The wedding festivities lasted from morning when they said their vows to late in the evening when everyone was starting to retire to bed. Colette bid her father goodbye an hour or so earlier, hugging him tightly before promising to visit him later in the week. Gregory's father offered to take him home in their carriage and she watched them disappear down the road with tears in her eyes.
Her father would stay in their cottage during the week while he worked and then come to stay at the estate over the weekend. Colette would stay at the estate permanently now that she was married to Gregorie. His house hands had come by yesterday afternoon to gather whatever possessions Colette had into the carriage to take back to the estate. Other than all of her painting supplies and personal items, she only owned a small wardrobe of clothes, a few sentimental things and the vial of lavender perfume Beatrice had gifted her. She was a lady of little possessions. One of the newest acquired possessions she now stared down at on her second to last finger.
The gold ring was in the shape of an ellipse, with its outer ring filled in with dark red enamel. Inside of the ring were flat, gold stems that curled around each other like twisted vines. Set in the center of those vines was a single solitaire ruby the size of a pea. It was a beautiful ring and Gregorie was careful if not a bit nervous when he slid it onto her finger at the altar. It was a perfect fit.
Now she looked down at it, admiring the warm candle light that twinkled across its red surface. She and Gregorie had said their last goodbyes to everyone in the parlor before leaving to retire to Gregorie's bed chamber. Their bedchamber now, Colette thought anxiously. She had not seen it yet since they moved her belongings into it. She had never even set foot in Gregory's room before, let alone the second floor of the country home.
The second floor consisted of a hallway and four bedrooms flanking the left wall, while the other wall was covered from top to bottom with portraits of the Dubois lineage. Gregorie held her hand as he led them down the hall to the last door on the end. She felt his perspiration gather between their palms and gave his hand a light squeeze. She was just as anxious for what was about to happen.
Gregory pushed open the door with his free hand and still holding Colette's, guided her through the doorway into their room.
It was a large room. Not as grand as the one she slept in at the castle but sizable. To her right was a hearth that took up the center of the wall. There were large, single pane windows on either side of it with deep insets. This allowed for shelf clearance where she already saw some of her sentimental items perched at. The worn, wooden mantle atop the hearth hosted an array of Gregories most successful hunts and childhood toys such as little tin soldiers and carved wooden animals.
A large dark brown armoire stood in the corner of the room and beside it a matching vanity. More of her personal items had been laid out on its surface. Her hair brush and hand mirror. As well as the bottle of lavender perfume and a large porcelain wash bowl. Sat across from the hearth was a tall, tufted lounge chair and beneath it layered hide rugs. It looked like a cozy spot to sit in and read or watch the fire crackle. She pictured herself there painting and... other things.
With that pert thought her gaze shifted towards the bed. It was a large, four poster bed with tall, wide columns that reached the ceiling where the top panel was built into. The wood was a dark brown, almost black in the wane candle light with rectangular trim on each of its sides. It was a mighty fortress set against the wall. The blankets and duvets as well as pillows were a royal blue with green and red embroidery and trim. It was very masculine and seemed like something Gregorie would choose. It looked like a king slept there and soon enough it's queen as well.
Colette shyly glanced up at Gregorie who now stood beside her with the door sealed behind them. He looked tired from the festivities but a glimmer of excitement danced in his eyes.
"We can change the bed linens if it's not up to par with your taste." He offered.
Colette raised her eyebrows. The color of the bed linens were what was on his mind?
"No, I- I like them. It's... nice."
Gregorie didn't look like he believed her. "We can change them. You can pick out whatever fru-fee, pink, ruffly bed linens your heart desires. As long as you're under them with me I don't care." He said, a little breathlessly.
Colette licked her lips as she weighed her next words. "Would I be naked under them?"
Gregorie, gulped. "As long as I can be naked."
Colette felt a rush of heat flood her chest. "Shall we get naked now?" She breathed.
Gregorie didn't seem to have the voice to say yes so he nodded.
Colette let go of his hand and stepped back. She found Gregories gaze to be heavy on her hands as she started undoing the laces at the front of her bodice. She felt him look at her with focused attention as she pulled the last string through.
The bodice fell to the floor behind her along with the top portion of her gown. She was left in her chemise and skirt. At this point Gregorie had slowly inched forward and now stood a foot away from her.
Colette looked at him with nervous eyes. She felt naked already with the way his eyes roamed over her body. It was like he saw under the fabric and into her very soul. Heat pooled in her lower abdomen and she felt her need rise up with every sweep of his eyes.
"It's terribly warm in here," she said, gulping down air.
Gregorie smiled at her and it was feline in the grandest of ways. "And here I thought it was the fire burning inside of me by your presence."
Ohhh. A shudder went through her at his sensuous statement.
But Colette gathered herself and continued her undressing. She remained patient up until their wedding, as frustrating as it had been but now she would not hold back.
"A fire rages inside of me too. It burns at the thought of your hands on my body."
Gregorie slowly closed his eyes and took a deep, steadining breath. He clutched and unclutched his hands at his side. When he opened them again there was nothing but pure hunger.
Colette dropped her skirt and before she could remove her chemise Gregorie was on her. He gathered her in his arms, holding her against the full length of his body while he moved them blindly toward the bed. Colette crushed her mouth against his, kissing him with such fever and passion. She slid her hands into his hair, dragging her fingers down his scalp to rip the ribbon from his ponytail out. She felt her toes dance across the floor as Gregorie carried her haphazardly through the room until she felt the cold, hard bite of wood behind her back.
He pinned her against the sturdy column and ran his hands up and down the side of her, feeling the small curve of her waist and the mass of her thighs. He kissed her like he hadn't had a drink of water in months. He sipped at her bottom lip and sucked on her tongue. He ravished her mouth like it was his last meal.
Colette felt her body seize with need as she roaved her hands down his shoulders and back, grabbing the material of his shirt to pull it up over his head.
Gregorie leaned back to remove the rest and threw the shirt down beside him before seizing her mouth again. She wanted to feel all of him. Touch every inch of his lean body.
"Gregorie." She gasped. His hand found its way under her chemise and she felt his fingers graze across the expanse of skin above her throbbing bud, before adventuring up her torso to her breast. He palmed the swollen mass and Colette tilted her head back and moaned.
"Do you like that?" Gregorie breathed, clamping his mouth down on the curve of her neck. She felt his tongue press against the sensitive skin there and stars began to appear behind her closed eyelids.
She felt molten and tense at the same time. The sensations that ran through her body were unfamiliar but agonizingly sweet. She didn't want it to stop but she also pinned its release.
Gregorie hiked her chemise up to her chin with one hand and with the other he cupped her breast and brought his mouth down on the rosy peak.
"Mmm." Colette whimpered, as pleasure radiated from the contact.
Was this normal she thought? Was she supposed to feel this way? Did her body recognize the feelings of pleasure that coatsed along her nerves? How could one small act cause such an immense feeling?
Gregorie ripped his mouth away and pulled her chemise up over her head and gathered it at her wrist, pinning her hands above her to the post. He acted so quickly she suddenly realized that her naked body was now on full display for him.
His mouth hung open as he gazed down at her nakedness. Colette felt the searing blush across her face and neck. She couldn't look him in the eyes. She didn't want to see his face as he beheld her natural form. It made her nervous to think about what he found to be attractive and unattractive.
Gregorie pressed his forehead against her collarbone and Colette strained upward as the crown of his head pressed up against the underside of her chin.
"My god Colette. Your body... your body is..." She closed her eyes, embarrassed.
"It's breathtaking." She sank in relief.
Gregorie let loose her wrist and chucked her chemise to the ground before hooking an arm around the back of her thighs and around the width of her shoulders. He swiftly scooped her up and laid her down on the bed.
Colette sank into the blankets as she watched Gregorie stand before her and undo his trousers. He slid them down his lean, muscular thighs and Colette's mouth dropped at the sight of his thick cock standing proud and upright. A bead of his desire glistened at the dark pink tip and she moistened her lips, suddenly feeling very, very thirsty.
"What... what are you going to do?" She spoke softly, her gaze still on his brazen member.
Gregorie climbed onto the bed and up between her legs. He leaned back onto his heels and ran his hands down the inside of her thighs.
Colette moaned quietly, tilting her head back. He wasn't even touching her there, but she felt the vibrations of his hands shoot towards that sensitive place. Was that what she wanted, what her body wanted? To feel his hand down there. Would it supply the pressure she desired to ease the growing ache?
"Whatever you want me to do." He said, bringing his hands down towards each other right below her navel. Her hips lifted off the bed from the action.
"I want..." She closed her eyes and the memory of the dream she had flashed across her mind. "I want your mouth on me." Yes. Just like how she dreamed Sébastien had done.
He smoothed his palms up along her stomach to cup both of her breasts. Her hips lifted again.
"Where," he breathed.
She was scared to voice what she dreamt of. It felt wrong to ask him to do the one thing she subconsciously imagined Sebastian doing. Why? She thought, bitterly. Why did she still dream of him? He was gone. She would never be his. She was Gregories now. And it was Gregorie waiting patiently to serve her in any way she desired.
With that thought firm in her mind she took one of his hands at her breast and guided it down her torso to the apex of her thigh.
Gregorie looked at her with hesitant eyes. She nodded and opened her legs wider. His eyes went big as he stared down at her most intimate area.
"Colette," he breathed, tentatively dragging his thumb up the very center of it.
"Ahh." Colette cried out, arching off the bed. The bundle of nerves was so sensitive, it felt like lightning scattered deep inside of her.
Gregorie grabbed her hip, pinning her back down to the bed. "Are you alright?" He rasped, with genuine concern.
Colette laughed breathlessly. "I..." She searched for the right words. "I feel wondrous. I- I've never felt a sensation like that before."
Gregorie smiled and ran his thumb along her again and she twisted under his touch, moaning into the blanket. It felt so good. She didn't want him to stop.
"Please, keep going."
Gregrorie nodded obediently and rubbed his thumb up and down the swollen bud. She felt herself slicken under his thumb as he drove her closer to that release she longed for.
"Mmm." She moaned, swiveling her hips in rhythm to the steady strum of his thumb. "Yes. Yes."
"Colette." Her name was a desperate sound out of his mouth as she writhed beneath his hand. He moved his thumb in long, measured circles and she panted through each wave of pleasure it produced.
"Please, Gregorie. Please..." She begged. She wanted his mouth on her as she found her release.
Gregorie leaned forward and brought his mouth over the aching bud and she felt the flick of his tongue.
White, hot pleasure shot through her and she bucked her hips. He groaned against her and brought his arm over them, pinning her down as he tasted her for the first time.
"I... I..." Colette tried to find the words to say as she felt a swelling in her lower abdomen. "I... oh god... Gregorie." He lapped at her, his mouth and tongue drinking in her sensitive flesh.
That rising build reached its apex and she cried out as thunderous waves of pleasure swept through her and she arched off the bed, throwing her head back with her mouth agape and eyes wide.
Gregorie clamped his mouth down on her as she rode through the turbulent waves. His hand grabbed her own at her side. He was her anchor and he held onto her until she eventually found her way back down.
Colette fell limp across the bed. A blanket of shivers ran over her body and it felt like she was floating. She rolled her head to the side and stared off into the distance. Was she still here? Did it not feel like her soul had left her body?
"Are you alright?" Gregorie asked, again. He leaned over her, bracing an arm beside her head. His other hand pushed aside the strands of hair that escaped her breaded crown.
She smiled. "I feel like I'm floating." Then turned to look at him. He had the biggest grin on his face. The skin around his mouth was flushed and his lips glistened with a coating of her desire. She reached for his face and pulled him towards her. She kissed him softly, then pulled back.
"Is this what I taste like?"
Gregorie licked his lips. "Yes."
She giggled and he grinned fiendishly. "I pray your well never runs dry."
Colette pushed at his chest playfully and he caught her hand, bringing it to his mouth. He kissed her ring. "This ring represents our marriage to one another. Our joining of flesh. I will desire you and only you. I will seek no other well to fill my thirst. You will be my flower and I your hummingbird."
Colette did not deserve him.
That bitter thought pushed through her mind, reminding her of the memories she shared with Sébastien. The fervent kiss between them. The exploration of his most intimate area. The fact that she did not deny him when he asked if she desired him as much as he desired her. And her dreams. He was always in her dreams. A looming presence in the deepest, darkest recesses of her heart. He would always have a piece of her wrapped around his claw.
"Yes." She said. He would take no other to his bed. And she would not allow Sebastian's into hers.