Hello Again!

A lot of you are very concerned about the efficacy (or lack thereof!) of the withdrawal method for preventing conception and wondering if I'm aware of it's limitations. I mentioned this in last chapter's author note, but then I deleted it because I thought it might be TMI. But, rest assured, I am very aware. I wasn't able to take the pill when I was young, and hubby and I thought we would rely on the rhythm method after our baby girl was born. Once we were confident we had the hang of it, we skipped using a condom just one time. Our lovely twin boys were born exactly 38 weeks later, which wasn't a tragedy, as we were hoping to expand our little family, but three in nappies was not ideal.

I do hope you enjoy this chapter. Our innocent young couple (because let's face it, 25 and 27 is pretty darned young in my book!) are about to take a big step in their relationship.

xx Elise

~P&P~

Chapter 26

Wondrous

Half an hour later, Isabella had cause to question his assertion as her nerves got the better of her. It was difficult to believe she had been bold enough to wear a revealing gown on her wedding night, a testament to how determined she had been to convince her husband to lie with her. Six nights later, it was about to occur, but the agreement they had reached wasn't exactly what she'd had in mind.

Isabella's hand rose to rest on her belly as she mourned the child that would never grow within her womb. She could only hope satisfying her desire for her husband would be worth the compromise.

"Would you like me to stay with you until His Lordship arrives?" Her hovering maid's tone was solicitous, and Isabella suspected Angela had discerned at least part of the reason for her mistress' apprehension . . . that the marriage was yet to be consummated.

"There is no need for you to wait up."

It was still early, but with the decision made, there had seemed little point passing the rest of the evening in nervous anticipation.

"Very well, then." Angela curtsied, then added before she departed, "You look lovely with your hair down, and that gown is very becoming."

Isabella hoped Edward would be of a similar opinion. He seemed to like her hair, saying the lighter streaks reminded him of a jar of honey held up to the sunlight, an analogy that made her smile. She was wearing a different, more modest, gown than the one she had worn on her wedding night, but one she thought quite lovely. The neckline was low, revealing a hint of décolletage, but otherwise, the white gown was sweet in design. With puffed sleeves, an embroidered bodice, and little satin-covered buttons that opened down the front, the soft fabric moulded to her figure, but not too closely.

She wasn't sure if Edward would release just enough buttons to allow him access to those parts of her anatomy that would need to be exposed or insist she remove the gown altogether. The thought made her shiver. She wasn't sure she was ready to appear naked before her husband, which seemed hypocritical considering she had already seen and touched his naked body while nursing him back to health.

It wasn't the same, she told herself, feeling a little ill at the thought of disrobing. Maybe her mentors had the right of it. Ladies weren't cut out for this sort of thing.

Panicked, Isabella considered unearthing the nightgown Lady Westcott had given her with specific instructions she was to wear it on her wedding night. Made from a very large quantity of a drape-like fabric, Isabella had privately mused that the gown could be used to construct a modest-sized marquee. It buttoned all the way up to the chin and tightly at her wrists.

"There are ribbons as well as the buttons," Lady Westcott had pointed out. "Make sure they are all tied in bows and then double knotted. You may have to get your maid to cut them off when you want to remove it, but it will be worth the effort. If you are not inclined to burn the gown the next day—I did mine—you can have her replace the ribbons for you. But it is better that than your husband too easily obtaining access to locations on your person that he has no right to be bothering."

"What about those places he does have a right to bother?" Isabella had asked out of curiosity.

"Where there's a will there's a way," the matron had muttered. "You must inform your husband he may lift your skirt just high enough and no further. The design is voluminous enough so you can quite easily keep your legs fully covered with fabric and ensure there is almost no direct skin contact, well, other than that which is distressingly necessary."

"Distressingly necessary," Isabella murmured, echoing Lady Westcott's words while she waited for her husband to arrive. It wasn't necessary for them to be intimate at all, but she couldn't deny feeling distressed, and that was before the event.

Whether Edward's feelings in any way matched the depth of her love for him was doubtful, but he had shown he cared for her in numerous ways. The knowledge bolstered her confidence a little.

Considering the turn their relationship was taking, she wondered if she should declare her feelings. The thought was terrifying. Appearing naked before him would leave her far less vulnerable than professing her love and it not being reciprocated. It would be better if she waited for him to tell her he loved her first, if he was so inclined. In the meantime, she would continue to show him by her deeds what lay hidden within her heart. At least if he never spoke the words, she would not have made herself quite as much a fool.

A knock sounded at the door, and Isabella startled.

"Come in." She croaked the words, and the door immediately opened. Edward was dressed in a loose robe over knee-length his nightshirt. Recalling the sight of him in an even greater state of undress, her fingers itched to open the buttons of his shirt, so she could glimpse his bare chest beneath.

The urge surprised her, and Isabella's confidence increased a notch.

Their passion for one another was mutual and nothing for which she needed to be ashamed, though that didn't mean she was completely without fear. But the realisation they were meeting as equals was comforting.

It helped that Edward looked every bit as nervous as she did.

He took a deep breath before removing his robe and laying it across the padded chair she'd had returned to the room. To her relief, he made no comment on its reappearance, though she was puzzled when she saw him place a small towel on the end of the bed. Before she could question him about it, he came to stand before her, the intensity of his gaze robbing her of breath.

"Your hair looks like silk." He caressed the loose curls with his fingers. "It is very beautiful, as are you."

For the second time that evening, Isabella almost swooned. If he kept saying things like that, her fears would soon evaporate.

"I thought you might prefer if I left it down."

"I do," he murmured against her ear before burrowing his face in the curve of her neck and breathing deeply. "I love your scent. Have I told you that?" Lifting his head, he raised a brow at her stunned expression.

He loved something about her!

Summoning her courage, Isabella lifted her hands to rest against his stomach before sliding them upwards, mapping the planes of his chest over the soft cloth of his nightgown.

"I love your broad chest and shoulders," she admitted.

"Really?" He cocked his head to the left. "Even the scarred one?"

"Especially the scarred one." She leaned in to place a gentle kiss to his upper arm then looked up at him through her lashes. "I wish you hadn't been injured in the first place, but it is what brought you home." To me, she added in her thoughts.

"Home," Edward echoed, cupping her shoulders with his hands. "I always hated Masen Manor and never thought of it as home, but you have changed that for me, Isabella. I didn't like leaving you this morning and couldn't wait to return."

"I missed you, too, but I do agree your day away was profitable." She smiled. "Although, I hesitate to think what sort of conversation you and Mr Whitlock engaged in to bring us to our current place of enlightenment."

"Yes, well . . ." Edward harrumphed. "It might be best if you put that out of your mind, as I fully intend to."

Isabella's smile faded at the thought of what they had given themselves permission to do. With a groan, Edward lowered his head and joined his mouth to hers. Their kiss began as a tender meeting of mouths and soon evolved into a searing conflagration. She opened her lips to him immediately, his taste eliciting a moan she did not attempt to contain. They had not missed even one night, but after their temporary estrangement, it felt like forever since he had kissed her with passion. As he wrapped his arms around her, one hand between her shoulder blades and the other dropping low on her back, he brought their bodies into complete alignment. With no space left between them, Isabella felt the shocking hardness of his erection pressed against her lower stomach.

She froze, her breath hitching in her throat.

While she understood a man's member became distended when he was aroused, the difference was more than she had expected. She had felt him before when she had straddled his lap the night of their wedding, and when they had lain together on the couch, but now that they were actually going through with this, he seemed bigger than she recalled.

"Sweetheart?" Edward broke the kiss to look into her eyes. "Don't be afraid. I promise I won't hurt you."

"I know, at least, I know you won't mean to. You might not have much choice in the matter." Isabella was nothing if not pragmatic and imagined a certain degree of realism might be wise. "Can we take things slowly?"

"As slowly as you want, or need. We have all the time in the world."

"Not all the time," she said wryly. "If we are going to do this, I would rather we got it done tonight. I fear waiting will only increase my apprehension."

Edward chuckled. The movement of their bodies rubbing together brought an altogether different hitch to Isabella's breath, and he wasted no time taking advantage.

The kisses that followed were different from the ones they had already shared. No longer torn by the knowledge Edward was going to call a halt, Isabella gave herself up to the sweet sensations. She loved how close they were, their mouths moving in harmony, changing direction as they kissed from first one angle and then the other. She loved the feel of their lips brushing together, touching, lingering, and tasting one another. Forcing her lids open, her passion-drugged senses revelled in the way his heat enveloped her. Their noses brushed, their cheeks nuzzled, and Isabella thought it very special indeed. When Edward's eyelids opened, she treasured what she saw in his dark, glittering gaze.

Desire . . . for her.

He began to move his hands over her body, seemingly everywhere at once. Well, almost everywhere. There were places they had yet to visit that made her ache with longing. For now, his hands roamed her back, caressed her shoulders, and travelled down her spine. When he reached her hips, he shaped them with his hands before cupping her bottom and pulling her more firmly against him.

Edward's moans mingled with her soft cries. She hoped their enjoyment would continue to be mutual, and her dour mentors' words of warning that only the gentleman received pleasure from marital congress were unfounded.

He grew bolder, his hands drifting upwards to brush against the sides of her cloth-covered breasts, and Isabella recalled her earlier temptation. With no need to resist, she began to open the buttons of Edward's nightshirt. When her fingers reached his bare skin, he broke the kiss and watched her smooth the shirt from his shoulders and down his arms. With a shrug he let it fall to the ground, leaving him bare to the waist, dressed only in his undergarments. She sighed with admiration at the sight of his naked torso.

He had gained weight since his recovery, and his muscles had become more defined. She trailed her hands over the dark hair that formed a triangle in the centre of his chest, but she wasn't brave enough to follow the path that led downwards.

"Do you like what you see?" Edward's question surprised her until she saw the uncertainty in his eyes.

"Very much," she whispered, leaning forward to plant soft kisses on his chest and shoulders, paying special attention to his battle scars.

Shuddering, he lowered his head to nuzzle the curve of her neck. Kissing in a line from her shoulder to a place just below her ear, he captured her attention in such a singular fashion she marvelled at the sensation his touch aroused. She tilted her head to give him greater access, as tingles of pleasure raced across her skin. Arching her back, she pressed her breasts against his chest. When he lifted his mouth from her neck, Isabella whimpered at the loss of his lips. But then she saw his gaze had focused on where they were pressed tightly together, her breasts spilling over the bodice of her gown. Placing his hands on her shoulders to steady her, he took a small step back, allowing just enough room between them to gain access to the buttons that ran down the front of her nightdress.

One by one, he released them, taking his time. His left hand was a hindrance but seemed intent on helping. As each small, satin-covered button popped free, her nightgown gaped open a little more, slowly revealing the inner curves of her breasts. A little alarmed by the hungry look in his eyes, she fought the urge to tell him to stop, that it was too much, too soon. When he had undone the buttons all the way to her waist, he moved to brush the material apart, but she stayed him with her hand.

"Wait, please?"

He raised his head to meet her gaze.

"Would you mind if we went over to the bed?" she asked.

"Of course." He led her with one hand while she clutched her gown closed with the other.

The room wasn't brightly lit, but he doused the extra candles, leaving only the soft glow of a lantern beside the bed.

"Better?"

She nodded, relieved he seemed to understand her reticence. Still, she wanted to explain. "It is just that this is the first time I've been naked before a man—"

"I should hope so," he said.

Isabella groaned. "Before my husband," she corrected. "I'm a little shy."

"Don't worry. I know exactly how you feel. I was mortified when I discovered you were an unwed lady, considering how much of me you had seen."

"Oh, don't remind me." Isabella cringed. "I didn't mean to take advantage, and I promise I treated you with the utmost respect."

"I know." Edward's expression grew serious as he sat on the edge of the bed and drew her to stand between his parted knees. "I was mostly angry with myself, for I had allowed myself to fantasize about you, assuming you were safely out of my reach."

Isabella's jaw dropped. "You did? You wanted me even then?"

"I wanted you when you were playing hymns in church, and I was half dead."

They both laughed, the sound fading when he drew her closer still.

"May I?" he whispered, raising his hands to the edges of her gown.

She nodded and then held her breath, as he parted the fabric to reveal her breasts. For a long moment he stared, unmoving.

"Isabella," he eventually whispered. "You are so very beautiful." His gaze rose to her face. "What did I ever do to deserve you?"

"You rescued me when I behaved foolishly and put my family at risk." She gave a little shrug.

"Not foolishly, bravely, selflessly. You saved my life, Isabella, in more ways than one. You . . . rescued . . . me." Edward punctuated his words with kisses to her lips, his hands circling her waist and drawing her closer until her breasts came in contact with his chest. Her head fell forward and rested against his shoulder as the sweetest sensations she had ever experienced swamped her senses. She'd had no idea being held by the man she loved, skin to skin, could feel so wonderful.

"Edward," she whispered, hugging his shoulders.

"My Bella," he replied, the first time he had used the shortened version of her name. No one called her that, except for her sisters occasionally, as it was too familiar. But she liked the sound of it coming from his lips.

After a long, delicious moment, he withdrew from nuzzling her neck. His eyes were dark, intent upon her face, as he climbed onto the bed. Capturing her hand, he brought her with him. The coverlet had already been removed, the blankets and sheets folded back, so there was nothing to hinder them. Once she was settled, Edward took a moment to retrieve the towel he had placed on the end of the bed and tuck it under a pillow. Isabella's eyes widened as she realised its purpose.

What a strange business this is, she mused, momentarily distracted. But then Edward lay on his side and drew her into his embrace. Her gown gaped open, but she resisted the urge to cover herself, as he pillowed her head on his arm.

"Are you cold? I could pull the blankets over us."

She was tempted to accept his offer, but not for that reason.

"I'm not cold." She tentatively stroked his chest, suppressing a surge of guilt. The freedom to caress him would take time to come to terms with.

"You are not going to change your mind, are you?" she asked, meeting his gaze.

"Definitely not. I'm sorry for treating you so badly before. Believe me, I was equally tormented."

He stroked her back, and she relaxed in his arms, enjoying the closeness and the intimacy. In time, the desire for more overrode her insecurity. As if sensing her need, Edward kissed her softly and brought his hand between them. She held very still while he parted her gown and then carefully, gently, cupped one of her breasts.

Isabella's eyelids fluttered closed as Edward's lips claimed her mouth. He stroked her breast with his fingers, squeezing and caressing until she was lost in a world of pleasure. Minutes passed before he broke the kiss and trailed his lips along her jaw and down the side of her neck. He paused to nibble along her collarbone, and she murmured her encouragement,

The many times she had bathed herself or brushed her fingers against the places he was touching with his mouth and hands had never felt like this. She had not even realised such feelings were possible. As if he sensed her wonderment, Edward lifted his head and looked into her eyes. The hand that had been mapping the curve of her breasts trailed along her sensitised skin. As Isabella shivered in response to the strokes of his finger, he studied her intently.

"What are you thinking?" he asked.

"That this, that you, are wonderful."

"I was thinking the same thing." He pulled his arm from beneath her neck. "Would you like to lie back?"

She smiled at the eagerness of his expression before considering what would come next, and her nervousness returned in a flurry of rapid heartbeats. Once she was settled upon the pillow, she watched Edward warily. Her gaze followed his hand as he reached all the way down to her ankles and slid his fingers beneath the hem of her gown. Slowly and deliberately, he pushed the material up her legs and over her knees until it bunched around the tops of her thighs. She watched his eyes widen as he saw her legs for the first time.

Even if she had not seen him naked before, Isabella had at least had the opportunity to admire the shape of his limbs in his tight-fitting breeches. Her legs could have been tree stumps for all he knew, so well were they covered by her petticoats and skirts. More exposed than she had ever been in her life, she plucked at the sheet as she wondered what he thought of her. She rued her decision not to have him pull the covers over them, until he whispered in a voice filled with awe. "You are astonishingly lovely."

Her sob of relief caught his attention, that and her exposed breasts, and his gaze travelled slowly over her body. When he reached her face, he encountered her worried expression.

"Don't be afraid." He leaned down to kiss her lips.

"I just don't want to disappoint you," she said. "I have never done this before, and I am worried I won't know what to do."

"Neither have I," he reminded her as he moved over her. Holding his weight up on his good arm, he positioned himself between her legs. "I don't think it's all that complicated, and we seem to be doing fine."

Isabella wriggled a little, widening her legs so Edward's body fit more comfortably in the cradle of her hips. "You're right," she said, riding a seesaw of fear and desire. "Men and women have been doing this since the beginning of time. It can't be that difficult."

"And we both agree it feels wonderful." He let his weight rest on her a little, so his chest brushed against her breasts.

"Yes, wonderful." Isabella sighed, as their mouths met.

Edward rocked his hips forward as they kissed, and she focused on the feel of his length and hardness pressing against her. He was right where he needed to be, with just a few layers of cloth separating them. Liquid warmth coiled inside her, and she wondered if she should worry about the dampness she felt between her thighs. Hoping it was all part of the mystery, she kept silent. When Edward reached between them to lower his undergarments, she helped by tugging her gown out of the way. Their eyes met as he positioned himself at the entrance to her body, his fingers lightly brushing against her sensitive flesh.

"Are you ready?" he asked, his voice a hoarse rasp.

"I think so." She nodded. "Is there anything I should do to help?"

His smile was laced with passion as he whispered, "You are adorable. Do you know that?"

No one had ever described Isabella as adorable before, but before she had a chance to respond, she felt him slowly pushing forward.

There was pressure, and tightness, and she didn't think it was going to work.

"Trust me?" he asked, his touch gentle where he stroked his fingers against her thigh.

She nodded, and he urged her to widen her legs. Then he moved forward, inside her. A sharp, pinching sensation caused her breath to hitch, and Edward froze.

"I'm fine." Bringing her hands up to his shoulders, she urged him onward. They had come too far to stop now.

It hurt as he pushed further, stretching and even burning a little. Her breath came in quick pants, as her body attempted to accommodate this most intimate of invasions. Twice more he hesitated in response to her winces, until he could go no deeper. Then he held very still.

"I am hurting you."

Isabella shook her head in denial, then acknowledged the pain with the shrug of one shoulder. "A little. Can you give me a moment to adjust?"

"Take as long as you need." He lowered his forehead to rest against hers. "I don't want to hurt you. It doesn't seem fair. The feeling of being inside you is so wondrous, I can't even begin to describe it."

His words were a balm, and she felt her muscles slowly relax. As the tension left her body, the pain dissipated and an altogether different sensation began to take its place. She reached around to his back and soothed his tautly held muscles with gentle strokes. In response, Edward let a little more of his weight rest against her, the action rocking their bodies together where they were joined.

Isabella gasped in surprise at the pleasure that radiated out from where they were connected. She moved restlessly beneath him, and he raised his head to study her face. Taking his cue from her tender smile, Edward slowly withdrew before pushing forward again. The second penetration was less painful than the first. With the third stroke of his body, it grew easier still. By the fourth and fifth times, the pain was replaced by a growing pleasure that captured her attention.

Driven by instinct, Isabella raised her knees and hugged Edward's hips with her thighs. The action opened her body further, allowing him deeper and making it easier still. They both moaned at the increased sensation the position afforded them. While his lips nuzzled her neck, he established a pattern of slow, steady strokes. Her hands roamed boldly, lower and lower down Edward's back until she reached his hips. She gripped them tightly and gave in to the urge to rock her own hips in counterpoint to his. Losing his timing, he lifted his head to gaze at her with slumberous eyes. "Don't stop," he said when she hesitated, and they found the rhythm together.

It was all so new and awe-inspiring. The feel of Edward's skin was warm and smooth beneath her hands where she stroked his back, rougher from its dusting of hair where his chest brushed against her breasts. Isabella hugged him close, feeling the pressure building inside her with every surge of his body. When he pushed deep, her insides clenched, releasing a burst of the most intense pleasure she had ever experienced. With her eyes closed, she focused her attention on the fleeting sensation, wanting to feel it again.

Eager, searching, Isabella held tight as Edward thrust harder and quicker inside her. She felt as if she was climbing to a great height, the journey a revelation of sensation and desire. Cries escaped her lips as he drove deep, her body pulsing with pleasure. Arching her back, she sought more of the same, much more. But just when she thought it—whatever it might be—was about to happen, Edward groaned. A tremor rippled through him, and he withdrew from her body with a suddenness that left her reeling. She felt him grab for the towel he had tucked beneath the pillow as he continued to shudder and shake in her arms. Even with him holding the soft cloth between them, she could feel him pulse against her thigh.

"Isabella," he groaned and buried his face against her neck. His other arm held her so tightly she could barely breathe, but it didn't matter. Breathing was a nonessential in that moment. Her husband had joined his body to hers. A strange and intimate mixture of pleasure and pain, the experience had the potential to be truly extraordinary, she hoped. The agitation she had felt when he'd called a halt to their kisses was nothing to her current degree of frustration, her body humming with an almost unbearable tension.

As for the ache in her heart, Isabella understood why Edward had chosen to deny her his seed. He sought to protect her. But as his grip on her relaxed and he collapsed against her side, she was unable to stifle a sob.

~P&P~

So, what do you think? It ended on a slightly sad note, but the chances of her climaxing the first time when they are both, almost entirely clueless virgins, was slim. I thought, all things considered, that they did pretty well. As to the issue of her possibly becoming pregnant, his reaction, and whether or not they can break the curse . . .

Until tomorrow,

xx Elise