Georg stood beside his desk. He was certain his heart had stopped beating. It must have. It felt like it had just fallen to the pit of his stomach.
Where was Maria?
It was the only thought he had. It was the only thing that mattered. He could hear the words screaming in his head. He'd probably be screaming them out loud if he had any air left in his lungs. If he wasn't trying to swallow through a lump of emotions. The anticipation he'd felt as he'd fumbled to unlock the study door, as he made his way to his desk in the darkness, was long forgotten. Now replaced with utter despair.
He still hadn't moved from where he stood beside his desk. Taking in several deep breaths, he tried desperately to clear his head. But when he found himself debating whether he should run up to Maria's room, he started questioning his own sanity. God knows, it was all he could think of doing at that moment. If Maria wasn't going to come to the study, well then he'd just have to go to her!
But what good would come from waking Maria at this at this ungodly hour of the night? It would be utter madness. It was close to midnight. How would it look? He knew exactly how it would look. But that was exactly how he felt. Desperate. Scared. Panicked.
Flexing the fingers on his left hand, he tried to clear his mind. He needed to think straight. If he ran to her room now, he knew he couldn't trust himself. He' probably end up pounding on her door or standing in the hallway shouting out to her like a madman.
But he knew he wouldn't sleep tonight, not until he saw her again. Until he told her how he felt. He needed to think things through.
Finally, turning towards his desk, he threw down his gloves as he took a seat in the high backed leather chair. Reaching down to the bottom drawer, he decided he needed a drink to take the edge off things. He pulled out a small bottle half filled with brandy and a small glass, and poured himself a drink. Staring across to the opposite end of the room at the empty fireplace, his mind drifted back to a few weeks ago. To the day Maria had visited her mother's grave. How they'd sat on the sofa in front of the roaring fire he'd lit to keep them warm. He smiled as he thought of how they'd woken hours later on the couch. How Maria had fallen asleep on top of him. How wonderful that feeling had been…
He pushed the glass of brandy away from him. He'd had very little to drink all night during the party. His mood had been so dark, he knew if he'd been drinking he couldn't have trusted himself to remain civil, especially with Zeller and his Nazi friends in his house. Especially as his frustration with Elsa grew the longer the evening wore on. Although, as he thought back to his earlier exchange with Zeller, he'd probably left no one in any doubt how he felt.
Georg sat behind his desk trying to get his thoughts in order. Running a hand through his hair, he knew he needed a plan. One thing was clear. He couldn't wait until breakfast to see Maria. But he wasn't sure that running to her room was the sensible thing to do. Not at this hour. But he was far beyond worrying about what was sensible.
He was struggling to understand why Maria wasn't waiting for him in the study. Didn't she trust him? He found that hard to believe. After all, she'd trusted him with her darkest secret, with her deepest fear. He doubted if she'd ever told anyone else about her parents. But somehow she'd trusted him to find out the truth about her uncle's claims. He hadn't let her down. He'd never given her any reason to doubt him. So why wouldn't she trust him now?
Had he scared her earlier in the evening? Had he overwhelmed her? He could probably understand if that was the case. He knew he hadn't been able to mask his feelings for her when they'd danced the Laendler. But he knew what he saw in her eyes. They'd mirrored his own feelings. He knew she felt a hunger for him just as much as he had.
In the beginning, he'd reasoned with himself that dancing with his children's governess was just harmless fun. But he knew better. He'd been like a man possessed, he hadn't been able to stop himself. Once he'd given in to his need to touch Maria, to feel her in his arms, he knew that he'd be playing with fire from the moment he'd patted Kurt on the head. But he couldn't have predicted how out of hand things would become. God knows, he'd been shocked by the intensity.
By the time they'd stopped dancing, their bodies were pressed tightly together as he held one of her arms against her back, her other arm he'd held above their heads. Nothing else had existed. Nothing except the heat of their bodies, their struggle to breathe as they shared the same air and a shared desperation for each other that was impossible to ignore. Neither had been in any doubt.
As he ran a frustrated hand through his hair, Georg knew he hadn't been mistaken. No matter how overwhelmed he'd been by his own feelings in that moment, he knew what he'd seen in Maria's eyes. He knew there was no mistaking how she felt in his arms, how she responded, when he held her closer. When he pulled her tighter against him. So tight that there was nothing left between them. No titles, no ridiculous social standings, no pretence, no ambiguity. Nothing. In that moment, it had been so simple. So clear to him. He was simply holding the woman he'd fallen hopelessly in love with.
Despite his reputation as a ladies' man, Georg had very little experience when it came to falling in love. When he met Agathe, he'd realised that all the women in his past had been nothing more than meaningless encounters. Agathe had stolen his heart, invaded his mind and became his world from the moment he met her. It was only then that he'd realised what it meant to be in love.
Despite resisting his feelings for Maria for weeks, he now realised that with her it had been much the same. It hadn't been as instant as when he met Agathe, but God knows how hard he'd fought against his feelings for Maria. How he'd tried desperately to shut her out and close her down. He'd been a bitter man filled with anger, shame and despair. But despite all of that, she'd somehow ignited something deep within him. Now, in the loneliness of his study, he knew that he'd fallen in love with her.
He now knew that he'd started falling in love with Maria from the start. From the time he'd found her in the ballroom. Pretending that he'd found her curtsey to an invisible dance partner ridiculous, in truth, at the time, he'd found it utterly adorable. In the dim light of the ballroom amongst the dust and the cobwebs that had settled over everything since Agathe's passing, Maria had sparked something. Even in that hideous dress and ridiculous hat, he'd noticed her. There really hadn't been any need to ask her to turn slowly on the spot once she was out in the bright light of the foyer. With a practiced eye, he'd already noticed the woman underneath that grey sack of a dress.
And what made her all the more fascinating was that she hadn't even been trying to capture his attention. It's what made her so adorable. What made her all the more attractive to him. Unlike all those made-up, overdressed women at the ridiculous parties and balls, she didn't even have to try. She didn't shower him with meaningless compliments, bore him with inane chatter or respond to his conversation with simpering laughter to make him feel witty. Maria had won his heart by being her natural, intriguing, beautiful self. She wasn't even aware of the power she had over him.
Georg smiled as he remembered how much she'd infuriated him with her sharp responses and constant challenges to his authority. But the attraction had been there. It had started immediately. From the way she smiled at him when she told him he didn't look like a sea captain, to the alluring way she held onto his whistle while innocently asking him for his signal. Yes, she'd seen through him from the beginning. And before he even realised what was happening, she was dismantling the walls he'd built around himself.
If he hadn't tried so desperately to intimidate her and shut her down at the time with his bluster and sarcastic retorts, he would have found himself laughing at her amusing behaviour. Instead, he'd retreated to his study, where he'd cowered with a bottle of brandy. He'd stayed in the sanctuary of his study, door firmly locked, until he had no choice but to make an appearance at dinner. By then, he'd hastily made plans to return to Vienna the next day.
She'd been so damn refreshing, even then. But now? Now, as he sat at his desk, he realised that he needed Maria. There was no question in his mind. He couldn't let her go.
He could feel the sting as tears started welling. He must have scared her, he thought to himself as he ran an unsteady hand through his hair. God, knows he'd been shaken by the feelings that overtook him in the courtyard.
Struggling against the emotions, he pushed his chair back from the desk as he realised that he still hadn't pulled the drapes across the windows. He took a few steps to the window that ran along the edge of the desk. Grabbing the edges of the drapes, he tugged them together a little harder than necessary. Walking behind the armchair that faced the fireplace, he grabbed the second set of drapes. He stopped for a moment and looked out at the black night. The evening had been warm despite the clouds that had rolled in during the late afternoon. They were still blocking out the stars and any light from the moon. The dark night seemed to match how he'd felt for most of the night. How he was still feeling.
As he pulled the drapes together, he took a deep breath. But before he could exhale or even let go of the drapes, he stopped. If he wasn't mistaken, he noticed a hint of that familiar gardenia scent in the air. It had become so familiar over the past weeks, so damn intoxicating. "What the…" he muttered under his breath as he spun around.
That's when he froze. When everything in the room was suspended for a few incredible seconds, the air was knocked out of lungs. Lying in the shadows on the sofa that was facing away from the desk towards the fireplace was Maria! She was curled up on her side, sleeping soundly. His heart melted. Maria had come to the study after all!
Georg wasn't sure how long he stood staring at her before he moved. Before he caught his breath. It took all his strength and resolve to resist the urge to rush over and pull her into his arms. Without taking his eyes off her, he slowly, deliberately removed the Maria Theresa medal from around his neck. Placing it in the inside pocket of his tailcoat, he undid the top buttons of his shirt. God, he was struggling to breathe!
Still staring at Maria, barely able to blink, he took off his tailcoat, throwing it across the arm of the chair beside him. Releasing the buttons of his waistcoat, he pealed it off and threw it on top of the coat on the armchair beside him. Still unable to tear his gaze from Maria, he undid his cufflinks, pocketing each one in his trousers. Slowly rolling up his shirt sleeves, he allowed himself a smile as he continued to stare at Maria. As she slept in the shadows on the sofa before him, he couldn't remember her looking as beautiful or as peaceful.
Finally, he took a few steps towards her, reducing the distance between them. Reaching the sofa, he dropped to his knees beside her. God, she was breathtaking!
It was almost overwhelming kneeling beside her, knowing that he was now free. Free to tell her his feelings. Free to hold her. God, free to love her. Nothing stood in their way now. Using all his self-restraint, Georg checked himself as he raised his hand and ever so gently brushed her fringe. He let his fingers rake lightly through her hair. It was softer than he remembered from the last time Maria had fallen asleep on the sofa in his study. That time he'd woken and found her lying on top of him. He smiled.
As he knelt on the floor beside her, he wondered whether he should wake her. Her lips were parted ever so slightly and her breathing was slow and heavy. It seemed she was in a deep sleep. It had been another long, tiring day at the villa. Maria would have spent all day with the children, who would have been lively and over excited because of the party. It would have taken some time to settle them for bed. But he knew he needed to wake her. He had to share his news with her. He had to let her know that he'd fallen hopelessly in love with her. He couldn't wait a minute longer.
Resting his hand gently in her hair, he ran his thumb along her jawline. "Maria…" he whispered gently. "Maria, darling, I'm here." Her lips had been parted as she breathed deeply, but now they came together as she let out a little moan, accompanied by a hint of a frown. Running his thumb across her jaw again, he whispered a little louder. "Maria, please wake up."
Maria was dreaming. It was such a glorious dream. She was in the mountains with the Captain and the children. It had been a beautiful summer's day. The children were playing in the distance and she was on the picnic rug with the Captain. He was sitting up, keeping an eye on the children and laughing at their antics, while she lay on the rug with her eyes closed, resting her head on his thigh. But now, for some reason, she could feel a breeze in her hair. Was the weather changing? Had they stayed too long in the mountains? She could hear someone calling her name. She needed to get the children packed up before the weather turned. Someone was still calling her. It sounded like the Captain. What did he want? She was trying to open her eyes, to look around for him, but she couldn't find him. Where was he? Had something happened? Was that why he was calling out to her? She could feel him, she knew he was close, but where was he…
Screwing her eyes tighter in the most adorable way against the light, Maria's eyes fluttered. Georg held his breath as she lifted her head a few inches off the arm that she'd been resting on, her eyes opening as she finally adjusted to the dim light from the desk lamp.
"Oh, Captain?!" Maria was startled to find him staring down at her. She struggled as she tried to think through the confusion that comes from waking suddenly from such a deep sleep. Looking around her, she remembered that she'd made her way to the study after finally putting the children to bed. "I'm sorry, I must have fallen asleep."
Georg could only give her a silly half grin. He was still wrestling with his emotions, still unable to believe that she'd been in the study waiting for him all the time.
"You looked so peaceful, I wasn't sure whether I should wake you," he finally managed to whisper.
Maria smiled as she made her way to a sitting position on the sofa. As she sat, still waking up and gathering her thoughts, she noticed the Captain's appearance. He was kneeling in front of her in his shirtsleeves, and she could see that the buttons at his neck were open. "Oh, I don't know how long I've been here, it took so long to settle the children," she explained, trying desperately to hold his gaze despite her eyes being drawn like a magnet down to the top of his chest where his shirt was open. "I was finally able to get the children to sleep and make my way down here, but I was so tired. I thought I'd just curl up on the sofa and close my eyes for a minute." As Maria's thoughts drifted to her dream of the Captain and children, she felt her cheeks starting to burn and looked quickly down at her lap.
"Maria?" Georg questioned, he wondered what had caused her to feel so embarrassed. Her eyes immediately flew up as she heard him using her name for the first time. "What is it?" he asked gently as one of his hands found its way to her lap, to try to still her hands that she was now wringing furiously.
"Oh, I was just thinking about the dream I was having…" she answered vaguely. How could she tell the Captain that she'd been dreaming about him? That she'd been dreaming about being part of his family?
"A dream?" Georg raised a brow and threw her a teasing smile. "And what on earth were you dreaming about?"
"Oh, nothing really…" she tried to deflect his question, but the mischievous gleam in his eye told her that the Captain wasn't going to let her get away that easily. "I dreamt that I was in the mountains with the children," she smiled as her thoughts drifted back to her dream, and the times over the past weeks that she'd taken the children for picnics in the mountains. They really were wonderful memories that she knew she would always cherish. But soon that would be all she'd have. Memories of a magical summer spent at the villa with the von Trapp family.
Georg's heart leapt as he was again reminded of Maria's love for his children. It was in the way she smiled, the way she relaxed as she thought of the children. But there was something else. He couldn't miss the wistful look, the sadness that flashed across her face for just a moment, but a sadness that was now starting to pool in her eyes.
"What is it, Maria?" he asked her quietly. "You seem so happy talking about the children, but there's something else, isn't there? Why are you sad? Please tell me, what's troubling you?"
Maria took a deep breath. She knew this wouldn't be easy, but then she'd shared her most painful memories and worst fears with the Captain before. He'd only ever shown her kindness and compassion. She looked down to her lap. Down to his large hand, trying not to be distracted by the feel of his thumb tracing small circles on the back of her hand. She knew she had to concentrate. She needed to focus on what she had to tell him.
"Captain," she said in a small voice as she tried to find the strength to tell him. To tell him what she knew she needed to say, even if it was the last thing in the world she wanted to do. She took a deep breath, trying to swallow her emotions. "I've packed my bag. I'll leave for the abbey in the morning after breakfast. Once I've said goodbye to the children."
"What…?!" Georg hissed as he tightened his hold on her hands. "Leaving…? You can't leave!" His other hand was now gripping her leg. How could she even think of leaving now? How could she leave him? Not now that he'd found her. Surely he hadn't heard correctly. There must be some mistake.
"Don't you want to stay?" Georg asked quietly. "I thought you were happy here," he added, barely able to breathe as he waited for her answer.
"Oh, Captain, this summer has been one of the happiest I can remember," Maria's face lit up as her thoughts were still on the wonderful memories of her time at the villa. "But I was only ever going to stay for the summer holidays. I'll just be leaving a few weeks earlier than planned." Talk of leaving unleashed a wave of emotions that she was struggling to hold onto. Maria had banished all thoughts of leaving from her mind over the past weeks, but she couldn't ignore them anymore. Not now that her mind was made up. Not now that it would become a reality tomorrow morning. Tomorrow, she would be leaving the villa for the last time, never to return. She'd shed some tears while packing her bag earlier, but now the unshed tears were starting to overwhelm her.
"It's for the best…" Maria said in a small voice as she tried desperately to hold onto the tears that were now flooding her eyes.
"For the best? I don't understand…" Georg was struggling to breathe, struggling to think.
"Captain, I can't stay," Maria was biting back on her tears, trying to show a confidence she didn't feel as she started reciting the words she'd been rehearsing earlier. "Not after tonight. I can't stay when you'll be proposing to the Baroness. It wouldn't be fair."
"Fair?" Georg asked. He needed to explain to Maria that she was mistaken. He still hadn't had a chance to tell her that he wouldn't be proposing to Elsa. Hopefully, Elsa was already packed and ready to return to Vienna first thing in the morning. "But Maria…"
"No! If I stayed, it wouldn't be fair to the Baroness," Maria said firmly as she interrupted him. "It wouldn't be fair to me…" she whispered as she dropped her eyes back to her lap. She took a deep breath as she pulled her hands out from under his. "My mind's made up. It's the right thing to do. For everyone." Maria stood up as she prepared to make her way back to her room. She somehow had to get out of the study quickly and back to the safety of her own room. Only then could she cry her heart out. Now that she'd said it out loud, the thought of leaving the children and the Captain was too much.
Georg quickly got to his feet and grabbed hold of Maria's hand before she could take more than a few steps towards the door. As she spun around, he reached for her other hand. "Maria, you're not going anywhere," he tried to keep his voice calm, gentle, but he knew that his desperation probably made him sound threatening. Taking a deep breath to settle his emotions, he started to explain. "I spoke to Elsa after the party, just before I came to the study," he could see a frown forming across Maria's face. "Maria, I won't be proposing to the Baroness. Elsa is packing her bags now and will return to Vienna for good."
"I don't understand…" Maria wasn't sure what he meant.
Georg reached up and ran the back of his fingers gently down Maria's cheek. "Well, you see, it seems that I've fallen in love with someone else," he whispered.
"Oh…?" was all Maria could manage in response.
"Yes, I can understand your surprise. It was all rather unexpected," he murmured as he brought his hand up to cup her cheek. "You see, after Agathe, I'd given up on ever falling in love again. But that was before I met my children's twelfth governess," he smiled at Maria as he watched the frown lines disappear and the sadness starting to lift from her eyes.
"Yes, I'm not sure if you've met her," he tried to be serious, but could barely hide his smile. "She's a bit of a whirlwind, has disobeyed every single instruction I've ever given her, refuses to follow the chain of command and still hasn't managed to arrive to one meal on time," he raised his brow and gave Maria a grin as she blushed furiously. "But despite all of this, or perhaps because of it, my children adore her." Georg paused as he watched Maria's eyes fill with tears. "She's become a mother to them," he added softly.
"From the moment she arrived, they seemed to fall under her spell. And it would appear that their father has too, despite all his futile attempts to see common sense and good reason." Georg paused, taking a deep breath, the emotions starting to build as he suddenly became serious. "You see, he's fallen hopelessly in love with her and can't imagine her not being part of his life."
"Oh, Captain…" Maria whispered as a single tear escaped and started tracing a slow path down her cheek.
Georg reached out with his thumb to catch it. "Maria, I can't let you go. Not now." He reached down and brought her hands up in front of them. Bowing his head down, he placed a lingering kiss on one of her hands. As he lifted his head, he knew the intensity of his gaze would leave no doubts about his feelings. He cupped Maria's cheek as he lowered his lips down to gently brush hers.
"Maria, marry me." He was serious now. "Please, make me the happiest man in the world."
"Oh, Cap…" Maria began, barely able to speak. Surely she'd misheard him? Surely this was all part of her dream?
"It's Georg," he interrupted, his low baritone almost a purr. "Maria, please call me Georg."
"Ge-org…" there was no mistaking the lack of certainty in her voice as Maria addressed the Captain by his first name. "What will the Reverend Mother say?"
"I'm not sure," Georg replied honestly. "But we can both go to the abbey tomorrow to speak to her."
"But what will everyone else say?" Maria asked. She didn't know too much about how the Captain's social circles worked, but she knew that there would be gossip and scandal once it was announced that Georg von Trapp would be marrying his children's governess. Especially if it was known that she had planned to become a nun.
"Maria, darling, I honestly don't care," Georg replied as he ran a reassuring hand gently up and down her arm. Trying desperately to soothe away her concerns.
"You say that now, but let's not pretend that it won't cause a scandal," Maria couldn't believe that he could brush everything aside, like it didn't matter. "I've heard the Baroness and Herr Detweiler gossiping. You can't ignore how cruel that gossip can be, even if it isn't true. Think of the children."
"Maria, I am thinking of the children," he said seriously. "If you ever leave, they will be heartbroken. And I will too. I've spent four years being miserable, I'm not going to condemn us all to a lifetime of misery just because a few bored people like to gossip."
"You just can't ignore these things," Maria persisted.
"To be honest, Maria, I'm not sure what anyone will say," Georg replied honestly. Although, he could already imagine how the social circles of Salzburg and Vienna would react to the news. He knew they'd be gossiping about it for weeks. "To be honest, the only thing I care about is you saying yes. Please say yes, Maria. Believe me, nothing else matters."
Maria smiled. He made it sound so simple. And now it was clear to her that the Reverend Mother had been delaying her transition from postulant to novice. Perhaps she'd known all along what Maria had only just been starting to realise herself. She wasn't suited to a cloistered life in the abbey. And she couldn't deny that she had come to love the children more than anything in the world. Perhaps the Captain was right. Perhaps nothing else mattered.
"Yes," Maria whispered quietly. "Yes, Georg. I would be honoured to marry you."
"Oh, Maria…" Georg barely whispered as he pulled her to him and buried his cheek against her hair. "Maria, you've just made me the happiest man…" he whispered.
Pulling back, he searched her eyes for any doubts, but all he could see was pure joy and complete trust. It was overwhelming. Almost as overwhelming as the feelings he'd been trying to bury for weeks. But now that there were no longer any reasons to hold them back all he could feel was relief. Relief that he was free to let go of all of his emotions, feelings and love. It had been so tiring holding onto to it all these weeks. Now he could let it all go.
He brought his hand back to cup her cheek, and was overjoyed when he felt Maria instinctively press against his palm. He dropped his gaze to her lips, knowing that he couldn't deny himself any longer. Her lips were parted slightly, and he noticed her eyes flutter shut as he bent down and caressed her lips with his. It was a gentle kiss, but he hoped that Maria could feel all the love he had for her as his lips lingered on hers. He pulled back ever so slightly, wondering how she would react.
He'd often found himself wondering if Maria had ever been kissed. Properly kissed? After all, she'd spent several years in the abbey, and it seemed that she'd always wanted to be a nun. Regardless, Georg knew he needed to take things slowly. The last thing he wanted to do was frighten her. This was Maria.
As he watched and waited for her reaction, her eyes fluttered open and she gave him the sweetest smile. "Oh, Maria…" was all Georg could manage as he brought his lips back down on hers. Trying to hold himself back, he lingered longer, relishing how she responded to his deeper kiss.
Maria could barely think as Georg's lips clung to hers. She could feel herself becoming lightheaded, a little dizzy, as she moved one of her hands from where it had been resting on his arm so that is was now around his shoulder. Clinging to him, as she tried to steady herself against the wonderful feelings that were taking over.
Georg knew that he should let Maria go. It must be well past midnight now. But she felt so wonderful in his arms, that he reasoned with himself that there would be no harm holding onto her for a few minutes longer. It had been so long since he'd held the woman he loved. So long since he'd felt the comfort and relief that it brought. He knew he'd missed that since Agathe, knew that he'd craved it. But he hadn't realised just how much.
Pulling back, he tried to catch his breath as he smiled at Maria and saw that her breathing was as shallow as his.
"I know I need to let you go. It's getting late, and you're tired," he told her again. "But I don't think I can." He gave her a half grin. He would hold her all night if he could.
Maria blushed as she smiled at him. "I don't mind," she whispered. "I don't think I could get any sleep anyway."
Georg gently brushed her cheek with the back of his hand. "I love you," he whispered, before he bent down and captured her lips with his own. He was still holding himself in check, the last thing he wanted to do was overwhelm Maria. He'd been scared of his growing feelings for her over the past weeks, the intensity of his growing need for her. The last thing he wanted to do was scare her as well. But as he found their kiss deepening, as he felt Maria responding enthusiastically, as she clung to him even tighter, all thoughts of restraint quickly disappeared. He could only think of how she was moving her body even closer to his. How she was now pressed tightly against him. It was such an unbearable feeling. It would be impossible for him to control himself now.
His thoughts were beginning to drift dangerously towards the dreams that had been haunting him. As her felt Maria's body against his own, he was aware of how it fitted perfectly against his. He could easily imagine how she would feel moving beneath him. How exquisite it would be to finally make love to her, just as he'd imagined in his dreams. Slowly, deliberately, deliciously. Suspended in a world where only the two of them existed. Oh God, his thoughts were becoming far too dangerous…
Instinctively, he opened his mouth against hers as his need to taste her, to possess her, took over. Before he knew what he was even doing, his tongue was forcing a path through her lips into her mouth. There was no holding back. Not now. The only thing that mattered was satisfying his hunger. It was a hunger that he knew wasn't his alone.
Maria was vaguely aware of Georg's arm around her waist pulling her closer. Just as she tried to breathe through their frantic kisses, she suddenly felt his tongue in her mouth. With all sensible thoughts long gone, Maria reached up to grab a handful of his hair. Her tongue was now pushing back against his. Oh, his kisses were turning her inside out. Clinging to him even tighter, she moaned her approval into his mouth.
The only thing that registered in Georg's mind, other than how wonderful Maria felt, was the delightful moan that had just escaped from her lips. Oh God, she was spurring him on! As his kisses became even more desperate, he felt her tongue against his. He was elated to know that she was far from frightened! She was more than matching him with her own desperation. This was the Maria of his dreams!
Pulling back, but not able to break contact with her lips, Georg tried to fill his lungs. As he heard Maria's whimper, he smiled against her.
"Maria," Georg rasped as he tried to fill his lungs with air. "It must be getting late." He leant in to kiss her lips, intending for only a chaste kiss as he tried to catch his breath and gather his thoughts. But before he could think, he was quickly invading her again, unable to deny himself just another taste. She was intoxicating. "I should let you get some sleep," he finally whispered against her ear as he pulled her closer to him.
Maria smiled as she felt Georg's warm breath against her. She wondered how she could ever fall asleep tonight. She didn't want to say goodnight, didn't want to leave the warmth or the comfort of his arms.
"What's so amusing?" he smiled as he pulled back and looked down at her.
"Georg, I'm just so happy!" Maria said.
"Darling, I really need to get you to your room," Georg whispered.
Maria smiled at him, as she raised a brow in response.
"I didn't mean it like that," Georg grinned at her. "I didn't think ex-postulants had such naughty thoughts," he teased.
"See how quickly you're leading me astray?" she answered back.
Finally letting go of Maria, Georg turned around and picked up his tailcoat. Putting it on over his now crumpled shirt, with shirtsleeves still rolled up, he turned back to Maria. "Just in case we meet anyone, I don't want them thinking that your virtue's been entirely compromised," he explained.
"Well, there's only so much your coat can cover up," she smiled as she reached up to smooth out his hair. The sight of the Captain's tousled hair, with a wayward lock falling down over his forehead, was enough to set her heart racing again. Although she was sure that it had been racing since the moment he woke her.
Georg reached up and grabbed hold of Maria's hand as she smoothed his hair. "Maria, keep doing that and we won't be leaving the study at all tonight," he hissed dangerously.
"Oh! I'm sorry, I didn't real…" Maria started to apologise, horrified that she'd done something wrong.
"Maria, darling, don't ever say you're sorry for being my greatest distraction," he still had hold of her hand and brought it to his mouth to kiss, not breaking eye contact. "Now, let's get you to your room so you can get some rest before the children wake up. I can't wait to tell them our wonderful news."
"Do you think they'll be happy?" the thought suddenly struck Maria that they might not be happy to have her as their new mother.
"Trust me, they'll be even happier than we are!" Georg pulled her to him and kissed her forehead. "But there's one thing I need to do first," Georg smiled as he let go of her.
Maria smiled back, but then gasped as she realised that he had started removing his wedding band, the one that he'd still worn all these years after Agathe's passing. "Georg!" she exclaimed as she grabbed his hands to stop him. He looked at her questioningly. "Please, I want you to wear it."
"Are you sure, Maria," Georg questioned.
"Georg, I know how much love you still have for Agathe. I don't mind. I know there's more than enough love in your heart for us both," Maria smiled at him.
"Maria, I love you so much," Georg whispered. "You are the most remarkable woman." He reached out, pulling her to him as he bent and kissed her on the lips. "I love you."
Letting her go, he led her to the study door. Opening it, he stood aside as he let her walk past him into the hallway. Stopping to lock the study behind him, he placed a hand on her back as they started walking across the foyer towards the stairs.
He knew that the staff may still be lingering, but he didn't care if any of them saw him and Maria together, even if it was the early hours of the morning. There was only one person that he didn't want to run into. But he was certain that Elsa would still be packing so she could leave early in the morning.
When they reached the landing on the stairs, Georg turned left towards the staff wing with Maria. She turned to him questioningly. He smiled sheepishly at her. He couldn't say goodnight to her. Not yet. Not until he absolutely had to.
Stopping outside Maria's door, Georg wrapped the hand that had been on her back around her waist and pulled her to him. "Good night, Maria," he whispered, his lips hovering near the shell of her ear.
Maria shuddered at the feel of his warm breath. Reaching up instinctively, she was raking her fingers through his hair before she even realised. She let out a gasp as she felt his arm around her waist pulling her flush against him.
Georg bent down, capturing her lips and invading her mouth with his tongue before he could even stop to think. Despite being outside Maria's bedroom door, despite the ungodly hour, despite everything, there was no holding back. He was like a man possessed. Even though it would only be a matter of hours before he'd see her again, it was too long. It may as well be a lifetime.
But just as they were both giving in to a hunger that they were unable to control, a door banging in the distance suddenly pulled them back to reality. Georg quickly fumbled behind Maria for the door handle and bundled them both into her bedroom, before closing the door silently behind them.
Despite the interruption, their need for each other hadn't been dampened. The soft light from Maria's bedside lamp didn't hide her darkening eyes, which didn't break contact with Georg's. Taking small, unsteady steps backwards she soon felt the bedroom door against her back. Her breathing was shallow as she tried to get enough air back into her lungs, the rise and fall of her chest betraying the desire that had overtaken her.
Georg was trying to dampen his own needs as he stared at Maria leaning against the door. It was impossible to ignore her arousal. Unable to think of anything else, he reduced the distance between them, placing a forearm either side of her head. His face and body were barely inches from hers now, but he could feel the heat between their bodies, as if they were pressed together. "Oh, Maria…" he could barely recognise his own voice, it was so heavy with hunger and need.
Despite taking in mouthfulls of air, Maria was struggling to breathe. Georg wasn't even touching her, but she felt like he was assaulting all of her senses. She could hardly breathe as she saw his eyes darkening. As he reduced the small space between them, she could barely think as his natural, musky scent seemed to be growing heavier in what little air there was between them. She was almost dizzy, his hunger enveloping and invading her. But not feeling him, not touching him when he was so close, was a torture all of its own. Unable to hold herself back any longer, Maria reached under his tailcoat with both hands, grabbing fistfuls of his shirt as she pulled him towards her.
Feeling his body press against her, pushing her back into the door, she felt the relief her body needed. "Georg, I love you…" she murmured. "Please…" she pleaded, her eyes wild with desire. But she wasn't even sure she knew what she was begging him for. Her only instinct was that she needed him.
Georg was beyond any resistance. He was supposed to leave Maria at her bedroom door, but now he found himself in her bedroom. And now, after giving in to Maria as she pulled him towards her, he could feel his body pressed so sweetly against hers. It was his last coherent thought as he brought his mouth down to hers and gave in to the hunger that he'd been suppressing for weeks. That had laid dormant for years.
All he could do now was give in to the love they shared and their desperate need for each other.
Thank you everyone once again for continuing to read and review. I appreciate all of your encouragement and ideas. Thank you.
Apologies, I had planned for this chapter to be rather short, but as usual I've lost track of the word count and it seems to have gone on forever. Sorry...I really didn't want to break this one into two parts (I think I've probably done enough of that to you already!).
Sadly, I still don't own TSOM, still just having the most delightfully entertaining lend!