Mister Colin Bridgerton opened the door to the sleeping quarters, rapidly jumping out of the way to make space for Miss Penelope Featherington's entrance.

He gave a brief look at the space, still dusty from years of stillness and abandonment.

"I wanted to show you this before our wedding. It's been in the family a very long time…"

He rushed to uncover some piece of furniture, almost trying to give it a better feeling of homeliness even though everything around him seemed to be quite underwhelming and unamusing to sight.

"This is to be our home." He announced proudly.

Penelope had been looking at him longingly since the moment they left the Featherington mansion. She didn't speak a word to him. Her eyes were doing all the talking. Her gaze was firm but loving. Her eyes could not fathom looking at anything but her future husband's face.

Colin looked at her briefly. He started to be ashamed of himself for not making the house more presentable to his future wife. He tried uncovering another piece of furniture to expose a beautifully crafted settee in the centre of the room. She was still not speaking and he felt the need to justify his choices and put a positive spin on the current situation.

"I know it does not look like much now but… once we lay out some of our furnishing and decorations…"

Then it occurred to him. They were alone. She was unchaperoned, not married yet. Even if she was promised in marriage to him, she was still a lady and whispers of this situation could potentially reach Lady Whistledown's ears. How could he have been so careless? His excitement swiftly became a throat-knotting concern. Did he put her in a compromising position because of his overwhelming eagerness to love her fully?

"Are you concerned that we should not be here alone?" he finally uttered. "There's not yet any staff and I thought, well, since we are to be married…"

His gaze lowered, almost ashamed of his assumptions.

"No." Penelope sharply replied, softly but firmly.

She took a second to gaze into his dark blue eyes. He was standing in front of her waiting for an explanation, an excuse, a suggestion… anything.

"You do not realise how much that meant to me. What you said to my mother. No one has ever stood up for me like that."

Her eyes were misty. She could feel her heart beating fast in her chest. The love she was feeling in that moment for Colin was more than overwhelming. She was struggling to speak but, most of all, struggling to believe that this, all of this, was really happening to her.

He took a short breath, stepped a few inches from her and started caressing her arms.

"I will always stand up for you."

His eyes stared at hers. No doubts in his mind.

"Because I love you, Pen."

An exhilarating rush of warmth flooded Penelope's chest as if a dam of joy had burst open, spreading a tingling sensation that reached the tips of her fingers and toes. This, paired with the overwhelming fear of losing all in a moment, almost brought her to tears.

"Are you sure?" she asked, still convinced that Colin would have soon realised he made a huge mistake.

With a smirk on his face, he nodded. He couldn't believe Pen was unable to see what he could. What he had been seen for years but mistook for admiration and proudness. He realised that, as much as it took him months to come to the conclusion he loved her, she was still unable to accept that she was worthy of love ' worthy of his love.

"Everything I said to your mother is true."

The face that she was unable to see what a beautiful, caring, smart and sophisticated woman she was, made him want to reassure her. He was truly in love with every part of her and she ought to recognise this fact herself. He was determined to make her see she was indeed the catch, not him.

"You should see it as well."

He gently wrapped his arm around her back, firmly grasping her side with his hand. They found themselves in front of a full-length mirror. Pen's gaze lowered slightly. Colin was looking at her through their reflection and was admiring her curved wrapped in that beautifully crafted dress.

The more he looked at her, the more his insides were burning. He couldn't wait to make her his, forever. He was looking at her so carefully, as he was trying to form descriptive words in his mind to later put down in his diary so he would never forget a single instant of that day.

"You are the cleverest, bravest woman I have ever known. You make me feel seen in ways I have never felt seen before. And then there's the way your hair cascades down your shoulder."

As much as he was captivated by Penelope's mind, her manners and character, he could not separate her inner and outer beauty. His hand moved to her head, grasping a large hair pin and pulling in out of the way. Her red curls gently bounced down her back, framing her face. Colin brushed his fingers against her hair and pulled his face closer.

He could smell fresh sweet roses in her hair. His head was already spinning. A mere sniff of her had already turned his insides to a complete mess. His eyes closed ever so slightly to take one sense in at a time. He freed her hair from another pin, letting the rest of her red mane cascade down her shoulders and breasts.

"The way your eyes shine when you look at me, like two blue pools."

He continued, staring at her eyes through the looking glass. Once she said that his eyes were a remarkable shade of blue, but hers – oh, hers were just unbelievable. Only comparable to a clear mountain sky in the middle of summer, or a frozen lake in the middle of a forest on a sunny day. Her eyes were as mesmerising as staring into the night sky while comets, planets and galaxies were visible all at the same time. Her eyes were more than remarkable, they were ethereal.

His careful exploration continued, bringing his attention to her small, perfectly shaped nose. He wanted to kiss all of her, but he had to be patient. He didn't want to rush. He wanted her to be comfortable and his only desire was for both of them to become one at their own times and terms.

"The firmness of your lips parted just so."

He uttered, while is slightly shaking fingers traced her smile, from side to side. He was so nervous. He was the experienced one and yet this was so different from all his previous adventures. This was not for fun, not for satisfaction. This was a pure expression of love.

He bit his lower lip. Flashes of their previous kisses popped into his mind. Their very first kiss, gentle and innocent. Their second, passionate, intimate and lustful.

He couldn't wait to pair their tongues once again. And this time he wanted to feel all the emotions at once. He wanted to make her feel everything, every little emotion he was feeling right now. He was already thinking about undressing her. His mind jumped between being chivalrous and ripping her clothes off to make her his in an instant. His heart was racing so quickly that his body started to ever so slightly showing signs of eagerness and quivering.

"The softness of your skin." He traced the curve of her neck to her breast.
"And then there are other parts I've been…" He spread his fingers wide and grabbed one of her breasts through the dress.

"…I've been dreaming about."

Penelope felt Colin's hand grasping her body. Her cheeks were on fire, blushing with his light touches. An uncontrollable fluttering was pervading her stomach, her head and, yes, her secret garden.

She turned around, hopped on her toes and grabbed his neck to pull him closer. He grasped her sides and pushed her body to his chest. The height difference was quite remarkable but they made it look like they were pieces of a jigsaw puzzle perfectly fitting together.

They couldn't wait any longer and initiated a lustful, passionate kiss. Her lips were sweet, soft and warm. A thin layer of balm was making them slightly slippery. His lips where dancing around hers, the tip of his tongue was making his way into her mouth to find its match.

Pen's breathing was becoming heavy, for the second time in her life, after their kiss in the carriage, she was starting to understand that women's bodies are really susceptible to any kind of physical interaction. She would have not imagined that loving someone could feel so good.

She still felt silly in her head. Colin was so experienced that she was starting to think what a disappointment of a lover she could have been for him. But she wanted him. And if he wanted her, who was her to say otherwise?

Suddenly taken from a burst of reality, Colin realised that not being married yet, this would have been an atrocious scandal for both families if news of such intimacies had reached the rest of the ton. Unwillingly, he interrupted their passionate kiss to make sure she knew he was not trying to trick her or force her in any way.

"You must tell me to stop if you do not wish for this."

A cheeky smile appeared on Penelope's face. She was not going to give up this opportunity of intimacy now. She was already too involved to find the courage, or the willingness, to put an end to it.

"I do not wish for you to stop."

She managed to whisper, just before reprising their kiss. The tips of their tongues interlaced while their lips were widely open, eating each other. How can something so intimate feel so… sexy? Pen's mind was dancing through dozens of thoughts. How could her body be so responsive to Colin's touch? How did she know what she was doing? How did this seem so easy for her?

Colin had been in her mind for years. Not in this way, of course, but he was always there. She realised that all her previous wishes were so tamed, naive and innocent compared to reality. How silly she was feeling now. She had no idea what love was. Nor having a husband. The debut in society was just a ruse. How could they fool all those young girls into believing that they were women once presented to the Queen and to society? She was realising that she was becoming a woman at that precise moment, with him on her side – or better, with him guiding her.

Eager to have her, Colin span her around, so she could face the looking glass once more. He glanced at the back of her dress and he started unbuttoning it. Pen was looking at his focused look, smiling while he was taken with all the layers of her dress.

You could tell Mister Bridgerton had done this before. The virtuosity with which he was going through those buttons and laces was more than impressive. No words were needed. She was just admiring his work and waiting patiently.

Once all the buttons were undone, he accompanied the dress to the floor, exposing Pen's corset. They looked at each other through their reflections. Penelope bit her lower lip, longing for another of his touches. He couldn't do anything but comply.

He swiftly moved her hair on one side and started kissing her neck, gently. With his other hand, he reached her stomach, still tightly wrapped in the corset, and started lifting his fingers towards her breasts.

Pen could feel his lips touching her skin, just under her ear. Her body was tingling. Her heartbeat was quick and steady, yet so powerful that she could feel her blood pulsating in her head, her chest and all over her body. She let out a soft moan, to signal him that she was indeed having the best time in his company.

Colin moved his attention back to her corset. After a quick look, he let out a quick breath and went back to free Pen's body from that silk, glorious prison. It didn't take him too long to figure out how to work around the laces and the more he was pulling those apart, the more comfortable Pen felt.

The undoing of the corset was freeing her body and leaving no barrier between it and Colin's eyes. She was nervous. How would have he reacted to the view of her naked body? She was not perfect like Daphne, Eloise or Francesca. She had curves and she was proud of them but would he be happy with her appearance?

The last lace was pulled and Pen was left holding her corset from the front, just covering her breasts and stomach. Her back was fully exposed to Colin's eyes.

She suddenly felt his hands, tracing her spine from top to bottom. His breathing was heavy, full of lust and eagerness. He grabbed the shoulder straps of Pen's corset and pull them down, towards the already discarded dress. She let go.

They were both staring at their reflection. Penelope's body was exposed in full. Colin took a moment to reassure himself that she, indeed, was his forever from now on.

He took a deep breath, staring at her breasts, unable to focus his gaze anywhere else. In a synchronised movement, he grabbed her bosoms with open hands and let out a satisfied and lustful breath. Pen closed her eyes and let out a satisfied moan. While he was caressing them and playing with them, she rested her head on his shoulder, still unable to believe what was unraveling before her very eyes.

"Lie down." He demanded, with a smirk on his face.

Penelope quickly reached the settee and sat down, following Colin's orders. She brought her hands to her chest to cover her breasts, maybe a bit ashamed and a bit unsure of what was coming next.

Her eyes were staring at Colin, silently asking if something was wrong or if she should have done anything in that moment. Without breaking the stare, he started undressing.

Oh, right, Pen realised she was the only one naked at that point and it was now his turn to reveal himself. She was about to see his best friend naked. A little smile forced his way out on her face and she couldn't hide her excitement and trepidation. She often dreamed about Colin but she never dared to undress him, even in her steamiest dreams. And now, there he was, unbuttoning his coat for her. And it wasn't a silly dream, it was reality. It was her new life.

Once the coat was out of the way, he quickly removed his gilet, leaving just his shirt between his bare chest and Pen's gaze. He reached the collar of his dark blue shirt and started freeing the buttons, one by one. His chest hairs started to poke out. Pen set out a little nervous chuckle. And then his shirt came off.

She was staring at his chest, sun tanned, muscular and simply perfect. Her mouth was slightly open in awe of his stunning body, trying to snap a mental picture of it. Not that she should have needed it since this was supposed to be the first one of many entertaining days together.

Colin removed his belt which, for some reason, made her blush even more. And now, there was just a single piece of clothing left before he would present himself to her love as Violet presented him to the world.

He unbuttoned his trousers and let them fall to the floor with no hesitation. His sight locked on Penelope's face. But her gaze was otherwise engaged. She never saw one before, she didn't even know that male reproductive organs had that shape. But she was mesmerised.

She could not stop staring at his… his soldier. What… How…? She was so unprepared for it. Overcome by emotions, she cleared her throat and lowered her gaze in shame, just to have another look an instant later. As he was stepping closer to her, she took the time to have a full look at his body. The definition of his muscles and the colour of his skin were just unreal.

He reached the settee and put his body on top of hers, without making contact. She was too stunned to speak, just admiring him, his loving gaze and his confidence. In return, he eventually ceased staring into her eyes and looked at all of her, from the tip of her head to her holy cave, just inches away from his body.

He himself was too stunned to speak, biting his lower lips while staring at her nipples. How did he convince her to be his, it was still a mystery to him. He was praying the skies and thanking God for having allowed him to realise just in time that he was truly, indubitably and unbelievably in love with Penelope Featherington. He felt like the luckiest man in the world.

"You are so beautiful." He uttered, still in disbelief.

He went back to kissing her, passionately and with no restraints. First, her lips, while his fingers started playing with her curls, then her neck and finally her breasts.

He had dreamed of those breasts for weeks. He wanted to touch them, grab them. He dreamed of playing with her nipples, sucking on them like a hungry baby. He desired to gently bite them, lick them, feel their taste and smell, and die while suffocating between them.

And now, it was his time to shine. Maybe avoiding death because of them. But, honestly, he would have not cared to meet his maker in that way.

Every touch and every kiss was more overwhelming than the previous ones, for both of them. Pen never experienced this kind of passion before, but Colin… Colin realised that what he experienced in the past was mere physical interaction and had absolutely nothing to do with what was happening between them in their future house.

"Tell me what to do."

Penelope was grateful for all the attention but she was eager to play her part and make him feel as good as he was making her feel in that moment.

"I will do everything." He reassured her.

"No." she said firmly. "Tell me."

Her willingness to participate so actively during their first intimate interaction despite not having any experience was arousing Colin. He wasn't even sure what to respond because he didn't want to disrespect them and he surely didn't want to force her to do anything she wasn't comfortable doing.

"You could… touch me."

"Where?"

"Anywhere."

Penelope didn't know where to start. If she could have touched him everywhere at once, she would have. She looked into his eyes and grabbed his neck. She loved to touch his hair and she quickly realised he was loving it too. She brushed her fingers through it and gave it an ever-so-slight pull.

His mouth opened in delight. How did she know what to do? It just came so naturally to them. Their closeness in the past years, their trust in one another and their platonic love for each other managed to build a level of closeness that is so rare yet so precious in one's love relation. Violet was right all along. Being friends to lover, if reciprocated, was probably the best love story of all.

Pen traced his curves and muscles with her fingers. She took the time to caress them all, from his neck to his arms, from his collarbone to his thighs, to…

"Not there… not yet." He interrupted.

She looked at him, innocently, almost begging for forgiveness. He smirked at her expression. She was stunning and she deserved his full attention. His hand gently brushed her side and hesitated at her hip.

"May I?" He begged.

She nodded. She had no idea what was coming but she was all for it. His hand traced her leg and swiftly jumped to her inner thigh. His hand reached for her secret garden.

Pen remembered the sensation from the ride in the carriage and couldn't wait to have him doing that again to her. If she only knew that was just the beginning…

Colin reached her labia and craftily parted them with his fingers. His ring and middle fingers reached the entrance of her cave and dove in. Penelope was softly panting, her breathing was heavy and her eyes were now closed to enjoy the ride once more.

He started gently digging her insides with his fingers, while his thumb was drawing circles around her holy pearl. She started moaning, louder and louder. He started moving his wrist rhythmically to give her more pleasure and to see her beg for more.

He kissed her, timing his thrusts with the movements of his lips and tongues. He could feel her crumbling under his body. He could see her excitement grow. His own soldier was quickly standing on its own, ready to march to his destination. The blood vessels in his crotch were steaming hot and he himself was so close to the point of no return.

Her juices were lubricating the movements making them easier, quicker and deeper. Then he pulled his hand out, leaving her longing for more.

"Why did you stop?" She asked, puzzled.

"Are you ready?"

"Is there more?"

She was shocked. What more could there be? She was already feeling so good, she could not imagine there could be something even better than that.

Colin simply nodded. Smiled and looked at his Penelope.

"This may hurt. I cannot help it, I promise. But it should only be this first time."

Pen nodded. At the very last minute, she managed to figure it out. It was literally like a jigsaw puzzle. Two pieces that fit together perfectly. The excitement for the epiphany quickly gave way to a slight worry. This is going to hurt, he said. How can something so perfect hurt?

But she trusted him. She was not going to let her silly mind stop her from experiencing the highest level of love, passion and pleasure. She stared at Colin, as he was reaching his soldier and grabbing it firmly with one hand. It grew. She didn't really know how that was possible but she was not expecting it to look so different from a mere minute before.

She observed him pulling his entire body closer to her and placing the head of the soldier just a mare breath away from the entrance of her precious garden. She pulled her knees closer to her sides, an unexpected body-automated movement that just happened. It was like her brain didn't know what to do but her body was inherently prepared for it.

They both took a deep breath and he inserted himself into her. While he exhaled sharply, she bit her lips in slight pain. It wasn't that bad but it was surely not the best sensation in the world. Colin checked on her. She fully trusted him and nodded, for him to continue. She was determined to push through, even though more pain could have come from it.

Oh, how wrong she was. He thrusted his hips towards her and, incredibly, the pain subsided and she could start enjoying having his soldier inside her cave. Her eyes opened wide. Her mouth, already moaning for pleasure, let out a chuckle mixed with a pant. Oh my God.

Colin continued thrusting rhythmically, slowly at first, to make Pen as comfortable as possible and make sure she was actually enjoying the deed.

"All right?" he inquired.

"All right, yes." She replied, still in awe.

With her reassurance, he made himself more comfortable, laying his arm next to her face and allowing his lips to touch hers once more.

With each movement, they were kissing deeper and deeper, communicating through panting, grunting and moaning. The thrusting became quicker and quicker. To Colin's surprise, Pen was matching his thrusts with gentle hip movements to feel him inside even more and push his soldier to the darkest corners of her cave.

The passion quickly transformed into pure natural instinct and they were both there to accomplish what nature had planned all along. The animal impulses were fully taking over. If someone had explained to her what sexual intercourse was it would have not mattered. Their bodies were just made to unite as one and no explanation would have been sufficient to prepare her to this. What was more remarkable was the fact that her limbs, her muscles and her organs already knew. They were ready and just needed the right partner to engage them and initiate the dance.

Colin opened his eyes, between a kiss and a thrust. She was close to the point of climax, he could see that. He wanted to reach it with her. He timed his movements carefully and as soon as she started coming to conclusion, he felt his juice filling her from the inside.

He came, looking at the ecstasy on her face. He bedded Penelope Featherington like he bedded no one else before. It was a new experience for him as well. He suddenly felt like a teenager losing his virginity for the first time. In all his travels, all his experiences, nothing closer to this ever happened. He was starting to understand the look of extreme satisfaction in both Daphne and Anthony after their unions. Finding the love of your life simply doesn't compare to anything else in the world.

The heavy breaths from Pen brought him back to the moment and he could not stop himself from chuckling. Pen joined in. It was just so surreal to finally have been one with your very best friend. They looked at each other and shared a gentle, passionate kiss.

"Was it all right?" asked worriedly Colin.

"It was perfect." Pen replied, with rosy cheeks and a smile that couldn't be wiped off her face for any reason in the world.

"Can we do it again?" she suggested, eagerly.

"Give me five minutes." He reply, still panting. "Maybe ten."

They both chuckled once more and fell in an intimate embrace while kissing and recuperating a bit of strength for round two.