Going Home Wedded Bliss

As I stood and looked at Mike, I had no idea how to address the situation. I loved Mike. But that wasn't the same as being in love with her. She was an important part of my relationship with Gwen. But it was Gwen I was in love with and would soon marry. Gwen liked having Mike with us in the bedroom. It fulfilled some need. I certainly enjoyed Mike's presence when Gwen and I were together but I never would have thought to suggest her participation. Mike enjoyed being with us. I wasn't sure if it was more about her relationship with Gwen or a desire for me. I suspected it was at least a bit of both.

Gwen's absence lessened the appeal of sex with Mike for some reason. I'm not sure I understand why, even these many years later. She was smart and funny, kind and considerate, very attractive, inventive, and very desirable. But I didn't feel comfortable with this. I didn't want it without Gwen. But I also didn't want to hurt Mike.

I stood mute before Mike. She looked amazing, as always. If Gwen were with us, there'd have been no reluctance. Hesitantly, I sat on the bed. When I turned to face Mike, I could see desire in her eyes. Before I could take a breath to speak, Mike moved toward me and kissed me on the forehead, then the tip of my nose, finally, softly on my lips. I just sat there. I didn't move or speak. I knew my first word or movement would signal rejection. I feared Mike would be deeply wounded and I didn't want that. But I knew I couldn't make love to Mike without Gwen.

Mike seemed to take my inaction as a signal that I wanted her to take the lead. She continued softly kissing my lips while she ran her hands down my face, then across my chest. Her fingertips found my nipples through my shirt and pinched them. I squirmed, but not for the reasons Mike anticipated. Mike moved a hand down my chest past my belt and down my right leg. When her hand reached my knee, she moved it to my left leg and began moving it up my leg.

When she didn't find what she expected, she stiffened and sat back on her haunches and looked down. When she looked up, I started to speak but she put a finger to my lips to hush me.

'Don't, Jonas.' I could hear her disappointment. There was a little pain in her eyes, too.

'I'm sorry, Michele, I . . .' I started.

Mike hushed me again. 'It's okay, Jonas. I think I knew before you got here that it wouldn't happen tonight. I know you love me. But Gwen fuels it. She's your great love. I know that. I've always known that. I love you both. I'm not sure if that's good or bad. I'm afraid now that you and Gwen are getting married, I'll lose you both. I know it's not fair. But it's how I feel.'

'I do love you, Michele. But you're right. I never would have tried to involve you with Gwen and me. How, or why, you both entered into this relationship with me is still a mystery.' I told Mike. 'I love having you with us. But it doesn't feel the same without Gwen. If you find someone, I'll be happy for you. I'll miss you. But I also know I'll be happy if I only have only Gwen in my bed.'

'Michele.' Mike smiled when she said it. But it was a smile of resignation. 'You haven't called me Michele in a long time.'

'I only said it out of respect.' I told her. 'You'll always be Mike, for many reasons. I just felt for this conversation, Michele is more appropriate.'

Mike leaned forward and bussed my lips. There was no heat in the kiss. It was more like a quick, first kiss a twelve-year-old girl might plant on a boy she liked when no one was looking. I embraced her and held her for a moment.

'The last thing I want is to hurt you, Mike. You're so important to Gwen. Though Gwen loves me enough to be my wife, she needs you, too. I'm not sure how she would react if I hurt you. I don't want to find out. But that's not the only reason. You're important to me, too.'

Mike smiled. 'I know, Jonas. I also know it's not only for the sex. You always treat me like I'm an important part of your life.'

'So, what do we do from here?' I asked. 'Were you planning to be here all night?'

Mike grinned. 'Not at all. I was going to fuck you to exhaustion and then go spend the night at Gwen's. I told her folks I'd be back late and spend the night so I'd be there to help first thing in the morning.'

I felt my eyebrows raise. 'I don't know if I would have wanted to hear that conversation if things had gone as planned.'

Mike giggled like a school girl. 'I'm sure you would have acquitted yourself well. Gwen and I have talked about you many times when you weren't around. Your secrets have all been compromised.'

Mike got off the bed at that point. She left the room briefly and returned with a small bag. She sat beside me and changed her clothes. I tried not to watch but Mike was a beautiful woman that had, up until tonight, been hard to resist. I couldn't help but look. I could see Mike's smile in the mirror. She knew I couldn't resist watching her.

'Well, at least I know I haven't lost my appeal,' she said. 'You're still looking.'

'Mike, this didn't happen because I'm not attracted to you. The next time we're all together, I'll make it up to you.'

'You had better!' she grinned. 'And I hope it's soon. I don't want to go to Europe without another get together.'

'We're going to stay in Boston for a few days. My father knows the house but he won't show up unless I invite him. He's leaving in a few days. And I'm sure he wants to spend time alone with his new wife. We can talk to Gwen and maybe make a plan tomorrow if we can find a few quiet moments.'

Mike smiled but didn't say anything at first. 'We won't have to. Gwen and I will make plans tonight. You don't think what happened tonight was completely unexpected?'

The question caught me by surprise. 'Was this some sort of test?' I asked, feeling a bit annoyed at the prospect.

'No, Jonas. Gwen wanted this for us. But we both wondered if it would happen. I was almost prepared for you to say no. I'm not going to say I wasn't disappointed. But my feet are on the ground, Jonas. I know how you feel about Gwen.'

Mike approached and took my hand and pulled me up. 'I should get going. Come. You can be a gentleman and close the garage door when I leave.'

I followed Mike down to the living room. After we put on our coats, we went out the back. I carried out Mike's bag and tossed it into her back seat. She stood on her toes and kissed me on the cheek to say good night, got in the car and drove toward Gwen's without a glance in my direction. I closed the garage and went back inside to get ready for bed.

Getting to bed took a while. There were dozens of candles to deal with. I extinguished them all, gathered them up and put them away. Then got ready for bed.

I was lying in bed, reading when I heard a car pull in. I got up and looked out the window just in time to see Mr. Purdy pull around the corner at his end of the carriage house. I heard two car doors open and close and then saw that their outside light turned on. I got back into bed and turned off my light. It was late and I had to get up early.

Sleep was fitful. I finally got some good sleep in the hours just before sunrise. I got out of bed when I heard knocking at the front door. By the time I got my robe on and downstairs, Mr. Purdy was unlocking the door to let my father and Jane in. I looked at the grandfather clock at the bottom of the stairs. It was going on 10:00 AM.

I got an immediate adrenalin rush. I had to hurry. The wedding was at eleven. I hadn't had breakfast, needed to shower, dress, and get to the studio.

My father took one look at me and shook his head. 'You're just getting up? You're going to be late.'

'Not if I can help it.' I responded.

I went back upstairs in a hurry, taking them two at a time. Jane yelled she'd have some breakfast ready when I came down.

I went through my morning routine in record time, got dressed and was back downstairs before 10:30. Jane had three eggs, toast, coffee, and orange juice waiting. I wolfed down breakfast and ran back upstairs to brush my teeth again. We were in our cars on the way to the studio in no time.

We got there with minutes to spare. There was clearly considerable relief that the groom had shown up. Ian's face looked troubled when I entered but he relaxed when he saw me. Edith looked like she didn't have a worry in the world.

I went up to my spot. Almost immediately, the music started. Mike led the way, escorted by Gwen's cousin, but I barely noticed. Gwen came out of a door I hadn't noticed before and walked in time to the music on Ian's arm. I was mesmerized.

Looking back on it, I barely remember the ceremony. I was too enthralled with Gwen to be aware of anything. I apparently said the right things at the right times. The ring exchange went without a hitch. The kiss. I remember the kiss very well. It's a memory I'll keep to myself.

There were all the usual traditions to go through. A photographer took pictures. We made the rounds of all the tables. I was introduced to dozens of people I didn't know and wouldn't remember the next time I saw them. We danced, not one of my best moments. We ate. We cut the cake. I fed Gwen politely. When it was Gwen's turn to feed me a piece of cake, I leaned forward to take a bite. I got a surprise I wasn't expecting - a snoot-full of cake and frosting. Apparently, this old tradition was meant as a humorous harbinger of future differences, 'I'm the wife. Don't think for a minute you're in charge.' Everyone was laughing. I couldn't help but join in.

It was near four o'clock when we decided to engineer our escape. My car had been strategically parked to assure unfettered departure. We changed in the room Gwen had come out of when the ceremony started.

Gwen took off her wedding dress but didn't make a move to get dressed. She kissed me passionately while she undid my pants and pushed them and my boxers down. When they fell to the floor, I was already erect. Gwen tore the crotch of her panties open and hopped up, smoothly impaling herself on my erection. We ended up with her back against a wall and immediately got lost in what we were doing. It didn't take long to fulfill our desires. I remember it being very energetic. I have vague recollections of rhythmic thumping. A coat tree crashing to the floor. I also remember Gwen loudly announcing her pleasure when she came just before I filled her with my own release.

When we were done, we composed ourselves quickly and prepared to leave. We had to exit the same door we had entered. I hoped we could sneak away without commotion or notice. No such luck. When we exited the room, the party was in still in full swing but every eye in the house turned in our direction the moment the door opened.

We were greeted by cheers and applause. Gwen and I weren't quite sure why at first. But it quickly became apparent. Gwen's parents were nearby when we came out. Ian seemed rather embarrassed and wouldn't look at us. Gwen's mother was blushing profusely, her face a bright pink that extended down her neck onto the bit of exposed skin at the top of her chest. Even her ears were bright pink. But Edith smiled gamely. Mike was standing beside Edith, hands on Edith's shoulders, trying to allay her embarrassment. But Mike also wore the biggest smile I'd ever seen on her face. And I had seen some big smiles on Mike's face.

It was all too obvious. Lost in the moment, we made enough noise for everyone to know what we were doing. The crash and Gwen's loud cry of pleasure undoubtedly cleared it up for the few that still wondered what was going on.

Gwen and I just grinned sheepishly and bolted for the door that led to my car. Part of the crowd followed. Some were already outside when we went out the door. The car had been decorated to announce, 'Just Married', the words everywhere on the car exterior and rear window. I got my feet tangled in the tin cans tied to the rear bumper when I foolishly went around the back of the car after opening the door for Gwen. I drove off as quickly as was safe. People lined the driveway and the road. Cheers and applause greeted us until the crowd finally disappeared after a few hundred feet.

Once we were finally out of sight, Gwen and I couldn't contain our laughter.

Our good mood wasn't dampened but our laughter soon ended when a heavy wet snow began to fall. The road got slippery. The car swerved, slipped, and slid. When we finally made it to the Beacon Hill house, I was exhausted from the drive. Gwen looked worn out, too.

I never learned to drive until moving to Pasadena, where it didn't snow. Gwen grew up in Massachusetts and had learned to drive there. Maybe I should have let her drive but I'm not entirely convinced it would have made much difference.

After parking the car, I opened the house and retrieved our bags. We'd both packed only a few days of clothes. We planned to return to the country house toward mid-week.

Our first night together as husband and wife is another memory I'm keeping for myself. When we finally ran out of gas, it was mid-morning Sunday.

I got up after a couple hours sleep. Looking out the bedroom window to the street, I saw everything was blanketed in white. There was at least a foot of snow. The street had been plowed but the sidewalks had not been shoveled.

The sun was shining. Nearby trees whipped back and forth in a stiff breeze. A woman walking her dog was bundled up in a heavy coat, boots, and gloves, struggling to stay upright in the wind. Her face and head were wrapped in a heavy scarf for protection. Her shoulders were hunched. The dog didn't look like it was having much fun, either.

I turned back to still sleeping Gwen, and smiled. We didn't have to go anywhere. The refrigerator was well-stocked. The house was warm. If we wanted, we could just stay behind locked doors. That sounded just fine with me.

I went through a quick morning routine and pulled on pants and a shirt. I went downstairs and hit the kitchen. I assembled a breakfast of cheese, rolls and pastries, jam, canned fruit and a pot of English breakfast tea on a tray and headed back upstairs. Gwen was just coming out of the bathroom when I got to the top of the stairs.

Gwen followed me into the bedroom and wrapped her arms around me from behind as I put the tray down. She pulled my shirt up and began planting soft kisses on my back. Her hands moved down my chest and deftly unbuttoned my trousers and let them fall to the floor. I grew hard quickly in her hand, reveling at her ability to raise an erection after our marathon night.

I turned toward Gwen and returned her embrace. Her kisses transferred from my back to my chest as she continued to stimulate my erection.

'I made some breakfast for us,' I managed to whisper as she caressed my cock and nibbled at my chest.

'I saw,' she said softly. 'I'm hungry but I'm not ready to eat just yet.' Her words came out haltingly, sultry, in a slightly deeper register than usual.

I leaned down and kissed the auburn spirals on top of her head then cupped her cheeks in my hands and pulled her face to mine. When our lips met, they parted and our tongues sought each other. Gwen pulled me into a tight embrace and lost herself in our kiss. I cupped her breasts and gently twisted her nipples, eliciting a soft sigh.

I somehow managed to get my feet out of my pants as we fell into bed, our hands exploring each other as if we'd never done this before. Gwen turned so that her back was against my chest. She reached between her legs and guided my cock into her. She was still slick from our previous couplings. I slid into her easily. The wet heat of her inner regions was exquisitely pleasurable as I slowly pushed into her. Gwen moaned softly as I entered her. I felt her hand cup my balls. She held them and gently rolled them between her fingers, softly teasing the loose skin with her fingernails.

As I slowly stroked into her, fluids from the previous night leaked from her, wetting my cock and running down my testicles. Gwen arched her back and pushed back against me forcefully. She moaned loudly each time my cock filled her completely. She rolled away from me, breaking the connection between us and turned toward me. She lifted a leg over my hip and guided me back into her while she kissed my chest.

We soon found a slow steady rhythm that gradually raised us both toward fulfillment. Gwen went off first, crying out softly as she experienced what seemed to be a gentle orgasm. I was getting close but still hadn't reached the point of release.

Gwen pulled away from my cock and slid down the bed. She took my balls in one hand and held them gently. She began kissing my abdomen, balls, and inner thighs. I looked down at her, her face hidden below the auburn locks that I knew would mesmerize me forever.

My cock was wet from being inside her, coated with her fluids and globules of semen from our previous lovemaking. Gwen encircled the head of my cock with her lips and ran her tongue around the head. It was my turn to moan as she gently sucked my cockhead. She ran her fingertips along the length of my shaft, sending a tickle through my balls and up my spine. She licked her way down the shaft, following her fingertips.

My hips started to move involuntarily as I got closer to release. Gwen took my cockhead between her lips again and sucked on it. Her lips and tongue worked in concert in rapid little applications of pressure. When I moaned again, she sucked a bit harder, swirling her tongue around the transition from my glans to my shaft.

That pushed me over the edge. I filled Gwen's mouth with my release. It wasn't the most intense orgasm I'd ever had, but it filled me with a sense of wonder and happiness.

Gwen got out of bed and wobbled on unsteady legs toward the bath. I heard her flush and then turn the water on in the sink. I caught a glimpse of her reflection in the mirror over the dresser as she brushed her teeth.

I admired the vision before me when she came out of the bath. Though she moved gingerly on unsteady legs, her body glowed. Gwen's hair was a tangled pile that I knew would give her fits later as she tried to tame it. Her face held a little smile that had an angelic quality that told me she'd never been happier than she was at that moment.

Gwen plopped down on the bed next to me and kissed me. 'Didn't you say something about breakfast before you distracted me?' she asked.

I helped her get situated against the headboard, propping some extra pillows that I retrieved from the closet behind her. I moved the tray of food from the dresser and joined her in bed. We enthusiastically tucked into the first food since the meal at our reception. The tea wasn't hot but was still warm enough to drink.

When we'd polished off everything on the tray, I put it on the floor and wrapped Gwen in my arms. She rested her head against my shoulder and sighed softly. We were both asleep again before we knew we even knew we were drifting off.

We woke together as it was getting dark. I heard a faint, metallic scraping noise from the street below. I made my way to the bedroom window and looked out. The wind had died down. The trees across the street were motionless. I heard the scraping noise again and looked straight down. I caught a glimpse of snow being tossed onto the pile that ran along the sidewalk and street. But whoever was shoveling snow remained out of sight.

I put my hand against the window. It was cool to the touch but not nearly as cold as it had been earlier. Another look outside told me temperatures had moderated significantly. There were puddles in the street, snow melt running into a drain grate, and small piles of slush in spots.

I heard Gwen's feet hit the floor and felt her against my back as she wrapped her arms around me and joined me looking out the window. We just stood there for a moment, enjoying the feel of our bodies against each other. Gwen kissed me on the back, broke the embrace and headed to the bathroom. I joined her a moment later.