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A Promise Kept
Chapter 14
The ensuing days that followed the wedding were blissfully peaceful for Jessie and Cam. Isolated as they were with land lines unplugged and cell phones turned off, they enjoyed the quietness of the Colorado woods and spent the majority of the time wrapped in each others arms. The major download of her memories on the night of their honeymoon had been the culmination of Kanathia's gift, and since then things had been pleasantly uneventful. They were, for once, just a young couple in love, enjoying the beginning of their journey as husband and wife.
Jessie looked around the living room, a smiling playing across her lips. Cam had taken everything into account when planning their honeymoon, including the fact that Christmas would fall right in the middle of their time away. It had been quite the surprise when he brought in boxes filled with Christmas lights, holiday decor and the like, and they had spent their free time going through the varied decorations. When they were done the room was filled with holiday touches, twinkling lights and shiny ornaments, red velvet bows nestled amongst dark green boughs, the scents of cinnamon and pine wafting throughout.
Jessie slid the last gift beneath the Christmas tree, her teeth nervously worrying her lower lip. Several things were on her mind—wondering if Cam would like the present she had gotten him, thinking about the present she had left for Jack, and last but certainly not least the conversation she had had with her husband the day prior when her bravado decided to make an unexpected appearance. That certainly was going to be a memory for the ages...
The day had dawned clear and crisp, with little hint of the norther headed their way in the next 24 hours. It was December 23rd, and they had gone into the woods together to find a tree to cut down for their Christmas tree.
"Are you sure Paul and Belinda won't mind us cutting down one of their trees?" Glancing around trying to orientate herself to their location, she added, "And are we still on their property?" Even though she hadn't been paying close attention, she knew they had walked quite a distance from the house.
"I promise, the homeowners won't mind. And yes, we're still on the property—the house sits on seven acres."
Settling on an approximate 7 foot Scotch Pine, Jessie watched Cam as he made short work of felling the tree, wrapping and securing it to the sled they had brought with them and then dragging it back to the house. She prepared a couple of mugs of hot chocolate while Cam set the tree up in the stand, ensuring it was secure and straight, and Jessie's mind wandered as she watched him work. Her memories involving Cam had pretty much fully returned and she recalled most of their times together, especially the weekend they had spent at the vacation home. The more she watched him, the more her thoughts coalesced in her mind.
"Cam, I've got a question for you."
He was making the final adjustments to the trunk of the tree, so he gave her a quick glance before he turned back to the task at hand. "What is it?"
"When we stayed here before...when we were role playing, you asked me if my second maidenhead had been taken. That was right before you dropped character and told me it wasn't something for you to take, but for me to give, if I chose to." She noticed he had grown very still, but didn't turn around. "Did we ever...well...get around to that?"
Cam's breath caught in his throat. Although Kanathia had assured him the only memories that would return to Jessie would be the ones of them together, he still worried the traumatic ones from John's attack or Kutkh's enslavement would somehow rear their ugly heads. When he turned and looked at Jessie, though, the only thing he saw in her expression was puzzlement. Letting out the breath he was holding, Cam slowly shook his head. "No, we didn't." Her next question had him going from a crouched position to sitting on the floor in slight shock.
"Was that because you don't like it that way?"
He did his best to keep a neutral expression. "No. It was just something we hadn't gotten around to trying. After what John had done, I was leaving that up to you whether you ever wanted to try it or not." His worry prodded him to voice his fear. "You haven't remembered anything about John, have you?"
Jessie was startled by the concern in his voice, her thoughts having gone in an entirely different direction. "No! No, and I promise, if I did I would let you know right away. I was just...I don't know. Curious, I guess."
He could tell her denial was genuine, which immediately caused him to focus more on the subject at hand. "Curious?"
Jessie began toying with the bottom edge of her shirt. "Well, I mean...I didn't remember us ever doing it that way, and I do remember talking about it with Sam and Casey in the past."
"You talked with Sam and Casey about anal sex?" Cam faced her completely now, not sure if he was more intrigued by her fidgeting or by the turn in conversation.
"Not about us, or anything I had experienced. They were just talking about things they had done, in the context of 'going around the world'. I mean, I know from the things I've read that guys seem to like that, although the jury's kind of out about women being as enthusiastic."
'Do not laugh, do not laugh', was the mantra he was repeating to himself as his sweet and oh so deliciously innocent wife tried to navigate this uncharted territory. Gathering up the items he had been using, he stood as he thought about the best way to reply. "Well, most men do like it, and the degree of pleasure a woman gets from it largely depends on the skill of the man." Setting the saw back in its case, he ran his thumb over his lower lip to try to keep from grinning. Jessie had that cute little frown she'd always get when trying to figure out an elusive problem.
"Why does the woman's pleasure depend on his skill?"
"Because a lot of guys think anal sex should be like what they see in x-rated movies; you put it in, go after it and you're done. If a guy approaches it like that, at the very least it's not going to be very enjoyable for the woman, and at the worst it's going to hurt like hell."
"And you know this...how?"
Cam couldn't hold back the chuckle any longer. "Years ago I had a girlfriend who was very frank about anal sex, what felt good, what worked and what didn't. I paid attention." He walked up and took her in his arms, placing a kiss on her forehead. "For a woman to truly enjoy anal sex, she has to be very aroused and relaxed." He smiled as the frown was replaced by a look of thoughtful pondering, "So much so that she craves the penetration—and she has to be in control of the initial entry." He bent down and kissed her softly, already knowing what her next question would be. "The reason for that is when the man starts to penetrate the sphincter muscle, there's a good chance the muscle will spasm, which in turn hurts, and hurts a lot more if he continues to push during the spasm. By letting the woman control it, she can stop the penetration and hold still at the first sign of discomfort, wait until the spasm passes, and then resume. Once the head is inside and any spasm has subsided, you're good to go. And, it's the one act where the male having an orgasm first is a good thing."
"Why's that?"
"Because when a woman orgasms, which can be very intense with anal intercourse, the ride is over, period. Everything becomes extremely sensitive once the orgasm crests, which in turn can make continued anal intercourse painful. At least that's the way it was with the few women I was with like that in the past. If you time it right, though, the guy comes, he still has an erection long enough to push her over the edge, he eventually very gently withdraws, and everyone's happy." Thoughts of finishing the Christmas tree were momentarily banished as he savored the warmth of her body pressed against his, her arms draped loosely around his waist. "So, what brought about this curiosity?"
Jessie shrugged her shoulders slightly. "I was setting aside the Christmas and wedding presents to put under the tree, and started thinking about doing something special for you. Remembering when we were here before, one thing just kind of led to another..."
Cam pushed the thought from his mind of how many men would shoot him dead just to be able to take his place at that very moment. It was quickly replaced by some very explicit thoughts involving his young Wife and how to make her first experience with anal sex so pleasurable she'd forever wonder why women didn't like the experience. 'Without a doubt God loves me—no man on Earth is this lucky.'
She wasn't looking at him, her gaze fixed somewhere in the region of his lower chest instead, so she missed the distinctively impish grin that accompanied his train of thought. Her dark lashes hid those gorgeous green eyes, but her slightly parted lips and visible pulse at the base of her throat gave away the fact that the subject had definitely piqued her curiosity. Clearing his throat slightly, he leaned down until his lips were next to her ear. "So, my lady," he whispered softly, "are you offering me your second maidenhead?" Yep, she was definitely intrigued—the pulse point he was watching jumped into double time.
Her teeth tugged at her lower lip before she raised her gaze to his. "I'm offering it to my husband," she said softly.
Cam reached out and ran his fingers through the silken strands of her hair. "Oh, it will definitely be your husband who has the honor of receiving that gift. Lord Cameron will take great pleasure in introducing Lady Jessica to forbidden pleasures sometime in the future." He caressed her cheek softly. "Something this precious is too important for role-playing."
He felt the little shiver that rushed through her body, followed by her glancing at the hallway leading to the bedroom. "So, do you want to..." Before she could finish he placed his finger over her lips, silencing her.
"Tomorrow night," he replied simply.
"Tomorrow night?"
"Um-hmm. Remember I said the woman needs to be very aroused?" He waited until she nodded her head. "Anticipation goes a long way towards that." Before she could protest, he reached up and cupped the side of her face with his hand, his thumb brushing against her cheekbone. "Do you trust me?" he asked in a whispered tone.
"You know I do."
Leaning down, he brushed his cheek against hers before drawing closer to her mouth. "Enough to let me make you my wife...in every way?" He felt her breath flutter across his lips as a strangled "uh-huh" passed hers. "That's good to know," he murmured just before settling his mouth on hers in a heart-stopping kiss.
Jessica's train of thought was interrupted as Cam came in the back door, arms filled with split logs he had gathered from the firewood rack outside. As he topped off the holder next to the stone fireplace, she estimated they had enough wood piled there to keep the fire burning for at least two days straight. The wind had picked up earlier and the clouds were starting to roll in. There was little doubt snow would start to fall within the next hour or so. The generator had been checked and was ready to go just in case they lost power, and the pantry was fully stocked with at least a month's worth of food. If they ended up getting snowed in, they were more than prepared for it.
"You about ready to open those presents under there?"
Jessie looked at him quizzically. "You want to open them on Christmas Eve?"
Cam shrugged. "I figured we'd probably be sleeping in late tomorrow. But we can wait if you want."
"You just want to see what's under the tree," she replied with a twinkle in her eye.
Grinning back at her, he tilted his head slightly as he regarded her position near the lower branches. "You could say that." Enjoying the slight blush that colored her cheeks, he walked over and settled down next to her. "So, can we open the presents?"
Laughing at the not so subtle little boy enthusiasm, she reached into the pile and pulled out a package, passing it to him. Since the wedding had been a week before Christmas, they had set aside the wedding gifts to open at Christmas. While opening the presents, Jessie was surprised to find packages from two very unexpected individuals. Holding them up, she looked at Cam questioningly. "Thoyetlini and Brojorn?"
Eyes narrowing slightly, he took the one from Brojorn out of Jessie's hand. Tilting the package, it had a bit of weight to it as well as a liquid sound. Unwrapping the box, he soon found himself holding a sealed crystal bottle, the liquid inside reflecting jewel-toned ruby red. The accompanying note read:
"Cameron,
This is a bottle of our finest Nandanian wine, served only on
occasions of the highest honor. It is only fitting that it be gifted to you for
the celebration of your marriage.
A great lover is not one who romances a different woman every
night. A great lover is one who romances the same woman for a lifetime
.May you and Jessica have a lifetime of happiness."
Cam looked at the note thoughtfully before holding the bottle up, the facets in the crystal reflecting little flecks of ruby light across the floor between them. "If I remember correctly, the wine at the banquet was pretty decent."
Shaking her head at her husband, Jessie read the note before she let out an unladylike snort. "Considering Brojorn sampled women like a wine connoisseur samples wine, I'm a little surprised by his sentiment."
"He just hasn't found the right woman yet," he said quietly, holding her gaze as he brushed his fingertips along the curve of her cheek. Reaching down he picked up the package from Thoyetlini, giving it a cursory shake. "Doesn't have much weight to it." He pulled the end of cord that was securing the package before unfolding the cloth concealing the gift. Cam took the note lying on top as Jessie reached over and lifted the dream-catcher from his hand. Midnight black raven's feathers dangled beneath an elaborately woven web, thin strips of hide securing the delicate twine, intermixed with polished stones that glowed where the light touched them. It was several seconds before they noticed that a wolf's fang was bound to the base of each feather. Cam then read the note out loud.
"This dream-catcher has been created to honor the joining
of the wolf and the raven. It is strong magic, good magic that will protect the
children of this union, guarding them as they slumber.
Enjoy the blessings of long life, good fortune and a joyous
family.
Your bond has been forged—it cannot be broken."
It took a moment before Jessie found her voice. "It's beautiful."
Cam cradled one of the feathers in his palm, the white wolf's fang a stark contrast against the black iridescence. Your bond has been forged—it cannot be broken. He smiled at his wife. "Good magic." Taking the dream-catcher in hand, he went and placed it on the antique side table in the master bedroom, making sure it was in a safe spot out of harm's way. When he came back into the living room, Jessie was holding a large package in her hands. "Yes?" he drawled, noting that she was fidgeting nervously.
She held the gift out toward him. "I didn't know what...this being our first Christmas as a married couple...I wasn't sure what to get you. I mean, I kind of knew what I wanted to do, but I'm not sure if you'll like it." Her voice trailed off as he took the box from her. "It's breakable...well, part of it is. You'll probably want to put it on the table to open it up."
Carrying it over to the dining table, he turned to her and gave her a reassuring hug. "Jess, you could get me anything, and I'd love it." He was curious what would have her so uncertain. The box was about two feet by three feet in size, but only about a foot in depth. Tearing the decorative paper, he popped open the tape securing the flaps. Inside he found two wrapped items, one on top of the other. Lifting out the first one, he carefully unwrapped the material. The first thing he noticed was the large wood frame of what appeared to be a hand-rubbed cherry wood going by the appearance. It was carved, and heavy, something one would find in a museum of fine antiquities. However, the true treasure was what lay beneath the matte glass. A tapestry with stitches so fine it reflected an image that was almost photographic in clarity—a tapestry of the Mitchell coat-of-arms. "Jessie, this is..."
"Open up the other one, then I'll explain."
Carefully placing the frame on the table, Cam picked up and unwrapped the other package. It revealed an identical frame to the first one, but this one contained the history of the Mitchell surname, beautifully printed with touches of calligraphy as well as a depiction of the crest at the top of the document.
"I was trying to figure out what to get you, and nothing seemed to be the 'right' thing. I came across a company that does extensive ancestral research—I checked their references and they're the real deal, not just some fly-by-night setup—and they had a variety of gifts they could craft incorporating the family name and history. They traced your lineage back to England and the Battle of Hastings in 1066 A.D. Duke William of Normandy granted lands to your family for their distinguished service during that battle."
Cam nodded. "King Harold II was killed during the Battle of Hastings on October 14, 1066 by William's army. He became known as William the Conqueror and was the first Norman king of England, crowned king on Christmas Day in London, 1066."
"Well, apparently your family had quite a hand in helping William succeed, and they were rewarded well. The company is still working on putting together a detailed family tree, but were able to do the tapestry and surname history in time for Christmas."
Cam set the frames side by side on the table before taking her in his arms. "Sweetheart, these are absolutely amazing. Why would you think I wouldn't like them? I love them." He placed a kiss on her forehead. "We'll have to figure out where to hang them since they'll have to be anchored into the studs to support their weight." Glancing at the windows, he realized the sun was already starting to set. "We'll do that in a little while, but first I want to do something before it gets too dark." Going across the room, he flipped a few switches before grabbing their jackets from the coat rack by the door. "C'mon."
Pulling her coat on, she went outside as Cam pulled the door shut behind them. Walking down the steps, they made their way along the stone walkway down to the front of the property. Cam turned her until she was facing the house, stepping up behind and wrapping his arms around her, her back pressed against his chest.
"I wanted to watch the sun set with you," he murmured in her ear. The sun was quickly sinking below the horizon, the last streaks of fiery red and orange highlighting the wall of clouds bearing down from the north. As they stood and watched the clouds advanced with the north wind, eclipsing the last of the sun's rays and a light dusting of snow began to fall. The house was bathed in the warm light emanating from the windows, the door and porch posts decorated with pine wreaths, garland and red bows. Hundreds of tiny Christmas lights Cam had strung up twinkled along the eaves of the house, draped the bushes and outlined the path leading up to the home. To Jessie the entire tableau gave the distinct impression of a Thomas Kinkade painting.
Watching the snow fall, highlighted by the dark green evergreen trees with the house nestled in their midst, she said, "This is beautiful."
"Sure is," Cam said and Jessie glanced up at him, finding he was watching her instead. She couldn’t stop the slight blush that suffused her cheeks.
"I was talking about the house, and the snow."
He smiled at her. "I remembered how much you enjoyed staying here before."
"It’s a beautiful home. I had wondered what it would be like in the winter time with it snowing, a cozy fire crackling in the fireplace." Taking a deep breath, she could just get a hint of the smoke from the oak logs. "It's just so peaceful." At that point a gust of wind picked up, the cold air stinging her cheeks. "You ready to go back inside?" She missed seeing that impish grin of his as he propelled her forward with a hand on her lower back, guiding them back to the house. He let her take the lead up the steps and was standing behind her when she went to open the door.
Reaching out she went to turn the doorknob, but it didn't budge. A slight wave of instinctive panic hit her as she realized it was locked. Turning to Cam as she jiggled the handle, she said, "It's locked; how are we going to get in?" Visions of having to break a window, trying to find something to cover it to keep the snow out, not to mention explaining to Cam's friends why they had to break in began flooding her thoughts.
"Relax, the back door's unlocked." Pulling her into his arms he kissed her, the seductive slide of his tongue against hers effectively quelling her rising panic. Once he was sure he had appropriately distracted her he reached into his jacket, pulling out a small wrapped box. "Merry Christmas, Jessie."
Slightly confused, she stared at the box in his hand for a few moments before taking it. "Okay, back door's unlocked, we don't have to do any breaking and entering, right?" His chuckle reassured her as she turned her attention to the gift. Too large to be a ring box, but still of the size to be jewelry, this was the path her thoughts took as she untied the metallic silver ribbon. The cold momentarily forgotten, she lifted the lid.
Nestled in a bed of dark blue velvet, reminiscent of how he had presented her engagement ring when he had proposed to her, lay a key. A silver ribbon was threaded through the top and tied in a simple bow. Picking it up, her brow furrowed as she turned it over in her hand before looking up at her husband.
"No breaking and entering," he replied to her prior question.
Whether it was more from the cold or the shock she couldn't say, but she stood there looking at the key in the palm of her hand, her brain refusing to process the situation. Looking back up at Cam, he simply smiled and pointed at the front door. "I don't understand," she said slowly, "why are you giving me a key to your friends' house?"
His smile reached from ear to ear. "Not my friends' house, Jessie. Your house. Well, actually our house, but your Christmas present." He started laughing at her stunned expression, finally physically turning her around so she was facing the door. "Open it, Jessie, before we get frostbite out here."
Sliding the key home, it turned effortlessly in the lock and the door swung open. Ushering them inside Cam closed and locked it as Jessie stood there in silence. Finally finding her ability to speak, she looked at him incredulously. "A house? You got me a house for Christmas?" He slid her coat from her shoulders and hung it beside his on the rack as she looked around dumbstruck. "This is our house?" That impish grin was back as he nodded his head.
A slightly crazed giggle erupted from her throat right before she launched herself into his arms, her feet leaving the ground as he swung her in a circle. "You are insane. Absolutely positively fucking insane." She kissed him hard as she wrapped herself around him, the reality of what he had done settling in her mind. Pulling back, she held his face between her hands as she gazed into his eyes. "Do you have any idea how much I love you? Not because of this," she said as she gestured to the room with her hand, "actually in spite of this—you're crazy, you know? But because you are so incredibly sweet, and kind, smart, and loving, and...and...insane." She kissed him again, softer this time. "I love you, so very much Cam."
"And I love you, sweetheart. I knew how much you liked it here, and when Paul told me he was thinking about selling it since his transfer had become permanent, I knew I couldn't let the opportunity pass. I got a really good deal on it, but if you decide you don't want it, there will be no problem in finding a buyer."
"See? That's proof you're insane, thinking I wouldn't want it. This place is absolutely perfect—it's beyond perfect."
"Good. Now, where do you think we should hang the coat-of-arms tapestry and history?"
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