Chapter Nine

She sat up in the bed. Knees pulled up to her chest, arms wrapped around them. For the hundredth time she looked down at her brand new night gown. She took a deep breath, she remembered her mother telling her it was beautiful when she finished embroidering in the lace panels. She was sure she looked fine. Her hand went to her hair, it was down and her long black locks were so long they pooled on the bed around her.

She looked around the room in her new bedroom, in her new house. It was a gorgeous log cabin. He had done a beautiful job on their home. As she thought that, 'their' house, she felt a swoop in her stomach, their house. She shook her head, it had been a whirl wind of a day. Getting up early to bath, and get ready, she hadn't thought her mother would ever be happy with her hair but then she had relented. The dress that they had spent months making.

Then there was him, he looked amazing in his new suit. He hadn't even mentioned he had had one made! He looked so fine his hair tied back by a thin red ribbon to match his tie. The ceremony had been beautiful and the luncheon fabulous, she didn't think the five families could top the fair from the last wedding but theirs had been amazing. The kind a little girl dreams of.

Suddenly the bedroom door opened and her head swivelled to look towards the doorway. He shyly walked in and she couldn't help but let go of her legs, leaning forward, towards him on her knees, she couldn't manage to keep the smile from her face, to hell with being demure and ladylike. As soon as he saw her move a big beautiful smile broke out on his face and he crossed the room in only a couple of strides. He still had on the slacks of his suit, his new crisp white cotton shirt and his suspenders. It was odd, swimming all the summers of their childhood together she had seen him in much less but there was something specifically intimate feeling about looking at him in his shirtsleeves and suspenders in his bedroom that made her blush. Their bedroom, she mentally corrected.

"I'm sorry it took me so long, I wanted to make sure the fire wouldn't go out in the stove." He rambled as he sat on the bed. He smiled at her, his green eyes glowed in the fire light from the fireplace he had made sure to put in their bedroom upon her request. He looked excited, nervous, happy, all the things she could list from her own chest.

She smiled at him inching closer to him, "I am sure it will be fine," She reached out putting a hand on his shoulder.

As soon as she touched him, he instinctively turned to face her more, sitting on the bed, he reached out a took her waist in his hands pulling her even closer to him, "I don't want things to be fine. I want them to be perfect for my new wife."

When he touched her a rush of pleasure whirled through her body, knowing there was only a thin layer of cotton between his hands and her body. She could feel the cotton snagging on the calluses on his palms. Slowly she crawled into his lap, so she was straddling his lap, facing him, her back to the fire. He wrapped his arms around her pulling her in close, her breath caught in her throat. She smiled down at him from her slight vantage point, she brushed a strand of his long soft light brown hair from his face. "Your only wife."

He looked up at her his expression getting very serious, "For now and eternity," He whispered up to her.

That was all she needed to hear, she leaned down letting her lips brush over his. She could still taste the sweetness of the frosting from their wedding cake on his lips. He tightened his hold on her and suddenly stood up making her squeal against his lips. He laughed as he walked up to the top of the bed and gently laid her back down, head rested perfectly on the pillow.

She lay looking up at him as he methodically took off his suspenders and then unbuttoned his shirt. She licked her lips like a starving soul as he shrugged off his shirt, revealing his perfectly chiselled chest, it made her stomach drop to somewhere near her ankles. He climbed on to the bed again, holding himself over her. Her hands made their way up onto his chest. they traced over the lines, the dips and raises of his muscles. She felt like a starving soul looking at a table full of delicious food. The thought made her blush, that was not the way young women should think, even newly weds.

"You're blushing," He whispered, kissing her gently on each of her cheeks. A strand of his hair came out from behind his ear again. "You don't need to be nervous," He whispered into her neck.

"I'm not," She said shaking her head, he pulled back and looked at her his mouth only inches away from her, "I won't ever be nervous or scarred of anything anymore, not with you at my side."

His eyes blazed so brightly she thought they may just devour her into his soul, "Sabine," He said coming down to kiss her, overwhelmed himself.

She gasped as his body came down on hers, she wrapped her arms around his broad shoulders. Her hands worked their way down to his waist and her finger tips brushed the waist of his pants and again she felt her stomach swoop as they both rushed toward what they had waited so long for. He kissed her with such intensity she wondered if she would ever breath again, she certainly didn't want to.

She moved on the bed so her legs where on either side of his body. His hands were soon on her legs pulling her night gown slowly up, his callused finger tips tickled her thighs and she couldn't help but gasp to suppress giggles. Instantly he pulled back looking at her, concern plain on his face, "Are you alright?" He searched her eyes, trying to find the answer before she could speak.

She smiled up at him, putting a hand on his cheek, "I am perfect. In this moment, Jack, I am in my very own heaven."

He smiled, his eyes going dark and intense. This time it was her who pulled him down on top of her again and let herself get lost in the pleasure of the moment. He pulled the nightgown over her head and she shivered, even though the room was cozily warm from the fire. He looked down at her naked body before looking back at her. She waited somehow not nervous or embarrassed, she felt completely comfortable in his eyes, their connection was so powerful, so intimate, how could she be anything but completely safe in his eyes. His green eyes blazed with intensity as he looked back at her. "For now and eternity," He said, his lips already brushing over hers and he spoke.

"For now and eternity," She whispered back before he crushed down on her.

Victoria sat up in bed gasping for air, shaking like a leaf. She was soaked in a flop sweat and felt like she couldn't get anything into focus. She struggled to get up but found herself tangled in the sheets from the massive bed and suddenly trying to get out of the mammoth bed was a nearly impossible task.

When she reached the edge she fell to the ground her legs now completely wrapped up in the sheet. She couldn't stop gasping for air, it was like she couldn't breath. She could still smell the fire in her nostrils, feel the rough cotton on her skin, taste his lips.

Oh god.

Victoria scrambled up from the floor and ran naked, through the hotel suite until she got to the kitchenette and proceeded to throw up in the sink.