Authors: Mercedes Keyes
"I'm getting ready to carry my new wife over the threshold. Is this not a new beginning for us?"
"Yes, a new and wonderful beginning." She returned as he walked towards the steps of the mansion, going up the first two. "Wait Manny." He stopped and looked at her, his right foot on the third step up. "What's wrong?" Lena bit into her bottom lip unsure, then said softly. "My cabin, take me to my…our cabin, please?" With a grin and shake of his head, he turned with her in his arms and headed to where she’d asked to go.
He proudly carried her through the mist and over the soggy ground to the side of the house, across the yard over the wagon worn path to her cabin; up the two steps to the door. Lena leaned down and undid the latch and pushed the door wide so that Manny could step in with her, kicking the door closed behind him he fell back against it.
"Now what, Miss Lena?"
In the darkness, Lena reached up and removed his hat, then her own, sailing the two towards the table that was still where it had been so many years before. She cupped her husband's cheeks and placed a kiss to the tip of his cold red nose and then his lips, after a moment of enjoying the lingering smooches, she pushed away slightly, resting her forehead to his, the tip of her nose to his nose, and both were chilled. "Your nose is cold." Manny informed her. "But your lips are on fire, wanna kiss me again?"
Lena's head rolled back and forth over his forehead as she answered. "No, at this moment I would like it if my husband would see to my warmth. I fear you should have asked Jamie for some of his fire wood, I would really like to spend my first night home here in my cabin."
"Ohhh if the king only knew, he'd have me slit in two."
Lena chuckled, "Well, if you won't tell, I won't tell."
"So be it Princess Ceś alena, your wish is my command." He lowered her legs while holding her to him, "I will see to the horses and carriage first, and then to some wood …I will return, before all the lanterns are lit."
"Thank you, milord."
"One last kiss, before I am to face this chilling night."
Lena kissed him soundly as he let her body slide down his until her feet touched the floor. "If you hurry milord, there will be plenty more of that to come."
Quickly straightening from the door, Manny winked at her, picked up his collar and was out the door instantly. Lena stood facing the closed door a few minutes after Manny departed. Her eyes closed as she took in the silence around her. Without warning, she saw herself from years before against the door, Katherine facing her, demanding that she leave. Lena shook it off and turned into the cabin taking a deep breath. She stood in the dark unfastening her coat, then stepping over to the table, she picked up their hats and walked behind the large chair on the other side of the partition, hanging them on the hooks; her movements were as if she’d never been away. There, she removed her coat, hanging it. Even in the dark, she could not believe that Manny's house coat still hung there. She stepped over to the lantern on her bedside table, striking the flints; she raised the lid and lit the wick, turning the lamp on high.
Walking to the other side of the table she did the same. It was there with the light glowing brightly uncovering all from the darkness that she finally looked up and around her old cabin. To her surprise, it was immaculately clean, polished and shining. Nothing was out of place. No musty lingering stale odors suffused the air, but the fresh smell of herbs and pine did. She turned to look down at her old rocking chair and gave it a push, setting it to rocking. Unable to resist, she walked to each of the two rooms, Mike's and Hope’s, in one was his bed, in the other, Hope's crib.
From there she walked as memories of many years gone by came flooding to mind. She gradually ended up back at the large wing chair where she ran her hands over the back of it then came around and sat within it, pulling her feet up and to the side beneath her as she balled up in its cold corner thinking back to all that had taken place in that one room of the cabin.
Wrapping her arms around herself, she leaned her head to the side of the high back, winged chair. Unconscious tears slipped from her eyes dropping to her cheeks, tears of joy, disbelief and of thanks for the blessings that were hers. "Heavenly Father, my God ... I'm back ... I'm actually back." She said as if informing him softly that she was home, "And…if I failed to say it…thank you…for I am …truly…blessed."
The cabin door came open with Manny and a cool gust of wind finding her curled up in the chair, making her shiver. Manny dropped the wood to the floor in the corner, then turned to latch the door closed as he unbuttoned his coat and removed his gloves.
"I do believe we just may get some snow this winter, with the way that wind is stirring, I wouldn't doubt it." He said, walking further into the lit cabin past the dividing partition that cut off the kitchen, laying his things there, he glanced over at his silent wife, drawn up into a knot in the corner of his old chair.
Her watery eyes lifted to his as he stooped low before her, softly admonishing as he did. "Miss Lena, I don't like the sadness I see in your eyes, none of that now." Lena shook her head. "This is not sadness you see, but joy. Joy in knowing we've finally made it, we're finally home."
"Are you happy Lena? Happier than you've ever been?"
"Can't you tell?"
"I'd like to think I can, but I just need to hear you say it, to be certain."
"Maynard Webster...I am happier right now, than I have ever been." She caressed his cheek, "But I'm also cold!" She shivered once for good measure with a grin. Manny shook his head and chuckled. "Yes ma'am, right away ma'am!"
He went to start the wood
burner going, listening to him busy at lighting it, Lena called out, "I love you Manny." He looked back with a smile and nod saying, "I know, you can't help yourself!" The two of them laughed, the blending of their voices warming the room and their hearts.
"Warm now?"
"Emmm hmmm." Lena answered with her eyes closed; Manny lay partially over her beneath the warm quilt and sheets of their bed. Their bodies splendidly naked and heating each other. Cozy and at ease, she lay with her eyes heavy lidded, his lips kissing slow and skillful along her neck, up behind her ear, along her jaw line and to her cheek, as his palm brushed her hairline, combing his fingers through her heavy mass while the other hand caressed over her shoulder, up to her throat, down the center of her chest to a breast, which he squeezed then back up again.
"I wonder if the kids made it home safely?" She breathed gently, concerned about them, even in this quiet, warm setting, with her husband's warm kisses slow and leisurely covering her face, over the lids of her eyes, her brow, the bridge of her nose, and the corners of her mouth.
"I'm sure they have, Gydale and Mike were getting along famously. Besides, we had further to come than they did." Manny returned, arching his back against her soothing hands that were rubbing up and down his sides and every now and then over the wide expanse of his back, feeling his muscles bunch and react to her touch.
"I hope so. Sandra, Finbar and Gaitsu should be here sometime tomorrow as well." She thought out loud, her hand moving over his narrow hip, onto the thigh of his long, hairy leg that lay bent across her lower body, holding her beneath him with its weight. Her lips lifted to kiss the Adams apple at his throat and down further to his chest.
"Mmm." Lena moaned again as he tilted her head back to reach her lips, while her leg wrapped over his straight leg by her side, searching downward for his foot, her toes grabbing the hairs on his calves and pulling. He chuckled in her mouth. "Stop that."
"Where's your foot?" She asked. "Why you want it?" He simpered. Lena pulled some more hairs trying to reach lower for it. "Ouch, stop that."
"I want to reach your foot." She teased with her hand lingering soothingly by his buttock. She didn’t grab it as she knew he wanted her to, if his grinding hip, pushing his stiff erection along her side, was any indication.
"Lena-a ..." He growled. "What?" She laughed huskily.
"Mmm-um." He moaned in complaint, then covered her mouth totally with his, letting his tongue dive deep and wrap with hers.
Lena
drew in a deep breath from his aggressive move as he pressed her head into the pillow from the pressure of his mouth. She turned her head away and he sank into her neck, where he latched on and began to suck her skin. "Man-niee... don't suck so hard, you'll leave a mark." He wouldn't stop no matter how she wriggled beneath him, trying to take the skin of her neck from his sucking mouth.
"Manny, if you don't stop, I'm going put, a great big one on you, for all to see, with your white butt, it'll show for days." Manny laughed, holding onto her neck, then broke off overcome with body shaking chortles. “You lil'devil. You're just jealous 'cause you're too short to reach my foot … I think your aim is to tickle me." He accused, amused.
"No no." She denied, but grinned.
"Yes, yes ... because you know that's the only place I'm ticklish." He informed her.
"No it's not." She shook her head knowingly. "Yes it is." He returned. "No it's not." She said again, and backed it up by grabbing the inside of his upper thigh near his groin and tickling. Manny balled up falling away from her, laughing out loud, shocked and weak that she was right. Tears came to his eyes as she continued unmercifully, making him roar with laughter as he tried to chase off her hand, but he only managed to lock it to the spot.
"Stop, stop, stop, stop, oh God - please stop!!" His voice went high with his tearful laughter, sounding shrill like a hyena. Lena laughed as she took advantage and rolled atop of him, pinning him to his back. "Was I right?" She asked, fully in charge, tickling him once more for good measure. He nodded rapidly, giggling out. "Yes yes, oh yes, you're right ...Ohhh God." He dragged out a long sigh as he wiped the tears from his eyes. "See, I know you Mr. Webster…say it!" Lena simpered.
"You know me, you know me, aaah Lena, you made me go soft."
Lena threw her head back shaking from the hilarity of the look on his face at realizing he’d gone soft. "Manny...what am I going to do with you?!" She asked happily, kissing his nose. "Well that's a start." He instructed with his hands on her back, stroking up and down as his head rose to kiss her neck. With her elbows down on the pillow on each side of his head, her hands in his hair, his lips getting busy again right where her tickling interrupted him, Lena's mind was on something else while his hands stroked up and down her back to her buttocks, where they lingered; the tips of fingers going below, parting her thighs to reach her hidden treasure. Lena squirmed feeling immediate heat there.
"Man-nieee."
"What?" He asked
, kissing down her neck to her breasts, searching for a nipple to suckle. "I want to...to...talk to you ...about, something. Mannieee, don't ... listen to me."
"I'm listening." He said, finally catching the turgid point of her breast, sucking it into his mouth. Lena shuddered closing her eyes to the pleasure, then his fingers found her heat, and began stroking her. Playing gently over the small sensitive nub of her pleasure, making her jerk and whimper in response.
"Tell me later Lena ... please...tell me later, let me-...ssss oh yeah, yeah darlin', that's it." He breathed in as Lena forgot what was on her mind to ease herself onto his very swollen shaft. It was scorching hot and thick as it filled her, gliding in slow and snug, throbbing and flexing in her swollen tunnel, which gripped him every inch of the way. Manny forced himself to keep it slow and sweet, her buttocks receiving the royal treatment from his hands, squeezing and moving her as his hardness throbbed, going slowly in and out. His fingertips made contact with his pulsing staff as it eased into her, her tight entrance closing around him, pulling him deeper. Lena whimpered trying to get her body to adjust to his size; his huge intrusion could bring as much pain as pleasure, but right then, going slow…nothing but pleasure. Tiny, tingling, ripples and jolts made her shudder and grip him, she felt dizzy with his slow attention towards partial removal and re-entry. Lena had to cry out. "Oh Manny ... Oh Manny."
"Shhh, I plan on loving you slow tonight ... nice, and, slow."
"Man-nieee!" She whimpered in frustration, wanting him to pick up the pace, but he wouldn't, and he held her buttocks to keep her from pressing back on his length. "Kiss me." He commanded. Lena was shivering and grinding her teeth, he lifted his head and licked her mouth, Lena opened it and gently bit into his tongue, tugging it, Manny fell slowly back with her teeth holding his tongue, until she opened her mouth over it as if to swallow it whole. Sucking it deep within her mouth, she was trying to tell him she wanted him moving as she moved with his tongue in her mouth. He wasn't having it, slow torture and sensuous agony was all he would serve up.
With his fingers rubbing her entrance as he slid within, Lena's head shot up tearing her mouth from his. "Man-niee...oooh! Please...I can't take it…oooh…." She cried and whimpered pushing herself harder onto him, taking him completely she cried out from going too far. Manny's head rolled back delirious from pleasure as he finally let Lena have her way, he was ready. "Manny!"
"I know! I know!"
"Manny!! Ohhh ohhh oooh Man-nieee!!" She cried out as her body exploded to his perfectly timed thrusts, gripping her hips as he drowned in the mind blowing warmth of her tunnel sending him under until he was shouting. Gasping and blowing, Lena fell to his chest exhausted and spent, unable to move as he pulled the covers back over her, his deeply drawn breaths mingling with hers. He stroked her hair down her back as she lay sated from making love. Both of them waiting till their breathing returned to normal to speak.