My son is sick and in bed, so I had this weekend more time than the usual to write. Some M stuff below. Extremely explicit for my own writing. A first try… Thank you so much for all the reviews! They are very encouraging.

Three weeks he'd been gone. True to his word Tony came twice a week, sometimes bringing Alex with him. She entertained them in the parlor making Careen stay with her all the while, for propriety, she explained. Dark circles were forming under her eyes.
The plantation was thriving. Even her father seemed to be out of his usual detached self as he saw the fields cleaned and prepared for sowing. She was proud, busy, and yet… Lord how she missed him! It was as if her lunges forgot how to breathe.

Than a telegram came.

I will be arriving at Atlanta for one night - the 7th of this month - staying at The National room 348.
Rhett

She was reading the same note time and time again. What was she supposed to do? How? At the end she decided to go for two nights on pretense of visiting Sue and Melly. She took Wade with her and left him for the night with Melly, letting her know she
would be running late on her social calls, and perhaps staying with her sister for the night. She stayed until after nine with Suellen and Frank causing him to move with unease every time she spoke. When she insisted on walking herself back home none
of them argued. She was amused. She knew Frank would rather die than find himself alone with her. Under the darkness she arrived at the back entrance of the hotel and reached the room. She knocked lightly on the door and opened it to find ahalf
dozing Rhett on the sofa.

"By now, I thought you wouldn't come" he yawned.

She was covered with a long black woolen cloak. It was the beginning of winter and it was frosty. Her nose and eyes were red from the windy walk.

"Melly thinks I'm with Sue, and Sue thinks I walked over to Melly's. I'll have to leave before dawn, and for sake of pretense I shall have to stay tomorrow as well in Atlanta, at least till late afternoon."

He looked at her amused "Quite a joggler, you've become."

"Well, what should I have said? I am going to sleep with Rhett in a Hotel?"

"I thought you'd come for an afternoon tea, that's all" he smiled innocently.

"If you don't want me to hit you stop lying, and don't you dare try to make me feel awkward. You had this all planned, after being gone for three weeks you knew I'd come."

His eyes softened "So, you've missed me?"

She was finally out of her cloak and was trying to warm her hands. He rose from his sit and took her palms in his serving each finger to his mouth, breathing them and kissing each finger slowly.

The familiarity she had felt with his presence while in Tara was missing. She was as nervous as a young girl with her first beau. It's worse than being in love, she thought, or was it that? She had never felt this want or even despair for a man in her
life. Yes, she dreamed of Ashley at a time, but never to the extent of waking at night and wishing he was there so she could simply smell his special scent or touch the velvet hair on his chest and arms. The mere thought of him that way was appalling.

Closing her eyes she drew herself to him, leaning her head to his chest -

"I came, haven't I?" she answered in a low voice.

She wasn't going to share with him how she woke each night craving for his embrace, how she looked back time and time again, expecting to see him to no avail. She had come. That was more than enough, she raised herself on her toes and placed a kiss on
his lips.

"Come, I'll pour you a drink, you're half frozen"

For the first time in her life she actually drank proper brandy. She knew the taste of champagne and even the horrible whiskey her father held under the table, but she was never ready to the sweetness of the French brandy he gave her.

"Here, hold the cup from underneath to warm the beverage", he smiled. She followed his example. The drink sent shots of warmth to her cheeks and hands after a short while. To her surprise they were actually talking. He had brought her brochures regarding
modern ways of fertilizing lands and organizing water systems. She dived into the charts and explanations, forgetting the self-awareness that made her feel so awkward. Her eyes were bright with passion –

"So you really think we could implement thismethod in Tara?"

"Not we, my dear, you. I'm a silent investor. You'll need to attract your neighbors to invest in a power system, if you want the full scale watering system but even if they don't you can implement the smaller model near the river."

She was excited at the thought of reducing her dependency in human labor and with an unfamiliar pang she decided to ignore his remark about her being on her own.

"You should wait though, till after the exhibition in Pittsburg. You still have enough time until summer to decide on that matter and be ready ahead of yourself. You should also think in terms of maintenance costs. Some of these ideas require qualified
hands I doubt you'll find in the area."

She could interest students from Georgia University Engineering faculty in some way, she thought. She shared some of her own ideas including the latter and she saw keen interest and admiration on his part.

He filled her glass time and time again. She loved the haziness the drink gave her, not to mention the melting effect on her reserve. Time passed and before long it was past11 p.m. Though she'd been traveling most of the day and awake fromas
early as dawn she did not feel tired, but she saw the dark lines under his eyes and without much thought she brushed it with her thumbs –

"I'm forgetting myself. You must be tired after a day of traveling. How long will you be gone this time?" the last words were uttered with a thin voice.

He smiled at her "Will you miss me?"

Without much thought she threw her guard off the window – "You know I will, don't you? Where will you be?"

"Where would you like me to be?" he answered teasing.

To his vast amazement she smiled at him carelessly and with a shot of courage that the brandy gave her she answered "Inside me."

At the sound of her own words she blushed but did not lower her gaze. His hand reached her face holding most of it with one palm and gazing at her – "Are you sure?"

She nodded.

He kept to his sit. She started unbuttoning her gown, when it came to her waist she rose and turned her back to him till the gown dropped to the floor. She felt his hands untying her bodice and corset. She leaned down and took off one stocking after the
other. With her back still turned to him she took her chemise off dropping it carelessly. She turned to face him. She was standing in front of him with nothing. It was odd standing bare in front of him. Only her hair was still cast in a net. She realized
and when her hands went up to her head, half embarrassed he stopped her with bright eyes -

"Allow me"

He freed her hair and raised her in his arms to place her on the bed. Her eyes were fixed on his and despite the fact that deep inside she was trembling and her mind was screaming with indignation at her behavior her lips curved at him slightly. She had
been dreaming of this during this past month and so. Ever since the night they had shared in the inn she wondered what it would be like to be with him the way he had made clear that he wanted her. Without turning his gaze from her he began undressing.
She watched him silently without a trace of shame as he unclothed himself in front of her eyes. She wondered how it would feel to indeed have him inside her since his manhood was impressive in its size. That was the only moment in which she felt herself
shrinking with some fear.

But then her fear evaporated. He was next to her kissing her with his soft tongue and she was answering his kisses. His head was following the line of her breasts to her stomach, tasting her skin, biting her nipples and sucking them gently. Her body was
aroused as it had been before at his hands and the timidity that she felt was no longer there. No, she was caressing his back, stroking him with her nails and whispering his name. His hands were everywhere. As his mouth explored the place between
her legs she had her first full release. After that he lay next to her, holding her to his body. To her amazement she was not embarrassed. She had been to hell and back and the man beside her knew her inside out and wanted her despite it all, perhaps
because of it. She felt as though he had given her wings to soar through the skies. She leaned towards him and with a smile she whispered – "So that's why you said it would be fun?"

He wasn't expecting her to act so naturally regarding the pleasure he had given her but smiling he half asked half stated "I gather you are not complaining".

She leaned on top of him and kissed him shamelessly caressing his cheeks with both her palms. "Make love to me, Rhett" she whispered

He rolled her over and once again stroked her naked body. When he felt her ready for him he paused, and looking at her strangely he asked with a thick voice "Are you sure, my dear?"

She tried to answer him by pulling her on top of her, but he wouldn't comply – "Never make a lady beg, Rhett, even if you don't take me for one"

She could not figure the look in his eyes after her final words, but he entered her slowly causing her senses to melt completely. He had every intention of doing it slowly but something in him snapped when he felt himself inside her, losing all self-control
he thrust himself inside her again, and again and again, until he had reached his peak with a loud groan.

He rose from the bed easily and surprised her when he mopped her with a wet towel. He gathered her to his arms and sleep claimed her.

A while later he woke her by entering her body again, this time his love making was slower and brought her to a peak she had never imagined to exist. She knew he was to go the following day. She knew that even when he returned he wasn't hers to hold.
He had been honest about that from the start. Tears flooded her eyes as she found herself thinking that even if it will be this one night alone, it will have been worth it.

"Are you all right?" concern was in his voice as he sensed her tears.

"Sh… don't stop making love to me"

He was sleeping when she left his room before dawn. She placed a kiss on his forehead and a note by the cloths she had folded for him – I love you. S.