Back to Life Ch. 06 and Epilogue

Peter was resplendent in a white tuxedo, with tails, the bow tie and cummerbund a ruby color to match his bride's dress accents. He had given himself wholly over to her, and she was pleased that he hadn't balked at wearing a color other than black and white to their wedding. His dress shoes were a brilliant white to match his suit. His best man matched him in style and elegance, and both men stood proudly next to the women they squired for the pictures afterwards. They had chosen to be married in Brummen, at the Kasteel Engelenburg, and the reception was scheduled for a part of the grounds where they would have a degree of privacy, and could dance till their feet fell off.

Though the party was small, the elegance more than made up for any lack of numbers. They took copious amounts of photographs in the beautiful grounds, and there was much laughter during the speeches and toasts. Karen watched Peter's face warm when Jannie, asked to share a memory of her cousin, told of the first time she met Karen, months earlier. She described him as "swept away on a tide of feeling" that she had only been praying for for years. She noted that he had probably thought he was hiding the fact that he was smitten from her and duncan, but that he seemed to have forgotten that they had spent a lot of time together, and she knew him too well to be fooled. George spoke of his devotion to his "baby sister", and of his happiness that at last she had found someone worthy of the generous heart she had.

The reception went on for hours, it seemed, but Peter and Karen slipped away before the end, having done their duty as hosts. Instead of throwing her bouquet, Karen had hugged her friend and handed Toni the bouquet, with a sly wink at Niall. Peter surprised Niall by handing him Karen's garter, and instructing him to put it to good use. Karen laughed delightedly to see Niall, the confident man she knew, at a loss for words. He reached down to kiss Toni's cheek, and they all cheered. Perhaps there would be another wedding soon.

They had booked the hotel for two nights, and Toni had been charged with wrapping up the festivities. Karen smiled when she returned to their suite and found a bath running, champagne and two glasses already on the side, toiletries and towels ready for their use. She poured in some liquid from a pretty bottle on the side, and watched the bubbles rise.

"It would be a shame to spoil this lovely dress by getting it all wet, liefje," Peter said in her ear, coming up soundlessly behind her. "Let me help you with it."

She shivered, feeling for all the world like a virginal bride, instead of the woman who had shared his bed for the past two months.

"You are beautiful, sweetie, and you were exquisitely so today." He kissed her tenderly along the line of her neck, and went on to kiss her in the hollow of her throat, forgetting for the moment his self-imposed task. His hands wandered over her body in the dress, before he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her deeply.

"I love you, Mevrouw van der Meulen," he whispered, dropping a light peck on her lips before turning her around to unzip the dress. "Step out of it," he said, and held it till she had complied. He went to drape it over the back of a chair, and returned to finish undressing her. When she was naked before him, he kissed her again, and moaned when she ran her hand down the hard evidence of his passion for her.

"I love you, too, Mijnheer van der Meulen," she said, and removed his suit jacket and cummerbund. Untying the bow tie, she used the two ends to pull him to her mouth, and laid butterfly kisses on his cheeks, his chin, the strong column of his throat, everywhere but his lips, till he stilled her by grasping her head in his hands and bring his mouth to hers.

"Tease!" he scolded her, but let her finish undressing him.

They stepped into the tub together and sank beneath the fluffy bubbles. The water was warm, and they relaxed, stretching their tired limbs, before Peter pulled her over to straddle him. He caressed her back, kneading her shoulders gently, and then sliding his hands around to treat her breasts to the same tender attention.

"I want you so badly, liefje," he confessed, "that I'm not sure I can wait too much longer." He kissed her and thrust his hips up to pierce her pussy. Then he withdrew, and reached for the champagne. "Let's drink to our life together, petal," he invited her, and they clinked their glasses and drank deeply. Taking the glass away from her, he said, "Now let's make love."

His last words were muffled by his mouth taking hers, and Karen let herself be swept away by the passion that erupted in her husband. When he had made her come twice, and then followed her into a third orgasm, he stood with her, unplugged the bath, and rinsed her off with the rain showerhead. Then he dried her and patted her bottom.

"I'll be with you in a moment. I bought you something that I'd like you to wear tonight. It's on the bed."

Karen stepped into the bedroom and saw with some astonishment that a deep ruby red negligee had been set out on the bed. She had an idea of who had helped Peter with this purchase, because she recognized it as one she had liked when she and Toni had been shopping for honeymoon nightwear. She remembered Toni distracting her from it, but because she had been happy with what she had chosen, she let it pass. She smiled as she put on the barely there bikini panties, and slid the wispy top over her head. The cut of the front left little to the imagination, and was so flimsy she knew if Peter got even a little rough with her, the garment would be irreparably damaged. The thought made her blood pressure rise.

When he came out of the bathroom, he was wearing a robe that covered all the bits she most wanted to play with. She pouted at him.

"No fair," she said. "I'm all exposed, and you're all hidden."

"Then undress me again, baby." he invited her, a twinkle in his eyes.

The foreplay lengthened between them, from the moment she pulled the robe off his shoulders, to the second before he plunged into her, taking her body and soul. They made love twice more that night, and Peter wrung cries of bliss from her before finally, exhausted and hoarse, she collapsed against his chest and fell asleep. They didn't manage to wake in time to have breakfast with their guests, who were all waiting indulgently for them to appear. Karen fought against blushing, especially when she remembered their last session, in the shower. If she had ever thought older men took longer to get it up, Peter was proving her wrong.

A pleasant day at the open air museum in Arnhem, and their guests departed, all except for the English ones, who would travel with them to Schiphol airport the next day. Karen spent a few moments with Toni before bed.

"I've never seen you look so radiant, Karen," Toni declared, hugging her tightly. "It's been such a lovely two days with you and Peter. And I'm so pleased to see you so happy!"

"I guess it was just time, eh?" Karen said, smiling. "And if I'm not much mistaken, your time is coming soon."

Toni blushed, surprising Karen. "Niall is a great guy. Thanks for introducing him to me."

"Any time, sweetie! Now, about my fee..."

Both women burst out laughing, causing heads to turn in their direction.

"I'd better get up to bed. Tomorrow will be a long day." Karen kissed her friend's cheek and said her goodnights, escaping to the calm of her suite. Peter wasn't far behind. By mutual consent, they showered, put on night clothes, and snuggled together.

"Goodnight, liefje," Peter whispered in her ear. "Sleep sweet." He hugged her to his chest, and dropped a kiss on the top of her head.

"Night," she answered sleepily, yawning. She didn't know when she fell asleep.

After a day of traveling and Peter took her home to Jamaica. Karen was flabbergasted. She hadn't known his plan, and when he confessed that there would be another Caribbean trip to the two other islands she had told him of at Christmas, to finish their honeymoon, her cup of gratitude overflowed.

"Oh Peter, you shouldn't have," she had exclaimed in the airport when she found out where they were going. He had merely smiled at her, and hugged her to him.

Now, in the cool of their honeymoon suite, he told her again,

"Ik hou van je, liefje," he said, kissing her mouth, the sound of the waves filtering in though the open windows. "I will do everything I can to make you happy."

"You already make me happy, love," she said, letting him pull her with him onto the bed.

They stayed like that till they fell asleep, wrapped in each other's arms.