His fingers refused to manage the small buttons that went up the back of her dress. With a muffled groan of frustration, he finally slid his hand under her dress and popped every button off the dress in a sweeping stroke.
She laughed as his unusual method of undoing her dress. She turned around to face him and their eyes locked as she pulled the dress off her arms and then pushed it to the floor. Clad only in her chemise, she turned her back again. "I think you can manage these buttons. They are a bit bigger."
With a little fumbling and an uncounted number of kisses on her shoulders and lovely neck, he managed to unbutton the chemise. By the time he was finished, he was panting and the need to feel her in his arms was overwhelming. Charlie spun her and lifted her, carrying her to the bed. He laid her down and immediately covered her with his own partially clad body.
"Oh Charlie," she moaned and arched into him. "I am yours. I will be anything you want or need me to be." She wrapped her arms around Charlie’s shoulders and pressed her body as hard against her as she could.
Charlie's heart was pounding. "I just need you to be you, darling. My love. My heart. My home. Mine." Each word was punctuated with lavish kisses to her throat, the hollow formed by her collarbone, and the valley between her breasts. Charlie concluded by suddenly drawing her right nipple deep into her mouth.
It was, no doubt, the long loud moan coming from Rebecca's throat and the sensation of her nails on Charlie’s shoulders that kept either of them from hearing the door to their bedroom creak open.
"Papa?" A little voice called.
A small voice saying "Papa" was not what Charlie expected to hear Rebecca saying. Slowly, it penetrated her befogged mind that Emily was there and was calling for her. Reluctantly, her lips released Rebecca's nipple. She did not shift her body, as it was currently the only thing covering Rebecca's nude form. She looked into Rebecca's eyes, confused, and clearly frustrated. "Emily is here," she announced, stating the obvious.
Rebecca managed to keep from cursing in frustration as she tried valiantly to reclaim her breath. "I heard. We need to send her on her way, Charles Redmond."
Charlie nodded agreement. Moving carefully, she pulled the covers over Rebecca's oh so tempting body as Rebecca helped re-button his shirt.
Charlie turned to the small child. Gently, he asked, "Emily, what are you doing here? It is past your bed time, little one."
She smiled as her little feet carried her across the room. She flung herself giggling at the bed. "Em miss Papa."
Charlie caught the small, squirming bundle of energy and held her close. "I am here now, little one. Here, you have your hug and bed time kiss." He matched his actions to his words. "Now, Em, it is past your bedtime, so I am going to take you back to your bed. Tomorrow we will play together."
"Papa. Em stay Papa."
"Not tonight, little one. Tonight, Em stays in her own bed with dolly Em." He carried the small girl towards the door, on his way to depositing her in her own room and hopefully quickly tucking her into bed. Rebecca, his beautiful Rebecca, waited.
As he stepped out of the room, he heard a long groan from the bedroom. "Hurry back, Charlie," was the whimper that followed.
"I will, darling 'Becca." Charlie strode down the hall to Constance's room and tapped on the door. Unfortunately, Em’s room opened off Constance’s; he needed to pass through to put the child back to bed. All the while, Em clung to him like a very determined little leech.
Constance had been dozing; the knock startled her. "Come in," she called, pulling the covers a little higher around her neck. As Charlie entered, carrying the small human remora, a look of shock registered on her face. "Em! How did you……" she stopped when she noticed the General's state of undress and the flushed look to his skin. "Oh, General, I am so sorry." She reached for the baby. "Emily, you come to Mama right now."
"It is all right, Constance. You need not get up. I can put her back to bed." Putting words to action, he strode across the room to the half open door into Em’s room and laid the small child in her bed. He gave Em a quick hug and a kiss on the forehead. "Good night, Em. You be a good girl. Tomorrow you and I will play together for a time before supper." Charlie pried Em’s death grip from around his neck. "Good night, little one." He headed back out through Constance’s room.
"Sorry to disturb you, Constance."
"Of course, General, I am really very sorry she got past me. Please have a good evening."
A small voice was heard from the other room. "Em miss Papa," she cried again, trying to get his sympathy.
"There is nothing to be sorry for, Constance. And I appreciate your understanding."
He called to the little girl again. "Bedtime, little one. You be good or tomorrow's play time might be tomorrow's lesson in manners time."
"Yes, Papa. Em love."
"Papa loves you, Em. Good night, little one. Good night, Constance."
The brief interlude with Emily had given Charlie a chance to get a grip on his emotions, at least enough to slow down and give Rebecca the experience she deserved. He re-entered their room, with every intention of going slowly and showing Rebecca just how good their loving one another could feel.
Rebecca had taken the time to turn down the bed properly and climb under the covers. That is where Charlie found her. Lying in bed facing the door with the sheet modestly pulled over her body. "I assume you got her to bed?"
"I did. And how would you like to get me to bed, darling girl?"
"I would like that." She sat up allowing the sheet to pool at her waist. "I would like that very much. Come to bed."
Charlie just stood for a moment, entranced by the vision that Rebecca had offered him. Then slowly, he removed his own clothing, offering his transformation from male to female as a gift to her.
Rebecca smiled and held out her hand. "Mine."
Charlie walked to her slowly, almost dancing, soft and sensuous. The tempo of their intimacy had changed, from feverish urgency to a slower, pulsing pace that seemed to Charlie to be as true as the beat of her heart.
Rebecca hummed in pure pleasure when Charlie settled into bed with her. This was their first total contact of skin on skin and Rebecca’s temperature skyrocketed when she felt the smoothness of Charlie's skin against her own. She wrapped her arms around the tall woman and whispered. "I love you."
The heat of Rebecca's body against her own sent shivers of want racing through Charlie's body. "Oh, dear God. I love you, Rebecca," she breathed as she submerged her face in Rebecca's soft hair. Their bodies fit together perfectly. Very softly, Charlie began caressing Rebecca with her fingertips, exploring every inch of her shoulders, breasts, ribs and slightly rounded belly.
Rebecca pushed closer to Charlie, taking her by the wrist, she guided her hand between their bodies and between her own legs. "Touch me, Charlie," she begged, all the while placing soft kisses to her lover's shoulder.
The heat, the wet, the feeling of silk, and the scratch of soft curls against her fingers, flesh engorged and made dense and distended, and the constant stream of moisture from Rebecca’s center all conspired to shatter Charlie's control. Every intention of slow, tender exploration melted away, dispelled by the obvious urgency of the small frame beneath hers. "I want it to be right." She caressed Rebecca firmly. "I want to take it slow and gentle." Long fingers traced the line of those most intimate inner lips that outlined Rebecca's core. "I need you."
"I need you, too. I want you," she husked. She took the initiative and spread her legs, allowing Charlie more room. "Love me. Please." She licked her lips before they sought out Charlie's in another smoldering kiss
Charlie may have wanted to take it slow, but urgent need took over. She shifted, straddling one of Rebecca's thighs. Long fingers explored Rebecca gently and then more insistently. Two fingers curled and slipped inside. Charlie was home. She used long strokes to caress her love.
Rebecca cried out in pleasure, her head went back and her body arched into Charlie. Her hands rubbed up and down her back, as her breath escaped in short bursts mixed with moans. "Oh yes." She brought her head forward and peppered Charlie's shoulder with kisses and tender nips. All the while, her hands slid over Charlie’s moist skin, gathering a light sheen of sweat. She could hear Charlie's ragged breathing and the sounds coming from her lover only increased her arousal..
"‘Becca." Charlie chanted her lover's name like a prayer. As Rebecca arched into her, Charlie's hips and hands joined in a rhythm that built slowly and inexorably. Charlie's lips sought out Rebecca's breast and sucked that tender nipple deep into her mouth.
Doing what felt so right and so natural, Rebecca let her hands travel to Charlie's backside where she massaged the flesh, encouraging the rhythm their bodies were finding together. "Yes." She felt a pressure building deep in her body, as her moans became almost constant, breaking only occasionally to reverently whisper, "Charlie."
The feel of Rebecca’s hands on her body, pulling her in tighter, encouraging a firmer, deeper rhythm, drove Charlie to the edge of the precipice. Her pace increased dramatically; deeper, faster. She sobbed Rebecca's name now, her face pressed into the soft flesh of Rebecca's shoulder, suckling on tender skin, just hanging on, waiting for Rebecca to join her.
Rebecca moaned in frustration as she felt the explosion building; she knew it would be like nothing she had ever felt before. When Charlie's touch increased and their bodies found the perfect rhythm together, she cried out as her body went taut and shuddered in release. She gasped over and over again as tremors ran through her body.
Rebecca's first spasm clamped firm muscles around Charlie's fingers, drawing her deeper and holding her in place. Charlie joined her, tensing and bucking into her body. A flood of Charlie's passion washed over Rebecca's thigh, burning and searing her. Charlie soared, and merged with her love, buried so deep within her it felt like she held Rebecca's heart in her hand. For what seemed like eternity, she hung, suspended in a cocoon of ecstasy.
Finally, after what seemed like forever, Rebecca's body relaxed and fell back into the mattress. She did not let go of Charlie however, and brought her with her, so her lover was lying right on top of her. She sighed her pleasure and kissed Charlie's ear. "Love you." She drew a deep breath through clenched teeth when one final tremor ran through her body. "I am so glad you are home."
Charlie was holding most of her weight on one arm. One very shaky arm.
"My home. My love. My heart."
A tear trickled down and fell on Rebecca's shoulder.
"Charlie? Darling? Have I done something wrong?"
"Oh, no, beloved. You have done something very right. I am home. In your arms, I am home. In your touch, I am home. For the first time in my life, in your love, I am no longer alone. I love you so much."
"I love you so, Charlie." She squirmed under her. "Now put your arms around me and keep me safe and warm for the rest of the night."
Charlie shifted her body and wrapped herself around the smaller woman. They pulled the covers up over themselves. Entwined like a pair of kittens, Charlie laid her head beside her love’s. "I am not sure which one of us keeps the other safe and warm, love. I adore you." Long minutes were spent in quiet cuddling, and simple words of love and acceptance. For all of the strength that Charlie brought to the relationship, before Rebecca’s love and passion, she was reduced to a simple, childlike wonder.
"All that matters is that we are here, together." Rebecca rolled over to face her lover. "And now that I have said hello, how was your trip?" She giggled, curling into Charlie's body.
"My trip was very successful, darling. I brought all of the things that you ordered with me on today’s supply train. I called on Lizzie Armstrong and she assisted me with the adventure at the haberdasher’s."
"How is your friend, Charlie? Well I hope. I'm glad you had assistance. I wondered if you would feel somewhat befuddled by that."
"She also gave us a rather personal wedding gift. I hope you will like her when you meet her. She does not seem to expect you will be willing even to meet her."
Rebecca drew back and looked at Charlie. "A gift? What kind of gift? I would love to meet her. She is your friend and important to you. I will admit to a certain amount of jealously at first, but I am well over it."
"Thank you, love. I felt sure that you would, but she is rather notorious as a courtesan and I was concerned you would find her beneath you."
Charlie neatly avoided the issue of the gift.
"Never. She is your friend and I would like her to be my friend and know our home is always open to her."
Charlie pulled Rebecca closer and kissed the top of her head. "Can you imagine what a visit from my dear Lizzie would do to Mrs. Williams? The poor woman would faint dead away."
"Oh then, Charlie, we must have her down as soon as possible."
Charlie chuckled, hugging Rebecca tighter and getting comfortable for the irresistible call of sleep.
--*--
R
ebecca awoke the moment that Charlie stirred in the morning. She hummed as she rolled over and opened her eyes to see him shrugging into his robe.
"I suppose it is back to work as normal?" she questioned even as she ran her hand over the covers silently inviting him back.
"Well, darling, I have been gone for most of a week. I rather think that Richard would appreciate me showing up and relieving him of the hard part, "he smiled, "the decisions."
Charlie walked around to Rebecca's side of the bed and stroked the soft skin of her shoulder peeking out from under the covers. "On the other hand, after a day of travel, I might be forgiven for sleeping in a little."