touch to her outfit and Anne loves to watch Gilbert's hazel eyes gleaming with pleasure every time he admires that particular piece of jewellery.
As she turns to glance around the little bedroom, wanting to see if Gilbert is ready, Anne's attention is utterly diverted by a most appealing sight across the room. Gilbert is dressing in the corner opposite her, and Anne stops to admire her husband's masculine physique displayed on the other side of the quaint iron and brass decorated bed. The soft glow from the lamp on the little table behind him has created a golden halo around his tall, lean form. Gilbert is not wearing his new dark tuxedo as she thought he might for this dinner; instead he is donning a suit which Anne recognises at once. Her breath catches in her throat and her heart begins to flutter madly in her breast when she sees that he is wearing a pair of dark blue trousers which seem to have been cut to showcase his slim hips and waist to perfection. Gilbert's white shirt is still unbuttoned revealing a tantalising sliver of his well-muscled chest and abdomen to her gaze.
The trousers are straight cut to fit his long, muscular legs and creased in the front to just above his knee. He is turned away from her slightly, and Anne is mesmerised as she watches her husband tucking his white shirt tails into the waistband and then fastening the dress studs at the front before he begins buttoning his stiff collar. When Gilbert twists his lithe body to pull his suspenders over his shoulders, Anne's breathing stops altogether and she licks her lips as she watches his muscles rippling beneath the white cotton of his shirt.
Anne pauses to admire how perfectly the trousers hug the flawless curve of Gilbert's firm buttocks and lean thighs. Her mouth goes dry and her fingers are twitching as she imagines caressing the fabric stretched across her husband's deliciously taut rear while she draws his hips close to hers.
Hitching the front of his trouser legs up, Gilbert sits on the edge of the bed and bends forward to tie his shoelaces. As he does so, the cotton fabric of Gilbert's shirt is stretched tightly over his back and Anne sucks in her breath sharply as she admires the rippling muscles clearly outlined beneath. It's one of her greatest joys to run her hands over the hard lines of his back and shoulders, delighting in feeling how strong Gilbert's body is now, reassuring herself. Even after three years, whenever she touches him, Anne never fails to feel grateful for his strength after enduring that dreadful night of terror spent imagining his body weakened by typhoid fever and thinking that Gilbert was dying. She pauses to watch those strong arms stretched out while Gilbert is tying the laces on his highly polished shoes, and Anne sighs when she notices the sleeve of his shirt straining over his bulging bicep. She smiles and Anne's skin grows hot as she imagines running her fingertips over that deliciously hard curve.
When Gilbert stands again he shrugs into a sleek, blue vest which perfectly matches his trousers. Anne remembers the first time she saw him wearing it and her own fingers hastily unfastening those enticing buttons covering his abdomen while his body pressed hers against a birch tree. Now she is longing to unbutton the silky vest once more, so that she might run her hands adoringly over his strong torso beneath it. Then Anne watches, spellbound as Gilbert's fingers begin fastening the shiny silver cufflinks at his wrists. His head is bent to the task and his face is turned so that she can admire his gorgeous profile. Long, dark eyelashes are outlined by the lamp light behind him and his chiselled jaw is begging for her kiss. Curly brown hair is smoothed down and Anne imagines running her hands through those curls until they are in wild disarray. She loves the way his sideburns accentuate his high cheekbones, and Anne's smile grows as her eyes linger on his sensual, delicious lips which are pursed slightly with concentration.
Finally, Gilbert swings his arms through the sleeves of his blue suit jacket, before reaching behind his neck to adjust the collar and then brushing his fingertips along the lapels. He takes a step toward the washstand as he begins knotting a silk tie about his neck and Anne can barely restrain herself. She lets out a tiny moan as she watches Gilbert leaning forward to peer into the little mirror above the washstand, still adjusting his tie.
Exultation blooms inside her body as she watches him, realising that Gilbert is her husband now. Anne smiles in delightful anticipation.
Suddenly Gilbert is looking at his wife's reflection in the little mirror and he grins at her with a flash of white teeth. The warmth Anne feels curls right down to her toes before it settles into a delicious fluttering deep within her belly.
"Is there something wrong with my attire, Anne?" he asks, with his fingers still on his tie.
Anne's skin is tingling and her mouth is watering as she gazes at him. Her thighs are trembling and her grey eyes are sparkling with want.
"Oh no, there's definitely nothing wrong with that outfit," Anne shakes her head, not even aware that she's moving as she is drawn slowly towards him by the promise she can see glittering in the depths of those hazel eyes.
A familiar pulse begins deep within her as she stares boldly at him, aware of Gilbert's eyes roving over her body. She's ready to jump out of her skin with hunger for him.
Anne is still staggered by the feelings which have exploded within her and increased exponentially since they've been married. She had thought herself desperately in love with him during the three long years of their engagement, but now that Gilbert is finally her husband, Anne is constantly craving his touch, always losing herself in his long-lashed hazel eyes and wanting his warm hands on her skin. Her body is constantly ablaze at the way being Gilbert's wife makes her feel and she is overwhelmed by the joy that he's given her since they've been married.
She is smiling at her husband as her eyes roam appreciatively across his back and shoulders. Anne licks her lips as she draws closer to him. She recalls his soft lips and tongue brushing against her skin at dawn this morning and Anne feels desire prickling deliciously through her body as she admires his slim-hipped form.
Gilbert waggles his eyebrows at Anne as she approaches and she feels ready to swoon at her husband's feet. She can smell him now. Sweet and spicy, indefinably Gilbert. The look deep in those sparkling hazel eyes makes her dizzy.
"You've been watching me like a hawk for the past five minutes," Gilbert grins and quirks one eyebrow at her. "And I'm not used to you looking at me like that when I'm putting my clothes on."
Anne's mind is racing as she remembers the first time she saw Gilbert in this suit. It was a little more than two years ago at Charlie Sloane's wedding. Anne hadn't been able to take her hands off him on that occasion. As she recalls the many, many times she has imagined Gilbert making love to her in that suit ever since, Anne is quite certain she won't be able to keep her hands away from him tonight either. Now that she knows the bliss of having Gilbert as her husband, it seems that she can't ever touch him enough.
"It's that suit, Gilbert," she says, her voice vibrating with desire. "I don't think you realise what it does to me."
"I thought you liked this suit?" he says, looking down at his clothing for a moment. "You said so at Charlie's wedding. Should I change?"
Anne shakes her head, smiling as she eyes her husband. She is standing close behind him now and staring at Gilbert's face in the mirror. Her hands reach up and she delights in the feel of his broad shoulders before her palms slowly smooth across the fabric covering his back.
"Oh no, don't change it," Anne says, her eyes admiring the way the suit hugs Gilbert's body. "I do like it. Very much."
Her hands are gripping the muscles on Gilbert's shoulders and she steps around him, turning him until she's standing in front of him. Anne's eyes are admiring her husband's chest as her fingers glide along his broad shoulders until her fingertips are tracing a path down the lapel of his suit.
"Do you, wife?" Gilbert asks, raising one eyebrow and grinning at her. She loves the sound of his voice when he calls her that.
Anne nods as her fingers begin playing with the knot of his tie and then her index finger trails downwards until she is grasping his tie firmly in her hand. Remembering how many times she has visualised her husband wearing this suit, Anne reflects to herself that Gilbert is even more handsome now than the first time she saw him in it two years ago. Her lips are tingling with the urge to kiss him as a delicious thrill shivers through her body.
"Oh yes," Anne says throatily. "I do."
She tugs on Gilbert's tie to draw his face closer to hers, and she loves that even that tiny movement immediately wipes the grin off his face. Gilbert's hazel eyes darken and in the next moment his lips are crushed to hers. Anne can feel his hot breath in her mouth as her tongue slides eagerly against his. Gilbert's arms are slipping around Anne's body, and she moans as her hands caress his back and shoulders.
His hands are pulling her hips closer to his body and Anne begins kissing his throat just at that spot she knows drives him wild. When she hears the guttural noise from deep in the back of Gilbert's throat, Anne is gripped with the urge to feel him inside her and instantly her entire body is throbbing with lust.
He pulls his lips away a fraction and Anne shivers at the intensity of his hazel eyes. Anne's heart is pounding wildly and she can barely breathe as he stares at her.
"Did I tell you how beautiful you look in that dress?" Gilbert murmurs hoarsely. His eyes are glowing and she shivers as his warm fingers skim lightly across the skin on her shoulders. "It's going to be all I can do not to ravish you all night."
"And I'm sure I've told you before that I more than like that suit," Anne says huskily as her lips kiss a trail along the skin above Gilbert's collar. "Blue is a most becoming colour on you."
The warmth spreading through her body has settled into a slow, ticking pulse between her legs. Anne can't wait to feel Gilbert loving her and she is overwhelmed by a new thought which forms in her mind.
She pushes on Gilbert's shoulders until he steps backwards and the back of his legs hit the bed. Another gentle push and he's sitting on the bed in front of her. Anne's eyes are locked with his as she lifts the folds of her pleated skirt, deliberately placing one knee and then the other next to his thighs until she is sitting on Gilbert's lap, facing him. Her slender arms slide around his neck and she lowers her head until her lips are eagerly covering his.
"Perhaps you won't have to wait to ravish me..." Anne whispers into his mouth as she hitches her hips against him slightly.
Anne loves hearing her husband's soft moan, and she can feel his body hardening beneath her.
"Anne," he mutters hoarsely. "I don't want to be late to meet the Parkers."
She continues kissing Gilbert's lips, ignoring his half-hearted objection as she feels his arms tightening around her.
"We won't be late if you hurry," Anne says against the corner of his mouth.
She kisses a soft trail along his jawline until her teeth are nibbling on his earlobe and she knows she has his attention when she feels him hot and hard against her thigh.
Anne's hands are pushing on Gilbert's shoulders and he leans back with his hands still on her waist until Anne is lying on top of him, grinding herself against his hips.
"We've still got time, haven't we, dearest?" Anne breathes into his ear, certain that she can convince him when she feels Gilbert's body shudder beneath her. "I'm sure the Parkers won't mind if we're a few minutes late…"
Anne's fingers are hastily unfastening the buttons on Gilbert's trousers, just a moment more and she'll have him in her hand. Her breath is coming in short gasps now and the throbbing between her legs is growing in intensity. She can't wait to feel his hardness inside her, and Anne is half-wild with the sensations overwhelming her body. She knows it is only her husband who can assuage the craving she feels, because it is Gilbert who has created this desperate yearning within her.
Anne's thighs are trembling and she is panting with anticipation when she feels Gilbert's warm hand covering hers.
"I'm sorry, darling," he mutters huskily, pulling her hands away. "William Parker is the most respected doctor in Lowbridge, and I'm going to be working closely with him. You know I want to create a good impression -"
The rest of his sentence is cut off by Anne's lips covering his again. Gilbert's long fingers entwine with hers as she kisses him, and Anne knows it won't take too much more to change her husband's mind, but then she remembers that this is an important occasion for them both. As much as she wants him inside her, Anne also wants to take her time to appreciate Gilbert in that suit after so many blissful dreams about it. If she starts making love to him now, she knows she won't want to stop for a long time. A very long time. The blue suit deserves her full attention and Anne doesn't want to rush it. Even though she sees the desire flashing in her husband's hazel eyes, Anne knows they can't be that late to the Parkers'. So, after a brief moment, Anne reluctantly draws her lips away from his, leaning on Gilbert's hands and sighing as she slowly places her feet back on the floor.
When she straightens, Anne lets go of his fingers until she is standing between Gilbert's knees. From that unique vantage point, she pauses to give Gilbert's body a deliciously lengthy perusal. He looks so tempting draped across their bed with his long legs stretched out on either side of her that Anne wants to climb right back on top of him and kiss his full lips until he is begging her for more. This picture is so much better than any of her dreams about him wearing this suit and Anne is committing it to memory as she smiles lasciviously at her husband. Oh yes, Anne decides, she's going to need much more time with this.
Gilbert is propped up on his elbows, his head tilted back to look up at his wife and hazel eyes glittering darkly with arousal. He is still panting a little, his delicious pink lips are parted and there is a flush high on his cheekbones. The soft white bedcovers underneath him provide a perfect backdrop for his tousled dark curls, and contrast beautifully with his blue suit. Anne's breath catches in her throat and she licks her lips as her gaze roams lower. The unfastened buttons of his jacket reveal the deep blue vest beneath and his tie is slightly askew, exposing his white shirt which is stretched tightly over his muscled chest, the fabric straining against the dress studs. Below the vest which has been hitched up slightly, Anne stares at the top button of his trousers which her fingers had managed to unfasten before he halted her. When Anne's sparkling grey eyes wander lower still, she raises her eyebrows and the warm pulse between her legs throbs a little more insistently.
"Yes, Doctor Blythe," she laughs throatily, with her eyes fixed on his trousers. "I can certainly see that you want to make an impression."
"I want to show off my ravishing wife, too," Gilbert chuckles with her, sitting up and pulling her hips closer to him.
"Are you sure we don't have time?" Anne's hands are gripping his broad shoulders as she steps between his knees. She rubs her hips suggestively against him. Maybe she could still convince Gilbert not to go at all...
"Please, Anne," Gilbert groans, even as he wraps his arms around her waist. Anne's fingers are tangled in his dark curls as he buries his face between her breasts and begins kissing the line of rosebuds on her bodice. "You know I'd like to continue this, but -"
"Yes, I know," Anne says as she finally steps away from him. "It's important."
"Anne -" Gilbert begins.
"Oh, I understand," Anne interrupts, holding her hand up. "This is my first official outing as Mrs Doctor Blythe, you know. I suppose I can control myself looking at you in that suit all night. And it has taken me a very long time to style my hair -"
"Well, your hair does look rather beautiful tonight, darling," Gilbert says, reaching up to touch the soft curls at her nape, but Anne gently pushes his hand away with a laugh.
"No touching, Doctor Blythe," she smiles. "I want to make a good impression for meeting the Parkers, and it won't do to have my hair awry."
Anne's grey eyes are dancing with mischief as a delicious thought occurs to her about the buggy ride over to Lowbridge. She grins broadly as she bends to gather her long satin gloves from the bed. As she wraps her shawl around her slender shoulders, Anne reflects that she is going to enjoy the drive with her husband immensely.
Well, if you've read The Honeymoon, dear reader, then you'll know exactly what happens next. If you haven't read it, I'm not willing to spoil the surprise for you now, so you'll just have to wait for the next chapter...but if you'd like some more information about exactly how Gilbert is feeling right about now, then please read chapter seven of The Honeymoon. ;)
I'd love to know your thoughts about Anne's POV in this chapter. What do you think about the second outing of that suit so far, hmmmm?