The Morning After

Emma~

Lying in the arms of my future husband, feeling the pleasurable ache between my legs and his arms around my waist is the kind of ecstasy I could easily get addicted to.

Being with him that way feels like absolute bliss and I’m half surprised to find that I didn’t hurt more. I’ve touched myself before but I’ve never felt anything close to that. Is that what it’s always like? No wonder there are so many kids in this family!

I should be worried we didn’t use protection, shouldn’t I? I keep waiting for the dread to come but it doesn’t. I was too caught up in the moment to stop myself and I have always wanted children of my own, I just never thought I’d end up having them with Orion.

Is he regretting not using it now? Did he not want to wait until after we’re married? Which makes me wonder when that might actually be, you know, seeing as when he took me from my family I expected it to be a quick process.

But how do I bring that up without making things awkward? I’d never thought I’d say this but if I’m with child I’d rather we do it sooner rather than later. It would be better for us to be one family unit, not me left out with a different name and tie.

The idea of asking him though feels embarrassing to me. We’re not exactly a normal couple with a normal engagement, are we?

“If you make those pancakes again, I’ll put on the coffee?” Orion breaks the silence and I turn to smile at him.

“Blueberry? And don’t you dare forget the cinnamon,” I add while stretching myself and shimmying back into the shorts I slept in.

“I wouldn’t dream of it, Princess,” he smirks while watching me, and I roll my eyes at him before turning towards the door.

We walk down the stairs together, and while it could just be me, I’m aware of every inch of space currently between us just now. It’s like there’s an electrical current holding us together, and is it normal to want more just after it’s happened?

When I take the leftover batter from the freezer, I hover there a moment longer, hoping I can cool off the growing need to be with him again, as if I’m some sort of hormone-crazed teenager.

I smell the cinnamon fill the air, and my stomach growls loudly, as I remember how long it’s been since my last hit of caffeine. I almost forgot that I’ve been out for a month now, and I’m surprised it didn’t bother me sooner. But then again... I was a bit distracted.

“I can take over if you like?” he offers, “We never did manage to finish that risotto.” I laugh when considering it wasn’t the risotto that I was bothered about missing that night.

Wow, to think that was a month ago now, when to me it feels like only yesterday. Will I ever get a chance to know him longer when awake, or am I cursed to always find myself in long bouts of sleep?

Hell, one more accident and I doubt even the kiss of Orion would wake me from that spell.

“I’ll do it, it’s been a while,” I say while heating up the pan.

“That’s right, you’ll be rusty by now… even I’ll be out-cooking you at this point,” he jokes, and I get a tea towel, twist it around, and smack it off his leg.

“We’ll be having none of that.”

I glare at him as best as I can without smiling, and he does an impressive impression of a surrender. Something I can’t imagine he’s ever done in real life.

When the food is ready, we eat in a comfortable silence, and I find myself looking out the window, lost in thought. The sun is out today, and for once, it actually feels as though spring is approaching.

No wait, it’ll have already come while I was asleep.

It’s a shame I’ve missed the chance to take the kids up on their Easter ideas. It would have done wonders to help cheer everyone up a bit as they were distraught when that man was taking me away. No, I need to take a sip of coffee to remove that image from my mind. I don’t want to have to think about him again.

“I think I’ll go down to the main house after this,” I suggest as I want to check on them myself and reassure everyone that I’m okay.

I assume the story of what happened has been out for a while now, and it’d be nice to see Delilah and the others. They were fantastic when we were all down there, and it’s nice to know that I’m able to build on those friendships.

“You read my mind, I need to recheck the progress on the borders and was hoping you’d come with me. We’re keeping guards there until we get used to the new security system… it has a knack for flagging false alarms so far.”

“Security system? That sounds swanky.” I comment, and he pulls a face that tells me that while it might be fancy, it’s causing a headache at the moment with all of the added pressure to get it up and running.

He holds my hand while we walk over to the main house, and for once I wish the walk were longer. It’s nice to have affection as the main emotion traveling between the two of us, though my mind can’t help but go back to the marriage that still hangs in the air, yet to be complete.

It would be nice to have a timeframe in mind. But to him, he probably thinks I’m still against the whole idea.

It feels weird for me to be the one who wants to move things forward rather than him, and I think he can tell that something is playing on my mind when he drops me off.

“When I get back, I’ll offer a penny for those thoughts so be prepared to answer.”

I open my mouth so as to push back on that, but he shuts me up by applying his lips to mine.