Bliss

The sun was not yet up when Oliver woke up feeling a weight pressed against his chest. He was confused for a split second, then he remembered the events of the previous day and most importantly, the previous night. He was married! He was married to the most beautiful and wonderful woman he had ever known. Shane! She was wrapped around him like a blanket. Beautiful, warm, alive and decidedly his. His heart swelled with joy and happiness. The love he felt for her was something completely new to him. He realised that, until Shane came into his life, he hadn't known what real love was. This woman took his breath away in every sense of the word. Tears started rolling down his face as he pulled her more tightly to him. All of a sudden he felt the weight of his responsibility to protect and love her with his very life as God had intended.

She stirred and wiggled around in his arms. Her breasts were pressed against him and her left leg was wrapped around his middle. They had not bothered to put clothes back on before going to sleep last night. Oliver's blood quickened within him. He started to slide his hand lovingly over her curvaceous backside which conveniently lay over him.

She stretched and opened her eyes, lifting her head, their eyes locked. She smiled at him, and like magnets, their lips found each other's. In between gasps for air, she moved her body completely on top of him, greeting him, "Good morning my darling." He pulled her up until her breasts were aligned with his mouth. In between showing her how much he loved her breasts, he spoke breathlessly to her, "Yes, indeed my love, it's a beautiful morning." He continued showing her how happy he was and how happy he intended to make her.

She had asked him the night before to teach her and he intended to take on the task most diligently. From the looks of things, she was also planning on being a very devoted student.

After another thorough lesson for which there would be a test later, they fell asleep again, wrapped in each other's arms. When they woke up once again, the sun was high in the sky.

"Are you hungry?" She asked him.

"Yes, I'm starving." He said, pulling her to him again.

She laughed. "I mean, for food."

"Ah, I see." He laughed. She just loved the sound of his relaxed laughter.

"Yes, I am actually."

She then started to pull herself out of his arms.

"Ummm…" He moaned, trying to keep her right where she was.

"Oliver, we need to eat."

"Yes, I suppose we do." He said reluctantly, letting her go.

"I think we've missed church." She said.

He laughed. "I don't think anybody was expecting to see us this morning. They knew we were busy."

She blushed and he felt like grabbing her again. She was so fetching when she was embarrassed!

Shane cooked a delicious breakfast while Oliver finally and lazily got out of bed. They were indeed starved. He looked so relaxed with his messy hair and clad just in his underclothes, while eating his breakfast with gusto.

After putting the kitchen back into some kind of acceptable order, she looked around for something else to do. Her eyes landed on him as she saw him watching her from where he sat, with looks of admiration and love. She smiled and licked her lips, contemplating whether to rip his clothes off again.

He noticed the lust in her eyes. He figured his eyes conveyed the same. He smiled and walked over to her, grabbed her hips and pulled her to him.

"You know, only God knows how I managed to resist you for so long. Now I know I can have you all day long, just because I can." Lowering his mouth to hers, he ravenously kissed her unleashing the fullness of his passion. He had been measured and careful the night before as he hadn't wanted to scare her or physically hurt her with the strength of his desire for her. Today he felt freer; and he saw in her eyes that she wanted more and more of him too. He scooped her up in his arms and carried her to the bed again.

They stayed in bed the whole day. Shane was indeed a quick learner and very soon she had Oliver groaning in ecstasy and pleasure.

Finally they relaxed and just lay there with their legs and hands entwined. "Oliver?"

"Ummm?"

"How was your week?"

He tensed up immediately. "Awful!" He said, without hesitation.

"What did she say to you?"

"Oh my darling, you don't need to hear about the ravings of a mad woman." "Did she hurt you?" Shane asked, with tears already streaming down her face and pooling on his chest.

"She tried, but I now have the perfect antidote to all of that: you!"

"Oh Oliver, if that woman ever comes back into town…" She stopped talking, completely overcome by the deep desire to protect him and the anger she felt every time she thought about the hell Holly put them through.

"She won't, my darling. The only hold she had over me is gone. There's nothing for her to gain in coming back here. She hated this town and now the townspeople hate her."

"It was by far the worst week of my life. The terrifying thought that we were not going to be able to get married was just…"

"Shane, my love, forget about it. We have a lovely future stretching out ahead of us and only God can separate us now. There are no other forces in heaven or earth capable of that."

"I love you, Oliver."

"I love you too, my Shane." Shane held on to him tightly, as the fear that had gripped her for days was finally put to rest.

The next days and weeks passed in a bubble of love for the newlyweds. They moved to Shane's house where they thrived. Jessica Gordon, Shane's new assistant, took over a lot of the newspaper's daily routine, while her boss took on some new challenges in her life.

Eventually Shane sold the newspaper to Maddie Hallett.

Oliver and Shane, along with Norman and Rita moved to Denver City, where they founded the Dead Letter Office for the USPS. Shane and Oliver had 3 children, Jordan, Michael and Gabby.

Rita and Norman had 4, Cassy, Jackson, William and Sunny.

Oliver and Shane lived a long and very happy life, well into the 20th century. Shane bought every new technological gadget as they came out. She was the first one to drive a motorcar, get a telephone installed in their home and fight tooth and nail with the city council to get electric lights.

They also lived to see their children married and give them grandchildren. They died in their sleep mere days apart, as one could not live without the other.

Their tale was one of pure and unwavering love that bears all things, hopes all things, believes all things and endures all things.

It was a love story that would inspire many and live on throughout the ages.