36
“Oh, wow,” Robert said in a low voice as they entered the bedroom, clearly in awe of the view from her window.
The sea below them did look almost magical in the sunlight, but for once, Jo did not give a thought for the view. Instead, she made quick work of untying the drawstrings at the back of her neck and around her waist. By the time Robert turned, she was already sliding the dress down her arms.
“Jo,” he breathed and rushed to her. “I wanted to do that.”
He immediately helped her pull the dress all the way down her body, making it pool around her feet.
“Heavens, you are so beautiful,” he breathed as his mouth landed on hers.
They hurriedly divested the rest of their clothes. Jo liked how she already knew how to undress him and that she was not nervous about this part.
She faltered a little as they landed naked on the bed side by side, still kissing each other.
They had never discussed how this would happen.
She knew the technicalities of it and trusted Robert completely but was still afraid of the pain she had heard of and how they would go about handling this uncharted territory.
As if he could sense her mind whirring, Robert said against the skin of her breast:
“We will do as before: I will make you come and then when you are ready, we can make love. It will make it more pleasurable for you.”
“Oh,” Jo muttered, surprised, as she twisted her hands in his auburn hair. “I thought…”
“No thinking,” Robert teased her and rolled on top of her, pinning her to the bed. She could feel his hardness against her lower stomach and relished knowing that he wanted this as much as she did.
“Right,” Jo muttered and kissed him.
They lost themselves in the kiss. It was languid and slow and only when Jo felt herself relax did Robert start moving above her, his fingers on one hand finding her nipple and teasing it.
Her core was pounding with need for him and Jo arched her back and gasped whimperingly as he twisted the nipple almost painfully.
“More,” she breathed when Robert did not continue.
She was almost able to come from his attention to her breast alone but then felt one of his hands travel down her stomach.
“You are so ready for me,” he growled against her neck, before kissing her there at the same time that one of his fingers slid into her.
“I know,” Jo gasped.
She was unable to speak when a second finger joined the first and his thumb found that extra sensitive place.
She was writhing against him, alternately gasping and whimpering.
A corner of her mind was relieved that her servants were not there, then the thought was immediately pushed from her mind as Robert’s fingers twisted inside her in a new way that made her feel even more full.
“Yes,” she gasped as she scratched his back and rode his fingers.
She whimpered as all her muscles tightened and then she found the sweet release she had come to crave so desperately.
Robert was kissing her face and her neck, whispering praises about how beautiful she looked when she came, how wanton she was. It should horrify her, but it only felt reassuring.
When he withdrew his fingers from her, she had expected him to line his member up with her entrance and shove into her. But instead, he rested his forehead against hers and sighed deeply.
“I want to, Robert,” Jo told him and moved her pelvis against his, thinking that he needed encouragement for some reason. Even though she thought she could not have been clearer.
“Blast it, Jo, I can feel that it is only…” He sighed deeply and raised himself slightly above her to be able to look into her eyes. “I haven’t brought a French letter and you have not prepared with a sponge and…”
“Oh,” Jo mumbled and looked to the side at the bright day outside of the window.
They had agreed to wait with children before they traveled to Brighton. It seemed so insignificant now that her body was humming warmly with desire for him, yet it was a very real consideration and one she appreciated deeply that he took the time to address.
“So, we can’t…?” she asked as her gaze returned to his.
“We can, but it will not be as safe as it would be if we had taken other precautions,” Robert muttered and gave her a quick kiss.
“I can live with that,” Jo told him immediately and kissed him back fiercely, once again moving her pelvis against his. Robert groaned and ground against her as well. “Can you…” Jo moaned, “live with that?”
“Yes, Jo,” Robert told her fiercely, his body not stopping its motions above hers, making his member rub against her sensitive folds.
Jo arched and gasped.
“Well, then…” she breathed and then she felt him at her entrance, slowly easing inside her. She felt extremely full, bordering on pain, yet it felt so right at the same time. “Yes,” she said before he could ask her any questions about how she felt. And then to clarify: “More.”
Robert chuckled above her, but it turned into a low groan as he slid further into her.
Words started streaming from him as if he was not even aware of them as he moved into her, then slowly back out again.
Praises of how good it felt, how right it felt, how he would never tire of this, how much he loved her.
Jo was unable to say anything but “Yes” and “More”; the feeling of finally being joined with him was so overwhelming.
She had not expected to feel pleasure the first time, yet as soon as her body adjusted to him, there was no discomfort at all.
She tentatively moved her hips against his, and when she found it increased her pleasure, did so with more vigor.
It was Robert’s turn to growl “Yes” and “More” into her ear as he started to move faster as well.
He adjusted his hips and hit a different spot inside her that made Jo tense even further.
Leaning on one elbow, Robert’s other hand traveled between them to find the sensitive pearl above where they were joined.
Jo’s back arched and she gasped at the simultaneous pleasure. She was so close, so close, so close.
The pace became frantic as they both sought their release as much as tried to please the other.
It felt like madness, wanting to stay joined for as long as possible, yet wanting to come just as badly.
Jo buried her nails in Robert’s bottom as if she could force him to sink even deeper into her. And yet he seemed to comply.
Jo’s entire body spasmed as it was racked with the most intense climax she had ever experienced.
She was almost startled when Robert pulled out of her only a moment later and spilled himself on her belly with a low groan.
She had forgotten their agreement before.
She was both glad and a little sad that he had remembered.
The feeling of him spilling inside her would only have added to the intimacy she felt.
Robert collapsed beside her and clutched her to him. She could feel his smile against her shoulder. Carefully, she turned and held him tightly.
“I love you,” she murmured into his hair.
“I love you too, Jo.”
Robert pressed a kiss to her breast, and they lay there in contemplative silence.
“Why doesn’t anyone call you Josie?”
Jo frowned at the timing of his question.
“My parents did. When I came to live with my uncle, I didn’t like others to do so,” she mumbled.
“Oh.” Robert’s large, warm hands settled soothingly on her back. “I wanted a name that was only for me. I thought it might fit you.”
It had fit when she was a girl. Josie was sweet and carefree. Jo was sharper and more masculine. The person she had had to be when she had been all alone in the world except for her uncle. She liked that she would be able to be Josie again with Robert.
“You can call me Josie, if you like,” she told him, then kissed him to distract herself and not start crying. Even though she knew he would not have minded.
“Josie,” he murmured against her lips, and for a moment it was just the two of them in their little cocoon of happiness. “I forgot…” Robert then blurted and jumped from the bed.
He scrambled around their discarded clothing on the floor before he found his jacket and pulled a small, black velvet pouch from the pocket.
Jo smiled as he approached the bed, completely naked, his auburn hair in disarray, and a huge smile on his face. Jo did not know how she would ever be able to take her eyes off him again.
“Here,” he said as he sat on the bed and handed her the pouch.
Jo took it tentatively as she sat up straight. By the weight and the delicate packaging, she was certain it was a jewel.
“You did not have to buy me anything,” she told him as she opened the tiny drawstrings.
“It’s for both of us,” Robert said a little breathlessly.
Jo looked at his face for a moment, uncertain why he seemed nervous, before she poured the contents of the pouch into her hand.
It was two rings. One was smaller, delicate, and feminine, crafted in white gold with several stones set on it.
She turned it to see them better. It was a pearl nestled between sapphires and diamonds.
“Like a shell,” Jo whispered, not certain why she felt so emotional except that the ring made her feel seen.
She turned the other ring, which was white gold as well, but plain and larger, between her thumb and forefinger. Even if she placed it on her thumb, it would be too large, though.
“I don’t think this will fit me,” she said as she looked at Robert.
“It’s not for you.”
“Oh,” was all Jo could say as she looked at the ring again.
He meant to wear a ring. Despite the fact that there was no reason for people to know that he belonged to someone, belonged to her, he wanted them to.
“Will you place it on my finger?” he asked and held out his hand.
Jo nodded and held on to his strong, steady hand as she slowly slid the ring on his finger, holding his gaze as she did so.
Robert’s smile trembled a bit; he focused on her for a second longer before looking down at the ring on his finger.
He closed and stretched his hand as if the feeling was new to him.
“It suits me, doesn’t it?” Jo could hear he was trying to lighten the mood.
She nodded, unable to speak herself, and handed him the second ring.
Robert gently removed the plain wedding band he had given her, before sliding the new one on her finger.
It looked so beautiful on her hand. A constant reminder of their love – and her love of the ocean.
The love that had brought them together in a way.
“Thank you,” she whispered as she looked at it a moment longer.
“I had it made a couple of weeks ago,” Robert told her.
He scratched his neck and looked a little sheepish.
“I had already ordered it when I gave you the other ring. I don’t know why I did it…
or perhaps I do now…” He looked intently at her as he paused for a moment.
“I think I already cared about you then… much more than I was willing to admit to myself.”
Jo threw herself into his arms, and he landed on his back in the bed with a startled laugh.
“Thank you,” she whispered again against his lips.
“I love you,” was Robert’s reply.
“I love you too,” Jo told him and raised herself a little to be able to look at him. “I think I knew too, that I cared for you…that it could blossom into something more, if I had the courage…”
“Thank God that you did,” Robert muttered before he kissed her again.