Chapter forty-eight: Song of Solomon

Thomas led Kate up the stairs, his hand held hers tightly. The tension between them was so thick that she felt as if her own throat was going to close up and smother her. He opens his door and starts to lead her inside his room, but she pauses. "I'll join you in a moment."

He looks at her curiously and nods. "Right then."

Kate presses a kiss to the corner of his mouth before breathing into his ear. "Five minutes."

He says nothing, just watches her walk into her room and shut the door. Kate exhales shakily before moving towards her nightstand. As she pulls her pale pink, Grecian styled chiffon nightdress out of the drawer. She hesitates for a moment before removing her white velvet dress. Her undergarments soon follow and she decides to leave the opal pendant on. She pulls the nightdress over her head, spritzes herself with her gardenia perfume and touches up her makeup.

She stands up and surveys her reflection in the full-length mirror. The dress, while being very sensual, made it quite clear that nothing was going to be hidden. While her figure was nothing to be ashamed of, the first thing she noticed was her missing breast. She exhaled and ran her hand over the line for a moment, studying her reflection for a good thirty seconds before reaching for her peach robe. Thomas hadn't made any comments about her missing breast, but tonight would be the first time he'd be seeing her fully.

She ties her robe around her waist and walks to the adjoining doors. She places her hand on the knob and pauses for a moment. She hesitates, inhales and steps into the room. Thomas is sitting on the trunk at the foot of their bed. He looks up at her as she walks into the room. She smiles as she approaches him. He's halfway dressed; his shirt is unbuttoned and open, revealing he's got a tattoo on his chest. She leans forward to get a better look; she hadn't noticed he'd had a tattoo before. It's a curious one, like a half-sun made out of twelve strokes.

"Kate?" he asked.

"Sorry." She blushed as she rubs her neck in embarrassment. "I-I didn't realize you had a tattoo."

"Got it after the war." He states as he stands up, his hands in his pockets. Kate swallows as he steps towards her, closing the distance between them. Her eyes dance around the room; she observes that he's got a fire going in the hearth. "Kate?" she jerks her attention back to him, he seems slightly amused by her. "You alright?"

"Yes, I'm sorry…I wasn't expecting things to be this…tense between us."

"I think…that it's going to be this way between us for a while." He looks at her, running his gaze up and down her, causing her face to heat up. "Until, you're used to this, not that I'm complaining mind you."

"I want to know something first." He hooks his fingers in the waistband of her robe, waiting for her to ask her question. "When we had sex the first time…you were so very gentle and…there was this strong feeling between us. I just want to know, were you in love with me back then? "

He inhaled before confessing. "Yes, I was." She blinks, as he places his hands on her waist. "After losing Grace….I didn't think that I'd ever find love again, especially with someone like you. Nor would I think that a lady like you would…even consider marrying someone like me."

"I would have considered it," she admitted. "because I loved you."

He paused for a moment. "You loved me back then Kate?"

She nodded. "Yes. That's why…you didn't have to persuade me to marry you. I wasn't going to lose another man that I loved."

"I love you, Kate."

At those words, she smiled as she pushes his shirt off his shoulders. "I love you too Thomas Shelby."

Thomas unties her robe, eased it from her shoulders to allow to fall on the floor. The tension in the room was different; it was almost an electric understanding. Kate could barely hold his gaze as he gathers some of the fabric in his hands and pulls it over her head. Kate's body warms instantly, as she stands completely barren before him for the first time. His cold, blue eyes have a heat to them that causes her to blush all over. He holds her gaze as he removes his trousers and Kate uncomfortably brings part of her hair forward, to cover the left side of her chest.

Thomas steps towards her, his gaze threatening to knock her to her knees. They'd never seen each other completely naked until now and she hopes he's pleased. Her face heats as he stepped towards her, unclothed, with the fire casting a glow behind him. He reaches for her hair and pushes it back, revealing the line on her chest. She shudders as he looks at the line. He doesn't say anything to her. Then, he firmly runs his thumb along the line, causing her to inhale sharply. Kate lets out a cry as she grips his hand. He glances at her face quickly before leaning over and pressing a kiss to that line. Tears start to run down her cheeks as she feels his lips on her, lightly nipping and kissing the flesh there.

Kate runs a hand through his hair, causing him to straighten up and kiss her. She holds onto his hand as she steps towards him causing their bodies to meet skin to skin for the first time. Thomas locked an arm around her waist, pulling him closer against him. She trembled at the sensation of feeling her husband against him. Husband. That thought caused her to smile as she draped her arms around his neck.

His hands moved slowly down her back, to her hips, cupping them firmly in his hands. She shuddered, unconsciously moving her hips against him as he presses a kiss to her collarbone. She inhaled sharply as he lifted her up from the ground, pulling her up to his waist. Kate loosely draped her legs around his waist as she gazed down at him

"My wife." He said softly as he moved towards their bed.

She pressed another kiss on his jaw, moving towards his ear as he laid her down onto the bed. Kate held onto his hand as her kissed, causing her to moan. Each kiss seemed destined to turn her into liquid in his arms. His lips moved to her neck, causing her stomach to clench with desire. He moved against her, causing her to let out a moan. She ran her hands down his back as he ran his left hand under her head and entered her. It wasn't uncomfortable this time, it felt natural and perfect this time. Kate closed her eyes, reveling in the senses as he moved to each beat of her heart. No one would ever loved her more than this man, she could feel it with each little touch.

She brought her hands back up to his shoulders, noting that he had some scars along his back. His kisses were passionate as her hands moved slowly down his back. She felt the pleasure and pressure building up inside her again. Kate arched up against him, gasping against the sensations assaulting her body. She clenched tighter around him, causing him to let out a groan in the back of his throat. Thomas gripped her hips tightly, forcing himself deeper inside her. Kate bit her lip and closed her eyes for a second as she felt the explosion growing closer.

"Look at me!" Tommy shouted. The shout was so unexpected that she jumped as her eyes flew open. His blue eyes were tense with emotion as she clung to him as he ordered hoarsely. "Hold onto me."

She did as he asked, digging her nails into his shoulders as his thrusts sped up. She let out a cry as he suddenly thrust so deeply inside her it was as if he'd intended to bury himself completely inside her. His release brought her own and she held tightly onto his neck as the waves of pleasure overwhelmed her. God, how she wished this could have lasted forever. Thomas collapsed atop her, cursing under his breath. He pulled her close and held onto her; Kate was in awe of what they'd just shared together. Had she not been pregnant, she would have been pregnant after this bout of love making with him.

He started to withdraw from her, only to suddenly thrust hard inside her again, causing her to cry out in surprise. "Just making sure," he breathed against her face. "I broke you in…good and proper this time."

She nodded. "Bloody hell."

"Terrible accent, Kate." He planted a kiss to her pounding throat. "I knew there was a fire in you, love."

The word 'love' caused her to smile at him as she gently stroked his cheekbones. "I didn't want to ever fall in love again, nor experience anything like that again."

He kissed her nose. "And now?"

She smiled as his lips moved across her cheeks. "I don't…want to lose this feeling again. I don't want it to stop."

He withdrew from her, rolling her over onto her stomach. Kate frowned in confusion as he pulled her up onto her knees. "Believe me Kate," he breathed in her ear as he pulled her hips against him, causing her to gasp. "it's not going to stop for a long time tonight." Kate gasped as he bit her neck hard, causing her to grow wet again. She could feel him getting hard again. He ran his hand down her side, stopping to caress her belly before continuing towards her wet heat. "There are still so many things," he slid two fingers inside her, causing her to strain against the tight grip he has on her waist. "that I plan to introduce you to tonight, Mrs. Shelby."

And that he did.

Kate let him ravish the hell out of her. After making love for the third time that night, they were both finally spent. Kate lay sprawled across his chest, her head resting against the tattoo on his chest as her eyes drooped, heavy with sleep. As she closed her eyes and exhaled, she felt him let his guard down and relax.

And, for the first time, his dreams were peaceful and undisturbed.

Idcam: He did, didn't he? I had to rewrite that scene 15 times until I was satisfied with it.