Missing Grace(79)

As they later danced in the moonlight, cheek to cheek under the stars, surrounded by their families, Ben whispered, "I love you with all my heart and soul."

"I love you with all that I am, and all that I ever was." He felt her tilt her head down as if suddenly feeling shy. "I want to have a family, and I want to start right away." She was so quiet in her wish, but he heard her and smiled.



       
         
       
        

"Like literally right away or should we at least wait until we get back to Seattle tonight? I mean, not trying to be difficult here, but I don't think I could, uh, you know, with our families around us-"

"Stop it," she jokingly scolded. She loved his humor. "I guess we can wait until we get home."

Ben stopped dancing and kissed her, good and hard, not caring about their families watching. He cupped her face and pulled back just enough to make eye contact with her. "I love you so much."

She kissed him this time, good and hard, completely ignoring everyone staring at this point. If they hadn't been so wrapped up in each other, they would have noticed the smiles and tears of the family surrounding them. They didn't need to know what anyone around them felt or did. They had each other, and that was all that counted at that moment.



* * *



Ben watched Grace as she took off her earrings and set them inside the jewelry box on the dresser. He leaned against the doorframe, not believing how much his life had changed over the last month. He'd been existing in a dark fog and had been so lost. So bereft.

Grace went to her husband and reached for his cufflinks. As she took one and then the other off, she looked into Ben's eyes. "What?" she whispered.

"You." He shook his head. "I still can't believe you're here."

"We're married, babe. Where else would I be?"

"You know what I mean."

Slipping her arms around his neck, she kissed him on the cheek, then whispered, "I do know what you mean, and I'm grateful every day."

As she turned away, Ben grabbed her by the waist and turned her around again. "Where you going, pretty girl?"

Grace giggled. "I'm not going anywhere, hot stuff. I have some honeymooning to do." She turned around and requested, "Unzip me please." As Ben unhooked the small clasp at the top and started pulling the zipper down her back, he leaned forward, pressing his lips to the soft skin of her neck that he'd been thinking about all night. She gave him more access by tilting her head to the side and reached her arms behind her to hold his hips against her backside.

He took full advantage of it, leaving a wet, hot trail of kisses all the way up her neck. His hands slid inside the open fabric at the back and around to the front of her body and up her dress-covered torso until his hands had a firm grasp on her breasts. Her breath escaped her in a gasp of aching pleasure and she leaned back.

"About that honeymooning." Kiss. "Are you sure you don't want to go away somewhere." Kiss. "Just the two of us?" Ben asked between kissing her and squeezing her breasts. 

"I've been away for too long, my husband. I want to stay right here in our apartment." Grace spun around in his arms and cupped his face. "Just the two of us." She kissed him on the lips.

Ben slipped the lace from her shoulders and let the dress fall to the floor. She had taken her shoes off in the car on the way back to Seattle, which left her standing in front of him in a lacy white bra and panty set. "How are you this sexy?"

"Because you're horny."

"No, because you're sexy. Trust me on this, pretty girl."

Grace smiled as she loosened Ben's tie then yanked it free from the collar and tossed it carelessly behind her. She pulled the bottom of his shirt free from his pants and undid the buttons with him looking down, watching her with amusement. She took his shirt off before demanding, "Undershirt. Off. Now." Ben did as he was told. With pleasure. He even saluted her.

As he pulled his undershirt over his head, his pants dropped to his ankles and Grace laughed. She sounded so carefree. "I feel like a teenager."

Ben touched her chin and lifted it up so she could see his face. "God, I love having you home."

"I'm happy to be here too." She rested her cheek against his naked chest, and added, "But you have always been my home."

Ben started to move, but his ankles were still trapped in the pants. He toed off his shoes and stepped out of his pants as his wife made her way onto the large bed. Watching her with rapt attention, he removed the rest of his clothes and joined her. Grace eagerly took the rest of her clothes off, tossing them at him. Her panties landed on his shoulder, and he caught her bra and dropped it to the floor. Ben took her panties from his shoulder, and while the desire for his wife grew with each passing minute, he took the white lace and held it to his nose, inhaling her.