A/N: I've put a break in the chapter to separate the T-rated section from the M-rated section, so anyone who is uncomfortable with that kind of thing just read until you come to the border; the M-rating should give you an idea of what happens.

P.S. I had a song playing when I wrote this: "Kissing You" by Des'ree. It's lovely, highly recommend listening to it.

Moments passed and Georg said nothing. He just looked at her, all of her. Whomever had given her this nightgown he would have to thank in any way he could. The hem fell at her mid-thighs, the waist was synched to accentuate her figure, thin spaghetti straps were the only thing that prevented her shoulders from being completely bare, and the lace-lined V-neck was lower than Georg had ever seen on her.

The definition of beauty before me . . .

Then his gaze found her hands, and they were shaking a bit from being stared at for so long and nothing else. Perhaps they were fighting the urge to cover herself up out of modesty.

Before she could give into that temptation, Georg reached out and took them in his own, then gently pulled her to him, guiding her to sit sideways on his lap. She offered no resistance, keeping eye contact with him.

"Maria . . ." he said in a voice full of awe and hunger. Her body shivered at the sound, in a good way. "Are you certain?"

Maria didn't say anything at first, and looked down at her hands, still being held by his, resting in her lap. After a moment of thought, she lifted his right hand with her left, and placed it over her beating heart. She slid his fingers a few centimeters beneath the fabric of her nightgown, so his hand almost cupped her left breast.

"You feel that?" she asked breathlessly, loving how warm his hand felt on her skin, butterflies dancing in her stomach as she was touched more intimately than she ever had been before.

Her heart was going fast and strong. Her skin was so warm, so smooth . . . His eyes drifted to where his hand rested then back to her eyes. His world was in her eyes.

In response to her question, he nodded.

She leaned her head in and rested her forehead against his, still holding his hand over her heart. "This is yours, and always will be yours." She took a deep breath and let it out. "You have all of me."

Georg had never felt so humbled or honored in his life. He leaned back slightly to look at her; he needed to see her eyes to make sure this was what she wanted.

Georg found no doubt in Maria's eyes, and the smallest of smiles graced her lips.

Slowly, he slid the hand that she had rested on her chest upwards, his fingers sliding underneath the spaghetti strap of her left shoulder. Gently, he slid that off her shoulder, leaving it bare. He leaned forward and inhaled the intoxicating scent of her skin before his mouth began to taste her.

Maria's eyes rolled back at this sensation of her husbands lips dancing across the soft virginal skin of her shoulders and chest. She couldn't help the little moans that escaped her throat when his tongue would dart out quickly to taste her skin. He started at her left shoulder, across her collarbone, to her right shoulder, than along the V-neck of her nightgown. He took his sweet time, causing her desire to slowly build. When she felt his hot breath between her breasts, her hands slid up his back to tangle in his hair, moaning his name.

With a slightly more hurried pace, his lips ascended up her chest to her neck, and began their attack there. One of his hands supported her back. His other hand was rubbing the skin of her thigh. Her breathing and heart rate was getting faster each second.

Finally, his mouth left her neck and his lips just touched her own. "Maria," he moaned, before capturing her mouth in a searing kiss, which she returned. It wasn't long before her mouth opened and their tongues danced for dominance. On an impulse, Maria pressed her torso to his completely. He reacted by lowering her onto the cushions of the sofa. Mouths still pressed together, Maria hands descended from his dark hair down his neck. Her fingers slipped beneath the fabric of his nightshirt, eager to touch his skin as he was touching hers.

This sensation and another one farther south made him gentle the kiss and raise his head, looking down at his clearly aroused wife. Her cheeks were flushed, lips were swollen and red, and her eyes were burning. He would have been more than happy to continue this, but his own arousal had grown to a point where the hunch position he was in made it more uncomfortable than it should have been.

So, he gently pulled her up and, holding her hands, helped her to her feet. Maria's legs felt as new as a newborn colt's, but managed to walk a few steps with him so they could stand just before the fire. They stood there, close together, fingers entwined, for an intense and sexually charged moment. Maria knew she had probably past the point of no return. This didn't bother her, but…

"I . . . I don't know what to do," she whispered, his nose caressing her own.

He kissed that part of her face before whispering back. "Trust your instincts . . . follow them where they lead . . ." His lips brushed hers teasingly.

She pulled back her face to look at him. Hesitantly, Maria raised her hands to the buttons of his nightshirt, but made no move to open them. "May I?"

"Whatever you wish, my love," replied her husband.

Biting her lip, she first pushed the robe off his shoulders and he shrugged it off. Once that had dropped to the floor, her fingers returned to the buttons of his nightshirt. She undid them one at a time, and opened it completely, revealing his bare chest. As he took it off, she watched the movement of his muscles in fascination, the firelight giving a beautiful glow to his skin.

Her eyes followed the paths her hands took, going by instinct alone. Starting at his wrist, her fingers slid up his strong arms, learning the texture of his skin. His shoulders were broad, showing his age and strength. This was no boy before her. His chest, also, was broad and muscular; he had kept himself in shape. Dark hairs covered his breast plate, and a trail of that led down to his navel and then lower still to the waistband of his pants.

Maria stopped her fingers from touching the fabric when she saw his arousal, tenting the navy blue silk. An area between her legs suddenly felt moist. She swallowed, her hands still stroking his sides, and a moan made her look up at her husbands face. His eyes were closed, and his posture was relaxed. Clearly, she was doing something right. Feeling slightly more daring, she let her hands ascend, her fingers raking through his dark chest hair. He inhaled sharply, his desire nearly reaching the breaking point at the feeling of her hands on his bare chest.

Maria saw this, and felt confidence well up inside her. She barely knew what she was doing, and yet she was getting this kind of reaction from him. She aroused him this much? Going on this knowledge, Maria leaned forward and placed a kiss over his beating heart.

Georg groaned and dipped his head down, capturing her lips again hungrily. While her hands remained on his chest, his hand wrapped around her back, and slowly pulled down the tiny zipper of her nightgown. When Maria felt his hand on her bare back, she broke the kiss and pulled away to look at him. His hands rose from her back and landed on her upper arms, over the fallen spaghetti straps.

With his eyes, he asked for permission. She nodded slightly, and closed her eyes and sighed as she felt the fabric fall off her torso and land around her feet.

Suddenly, she felt very exposed. She had never shown so much of her body to anybody, and her self-consciousness came back. Opening her eyes, she found her husband looking at her up and down, his eyes widening at the sight, much the same way he had looked when taking off her robe but this was a bit more intense. Feeling goose bumps rise on her skin, she raised her arms to cover her chest, but Georg's hands stopped her gently.

"Please don't hide from me, Maria," said Georg softly in a pleading tone. Her breath caught at the intensity still in his eyes. "You have nothing to be ashamed of, you . . . you are so lovely."

He meant it; she could hear it in his voice. Her heart swelled and her eyes filled with tears. No one, absolutely no one, before him, thought she was even pretty. She tilted her head forward and rested it against his chest. He gently tucked that beneath his chin, stroking the soft hair at the back of her neck while his other hand rubbed small circles on the smooth skin of her back.

Her cheek and ear pressed over his breast, he murmured into her hair, "You feel that?"

Maria smiled and nodded, shutting her eyes from the tears at hearing her words repeated back to her. She indeed could hear his lovely heart.

"This is yours, and will always be yours," he said, kissing her head. "You have all of me."

How long they stood there, embracing each other tenderly, in the light of the fire, torsos bare, they would never know. Both were relishing in this new feeling of skin on skin. Her arms around his back, Maria couldn't believe anybody could be so tough – with those hard muscles - and yet so comfortable. Georg, in turn, holding his wife close, was reveling in her softness and warmth. Holding her like this, her torso bare, he became aware of just how fragile she seemed. Of course, he knew that she was tougher than most and had more strength and courage than even him. But holding her like this now, so exposed and vulnerable, he had the power to break her with little effort. He shuddered and pressed her closer to him, protectively; never would he let anybody hurt her again, including himself.

When Georg pressed her closer, Maria could feel his hard arousal press against her stomach and she bit back a gasp and groan. Again, she felt a wetness pool between her legs; she wanted him.

Lifting her head, her lips brushed his ear and she whispered, "I'm ready, Georg."

Without a word of warning, Georg bent down and scooped her up. She gasped and made eye contact with him, her arms wrapping around his shoulders. He was ready too, and being in his protective hold, Maria knew he would take care of her.

Georg brushed her lips tenderly with his own before carrying her into the bedroom, while her lips hesitantly placed kisses on his neck, arousing him even further . . .

Once in the candlelit bedroom, Georg placed her down gently on the king-sized bed. As he went to close the door to the bedroom, Maria propped herself up on her elbows, watching him. Being on the bed now, her nerves came up a bit. Trying to calm herself, Maria let the sound of the pouring rain outside act as a balm in her ears. It helped, but only just.

After closing the bedroom door softly, Georg quickly removed his pants and walked back towards the bed. Lord, how beautiful his wife was, wearing only her silk underwear. He wanted to tell her, but words were not enough. He tried to let his eyes say everything, and she seemed to understand.

Maria's eyes drifted down his body, as his drifted down hers, and rested on his midriff. His arousal seemed much more obvious now that only his silk boxers kept it contained. Her nerves kicked up again, but Maria realized what she needed to do in order to calm them.

"Georg?" she asked, in that timid tone again, stopping him in his tracks.

"Yes, my love?" he replied, standing a few feet away from her as he looked into her big eyes.

"I . . . I need to . . . Let me see you."

At first, Georg didn't fully comprehend. But when she saw her blush beat red in the candlelight, he understood. Though he was sure that she was aroused by him, he got the feeling that this request came from nerves first. Hoping she would not be frightened, Georg bent down and pulled the thin silk boxers down his legs and stepped out of them. He now stood, completely naked and vulnerable in front of his wife.

Maria's eyes widened at the sight, she just couldn't help it. She'd never seen anything like this before. She would have felt only embarrassment if the sight of his aroused manhood hadn't inspired the strongest feeling she had ever felt between her legs she had ever felt. Now she was sure her panties were soaked, and her core seemed to burn at the sight of Georg. As if a female beast were rejoicing at the sight of its mate.

Her eyes found his again, and she was surprised to find the apprehension in his eyes, as if afraid of her reaction to him. Longing to reassure him, to have him closer to her – her body was practically screaming for him – she held out a hand and said his name. Immediately, he went to her, sitting on the edge of the bed and pulling her into his arms.

"Maria," he murmured, holding her tightly. "If ever, at any time, you want to stop, just tell me."

"I know you would never hurt me, Georg," she murmured back, kissing his cheek. "I trust you."

They kissed again, as passionately as ever, and they moved over so both were completely on the large bed. Gently, Georg lowered her down, resting her head on a pillow. She was offering every part of herself to him now, and Georg set out to make this first time for his wife the best as was within his power to give her.

He leaned over her, moving his mouth from hers to her neck as his hands stroked her sides. They traveled slowly up to caress her breasts, then cupping them completely. As his lips and fingers were at play, Maria couldn't stop herself from moaning in pleasure.

Her mind briefly recalled how, when Georg said goodbye to her six weeks ago, he'd cupped her breast in a heated embrace. At the time, she had been surprised at the pleasure she felt and stiffened. Now she was completely relaxed, open, and reveling the pleasure her husband was giving her.

But if his hands were magical, that was just a preview. For soon, Georg's mouth descended from her neck and went further down then ever before. "You have no idea how long I've dreamt of this . . ." he murmured against her skin, making her shudder in desire. His tongue came out and encircled one of her pink nipples, teasing her. She moaned, wanting more, and he obliged by taking it into the wet cavern of his mouth. "Georg . . ." she moaned, her hands going to her flushed head as she was taken to greater heights as he took his time on each breast, adoring them with his mouth. Once in a while, he would look up to gaze at his wife, and would smile at the look of pleasure on her face.

His lips descended to kiss the expanse of her soft, flat stomach. Her hands reached up to run through his hair, and like before, he groaned at the action. After kissing along the border of her silk underwear, Georg raised his head and hooked the sides of her underwear with his index fingers.

Georg asked for permission with his eyes, and after she gulped, Maria nodded. She'd never been naked before anybody before.

Slowly, Georg pulled the white silk off her and tossed them to the ground. He knelt before her, taking in the glorious sight of his naked wife. Feeling a bit overwhelmed, Georg looked into her eyes and saw nervousness, anticipation of his reaction. Georg said the only word he felt could even attempt to do her justice:

"Belle."

She smiled, her blue eyes bright and sparkling.

Georg felt the organ between his legs beginning to throb; he couldn't last much longer. Determined to keep the savoring pace, he reached out his hands and ran them up her strong, lovely legs, kneecaps and thighs. Her head fell back against the pillows, eyes closed and breathing heavily as her legs opened naturally for him. His placed a few kisses on each thigh before looking at her sex.

Raising his head, Georg reached out his hand and gently stroked the soft curls between her legs. Her breathing rate increased as his fingers went lower so he could trace her opening, soaked in her juices. Feeling this, she groaned deeper than ever at such a strong feeling of desire, her neck bent far back and mouth open. Georg bit his lip in excitement, feeling how wet she was for him; she was ready.

Carefully, he crawled up over her, covering her protectively, and they looked at each other. First, he parted her legs as far as they would go and bent them. With one hand, he took himself and gently rubbed the tip of his shaft against her opening, coating it in her juices, preparing both of them for the union. With his other hand, arm supported on his elbow, she stroked her face.

"I will go slow, and be as gentle as possible. It will hurt at first, but it will pass quickly, I promise."

At the mention of pain, her heart fluttered nervously. But at this point, she was past the point of no return with desire for her husband, especially at the feeling of them being so close. She nodded, wrapping her arms under his till she gripped his warm shoulders.

Georg lowered his head and kissed her sweetly. Then, as gently as he could, he slid himself inside her, keeping eye contact with her, watching for any sign that she wanted to stop. When he came to her maidenhead, for the first time he looked regretful and whispered, "I'm sorry for this," and broke through.

As her maidenhead was torn, Maria gritted her teeth and hissed with pain, determined not to cry out – she couldn't do that to Georg. She gripped his shoulders tight and focused again on the sound of the pouring rain, and the feeling of her husbands lips showering her face with kisses of apology and love. But soon the pain faded, and it was replaced by a feeling she had never felt before. The sensation and pleasure of him being inside her was unlike anything she could ever imagine, and her body needed more; she needed him to move.

Nodding, she lifted her hips slightly, telling him her desire. His lips captured hers again and he complied, and they fell into a slow and steady rhythm.

Georg made love to his wife slow and easy, letting her set the pace, only speeding up when she urged him to. His head would dip down to kiss her face, her neck, her upper chest as they moved in unison, repeating her name over and over again. She said his name too, between her moans. Her hands roamed his strong back, reveling in the feeling of his muscles moving and clenching beneath his skin. One of her legs moved up his and hooked around his waist, pulling him closer, allowing him to travel deeper with the new angle.

This made him go faster, and both bodies were covered in a sheen of sweat as they panted and moaned in urgency. Both were reaching the summit at a rapid rate. Georg desperately felt the urge to, but he would not let himself until she did, needing to hear her scream out his name.

Maria was in a whole new world of pleasure and desire too big to wrap her arms around. All that existed was Georg, her husband, all around her and inside her, a part of her. Then, the pleasure reached a higher peak than ever, and she came into her first orgasm. Her head went back, eyes rolling up, her body clamped around his and she screamed in ecstasy, "GEORG, OH!"

Upon hearing this, and feeling her wet walls clamp tightly around his hard shaft, he could hold back no longer, and he welcomed his release. "MARIA!" he cried, as he spilled himself into her depths.

They collapsed, Georg on top of the Maria, easing down from their climax. He managed to keep himself from crushing her by supporting himself on his forearms, burying his face in the place where her neck met her shoulder. Maria kept her arms around him, holding him to her.

When their breathing had reached a more normal pace, Georg slowly lifted his head so his face again hovered above hers, looking into her eyes. Still coming down from her orgasm, Maria's eyes adjusted to the sight of Georg. Her breath caught at the expression in his eyes: all of the love in the world meant just for her.

"I love you," he said. Just that. So simple, like the first time he had told her: no fuss, but with all of the gravity and meaning in the world.

And this time, she could answer back. "And I love you."

Still inside her, Georg kissed his wife before pulling from her depth, rolling over and taking her with him. He lay on his back, holding her in the crook of his arm and resting her head against his chest. She kissed his chest, and he kissed her hair.

Both knew that what they felt in that moment went beyond any words that could be or would ever be spoken. So they were silent, lying together, spent for now, in the soft candlelight, as the rain outside poured and danced.