She heard shouting, not the kind of high society, whisper-shouting she was used to hearing when there were arguments at the villa, but real shouting. She and the children were on their way inside from spending the day in the mountains. It had been a lovely day to be in the clouds, and she nearly leapt at the chance to take them on an adventure. She wanted to spend as much time as she could with them before she had to move on.
It was clearly the Baroness and Georg arguing in his study, his booming voice reverberating off the walls. The words weren't clear, but they didn't need to be. It was obvious that the argument had been brewing for a long while. Suddenly, the door of the study burst open, and the Baroness marched out, pushing past Maria and the children on her way to the veranda to cool off. Louisa quickly closed the door behind her, allowing the privacy the Baroness needed and putting some separation between them all. She began to lock the door, but Maria gave her a stern look, and she decided against it.
"What do you think that was about?" Kurt spoke up, always the one to ask the questions nobody else would speak.
"It's none of our business." Friedrich reminded him, as they began to delicately walk toward the stairs. Maria ushered the little ones in front of her, and they all treaded lightly.
Suddenly, Georg stormed out of his study, the door slamming against the wall in his exit. He stopped quickly when he saw the concerned group attempting to sneak past him, frozen in fear. He sighed, doing his best to soften his features before addressing them all. He hadn't expected to see anyone for a moment.
"Did you enjoy your time in the mountains? I didn't expect you back until later." He smiled, doing his best to ease the obvious tension. It seemed the children were all afraid to speak up, so Maria responded on their behalf.
"Yes, Captain, we had a marvelous time. It began to rain, so we decided to return a bit early." He nodded, clearly trying his best to let go of his agitation.
"Well, I won't keep you all. Please let me know if you decide to play something I'd like to join." They smiled at him, and he playfully poked at one of the children before they began moving up the stairs once more. Maria gave him a soft smile before following. "Oh, Fraulein, I have those books you were asking about in my study. Do you have a moment?"
"Of course, sir. You all get cleaned up, and I'll be there shortly." She descended the stairs and walked toward his study, avoiding Liesl's knowing gaze that would make her feel guilty, as she helped lead the smaller children upstairs. Georg closed and locked the door behind her, and before she knew what was happening, he pulled her into a passionate kiss. His hands were all over her, his tongue parting her lips delectably as he backed her into the room. She wrapped her arms around his neck, already feeling his erection grinding against her as she felt her backside press into the desk. His kiss began to trail down her neck, his fingers feverishly working at the buttons on her dress.
"I need you desperately." She sighed, feeling the same, but knowing she could not commit fully, as she was still in the midst of her monthly cycle.
"You know I can't right now." He bit her neck, suckling upon her pulse point, and she sighed as her body caught fire.
"I'm willing to."
"I'm not." She heard him groan against her, his hands caressing her breasts as his lips slowed their movements upon her neck. Her heart was suddenly pounding with nerves as she pushed him into a seated position upon a chair in front of his desk. She kissed him hard, biting at his bottom lip as she pulled away. She had wanted to try it for a long while, but she hadn't been able to get over her own nerves. "But there is something else I'd like to try."
"Maria..." She kissed him again, silencing his words as she ran a hand over his erection, smiling against him when she felt a sharp intake of breath. She began unbuckling his belt, the zipper of his pants feeling warm against her fingertips as she pulled. She kissed his neck as she pushed her hand into his underwear, wrapping her fingers around him and slowly stroking.
She had no idea what she was doing. Only in a few times of exploration had she ever taken him in her hand, and even then she had only stroked him for a moment before he buried himself inside of her. Not allowing herself too much time to be nervous, she began pushing his pants and underwear over his hips. He lifted to help her, effectively being pushed back into the chair once he was bare from the waist down. He smiled at her persistence, fully enjoying the thought of her taking such control. He loved when she took the lead.
She kissed his lips once more before spreading his legs and falling to her knees between them, running her fingers up his thighs as she took him fully into her mouth without hesitation. He gasped, his fingers clenching the arms of the chair as he lay his head back. She understood how he found pleasure when they were making love, and she assumed it would work no differently with her mouth, so she pulled up and took him in once more. The results were what she had hoped for, and she gained a bit more confidence at the sounds of his sighs.
She pulled up again, licking slowly around the tip of him, gently applying pressure to the underside of his erection with her tongue as she explored before taking him in once more. It was not difficult to follow the lead of his reactions, he was nearly melting beneath her ministrations. She began moving a bit faster, applying pressure with her tongue and adding a bit of suction, which caused him to groan in delight, so she continued to do so. She quite enjoyed the sounds he was making and continued experimenting with the ways she could use her tongue, swirling it around him before taking him in fully once more.
He couldn't believe what was happening to him. While she had always been quite adventurous in their love making, she had really only ever followed the lead he set. She would move on top of him, or fight back when it was rough, but never had she taken full control. The feeling of her mouth around him was incredible, too much for him to control his body as his hips moved with her. The sight of his lover, such a strong, beautiful woman upon her knees in front of him, pleasuring him with her mouth, it was more than he could have ever imagined. He had been dying for her to take him in her mouth, though he would never dare ask such a thing. The fact that she wanted to, made the move to do so, made his heart soar. She couldn't have been more perfect.
She sighed as she took him in a bit deeper, truly enjoying the feeling of making him squirm beneath her, and he felt his body aching for a release. Suddenly, his hand came to rest in her hair, pulling her closer, and she found herself choking as his erection touched the back of her throat. She slapped him away, pulling her mouth from him and meeting his eyes from her place on the floor.
"Don't." His eyes were wide, concern upon his face. He was mortified that he had lost control, certain he had ruined it for her, and she would storm away.
"I'm so sorry."
"Guide me with words, if you must." He nodded as she took him in again, maintaining eye contact with him for a moment before refocusing on her task. She ran her hands up his thighs, splaying them across his backside as she pulled him closer. He clearly wanted her to take him in further, so she obliged, taking him in as far as she could. She sucked harder when she felt the veins against her tongue begin to throb. He gasped loudly, grasping the arms of the chair.
"Faster." She obeyed and moved faster, applying a bit more pressure with her lips as he groaned. The sound of him approaching his climax made her stomach jolt with excitement, knowing she was the one taking him there. His fingers were white as he gripped the arms of the chair beneath him, losing all control of his body. He couldn't believe what this woman was doing to him. "Oh, God, Maria...I'm going to come."
She wasn't sure what else she was supposed to do besides continue, but he was clearly warning her in an effort not to finish in her mouth. Was there another way she was supposed to allow him to finish? Perhaps with her hands, she wondered, but she was afraid to cut him short by stopping and figuring out what he liked best with her hands. He had often taken her to completion against his mouth, and he had gone so far as letting her know he enjoyed the taste of her. Surely she could do the same. His body tightened and he gasped in pleasure, as she felt warm spurts in her mouth. She continued moving, swallowing without hesitation as he released.
His hips thrust a bit as he sighed heavily, and she continued to move until he collapsed against the chair, bringing a hand to his sweating forehead. She swallowed one last time before slowly pulling her lips off him, feeling him jolt at the aftereffect of it all as she licked him one last time. He met her eyes as she sat upon her feet, bringing the back of her hand to her lips that were a bit red and swollen. He leaned forward and kissed her, not even bothering to cover himself in any way. He took her face in his hands, gently running his fingers through her hair before he pulled away.
"So it was terrible, then?" He laughed, pulling her against him into a hug.
"You never stop surprising me." She smiled, pulling back to kiss him once more before standing as he began putting himself back together.
"I quite like the thought of me being the one making you weak." She perched upon the edge of his desk as she watched him redress, straightening his tie. He laughed as he approached her, placing a gentle kiss upon her lips.
"I don't mind it myself." She smiled, pecking his lips once more before he stood to his full height, taking a deep breath. He certainly appeared more relaxed, she mused. "Did you hear the argument?"
"We all heard the argument. I couldn't make any of it out, if that's what you're asking." He nodded, straightening his hair the best he could. She reached forward and smoothed a few tresses from his face, smiling. He looked so perfect to her.
"She wanted to know why you and I were walking together the other night. She also noticed that I called you by name at breakfast yesterday." Her heart beat a little faster, knowing the day would come where the Baroness would grow suspicious. Certainly she had been for a while.
"And what did you say?"
"I said I had no idea where you were walking the other night, but I was alone."
"So you flat out lied to her."
"Yes. She caught me off guard."
"There's no way she believed that."
"No, I don't think so. But she accepted it, anyway."
"The woman who just pushed your children out of the way to get away from you has accepted nothing, Georg."
"You're doing that thing you do." She rolled her eyes, knowing he didn't need a reality check at the moment, he needed support.
"I'm sorry, but it's true." He leaned against the desk next to her, sighing.
"I told her there was nothing to worry about and to drop the subject. That clearly didn't go well either."
"You certainly do know how to clear a room." He met her eyes, his own narrowed. She smiled sweetly, letting him know she was teasing him, and he finally gave in and joined her with a small smile of his own. "So what are you going to do then?"
"Pretend the conversation never happened and move on." He shrugged, looking to his shoes to avoid her eyes. She leaned her head against his shoulder, taking a moment with him before she had to leave. He obviously didn't need her to tell him how terrible of an idea that was, so she refrained from sharing her opinion. "There's something else. She kissed me before we argued."
"Hmm...a quick peck, or does she kiss you like I just did?" He pulled away, smirking a bit as she met his eyes. She was surprised by her own remark, suddenly unsure about herself. "I'm sorry, I don't know why I said that."
"Why, Maria, are you jealous?"
"Why would you tell me that if you didn't want me to be jealous?" He smiled wider, and she rolled her eyes. "Arrogant bastard."
"You're not the first woman to call me that." She laughed, but they both knew he could be quite arrogant at times, whether he wanted to admit it or not. "It's nice to get a real, human emotion from you for once."
"Are we here for emotions now?" She raised her eyebrows playfully, doing her best to downplay her embarrassment of showing jealousy. It was a feeling she was not very familiar with at all, and she wasn't quite sure how to take it.
"We've agreed we are not." She smiled a bit and rested her head upon his shoulder once more.
"I'm afraid I'll be missed if I don't go now." He rested his head upon hers for a moment before standing, helping her down from the desk. He kissed her lips, gently massaging them with his own, before pulling away.
"I...um, well." He looked into her eyes for a moment, and she saw something she couldn't recognize flicker before he looked to the floor, seemingly embarrassed, but only for a fleeting moment. "I'll see you at supper."
She nodded and left his study, puzzled about what he had begun to say to her. Her heart pounded at the thought of what he could have said; she had wondered a couple of times in the past if he had nearly said the same thing, but he never did. She was thankful he didn't. It would have certainly been enough to make her run away and never look back, as she had decided long ago that there was no way for her to belong in his world. Not to mention the fact that her life before the villa had stunted her perspective on romantic relationships or, dare she think it, love. She had no idea what that even looked like, no idea how it was supposed to feel anyway. No, it was best to keep herself guarded and safe. They only had until September, after all.
She sighed, shaking her head of the thought. His stumbling words surely were just her imagination. As she approached the nursery, she found most of the children off in their own worlds. Some were reading, others were drawing, Gretl and Marta were playing with dolls. She smiled at how peaceful and happy they looked. She really loved them desperately. Thanks to the children, that was a kind of love she knew everything about.
"Fraulein Maria, where are your books?" Brigitta looked puzzled, and Maria was caught off guard.
"Books?"
"Yes, the ones Father said you were asking about."
"Oh, the books!" She could have kicked herself for being foolish. "Yes, of course. He, uh...he got the wrong ones, so he promised he would try again next time he is in town."
"Father made a mistake?" Brigitta seemed unconvinced as Maria walked over to sit down with the little girls and their dolls, picking one up for herself.
"Strange isn't it? I'll bet he stopped listening when I asked. He thinks I talk too much anyway." She shrugged, smiling in an effort to be believable.
"I have heard him say that before." Kurt piped in, and they all began to laugh. Maria smiled, thankful yet again for the innocence of her charges.