"Would you be so kind as to lock the door, Mrs. Mahajan? My hands are a bit full, as they say."

"Tiana giggled at the usage of her new last name and reached for the door. With a firm click, she locked the door of their honeymoon suite.

With that click came the firm realization of this moment - they were finally married, they were alone, no one would bother them, and Naveen was going to take her to bed.

In fact he already was. With Tiana safely in his arms, he took confident steps through the living room of their suite and into the bedroom which had the biggest bed Tiana had ever seen, complete with fluffy pillows and silk sheets.

Her attention was soon diverted elsewhere as Naveen kissed her again, making her toes curl in delight. As he lowered her onto the bed, Tiana felt her nerves and excitement boil over.

This was it. Was this it? Oh god, this was it. Was she ready? Yes. She loved him, she wanted him, and she wanted to be with him that way. Of course she was ready. She'd been ready for a long time. It just seemed like it was going so fast, and...

Naveen broke the kiss and smiled down at her as he sat next to her on the edge of the bed. "Are you alright, my Evangeline?" he asked, stroking her cheek.

"Yes, I'm fine," she replied.

"You have that terrified look on your face," Naveen explained, and Tiana grimaced.

It wasn't that she was afraid, but she was a little scared. It was hard to explain. "Sorry."

"I'm not going to just throw myself at you, you know," Naveen said calmly. His hand had moved down to rub her arms and Tiana could feel some of her tension slip away.

"We'll take it slow, yes?" Naveen continued. "And we'll talk through everything." He cupped her hands in his and gave them a squeeze. "I want to know everything that you are thinking and feeling. And you know you are free to tell me if there is something that you do not enjoy or don't want to do."

He'd said that before, the night he came back from Maldonia, and Tiana felt herself flush remembering the things they had done that night and just how good it had felt, and that she only had to ask and he would do it again.

"Yes, I know," Tiana said.

"Good." Naveen leaned down to give her a quick peck on the lips. "So...what are you thinking now?"

Tiana smiled softly and ran a hand down his arm. There were so many thoughts going through her head right now, it was hard to pick just one.

"I'm thinking how nice it feels to lie down," she laughed, and he did too. "My feet have been killing me."

"My poor bride," Naveen said, and gave her another quick peck. "Why don't you let your husband take care of that for you, hmm?"

He scooted down the bed and sat with her feet in his lap. Carefully he undid the shoe straps and slid each of the heels off of her feet, setting them on the floor. Naveen took one of her feet in his hands and began to rub the foot with his thumbs, starting at the tip of her toe and moving slowly to her ankle.

Tiana let out a groan of satisfaction, the likes of which she'd never uttered before. She felt her cheeks flush again, but she'd never had a foot massage before, and it felt too good to stop voicing her pleasure.

"And how is this, princess?" Naveen asked, massaging the arch of her foot.

She moaned and laughed at herself. "Mmm. That's heaven."

Naveen smiled, applying a little more pressure, delighting in the way it made Tiana sigh and relax onto the bed. Maybe this could even become a routine for them. He wouldn't mind helping her relax after a long day of working on the sugar mill, and then even after that when they had turned it into the restaurant of her dreams.

They could have routines like that now and Naveen was looking forward to making them. Right now though, he had other things on his mind.

"How are you feeling?" he asked, switching to her other foot.

They shared a look and Tiana knew he wasn't asking her about the massage anymore. She hesitated, but decided it would be best to say exactly how she was feeling.

"Good. And...excited." She flushed again.

Naveen smiled warmly and squeezed her foot.

"But...I guess I'm feeling a little nervous, too."

"That's normal," Naveen said.

"It is?"

"Of course," he said. "It can be scary, especially the first time." He squeezed her foot again. "But you know I'm going to take care of you, yes?"

"I know," Tiana told him.

He went back to the massage, and after a moment said, "If it makes you feel any better, you are not the only person in this room who is feeling nervous."

Tiana blinked. "You? Really?"

As if to prove it, Naveen holds out his hand out straight. At first it's still, but then Naveen started shaking it in an exaggerated manner. Tiana couldn't help but laugh, and the way he smiled at her, she could see that was his goal.

With her foot, Tiana poked him in the stomach. "Come on, stop teasing me."

"I am not teasing," Naveen countered. "I really am nervous."

"But you've done this before."

"Not with you," Naveen said quickly before they could both dwell on the fact that he had slept with a lot of other women. "This is our first time together and I want it to be perfect for you."

"Oh, Naveen," Tiana said with a smile. "It's already perfect. We're here together, aren't we?"

He chuckled softly. "That we are, princess."

"That's all that matters to me," Tiana said.

"I married a very wise woman," Naveen said and she laughed.

"Well, I try."

They shared a shy smile, but it was full of love and promise too.

Naveen switched back to the other foot.

"How'd you get so good at giving foot massages?" Tiana asked after a moment. "If I had to guess, I'd say you've never given one before."

"You would be correct, princess," Naveen said, chuckling again. He had received many massages over the years, but he wasn't taking from those experiences now.

"I am simply listening to your body," he explained.

That had to be one of the sexiest things Naveen had ever said to her, and that was saying something, as the man could make anything sound sexy.

Tiana had the sudden urge to say something equally as sexy back. Could she though? Of course she could. It was just flirting, after all, and Tiana had a naughty idea of what to say.

She sat up and scooted herself closer to him, making more of her legs drape over his lap. She tried to look as sexy as she could, but Tiana suspected the effect might be hampered by the heavy blush that was spreading around her cheeks.

"What do you think my body is telling you now?" Tiana asked.

Naveen met her gaze, and their eye contact was so intense it took everything Tiana had not to look away. She bit her lip instead, and Naveen's eyes were drawn to them, then down the rest of her body and back up again to her lips and at last to her eyes.

One of his warm hands moved up her leg and rested comfortably on her thigh.

"Well," Naveen said at last. His voice was a little husky and it made Tiana shiver. "It sounds to me like you want a kiss."

She had to say it. She couldn't not say it. "Kissing would be nice, yes?" she teased.

Naveen snorted and they both laughed an easy laugh of people who had come so far together.

"Come here, you," Naveen said and brought her in for a kiss.

They had kissed so many times since they had fallen in love, and even with so many kisses between them, there was always those elements that were there that made each kiss a delight.

When Naveen had been away in Maldonia and feeling particularly lonely he liked to torture himself by imagining he could count them. Her taste, her smell, the way she touched him, the way she made him feel.

But the things that made Tiana so wonderful were impossible to count. She was full of an infinite amount of possibilities, each one more marvelous than the next, and Naveen would happily spend the rest of his life discovering all there was to know about her.

He was about to deepen the kiss when Tiana pulled back.

"Wait," she whispered.

"What is it?" he whispered back, panting. "Is everything alright?"

"Yes it's fine." Tiana cupped his worried face and gave him a reassuring smile. "It's just...before we go any further, would you mind if I changed?"

Naveen blinked, his mind coming back from the fog that their kiss had turned it into. "You mean your clothes?"

"Yeah."

"Of course I wouldn't mind," he said, and dashed aside all thoughts of him taking her wedding gown off her. No matter. He would still take something off of her, and that's all that mattered.

And maybe she wanted to change into something more risque. Just the thought made his pants tighter than they already were.

He ran his hands up and down her arms gently. "Whatever makes you comfortable," Naveen added.

She gave him a shy smile, said, "Thanks," and kissed him briefly on the lips. "I'll um...be right back."

"Okay. Take your time."

When the bathroom door closed behind her, Naveen let out a happy sigh and flopped backwards onto the bed with his arms behind his head he smiled wide to himself.

He just felt so happy! Surely no one else in the history of the world had ever felt as happy as he did in this moment. He had finally married the woman of his dreams, they were going to make love, and soon she would come out in sexy lingerie.

Yes, life was good.

Though if she was changing clothes, perhaps he should as well. Yes that seemed like a good idea. He was about ready to bust the seams of his dress pants. It would be a relief to change into looser pajama pants.

It would be even better when he could take them off completely. And it would be even better when...

Just calm down, Naveen. Don't get too excited. Not yet anyway.

He took a few deep breaths as he changed into his pajamas and robe, and thought of jazz chord progressions - his old standby for times when he needed to calm down a bit. Not that he had needed to use it much before.

Back then he had always had a steady rotation of partners, and as such had gotten quite a lot of practice in the art of making love and lasting long in bed.

Now though... Well, the fact was he hadn't had sex with anyone since he met Tiana a little over a year ago. It was the longest he had ever gone before, and thinking about it too much made his nerves bubble up.

Naveen hadn't been lying earlier when he told Tiana he was nervous, and he really was worried he wouldn't make tonight perfect for her. But part of making it perfect included making sure he didn't climax too soon.

Tiana wasn't the type of woman to laugh at him for doing so, but it was not how he wanted her to experience making love the first time. If he could just make it through this first time, he knew it would be okay.

Any other time he might be embarrassed, but it wouldn't be anything he couldn't laugh off. Their first time though...

Naveen ran a hand through his hair, exhaling loudly. Why was he worrying about himself when there were so many other things to worry about?

Because of course this would be their first time together, but it was also Tiana's very very first time, and he didn't want to hurt her.

"That's why we're taking it slow," Naveen told the reflection of himself in the vanity mirror. "And we'll be talking through everything. I know how to do this."

He had bedded virgins before, but again, it had been a long time. He felt himself get harder again just thinking of taking Tiana to bed.

Just calm down Naveen. C major 7 to A minor 7 to D minor 7 to

"Where you talking to someone?"

Naveen spun away from the vanity to find Tiana in her nightgown and robe on the other side of the room. He could weep at how beautiful she looked.

"What was that, princess?"

"I asked if you were talking to someone," Tiana repeated, coming over to his side. "I thought I heard you saying something."

He realized at that moment that he must have been saying those chord progressions out loud to himself. Sometime in the future he would explain why, but for now Naveen only gestured to the window and the stars that were shining down at them from the night sky.

"Just talking to Ray and Evangeline," he explained.

Tiana leaned into his embrace as they looked at the stars together. "And what did they have to say?"

"They say congratulations," he said and kissed her cheek, "and that it took long enough."

Tiana laughed. "Well, they're not wrong." She tilted her head up to his. "It is nice to finally be married."

"Yes it is," Naveen agreed, and kissed her cheek again. "This means you are enjoying yourself so far? Yes?"

"Oh I'm having a great time," Tiana said.

"Me too," Naveen said, and kissed her on the lips this time.

"Hey, so, I have something for you."

"Oh really?" Naveen asked. "What is it?"

"Well, don't get too excited," Tiana said. She went over to her things and ruffled through them a little. "It's not much, and it's really not very good."

"Tiana, whatever it is, I love it already."

She smirked. He would say that. "I thought maybe it could be an anniversary present? Or a wedding gift? Or something… Except it's nothing compared to this." She gestured all around them, indicating the river boat.

"It's not a competition, darling," Naveen said. "Besides, you know as well as I do that we won't be able to do anything like this for awhile." Not until they had the restaurant up and running, and making a profit.

"But if you are so worried," he continued, "next time you can pay for everything."

Tiana laughed but she pointed firmly at him. "I'm gonna hold you to that."

"I know you will."

At last, Tiana pulled out a single piece of paper. "So, I...wrote you a love letter."

Naveen couldn't stop the smile on his face. "You did?" He remembered how worried she had been writing him love letters when they had been apart. No wonder she was acting so self-conscious. There was no need, though. Just the fact that she had done this was better than anything money could buy.

"I wanted to try writing a poem, but it was too hard," Tiana explained. "So I thought a letter would be easier, but it's still not anything like yours and-"

"Tiana," he gently interrupted. "Will you read it to me? Please?"

"Okay," she said quietly. "But you can't laugh."

"I would never."

Tiana took a deep breath and began to read. "To my husband."

Naveen let out a sob.

"You said you wouldn't tease me," Tiana scolded.

"I'm not teasing," Naveen sobbed, though he tried to hold it back, as he wiped away his tears. "It's so beautiful."

"Oh Froggy." Tiana found a tissue for him and kissed his cheek when he finished blowing his nose. "May I continue?"

"Please."

"To my husband," she said again. "I never imagined that I would find someone that I love as much as I love you. Whatever the circumstances that brought us together, be it fate or luck, choice or chance, I give thanks because it gave me you.

With you I've found everything that I needed. And even more than that, when I see you, I see my future. No matter what happens with the restaurant, I know it's going to be okay because you'll be there by my side.

You've touched my life in so many ways, Naveen. Ways that I might not ever be able to put into words, and I'll spend the rest of my life trying to tell you, but for now I'll just say I love you, and hope you know I mean it with all my heart.

You are my everything, and I promise that I will always love and cherish you wherever the future takes us together."

Tiana put the letter down and saw Naveen was crying again. But he was smiling, even through his tears.

"Mi sitara lu'seinn." Naveen cupped her cheeks and kissed her, softly and tenderly on the lips.

"Does that mean you liked it?" she asked. Their arms had slipped around each other, and they stood in a gentle embrace.

"I love it," Naveen said. "And I love you." He kissed her again, then once more, each time lingering slightly longer on her lips.

"I don't know where you got the idea that you can't write a good love letter," Naveen continued. He kissed her again and smiled. "That was the most beautiful letter I've ever heard."

"You're sweet," Tiana said and kissed him back.

They began to sway in their gentle embrace, and soon they were dancing very slowly around the room. There was no music, but Naveen hummed a soft tune to match the mood, and that was enough.

Tiana let out a happy sigh as he kissed his way down her neck. She rested her head on his shoulder, inviting him to kiss her more there, and when he took the hint, Tiana sighed again, happy and content.

Her mind drifted back to their first wedding night. In retrospect they had probably done everything wrong in the way they told their families they were in love and married. But it wasn't like they made manuals for how to tell your loved ones that you had fallen in love with someone while under a spell.

That first night they were human again, Tiana had been so afraid things wouldn't work out with Naveen. It was true that once the spell had broken their lives had gotten immensely more complicated, but here they were one year later. Still together, still very much in love, and falling more in love every day.

Sometimes it was hard to believe how little they had known each other when they first decided to get married. Tiana had felt such a deep connection to Naveen when they first married, and then when the spell broke she was able to learn about a whole new side to him.

Even now there was still a lot to learn. There would be plenty to learn tonight, obviously, but even beyond those more intimate matters, there were even simple things that delighted her. Like the fact that she now knew he wore a silk robe over silk pajamas.

It was such a simple thing, and yet Tiana couldn't believe she hadn't learned this until now. Naveen had seen her twice in her old nightgown, while the only time she had seen him in sleepwear was in that borrowed sleep shirt one year ago today.

The silk was a nice improvement.

She ran her hand along his chest, feeling the fabric smooth at her touch. Underneath it she could feel the heat of Naveen's body, warm and inviting. He moaned softly even as he continued to kiss her neck, and Tiana shivered at the sound as much as from his touch.

"I like your PJs," she whispered playfully.

Naveen chuckled softly and moved his kisses back up to her lips. "This might be a stupid question," he whispered along the side of her mouth. "But what are PJs?"

Tiana giggled and pressed a soft kiss to his cheek. "It means pajamas," she whispered.

"Oh." Naveen chuckled again. "I should have been able to figure that out." He was giving her that bedroom smile when he pulled back just enough to thoroughly look her up and down.

"I like yours, too, from what I can see," Naveen said. His fingers began trailing along the lapel of her robe which covered most of her nightgown. "It looks different than what I've seen before."

"It's new," Tiana explained, though she left out that Lottie had gotten her the négligée as a present. She couldn't believe Lottie had given her such a risque garment (though Lottie had assured her it really wasn't that bad), and she couldn't believe she was wearing it now.

She shivered again as Naveen's gaze met hers.

"Will you show me?"

"Okay," Tiana said with more confidence than she felt. It wasn't that she didn't want to (she very much did), but her nerves were coming back in full force.

She took a deep breath, reminding herself that those feelings were normal, and that this was Naveen who wouldn't do anything that she didn't want to do. With shaky fingers she untied the sash of her robe, pulled it aside and let it fall to the floor.

Naveen's jaw dropped, and the tent in his pants stiffened considerably. Tiana could wear anything, but this... This was a whole different level. With fine lace embroidery around the bust, a hemline that came above her knees, and shoulder straps so thin it looked like he could just tug at them and the négligée would fall apart, it was the most revealing thing he had ever seen Tiana wear.

God damn it was sexy.

"Achidanza..." He whispered under his breath.

Tiana giggled nervously as she fiddled with the hemline. "You like it?"

"Like it? It's..." His brain had blown a fuse, and he couldn't think of the right words. There weren't enough words to describe her. Beautiful, of course. Radiant, stunning, glamorous.

His. She was all his.

"It's perfect," he settled on. Naveen reached for her and cupped her cheek, stroking her dimple with his thumb. "You're perfect."

Naveen leaned down to kiss her, but Tiana placed a finger over his lips.

"You too," she whispered shyly, then tugged a little on his robe when he furrowed his brows in confusion.

Oh of course. It wasn't fair that she be the only one not wearing their robe.

Quickly, Naveen tore his own robe open and tossed it aside. Tiana didn't even get to look before he was kissing her again, furiously, and passionately. There was a hunger to his kisses, but Tiana was hungry too, and she kissed him back just as hard.

Without breaking the kiss, he picked her up and carried her back to the bed. He laid her back down and this time climbed on top of her, perhaps a little more forcefully than he would have liked, as she cried out softly in pain when her head hit the pillow.

Naveen sprang away to the other side of the bed. "Sorry! Sorry!" he exclaimed, trying to catch his breath, all the while silently berating himself.

He had told himself he was going to take things slow and be gentle with her, and yet here he was practically throwing her on the bed and… squishing her? What exactly had he done?

"It's alright," Tiana said, out of breath herself. "It's just all the bobby pins in my hair." She reached for him. "Kiss me."

How could he resist such a request? Naveen let himself be pulled into another kiss, and his hands tentatively touched her hair. His hand almost sprang back there were so many pins in there.

"Faldi faldonza, you're like a pin cushion"

"Mama must have put at least a hundred in there," Tiana laughed. She took Naveen's face in her hands and brought him in for another kiss.

He wanted to move things along, he really did, and Tiana seemed to want that as well, but Naveen found himself holding back. He couldn't stop thinking about those bobby pins, and the hair they were pinning up.

Could he ask her to take the pins out? After learning all about her hair and why she always kept it up, Naveen felt hesitant to do so. Maybe it was asking too much of her on top of everything else. Still, maybe he could try to convince her that it was her idea…

"You weren't planning on sleeping with those pins in, were you?" he asked softly, letting his lips brush against hers as he spoke.

"Right now, sleeping is the last thing on my mind," she whispered back, and kissed him again, providing the perfect distraction from his thoughts of her hair. Even going so far as to suck on his bottom lip, making him let out a guttural moan into their kiss.

Oh yes, she knew exactly what she was doing. It was a nice to make him lose himself that way for once. It was almost… powerful. What kind of power would she have over him if she took out all those bobby pins? Because she knew that's what he wanted, she wasn't that naive.

Could she do it, though? Just the thought made her nervous, but so had showing him her négligée, and look at how nice that had turned out.

Alright. She would do it. Just as soon as she made Naveen moan one more time. She bit his lip, softly, but it was enough to reward her with that primal sound once more.

"Do you want me to take the pins out?" she whispered.

"God yes." Naveen exhaled heavily and buried his head in her neck where he planted kiss after kiss. "But you don't have to if you don't want to."

"I know," Tiana said. She tilted his face up to hers, and smiled. "I do want to."

Naveen raised his eyebrows. "Really?"

"Yes." Tiana kissed him once more, chastity this time, and sat up in bed. Naveen followed her example and sat up too, watching her eagerly.

"Hold out your hand," Tiana instructed him.

"What for?" he asked, but did as she asked.

"For the pins, silly," Tiana explained. She reached up to her hair, pulled out a single pin, and placed it in his outstretched hand. "I told you there's a lot, and I don't want to lose them in the sheets."

One by one, Tiana took the pins out of her hair. The more pins she pulled out, the more she thought that this was a bad idea. Her hair was going to be a mess, not the sexy sophisticated look it should be the first time her husband saw it down.

She should have taken it down earlier when she changed. That way she could have taken her time and at least have had access to a mirror.

There was no going back now, though, and Tiana kept putting each pin carefully in Naveen's hand. The pile was growing, and she could feel the curls coming loose. Some, no doubt, would still stick close to her head, while others would spring in any direction they choose. It was sure to be unflattering, but the lustful look in Naveen's eyes kept her going.

At last, she placed the last pin in his hand. Avoiding his gaze, Tiana did everything she could to stop herself from smoothing down her hair. This meant that her hands went to her arms, and she began to rub, absentmindedly.

"Well?" Tiana said at last.

"Tiana…"

Tears immediately stung her eyes. She blinked and looked up to find tears in his eyes too, but also smiling the sweetest smile. She smiled back.

"You're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen."

They melted into another kiss. Naveen forgot he was holding all of the pins, and they all spilled out of his hand when he cupped her cheek.

"Oh no," he said, but he was laughing.

Tiana started to laugh

One by one they picked up all the pins and placed them safely on the bedside table. Now that they were finally out of the way, Naveen could focus all his attention on his wife.

With a tentative hand, he reached out and gently stroked her loose hair. It was big and wild and everything he had imagined it to be.

"So beautiful, Tiana."

She dimpled shyly, and he did too. They both leaned in and soon they were kissing once more. It was gentle and slow at first, but it didn't take long before things started to heat up. Tiana kissed him, and kissed him, and kissed him again. She kissed him like he was oxygen and she was short on air.

Naveen guided them so they were lying side by side as they kissed. He ran his hands down her back to her hips, cupped her sweet ass making her gasp, and then pulled her into his hardness making her gasp again.

Wet kisses landed on her neck, interspersed with teasing nips and greedy licks. He moved down, kissing her shoulder, her collar bone, and then at last her chest, the part that wasn't covered up by her nightgown anyway.

It was enough, though, and when his hands moved up to cup her breasts and his thumbs grazed over her stiff nipples, Tiana let out a moan like she'd never uttered before.

"Is this alright?" Naveen rasped against her skin, kissing along the fabric that covered her breasts.

"Yes," she whispered. Tiana threaded her fingers through his hair, holding him close.

His hands moved away from her breasts and moved aside the thin strap of her nightgown. He kissed her bare shoulder and then nuzzled against her jaw and ear, pressing soft kisses to her cheek, the corner of her mouth, her lips.

"Can I take this off?" he asked, rubbing the fabric sensually between his fingers.

Tiana breathed, thinking, and hesitated just long enough for Naveen to take his hand away. She held back a whimper in her throat. She wanted those hands back where they were!

"Is it too fast for you?" Naveen asked, cupping her cheek instead.

"No, it's not that," Tiana said. "I want to do it, but I'm…" She bit her lip, thinking how to best explain. She loved what they had been doing, and wanted to continue, but she still felt a little afraid to expose herself so fully, even to Naveen.

"I guess I'm feeling a little shy," she settled on. "Sorry."

"There's nothing to apologize for, princess. It's completely normal to feel that way," Naveen said, giving her a warm smile. "What can I do to make it better?"

"I don't know," Tiana admitted.

Naveen thought for a moment, then locked eyes with her. He smiled a naughty smile that made Tiana's insides squirm in the best possible way. "Would it help if if I went first?"

Tiana's toes curled as a shiver passed through her body. This sounded like an excellent idea. "It just might at that," she said.

Naveen grinned and gave her a quick peck on the lips. He started to pull his pajama shirt over his head when Tiana stopped him.

"Can I…?" She blushed.

He gave her another peck and smiled. "How do you want me?"

Tiana guided him so they were on their knees facing each other on the bed. She ran her hands over his chest, feeling his warmth behind the fabric. The fact that soon she would be able to see and touch his bare skin made her shiver in anticipation.

Rather than simply pulling the shirt off, Tiana opted to unbutton the shirt. She smiled at her husband and popped open the top button. Then the next button, and the next. Each one showing more and more skin.

When Tiana got to the bottom of the shirt, her hand brushed against the tent in Naveen's pants, making him gasp. She wanted to touch it again, but not before she took off Naveen's shirt.

His skin peeking through the fabric was so inviting, she just had to touch it.

She wiggled her hands under the fabric and touched his quivering belly, then moved them up his chest. When she got to his shoulders she moved her hands down his arms, pushing the shirt aside as she did so.

The shirt came off, and was tossed to the floor, leaving Naveen naked from the waist up.

Tiana thought she had never seen anything so beautiful as her husband bare in front of her like this. His skin was like a magnet and she found herself touching him again.

He was more muscular than Tiana had expected. His muscles weren't defined, but as she ran her hands over his arms again she could feel just how strong he was. This explained how he was able to lift her up so easily when they danced, and when he carried her to bed.

"For somebody who once said he didn't know how to do anything, you sure have a lot of muscles," Tiana said playfully.

Naveen huffed out a small laugh and smiled. "I think you will find me much changed since I said that."

He cupped her face and kissed her. He pulled Tiana into his lap, those strong arms of his held her tight. Tiana had always enjoyed kissing Naveen. It was true what he boasted about when they first met - he was an excellent kisser. But kissing Naveen without his shirt on? This was a whole new level of kissing, and Tiana couldn't get enough.

He was so warm and his skin so delectable. Greedily Tiana ran her hands over his arms, chest, and back. Touching it wasn't enough though. She kissed along his jaw and neck, shivering when he whispered her name into her hair. Her breath was a ragged sigh against his throat before her teeth scraped at his skin.

Naveen moaned softly as he slipped his hands under her nightgown to trace his fingers over her back, her quivering stomach, and then her breasts. Whenever his hands weren't on her breasts, they seemed to move to her waist, bringing her closer to him, so she could feel exactly what she did to him.

And yet it still wasn't enough. They still weren't close enough. Touching him like this, and having him touch her was wonderful, but she wanted to feel his skin on hers. Tiana knew all she had to do was lift her arms and Naveen would remove her nightgown. It was easy as that.

She still felt shy about it, but her desire was too strong to fight. She kissed him hard on the lips, and lifted her arms.

Naveen immediately took her queue. Their kiss was broken only long enough for Naveen to lift the nightgown up and off. Tiana knew she was blushing hotly by this point, but the sensation of it all was too good to stop.

Naveen's hands went back to cupping her breasts. He tweaked at the pebbled flesh with his fingers, making Tiana gasp again and again.

She felt his mouth on her neck. He dipped his head, running his tongue downward, tracing a path to her breasts. Tiana threaded her fingers through his hair, holding his head close while he nuzzled and kissed. He grazed her nipples with his teeth, drawing from her another startled gasp of delight.

Naveen guided them to the bed again, letting Tiana lie safely on her back.

"How are you doing so far, my darling?" Naveen asked.

Tiana giggled. "I'm doing wonderful," she said, as if he couldn't tell.

"Good. Me too."

Tiana took in a breath, ready to say something, but then she stopped. A moment later she did it again.

Naveen raised an eyebrow at her. "Something you'd like to say, love?"

"I don't want to ruin the mood."

"Don't worry about that," Naveen said. He laid down next to her and cupped her cheek. "What is it?"

Tiana bit her lip, and glanced over at his beautiful body. Despite how nervous she had been to take off her clothes, it felt completely normal to lie nearly naked with him now.

"It's been on my mind for awhile, and I guess I should have asked before, but it never seemed like the right time." Tiana took another deep breath. "I guess what I want to know is… will it hurt?"

Naveen paused and propped himself up on his elbow. He traced along her skin lightly with his fingers. "It can, if you go too fast," he said at last. Naveen gave her what he hoped was a reassuring smile. "That is why we are going slow."

"Okay," she said, though there was still a tinge of fear behind her words.

"Tiana, I promise that I will do everything I can to make it as painless as possible. And if it is too much, we can always try again another time." He took her hand in his, his finger brushing over her wedding ring, and pressed a kiss to her palm. "I love you, and I don't want to hurt you."

"I know," she said and scooted closer to him. "So… what kinds of things were you planning to do?"

Naveen gave her a naughty grin and inched toward her. "Well," he said, easing his hand along her side, "the first thing to do is to make sure you are very relaxed." He leaned in and kissed her. "How am I doing with that so far?"

"I think you can cross that off your list," Tiana giggled, and kissed him back. "What else?"

"Perhaps I should do a hands on demonstration, hmm?" Naveen's hand was flat on her stomach, and he started to inch in downward.

Tiana gasped in anticipation. "Yes please."

"Mmm so polite. How could I deny my princess after that?" His hand moved into her underwear and he rubbed.

Tiana gasped and clung to him as he traced her folds, dipped inside briefly and began circling the part of her that wanted his attention most.

"You're such a tease," she laughed.

Naveen chuckled, and licked at her neck. "You're so wet."

"Naveen, please."

He circled her clit again. "Is this where you want me?"

Tiana surprised herself by moving her hips, trying to catch his fingers, but he was quick and kept them just out of reach. "Yes," she whimpered.

"Mmm I want to touch you there too. To see you squirm and wriggle in pleasure."

"What's stopping you?" Tiana asked. She could feel something building up inside her, something that seemed to say that if he didn't touch her there soon she might die.

"I was just thinking…" Naveen said, continuing his circling, driving Tiana mad, "that I could use my mouth as well. And wouldn't that be-"

"Yes!" Tiana cried out, surprising herself again. "Please Naveen. I want your hands, I want your mouth, I want… you." She was blushing hotley again, but she couldn't help the way her body felt.

"Then you shall have me." He kissed her hard, and then with no ceremony at all, took off her underwear and tossed them aside.

Tiana didn't even have time to realize she was naked before Naveen put his mouth between her legs.

He kissed her there, and she cried out as she felt the heat blooming inside her. Another kiss, followed by a slow tasting. He hummed his approval and covered her with his mouth, sucking with slight pressure as his tongue lavished her.

Tiana huffed and squirmed as the pleasure grew. Somehow she found her hands tangled in his short hair, holding onto his curls for dear life. Maybe too hard, because Naveen pulled back a little, grimacing.

"Can you loosen your grip, princess?"

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry," Tiana panted, springing her hands away from his head. "I didn't realize."

Naveen chuckled and took one of her hands and kissed her palm. "It's alright. It's just felt like you were pulling my hair out." He laughed again and kissed her other palm, then guided her hands back to his hair.

Gently she threaded her hands through his hair again, but she whimpered softly. "I'm so close," she whispered when their eyes met.

"Let me take care of that for you," he said, kissing down her thighs. "This should help with that."

Two fingers worked into her, and her eyes rolled back into her head. He began a steady rhythm as his tongue flickered over her and she couldn't prevent her hips from rising to meet his thrusts. Her body was coiling tighter, grasping at his fingers as he drove them in and out.

"Naveen."

He inserted a third finger and she came apart with strong, wrenching convulsions. He rode out the orgasm with her, dragging out the pleasure with soothing flicks of his tongue. As the aftershocks spaced out, he pressed a parting kiss to her sex and rose over her to blanket her with his body.

She held onto him tight and buried her face against his chest, breathing him in as he kissed her temple softly.

"You're so beautiful," he whispered in her ear.

"I love you," Tiana whispered when she had breath enough to speak.

"I love you, too." Naveen kissed her dimples, the corners of her mouth, and at last her lips.

Tiana cupped his face sweetly as they kissed slowly and tenderly. It was one of the best kisses they had ever had, and Tiana couldn't imagine how it could be more perfect.

Except for one thing.

"I want to see you," she whispered against his lips. "All of you."

Naveen smiled and kissed her once more. How could he deny his princess such a request after she had waited so long? Besides, he felt like he really might bust a seam any moment now.

He gave her a few quick pecks before sliding off the bed and standing next to it. Tiana rolled over to her side and propped herself up on her elbow, the better to watch him undress.

"God, you are so sexy," he said as he untied the drawstring of his pajama pants.

Tiana giggled a little. "I'm not even doing anything." But she did feel sexy lying here like this in the afterglow of her climax.

"Let me tell you a secret, my love," Naveen said. "You are always sexy."

He pushed down his pajama pants, leaving only his underwear. Tiana gasped softly seeing just how firmly he was tenting the fabric.

"So are you," she said, and surprised herself by reaching for his hardness.

He was unprepared when she stroked over the fly of his underwear. Pleasure coursed through him in a heated wave. His cock jumped, and a hoarse groan tore from his throat. His stomach muscles flexed as he tried to catch his breath.

"Tiana…"

"Is this alright?" she asked, blushing hotly. This was the first time she had ever touched him there and he was warm and firm in her grasp even through the thin fabric.

"Oh diame mi. Eo'nado dispange," he whispered as he trembled.

"Naveen?"

He blinked awake and smiled breathing heavily. "Yes," he said at last. "It is alright. It is so so good." He knew he was being less than eloquent with his choice of words, but it was hard to think of anything other than the pleasure of her touch on his cock.

Naveen moaned again. "You have no idea how long I have waited for you to touch me like this."

Tiana gave him a smirk. As if he wasn't the one who had stopped her from doing this time and time again. But now wasn't the time to argue over semantics.

"I have some idea," she said. Tiana moved so she was sitting on her knees and kissed him. "I want to touch you more. Without these." she whispered, letting her fingers dip into the waistband of his underwear, making him shiver and shake. "Can I take them off?"

"Oh god. Please."

So she pulled them down and they landed on the floor with a soft thump.

She had seen the tent he had made, had touched it as well, but that hadn't prepared her to see him naked in all his glory. God he was beautiful. Beautiful and very, very large. Tiana's eyes opened wide as she took him in, but she didn't get to look for long.

Naveen kissed her again, hard, knocking them both back down to the bed and onto their sides. Their limbs tangled up in each other as their hands excitedly explored the other's body. And Tiana did explore him, along his side and thigh, she gave his rear a squeeze, and along his stomach and back. Everywhere it seemed, except where he most wanted her to touch.

Despite her confidence just a few minutes ago, Tiana felt her nerves return full force. She wanted to touch him and pleasure him like he had done to her. Lord knows he deserved it. But she didn't have the faintest idea of how to pleasure a man.

What was she supposed to do? He had seemed to like it when she just held him earlier, but that couldn't be it, could it?

"Please, Tiana," Naveen begged. "Touch me."

She could feel herself start to panic. "I… I don't know what to do."

"You can do whatever you want."

"I don't want to disappoint you."

"You couldn't."

"Please just… show me what to do. Show me how to make you feel good."

"Like this." He wrapped her fingers around himself with a groan and taught her the rhythm he prefered, the pressure that drove him out of his mind. Things he'd never shown any other woman he had slept with. They'd only ever cared about themselves.

Tiana was different. She was really worried about disappointing him? How could she? Even when she simply smiled at him, it made Naveen feel like the most important man in the world because she had smiled at him, when she could have smiled at anyone. And now here in bed, it seemed like her entire being was focused on pleasuring him and it was almost too much for him.

No, really. It was almost too much.

"Ah, wait… I…" Naveen gently pushed her hand away, breathing heavily.

"Oh no, I'm so sorry," Tiana said out of habit. "What did I do?" Inwardly she was cursing herself. Of course, of course, she would mess this up. Even when he showed her exactly what to do she couldn't do it right.

"Hush now, love," Naveen said and kissed her softly. "You didn't do anything wrong."

"Then why did we stop?"

"Because you're good. Too good." Naveen kissed her again, but Tiana's mind was whirling with unanswered questions.

"I don't understand," she confessed when they broke apart.

"You almost made me climax," he said with a soft chuckle and rubbed his nose against hers.

Now she was really confused. "I thought you wanted to," she said, pressing her forehead to his and scooting closer, running her fingers along his chest. "I want you to, too." Oh how she wanted to watch him climax. She wanted to see, to hear, to feel, to just experience it with him.

"I do want to, but…" Naveen pursed his lips. Oh dear. How to explain? "When a man climaxes it can take awhile before he is ready again." Naveen took her hand and kissed it. "And I don't want to wait longer than I have to to make love to you."

"Well, then," Tiana said, feeling her cheeks burn even as she tried to sound seductive. "It sounds like there's only one thing to do, hmm?"

Naveen's eyes brightened. "You're sure? You're ready?"

Tiana cupped his cheek and smiled. "Yes."

He kissed her and rolled them over so she was on her back. "You have to talk to me, okay? If something hurts, if you don't like it, if you want something more, if it's perfect. Say everything."

"Okay. I will."

Naveen kissed her again, then reached over to the nearby nightstand and started rummaging in the drawer. He pulled out a small tin and popped it open to reveal three … well it looked like something made out of rubber.

"What's that?" Tiana asked when Naveen took one out and removed the paper wrapping.

"Remember we talked about waiting to have children until we are ready?" Naveen held up the condom. "This will make sure that actually happens."

Children! In all the excitement over actually spending the night with Naveen, Tiana had completely forgotten that this could result in making a baby.

"Oh," she said with blush as she watched him slip the condom on. "Wait.. that's it? That's all that it takes? I thought it would be… I don't know, more complicated than that."

Naveen smiled and leaned down to kiss her. "You will find that when it comes to making love, things are not as complicated as they seem."

His hands glided up and down her body as they kissed. He slid a hand down her inner thigh, and sank his fingers deep, working her until her hips were rocking. Withdrawing, he teased her clitoris with gentle touches.

"Naveen…"

"Tiana," he replied, breathing heavily in her ear.

Something hard prodded at the entrance of her body and pushed inside slowly. Tiana gasped out loud as he entered her.

"W-w-wait," Tiana stuttered, and pushed on his chest a little.

"Does it hurt?" Naveen asked, his voice rising slightly. "Should I-" He started to pull out, but Tiana shook her head and held him to her.

"No, no, it's…" She licked her lips, breathing hard. It did hurt a little, but it wasn't so much pain as her muscles stretching to accommodate him. Still, she didn't think she could take him all at once. "Just…just give me a minute."

A minute. Yes. He could do that. He could last for a minute. It would be difficult though. Already he felt himself ready to go over the edge, and he was only about halfway inside her. He concentrated on his breathing. Anything to anchor him.

"Yes. Okay." He exhaled loudly, and kissed her cheek. "Okay, okay, okay."

Tiana held onto him tight as he continued to kiss her cheek, down her neck, and then to her breasts. It all felt so new, so exciting. Every touch, every caress felt electrified now, and Tiana couldn't help but gasp at each one. And yet even through it all Tiana thought back to what Naveen had said earlier, about how he had been ready to climax. What must this be doing to him? He was breathing really hard even as he kissed and nuzzled her.

She brushed the sweat off his brow. "Sorry if this isn't what you-"

Naveen shushed her gently and kissed her lips. "Don't worry about me. I'm alright," he whispered. "Are you?"

He twitched just a little and Tiana gasped. "Getting there," she replied, breathless.

Naveen kissed her again. All her little noises were charging him up again. He needed to calm down if he had a chance of lasting. He needed to calm her down. Naveen could feel how tense she was (oh god how he could feel it). Maybe there was a way he could help them both at the same time.

"Have I ever told you about when I first realized I was in love with you?"

Tiana let out a breathless laugh and stroked his hair. "No, I don't think you ever have."

"Do you remember back in the bayou, when we first danced together?" Naveen asked. His hands ran up and down the side of her body, and settled on her breasts.

Tiana laughed again, even as she sighed at his touch. "Don't tell me you fell in love with me when I was stumbling around and stepping on your toes! I must have been the worst dance partner you've ever had."

"Well, our feet had grown in size, so I wasn't going to hold it against you," Naveen teased. Then he started laughing too and he shifted into her a little more.

They both gasped and Naveen looked down at Tiana with a raised eyebrow. Is this okay?

Tiana nodded and smiled. Yes. Keep going.

"But you picked it up very fast," Naveen continued. He kissed her again and pushed in slowly. "And it was remarkable to watch you open yourself up to me the more we danced. I remember you laughed at one point and it was the most glorious thing I had ever heard. I knew I wanted to make you laugh again."

Tiana was breathing hard by this point. All she felt was the sensuous stretching that went on and on until Naveen seated himself fully inside her with a loud exhale.

"Y-you do make me laugh," Tiana stammered.

Naveen kissed her neck sloppily, holding himself inside. "You had shown me a different side of myself when we made the gumbo together. And… and it felt so good helping you do the same." A raw groan escaped his throat as she squeezed on him. "It wasn't long before I k-knew that you were everything I needed."

Naveen finally began to move. He withdrew, thrust back into her, retreated, returned, picking up a driving rhythm. Tiana arched her back and rocked against him, moaning as the motion pushed him in even deeper.

"Tiana," he said with a groan. "You feel so good. Sweet Tiana, my Tiana."

His words excited her further. She tried to speak as he'd asked her to, but all that came out were gasps and sighs of pleasure. Instead, she communicated how she felt with her body, remembering that he would be listening for that as well. She moved with him, matching him thrust for thrust.

"Just like that," he whispered. "Perfect. You're perfect."

Their bodies picked up the tempo. Hips surged and retreated. And he was close. He was so close. But he didn't want to come without her.

He searched between their bodies until he could touch her right where she needed it. She burned and wound tighter and tighter. Their eyes locked and Tiana would have been embarrassed if it weren't for his smile, the tender way he brushed the hair from her face before his free hand tangled with hers. It was such an incredible feeling of being loved.

Release seized her. Hard wrenching spasms stole her ability to move, speak, and think. The hand interlaced with hers tightened. His motions sped up. With one last deep thrust, he joined her in falling apart.

The world was silent but for their hearts trying to synchronize their crashing.

Naveen kissed her and rolled onto his side, taking her with him. She tucked her head under his chin as they held each other tight. Her kinky curls pressed into his arm, and her breath tickled his chest.

As Naveen embraced a boneless, contented Tiana, Naveen couldn't ever remember feeling so happy, so content, so loved. He knew making love to Tiana would be different than all those other times he had slept with a woman, but he hadn't realized just how different it would be. He'd never been so in tune with someone before. He'd never been so desperate to please or so elated when she climaxed. But that was love, he supposed, and thinking about that sent a thrill right through him.

He disposed of the condom and pressed kiss after kiss to the top of her head.

"I love you," he whispered as he kissed her and held her tight. "Are you alright?"

Alright? Her tongue felt heavy, and her brain felt muddled, and she couldn't form the words she wanted to say. But what exactly could she say that would describe the way she felt? Were there even words for it? She shivered again as an aftershock went through her, and wondered if they even needed words. She hugged him tighter, and pressed sloppy kisses to his shoulder and neck, then nodded smiling into his chest. Was she alright? Never better.

"So what did you think?" he asked after a moment. "Was it like you thought it would be?"

She hugged him tighter and grinned shyly up at him as she took a moment to process everything. She felt radiant in the afterglow of it all, but her thoughts were all jumbled.

"I…" Tiana licked her lips and laughed softly. "Now that it's over, I can't really remember what I thought it would be like." Tiana smiled at him again. "But I do know that I liked it."

Naveen grinned back. "I liked it, too." He kissed her sweet lips. "I love you."

"I love you, too."

They kissed again and settled back into a casual embrace. Naveen sighed happily and stroked her hair. The silence was broken by the rumble of his stomach.

Naveen looked embarrassed as he placed a hand over his tummy. "Sorry," he laughed.

"You can't possibly be hungry after all that food we ate at the reception," Tiana mock scolded him.

Naveen laughed. "Hey, I can't help it, I used up a lot of energy just now. Plus I need sustenance to keep up my strength."

Tiana giggled. "When you're right, you're right." She kissed him. "And a snack does sound good right about now."

Naveen sighed and looked at her a little forlornly. "Too bad the kitchen won't be open until morning or we could call for room service."

Tiana twirled one of his curls around her fingers. "You know, there is that cheese tray in the other room."

"Ah! You are right, my darling!" Naveen kissed her hard and rolled over on top of her again. "I married the smartest woman in the world."

It didn't take a genius to remember a cheese tray, but Tiana wasn't going to tell him that. Not when his kisses were so nice.

He pinned her arms above her head and kissed her again. "You stay right here, and don't move," he told her, rubbing her nose with his. "I will be right back."

From her vantage point on the bed, Tiana watched her husband wander completely nude into the next room. How did that saying go? I hate to see you go but I love to watch you leave. Mmmm. Yes. That certainly applied here. Tiana's toes curled thinking of the view she would have when he came back.

She shivered slightly and she pulled the covers over herself, wondering how he was even able to walk. Tiana's own limbs felt like gelatin. Her entire body felt like gelatin. It was a delicious feeling, one she didn't think she'd ever get tired of.

Before she could start to miss Naveen too much he came back in carrying the tray of carefully laid out snacks.

"Hey, you moved," he fake pouted.

"I was cold without you," Tiana replied, trying not to stare too much, but her eyes kept being drawn there. Though judging by the smile he gave her, he didn't seem to mind her looking.

"Let me warm you back up, then," Naveen said. He handed her the tray and climbed under the covers with her, pulling her to his side, but not before giving her another long kiss.

Tiana took a grape off the stem and popped it in Naveen's mouth. He spread a little of the cheese on a cracker and fed it to his wife, letting his thumb brush against her lips as she ate. They giggled softly and then with a sigh Tiana rested her head on his chest, tracing her fingers across his skin.

Naveen kissed her temple and took some cheese for himself. "Happy?" he asked.

"Mmm very." Everything seemed so perfect in this moment. Tiana pressed a kiss to his chest. "Are you?"

"Oh yes," he said in a husky voice. Tiana looked up to see him giving her that wicked grin of his and popped another cracker in his mouth.

"You're really okay with trying to get the restaurant tomorrow?" she asked.

"Of course," he replied as he chewed. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"It's just… you know we won't have a normal honeymoon. We'll have to start working on fixing up the sugar mill right away." Not that they could afford a normal honeymoon anyway. But Naveen was from royalty and was used to luxurious trips around the world. Royal honeymoons probably lasted for months at a time, and they would only get this one night.

"We talked about this, remember?" Naveen said. "You've wanted this restaurant your whole life, and I've wanted to help you with it for as long as I've known you." He covered her hand with his own and pressed it over his heart. "We can finally get started on making your dream come true. Nothing could make me happier."

Tiana smiled at him, but Naveen could still see a twinge of doubt there.

"In fact," Naveen said, "I have something for you."

He kissed her quickly and reluctantly left the bed to rummage through his things.

"Another present?" Tiana asked, taking the opportunity to move the nearly empty cheese tray to the nightstand. "You've already given me too much."

"That is where you are wrong, sweetheart," Naveen said. "Nothing is too much for you." He winked and she felt a blush form on her cheeks from his words as much as his nakedness once more fully on display. Was it her imagination or was he getting hard again? "But do not get too excited about this surprise," he continued. "It, ah… is not my best. In fact I wasn't even sure I was going to give it to you, but…"

He brightened having found what he was looking for. "Close your eyes and hold out your hand."

"Alright," Tiana said with a laugh, and made a show of covering her eyes with one hand and holding out the other.

She felt Naveen place something heavy in her hand, and when she opened her eyes was surprised to find...

"A hammer?" Tiana asked.

"I know it is not a traditional wedding present," Naveen said, giving her a sheepish smile. "But I know it will be useful when we work on the sugar mill as well as…" He ran a hand through his curls and smiled again. "Well, I thought it could also be a bit symbolic for us. As we, you know, build our lives together? I wanted to prepare a proper speech about it but-"

Tiana cut him off by grabbing him and pulling him in for a kiss. "It's perfect," she whispered. "I couldn't ask for anything better."

The hammer was safely placed aside and Tiana pulled his mouth her hers again, and when their lips me, her hunger exploded. She kissed him like he was her very air, her food, and water. She kissed him with everything she felt inside. And he returned it all with equal passion.

Breathing hard, Naveen asked, "Do you want to-"

"Yes," Tiana said. Yes, yes, yes. The sudden urge to have him inside her again was almost too much. She didn't think she could wait another second. "Hurry."

Naveen quickly fumbled for another condom before resettling himself on top of her and between her legs. He pushed his way in, and her muscles clenched at him immediately, and the squeeze of her against his cock was excruciating.

"Tiana," he whispered, as he began to thrust his hips.

"Naveen," Tiana whimpered in reply, holding onto him tight.

"I'm not going to last very long," he panted. His thrusts were already speeding up.

Tiana moaned and gasped. "M-me either."

This spurred him on, and he kissed her as he thrust like a madman, performing acrobatics with his hips that most certainly could only have been the result of possession. He put every ounce of his musculature to work with the single goal of giving her pleasure.

Tiana broke the kiss as she let out a short, sharp cry as the orgasm crashed into her, but he'd already felt it coming from deep within. Her inner walls squeezed him tightly, again and again, and he let go a hoarse cry of his own as his senses shorted out from pleasure.

He collapsed on top of her and he used the last ounce of his strength to roll onto his side, taking her with him. Their lips met in another kiss as their breathing slowed, but even as they kissed Tiana could feel herself slipping away into sleep.

"Naveen I… I don't think I can stay awake much longer," she whispered.

He smiled against her lips. "It's alright my love. It's been a long day, and you need your rest for tomorrow," he said with a kiss. "Sleep, and know that I will be here when you wake."

Tiana was asleep before he finished his sentence.

Tiana awoke a few hours later to the soft sound of Naveen's voice as he stroked her hair. For a brief moment she thought they were back in the bayou. Normally she was a heavy sleeper and it was unusual for her to wake up in the middle of the night at all, but maybe there had been something about sleeping in a place where so many things could eat you that had kept her from sleeping too deeply then. Or maybe it was just that Naveen's voice was so lovely to hear that she never wanted to miss a word.

Because she would often wake to find him whispering sweet nothings in her ear. Usually it was about how he would always love her and keep her safe.

Tiana smiled at the memory and at the realization that they were not in the bayou any longer, but in a comfortable bed on their wedding night. It took her sleep addled brain a few moments more to realize that Naveen wasn't even whispering to her in English. It must be Maldonian, she decided.

"Seitu mi deamata, Tiana. Mé adimora aza tuito mi coeraz."

Even without knowing what any of that meant, Tiana could easily argue that it was one of the sexiest things she'd ever heard. She stirred unconsciously, and Naveen pulled his hand away from her hair.

"Sorry, princess," he whispered. "I didn't mean to wake you."

She stretched and turned to face him, nestling in his open arms with a happy sigh. "I don't mind," she whispered and kissed his chest. "What's that you were saying?

"Oh just some Maldonian," he whispered back. He had resumed stroking her hair as he held her close, giving a happy sigh of his own.

"Well I gathered that," she teased, but kissed him on the chest again. "Will you teach me sometime?"

"You want to learn Maldonian?"

"Of course I do, silly. It's a part of you."

He smiled and kissed her nose. "You're sweet."

"Does that mean you'll teach me?" Tiana asked.

Naveen sighed and gave her a lopsided grin, stroking her cheek softly. "I don't know if I am the best person to teach you, but I will try."

Tiana reached up and booped his nose. "What are you talking about, you're a great teacher. You taught me how to dance, among other things…."

She grinned slyly at him and he had to laugh. And kiss her.

"Dancing is one thing, a language is quite another," Naveen said. "But as I said, I will try." He did like the idea of hearing Tiana speak Maldonian. Just the thought of it made his cock jump.

Tiana traced a finger along his arm. "So how do you say-"

"Wait, you want a lesson now?"

"Well, not a full lesson," Tiana said. "I just want to know one thing."

"And that is?"

"How do you say I love you?"

Naveen chuckled and let his hand stroke up and down her bare back. "Ah, princess. It is such a simple question, yet the answer is rather complicated."

Tiana arched an eyebrow at him. "Seriously?"

"Maldonian has many different words for love," Naveen explained. "For example, the way you love to watch sunsets is different than the love you feel for your family, no? Or the way you love someone when they are far away is different than when they are near."

"That's true," Tiana said and scooted closer to him. "So how many different words are there for love?"

Naveen pursed his lips. "You know, I've never really counted. But I would say at least fifty."

"Fifty?" Tiana laughed. What was supposed to be a fun flirty thing had quickly backfired on her. "Sounds like I have a lot of work ahead of me."

"We can make it fun," Naveen said, bringing their foreheads together. How much fun would it be to teach her all the dirty words and sayings that Maldonian had to offer? But that could be for later. "But I will tell you what it is that you were probably looking for in the first place, which is how a husband and wife say I love you."

"That was the idea, yes."

Naveen stroked her cheek and said, "M'passionaza."

"M'passionaza," Tiana tried and could feel the shiver pass over Naveen. "I like that."

"I like it when you say it." Naveen kissed her and then kissed her again. "There is also a very special way for couples to say I love you," he whispered against her lips.

Tiana smiled and curled her toes. She could feel his hardness pressing against her again. "Oh?"

"But it is not to be taken lightly," he explained. "It is only used by those who share the bonds of true love."

Tiana looked deep into his eyes. "How do you say it?"

"Mé adimora."

It took Tiana a moment to recognize the words, those very same words he had whispered to her in her sleep. "Oh Naveen." She pulled him in for another kiss. Another condom was put on and he entered her while they lay side by side.

Slowly they began to rock against each other. She felt so close to him, as they held each other, reaching for the other's bodies as well as their soul. Tiana felt herself get lost in his eyes, his smile, his touch. His hands trembled as they ran over her side, resting on her hips as he thrust.

She hooked a leg over his side and they both moaned as he slipped deeper inside.

That feeling was building up inside her again, that race towards the precipice, but she was nowhere near as lost as Naveen was, at least not before he adjusted his position and sucked on one of her breasts.

She held his head and cried out at the shock of it. His touch felt so good. When his fingers began to tease her other breast, she felt it between her legs and she began to quiver and clench. With a sudden piercing jolt she came apart.

"Oh God," Naveen was grunting. "Oh God oh God oh God." His movements grew, and then he seemed to go almost still, caught in one last thrust before moaning her name and trembling beside her.

"Tiana," he said again, his voice barely a whisper. "Tiana."

"I'm right here." She stroked his hair, smoothing back his soft soft curls.

"Tiana." And then again. "Tiana."

She liked that he couldn't seem to say anything besides her name. Heaven knew she wasn't thinking much beyond his.

"I never want to stop touching you," he said. Then softer, "I love you." He sounded incredibly drowsy.

His eyes were closed and if he had not fallen asleep, he would very soon. Already his breath had begun to even out, and his eyelashes - so thick and dark - lay lazily against his cheeks.

She stroked his hair again and kissed him softly on the lips. He smiled, even in his sleep.

"M'passionaza," she whispered, feeling herself succumbing to sleep as well. "Mé adimora, Naveen."