After spending some time with the children, they all dispersed to rejoin the party. They had made plans to visit her mountain the following weekend, as her work schedule limited the time they could spend together during the days, but she made sure they knew they were always welcome at her apartment. She was excited at the prospect of having them over as company. Perhaps they could even have sleepovers, she excitedly wondered.

"I made it out unscathed." She smiled as Georg turned from a food table to meet her eyes, smiling happily to her. She looked as if the weight of the world had been lifted from her shoulders.

"I had no doubt you would. Here." He handed her a plate of food, as well as her purse that she had apparently left on the bench with him earlier.

"Oh, thank you. I'm terrible about leaving my things behind." He didn't want to agree, as it would have reminded him of some of the things she had left behind in his home when she left. He still had a rosary of hers tucked away in his bedside table, after all.

"I did look quite lovely carrying it." She laughed, taking a bite of one of the finger sandwiches as he carried his own plate, and they moved to stand at a tall table to eat. Suddenly, the shy waiter returned, gently placing glasses of champagne in front of them before dashing away.

"My goodness, he's relentless." He laughed, but didn't risk complaining and being scolded by her yet again.

"Have you been forgiven?" She smiled, nodding her head.

"They will still need time to process and trust me again, I'm sure. But for now, we're on very good terms."

"I couldn't be happier about that, Maria." She looked into his eyes, the use of her name without a title catching her off guard.

"You've never called me by name before." She took a drink of her champagne, wondering exactly how many she'd had at that point. Was it her fourth?

"Is that alright?" She nodded, and he felt himself relax. He had no intention of offending her in any way.

"It's quite nice, actually. It makes me feel like I belong at a gathering like this." She gestured toward the rest of the guests, all decked out in their evening attire.

"You belong anywhere you go." He took her hand atop the table, gently squeezing it in support. She smiled in appreciation, but didn't draw attention to it, instead she allowed him to hold her hand while they ate. His fingers warm as they danced across her skin.

The evening pressed onward, and she found herself laughing and having a most wonderful time. She danced with both Friedrich and Kurt, watched as the children played pranks on various, unsuspecting guests, but most of all, she felt herself falling into a warm comfort with Georg. It may have been the incredible amount of champagne they were consuming, their glasses never seeming to be empty for long, but somehow she felt that their hearts were reconnecting, old wounds being healed. She wasn't sure how she felt about many things that had transpired between them in the past, but for the night, she was going to enjoy herself.

When the time came for the children to go to bed, a bit later than usual thanks to the party, Georg excused himself to walk the younger ones to their bedrooms. It only took a fraction of a second for Gretl to request Maria instead, stating that she needed a song they used to sing together before she could possibly sleep. He felt strange asking, she was no longer under his employ, of course, but she felt delighted as two of the children took her hands and she was rushed upstairs for the second time that evening.

She sang with Gretl and Marta, chatted a bit with Louisa and Brigitta, and shared a small, slightly inappropriate joke with the boys as she went through the bedtime routine she remembered from years ago. It felt strange with the children being so much older, none really needing help at bedtime, but they all seemed nostalgic for the past.

As she exited the last of the bedrooms, she felt herself being pulled away from the door, her back pressed against the wall. Her stomach felt warm, her brain dizzy, and her body nearly melting at Georg's proximity as his chest was tight against her own. She nearly stopped breathing, looking into his eyes as one of his hands came to caress her cheek, his thumb gently tracing her bottom lip.

"Have you just been waiting out here?"

"I can't help myself."

"This is where the trouble started before, isn't it?" Her words came in a whisper, and he nodded gently. She couldn't stop herself from leaning into his hand as he caressed her cheek, unable to stop her hands from grasping the lapels of his jacket.

"Are you drunk?"

"Quite, actually." He chuckled, unable to remember the amount of champagne either of them had partaken, but he knew it was considerable.

"So drunk that you don't know what you're doing?" Her pelvis throbbed in a way she wasn't prepared for as he pressed his body closer to hers.

"No." She ran a hand over his chest, wrapping her fingers around his tie. "I'm well aware of what I'm doing."

She pulled his tie to bring him into a kiss, and he buried his hand in her hair as he pulled her close. His lips dominated hers immediately, demanding and firm, and she sighed into his mouth without her control. It felt like heaven to kiss him, his body tight and hot against her own as he deepened their kiss, her arms wrapping around his neck to pull him closer.

She felt the tip of his tongue touching her bottom lip, and she hesitated for just a moment. If she continued, she knew she would find herself in his bed, there was no doubt in her mind. She had wanted him for years, craved his body in times of weakness, but she also knew there would be no turning back once that decision was made. Loving him was dangerous, as he had tossed her aside for another woman before, and she wasn't sure what would stop him from doing so again, if given the chance. Would she always be his second choice?

She opened her mouth to him, unable to hold back any longer as her body ached for his. She knew it was against her better judgment, but the idea of being in his arms, if only just for the night, would have been enough for her. One night was all she had the strength to ask for. She pressed her pelvis against his, adding pressure to his erection that she could suddenly feel through his pants. He groaned, attempting to pull away and question her intention, but she only kissed him harder. Their hearts were pounding against one another.

His hands moved over her back, his fingers tickling the bare skin he could find above her zipper, before his palms moved over every inch of her to grasp her backside. His tongue entered her mouth again as he squeezed her in his hands, pressing her hips even harder against his, and she nearly gasped at the jolt that shot through her body, igniting her in a way she had never felt before. She lifted one of her legs to wrap around his waist, and he grasped her thigh to push himself between her legs. He began to kiss over her cheek, across her neck, eliciting a gasp of excitement from her lips as their hips moved together. She could hardly breathe.

"I need you." Her heart jumped, adrenaline pumping through her veins. She ground her hips against his, feeling him press against her center in a most stimulating way. She was certain she needed him just as badly, as he groaned in delight.

"Have me, then." His kiss continued, but he didn't move, perhaps weighing the outcome of a night with her. She didn't want him to think, didn't want to allow herself to think. She grasped his hair, pulling him back to her lips for an earth-shattering kiss, her teeth sinking into his bottom lip as she made her point. She released his lip from her teeth slowly, looking up at him through her eyelashes, and he nearly came undone in that moment. "You heard me, Georg."

The sound of his name falling from her lips was all it took to send him over the edge. He kissed her once more before rushing them down the hall, thankfully his bedroom wasn't far, as he could have just as easily taken her against the wall in his current state. She likely would have let him, judging by the passion in her eyes. It was clear they both knew their night together was premature, they had so many things they needed to discuss between them, but somehow that didn't stop them from bursting through the door of his bedroom and kissing one another as if their lives depended upon it.

Kicking off shoes, removing his jacket, her stockings, his tie, their hands couldn't stop stripping one another on their way to the bed. He laid her down, his hands pulling her panties down her legs as she unbuckled his pants. She was still in her dress, he was still in his shirt, but there was desperation involved and simply no time to waste. He kissed her hard as he rubbed himself against her opening, and she shivered beneath him with want, spreading her legs for him as he thrust into her.

Suddenly, her body stiffened and she cried out, the sharp pain of his entrance making her sober up faster than she had ever expected. He stopped moving immediately, pulling his lips away from her neck and meeting her eyes in concern. He hadn't expected to hurt her, of course. Her breathing was heavy and fast, and her eyes were wide. She seemed quite nervous, he could see that now, and by the way she was grasping for words to explain, he knew.

"You're a virgin?" She slowly nodded, and he felt a bit sick.

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"Well…I don't know. You seemed so certain, I thought…"

"I am certain. It just took me by surprise." Eyebrows furrowed, he tried his best to ignore the throbbing of his erection, as he was still buried deep inside of her.

"You didn't think it would hurt?"

"Not like that, I thought I could just handle it."

"Maria…" He shook his head, unable to express the way he felt about her first time needing to be special. She deserved for it to be special. "I can't compromise your virtue."

"I think you just did." He frowned, but she took his face between her hands, her body relaxing a bit as she felt herself stretching around him. "There's nobody else I've ever wanted to give it to."

"But like this…"

"What's wrong with it? This feels perfect to me." He sighed, and she could see him thinking behind his dark eyes. She could see the desire in his soul through his gaze, and she knew he couldn't say no to her.

"You'll never find pleasure like this your first time." She raised her eyebrows in question, and he gently pulled out of her body. She sat up as he stood to remove his shirt, standing completely bare before her. She couldn't stop the blush upon her face at seeing him in such a way. He took her hands and helped her stand as well, reaching around to unzip her dress as he placed a gentle kiss to her lips. He pulled the zipper slowly, the dress opening to reveal the skin of her back, the soft curves of her hips.

He deepened their kiss and pushed her dress down her body, allowing it to pool at her feet. She shivered as his fingers tickled her skin, moving gently over her stomach, her hips, anywhere he could reach. He unhooked her bra with ease and tossed it to the ground with the rest of their clothes. She pulled away and met his eyes, feeling incredibly vulnerable at being so bare before him. He gave her a gentle smile, running his hand through her hair and returning to their kiss, his lips moving across her cheek and over her neck.

His lips began to trail downward, across her shoulder and over her chest. She closed her eyes at the feeling of his lips upon her skin, soft and sensual as he kissed every inch of her. He moved a hand over one of her breasts, massaging it in his palm as he kissed over the other, slowly taking her nipple into his mouth. She sighed, the sensuality in his gesture making her entire body burn. She ran her hands through his hair as his lips trailed over her stomach, and he fell to his knees before her. Before she could comprehend, he nuzzled his face between her legs, his tongue jetting out to part her.

She felt her body fall to the bed behind her, completely at his mercy as she gasped at the feeling of his mouth upon her. He pulled her hips to the edge of the bed, moving her legs over each of his shoulders as he spread them wider. She grasped the edge of the bed in her hands, as he did things to her she could have never imagined were possible. His breath was hot against her, his tongue soft but firm as he licked every surface between her thighs. Her pelvis tightened harshly, aching for a release as he teased her, humming against her as he nuzzled closer.

She couldn't believe it, couldn't have fathomed that her evening would have taken such a turn. Her body felt like lava, hot and melting at his touch, let alone his mouth. Oh his mouth…how on earth was he doing that with his mouth? Certainly one of his many hidden talents, one that it seemed he enjoyed, given his enthusiasm. He made her feel weak and out of control, the pleasure brought to her body outweighing her thoughts completely. She had never felt that way in her entire life.

"My God, Georg…" She moaned, gripping the sheets in her hands as her stomach tightened, and she felt her body jolt upward without her control. He felt her hips grinding against his mouth as she came, and he continued to move her through her pleasure. She gasped, nearly hyperventilating as wave upon wave of warmth flooded her soul, much like an explosion. She felt as if she were flying, made of air as she finally felt her body let go and relax, warmth spreading everywhere.

He continued to kiss her, his tongue tasting her arousal just a bit longer before he began making his way up her body. His lips trailed over her thighs before making their way over her hip and across her stomach. She watched as he took in every part of her skin, as if he were committing it all to memory. He kissed his way to her lips before slipping an arm behind her back and lifting her further onto the bed, positioning himself between her legs.

He thrust slowly, looking into her eyes for signs of discomfort, and she smiled at the care he was taking. For a gruff, angry man on the outside, he was so tender with her. Running a hand through her hair, he moved a bit faster placing a kiss upon her lips as she wrapped her legs around his waist. She wanted to feel him as closely as possible, her body craving nothing more than his warmth as they moved.

She was startled by the instinct involved in making love, how she knew exactly the way her body needed to move with his, how she knew he was close to his climax by the throbbing inside of her, the way his movement became strained as he tried to hold back. He wanted it to last, wanted nothing more than to make love to her for hours, days even, enslaving her to his bed and never letting the outside world into theirs again.

He gasped, letting go as she pulled him deep with her legs, wanting nothing more than to feel his release against her entire body. Teeth clinched, he pumped hard into her, her hips moving against him without skipping a beat. It was perfect, everything felt so perfect, she nearly wept. Even while she knew perfection was an illusion.

Tomorrow they would awaken to face the past once again. They would awaken in one another's arms, but tomorrow they would have to face reality.