Chapter 2

Thus their relationship continued on a similar course through the rest of the summer and for several months afterward. Duty and responsibility during the day, and nights together, some passionate and others more restful. Without realizing it they'd gotten into the routine of what marriage in that era usually consisted of, duties and responsibilities often taking precedence over the special times they'd once had.

Suddenly it was nearly Christmas and since she was the Lady of the house, much of the coordination of the party fell on Belle, which she happily agreed to. This time though it would be a party with far more people than the previous year, especially considering that this year her husband and all of their servants & staff were human once more. Yes this would be quite a different affair.

One evening just before Christmas Belle and Adam were sitting down to breakfast and they had the following conversation;

"Oh Adam did you realize that Christmas is nearly here? It's only days away!"

"Oh then I guess you'll be asking for a special Christmas present then. What do you want, a box of chocolates? A diamond ring? A trip to Africa? A...?"

"A trip to Africa? Where did you come up with that idea? Ha ha no nothing like that, I'm still a simple girl really. No, I'd just like a rose, like the one you had when I first came here."

"Well I'm not going to look up that enchantress again to get you an enchanted rose! Who knows what she'd do to me next? Turn me into a frog?"

"Well then I'd just have to kiss you and turn you back into a handsome prince. No silly, it doesn't have to be an enchanted rose, a normal one will do."

"Fine then, I'll see what I can do..." he said with a slightly husky tone. Then he cleared his voice.

"So what have you been keeping busy with lately?"

She answered, "Well apart from planning the annual Christmas party, I've also been working on a book. You know how much I love to read, well I've been working on writing the story about how and when we met, and then funny enough that made me remember something that happened just before I came here."

"Really what was that? Go on..."

"Did you know that just before I came here, Gaston came around to my cottage with all of his friends, over half the village really, and he was going to try to force me to marry him? He just waltzed right in there, put his feet up on the table, and kept going on how we'd have six or seven sons, and how I'd help him dress and prepare his latest kill, and all that. It was funny though when I let him out the door and he fell in a mud puddle!" Belle laughed.

"Ha ha yes I can imagine it..." Prince Adam chuckled, then became lost in thought.

The rest of the day passed without incident and then the evening came and Belle approached him at dinner.

"Adam, I was thinking today that there is a pass-time we used to partake in which we've fallen out of as of late."

"Oh yes I agree..." Adam said, though he wondered if she had in mind what he did.

"Remember when we used to spend our evenings reading aloud? Well I found a book which I thought seemed interesting and thought that you should meet me in the library after dinner and we'll do that."

"Oh yes the library. Well I'll see you then." Adam replied though a bit disappointed.

After dinner then Prince Adam met Belle in the library and she motioned for him to have a seat on the carpet beside her, in front of the roaring fireplace. He sat down, then decided to recline a bit to relax and observe Belle reading.

"Oh you'll love this book, Notre Dame De Paris by Victor Hugo, because it's quite the adventure and the story of dear Quasimodo who just breaks your heart sometimes."

Belle then proceeded to read the book aloud and soon became so engrossed in it and it's fighting & adventure scenes, that she didn't notice when her husband became distracted and interested in more than just the story. The fire, the story and it's talk of thrusting swords, and with Belle reading it, Adam's thoughts were distracted to other parts of his anatomy. This then made him remember how he'd sometimes felt as a Beast when Belle read to him, then comparing it to his current situation, he knew he had to do something about it.

Belle was so engrossed in her book that she didn't notice when her husband got up, walked around the room, readjusted his clothes, and knelt in front of her, until he grabbed her ankles, pulled her legs around his waist, and ran hand up her legs and under her skirt.

"Hey what are you doing? I was just trying to read!" Belle said in a surprised voice.

"Taking what I want. Oh Belle books are fine, but with all of your talk of swords and sons, I decided what I want is some of you." Adam said, his voice husky and has gaze intent. He caressed her thighs and pulled her closer to him so she could know his intentions.

"Swords and sons? Taking what you want? Are you expecting to take me like some common beast?" Belle gasped.

"Oh Belle...I'm just a man now, not a beast. Just a man who wants to make love to his wife." he said, his voice now filled with a hint of remorse, his eyes less intense and filled with a touch of sorrow.

"Oh that's fine, aw..." Belle said as, she reached up to brush a strand of hair from across his face.

Then he became bemused and said, "Ah I can be gentle...but it doesn't mean you won't feel my sword." he said as he pressed against her a bit more.

"Your sword? Hmmm, is that what that is? Ha ha yes I feel that...Oh"

"Shh just lay back a bit...Ah there...Don't be scared we've does this before..." he soothed.

"Yes..but never in the library!" Belle gasped.

"Well there's always a first time for everything..." Adam growled a bit while he leaned down and possessed her mouth and her body in one moment. His kisses then moved against her neck, while she ran her fingers through his hair, and he growled "Hmmm...I thought that would make my kitten purr..."

They then had quite the sporting time in the library in front of the fire that evening, eventually picking her up to continue in their bedroom. While there, in repose, Prince Adam whispered to Belle

"So what did you think about that?"

"Well I'll never see the library the same way again! He he!" Belle chuckled huskily.

"Hmm, well now if you do get your Christmas rose, you'll know what I have in mind..."

"More of this?"

"Precisely..."

"In the library? Or here?"

"Well we'll have to see won't we?" Adam purred and then recaptured her mouth.

A few days later their Christmas party went smashingly, and when Belle got her rose for Christmas, she knew exactly what her husband had in mind for the rest of the evening. Oh she certainly did.