Warning: This chapter contains scenes of a sexual nature. Reader discretion is advised.

The seven days that followed were more difficult than I anticipated. Every single one of them felt like a week.

Friday afternoon saw me working alone in the stables, unsure of exactly what time Richard would be home. With only Nutmeg for me to deal with today, there was less mucking out than usual, and the day was dragging.

I heard a noise from the direction of the doorway and looked up.

Richard was leaning against the doorway to the stables, looking every inch like a perfect carving of a god. I felt instantly drawn to him like a magnet, wanting nothing more than to run into his arms after our extended time apart. My heart felt it too; it hammered at my chest, trying to escape, to reach him. But my head knew the risks and I stayed where I was.

"Richard," I breathed.

I was a statue as the prince approached me and circled me closely like a panther. He stopped when he was at the right-hand side of my body, facing behind me. With his mouth no more than eight inches from my ear, he whispered to me softly.

"Had I no fear of interruption, I would recline you into that hay and steal some pleasure from your lips."

My breath caught. Shivers crawled up and down my back, tingling as if created by spiders. There was nothing I wanted more in that moment than for him to do exactly that.

"You cannot steal what I would give you freely," I replied equally softly, my unmoving eyes trained straight ahead, not daring to even glance at him.

"Then I would be delighted to accept such a gift," Richard continued. He started to walk again, behind my back and out of my view, but creating no additional distance between us. I felt his warm breath on the back of my neck. "Maybe I could collect it tonight?"

Before I could answer, I felt his hand softly cup part of my rear and squeeze gently. Dizzied by the action, my heart pummelled my chest and I was unable to respond. He had left the stables before I managed to recover from the gesture.

Friday evening eventually came, and at seven o'clock exactly I knocked excitedly on Richard's door.

He opened the door so quickly I almost jumped, and I dutifully entered his room. The second we were both inside, Richard's lips were on mine. He had not even closed the door properly and pressed against my body to finish shutting it. Not that I minded, his body felt magnificent pressed up against me. As he deftly flicked the lock into place, my fingers ran through his hair to the back of his head, and I melted into his kisses. He reached for my waist and used it to pull me closer. I could feel how hard he was through the clothing and inadvertently squeaked as a result.

I felt Richard's tongue slip into my mouth, and I slid my tongue over his, welcoming the sensation I had missed so much. I reached for the buttons at the front of his shirt and started blindly trying to undo them so that I could release him from his attire. He followed suit and started pulling at my buttons in the same manner.

We stumbled clumsily towards the bed, undressing each other on the way while refusing to separate our mouths any more than necessary. By the time we reached our goal, a trail of clothes marked the path we had taken, and there was nothing left from our bodies to remove. We fell ungracefully onto the bed, nothing but a mound of heated kisses and tangled limbs, tumbling over each other on the soft silk sheets.

"I love you, Sebastian," Richard breathed as he rolled me onto my back and kissed my neck, exactly the way I liked it.

"And I love you, Richard," I concurred. "Words cannot express how much I missed you this past week." I moved my hips against his as his mouth continued to kiss and suck underneath my ear.

He stopped moving and lifted himself away from my neck, so that he could look into my eyes.

"I need you in my life, Sebastian," he whispered intently. "The law will not permit us to marry, but that would not stop me making those vows to you, if you would accept them from me."

I thought I might burst with delight at his words. I was so completely and utterly devoted to him already, that reciprocating such a commitment felt like the most natural thing in the world.

"I would do the same in a heartbeat," I confirmed. "I have no interest in women, and no other man can even come close to what I feel for you."

"Then I am yours, and only yours, forever," he assured me. "For better or for worse."

"Until death do us part," I completed the vow as I looked into his earthy brown eyes.

"You have made me the happiest man alive," he stated as he moved down the bed slightly and started kissing under my chin.

"With one exception," I smiled as I lifted my neck. I could not see how he could possibly be happier than I was right now.

He chuckled and kissed his way down to my chest, hands clutching gently either side of my waist, producing sparks all over my skin there. My hands reached out to his head and I ran my fingers through his hair as his kisses continued further and further down my body. I lay back and closed my eyes, enjoying the sensation immensely.

As he dropped soft kisses on my belly, I unexpectedly felt the brush of his lips over the most sensitive part of my body, which immediately started throbbing in response. He caught me by surprise, and I heard my own involuntary sharp intake of breath as my heart jumped. My eyes flew open and I looked down at him, but he just looked back at me innocently. And then, still looking up at me, he kissed me there again, letting his lips linger for longer this time.

"Oh my," I squeaked, my heart pounding against my ribcage. I was not sure whether I should be watching this, but I was unable to take my eyes off him.

Richard smirked, and started kissing me not just with his lips, but with his tongue as well. I watched him gently licking and kissing as he explored me intimately in this manner for the first time, and I need to remind myself to breathe. He opened his mouth and pulled me inside, stroking me back and forth using his tongue. My head fell backwards into the pillow and a groan escaped from me as he continued caressing me between my legs. It was utterly sensational.

After a minute or so, he let me go and I relaxed a little.

"I want to try something," Richard said ambiguously, and he reached for a jar that was on his dresser.

"What is that?" I managed, still panting slightly from the sensation that still lingered from his previous activity.

"Something I bought on Tuesday," he said enigmatically, dipping one of his fingers in and returning the jar to its original location. "Tell me if you would like me to stop."

Richard returned to his previous position and I gasped as he drew me inside his mouth again. As he sucked and licked, his hand crept between my legs on the underside, and a moist finger pressed against the back entrance to my body. I did not expect it to feel that good and I shivered.

Richard's finger moved in small circles, mirroring the actions of his tongue. Every nerve ending felt like it was on fire and I moved my hips in response. Suddenly, the finger penetrated me, making every sensation feel more intense, and I bucked in surprise.

Richard stopped moving and looked up.

"Are you all right?" he asked, concerned.

"Absolutely," I replied. The experience had been pleasant for me, if unexpected.

He smiled and continued with his lips and hand. The finger inside me got deeper and deeper, and, after a small break to fetch the jar, one finger became two. I could not have anticipated the raw pleasure he was giving me, and I frequently released whimpers, clutching at the silk sheets as he continued working his magic.

After a short while, he looked up at me and spoke.

"Sebastian," said Richard, his voice sounding strained. "Since we are married in intent and in spirit, I crave to bond with you in all the ways a husband would bond with his new bride."

My heart nearly stopped as I realised what he was implying.

"You want to make love to me?"

"I do," he affirmed, fingers still moving slowly inside me. "I wish to cement our commitment to each other, to feel that marital union that we are denied by mandate. To have that which I have dreamed of every night the past seven nights. To be inside you, to be part of you. Tell me, to what extent will you allow it?"

I loved this man, and I meant every word of my earlier vow. There was no question of my commitment to him. And his fingers were sending waves of rapture up and down my body. My decision was quick and relatively easy to make.

"I want to be yours in every way possible," I said. "Show me what your dreams have consisted of."

Richard immediately withdrew his fingers from my body, and I watched as he kneeled up, dipped them into the jar and rubbed the smooth substance over his erection. He pushed my thighs a little wider with his knees. Never had I felt so aroused as I did then; it felt as though my entire body was throbbing with the anticipation of what was about to happen. He placed his hands either side of my head, and as he lay on top of me, I wrapped my legs around his waist.

He pressed himself hard against my entrance and lowered his face so that his sweet kisses melted over my lips. He moved his pelvis in a small motion, and I sucked in a sharp breath as I felt him penetrate me slightly, taking my virginity. It was more acute than I anticipated, but far from unbearable.

Upon hearing my gasp, Richard stopped and waited to gauge my reaction.

"I love you," I said, hoping he understood that I was not intending for us to stop.

"I love you too," he assured me, and made another small motion with his hips. With his continued slow movements, I gradually got used to the additional width I was taking, moving my hands to his rear and pushing to absorb more of him into me as our tongues found each other again. As he got deeper, something inside my body reacted to the way he was rubbing against me. The feeling was mind-blowing, and I wanted it to never end.

My hips started moving forwards and backwards, and as he sank deeper into me, my entire pelvic region felt enveloped by him. He pushed himself in up to the hilt and I could tell he was a long way inside. A natural rhythmic motion developed between us, and I found it difficult to focus on anything except the extraordinary all-encompassing sensation created by our movements.

Soon we returned to heated kisses and tangled limbs, but this time we were also joined in the most intimate fashion and soaring towards a climax. Richard kissed my mouth, my neck and anywhere else he could reach, growling and groping as his passion took over. I wanted to tell him I adored him, but I was struggling to breathe properly, and forming a coherent sentence was impossible as the tension built inside me. The more he gave me, the more I wanted, arching my back, digging my nails in, wondering whether it would ever be enough. His thrusts became faster and harder, and the noises I made got louder as a result. I knew what was coming, and when I felt it hit him, and I heard his deep groan in my ear, I couldn't hold back any longer. I followed, dropping my head back into the pillow as a hoarse cry of release shook me to my very core.

When our urges receded, Richard settled on top of me, panting and sated.

"You are quite incredible," he told me, although from my viewpoint, most of the exertion had been his. I was unable to form a response, so I just held him against me until he was ready to move.

After a few minutes, Richard started to clean up the mess with rags and water. I studied the mysterious jar on the dresser as he finished looking after me.

"Thank you," I beamed as he enfolded me into his arms. "So, what made you buy this?" I asked, indicating my interest in Tuesday's purchase.

"I had an opportunity to visit an apothecary while we were travelling," he replied. "He told me that this salve is often used to assist virgin brides on their wedding night. I considered it might be of use to us."

I raised an eyebrow and looked meaningfully at him.

"You were planning this?" I asked.

"Hoping, rather than planning," he clarified. "Planning would have required your agreement. You must understand that I missed you terribly while we were apart, and the desire to make you mine in every way was powerful. I simply wanted to be prepared in case an appropriate opportunity presented itself."

"Or the opportunity was created by means of persuasion," I commented, rolling my eyes.

"Or that," he grinned at me.

I grabbed a smaller pillow that was within reach and hit him with it while chuckling.

"You are unbelievable," I said, shaking my head.

"You like me this way," he replied confidently, removing the cushion and pulling me closer. I could not deny it.

"Other that your somewhat strategic shopping expedition, how was the rest of the trip?" I asked instead, changing the subject.

"We accomplished most of what we set out to," he replied.

"But not everything?"

"There was only one slight complication," he said as he stroked my shoulder absent-mindedly. "Lady Madeleine of the Collingwood province seeks courtship with me. If we married, it would benefit both families for various reasons, and my father seems to think we are a good match. Of course, I refused to entertain the idea, and my father was not impressed with my lack of effort."

"What will you do?" I asked, slightly concerned about the impact this might have on us.

Richard simply shrugged his shoulders.

"Any time I spend with her, even in feigned effort, is time away from you," he stated. "My father can grouch all he wants. Besides," he added, "she has been seeking some romantic involvement with me for several months already without success. I assume she will eventually tire of being rejected and move on."

Richard switched topic and started telling me about some of the more successful elements of his trip. Most involved trade agreements that I did not understand, but I loved listening to him anyway. Even more so when lying in his arms with my head resting on his upper torso. Relaxed and exhausted, sleep started to creep up on me, and when I recognised it, I snapped myself out of it.

"I should go," I said, moving my head back to look at him. "I cannot stay awake much longer."

Richard moved my head back onto his chest and held me close.

"Stay," he said, in a voice like honey. "Keep me company tonight."

Richard's hand moved softly through my hair and I found myself unable to resist his offer. Reasoning that the door was locked, and we were safe for the night, I let my eyelids drop. Drifting into oblivion on the gentle rise and fall of Richard's chest, I acknowledged that I had found my own little piece of heaven and I intended to treasure it for as long as I could.