A/N: You've all been very patient, here's a steamy scene I think you've all wanted and certainly deserve, almost as much as Aggie and Ezra do ;)

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

He guided her in the direction of the tub and she peeled her stockings off before stepping in, testing the water with her toe first to make sure it wasn't too hot. It was perfect, and she sank into it until the water touched her chin. Her hair floated around her shoulders like a wreath and she closed her eyes, a termor of joy running through her.

"This is Heaven," she said.

"Indeed it is," Ezra agreed, kissing the top of her head.

He stripped off his remaining clothes and knelt down behind the tub, gathering her hair into a bundle and kissing her neck. "Is it all right if I get in?" he asked.

She nodded.

"You've never seen a man before, have you?"

She opened her eyes and turned around so that she could see his face. "No, but I would so love to see my husband."

She sat up and moved forward so that he could sit behind her. His legs brushed against hers and he folded his arms around her, pulling her back against his chest. She could feel the warmth and the stiffness of him against her back. She took a deep breath and relaxed into him.

"This is the most wonderful moment of my life," she said aloud.

Behind her, Ezra buried his face in her hair and agreed.

Using a bar of soap as sweetly scented as the water, Ezra created a lather between his hands and ran his hands first over her shoulders and back and then down to her breasts. He cupped them in his hands as tenderly as if he were holding a delicate baby bird, when his palms moved against her skin she felt a thrill that resonated deep within her in a way she'd never felt before. When he'd washed her head to toe she turned around in the water to face him and took the soap. Her hair was wet now, and hung in strands a little ways down her back.

She lathered the soap between her hands, just as he had done and massaged his skin, beginning with his shoulders and working her way down his chest. She slipped her hands beneath the water and trailed them down his belly, uncertainly. He put a hand on hers and guided it downwards, stopping just shy of where he so desperately ached to be touched.

"You don't have to," he said, caressing her cheek with his free hand.

She leaned forward and kissed him, freeing her hand from his and moving down to wrap her fingers around him. He jumped at her touch and gasped into her kiss. His hand shot up out of the water and using both he pulled her towards him until her body was flush with his. They stayed that way until the water became uncomfortably cool and they had to get out, though neither of them wanted to.

He dried the water from her skin and she dried the water from his. She was comfortable with him now, he'd seen every inch of her and hadn't recoiled from any part of it. She certainly found nothing to reject on him, her only desire was to explore his body further, to kiss and feel all of him from top to bottom.

He was the first to break their embrace and she didn't stop him. They stood there, still unclothed, panting from an inner heat.

"We should get dressed, darling," Ezra whispered. His voice had all but disappeared.

Aggie watched him, looked first at his eyes, then his cheekbones, his lips. Her eyes travelled down his body and then back up again, until she was looking him in the eyes once more. In her mind a hundred thoughts were racing. There were two voices battling to be heard - one was telling her to do what she should do, but the other was lobbying just as hard for her to do what she wanted to do.

"I love you, I'm so in love with you I never want to be without you," she told him.

"I love you too, Aggie girl."

"I don't care if we're married or not, Ezra. I want to be with you the way a woman is with a man. Here. Now."

He was fighting to restrain himself, he wondered if he possessed the strength to refuse such an offer, to refuse what he had desired since he'd first come to love her. But he had to try, for her sake.

"I'll still love you and I'll still marry you if you turn me away this second," he assured her. "Don't think - "

"I want you to make love to me," she said firmly. She sat down on the edge of the bed and looked at him lustily, with certainty in her eyes.

Overtaken by passion Ezra knew his one attempt at refusal was all there would be. He kissed her hungrily, and gently leaned her backwards so that she lay down on the downy softness of his feather bed. Hooking an arm under her back he moved her up so that her head rested on the pillows, she sighed contentedly which only served to make him desire her more.

She reached up and entwined her hands in his hair, bringing their faces together as closely as they could possibly get. She kissed him like she had only a moment left to live and this was exactly how she wanted to spend it. He flicked his tongue over her lips and she parted them, cautiously reaching her own tongue out to taste his lips. He maneuvered himself so that he was laying on top of her, forearms on either side of her shoulders. She ran her hands over his shoulders and down his back, gripping his buttocks with her hands. He moaned with pleasure at the sparks her touch sent skimmering out over his skin.

He'd had his fair share of women, but he had never been so enamoured by one before. He looked down at his betrothed on his pillow and felt his heart beat so frantically in his chest it almost frightened him. She was the most beautiful woman in the world, to his eyes, and he doubted he would have felt any luckier if an angel had graced him with her presence.

Reaching down between them he gently ran a finger over the folds of her womanhood and her eyes flew open, momentarily alarmed.

"I won't do anything you don't want," he assured her.

"I do want it, I want you," she answered. "I've just... It was a surprise, that's all. I didn't expect you to touch me."

She held his gaze while he touched her again, a little firmer this time. Instinctively she moved her legs further apart, welcoming him into her most intimate space. He could tell that she was ready, and he had never been more ready in his life, but he didn't want to rush her.

He moved so that he was kneeling between her legs, his manhood so erect it touched his belly. A heat radiated from her skin that made his own skin glow. She took him gently in her hand and ran a finger over the smooth skin of his shaft, marvelling at the feel of it, so hard and yet so soft. Bringing her hand down she used him to touch herself and both felt a shudder of pleasure pass through them. She held him there, positioned for entry.

"Are you certain?" he asked.

She nodded, too overcome for words.

He knew that she had never been with a man before and that he must be tender with her. Slowly, he began to push forward until the tip of him was engulfed inside of her. She was incredibly tight and he had to keep from plunging in all the way when she gasped and lifted her hips up slightly to meet him. Inching his way in he came to the wall that obstructed him. He entwined his fingers with hers and laid their hands on the pillow, over her head. He leaned down and kissed her, sharply nipping her lips with his teeth when he finally pushed in all the way, opening her up fully.

She gave a pained cry and looked at him for a moment as if he had betrayed her, but he stayed absolutely still and stroked her hair until the feeling passed and the look had disappeared.

"It's always that way the first time," he said to her. "If it hurts now, I'll stop."

She traced the outline of his cheek and kissed him again, waiting for the pain to subside. When it had a delicious pleasure took its place and she couldn't imagine asking him to stop. Instead, she hooked her ankles around the small of his back and pulled him in as deeply as he could go. She loosened her grip for him to withdraw and then pulled him in again. They continued this way until Ezra was certain he would explode if it went on a moment longer. Pulling them both upright into a sitting position he attacked her neck with his lips and she ground against him with increasingly passionate cries.

"I can't take much more," he whispered to her, groaning as the coiling sensation in his belly grew more intense by the moment.

Her eyes were shining and her skin was flushed red. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him deeply, using her feet to propel herself backwards and pull him back down on top of her. The sudden force of him entering her sent waves of pleasure cascading through her body and she didn't know what to do, she had never experienced anything like it, so she wrapped her legs around him and spasmed in his arms, saying his name over and over. Ezra felt himself approaching the edge and then plummeting down into release, still kissing her.

Turning over onto this side he pulled her into his arms. She felt a sudden emptiness when he was no longer inside her, so she hooked her arm under his arm and snaked her leg over his. Their rough breathing subsided and they lay there in each other's arms, silent, because nothing needed to be said.

Ezra could feel her trembling, skin quivering against him. "Are you alright?" he asked softly after a half hour had passed.

"I'm more than alright, I'm wonderful. It was perfect, wasn't it?"

"Indeed it was," Ezra answered, breathing a sigh of contentment. "Would you like to preserve your honour and have me leave now?"

"Don't you dare," Aggie answered, putting a hand to her mouth to cover a yawn. "All I want is to fall asleep here and wake up with you in the morning."

"Only if you're sure," he said.

"Well, you could do one thing for me."

He looked at her, his eyes agreeing to anything. Aggie smiled lovingly at him and caught his lips in hers, pulling him over on top of her once again.