As the cart pulls into the yard the apprehension that's been building in my belly is coming to a crescendo. I'm beginning to somewhat panic. James and I are both inexperienced, but he's less inclined than I to wait and become comfortable with one another before jumping into a physical relationship. As is evidenced by the way his pants have been a bit tight in that region, his excitement to get home is obvious. His hurried movements to get me in the house give away his eagerness to consummate our new marriage tonight. He leads me in with a hand on the small of my back and his other holding my heavy bags.
"I'll show you the way up to the bedroom then take care of the horse before joining you." He tells me, rushing out of the room before I've had a chance to speak. I rub my arm in discomfort once he leaves, not quite knowing what to do with myself or what he expects of me. I have no clue whether I should begin to undress or if he'll be upset if I've already done that when he returns. I decide to wash up a bit, shedding my outer layers and using a cloth that sits on the nightstand.
I stand in my shift, wiping down my neck and chest with the water from the basin when the door opens and James steps through. I hear his breath catch when he sees me. It must be a shock for him to see a nearly naked woman standing in his bedroom, as he's never seen one before tonight. I can't blame him, it's not as if I've had my fill of naked men, I'm sure I won't be much better when the time comes. I hear the click of the door closing behind him and try to ignore whatever he's doing in favor of wiping my face and arms of the dust that's settled from our journey here. I have my eyes closed, relishing the coolness of the cloth against my neck when I feel hands clasp my waist, making me jump. My eyes fly open and I see James in the mirror, standing behind me, staring at the back of my neck and shoulders. He bends and drops a kiss to my spine, making me shudder. He doesn't retreat and my body chills as the hair on my back moves when he breathes against me. I drop my head back against his chest and his hands come up my waist, and he turns me around. Gently, he takes the cloth from my hand and lays it on the vanity in a wet heap. My cheeks are beginning to color and my breathing has picked up slightly, but he seems so collected. Not at all how I thought he would be acting at this point. Of the two of us, he was the one looking forward to our joining, and yet he's so calm, slowly pulling me into him.