Grace exhaled deeply, her eyes fluttering closed and she snuggled deeper in the pillows feeling how her aching feet slowly started to relax under Lucas' touch. She pulled a blanket up to her shoulders and just breathed, feeling how the excitement of the day slowly started to fade away into a comforting feeling of relaxation.
And home.
"I could fall asleep like this", she murmured quietly, her lips curled up a bit.
Lucas gently smiled.
"Well, why don't you?", he gently pressed his fingertips into her left foot, feeling the knot slowly disappearing and Grace hummed quietly in relief "Go ahead, angel."
Grace smiled, still keeping her eyes closed.
"No way. I don't want you to hear me snore", she quipped.
Lucas chuckled warmly as he put her left foot down on his lap and moved his fingers to the right one.
"It's a little too late for that, don't you think?", he quipped and as she opened one eye and peeked at him, Lucas shrugged nonchalantly "After all, we are getting married next month."
Grace grinned.
"I know. I would like to keep you in the dark and remain cute for the next 28 and half days", she giggled quietly "If you hear me snore now, you may rethink your decision to marry me."
Lucas fingers slowly moved up to her calves causing Grace to sigh, her eyes closed. She felt him move and peeked at him with one eye as he leaned above her body like a panther and whispered:
"Never."
She turned on her back, opening her eyes, her smile widening, her eyes sparkling.
"Not even if I snore like a pig?", she quipped, giggling.
Lucas chuckled as he held himself above her on his elbows, his lips inching closer to hers.
"Oh, that would be a comforting fact", he quipped. As she creased her eyebrows in playful curiosity he winked at her and said "You never know, I may snore like a pig too."
That did it for Grace - she bursted to laughter and Lucas joined her, still not moving away. Giggling, she cupped his face and kissed him while both of them still laughed.
Lucas sneaked his hand under her back and pulled her up to a sitting position, never ceasing with kissing her. Grace moved her hands to his neck and slowly caressed his hair with her fingers, making him sigh in pleasure. She dived in, deepening the kiss and her heart sung as she felt him pulling her closer, kissing her passionately.
How I love this man!
As their kiss slowed down into a sensual, loving one Grace smiled into Lucas' lips and cupped his left cheek.
"We can always get some earplugs", she quipped, sending them both into another fit of laughter.
He kissed her forehead as she kept on giggling, his heart soaring with joy as he laughed.
"You think they would help?", he quipped and Grace laughed even harder.
"I surely hope so! I would hate for us to sleep in separate rooms!", she looked up at him, her smile wide, her cheeks flushed.
Lucas brought one hand from her waist and slowly and gently caressed her hair.
"Now, THAT will never happen", he murmured quietly.
Grace closed her eyes and sighed, feeling so happy and so relaxed as Lucas gently caressed her long brunette waves. She snuggled into him, leaning her cheek on his shoulder and smiled as she felt him kiss her hair.
"Promise me something", she whispered.
Lucas looked down at her sweet face.
"Anything", he replied softly.
Grace gave him a small smile.
"That we will always stay like this. That we will always find time to just snuggle and talk and laugh together", she whispered.
Lucas' eyes shone with warmth and he slowly put a stray curl behind Grace's ear.
"I promise", he whispered and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead, making her smile and snuggle into his side "It's what I want too."
Grace felt warmth washing over her and she let out a little yawn, her eyelids growing heavy.
Lucas fell silent, watching her carefully. His fingers were still gently caressing her beautiful, soft hair and he could feel how she relaxed against him. He turned slowly and placed a soft kiss somewhere between her forehead and her hairline. Her lips curled up a bit in a small smile, but he could tell that she was already half asleep. So he stayed calm and silent, allowing the love of his life to relax and he sensed the moment when she fell asleep in his arms.
He looked down at her and his heart swelled with love. Her lips parted slightly as small puffs of breath escaped her, tickling the skin on his neck.
She was adorable. Beautiful.
Lucas slowly wrapped his hands around her and made sure that she was covered with a blanket so she wouldn't get cold.
And as the clock ticked away the minutes and hours, he felt at peace and home like never before as he kept on watching his Grace sleeping peacefully in his arms.
—--
Birds' chirping was heard as the dawn knocked at the windows washing the room in the warm light.
Grace moved slightly, feeling her mind waking up from the deep sleep. She blinked slowly, trying to clear her mind. Inhaling deeply, she snuggled deeper into the warmth under her face and she realized…
Lucas was here.
She smiled, feeling so rested, protected, cherished and loved. She slowly looked up, fully expecting to find him asleep.
Only to smile in surprise as she saw his warm gaze resting upon her face.
"Good morning", he murmured quietly.
Grace snuggled deeper into his chest and smiled.
"Good morning", she whispered and let out a small yawn "You are already awake."
Lucas smiled gently.
"No", as she looked up at him, he added "I didn't sleep."
Grace creased her eyebrows.
"At all?", she asked. As Lucas shook his head, a smile never leaving his lips, Grace asked "Why?"
Lucas shrugged.
"I had better things to do", he murmured gently, making her even more confused.
"Like what?", she asked as her fingers started to rub her left eye.
Lucas' palm moved to cup her right cheek.
"Like watching you sleep", he quietly said.
Grace's fingers froze and she opened her eyes in wonder, erasing sleep from them completely. His gentle smile and warm gaze reached the most hidden part of her heart, tugged at her heartstrings and she felt her lips curling up a bit.
"Really?", she whispered.
Lucas nodded.
"Mhm", he whispered before he leaned down and gently kissed her.
Grace moved her hands across his chest and up to his neck as she kissed him back, completely in awe of his confession. His thumb gently caressed her cheek as he kissed her, causing her to smile into his lips.
As their lips slowly parted, she looked up at those beautiful brown eyes she adored.
"Did I snore?", she quipped and smiled happily as she felt his chest rumble from chuckle.
Lucas' smile grew.
"No, sweetheart", he quietly murmured "You were perfect."
Grace placed her palm on his chest and leaned up to kiss him once again. Their lips melted into each other, moving slowly and gently, filling their hearts with a sense of belonging, love, warmth and home.
She moved her fingers toward his cheek, sneaked them up to his hair and pressed gently, causing him to sigh into her lips. Slowly, their kiss started to turn more intense and Lucas leaned down, deepening the kiss. Grace silently moaned as his warm tongue entered her mouth and caressed it with so much love that made her bare toes curl. She mirrored his love and passion, pulling him closer, kissing him back, her tongue dancing with his. Delicious shudder ran through her body and Grace pulled herself up a bit in a sitting position on his thigh to be able to touch him properly.
His arms wrapped around her waist as she hugged him around his neck, their kiss growing more and more passionate. He moved his hand across her back up to her hair, losing his fingers into soft, brunette waves. He cupped her head and pulled her closer to him, making both of them gasp at the feeling of their bodies so close to each other.
"Lucas…", Grace whispered, struggling to breathe "If you keep on holding me like this, I…I won't be able to control myself."
Lucas leaned his forehead against hers and slightly nodded. He slowly eased up his hold on her, but she didn't move an inch from him. As he looked at her, a bit puzzled, she breathed heavily, her palms on his chest.
"Just a minute longer", she whispered with a smile, making him smile too. She groaned silently as she hid her face into his shoulder "Can't you order that February to hurry up?"
Lucas chuckled as he kissed her hair.
"Unfortunately, it doesn't not fall under the Governor's jurisdiction", he quipped and smiled as he heard her giggle a bit. In the next moment she was up on her knees beside him and leaned toward his face, her elbow resting on the back of the sofa.
"Your back must be killing you from sitting up all night", she got up and sat on the back of the sofa behind him and placed her palms on his shoulders "And since I had such a good sleep in your arms, let's see can I do anything to return the favour", and with those words her fingers started to slowly massage his upper back.
Lucas closed his eyes, letting out a groan as Grace's fingers hit all the right places, resolving the knots in his back and making him smile gratefully.
For the next fifteen minutes he surrendered to her, feeling lighter with every little movement of her magical fingertips.
"Oh, Grace" he murmured quietly "That feels heavenly."
She smiled as she kept on massaging him for another ten or fifteen minites, until she felt him relax completely under her touch. That was when she sneaked her hands across his shoulders and down his chest as she whispered directly in his ear:
"We can make this a habit, Governor."
Lucas smiled as his palms sneaked up to her legs and he said:
"We can, Miss Bennet. But, first", he held more tightly on her legs and got up from the sofa, making her squeal in surprise as he picked her up on his back "We should get some breakfast."
Grace giggled happily as he moved across the library, never letting her go. She held more tightly to him.
"Lucas! We cannot go out like this!", she said through laugh.
Lucas chuckled.
"Well, this is our home. We can do whatever we want. And right now, I want to make you a breakfast", he said in a matter-of-fact tone of voice as he pressed the doorknob and opened the doors.
Grace gasped silently.
"What?! In Gustave's kitchen?! He will send us to the guillotine!", she giggled silently as she tried to scramble down from his grasp.
Lucas chuckled as he stopped dead in his tracks, turned to his right to look at Grace and he whispered:
"He's not even up yet! Nobody is! Now is our chance!", he let her go and as her feet touched the ground Lucas took her palm in his fingers and rushed toward the grand staircase "Let's go!"
Grace laughed as she followed him, never letting go of his hand.
—--
It's no secret I've been waiting
But I didn't expect this
Nothing will remain
Nothing stays the same
After you came.
It's no secret I've been starving
I never felt anything for years
I sat up all night
Just to watch your smile
When you're sleeping.
I was so lucky you came by
And turned a different corner
I could've been somewhere else
You could've passed by, could've passed by.
Come on and sail the sea with me
Come on, let's go around the world
Maybe find a flat
Or a canyon house
For the season.
I was so lucky you came by
And turned a different corner
It could've been someone else
You had in mind
I was so lucky you found me
My rags turned gold and silver
I could've been somewhere else
You could've passed by, could've passed by.
What would you make of this, my baby?
The sun through the trees
Is there a better place to be?
I was so lucky you came by
And turned a different corner
It could have been someone else
You had in mind, oh my
I was so lucky you picked me
My trash turned to silver
Yea, I could have been somewhere else
You could've passed by, could'be passed by.
("I was so lucky" - Roxette)