Chapter 7: Be our Guest

Warnings: Mature content ahead!

Belle let out a deep breath when she pulled her car up in front of the mansion on Saturday afternoon. She had had an amazing morning with Ruby, catching a movie, grabbing lunch and doing some much needed shopping. It had kept her too busy to think. Now she was finally here, her palms felt sweaty and she seriously considered putting her car back into gear and hightailing it back to New York. One more deep breath was enough to do the trick. She bravely got out of her car and opened the trunk. Graham and Regina had obviously heard her pull up and met her at the car, ready to help her with her bags. "I'm so glad you're here, Belle." Regina said sincerely.

"I am too." She replied, giving Regina a small hug. "Truth be told I'm pretty nervous, but I'm here."

"I think we're all a little nervous. This is new to everyone." Graham spoke up, and Regina and Belle nodded in agreement.

"So, I've got a bit of a plan for the afternoon." Regina spoke up, breaking the silence. "We'll get you all settled into your room, then take you on a tour of the house and garden, followed by drinks on the patio while Graham makes us dinner."

"Sounds great." Belle smiled "Wow, Graham, I had no idea you cooked!"

"He's amazing. I just need to leave him alone in the kitchen long enough to let him." Regina smiled, and Graham chuckled.

The three of them hauled Belle's suitcases and belongings up the stairs to the guest room Regina had prepared, and Belle let out a gasp when she saw how much effort and care had gone into making the room as comfortable as possible.

"Do you like it?" Regina asked nervously.

"I love it! This is the most beautiful room I've ever been in!" She exclaimed appreciatively, giving Regina and Graham a hug. Regina then took Belle on a tour of the rest of the mansion, and Belle realised in that moment she had only ever seen the foyer, guest room, dining room and kitchen. The rest of the house upstairs was extensive. There were five bedrooms in total, each with their own bathroom. There was also a guest washroom downstairs. A large spacious study overlooked the backyard. Belle cringed when she realised that Graham and Regina had their own bedrooms. It had never occurred to her before today that they would have to sleep in separate rooms because Regina's anxiety wouldn't let her sleep with Graham.

The gardens were just as beautiful. The front was filled with pink and white sweet-smelling roses, and the backyard was perfectly manicured and contained a large apple tree as well as raised garden beds filled with thriving vegetables. Belle hadn't realised Regina was such a talented gardener, and was looking forward to learning what Regina had to teach.

The two of them sat on the back porch, sipping their lime and soda and chatting comfortably. They talked so easily that Belle occasionally forgot why she was there in the first place. Graham came out just on sunset with a hot plate of delicious chicken fajitas, salsa, guacamole and handmade tortillas.

"This looks amazing." Regina and Belle said in unison.

"I can't believe you made everything from scratch, even the tortillas!" Belle exclaimed.

Graham blushed, clearly uncomfortable with the praise. "Lots of years of practice, and plenty of trial and error." He shrugged. "When I first came to the states I spent time in Texas, so I fell in love with south-of-the-border-style food."

"I didn't realise you made other stops before you came to Maine. What made you choose Texas?" Belle asked.

Graham laughed. "I was in a bar. I threw a dart on a map against the wall and it landed on Texas, so that told me where to go first."

Belle took her first bite of fajita, the flavours were so perfect. She didn't remember ever eating such amazing Mexican food, even in restaurants. In that moment she realised that both Graham and Regina had so many different talents, and felt slightly intimidated. They all watched the sun go down, and when they finished eating they cleared the plates and when back inside. Belle and Regina insisted on doing the dishes because Graham had gone to the effort of cooking.

"I'm not going to complain about that. Mind if I grab a beer?" Graham asked.

"Not at all." Regina smiled. She had always cringed when her first husband drank, but Graham never drank to excess and never displayed any violence. Even so, it had taken her a few years to relax around people drinking.

Graham sat on the stool at the kitchen island enjoying his beer while he watched Regina and Belle clean up. They already looked more at ease with each other, and he was secretly glad he had stepped out of the way that afternoon to let Belle and Regina bond. He did briefly wonder if this relationship always meant there was always one person left out, but he shook those thoughts aside. This was about Regina, not him. He could wait. He would wait.

After the kitchen was clean, Graham suggested a movie, and they all went into the lounge while Belle scrolled through the options on Netflix. "Oh my gosh! 10 things I hate about you is on here!"

"I haven't seen that movie in ages!" Regina commented.

"You ladies are welcome to watch it, if I fall asleep wake me up." Joked Graham. The two women instantly defended the honour of the movie, insisting that it was a classic that would not leave Graham bored. The movie turned out to be a great hit, and Graham seemed to enjoy it, even though he called it a "chick flick'.

Regina fetched some fresh fruit for dessert, which they ate back in the kitchen. Suddenly there was silence in the room that wasn't present during dinner or the movie. Perhaps it was the realisation that they were no longer being distracted by activities and it was now late at night. Belle noticed that her nerves had increased again. As much as she was feeling more comfortable with both Regina and Graham, she wasn't sure she was capable of anything tonight.

To her surprise, Regina and Graham were feeling the same way, stating it may be best for all of them to get some sleep and then meet up for breakfast in the morning. Regina was the first to go upstairs, leaving Graham and Belle alone for a moment. Belle fetched her water bottle from the fridge so she wouldn't need to go back to the kitchen during the night.

"Do you have everything you need?" Graham asked nervously.

"Yes, thank you." She said quietly. She awkwardly shuffled her feet. "Graham, I'm…I'm sorry I'm not up for anything tonight."

Graham chuckled. "Belle, I'm not disappointed. It might be easier this way. It takes the pressure off."

Belle blushed. "True, I think…it needs to happen when it happens."

"I agree. Goodnight, Belle." Graham said, gently giving her a kiss on her forehead, sending her body into tingles. By the time Belle was able to look up, Graham had already disappeared. Sighing and flicking off the lights, she made her way upstairs to her bedroom, showered and crawled into bed, where she tossed and turned for what felt like hours. She was feeling so on-edge as her brain began to process just how weird a situation she was in. She knew she had chickened out earlier tonight by not having sex with Graham, and wondered if she could actually do this. She knew Regina had severe problems with intimacy, but Belle wasn't great at it either. She had only had only had sex once and that had been a disaster. Somehow now she was involved with a married couple who were counting on her. Belle tossed over the covers, deciding on making a cup of tea considering sleep was a long way off.

As she was pottering in the immaculate kitchen she heard a loud noise coming from the basement. Immediately, panic flooded through her. Was there an intruder? She carefully stepped towards the basement door and realised the light was on and the door was ajar. "Hello?" She called out cautiously, then relief flooded through her when she realised it was Graham.

"Belle, are you ok?" Graham asked, clearly surprised to see her in his workshop.

"Yes, I'm fine. I couldn't sleep so I went to the kitchen to make some tea, then I heard a noise and followed it here." She offered sheepishly.

"Yea, that was me. I dropped my chisel." Belle gazed around at the workshop. Shelf after shelf was filled with beautifully carved woodland creatures. She gasped out loud. "Did you make all of these?" She asked.

"Yes." Graham nodded, giving a shy smile. "I've…had a bit of time on my hands."

Belle looked away, trying to focus on the contents of the shelves. Her hands ran over families of wolves, owls, bears and deer. Each one was carved meticulously and would have taken hours of work. It was in that moment Belle realised the true cost of the issues Regina was experiencing and how lonely Graham was, and felt truly sorry for him.

"I should go make that cup of tea, let you get back to work." Belle started to walk up the stairs.

"Is it ok if I join you? I was about to stop anyway." Graham offered.

"Sure." The two of them trudged back up the stairs and went into the kitchen. Belle wasn't sure if it was her nerves but she felt the tension between her and Graham while they were preparing the tea. The kept bumping into each other awkwardly, and Belle ended up backing into Graham after fetching the cups, which resulted in his arms around her to stop her falling. He ended up letting go but didn't move away from her.

Belle shakily put the cups on the bench and waited for the kettle to boil. She could still feel Graham behind her, and the anticipation of him touching her again was driving her slightly mad. Her mouth felt dry she was so shaky and nervous. She was desperate to touch him, but not sure if she was brave enough. Graham hesitated before gingerly placing his hands on her shoulders, and Belle rested her head against his hand. It was so strange, so intimate, and yet they were barely touching.

Belle eventually turned around to face him "did you want any sugar?" She gulped when she realised how close they were. "I don't think I want tea anymore." Graham said quietly, staring at Belle intensely. "Me either." Belle said as she stood up on her tip toes to kiss him gently, not being able to stand it any longer. Graham retuned the kiss and had his arms around her in an instant. Belle gasped when she realised he had her pressed against the bench, his whole body flush against her just like in her dream. She felt as though she was drowning and thought she could easily get addicted to this feeling.

The loud whistle of the kettle broke the kiss, snapping them both back into reality. They stared at each other for a moment, breathing heavily. "That was…." Belle started.

"Incredible." Graham breathed. "Can I…can I kiss you again?"

Belle swallowed "yes." His lips were soon crushing hers again, more forceful, more desperate this time. Graham grabbed Belle by the waist and hoisted her onto the bench, pressing himself into her again, needing to feel the touch he had denied himself for so long. Belle was so responsive to his touch and it amazed him she hadn't asked him to stop. He ran his hands all over her body and began tugging at the string of her pyjama shorts. "Bedroom." Belle whispered.

"Which one?" Graham asked, kissing her neck, eliciting another moan from Belle.

"y-yours." Said Belle.

When they reached Graham's room, Belle's confidence faltered. "Are you ok?" Graham asked.

"Yes, I think so. It's just been a really long time and I'm…not sure I'm very good at this. Gaston was…pretty vocal about that." She admitted.

Graham put his arms around Belle. "I don't want you to think you have to be perfect. That's not what sex is about." He kissed her for reassurance and she melted into him again. Belle reached for Graham's t-shirt and began to pull it off. She let out of a sigh of appreciation and ran her fingers over his well-toned chest and stomach. Graham groaned and closed his eyes. He had forgotten how wonderful it was to be touched, and he shivered when her hands moved to his belt. His erection was now getting to the point of being painful and his jeans were getting in the way. He quickly slipped out of them, leaving him completely naked. Belle had to blink a few times to process what she was seeing. Graham was spectacular, and she felt so ordinary by comparison. Still, she had come too far to back out now. Gingerly she removed her pyjama shorts and tank top and stood in front of Graham in the dimly lit room. "You're so beautiful." He whispered, tracing his hands over her body, making her shiver.

Belle let Graham assume the lead as she felt she had no idea what she was doing. He gently backed her against the bed and Belle climbed on, pulling Graham towards her. He slid over her body with ease and began kissing her again, trailing kisses down her neck in a way Belle didn't know people could be kissed. She began to feel braver and ran her hands down Graham's stomach and cupped his erection. Graham groaned and rocked into her while she stroked him.
"Belle, you better stop." He whispered hoarsely.

"Did I do something wrong?" Belle asked, looking slightly panicked.

"No not at all. It's just been a very long time, and if you keep doing that I'm going to explode." He admitted.

Belle blushed. She hadn't realised the effect she had on Graham. She gasped again when Graham started to brush his fingers against her aching clit. It was overwhelming to have someone touch her in a way that felt so wonderful, and her whole body was shaking. "Condom." She whispered. Silently, Graham propped himself up and retrieved a condom out of the nightstand and rolled it on. He also added a few drops of lubricant for good measure.

"Belle, are you sure you want to do this?" He whispered gruffly.

"Yes, I'm sure." She replied, spreading her legs slightly to accommodate him. Graham wasted no time and hovered above her again, and gently guided himself inside her. He let out a loud groan when he was fully sheathed, and rocked his hips to maintain the beautiful friction. Belle responded and wrapped her arms and legs around him, wanting to keep him close. She couldn't help gasping every time he thrust into her. Graham seemed to have his hands everywhere, bombarding her body with new and fantastic sensations. His mouth was busy too, peppering her face, lips and neck with frantic kisses. Belle lifted her hips higher and used her legs to pull Graham even closer. "Please, more." She gasped, gripping onto his powerful arms. Graham began to thrust faster, sending a fantastic ricochet of sensations through both of them. His thrusts began to get more frantic and sloppy, and Belle was having a hard time keeping up with him. Graham muttered gruffly that he wasn't going to last, but Belle begged him not to stop. Graham let out a moan when he came, and placed open-mouthed kisses against Belle's neck. "Thank you so much, Belle." He whispered, slowing down his thrusts. They both paused for a moment, and Belle stroked Grahams' face. He closed his eyes and leaned into the gentle touch. It had been so long since either of them had experienced any kind of intimacy, and didn't know how much it was missed.

Graham appeared to come back to reality first "you didn't have an orgasm. I'm sorry I got carried away."

"You don't have to worry about me." Belle said quickly. "I've-I've never had an orgasm with another person. Gaston said if I wasn't going to during sex it wasn't going to happen" She admitted sheepishly.

"Gaston's a bloody fool." Graham swore. "There are so many different ways to have orgasms, and you deserve one." Graham disposed of the condom into the waste bin and began tracing lines over Belle's body. "Did you want me to make you feel good?"

"You already made me feel good." Belle admitted, curling away from him slightly when she realised she was still naked and spread out in front of him.

"Yea, but I want to make you feel even better." He grinned.

Belle couldn't help herself. A gorgeous man had offered to make her feel even more fantastic than she had ever felt in her life. She never wanted him to stop touching her. She responded by lifting herself up and straddling him, and tilted up her chin so she could kiss him again. Graham deepened the kiss and let his hands wonder down to her clit again, rubbing it in slow, deliberate circles. Belle gasped as she felt the warmth course through her body, and began to rock her hips against him. She moaned when Graham slipped two fingers inside her and began pumping gently. "Lie down." Graham prompted, his eyes looking glazed over in pleasure. Graham guided her down and used his hands to part her thighs, looking up at Belle wickedly. Belle initially blushed and looked away, realising what Graham was about to do. For some reason having his mouth on her was even more intimate than what they had just done. "You don't have to be embarrassed, Belle." He cooed, running his hands over her breasts. "I just-I've never done this before." She admitted shyly.

"I'm honoured to be your first." Belle yelped when Graham ran the flat part of his tongue over her centre. She never wanted it to stop. "Just enjoy it, Belle." He whispered, slowly lathing his tongue over her. He added two fingers and began pumping again, and Belle responded by rocking her hips up towards him. She wasn't even aware of all the noises she was making, and her gasps and moans were only spurring Graham on further. She ran her fingers through his hair, gasping every time his tongue changed patterns. In what felt like moments a strong sensation was forming in the pit of her stomach, and when it bottomed out her orgasm flooded through her and she bit her lower lip to prevent herself from crying out. Graham kept his fingers inside her to let her ride out her orgasm, delighting in the feeling of her walls clamping around them. Belle looked so wonderful to him in the throes of her pleasure, and he was so glad he had helped her find it.

Belle propped herself up and stared at Graham, both of them still breathing heavily. "So, that's what sex is supposed to be like."

Graham grinned and let out a low chuckle, sliding up the bed alongside her, cradling her gently. Belle rolled towards Graham, tilting up her chin so she could kiss him. "Thank you." She whispered.

"I should be thanking you." Graham replied softly, stroking her arm. "I know making the decision to be here with us wasn't easy."

Belle smiled. "When I first heard what you both wanted from me, I wasn't even sure what I was hearing."

"What made you stay?"

"I think it was the look in Regina's eyes. They were filled with so much hope, I couldn't think about letting her down. I still don't really know how best to help her." She admitted.

"Just do your best, that's all we can ask of you." Graham kissed the side of her temples. It was so strangely intimate to lie together after sex, something she had never done before.

"I think I need a shower though, we've made a mess." She groaned.

"You can hop in with me if you like." Graham offered.

They sat up and went into Graham's bathroom. The shower was more than big enough for the two of them, and the hot water was just the thing to soothe their aching muscles after what they had just done. Belle's mouth watered again watching the hot soapy water run over Graham. She wasn't sure Graham fully understood just how handsome he was. "Graham, can I ask you something?"

"Sure, anything." He replied huskily, kissing her neck.

"If you and Regina were never really able to touch, how did you manage to date and get married? Not that I'm trying to find out everything, I just-I know it must have been hard."

Graham smiled and lathered soap onto the sponge and begin washing Belle's back. "Letters." He replied. "I wrote her lots of letters. In each one was something I couldn't really say out loud. I wanted her to know that I would wait for her forever."

Belle's mind flew over all of her favourite classic novels, the kind where the hero and the heroine fell in love and got married without sharing so much as a kiss. Somehow Graham and Regina had managed to do this in a modern world, which was no small achievement. "That's probably the most romantic story I've ever heard." She gasped.

"I think that was why I was so confused when Archie brought up the subject of a surrogate. As much as the wait was awful, being unfaithful felt worse. When you came back to town I felt something for you, and I tried to hide it. Then Regina picked you out of everyone." He traced the curves of her body.

"I felt something for you too." Belle admitted. "But I knew you were married and pushed those feelings aside. It didn't work well though, I still dreamt about you." She smiled shyly.

"Really? Tell me about the dream." Graham said, fondling her breasts.

"We were in the forest and you were fucking me against a tree."

Graham kissed her passionately. "I had a dream about you too."

Belle looked up at him quizzically, begging him to go on. "We were on the floor of the library in front of a fire, wrapped in blankets." Belle kissed him back, running her hands along his chest and stomach. "That sounds extremely hot." She blushed.

"Then I ran into you the next day at Grannies and I couldn't get out of there fast enough." Graham grinned sheepishly. Belle laughed, then her expression changed. Graham noticed immediately.

"What's wrong?"

"I know something we didn't talk about before. I don't know where I'm supposed to sleep afterwards." She admitted.

"I don't think there are any rules."

"I know. It's just that if we share a bed to sleep it's more like we are in a relationship with each other, and not here for Regina. The last thing I want to do is push her out."

Graham nodded. "It's probably for the best."

Belle stepped out of the shower and dried herself off. She quickly slipped back into her tank top and pyjama shorts, giving Graham a quick kiss goodbye before heading back to her room. Even when she made it back to her room, her body was still buzzing with what she and Graham had just shared. Truth be told, she hadn't realised just how wonderful sex could be. Finally after all these years she knew what all the fuss was about. Under normal circumstances she would have run to Ruby the next day and told her everything, but this situation was different. There was a lot at stake if anyone else found out about the arrangement she had. She was glad she had decided to go back to her own room. It would be too easy to just slip into a relationship with Graham, but because of the nature of why she was there, she felt boundaries were really important. She crawled into bed, realising her alarm was reading 3:00am. She groaned and fell asleep almost immediately.

Author's note:

Phew! Finally! I hope you all enjoyed the chapter, just a little double bonus for the weekend! For those who are waiting to see more of Regina, it's coming in later chapters. Remember because of everything she's been through it will take her longer to open up.

Evazqueen: Thank you for your review! I'm glad you liked the hug! Thank you so much for staying with the story!

Much Love,

Lady Eowyn