Disclaimer: I own nothing regarding GWTW

Author's Notes: Thank you for all the reviews and feedback.

Chapter Twenty-Six

After several more kisses Rhett pulled back. He stared down at the woman he loved. He was in total awe that he had the courage to ask Scarlett to marry him. Best thing he ever did bar none. Well, marrying Caroline was the best thing he had ever done. Because if he wasn't still received Scarlett would never have talk to him. He said, "Come with me to the hotel."

"No, come with me to my bedroom. I can't leave Wade. India and Dr. Harper will never know. When do you want to get married?"

"Tomorrow morning. Can't Prissy take care of Wade?"

"Yes, but I have to prepare her that I am not going to be here. When he cries in the night, I am usually the one that gets up and comforts him. I would have to prepare India and Dr. Harper also."

Rhett kissed her again.

"Tomorrow morning?"

"Yes."

Rhett smiled at her. He didn't know it, but it was not a sensuous smile but a smile of a man that had finally gotten the one thing in the world he truly wanted. He said, "Now let's go to your bedroom. I will have to leave in the middle of the night, but I will be back by eight thirty tomorrow morning. Wear the green dress with the white flowers tomorrow morning."

"Yes, with my green hat. Be incredibly quiet."

Scarlett sneaked Rhett into the house and up the staircase. Fortunately, the door to the parlor was closed. Because he had been up the stairs before and knew the layout of the upstairs, he knew where they were going. She held his hand and hurried him to her bedroom.

Once Scarlett was in her bedroom and she had shut the door, she whispered, "I knew sooner or later I would get you into my bedroom."

Rhett with difficulty suppressed a loud booming laugh and instead, just smiled at Scarlett really big.

As Arthur and Cora Meade watched the young couple sneaking into the house, she said, "Remember when we used to do that while I was still living at home?"

"Until the night your father caught us."

"It was worth it. That made him quickly give his permission for us to marry."

Arthur laughed and said, "It certainly did. Suddenly I went from being a no-account doctor to the most eligible bachelor in the South."

Cora laughed and said, "No. The world."

"It was a good thing we got caught. Darcy was born just nine-months later."

"It was a good thing he was late."

The Meades laughed. It was the first time they had laugh after Darcy was mentioned. They supposed they were healing. They didn't know if that was a good thing or a bad thing. They continued walking down the street. They hadn't had much joy in their life since the death of Darcy, but Yerkes and India getting married had made them happy. Yerkes and Mabel had been their friends for years. They too had felt the loss of the wonderful woman, but they also believed that Yerkes had been too wonderful of a man to spend the rest of his life alone. India had been just right for Yerkes. She had been mature yet still youthful. She had been intelligent but still a little bit naïve. She knew that her chances of ever getting married now because so many men were killed in the war were very low therefore, she could look past Yerkes' less than attractive looks to the man inside. Admittedly India was no beauty, but she did have a certain amount of attractiveness. But most importantly to Yerkes and India's relationship she had been a reader. Something Yerkes had desperately needed in his wife.

The Meades knew that Rhett Butler had finally asked Scarlett Hamilton to be his wife. They knew that was the only reason a woman like Scarlett would have run across the porch. She would only run across the porch if her favorite suitor asked her to marry him.

While Rhett was kissing Scarlett and working to get her clothes off, he said, "I will take you to Tara tomorrow to say goodbye to your family. We have to get out of the South."

Solemnly Scarlett replied, "Maybe the day after tomorrow. I do not want to spend my wedding night with my parents across the hallway. I did that with Charlie, and it was just awkward."

"Alright. I am fine with not spending our wedding night with your parents across the hall."

"Besides, I have to get all of Wade's and my clothing packed. I can't afford to leave anything behind."

"Especially not your hats or your shawl."

Scarlett had smiled, then she said, "And my dresses. Rhett, it is going to be so bad for the people of the Confederacy."

Rhett put his arms around her and said, "Yes, my baby. Don't think about that now. Let me take you on a sensuous journey. Just you and me. Let's close the world outside the door."

"Yes."

Scarlett had no great expectations of having relations with Rhett. She just hoped it was as good as it had been with Charlie. That when all was said and done, she felt like Rhett loved and cherished her. She soon found out that Rhett wanted her to be a much more interactive partner than Charlie had wanted her to be.

Rhett touched her in so many places and everywhere his hand went it felt so wonderful. A couple of times he did touch her in places that made her uncomfortable, but Rhett would simply kiss her and whisper, "I love you. I want you to feel as much pleasure as I do."

Scarlett whispered back, "Is that possible?"

"Oh, my sweet Baby. It is so very possible. I will take you there. Just relax and let me pleasure you."

"What about me pleasuring you?"

"Oh, my sweet Baby. Just being with you is so much of a delight for me. Later I will teach you how to bring me pleasure. Now hush and just feel and enjoy. We have a lifetime together."

"Yes, a lifetime together."

When Rhett's hand was caressing Scarlett's female parts, it just felt so wonderful. So wonderful that she never wanted him to stop. After she felt that wonderful feeling, she gasped. He held her for a long time afterwards. He whispered, "You will feel that feeling every time we are intimate. Maybe several times each session."

"Several times?"

"Yes, several times."

Rhett then kissed Scarlett again. Slowly he entered her, and she sighed. Now she felt complete. He felt like he was finally home. That after all his years of wandering he finally had what he had been searching for all this time. He did not last awfully long and had soon spilled his seed inside her. They laid there for a long time.

Rhett wanted to smoke a cigar, but his cigars were on the other side of the room. He could not make himself get up and go get one. He could not make himself leave this paradise. This nirvana.

Instead, Rhett laid in the bed with Scarlett pressed against him for a few minutes. He quietly started telling her a story about his earlier life. As he was doing so, he felt all her womanly curves, and he felt his member responding. At his age it was a small miracle that his pecker was ready for action once again. He didn't question his blessing, he stopped in the middle of his story and made good use of his erection.

When Rhett started kissing Scarlett, she smiled at him. When she felt his erection pressed against her, she smiled triumphantly but Rhett didn't care. She had a reason to feel proud of herself. After a short amount of time, she wasn't feeling triumphant. She was just feeling. She was feeling wonderful, amazing feelings. Rhett managed to last a little longer this time but not much longer. Afterwards Rhett was lying there next to his wife because that was what she was his wife. All they were going to do tomorrow was the legal paperwork.

Rhett started telling her stories of his life. Far too soon, Scarlett was asleep. He laid there for a few minutes more listening for sounds in the hallway. When he was sure everyone had retired for the night, he made himself get out of the bed. He cheered himself up with the thought, 'I will never have to leave her bed again.'

Rhett got dressed with his back towards Scarlett. If he looked at her, he would just crawl back into bed with her. He had to leave. He had to protect her reputation, although he never planned to live in the South again. Why live in the South when they could live in Paris, London, or even New York?

After he was completely dressed, he woke Scarlett up and said, "I'm sorry to wake you up but you have to lock up behind me. Put your wrapper on."

A sleepy Scarlett got out of the bed and put on her wrapper. Rhett started to take a cigar out and realized he couldn't light his cigar until he was out on the street. Someone might smell the smoke.

When Rhett and Scarlett got to the front door, she turned her face up to him. He whispered, "I think you have been kissed enough for one night." Nonetheless, he gave her a quick kiss. After he had stepped outside as he was closing the door, he said, "It is taking all of my will power to walk away."

Scarlett smiled as she locked the door. She then quietly headed back upstairs. As she got to the top of the stairs, she heard Wade cry out. She thought, 'Yes, a very good thing I didn't go to the hotel."

After Rhett heard the door being locked, he walked down the street to his hotel, he marveled at his luck. For some strange reason, he had decided to walk to Scarlett's that night. He was glad he had not driven his buggy, because he hadn't driven to Scarlett's nobody had seen his buggy outside of her home late into the night. He would get a few hours of sleep then return in the morning to make Scarlett legally his wife. How could he have ever thought he would be happy with a paltry relationship of a man and his mistress when he could have forever with that wonderful woman.

Rhett waited until he was several blocks away from the Harper residence, before stopping to light a cigar. He had even moved into the shadows to make himself less noticeable. Of course, once he struck the match everyone could see him, but he didn't think anyone was around at midnight.

When Scarlett woke up at the crack of dawn the next day, she reached for Rhett, but he was, of course, not there. Tomorrow morning, he would be. She smiled and blushed all at the same time. She would like to lie in bed a little bit longer, but she had to get up and get ready to go get married at the courthouse.

Scarlett put on her dressing gown and went downstairs to the kitchen. She asked the cook to heat her up some water so she could take a sponge bath. Once the water was heated up, Scarlett took it upstairs with her. She saw India coming out of her room and said, "Good morning."

"Good morning. You are up early."

"Rhett asked me to marry him last night. Can you and Dr. Harper go with us to the courthouse this morning?"

India squealed and said, "Finally! Congratulations. I think we can go with you but let me make sure."

"I will be in my room."

India went back in her room and Scarlett went on down the hall to her room. In a few minutes, India knocked on the door. Scarlett said, "Come in."

India entered the room and said, "Yes. Yerkes is going to send Dr. Meade a note telling him we will all be late and why."

"That is wonderful, but I will not be going to the hospital today."

"I am so happy he finally asked you."

"Me too. He wants us to leave the Confederacy therefore I will spend the rest of the day packing. Tomorrow we will go to Tara to say goodbye to my family. We will then go to New Orleans either on the train or his buggy."

"You are going to leave before Melly has her baby?"

"I can't believe I forgot all about Melly and her baby. No, I cannot leave before the baby arrives. I will have to get Rhett to wait until that happens. We should be fine at Tara until Atlanta falls."

"I hope so."

Both ladies were sad for a moment then India brightly said, "Look at me raining on your parade. Let's get you married, and you can worry about everything else tomorrow."

"Yes, Rhett should be here by eight thirty, there is no time to waste. Let me get Prissy. I have to get her to fix my hair."

"Yes, she is quite talented at that."