Chapter 10

"How could you leave me out there all alone!" Victoria whirled on him as soon as the door to their bedroom shut. "A groom just like his bride, has responsibilities. These are your guests as well as mine!"

"I needed to finish an experiment." Diego slowly removed his cravat as she stood behind him fuming.

"And this had to be done on our wedding day!"

"I told you about this days ago, Victoria." He draped the cravat over a nearby table and unfastened his tailcoat. Removing it, he draped it over the back of a chair. "And then again this morning."

"I didn't realize it would take you all afternoon!" She shoved her hands onto her hips and glared daggers at her husband.

"You are positively radiant when you're mad." He sat down and pulled off his boots, dropping them beside the chair. Turning to his wife, he grinned. "You've got far too many clothes on, Señora."

"And not a stitch is coming off until you tell me what you've been doing all afternoon!"

He stood, took her hand and placed a gentle kiss to the palm. When his lips moved to her wrist and lingered, an involuntary tremor raced through her body.

She tried to pull her wrist away but he held tight and pulled her into his arms. Cool, intoxicating lips dropped to her neck and at once she trembled, desire rushing through her body and chilling her fury.

"Diego." She growled.

He released her wrist and slid both hands around her neck before she could turn away. Cupping her chin, he kissed her with such tenderness that she thought she would melt into a puddle at his feet. Her anger was rapidly evaporating but she clung to one last thread as she pushed him away.

"Where were you?"

Diego's eyes flashed sadly at her and he sighed. "If you would look on your bed, querida, perhaps there you would find the answer you seek."

Victoria's eyes immediately shifted to the large four poster bed situated in the center of the room. She inhaled sharply when she noticed it was sprinkled with roses. In her anger, she had missed the fresh scent that permeated the room. She took a few hesitant steps forward, glancing apologetically at Diego and then back to the flower laden bed.

Resting between the flowers were two large, thick plates; the result of the experiment that Diego had been working on after their wedding. She squinted at the large objects. She'd seen this once before, years ago. She turned a questioning look to Diego, who simply smiled.

"Dios." Victoria whispered and reached down to pick up the two plates.

The images of her family looked back at her, imprinted forever into plate. She and her husband stood in the middle of the image. Diego had one arm draped around her waist, and beside her stood her brothers. Next to Diego stood his father and Felipe. Everyone wore smiles such as she'd never before seen. She swallowed emotionally and glanced at the second plate.

Tears dripped down her cheeks as she looked on the image of herself and Diego, standing before the church doors, resplendent in their wedding attire.

She could feel Diego beside her and turned tear-filled eyes on the man as he spoke. "Love to faults is always blind, always is to joy inclined. Lawless, winged, and unconfined, and breaks all chains from every mind."

"Diego . . . "

He placed a finger on her lips and smiled, wanting to give her an explanation. "The exposures took over eight hours to complete. It's a new science and very difficult to replicate. I needed to be there to make sure they developed properly."

"Why didn't you tell me?" She brushed her fingers reverently across the images.

"I wanted it to be a surprise. Risking your fury at my disappearance was worth what I just received in return." He lifted her into his arms and kissed her soundly before laying her atop the petal-covered bed.

He stepped away and she watched at him with bright eyes as he continued to remove articles of clothing one piece at a time. Her breath quickened and she deposited the photographic plates onto the table next to the bed and turned her complete attention on her slowly disrobing husband.

He grinned wickedly at her as he slowly, too slowly for her taste, pulled the buttons open on his silk shirt. When he opened the shirt and pulled its tails from his trousers, Victoria licked suddenly dry lips.

Diego leaned over the bed and kissed his wife gently, his lips dancing across hers. When her fingers slid into his hair to pull him closer, he reached up and drew them away. She watched him with questioning eyes until he slid them down his chest to the fastenings of his trousers.

She licked her lips and grinned coyly. Still leaning over her, he released her hands and allowed her to unfasten and slide the material down his legs. With his trousers came his drawers as well. 'Well, she is wasting no time,' Diego thought with an amused grin.

THE FULL VERSION OF THIS SCENE IS ON MY WEB SITE

When she collapsed against his chest, he pressed a lingering kiss to the side of her cheek. "You've had a busy day, querida." He nuzzled her neck and closed his eyes.

"So have you." She grinned at him and snuggled against his chest, reluctant to move off him, wanting to feel the closeness of their joined bodies for as long as possible.

After a few moments of silence, Diego chuckled, drawing a questioning look from her sleepy eyes.

"Been reading a few of my books, hmm?" Diego grinned down at Victoria as she lay with her head pillowed on his chest. Their breathing had slowed and their bodies relaxed and now they lay in quiet contentment. He couldn't believe she would have known how to do certain things without at least some instruction. And he knew she'd been an innocent when she'd come to his bed after their betrothal.

"I found a few hidden away in here." She murmured, pressing a kiss to his chest.

"They were hidden pretty well, querida." His voice held no accusatory tone and he chuckled slightly at her response.

Victoria lifted her head in mock indignation at the unvoiced accusation. "Are you accusing me of snooping through my husband's things?"

He grinned wickedly. "I am."

She shrugged and pressed a kiss to his cheek. "Guilty as charged."

He laughed and hugged her tightly, dropping a lingering kiss to her lips.

"I needed something to do with my time during our weeks of celibacy." She added with a smirk once he'd released her lips. She settled her head against his chest again and smiled. "I believe the images in that French book will keep us busy for years to come."

"I'll translate it sometime for you." He waited for her to raise her head and splutter embarrassingly at the thought. To his great surprise, she simply brushed her hands lightly across his chest, committing to memory his well-cut physique.

The amusement in her eyes momentarily surprised him until he remembered he did not marry some demure, easily embarrassed young woman..

She simply reached out to lightly run her fingers down his cheek. "I love you, Diego."

"Querida mia, I love you. With all my heart."

This time, when their lips met, there was an easy, slow simmering passion that they knew would be with them until their dying day. In her heart, Victoria knew that Diego was destined to be her lover, her husband, the father of her children; Why else would he have been dancing, for as long as she could remember, at the edge of her dreams?

THE END

Spanish terms used in the story:

esposa bonita - Beautiful Wife

bella - beautiful

querida - dear

mí amor - my love

hijo - son

El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Ángeles - The Town of Our Lady Queen of the Angels

Misc info:

I've used wedding banns and the betrothal ceremony very liberally here. I interpreted what I researched about a betrothal ceremony one way, where others may interpret it another. After a betrothal, the couple were, for all intents and purposes, considered husband and wife - and enjoyed all the benefits of such a title. The church, however, considered a betrothal dissolvable and an official wedding insoluble - which is why I use them both in this story.