Hold Me Close, Keep Us Safe – Chapter 2
Maria stirred. She opened her eyes just enough to see the early morning light streaming through the windows. She closed her eyes again and burrowed further down under the bed sheets and blankets, the warmth from the large, luxurious bed beckoning her back to sleep. She could hear the steady breathing and soft snores from her husband as he lay asleep next to her.
It had been something to get used to over the past month since their wedding, living and sleeping with a man. Firstly sharing a bed with someone else: during the first few nights of their marriage, more than once Maria found herself rolling over in bed and running right into him, much to Georg's amusement. But secondly, getting used to listening to his breathing and snoring next to her as he slept. At first Maria almost couldn't stand the noise after always being used to sleeping in complete silence at the Abbey. But now, she found his steady, regular breathing somewhat comforting and practically hypnotic, and she would fall asleep almost instantly just listening to him.
Maria began to doze in and out of sleep when she sensed a change in his breathing. A moment later, she felt the mattress shift beside her and a strong, warm arm wrapped itself around her waist. Still not opening her eyes, Maria smiled to herself as she felt Georg snuggle up to her, spooning himself around her back. His breathing returned to its steady, rhythmic state as he went back to sleep, and soon Maria found herself drifting off too.
She wasn't sure how much time had passed, but she awoke to the sensation of Georg nuzzling his face into the back of her neck. She felt sleepy, but the feeling of his gentle kisses was too delicious to ignore and return to sleep.
She sighed contentedly, as his fingers moved lazily from the curve of her waist to lightly graze over her naked breasts. At once her nipples became hardened, erect and aroused. His lips felt soft on her skin as he continued to kiss and suck her neck. Slowly his fingers stroked her skin, from her breasts down to her stomach then back to her breasts. His touch was light, but every caress sent pulses of electricity through her veins.
She knew what exactly he wanted, and she was more than happy to oblige.
She wriggled slightly in her spot to move more onto her back, as he positioned himself alongside her. Eyes still closed, she felt his lips travel lightly from her neck down her chest to her breasts. As he sucked each nipple slowly and tenderly, Maria rolled her head back on her pillow, letting out soft moans of pleasure. She reached for him, pulling his face towards hers and kissing him. She seemed to melt into him as their tongues met. Maria laced the fingers of one hand through Georg's thick, dark hair as she ran her other hand lazily down his back before grasping his backside tightly.
They continued to kiss: long, slow deep kisses, full of passion and desire. And as they kissed, his hands explored her body gently: firstly squeezing, massaging and caressing her breasts, then lightly grazing the curve of her waist, to finally between her legs, causing her to moan into his mouth in delight. Her heart was racing and her breathing came in ragged gasps and pants as he touched her tenderly and lovingly, bringing her more and more pleasure with every caress. They kissed again and again as the pleasure he was giving her increased to the point that she breathed out his name in ecstasy as her body shuddered beneath his.
Finally Maria opened her eyes to see Georg gazing adoringly down at her. "My love," he whispered as he entered her gently, moving slowly at first, before going faster and faster until they both found their release.
Georg rolled off her and pulled her into his arms. He lovingly kissed her as they relished in the afterglow of their lovemaking. Maria closed her eyes again, snuggling into his warm embrace. "Hmm… I love how you wake me up every morning by doing that," she whispered with a satisfied grin.
He kissed her temple. "And you know how much I enjoy it too."
"I do," she replied. Over the past month, they'd made love so many times that Maria now had no doubt to how much she pleased her husband. She knew every inch of his body intimately and exactly where to kiss or touch him to bring him ultimate pleasure.
Georg smiled. "And that's not all," he continued, "we need to make the most of every opportunity, you know. It won't be like this once we get home."
"Yes I suppose so," she replied with a sigh. "Not with seven children that need and require our attention."
"Not to mention staff and business meetings and social gatherings and…" Georg began to list.
Maria gave him a playful slap and groaned. "You're making me want to never go home saying things like that. You make it sound like we'll never see each other."
Georg shrugged. "Well, it'll be busy, but we'll manage. It just makes me appreciate every moment like this I have with you here in Paris." He kissed her again.
They lay in a contented silence for the next few minutes before Maria spoke. "I do miss them though," she said pensively.
"Who? The staff?" Georg mocked her with a chuckle.
"No, the children!" she laughed back.
"I can't imagine why," he said dryly, "they seem to telephone every second day or so. So much for calling only in emergencies."
"Well, Gretl not being able to find her favourite doll was an emergency, apparently."
"Like you'd know where she'd put it after being away for a month," Georg replied with a laugh.
"Oh I know. But I suppose she just wanted to hear the sound of our voices. She is very young to be left alone for so long without her parents."
"I know," agreed Georg. "I don't mind actually, the children telephoning, I mean. Hearing from them every few days makes me worry less about them."
Maria propped herself up on her elbow. "You're worried?" she asked.
"Only a little bit," Georg told her honestly. "Everyday I read about more about the impending Anschluss. It seems inevitable that it's going to happen now, no way to stop it. If the Nazis invade Austria, well, I'm not sure we'll have a home there anymore."
"What do you mean?" Maria asked seriously.
Georg shook his head. "Well to join them would be unthinkable, and to refuse them would be fatal for us all…" his voice trailed off. He looked pensive for a moment before seeing the worried look on her face. He gave her a half smile and another kiss. "Maria, please, there's nothing to worry about, I assure you."
Maria seemed unconvinced so he quickly gave her another kiss and decided to change the subject. "What do you want to do today? We probably should go and do some sightseeing, especially since we have spent the last two days in this bed." Maria blushed furiously as she recalled their wild and passionate lovemaking over the past two days.
"I don't mind. Maybe go to a museum or out in the fresh air? You decide."
"Alright," he said as he hopped out of bed. "Let's shower and get dressed." Maria didn't move but lay in bed, still propped up on one arm, watching her husband walk across the room stark naked. Although she'd now seen him unclothed many times since they'd married, she always liked having an opportunity to admire his nude form.
He paused at the bathroom door and turned around, giving her a full vision of his naked body. "Maria, are you coming?" he asked.
Maria smiled then gave him a mock salute. "Yes sir!" she said as she got out of bed and followed him into the bathroom.
The first time Georg had convinced Maria to shower together with him, she'd been terribly self-conscious. He'd gotten her past that by having her close her eyes as he narrated what he was doing to her, his touch so loving and gentle that she wept. Now, she adored having him massage her, his hands slippery with soap gliding over her skin like skaters over a frozen pond.
When she slipped behind the curtain, Georg was already waiting, the water just the right temperature. He reached for her shoulders as if to turn her around, when she stopped him.
"No, your turn. You've told me not to worry, but I want to make you forget about politics for a while."
She took the soap from him as he turned around. She set it on the dish, rubbing her hands together to increase the lather, and began massaging his shoulders and neck. Moving slowly down his back, when Maria reached his waist she rubbed up against him, her hands reaching around to his front. There she began again, as high up as she could with her arms being trapped by his. His breathing became louder, every inch she lowered her hands as she massaged him made him groan with pleasure. Reaching his manhood, she grasped him at the base and slowly moved her hand up and down along his full length. She continued, even as he tried to turn to face her.
"No, darling, this time you receive all the attention," she told him, her voice dark and lush. Her movements became faster and stronger as his finish neared. He steadied himself with one hand against the tile and stilled her motions by applying pressure to her hand with the other.
"Oh, God, Maria!" was all he could manage to choke out, as his entire body was wracked with spasms. "If we keep this up you will kill me, surely," he told her when he finally caught his breath. She allowed him to turn around finally, kissing him full on the mouth when he took her face in his hands.
When the water began to lose its warmth, they finally rinsed off and turned off the tap. Georg reached for a towel and wrapped Maria first, before grabbing a second for himself. Soon they were both dried and dressed and they left their suite to spend a day wandering through Paris together.
XxXxXx
When they arrived in the lobby of the hotel, Georg stopped for a moment at the front desk to check for any messages or mail that had arrived over the past few days.
As Georg spoke to the concierge, Maria gazed around the lobby, which was buzzing with activity. There were a group of people greeting each other with la faire la bise, the French cheek kissing custom; two small children who were circling their parents' knees as they checked their baggage into the hotel; and a man with a moustache reading a newspaper over to one side of the lobby. He looked up and glanced in Georg's direction before burying himself back in his newspaper.
A few moments later, Georg had finished with the concierge and, with one hand on the small of her back, he escorted Maria out into the bright sunshine.
Taking the opportunity of being away from their hotel suite so early in the morning, they decided to go and have breakfast at a nearby café. Café au lait, croissants and pain au chocolate were ordered and the two of them enjoyed a pleasant breakfast together whilst reading a letter from the children that had arrived just the day before.
As they were about to leave the café, Maria noticed man with the moustache from the hotel enter the restaurant and glance over in their direction. He looked very interested in what they were doing and Maria thought his behaviour was a little strange. But by the time she looked back, the man was completely ignoring them as he was busy ordering his morning coffee. Putting the moment out of her mind, Maria took Georg's arm as they strolled towards the museum they were going to visit that morning.
The sunshine was glorious so they took the long route to the museum through the park. After a few days indoors, the fresh air was invigorating. Apparently many Parisians must have thought the same thing for the park was quite crowded with lots of people out for a morning walk. Maria and Georg stopped by a fountain where Maria splashed her hand through the cool water. But as they went to continue on, Maria saw, over Georg's shoulder, the same man with the moustache from earlier walking through the park. Once again he looked over in their direction, but this time as he did, he stopped walking and stared directly at them, like he wanted something from them. Maria edged sideways to try and get a better took at the man.
"Maria?" Georg asked, noticing her craning her neck around to look at something behind him. "Is everything alright?"
"Yes," she replied, flicking her eyes back at him, "I just thought I saw…" but she stopped speaking when she glanced back over Georg's shoulder and saw that the man had gone.
"Maria?" Georg sounded concerned. "What did you see?"
She bit her lip and shook her head, thinking. No, just a coincidence, she thought to herself, perhaps the man was looking at someone else?
"Oh nothing," she replied as casually as she could. "Trick of the eyes, that's all." Georg looked at her quizzically, seemingly unconvinced at her answer. She smiled then placed her hand on his arm to reassure him. "Really darling, everything's fine. Shall we keep going?"
They arrived at the museum and spent the next few hours wandering through the various galleries and exhibits. Georg knew a lot about the various pieces of art or history and took his time explaining what he knew about each piece to Maria. She found everything fascinating and so had completely forgotten about the man with the moustache from earlier that morning until they doubled back through several rooms to re-visit a sculpture that Maria had really liked.
As they entered the first room, there was the man with the moustache looking at a portrait on the wall. He turned his head slightly in their direction as Maria and Georg entered and he appeared to be watching them as they crossed the floor to return to the sculpture room. Maria glanced back over her shoulder to see the man following them and she immediately felt uneasy.
She pulled Georg aside and lowered her voice so that she wouldn't be overheard. "Georg, there's a man over there. I'm sure it's nothing, but I've seen him several times today. He keeps looking at us, or you more specifically, come to think of it. I thought perhaps you know him?"
Georg scratched his chin. "I'm not sure. Where is he?" he asked.
"Over th…" Maria went to point him out, but the man had disappeared. "He's gone again!" she exclaimed.
Georg narrowed his eyebrows. "Where did you see him and what did he look like? I do have several business associates who live in the city," Maria quickly relayed how she'd seen the man at the hotel, in the café, at the park and now at the museum before giving Georg the man's description.
"Maria, please wait here," Georg instructed. "He doesn't sound familiar, but I'm going to try to find him and see what he wants." Maria nodded and sat down on a nearby bench. She waited around five minutes or so before Georg came back.
"I couldn't see anyone resembling what you said the man looked like," he explained. He didn't sound particularly concerned, so Maria put any worries she had to rest. Georg was about to suggest they return to the hotel, until they both heard Maria's stomach growling. "Come on, let's get some lunch," he said, chuckling. He wrapped his arm around her waist protectively and kissed her temple as they strolled away.
XxXxXx
After a delicious lunch and several glasses of wine, Maria suggested they walk back to the hotel, rather than try to get a taxi. It took quite a bit longer than they'd anticipated due to Maria's fascination with the items in the shop windows as they strolled. She adored looking at everything- hats, shoes, crystal, jewels, toys- but desired none of it. Georg didn't much care to look at any of it, but he certainly enjoyed watching his bride indulge herself in admiring things without any wish to own them.
It wasn't until they reached a lingerie shop that anything caught his attention. As Maria turned away from the window to move further down the street, he pulled her hand. "Let's go in. I want to spoil you."
Maria tried to object, but when she saw the look he was giving her she couldn't resist. She'd selected a few items for her trousseau at the insistence of the clerk at the shop in Salzburg, but they were nothing compared to the colorful lace confections behind the doors of the Boutique de la Romance.
The shop woman immediately offered her help, or so Maria assumed, as Georg chatted amiably with her in fluent French, which never ceased to amaze her. The woman disappeared briefly behind a curtain, then returned with a dressmaker's measuring tape.
"She'll take a few of your measurements to get the right size, then show you a selection of garments. Is that alright, Maria?" Georg asked her, and yet somehow she knew that this was something too important to him to dismiss as she had the jewels and other fine items. Besides, the things she was seeing tickled her fancy as well.
"Of course," she conceded, hoping the flush on her face wasn't as obvious as it felt. While she was uninhibited with him behind closed doors, the idea of the shop woman knowing what she'd be wearing these things for was, well, embarrassing. Still, she allowed the woman to lead her back behind a second curtain to take her measurements.
"What's wrong, darling?" His concern touched her.
"Nothing, really, I just… this woman knows…." Maria stopped speaking when the woman returned with several items in a rainbow of colors.
"Ah, I see. Let me surprise you, then?" He looked at her, hopefully, and she quickly agreed.
Maria waited on the other side of the boutique while Georg made his selections. Then, as the shop woman rang up the purchases, he joined her and slipped one arm around her waist. Nuzzling his face into the curve of her neck, he murmured into her ear, "Now, I don't know about you, but I've suddenly lost interest in shopping. Perhaps we should return to the hotel and I could show you what I've chosen for you?"
The look of burning desire in his eyes was enough for Maria to know exactly what Georg was implying. Immediately Maria felt the blush returning to her face, but she felt eager as he looked to return to the privacy of their hotel suite so she could try on the various pieces of lingerie for him. And, Maria admitted to herself, she was very much looking forward to the lovemaking that was sure to follow.
As soon as Georg had paid the bill and they'd left the shop, he hailed a cab, not willing to wait a moment longer than necessary to get back to the hotel. The trip across town seemed to take forever, causing them both to feel frustrated. They sat apart on the backseat of the cab, barely touching as to try and maintain some sort of level of propriety since they were still in public. Yet the way Georg looked at Maria, like he was undressing her with his eyes, was driving her mad with desire.
So by the time they arrived back at the hotel, entered the vacant elevator and were finally alone, all sense of restrain vanished. The shopping bag was dropped and at once they were in each other's arms, kissing passionately.
The elevator dinged as it arrived at their floor and they pulled apart, pretending like nothing had just happened. As the doors opened, Georg gave Maria a sly wink and picked up the forgotten shopping bag before stepping back to allow Maria to leave the elevator first. They walked side-by-side in silence down the first corridor, then the second but as they rounded the final bend that lead to their suite, Maria broke into a run and arrived at their door first.
Arriving at the suite door a moment after her, Georg caught Maria in his arms and kissed her. Fumbling in his pockets for the key, he pushed her up against the suite door but, to both of their surprise, the door was not locked but swung right open. They stumbled into the suite and Maria cried out in alarm. Georg looked around the room in shock, not quite believing the sight in front of him.
Furniture overturned, vases and ornaments smashed, documents and clothing strewn everywhere.
Someone had ransacked their rooms.
A/N: Thank you to everyone who favoured, followed and reviewed the start of this story. We hope you enjoyed this next chapter. Reviews would be greatly appreciated. "OhCaptain."