In Time to Love

by Gloria Martin

  As they spun around the room to Open Arms by Journey, Gina rested her head on his shoulder. Rafe kissed her cheek and whispered how happy he was to have her there in his arms.

  Gina smiled and looked up into his face. He looked absolutely boyish with a grin spread across his lips and a slight twinkling in his eye.

  “I love you,” he said as they spun around the room, pretending no one else existed.

  “I love you, too.”

  They kissed and the room swirled around them. Gina’s dress softly swished across the floor along to the rhythm of the song. She was glad they had taken those dance classes weeks ago and she didn’t have to fret about stepping on his toes, or him stepping on hers.

  In her peripheral vision, she could see other couples joining them out on the dance floor. Soon enough, there were swirling colors moving in time all around them and Gina felt like they were finally beyond being the center of attention for a moment.

  However as soon as the song ended, glasses were being tapped and the chanting of “kiss, kiss” started up. Gina laughed as Rafe pretended he didn’t understand the request. He motioned to himself and Gina in mock incredulity as the chanting intensified.

  Finally someone shouted, “Oh just kiss her already!”

  Rafe obliged and without warning, he dipped Gina down. Her new husband kissing her deeply silenced her shocked squeal of surprise, while the crowded hall erupted into cheers around them.

  Afterwards, it was time for Gina to toss the bouquet. Her bridesmaids along with all of the other single girls and women all crowded in the middle of the dance floor as they vied for a spot up front to catch the symbolic bunch of flowers.

  Gina stood at the far end of the hall and turned her back to the clamoring group of women. She waited a moment while someone started up a drumroll. All of the onlookers joined in, beating on tables or their laps. The noise increased until it suddenly all fell silent and Gina threw her arms back with all her might and sent the bouquet flying through the air.

  For a split second there was only silence before the flowers reached the girls and all hell broke loose as they squealed and grappled with each other to retrieve the flowers. Gina turned around to watch the chaos that ensued. It was highly entertaining.

  The height of the excitement was when a younger cousin of her’s, who was about 10 years old walked out of the bathroom to see the madness that was going on. She nonchalantly approached the horde of struggling women and swiped the bouquet neatly up off of the floor.

  The entire hall erupted into hysterical laughter as the little girl walked off before any of the other girls in the tussle even noticed what happened. Gina was doubled over in a fit of giggles.

  Then they brought out a chair for the next tradition that was to take place. Gina blushed because she had completely forgotten about this part. The groomsmen walked her over to the chair, which sat in the middle of the hall for all to watch.

  Gina sat down, partially nervous, but mostly embarrassed. All around her the crowd tittered and let out a low “ooh” as they got ready for the next part of the night’s entertainment.

  Rafe made a show of encouraging the crowd as he walked up to where his new wife sat in the chair. He got down on his knee and raised his hands in the air to quiet the crowd.

  Trying to restrain her laughter, Gina sat as still as she could while Rafe fingered the hem of her dress. The groomsmen began to chant and soon the crowd joined in.

  Rafe teased them by slipping his hands up under her dress. Gina was giddy as his hands lightly grasped her ankles and slowly pushed up to her knees. His touch was so soft and she blushed deeper as she felt herself getting excited and the crowd’s chanting increased.

  Flashing his devilish smile, Rafe ducked his head underneath her skirts. Gina took a quick breath as the room erupted into whoops and hollers and she felt Rafe’s hot breath between her knees. Her face was crimson with embarrassment as she felt his breath tickle her panties. She felt the gentle warmth of his tongue press against the fabric and she wanted to let out the most indignant noise, but managed to keep her mouth shut.

  Next, she felt his teeth graze her thigh as he took hold of her garter and began to pull it off. He worked it down her leg and finally reemerged from underneath her dress, the treasure clutched between his teeth. As he stood, the onlookers cheered and Rafe threw his hands up in the air in victory.

  Taking the garter from his mouth, Rafe reached out and pulled Gina up from the chair and kissed her. This caused another cheer to erupt from the crowd. Laughing, Gina stayed by his side as the single men formed a mob behind them.

  They jostled each other, awaiting their prize and the drumroll began again. The tension built much in the same way as Rafe pulled the garter back on his fingers like a slingshot. The drumroll increased until the room was thundering and then the moment of silence followed as the small scrap of fabric was released up into the air.

  All at once the guys pounced as the garter floated down. They tackled one another and were on the verge of violence when one of the groomsmen held up his trophy and proclaimed his victory. Another groomsman took it and stretched it around the victor’s head like a headband, causing everyone to crack up in a roar of laughter.

  Amidst the laughter, Rafe pulled Gina close and kissed her. Then he whispered in her ear, “I love you, darling, but when can we get out of here?”

  Still laughing, she whispered back, “Let’s sneak upstairs after this dance.”

  *****

  Gina couldn’t get enough of Rafe as he pressed her up against the wall of the hallway upstairs. He lifted her up and she wrapped her legs around his waist so he could carry her the rest of the way down the hall to his room without having to unlock his lips from hers.

  He fumbled for a second to close and lock the door behind them, but once the latch was in place his hand immediately reached for the back of Gina’s dress. Swiftly, he made his way through the pearl buttons and his warm hands were upon the bare flesh of her back. Simultaneously, Gina had loosened and untied his bowtie and begun to unbutton his shirt, revealing the broad chest underneath covered in a fine coat of dark hair.

  Gina kneaded her fingers in his chest hair, wildly turned on. The two could not press their bodies close enough, and they were wearing far too much clothing. With only their gasping breaths to communicate, they unlatched themselves from one another to strip off the heavy fabrics that encased them.

  As she shimmied out of the heavy skirts of her dress, Rafe pulled her hips back against him. She could feel his hardened member throbbing for her through the fabric of his pants.

  Straightening, she leaned back against her new husband and felt the bare skin of his torso against her back. Rafe kissed and nibbled her neck as his hands ran up and down the length of her arms, pulling one hand behind her to feel his wedding present for her as it throbbed with longing.

  Gina sighed as her body began to tremble with her own longing. She pressed herself against him, teasing and begging for him to take her already. Turning around, she reached behind herself and undid the clasps of her bra.

  It fell to the floor as Rafe lifted her up again, holding her high so that his mouth could caress and suckle her exposed breasts. Her head fell back as she sighed out a delighted moan.

  He gripped her butt firmly as he carried her over to the bed and laid her down on top of the sheets. Gina watched in anticipation as her new husband stood over her and his muscles flexed and rippled as he worked to undo the belt and pants that were keeping his excitement constrained.

  She bit her lip as she watched, she could feel herself dripping wet and soaking through her panties. Somehow being newlyweds and there being a party of a few hundred just downstairs celebrating for them made this all the more exciting. The bass of the dance music pulsed through the floor but offered nothing but a beat for their bodies to begin synchronizing to.

  “I hope you didn’t want to save these,” Rafe said as he took off his pants and reached for her panties. He leaned ov
er her and kissed her hip sensually before ripping the white lace off of her.

  Gina gasped with delight as the fabric disappeared and was immediately replaced by his probing tongue swimming through her wetness. His arms held her legs firmly in the air on either side of his head and her whole body pulsed with each flick of his tongue over her clitoris until she was whimpering and trembling with all of the sensation.

  Gently biting the inside of her thigh, Rafe pulled back from her and stood. Gina’s eyes opened wide with the reprieve and she reached out for him, begging without words.

  Climbing on top of her Rafe stared back into her eyes, both of them were breathing heavily. Gina wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him close to her, the warmth of his body pressed against her as their lips met.

  The taste of herself on his lips drove her wild and she pressed for deeper kisses. Rafe obliged, taking hold of her, his fingers knotting in her hair as he pulled her into himself. She sighed into his kiss, melting beneath his touch.

  Then she felt him inside of her. A new excitement built as he thrust deep inside of her, and Gina felt her ecstasy climb as his mouth moved from hers, to her earlobe, and down her neck. His teeth grazed against her soft exposed flesh as she trembled beneath him.

  His heavy breath turned to grunting as the rhythm of their thrusting hips increased beyond the rhythm of the bass through the floor until their bodies rocked in double time. Their breathing became ragged and Gina’s fluttering moans reached a trembling pitch that signaled her coming orgasm.

  Rafe thrust hard and deep inside of her, the force tipping her over the edge and sending her body into convulsive quakes as he reached his own peak. Letting out a moan that verged on a roar, he met his release inside of her and collapsed over her trembling body.

  They lay there for a few minutes, not saying a word as their muscles quaked and their uneven breathing settled back into normal patterns. Gina held his head where he laid in the crook of her neck. She ran her fingers through his hair absentmindedly as she tried to control the shaking in her legs.

  She could feel the wet stain of their sweat and cum pooling beneath her as she dripped onto the sheets. Rafe began to nuzzle her neck with light kisses and she moaned softly.

  “How do you like married sex?”

  “So much better,” she laughed. “It’s almost like you know what you’re doing now.”

  *****

  The sound of the ocean waves crashing against the sandy beach had become familiar to Gina in the last few weeks. The honeymoon was nearly over, but the couple still woke up each morning with the same hot passion for each other that they had had on their wedding night.

  The light touch of Rafe’s hands running over her bare skin in the grey hours of dawn woke Gina from her dreamless sleep. His hands were the single most relaxing thing she had ever felt, and they drifted over her body every morning as if they were exploring it again for the first time. They never tired of their travels, roaming over the soft curves as they crested on the hills of her shoulders and hips and descended into the valleys of her elbows, waist, and knees.

  After a while, his hands were joined by his soft kisses. His breath was hot on her neck as he nibbled her earlobe and whispered, “Good morning, my love.”

  “Mmmm,” she moaned as she rolled over to look into the liquid gold of his eyes. “Just another day in paradise.”

  “For another week at least.”

  “Do we have to go back?”

  They both laughed, knowing they had abandoned their normal lives for far too long already. Gina needed to get back to work at the library, and Rafe had plenty of work backed up for him. More than a few individuals had been miffed that he had gone on an extended honeymoon in the first place when he was such an important individual in the community.

  Gina cuddled up to Rafe and laid her head on his chest. He ran his fingers through her hair as they both stared off into the quiet of their beach house bedroom. Kissing the top of her head, Rafe asked, “Well, what would you like for breakfast?”

  “Hmmm….” She thought out loud. “How about sausage?”

  “Wasn’t that your midnight snack?” Rafe laughed along with Gina as she sat up in bed and leaned over to kiss him. The first rays of light were just beginning to creep over the horizon and shine in through the windows.

  Throwing his arms around her waist, Rafe turned her over and held himself above her. She wrapped her arms and legs around him and pulled him down onto her. Their bodies pressed together as they kissed.

  “Well are you going to get up and cook me anything or not?” she teased as Rafe pulled away.

  He sat up and tugged lightly on his halfway hardened self. “This is what you meant, right? You did say sausage.”

  Gina laughed. “Fix me a real breakfast and I’ll give you a morning treat.”

  “Aren’t you the woman,” he joked as he got up out of bed. “How am I the one getting stuck in the kitchen?”

  “Because you know if you send me in there we’d be in danger of burning this whole place down,” she laughed.

  “True,” he groaned as he walked over to the kitchen area.

  Gina admired his body as he moved. It was hard to believe that it had been nearly two whole months since they had been married. The first month they spent traveling, mostly in Europe. The second month they had spent at a beach house owned by the pack.

  Aside from the excellent sex, Gina had enjoyed all the lazy vacations clichés from staying in bed all day, to lying out in the sun until she was tanned darker than she had ever been before.

  Rafe moved around the kitchen and began to cook breakfast for the two of them. Within minutes the smell of frying sausage and eggs filled the air. Gina was quite entertained to watch her naked chef.

  Breathing deeply, she was suddenly hit by a wave of nausea. She lay back in the bed for a second thinking it would pass. When it did not, she got up and bolted for the bathroom.

  The sickness was sudden and she felt a feverish flash that ended as soon as the puking did. Turning on the water, she began to rinse her mouth with water from the sink faucet. Looking up into the mirror, she saw Rafe standing behind her looking quite confused.

  “Are you okay?” he asked as he reached out to rub her back.

  Gina was shaking lightly. Somehow she knew for certain when she answered. “I’m pregnant.”

  Rafe’s jaw dropped for a moment before a bright beaming smile spread across his face. “Are you really?”

  “Well I can’t think of any other reason I’d have morning sickness,” she answered.

  Rafe spun her around and kissed her. Gina smiled back as she watched the exuberant joy spread across her husband’s face. He hugged her and kissed her over and over again asking if she was sure.

  “Well we can always go by the drug store and pick up a test,” she told him. However she knew that she was right. She was over a week late for her period and this was morning sickness. Pregnancy was the logical conclusion.

  Rafe was bouncing around the beach house unable to contain his excitement. While they had not planned on having kids immediately, he was in no way disappointed by this turn of events.

  With all of the conversations they had had about children, Gina knew that Rafe was excited to be a father. He had been looking forward to it for years, wanting to raise a couple of kids and have that white picket fence kind of a family.

  She smiled as she imagined him having that family of his dreams. It was all they had ever wanted besides one another. He was already dialing the phone, but she came over and stopped him.

  “What’s wrong,” he asked.

  “Nothing,” she smiled. “I just want to wait until we get back before we tell anyone. And I want to keep you to myself for a few more days too.”

  Rafe kissed her. “I’ll schedule you a doctor’s appointment for as soon as we get back. Then we can announce it.”

  *****

  The return to their hometown and their regular lives was quite a bit more exciti
ng than they expected. Once they had the doctor’s appointment and made the announcement, the small town buzzed with excitement.

  Friends, family, and gossips of the town would stop in the library just to get the scoop about the baby. Aunts and cousins wanted to know if they had already put together a registry for the baby shower and if she had picked out the colors for the nursery.

  Gina was a little annoyed with all the questions and gossip. She really just wanted to return to the peace and quiet of the library, but these women insisted on invading every inch of her privacy, even going so far as to try to touch her when she was barely even showing.

  Suddenly, nothing was private or belonged to herself anymore. Gina felt like she had become public property. Strangers she hardly talked to asked her about intimacies and her bodily functions, and got offended when she refused to share such information.

  They would huff and mutter about how they were only trying to be polite or helpful and Gina would momentarily feel guilty. Then she would remember that it was her body and they had no reason to feel entitled to it just because she was pregnant. Charlotte and Leila were a good support and both seemed to relish the opportunity to tell people to get lost and leave Gina alone.

  Charlotte would offer to let Gina hide among the stacks to avoid unwanted visitors. She understood how awful it was to have unwanted community attention and so she offered what little help she could to her coworker. She made sure to keep from asking personal questions and instead resigned herself to being a listener.

  Leila on the other hand, didn’t flinch at being a little nosy. However, she at least had the legitimate excuse of being the aunt. For the most part, most of her inquiries revolved around names and if she’d get to be the godmother. It was a far cry from old women that Gina didn’t know asking her how often she threw up or if she was often constipated.

  Even worse for Gina was when people would reach out and touch her without reason or warning. It freaked her out when a hand would suddenly appear on her abdomen. Yet it bewildered her that they would take offense when she asked not to be touched, as if she had told them they shouldn’t sit on a public park bench. It infuriated Gina, especially as the pregnancy progressed and her temper grew even shorter than it was to begin with. As her child grew inside of her, fewer and fewer people gave her the basic respect she deserved.