Author's Notes: This is the last chapter. I'm happy to have written the first novel length Skewed romance and in a way I'm sorry to see it end. I hope you've enjoyed reading it. Please review if you've been reading, I would really like to know that you've followed the story to the end and that you've like it.
Part 57
Age: 34 Years 9 Months
By the time the reception began to wind down enough, Jack and Samantha could excuse themselves gracefully, it was well past midnight. Before leaving their guests, Jack hugged Sofia and whispered in her ear so Samantha wouldn't hear. Sofia nodded and she and Konstantine bid the newlyweds goodnight. Walking away from the twinkling lights of the party to the house, Jack and Samantha held hands and paused at the doorway.
"What?" Samantha asked curiously when Jack stopped suddenly.
"Just a precaution," Jack smiled at her and picked her up. Carrying her across the threshold, he shrugged, "Can't hurt and it's one of the traditional parts I like."
Jack made no move to put Samantha down and carried her upstairs to the master suite. When they reached the bedroom, he sat her on her feet and kissed her. Pressing a kiss to Jack's mouth, Samantha unfastened his tie and moved to unbutton his vest. Turning Samantha to face away, Jack began to unfasten the back of her gown. Jack was planting a kiss on Samantha's shoulder when to her horror, she yawned.
"It's not you," Samantha hastily assured him and turned around.
Laughing slightly, Jack remarked, "Well in light of how late things went and what our wedding nights are like, I kind of was expecting this."
Gazing into Jack's eyes, Samantha hesitated, "You're not mad? Or disappointed?"
"Samantha, we have the rest of our lives," Jack comforted her and kissed her gently. "I would much rather we wait until tomorrow when we're both awake enough to enjoy this rather than go through the motions because it's conventional. We never have been very conventional darling and I'd hate to start now."
As Jack helped her out of her wedding gown and brushed aside the frothy peignoir on the end of the bed and got her a soft pair of rose sprigged pajamas, she was touched. It wasn't exactly the wedding night either of them had envisioned, but the tenderness with which he dressed her in her nightwear was touching. Wrapping her arms around Jack, Samantha held him tightly. Finally, Jack put her in bed, stripped his clothing off and put on a pair of pajama bottoms. Climbing in beside Samantha, Jack pulled her close and held her.
"You were beautiful," Jack murmured. "And I loved the groom's cake."
Rubbing her face against his chest Samantha replied, "I'm so happy you liked it! It wasn't easy getting Sofia and the ladies to understand why I wanted it that way and just how the game had to be midplay."
For a moment neither said anything, then Samantha sighed contentedly, "I like this."
"Like what?"
"Just lying here next to you. Feeling the warmth of your body and listening to your heart."
Kissing the top of Samantha's head, Jack told her, "You don't know how many nights I've dreamed of just holding you like this."
"I love you Jack-" Samantha trailed off as she fell asleep.
Watching her sleep, Jack whispered tenderly, "I love you my Samantha."
Despite his exhaustion, Jack watched Samantha sleep for over an hour, enjoying holding her close. Legally bound together, nothing could ever separate them again, Jack thought. He would die before ever being separated from his Samantha again. At an age when some were still looking for the right mate, they had weathered trials which would have broken lesser people. Jack's last thought as he drifted off to sleep was that he hoped Samantha liked her surprise tomorrow.
The couple slept until late into the morning and were just rousing when Sofia knocked at the bedroom door, "Is okay to comes in?"
"Come in Sofia," Jack told her as he and Samantha sat up.
Entering the room with a tray with a coffee pot with two cups, Sofia announced, "Is only coffee, I am thinking as late as is you will be wishing to wait for lunch to eat."
"Thank you, Sofia," Samantha said as she took the tray from her adopted Mother.
"Everything is ready," Sofia informed Jack with a smile and left.
"What's ready?" Samantha inquired as she poured Jack a cup of coffee and handed it to him. Taking a cup for herself, she sat the tray on the sidetable.
"Nothing," Jack lied innocently as he took a sip of coffee.
Amused, Samantha demanded, "Jack! Come on tell me!"
"Your coffee's getting cold," he observed innocuously.
"Jack!" Samantha exclaimed and sat her cup on the nightstand on the coffeetray.
"You know my wife hasn't kissed me yet today," Jack teased and sat his coffee cup on the nightstand on his side of the bed.
Samantha shook her head in exasperation and gave him a quick chaste kiss. After she pulled her lips away, Jack grabbed her tightly against him and gave her a searing kiss which left her breathless. His hands moved to cup her breasts and she moaned slightly. To her surprise he gave her a quick kiss and grinned as he sat up and began to drink his coffee again.
Noting her expression, Jack mused, "Well if I ravish you, we'll never get to go on our picnic."
"Like the one we went on on our honeymoon?"
"The exact one. Our whole lives have been spent traveling, so I thought we might spend our honeymoon here. Sofia has a hamper waiting down in the hall and the clearing is cleaned and devoid of any of our doting adopted family."
Pleased, Samantha flung her arms around Jack and hugged him tightly. Coffee spilled unheeded all over the fine bed linens as she squealed with delight. Jack wouldn't have cared if Samantha had ruined an entire cotton factory of linens in that moment. Seeing her face light up that way was worth every cent he owned. Neither of them had felt so carefree since their first idyllic days of marriage when they were teenagers. This was the start of their new life.
Samantha sprung out of bed and Jack asked in an amused voice, "Where's the fire?"
"I have to shower and get dressed, I don't want to waste a single moment!" Samantha cried out.
"Of our day?"
Bouncing on the bed, Samantha kissed him and smiled, "No. I don't want to waste a single moment of our life!"
Then Samantha bounded from the bed into the bathroom. Her enthusiasm infectious, Jack gulped his coffee rapidly and lit a cigarette. Walking to his closet, Jack selected clothes for the day. Samantha reappeared from the bathroom and Jack took his clothes in as his towel clad wife walked to her closet. Samantha searched through her closet and settled on an outfit. A white cotton top that was reminiscent of the camisoles worn in olden times with buttons down the front and a filmy white skirt with crimson roses that whispered around her knees.
When Jack came out of the bathroom, Samantha was dressed and waiting. He gave her an appreciative look and Samantha offered one in return for the tight fitting jean and black silk shirt Jack wore. Walking downstairs, they spotted the picnic basket and blanket Sofia had left for them in the foyer. Eagerly Samantha took the blanket as Jack picked up the picnic hamper. Going to the back door, they walked along a mossy flagstone path through the backyard and through a copse of trees towards the clearing.
As they emerged into the clearing, they stopped as time seemed to stand still. Again as in the year they married, the November air was unseasonably warm and the roses were blooming, just as they had twenty-two years before when they came for their first picnic in the clearing. Just as it had then, the pond gleamed clear and invitingly and rose petals cascaded from the climbing roses. Although Samantha had stood in the clearing only yesterday, she was distracted by the wedding and today could appreciate the full beauty of the clearing.
Spreading the blanket out on the ground in about the same spot as they had for their first picnic, Jack and Samantha spread out their picnic. Inside the hamper was cold basil chicken and bread just like Sofia had packed for them on their first picnic. It was nearly identical to their first picnic although instead of the small bottle of champagne that wasn't very expensive, there was a full magnum of Dom Perignon from the year they were married. Amid many kisses, they ate their picnic and drank champagne.
"Exactly like our first picnic," Samantha sighed contentedly.
"Well slightly better champagne," Jack commented.
"True, but at the time we didn't know it was bad champagne."
Jack leaned to kiss Samantha and she caressed his face for a moment before cleaning up their picnic except for the champagne. They'd drunk half the bottle and Samantha felt just giddy enough to feel a little giggly and naughty. She stood up and Jack looked at her inquisitively. Unbuttoning the top two buttons of her top, Samantha had intended to only expose a little skin and tease him when she recalled what she had done on their first picnic. So instead, she continued to unbutton her top and strip completely naked as Jack watched.
Even though he knew exactly what she was doing, Jack decided to indulge in a bit of nostalgia and inquired, "Samantha, what are you doing?"
No longer a shy girl who was easily embarrassed, Samantha stood with her hands on her hips and demanded jokingly, "You're not trying to be one of those considerate Christian husbands are you?"
Reaching up, Jack took her hand and pulled her down on top of him and answered, "Heaven forbid!"
Before Samantha could respond, Jack moved so he was on top of her braced on his elbows. Lowering his mouth to hers, he teased her lips gently with his and slowly began to massage his tongue against hers. Eagerly Samantha's hands sought the buttons of his shirt and began unfastening them as their tongues mated. Raising up on his knees, Jack pulled his shirt off and tossed it out of the way. As he removed his shirt, Samantha moved to unfasten his belt and undo his jeans.
Jack stood to remove his tight jeans as Samantha watched admiringly and remarked, "I see we skipped underwear today."
Smiling at his wife, Jack moved to rejoin her on the blanket. Grazing his mouth over her breasts, he observed, "Apparently we both did."
"Oh God," Samantha moaned as he circled one nipple and then the other with his tongue in a lascivious swirl.
Moving her hands over his shoulders, Samantha moved her mouth over Jack's neck as he licked her breasts and she began to gently nibble and suck on the side of his neck. After several minutes, Jack skimmed his hands down her sides and began to kiss between her breasts and down her stomach at languorous pace. As Jack's mouth trailed lower and she felt his hot breath hovering over her sex, Samantha whimpered in anticipation.
Gently nuzzling his face against her inner thighs, Jack planted light teasing kisses before finally pressing his tongue to her moist lips and making her cry out. As his mouth roused her, Samantha threaded her fingers through his hair. Arching underneath his tongue, she ached with need as he drew her closer to the edge. Finally, Samantha begged him to stop.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing," Samantha panted. "Just want all of you. I need to feel you inside me."
Moving upwards, Jack captured her lips with his and covered her body with his, his arousal pressed against her heated sex. Reaching between them, Samantha caressed his velvety shaft, then guided it inside her and wrapped her legs around Jack's waist. Slowly they moved against one another, their lips and bodies mated in a marriage of their own. Hot and sweet, they kissed and caressed one another as they coupled.
"My Jack," Samantha sighed and kissed his neck. Her breath was coming in shallow pants as she gasped, "I love you. God I love you Jack."
Gazing into her eyes, Jack murmured, "My Samantha love, I would die for you."
As they made love, they held on tightly to on another. All the pain of the last twenty-two years was far away as they consummated their marriage. Tension mounting as they moved closer to the pinnacle, Jack cried out Samantha's name and her voice mingled with his as she whimpered his name. Moving faster, their climaxes
ripped through them in a hard wave of pleasure and clung to each other as they convulsed for several minutes.
Lying side by side, Jack looked at Samantha and smiled rapturously. Light-headed and euphoric, Samantha kissed him tenderly. Neither said anything as they laid in silent communion. Finally Jack settled on his back and Samantha rested her head on his chest. Her eyes caught sight of the small scar left by Bailey's bullet and she thanked heaven Jack had escaped with his life. Raising her head, Samantha traced the scar with her fingertips and gazed into his dark eyes.
"I love you Samantha Trades," Jack told her pushing a lock of hair from her eyes.
"And I love you my Jack."
A gentle breeze sent a cascade of rose petals down over them and Samantha pulled one off Jack that had settled in his hair. They had come full circle consummating their marriage in their clearing where they had first experienced pleasure. Despite the efforts of Jack's parents to separate them, Jack and Samantha had found each other again. Married in every sense of the word, they could never be parted again. Jack and Samantha spent the remainder of that afternoon in their clearing. Over the years, they would spend many happy hours in their enchanted clearing among the roses living a fairytale that they alone understood...
