It's sexy times for these two in this chapter again. Just giving you a warning!

Mary raised an eyebrow at Tom as he opened his side of the adjoining door. 'Two rooms? And here was I thinking we'd be sharing a room.'

'We will be, but the world and his wife don't need to know that,' he replied, pulling her into his arms. 'We may be far from home, but I don't want to risk your reputation.'

'That's very sweet of you,' she said, wrapping her arms around his neck. 'And don't think I didn't notice you mentioning I'm your sister-in-law to the hotel manager when we arrived.'

'I didn't want them thinking anything untoward about the adjoining rooms. Did I do wrong?'

'No, it was very thoughtful of you. I confess I wore my wedding ring to make it all seem more respectable.'

'I did notice you were wearing it again. So, what do you want to do this afternoon? Do you want to explore the surrounding area? Robert was right, it's beau-' Tom stopped short as Mary put her finger over his lips.

'Tom,' she said, a patient expression on her face. 'The Hanging Gardens of Babylon could be right outside the window and I could not be less interested. The only thing I want to explore this afternoon is how many times you can make me forget my own name.'

A smile spread over Tom's face. 'Is that a challenge?'

'If you choose to look at it like that.'

Mary squealed as Tom lifted her off her feet and spun round to throw her on the bed.

She landed with a bounce and a giggle. 'Goodness, that was very masterful of you.'

'I don't think there's a man born who could master you, Mary.'

She gave him a coy smile. 'I don't mind if you want to try. In the bedroom, I mean.'

Tom paused, surprised. 'You want me to boss you about in bed?'

Mary blushed, but her gaze was steady. 'Not all the time, but maybe now and again. I think I might enjoy it. I mean I have before when you've been… commanding.'

'Right.' Tom regarded her, thoughtfully. 'Stand up.'

Mary's heart bumped in her chest as she got to her feet.

'Take off your clothes.'

She reached up to unbutton her blouse.

'Slowly,' he ordered, picking up a chair from the corner of the room and bringing it over to place it a few feet in front of her. He sat down, leaning forward to watch her.

Mary obeyed, seeing Tom's eyes darken with lust as she slowly disrobed, dropping each piece of clothing in a pile on the floor. When there wasn't a stitch left on her, she looked at him expectantly.

'Sit on the edge of the bed and spread your legs.'

Mary swallowed but followed his instructions to the letter.

Tom's voice was low and rough. 'Touch yourself.'

Mary braced one hand on the bed behind her and slipped the other one between her parted legs to fondle herself. She'd never done this in front of anyone and the wantonness of it made her head spin. As she stroked herself, she watched Tom watching her, noting his uneven breathing and the tell-tale tenting at the front of his trousers.

Although she was following his orders, she felt powerful, knowing that she was arousing him as much as herself. She closed her eyes, gasping as tendrils of pleasure licked out from her groin.

'Oh, no, open your eyes and keep looking at me.'

Mary opened her eyes, gazing at his face as his eyes flicked between her face and her industrious hand.

'I want to see you make yourself come.' Tom's voice was practically a growl.

Mary groaned at his words, working her fingers faster, rubbing and stroking herself until she trembled and quaked, panting and moaning out her orgasm.

Tom rose to his feet, unbuttoning his fly and pulling himself out as he came towards her. She eyed him, her breasts rising and falling as she tried to calm her breathing.

'Take me in your mouth, Mary.'

Mary looked up at him, then back down at his cock. She leaned forward and licked a stripe up his shaft before wrapping her lips around the flared head and sucking on him.

Tom dropped one hand to her shoulder, squeezing it as he let out a ragged sigh. Mary kept doing what she was doing, bobbing her head up and down as she licked and sucked the length of him. Tom groaned, his hips flashing forward. She choked a little but recovered her rhythm soon enough.

'Stop,' he said, suddenly.

She didn't stop.

'Stop!'

Reluctantly, she pulled away and looked up at him.

'Get on your back.'

Mary leaned back and Tom grabbed the undersides of her thighs, tipping her fully onto her back. He slid inside her, pulling her bottom tight against his groin, a desperate groan escaping him as he came to a halt.

He began to thrust, and Mary could feel the tweed of his suit against her skin. Suddenly, she found the fact that she was completely naked while he was fully clothed exhilaratingly erotic. She dug her fingers into the bedspread beneath her, pushing her hips up as Tom's movements grew more and more desperate.

'Touch yourself again,' he ordered, his voice husky.

Mary slid one hand back between her legs and the other to her breast to pull on her hardened nipple. With the added stimulation, it didn't take long for her orgasm to hit her, making her jerk and shudder against him. Tom cursed and pulled out of her, jerking himself, once, twice, to spill on her stomach and breasts as he reached his own climax.

He fell on the bed beside her, breathing heavily. 'Jesus, Mary and Joseph,' he panted.

Mary turned her head to look at him. 'Well,' she said, 'we're definitely doing that again.'

Tom huffed out a laugh, still trying to catch his breath. 'You'll get no arguments from me.'

She looked down at the mess he'd left on her and wiped her finger through it.

He watched her do it, still panting. 'Sorry about that. I didn't think you'd have your device in, and I certainly didn't have the presence of mind to go looking for the johnnies.'

Mary looked over at him and shrugged. 'I don't mind, Tom. I don't have my device in, and I never even stopped to think about that. It's a good job one of us did otherwise you might have had to rethink your move to America in a couple of months.'

Tom stared at her, a curious expression on his face, before sitting up to tuck himself back in. 'Let's get you cleaned up.'

Mary pulled herself further onto the bed and watched him bustle around with the pitcher and bowl on the chest of drawers, wondering what it was she'd seen on his face.

Mary woke first the following morning, opening her eyes to see Tom still asleep on the pillow next to her. She smiled to herself, revelling in the simple pleasure of being able to stay all night in the same bed as him, neither one of them having to sneak out before dawn.

He looked peaceful in sleep, like a man without a care in the world. Mary allowed herself the luxury of gazing at him, trying to commit every little detail of his face to memory.

'Are you watching me sleep?'

'No,' she said with a smile, 'because quite obviously you're not asleep.'

He opened one eye and grinned at her. 'You were so.'

'Well, it's a novelty, waking up with a man in my bed.'

'I should hope so.' Tom wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her in close. 'Good morning.'

'Good morning.' Mary tilted her head up to capture his lips in a long, slow kiss.

'Mmmm,' said Tom, 'what a lovely way to wake up.'

'I think we could make it even lovelier,' Mary replied cheekily, sliding her hand down between them to grasp his already stiff cock.

Tom groaned as she began to stroke him. Mary kissed him again, thrilling to the feel of him hardening and lengthening in her hand. Then it was her turn to groan as Tom gathered the presence of mind to slip his hand between her legs.

'Mary,' he panted a little later, 'I need… oh… I need to be inside you.'

Mary pushed him on his back and rolled on top of him. She sat up to slip him inside her, watching in delight as he rolled his eyes skywards at the feel of her surrounding him, then she stretched out flat on his chest, kissing him deep and slow.

Tom responded enthusiastically, sliding his hands down her back to cup her bottom and thrust his hips up, rocking gently into her. Mary braced her hands by his head and moved her hips in a small circle, clenching her muscles around him. It wasn't nearly enough friction to get either of them off, but for now they both revelled in the sensation, trading open-mouthed kisses on necks, shoulders, chests, faces, lips.

Mary's breath came faster and harder, and she moaned against his skin as delicious wisps of pleasure curled through every part of her body, getting stronger and stronger.

Tom reached up, wrapping his arms around her shoulders and rolling her onto her back, never breaking the intimate contact between them. He lay on top of her, threading their fingers together and gazing down at her, his blue eyes intense. Mary unashamedly met his gaze.

Tom began to grind his hips, still slowly but with more intent, pushing deeper inside her. Mary wrapped her legs around his, tilting her hips up towards him, making him groan again.

He didn't take his eyes off hers and Mary couldn't look away, mesmerised by the look in his eyes as his hips worked faster and faster. When the peak came, it came for both of them at the same time, and they shuddered through it, with their gazes locked, their fingers entwined.

Tom dropped his head to kiss her, long and soft, as their breathing slowed. Mary kissed him back, inwardly reeling at the three surprising and impossible words that had been about to tumble from her mouth and desperately grateful that his kiss had stoppered them.