A/N - Hello all! By special request from nat - here you go - the next
chapter, which was easier to type out now that I'm done crying. :-( Hope
you like it.until later xox - G
Chapter Twenty-eight
Whoever said a bed of rose petals was romantic probably had never slept in one. Rafe's vision was blocked momentarily. Still groggy it took him a few minutes to realize what the cause was. He lifted a hand a peeled away a stray petal that was stuck to his eye and then found that they were everywhere - clinging to him. Nice idea, he said to himself - but it was really pretty silly not to mention uncomfortable when he thought about it.
He turned onto his side and completely changed his mind.
There she was - his wife. Lying on her stomach - her hair fanning out across the pillow - laced with the petals of what seemed like 100 roses. He had never in his life seen anything more beautiful. The very same roses he'd been complaining about clung to her as well and all he could think of was that if he touched them - he wouldn't be able to determine which was the flowers and which was her skin. The blankets were tangled and pooled at her waist and petals cascaded down her bare back. He looked at her and sighed, knowing he should let her sleep. He did make an effort but in the end - he just couldn't help himself.
He pushed the hair back from the nape of her neck and pressed his lips there, hearing a soft murmur escape her lips as he did. He blazed a trail of kisses down her spine, ending at the small of her back. Her skin smelled of roses now and he knew for a fact that he'd never be able to smell that scent again without seeing this picture of her in his mind.
His hand imitated the same journey his lips just took - brushing off the rose petals in the process. Alison finally began to stir as he did.
"Rafe? What do you think you're doing?" She asked, her smile clearly heard in her voice.
"Waking you up." He replied, his lips now on her shoulder.
"Is that what you call it?"
"Among other things." He laughed.
Alison turned around to face him, scattering petals as she did. Her eyes were heavy with sleep, but amazingly blue and happy. She was happier than she ever thought she could be again.
"Good morning." She said with a smile.
Rafe pulled her close and buried his nose in her hair as he answered "ummm. It's not quite morning yet."
"Good "middle of the night" then - Mr. Accurate." She said, her eyes filled with laughter.
She tilted her face to his and gave him a kiss. She still couldn't believe it was true. They got married. Pictures of the ceremony flew through her mind. Everything had been absolutely perfect.
She looked at him, and started to grin. He looked absolutely ridiculous - his hair was full of flowers. She lifted a hand and brushed a few petals away. Now that she'd gotten a good look at her handsome husband, she didn't think she'd be able to fall asleep again.
She guessed they'd just have to think of something else to do.
For the moment, Alison just let herself enjoy being held in his arms for a few minutes before she spoke again. She thought this was a good time to clarify a few of her expectations in their marriage.
"Rafe?" She said as she kissed him softly. "There are a few things that maybe we should have gotten straight before we got married. I think we should discuss them now."
"mmm." He replied - her words not really registering.
She shook him a bit to make him focus. "This is a very serious discussion, Rafe. You need to pay attention."
"Yes ma'am, Mrs. Kovich. I'm listening."
Alison sighed, loving the sound of her new name. "Say that again."
"I'm listening." Rafe said with a grin.
"Rafe." she warned.
Still teasing he tried again, "Yes, ma'am?"
"Rafe!!"
"Mrs. Kovich?" He said, pressing his lips to hers.
She sighed once more, "That's better."
As he pulled away he looked at her and ran a hand over her hair. "So what are these rules you have for me?"
"They are not "rules" Rafe, they're suggestions."
She looked so cute when she tried to be serious. Rafe's eyes squinted in amusement. "OK. Go ahead. Suggest away."
"OK. Well. First of all, I think you already know that I like to sleep late."
"You're kidding?" Rafe pretended to be shocked. "I just thought you ignored the alarm every morning - but were really wide awake the whole time."
"Rafe!"
He laughed again. "Sorry. Yes. I am aware of that fact."
"OK. So. Here's a suggestion. Let me."
"Let you what?"
"Sleep late."
"Every day?"
"Yep."
"No matter what?"
"Exactly."
"So like, right now, when I woke you up, would you have rather I let you sleep?"
She thought about it for a second and then replied, "Not exactly."
"OK - my dear wife, what "exactly" do you want me to do then?" Rafe smiled. "I'm confused. Should I let you sleep?" He asked as he kissed her. "Or should I wake you up?" He kissed her again. "I really think you need to make my husbandly duties clearer to me."
She had started the conversation as a bit of a joke, but thought he'd kind of get the hint but now - she'd painted herself into a corner. Having him kiss her awake - well, there was no denying it was a lovely way to wake up.
"Umm." Alison was trying to make her point, but his hands were running through her hair and the feel of his touch was making her lose her train of thought. "You can.ahhh.kiss me awake - but otherwise you, ummm, you need to let me sleep."
"Alison, you're being very vague." He grinned, moving his head to nuzzle her neck.
She ran her hands through his hair as she snuggled closer. "You're being very difficult. Did I know this about you before we got married?"
Rafe continued to laugh at her, "I'm sure you did."
"And I married you anyway?" She said, in mock disbelief.
He leaned back and lifted her left hand to place a series of kisses just above where she wore his rings. "Yeah. You did."
Alison ran her free hand over his cheek, tracing the line of his jaw with her finger. "You must have some other redeeming qualities if I agreed to marry you."
"I have many. Want me to show you what they are?" He asked, not really waiting for an answer before he began to do just that.
Rafe turned Alison in his arms pressing her back into the pillows, sending the rose petals flying.
"Yes." She replied when she could catch her breath. "I suggest you do."
Chapter Twenty-eight
Whoever said a bed of rose petals was romantic probably had never slept in one. Rafe's vision was blocked momentarily. Still groggy it took him a few minutes to realize what the cause was. He lifted a hand a peeled away a stray petal that was stuck to his eye and then found that they were everywhere - clinging to him. Nice idea, he said to himself - but it was really pretty silly not to mention uncomfortable when he thought about it.
He turned onto his side and completely changed his mind.
There she was - his wife. Lying on her stomach - her hair fanning out across the pillow - laced with the petals of what seemed like 100 roses. He had never in his life seen anything more beautiful. The very same roses he'd been complaining about clung to her as well and all he could think of was that if he touched them - he wouldn't be able to determine which was the flowers and which was her skin. The blankets were tangled and pooled at her waist and petals cascaded down her bare back. He looked at her and sighed, knowing he should let her sleep. He did make an effort but in the end - he just couldn't help himself.
He pushed the hair back from the nape of her neck and pressed his lips there, hearing a soft murmur escape her lips as he did. He blazed a trail of kisses down her spine, ending at the small of her back. Her skin smelled of roses now and he knew for a fact that he'd never be able to smell that scent again without seeing this picture of her in his mind.
His hand imitated the same journey his lips just took - brushing off the rose petals in the process. Alison finally began to stir as he did.
"Rafe? What do you think you're doing?" She asked, her smile clearly heard in her voice.
"Waking you up." He replied, his lips now on her shoulder.
"Is that what you call it?"
"Among other things." He laughed.
Alison turned around to face him, scattering petals as she did. Her eyes were heavy with sleep, but amazingly blue and happy. She was happier than she ever thought she could be again.
"Good morning." She said with a smile.
Rafe pulled her close and buried his nose in her hair as he answered "ummm. It's not quite morning yet."
"Good "middle of the night" then - Mr. Accurate." She said, her eyes filled with laughter.
She tilted her face to his and gave him a kiss. She still couldn't believe it was true. They got married. Pictures of the ceremony flew through her mind. Everything had been absolutely perfect.
She looked at him, and started to grin. He looked absolutely ridiculous - his hair was full of flowers. She lifted a hand and brushed a few petals away. Now that she'd gotten a good look at her handsome husband, she didn't think she'd be able to fall asleep again.
She guessed they'd just have to think of something else to do.
For the moment, Alison just let herself enjoy being held in his arms for a few minutes before she spoke again. She thought this was a good time to clarify a few of her expectations in their marriage.
"Rafe?" She said as she kissed him softly. "There are a few things that maybe we should have gotten straight before we got married. I think we should discuss them now."
"mmm." He replied - her words not really registering.
She shook him a bit to make him focus. "This is a very serious discussion, Rafe. You need to pay attention."
"Yes ma'am, Mrs. Kovich. I'm listening."
Alison sighed, loving the sound of her new name. "Say that again."
"I'm listening." Rafe said with a grin.
"Rafe." she warned.
Still teasing he tried again, "Yes, ma'am?"
"Rafe!!"
"Mrs. Kovich?" He said, pressing his lips to hers.
She sighed once more, "That's better."
As he pulled away he looked at her and ran a hand over her hair. "So what are these rules you have for me?"
"They are not "rules" Rafe, they're suggestions."
She looked so cute when she tried to be serious. Rafe's eyes squinted in amusement. "OK. Go ahead. Suggest away."
"OK. Well. First of all, I think you already know that I like to sleep late."
"You're kidding?" Rafe pretended to be shocked. "I just thought you ignored the alarm every morning - but were really wide awake the whole time."
"Rafe!"
He laughed again. "Sorry. Yes. I am aware of that fact."
"OK. So. Here's a suggestion. Let me."
"Let you what?"
"Sleep late."
"Every day?"
"Yep."
"No matter what?"
"Exactly."
"So like, right now, when I woke you up, would you have rather I let you sleep?"
She thought about it for a second and then replied, "Not exactly."
"OK - my dear wife, what "exactly" do you want me to do then?" Rafe smiled. "I'm confused. Should I let you sleep?" He asked as he kissed her. "Or should I wake you up?" He kissed her again. "I really think you need to make my husbandly duties clearer to me."
She had started the conversation as a bit of a joke, but thought he'd kind of get the hint but now - she'd painted herself into a corner. Having him kiss her awake - well, there was no denying it was a lovely way to wake up.
"Umm." Alison was trying to make her point, but his hands were running through her hair and the feel of his touch was making her lose her train of thought. "You can.ahhh.kiss me awake - but otherwise you, ummm, you need to let me sleep."
"Alison, you're being very vague." He grinned, moving his head to nuzzle her neck.
She ran her hands through his hair as she snuggled closer. "You're being very difficult. Did I know this about you before we got married?"
Rafe continued to laugh at her, "I'm sure you did."
"And I married you anyway?" She said, in mock disbelief.
He leaned back and lifted her left hand to place a series of kisses just above where she wore his rings. "Yeah. You did."
Alison ran her free hand over his cheek, tracing the line of his jaw with her finger. "You must have some other redeeming qualities if I agreed to marry you."
"I have many. Want me to show you what they are?" He asked, not really waiting for an answer before he began to do just that.
Rafe turned Alison in his arms pressing her back into the pillows, sending the rose petals flying.
"Yes." She replied when she could catch her breath. "I suggest you do."