Chapter 7
The day had not at all gone the way she expected. When she woke up this morning, she had no idea she would end it as a married woman. After thinking about it, she decided to discuss not changing her name with her new husband. She had just finished legally dropping Bank from her name. It would be wonderful to never again have to explain the last name is Bank, not Banks. The whole thing was ridiculous… especially when she was certain it once was Banks, and one of his pretentious ancestors thought it was clever to change it. Samuel wasn’t a traditional guy. He probably would not mind her just keeping Wilson.
After the day she had, Hannah took her time with her end of day ritual. Taking the time with her shower, she exfoliated. She gave herself a facial too. She even washed and conditioned her hair. Then leisurely made a fishtail braid. Finally, she lotioned her skin with a lavender cream. She felt great. All of that work was done so she could slip into the most unflattering night shirt. It resembled something which would have been worn on the homestead in Little House on the Prairie. Samuel didn’t have to see it. She would wear a robe when she went to wish him a good night.
Good thing she had unpacked it and brought it with her into the bathroom. She opened the door leading to the hallway instead of the one to her room. The kitchen was empty, and everything was put away. Hannah hadn’t seen which of the rooms Samuel had selected. However, she went in search of it. The door to the two other rooms in the cabin were open, and they were empty. It was odd that she couldn’t find him. Maybe he had gone outside? She would text him once she got back to her room.
It took her a moment to realize there was an additional carryon bag in the room while she was focused on retrieving her phone. “Do you sleep on the left or the right?” Samuel asked. As a result of the room’s layout, the bed was partially obscured by a wall. She heard his voice before she saw him. The shock of hearing him in her room was nothing compared to the visual that accompanied it. When she stepped further into the space, there he was. Standing by the side of the bed closest to the bathroom.
Hannah was unaware she had let out a bloodcurdling scream. Almost flying across the room, he pulled her to him as he asked. “Jagiya, what’s the matter?”
Pushing away from his hold, and taking more than a few steps back, she waved her hand at him. “You! You’re what’s the matter. Why are you in my room? Naked?”
The concern on his face fell away. Giving way to a cheshire grin. Then he threw his head back and laughed. Like he was at a comedy show, and the comedian nailed the best punchline of all time. Then she realised the situation that they were in and shut her eyes. It didn’t feel like that was enough to protect her, so she covered her eyes with her hand.
Eventually, his laughter faded away. His sigh followed. “How do I begin to unpack this? Let’s start with, I’m not naked. I’m wearing boxers. Please uncover your eyes.” She slowly lowered her hand.
“Jagiya.” He called. Hannah knew exactly what he wanted without being told. As she opened her eyes, they clashed with his. His cognac orbs didn’t look irritated, as she thought they would. They held something akin to disappointment. For the life of her she didn’t know why he would feel that way. He walked to the foot of the bed and took a seat. She didn’t want to hold his gaze, but the alternative was to roam his frame. His incredibly sculpted frame. A canvas full of rich, vibrant art. It’s funny, she never thought of tattoos as art before. However, his certainly were.
“Come here.” He ordered. Even if she had thought of disobeying, it would have been a futile act. Her body had a mind of its own and followed his direction. She walked towards him. Once she was within arm’s reach, he took her hands and pulled her in between his parted legs. With him being seated as they were, they were eye to eye.
“My attire, or lack of, aside. Why are you surprised I’m here?”
“Here?”
“Yes, in our room.”
“Our room?”
He gave her a placating smile. “At this rate, this discussion will go on all night if you keep repeating what I say without answering me.” He intertwined their hands together. “Why are you surprised that I would be in this room with you?”
“Well, I picked this room. So, I wasn’t expecting you.”
“Mm. Was I not clear when I said we will not have a marriage in name only?”
“You were clear. I just didn’t think that would begin… tonight?”
“What would begin tonight?”
“That you would expect…” Her eyes moved past him to bed. She struggled to find her words. Part of her was hoping he would jump in and save her. He did not. Instead, he waited patiently, as she switched from foot to foot. She tried again. “I didn’t expect my martial duties to begin tonight.”
“I’m tired, so you’ll have to excuse me if what I’m about to say comes out harsher than I intend. Marital duties?” He groused. “I imagine by that you mean sex. No, I don’t expect us to have sex tonight. Our marriage is not conventional. We can build up to being physically intimate. At which time, I don’t want either of us to view it as a duty.”
“So—” She tried to add.
“Nope. I’m still speaking. While I have no expectation of us being intimate tonight, which by the way I am not opposed to. Hell, I’m ready when you are.”
Of course, her body took that moment to react. She felt her face flush, nipples pebble. “Now, what I would like is to go to sleep. I don’t care if it is in this room, or we pick another one. You will sleep beside me. To be clear, when we are under the same roof, we sleep together.”
Before she could think about it, the words were out. “We don’t always have to.”
The look he gave was far from friendly. It was downright adversarial. “This isn’t up for debate. Wherever we are, we…” He released one hand and motioned between the two of them. “…will share the bed. The only time when we wouldn’t is if we weren’t under the same roof. Those nights will be kept to the barest of minimum.”
“So, there isn’t room to negotiate?”
“Nope.”
“Do you have to do it naked?” She could hear the whine in her voice. Being in the room with him like this was dredging up memories. It didn’t seem she had a choice in sharing the bed with him. The least he could do was put on some clothes.
“As I pointed out earlier, I’m not naked. However, I normally sleep in the buff. It’s better for your health and metabolism. This…” He said plucking the band on his boxers. “… is my compromise to make you comfortable.”
“Some compromise.” She mumbled.
“Left, or right?” Samuel asked.
“I like to be furthest from the door.”
“Perfect. Now, are you sleeping in all of that?” He said looking pointedly at her outfit. “You look hot.” He touched her temple. “You’re sweating.”
“Well, I wasn’t going to sleep in the robe.”
“Then let’s get you out of it.”
Hannah’s body flushed at his words. Her knees almost buckled when he stood. His action caused their bodies to partially rub against each other. They didn’t remain that way, thank God. He moved to stand behind her. She almost stopped breathing when he slipped the robe off and pressed a kiss to her neck. “Would you like help taking off the gown as well?”
“No.” With the way her voice croaked, she sounded like a distant relative of Kermit.
“Are you sure I can’t grab you a t-shirt or a tank top?”
She shook her head. Then thought better of it. For better or worse, this man was her husband. Sweating to death the first night of their marriage because she was overdressed was ridiculous. Purely puritanical crap. She cleared her throat. “I have something lighter to wear.” She offered.
“Good.”
“It’s somewhere in my bag.” With her nerves frayed, she babbled, giving him a play-by-play of her actions. Which he so kindly just listened to. When she found the sleeveless gown that barely skimmed her knees in her bag, she almost ignored it. Stop it.You are not a prude! Well, you shouldn’t be with Samuel. Girl, he is your husband, and he’s seen you in less. Way less.
While she selected the gown, she wasn’t brave enough to change in front of him. “I’ll change in the washroom.” she said. Walking past him, she ignored his indulgent smile. Although the washroom door was closed, she could still hear him singing. Hannah couldn’t make out the song though. But the man could sing. No wonder he made a career of it. When she opened the door, he stopped.
Hannah halted when she saw Samuel was standing on the side of the bed she had selected. As if reading her mind, he explained, “I’m just providing a turndown service.” Then she noticed the sheets were pulled back. She’d left the nightgown in the bathroom. As she approached the bed, he stepped back, allowing her to climb in.
Anticipation hummed as he walked to his side of the bed and got in. It had been months since she slept beside another person. Jeremiah used to complain about her stealing the blankets and her snoring. Hannah lay on her back, even though that wasn’t the position she normally slept in.
Samuel turned to his side. “I’d really appreciate it if my new wife made it through the night. Breath, Jagiya.” He laid a hand on her stomach. Was this supposed to help? She forced out a breath. Then turned her head. “I know I am heavy handed about us sharing a bed together. But beyond that, nothing happens in our bed that you don’t want to happen.”
His words, and the intensity of them is what finally caused her to really relax and get her breathing under control. The consideration he was showing was refreshing. She placed her hand over his. “Thank you.”
“I’m going to turn off the lights so we can get to sleep.” The minute Samuel moved his hand, she missed his touch. As she thought about it, she had not felt self-conscious when he touched her. Interesting, she thought as the room plunged into darkness.
“You don’t have to whisper.” Samuel informed her. “In fact, we can say our nightly prayer together.” Her prayer was barely above a whisper. It surprised her he had heard her at all. As it turned out, it was a good thing that he did. Samuel was a constant source of surprises. He joined their hands as they took turns saying their nightly prayers. Once they were finished, a feeling of contentment washed over her. “That was really nice.”
Hannah didn’t want to spend her time making comparisons between Samuel and Jeremiah. However, she found herself unable to help it. Despite the unconventional origin of her marriage with Samuel, it already was off to a better start.
Turning over, she laid on her side. Samuel must have followed suit because Hannah heard the rustling of sheets. “Can I hold you?” The sound of his voice came over her shoulder. There was no need for her to think about it. “I would like that.”
She felt his arms circle around her waist. It was a comforting feeling with the firmness of his body at her back. The physical act felt like a manifestation of the figurative. For the first time in a long time, she fell asleep with a smile on her face.