Close to the Flame

Chapter 12

Scarlet looked at Arthur in disbelief as he stood up from the floor next to her. "What? You doubt what I am saying? Well, it's true. I love you, Scarlet. From the moment you sat at the pub in front of me in that ridiculous disguise. I just, didn't realize how much until I kissed you." He sat on the bed and shook his head. "When I kissed you, you have to understand, I never felt like this about a girl. I didn't WANT to be with anyone really, not even a man. There was just the assumption of the...scandalous. All I ever wanted was my birthright; what was owed to me by my father. And when he passed me over, I behaved monstrously, especially to Amelia. But, she forgave me and let me go back to the brewery when I told her I was in love with you and wanted to marry you." Scarlet got up form the floor, Arthur's words sobering her. She walked over to the bed and sat next to him, sighing and taking his hand in hers.

"That kiss was maddening for me, Arthur. Papa raised me the best he could and it wasn't the 'proper young lady' way. I was around brash mine workers. They were always respectful, but treated me like their son. You were the first person to ever treat me like an equal, and that was something I needed. And when you kissed me, I forgot myself and that I was a girl in a disguise. I just felt," she shrugged. "Like a girl. So I kissed you back. And your reaction, well, it didn't scare me so much as it made me trust you more. That's why I agreed to the arrangement." She dropped his hand and stood up, almost scared to continue. She walked over to the window and looked out, still speaking. "I couldn't stop thinking about that kiss or being around you. I thought, maybe if we knew each others secrets, we could at least be friends. And then you came with the idea for the arrangement. I saw that as a way to solve both our problems." She turned to Arthur and walked towards him. "But then you started courting me, and I was so confused by how you were acting, worst of all, I was confused by my reaction." Arthur stood from the bed and took a step towards her. "I didn't care about getting the mill anymore, I was completely focused on playing the proper young lady. I wanted to be YOUR proper lady, I was more concerned with making myself into someone you would want to be with," Scarlet turned to the window as Arthur walked towards her slowly. Scarlet looked down as Arthur stood right behind her, she could hear his breath catch as she spoke. "I wanted you to fall in love with me the way I had fallen in love with you..."

Arthur raised his hand and reached out to gently touch her shoulder. Scarlet gasped as she felt his touch. He slowly turned her to face him as she kept her eyes to the ground. Arthur sighed and took off her cap, letting her hair fall in auburn waves. He gulped as he raised his hand from her shoulder and placed it on her cheek turning her face towards him and grazing his thumb across her cheek. Scarlet closed her eyes as she felt Arthur's touch on her skin. She trembled putting her hand on his as he touched her. She could hear his breathing quicken when she put her hand on his and she opened her eyes gazing into his. He took a step closer to her pressing his body to hers, tilting her face up to his as he slowly leaned in and softly pressed his lips to hers. Scarlet pressed her hand to Arthur's chest as he kissed her, feeling his heart beating against her hand.

Arthur wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer to him as they deepened their kiss. Scarlet pressed herself against Arthur as she ran her hand up his neck to run it through his hair. Arthur kept his mouth pressed to Scarlet's as he moved his hands to the front of her shirt, his hands fumbling as he tried to unbutton the shirt. He pulled his mouth away and looked down at her buttons as he kept trying to undo them, his hands shaking nervously. Scarlet smiled looking down and put her hands on his pulling them away and unbuttoning her shirt as he smiled and unbuttoned his. He pulled off his shirt and pulled Scarlet to him as he leaned down and placed kisses on her neck, working his way to her shoulder as he took off her shirt. She sighed feeling his kisses on her skin as his mouth travelled back from her shoulder to her mouth. Arthur moved his hands from her back to her waist and ran them up her sides before cupping her breasts gently. Scarlet pressed herself closer to him, craving his touch more as his thumbs grazed her nipples. Before long, Arthur led Scarlet to the bed and sat with Scarlet standing in front of him. She pulled his head into her as he wrapped his arms around her waist, breathing her in.

He looked up at her smiling as she reached down and caressed his face before leaning down and kissing him. He pulled her into his lap as she wrapped her arms around his neck. Arthur turned and laid Scarlet back on the bed as he moved on top of her, Scarlet moaning quietly as she ran her fingers through his hair. Arthur pulled away from her and looked into her eyes, whispering, "I...I've never done this before, so you'll have to tell me if I hurt you." Scarlet smiled nervously and nodded before pulling him closer and kissing him gently. Arthur moved his hands to her pants, slowly pulling them down along with her undergarments before pulling his own off. Scarlet felt Arthur's naked body pressed against hers and she wrapped her legs around his waist as she felt his hardness press into her. Arthur kept his mouth pressed to hers as she spread her legs for him to enter her.

Scarlet held her breath as she felt his manhood within her, the slight pain as she adjusted to him easy to handle. He groaned a little feeling her tightness around him and gave her a few seconds to adjust. When she sighed and started kissing him again, Arthur slowly started moving his hips against her, slowly pumping in and out. Scarlet started moving her own body with Arthur's, listening to him moan as they moved. Scarlet felt like her body was on fire as she felt herself beginning to peak, feeling like fireworks were going off within her. She gasped and groaned as Arthur started moving a little faster, reaching his own peak of pleasure. He buried his head in Scarlet's neck before looking up and kissing her again and laying next to her with his arm draped across her chest as she caught her breath. Scarlet ran her fingers over his arm and rolled to press her back against him. He kissed her shoulder before pulling the blanket over them. Scarlet sighed and reached over to the nightstand where Arthur had left the ring box. She smiled as she opening it and put the ring on her ring finger looking at her hand. Arthur kissed the back of her neck. "Read the inscription, my darling." Scarlet took the ring off and on the inside there was a tiny inscription:

MY LILY ~A~

Scarlet and Arthur were married 2 weeks later. At the wedding, Scarlet gifted Arthur a beautiful engraved flask. The flask said HAVISHAM on the front and on the bottom had a different inscription:

FROM YOUR LILY.