Roses and Sonatas [Harvest Moon: Tale of Two Towns]

Chapter 47

It was just past midnight when we reached my house—or rather, our house. Laughing, Cam swept me up in his arms and carried me across the threshold into our new home, setting me down just inside. He closed and locked the door, then turned to look at me with a smile. "You know, you are amazingly beautiful... Mrs. Blake," he said softly, reaching out to gently stroke my cheek.

I blushed, pleased that he thought so. "Thank you, Mr. Blake," I said with a laugh. "You're not too bad, yourself, you know."

He removed his shoes and hung up his jacket, then turned and looked again at me. He reached for me and pulled me to him, holding me close to him as he looked me in the eyes. "No regrets?"

"Only that it took me so long to make up my mind," I replied, slipping my shoes off and setting them by the door next to his.

"That isn't important. All that matters is that you did make up your mind—and that we're here together." He leaned down and gave me a slow, gentle kiss, then he released me. "Care for a drink?"

"Yes, please, thank you. That sounds wonderful. I'm really thirsty after all that dancing!"

He stepped into the kitchen while I sat on the sofa and waited. "Hey, someone left us a bottle of champagne!" he called.

"I bet it was Beth! I remember her slipping away at one point while we were getting ready, but I was so busy, I didn't think anything of it!" I replied, and a minute later I hear a loud popping sound.

"That was thoughtful of her," he said as he joined me, handing me a slender flute of bubbling pale gold wine before sitting next to me.

We talked over the wedding—the funny moments, like when Ash and Hiro had both dived after the garter in such fierce competition while Kana just easily stepped over them to catch it first; the sweet moments, like when Rahi asked Ying to dance, looking his most formal and grown-up; and the dramatic moments—particularly Mikhail. He was still angry with him for his comments to me, and I was still stung by his words, though not as badly as when he said them.

We finished our drinks, then Cam stood and held a hand out to me. "Ready for bed?" he asked with a smile. I nodded, suddenly nervous, and he pulled me to my feet. Heading back towards the bed, I carefully pulled the pins from my hair, leaving the rose in place, and let the loose waves tumble down over my shoulders. After dropping the hairpins in their dish on top of the dresser, I opened the wardrobe at the foot of the bed and started to remove my dress.

Seeing me struggling with the buttons in back, he came over and unfastened them for me. I slid the dress off my shoulders, letting it fall to the floor. I stepped out of it, feeling suddenly shy and self-conscious as he stood watching me. I felt my cheeks burning as I hung my gown in the wardrobe and reached for my nightgown, but he put his hand on my arm to stop me.

"Wait," he said, his voice husky and low, and he turned me around and pulled me to him. Holding my face in his hands, he leaned down and kissed me again, more hungrily than before, his tongue caressing my mouth and teasing my tongue. His hands slid down my shoulders and arms to reach around my waist, pulling me closer. Pressing me firmly against him with one hand on the small of my back, he reached up with his other hand to run his fingers through the waves and curls of my hair. When he reached the rose blossom, he carefully unpinned it, dropping it on the bedside table behind him.

He ran his hand down my back, then he released me and stepped back, his green eyes deep and dark with the intensity of his desire. He ran his hands down my sides and over my hips, then he reached behind and slowly unfastened my bra, letting it slip down to the floor as he inhaled sharply at the sight. Then, kneeling down in front of me, he unclipped my stockings from the garter straps, and reaching up to my hips, he slowly slid the thong down, letting it fall next to my bra. I blushed at my nakedness—no one had ever seen me so... exposed before, and I wondered if I met his expectations—if I compared favorably with the women in his past.