Chapter Thirty-One
Warning: This chapter depicts graphic sex between two consenting, married adults. Once again, if you are under 18 or are easily offended by sexual situations, do not read this chapter.
Later in the afternoon, Michaela pulled herself out of bed before Sully could grab her and pull her back in. He sighed and watched as he put her bathrobe on in a flourish. She was still so innocent and shy when she had her thoughts about her.
"What's the matter?" he wondered, sitting up in the bed, stretching his muscles.
"Do you remember the last time we ate?"
"Right before the weddin'," he recalled.
"It's been over twenty-four hours, Sully!" Michaela laughed. "Don't you want to eat?" Sully climbed out of bed and started his pursuit. Michaela held her hands up, holding him off. She couldn't contain her laughter, however. "Sully! Stop! Wait! Stay there." She looked behind her quickly, so she knew where she was going, and she backed up, her eyes feeding his hungry gaze. They were two feet apart, and Michaela's back was against the door. She couldn't exactly run outside. What would people think to see a new bride running around in her robe? She flushed as Sully closed the gap, greeting her with a kiss. She giggled against his lips, but giggles soon turned to moans as he pressed into her.
"I am hungry," he replied, nuzzling her ear. Michaela's hands ran down her husband's bare back as his hands slowly started to untie her robe. She squirmed away from him, and he turned, flustered but grinning from ear to ear. He was insatiable today, and Michaela couldn't deny that it didn't drive her own desires, but she truly was hungry, and she wanted a hot bath…she needed one!
"Sully," she warned, her tone not threatening at all. She couldn't be threatening when she was so amused and delighted with his obvious affections. Sully finally decided that she was serious, and he had to admit that he was feeling hungry for something substantial. "I want fresh air, I want food, and I want to relax in a hot bath." Sully nodded. "What?"
"Okay," he said, walking across the room to find his trousers. Michaela raised an eyebrow. She was suddenly feeling unsure of herself. She was confused, wondering if she'd hurt his feelings. They both enjoyed being intimate, but they needed to make time to do other humanly activities to maintain their appetites and their hygiene.
"You're not upset with me, are you?" Sully chuckled and fastened the buttons on his trousers. He walked over to her and ran his fingers through her hair.
"'Course not."
"Do you mind if I dress in the powder room? I'd like to make my hair look…somewhat presentable." She laughed as he kissed her again.
"Go on," he replied. He watched her walk away with her trunk in toe, and a few moments later, he pulled on his shirt and walked over to the door. He opened it up and poked his head out into the hallway. One of the attendants was just leaving another room.
"'Scuse me," Sully said quickly. The man turned around.
"Ah, Mr. Sully. Are you enjoying your stay?"
"Yeah," Sully said, trying to contain the smile that was trying to form at his lips. "My wife and I wanna take a walk 'round the city. Do you think you could get a meal in here for us? Hot water for the bath too?" The man nodded.
"Josef Quinn has taken care of everything. You won't be charged, sir."
"Thank you," Sully said with a surprised smile. He told the attendant exactly what he wanted for their lunch, and he appeared back inside of the hotel room. As soon as he'd finished putting his shoes on, Michaela came out, wearing a stunning lavender day dress. Sully's eyes glittered as he noticed how perfectly the dress fit to the curves of her hips and the swell of her breasts. Seeing her free without the restraint of a corset made him happy. She didn't need one, and he felt better that she wasn't torturing herself with one right now. He smiled as she stepped closer to him, her hair brushed out and pulled up into a bun. "You look…" Michaela's cheeks blushed.
"Thank you," she whispered softly. "Are we going out for lunch?"
"We are going out," he promised.
"What are you planning?" she wondered, sticking her arm through his.
"Just walk with me. It's all taken care of." He kissed her cheek. Michaela nodded, and she sighed softly, relieved to be going out for some fresh air, but disappointed to be leaving their wedding bed behind, even for a few minutes.
As they stepped into the hall, the maid moved in to clean up while they were gone. Sully and Michaela walked arm-in-arm down the stairs and out into the warm June afternoon. The sun was slightly blistering, and it took them awhile to adjust to such brightness. They'd been perfectly content with firelight to guide them over the past twenty-four hours.
"Where to, Mrs. Sully?" Sully asked with a smile as they walked down the sidewalk.
"Not home, because Father will skin us alive if we're not at the hotel, enjoying his money." As they walked, Sully could tell that she was itching to go someplace.
"Where?" he asked quietly, without her even having to say that she had a place in mind. She looked up at him with 'that look' in her eyes. "No. Not work." He knew that once he got her there, it would take forever to peel her away.
"Just for a few minutes, Sully. I want to check on Lydia."
"Your Pa is takin' care of her, right?"
"Yes, but I want to see her for myself. Please? I promise, the rest of the week, we can stay inside of the hotel room and not step foot outside."
"Ya really promise?" he asked, raising his eyebrow. Michaela nodded. "Well, let's get to the hospital then. Sooner we get there, sooner we can get back." So, they quickly walked down the street, found the nearest carriage and started off toward the hospital.
Matthew walked down the long hallway on the third floor of the boarding house. The Sanderson's had offered a free room to the Cooper's until they could decide what to do about finding a more permanent place to live. Charlotte had been resting her body but not her mind. She was thinking, always thinking. Her mind twisted around every possible solution, and her children were silent, giving their mother time to sort things out. They didn't want to pester her, but they feared that she was too emotional to come to a rational decision.
Brian was playing with a toy train that Johnny Sanderson, a boy his age, had given him to play with while he stayed there. All of Brian's toys had been lost. Their clothes reeked of soot and ash, their hair was dusted with gray with flecks of ash that was also clinging to their skin. They needed a lot of things right now, but they were too busy worrying to do anything about it.
Matthew walked into the room that contained a washbasin and pitcher, a bureau for their clothes (well, it would be if they had any), one bed and three cots that were lined in a row. Matthew looked down at his boots. The soles were disfigured from the heat of the fire, melted in such a way that they were uncomfortable. He wouldn't complain, however, because his family's well-being was far more important that his sore feet.
Charlotte was writing in her diary. Matthew looked at his mother. One hand rested on the swell of her stomach, a contemplative frown scarred her face, her hair was frazzled, her eyes were tired, but she was still the most beautiful woman in the world.
She looked up when he shut the door, and she gave him a tired, guilty smile.
"Where've you been?"
"Went for a walk," Matthew answered, moving sluggishly across the room to sit on his cot. He took his boots off and stretched out his sore toes. Charlotte watched her son's face. His jaw was rigid, his eyes were low, and his mouth was set in a firm line that threatened to quiver at a moment's notice. He reminded her so much of his father then. Well, he reminded her of a younger Ethan. He was Ethan before the drinking, before the gambling, before the lack of interest in his family's life.
"Why don't ya take the kids fishin'?" Charlotte asked quietly. "They've been cooped up in here all day."
"Don't think they're in the mood for fishin', Ma," Matthew replied. Colleen looked up from a book she was reading, and they both glanced down at Brian. He was making soft humming noises and saying his 'choo choo's' without a care in the world. He was too young to understand that everything they'd owned had been disintegrated in that house, and that his childish pleasures weren't helping matters any.
"Matthew, it'll take their minds off it. It'll do ya some good, anyway."
"I don't wanna go. I hate fishin'," Colleen said, crinkling her nose in disgust.
"Fishin'?" Brian asked, finally snapping to attention. "I wanna go. Matthew, can I go? Please? Please?" Matthew sighed heavily and nodded his head.
"Go ask the Sanderson's if they mind us borrowin' their poles." Brian nodded and eagerly rushed down the stairs. Charlotte sat up in bed with a smile upon her face.
"Thank you, son," she whispered. Matthew looked at Colleen and nodded. She stood, and they both went over to sit on either side of their mother's bed. "What's goin' on?"
"We can't stay here, Ma. We can't stay in Kansas."
"Why not?" Charlotte wondered.
"We ain't got nothin' left here. We need to move on."
"Where do you suggest we go?" Charlotte asked tiredly. Colleen and Matthew exchanged glances.
"Colorado Springs, Ma," Colleen replied. Charlotte raised an eyebrow.
"What for?"
"Well, that's where Pa sent the letter from. Maybe they'll know where he went. Maybe we'll find him, and we can be a family again," Colleen explained. Charlotte's eyes darkened. She didn't expect to ever see Ethan Cooper again, but she knew the children were right. They couldn't stay in Kansas any longer. It was time to move on. Their home was gone, their farm was gone, and the money they had was going to go fast.
She looked up into Matthew's eyes. He was so young, but his spirit wasn't. He'd endured far more than any young man should ever have to, and Charlotte was certain that it was tearing him apart on the inside. She knew he didn't expect to find Ethan. Colleen was on the border of thinking like her older brother too. But, then there was Brian to think about. Brian was still young enough to think his father could do no wrong. Colleen used to think that way, but she was growing up. She was still holding onto those last perishable threads to her naïve girlhood, and she was growing up prematurely. She wasn't like most ten-year-old girls. Sometimes it was a blessing. Sometimes it was a curse.
"How we gonna get there?" Charlotte asked, placing her diary down beside her tired leg.
"You rest. I'll take care of it. We'll get outta here soon, Ma. Soon as you're feelin' up to travellin', we're gonna get in the wagon and head out to Colorado Springs."
Henry Black was a cold man with black eyes set deep beneath two bushy black eyebrows. Endless waves of wrinkles lined his forehead and his scalp where his black pepper hairline had receded past his ears. His posture was perfect, his smile didn't exist, and his old, wise hands gripped the case file with rigid knowledge.
David sat across from him, his wrists in tight, bruising shackles. His seeing eye stared into those cold, heartless ones of his lawyer. Henry Black didn't care about anyone but Henry Black, but he did care about money. That's what made him good. He did anything to get paid, and he was the man David turned to when he needed help.
"This isn't good, David," Mr. Black stated in a gravelly voice, his breath hot like smoke rising from the flames. David blinked at the words, and he shook his head.
"There must be something you can do." His nails picked at his cuticles, flaking away the dead flesh, hitting new flesh and making himself bleed his own blood.
"You nearly killed that young woman."
"But I didn't."
"It's far more serious than that, David." Mr. Black shuffled the papers neatly in his hands and placed them down on the middle of the table. "This was almost a case of double homicide."
"Double homicide? Michaela wasn't hit. What the hell are you talking about?"
"I'm not talking about Michaela Quinn. I'm talking about Lydia Grayson and her unborn child." David's head snapped up, his eye staring into the truth-telling ones of Mr. Black.
"Lydia…was pregnant?" Pregnant. The word hit him like a ton of bricks. Pregnant. She was carrying a child. His child…his seed…his spawn. Now he knew. She had been trying to hide it. She'd forgiven him. For what? For the child? She'd kept something so devastating from him, and now he knew. He saw the truth.
"She'd been hiding it, but it was in the medical reports. That couldn't be denied." David shook his head.
"No! I didn't mean to hit her…I didn't. Michaela had to pay. It was her! It's her fault!" He was shaking, the chains of his shackles rattling furiously.
"I'll pretend I didn't hear that," Mr. Black said with a scoff. He shook his head. "I might be able to get you off on a plea of insanity." David shook his head.
"You know what they'll do with me. I've seen it happen. I won't go there. I won't be chained to a wall. I won't be poked and prodded at."
"I assure you…that won't happen. I'll get you the best quality of help you need."
"You don't believe me?"
"I believe that you need much more than my help alone to get you out of this mess you're living in. Now what do you say? Do you want my help or not?"
When Michaela and Sully arrived back at the hotel, a lovely smell of some type of baked chicken was emanating from the room. Michaela raised an eyebrow as Sully unlocked the door. She gasped when she saw the shades drawn over the windows and the room lit by candles and the fire in the hearth. A romantic dinner for two was placed to the side, and champagne was chilling in a bucket of ice.
"Sully," Michaela whispered. "I…"
"Surprise," he whispered, softly kissing her cheek. "Ya said you were hungry."
"I am. Starving," she laughed. Sully walked her over to the table and pulled her chair out for her. "Thank you, Mr. Sully." He answered her by softly kissing her neck. She closed her eyes for a moment, relishing the feeling of him and also feeling disappointed when he pulled away. "You go 'head and eat. I'll be right back." He started to walk toward the wash room, and Michaela's eyes followed him. "Where…"
"I'll be right back," he repeated with a smile that hinted of only good things to come. So, Michaela began to eat, but her eyes stayed on the door. She saw candlelight coming from that room too, and it made her heart flutter.
Sully stepped into the room, and he smiled at the set up. The candlelight gave it a hazy, romantic look, and the steam from the copper tub rose up, swirling with the smoke. He stuck his hand in the water, and it was entirely too hot. Perfect. It would have time to cool a little before he and Michaela were finished with their late lunch.
Meanwhile, Michaela slowly looked around the room, taking it all in for memory's sake. She noticed that fresh linens and sheets had been placed on the bed, and she felt a surprising twinge of sadness in it all. Their wedding sheets, the sheets they'd made love for the first, second and third time in were being washed away. Her crimson innocence was being boiled away, and that was the end of that.
She smiled, however, feeling as if a weight had been lifted. Together, she and Sully had broken the barrier, completing their transformation into their respective manhood and womanhood.
"Thought you were hungry," Sully said, walking out of the room, loosening his tie. Michaela turned her attention from the bed to him.
"Hmm? Oh, yes, I am." Sully sat down across from her, and they began to eat in silence, stealing glances at one another. It almost felt as if they were courting again. Michaela felt full of more energy than she ever had before, and Sully could see it. Her eyes were bright and full of stories she could tell, but never would to preserve the privacy and sanctity of their marriage. He knew she was happy and pleased, and that made him happy. That's all he wanted: to see her smile and hear her laughter. He loved the way she felt when she was in his arms, and he loved when she looked at him with those pure, sweet eyes. She was his, and he was hers, and that's the way it was supposed to be.
"Feel better now that ya checked on Lydia?"
"Yes," Michaela replied with a smile. "She looks much better today."
"I think it helped that Albert was there. They make each other happy."
"They remind me of us sometimes," Michaela said with a smile. "I feel guilty, though. That should've been me, Sully. She's pregnant and…" She looked up at him quickly, when he placed his hand over hers.
"I know she is," he replied. "I think most folks know now." Michaela shook her head.
"She doesn't deserve any of what's happened."
"She made her choices. That's all anybody can do. Make a choice and live with the consequences." He reached for the bottle of champagne and popped the cork. He quickly filled both glasses and placed the bottle back in the bucket of ice. "I sure am glad ya chose to marry me." Michaela smiled and reached for his hand.
"So am I. Now what are my consequences?" Sully laughed and kissed her hand.
"I think ya already know." Michaela flushed wildly. Her gaze moved toward the back room, but Sully diverted her attention by picking up a strawberry from a bowl in the center of the table. She looked at him, and he held the fruit to her lips. She smiled before taking a bite of the sweet berry, and as she brought her champagne glass to her lips, taking a sip, her eyes never left his. Her mouth tingled, and as she swallowed, Sully leaned in, bringing his mouth to hers in a slow, sensual kiss as he reached around and pulled the pins out of her hair, letting it cascade down her back.
She soon began to moan against his lips, not carrying about the rest of lunch. She'd had enough to eat. Now she wanted dessert. Sully seemed to sense this, and when they pulled back from the kiss, he stood and held out his hand out her. She smiled knowingly and placed her hand in his. He pulled her up, encircled his arm around her waist, and she did the same. They walked slowly toward the back room, and Sully let her walk in ahead of him. She gasped in awe when she saw the beautiful scene awaiting them.
She turned to him with love and question in her eyes. He only smiled, and his hands instinctively moved to begin removing her dress. She grinned at his impatience. She loved the way he wanted her with everything he had, because she felt exactly the same way.
Shoes came off first. He led her over to a stool, she sat down, and he knelt before her, rolling her stockings down her legs, taking his time and kissing his way from her thighs to her ankles. Michaela closed her eyes as he pulled her bloomers down after them, and she felt mildly free beneath her dress. Sully chuckled as she let out an almost impatient sigh.
"Michaela?" Sully asked teasingly, knowing that it'd be difficult for her to utter a sentence at this point.
"Mhmm?" she asked, her eyes fluttering open for just a moment. Sully chuckled. He didn't answer her, however, and he stood and began to remove her dress, working with the buttons and ties in the back. As he worked, he felt her lips against his neck, and it drove him wild. Michaela Quinn, the prim and proper once-naïve doctor was coming out of her shell, and he loved this side of her just as much! She had taught him so much about himself. They had stayed up until the wee hours of the morning making love and sleeping, waking after pleasant dreams and making love again until the sunrise. Sleeping late was something they knew they couldn't get used to, because daily life would soon beckon, but for now, right now, they were teaching each other and continuing to learn every inch and curve of one another's bodies.
He easily slipped the dress off of her shoulders, and when she stood, it pooled at her feet. Her olive and amber eyes stared into his, and his hands ran up her sides, tenderly caressing her breasts through her camisole. He fell to his knees as if he was worshipping her. One hand trailed up her naked thigh, reaching its goal between her legs. She threw her head back as his other hand snaked up through her camisole and touched his palm to her aching breasts. She needed him to touch her, to feel her, to take her completely, and as she moaned, Sully rolled his thumb across her nipple, toying with her, pleasing her and making her cry out for more.
Her desire melted onto his fingers, and he tasted her, kissing her where she wanted to be kissed the most. Michaela's hands moved to his shoulders, steadying him as he gave her other breast the same treatment as the other. She gasped as her heart raced, her breath quickened, and every part of her body shook with anticipation. She moved her hands to the side of the washtub, gripping it to keep herself from falling over. Finally, he kissed his way up her body, feeling every inch of her, as he helped her remove her camisole.
Sully stood completely, pulling her to him, crushing her breasts against him. She began to unbutton each button on his shirt, throwing his tie over her shoulder. Their lips met again as they pulled his shirt from his trousers and let it flutter to the floor behind them. Sully picked her up in his arms, kissing her neck and the invisible line between her breasts. He placed her down into the hot tub, but she felt cold without him. She watched as he stripped out of his trousers, kicking everything to the side and staring down at her with desire. Every inch of her body ached for him, and she craved to feel what she knew he could make her feel.
He sunk down into the water, and their bodies immediately pulled together, kissing, caressing, impatiently grinding and begging for release. His mouth on her neck and on her breasts made her skin sizzle, and she felt him touch her again, causing her legs to pull around him, bringing her into his lap. They held each other close, moved together and cried out their pleasures until the water grew cool, and they were shivering from desire and the effects of the chilled water.
"Time for bed," he whispered into her ear, only to receive an exhausted by eager sigh into his own ear. He slowly stood and picked her up out of the water. They took turns drying one another off, but where hands and towels rubbed, mouths took over, and they were making their way to the bed in a matter of minutes. They tumbled back atop the sheets, and Sully rolled to his side, his hand caressing Michaela's thigh. She sucked in a sharp breath, her lips trembling against his.
Michaela found herself lying atop him once he rolled onto his back, and she blushed at how empowering it felt to be staring down at a man that gave her such pleasure. She wondered if maybe, just maybe, this would feel just as wonderful or better. She wondered if it would bring him greater pleasure. For a moment, she felt mildly awkward, staring down at him as he entered her, as he'd done before. She cried out as she slid onto him, her body resisting for only a moment as he pushed inside of her. The discomfort quickly turned to burning need and pleasure as they moved together in a beautiful fluid motion.
"Sully!" she moaned, looking down into his eyes, knowing it was okay to be so verbal. She knew it was normal for both of them. He loved that she could express herself in that way, and it only added to their lovemaking, making the pressure, the passion and the never-ending need for release even more breathtaking.
He groaned as the pleasure mounted, and her constricting walls held him tight, not wanting to let go. He held her hips as they moved together, and his eyes closed tight as they peaked together. Michaela's head leaned back, and she felt his thumb overtake her swollen, throbbing center, causing her to cry out. Her wet hair thrashed wildly as she rocked her hips against his. She felt his fingers dig into her flesh, leaving tiny white pressure marks, but it felt good. He couldn't hold on anymore, and he pulled her to him, rolling her onto her back, thrusting blindly inside of her, searing her walls with his white hot passion. They cried out together, feeling each other's hearts beating as if they were their own. Their bodies slipped together, gliding over sweat-glistening chests and passion-glazed thighs. Their foreheads rested together as they mixed hot white with hot white, and they merged their spirits once more.
Her heart ached when he pulled out of her and rolled to his back, trying to catch his breath. She rolled to rest in the nook of his arm. She closed her eyes, as his arm moved to hold her waist. His fingers played along her sensitive flesh, and her heart continued to pound until he was too tired to move. She thanked him with kisses to his chest, his neck, his cheeks, his forehead, his nose and finally his lips. Her insatiable gaze told him that she was already hungry for more, and when their mouths met again, he deepened the kiss, kissing her with such untamed passion, such enthusiasm, and she eagerly responded in kind. They soon joined one another again, making love until nightfall, making the music of their night the sweetest sound of all.