“So, there isn’t room to negotiate?”
“Nope.”
“Do you have to do it naked?” She could hear the whine in her voice. Being in the room with him like this was dredging up memories. It didn’t seem she had a choice in sharing the bed with him. The least he could do was put on some clothes.
“As I pointed out earlier, I’m not naked. However, I normally sleep in the buff. It’s better for your health and metabolism. This…” He said plucking the band on his boxers. “… is my compromise to make you comfortable.”
“Some compromise.” She mumbled.
“Left, or right?” Samuel asked.
“I like to be furthest from the door.”
“Perfect. Now, are you sleeping in all of that?” He said looking pointedly at her outfit. “You look hot.” He touched her temple. “You’re sweating.”
“Well, I wasn’t going to sleep in the robe.”
“Then let’s get you out of it.”
Hannah’s body flushed at his words. Her knees almost buckled when he stood. His action caused their bodies to partially rub against each other. They didn’t remain that way, thank God. He moved to stand behind her. She almost stopped breathing when he slipped the robe off and pressed a kiss to her neck. “Would you like help taking off the gown as well?”
“No.” With the way her voice croaked, she sounded like a distant relative of Kermit.
“Are you sure I can’t grab you a t-shirt or a tank top?”
She shook her head. Then thought better of it. For better or worse, this man was her husband. Sweating to death the first night of their marriage because she was overdressed was ridiculous. Purely puritanical crap. She cleared her throat. “I have something lighter to wear.” She offered.
“Good.”
“It’s somewhere in my bag.” With her nerves frayed, she babbled, giving him a play-by-play of her actions. Which he so kindly just listened to. When she found the sleeveless gown that barely skimmed her knees in her bag, she almost ignored it.Stop it.You are not a prude! Well, you shouldn’t be with Samuel. Girl, he is your husband, and he’s seen you in less. Way less.
While she selected the gown, she wasn’t brave enough to change in front of him. “I’ll change in the washroom.” she said. Walking past him, she ignored his indulgent smile. Although the washroom door was closed, she could still hear him singing. Hannah couldn’t make out the song though. But the man could sing. No wonder he made a career of it. When she opened the door, he stopped.
Hannah halted when she saw Samuel was standing on the side of the bed she had selected. As if reading her mind, he explained, “I’m just providing a turndown service.” Then she noticed the sheets were pulled back. She’d left the nightgown in the bathroom. As she approached the bed, he stepped back, allowing her to climb in.
Anticipation hummed as he walked to his side of the bed and got in. It had been months since she slept beside another person. Jeremiah used to complain about her stealing the blankets and her snoring. Hannah lay on her back, even though that wasn’t the position she normally slept in.
Samuel turned to his side. “I’d really appreciate it if my new wife made it through the night. Breath, Jagiya.” He laid a hand on her stomach. Was this supposed to help? She forced out a breath. Then turned her head. “I know I am heavy handed about us sharing a bed together. But beyond that, nothing happens in our bed that you don’t want to happen.”
His words, and the intensity of them is what finally caused her to really relax and get her breathing under control. The consideration he was showing was refreshing. She placed her hand over his. “Thank you.”
“I’m going to turn off the lights so we can get to sleep.” The minute Samuel moved his hand, she missed his touch. As she thought about it, she had not felt self-conscious when he touched her. Interesting, she thought as the room plunged into darkness.
“You don’t have to whisper.” Samuel informed her. “In fact, we can say our nightly prayer together.” Her prayer was barely above a whisper. It surprised her he had heard her at all. As it turned out, it was a good thing that he did. Samuel was a constant source of surprises. He joined their hands as they took turns saying their nightly prayers. Once they were finished, a feeling of contentment washed over her. “That was really nice.”
Hannah didn’t want to spend her time making comparisons between Samuel and Jeremiah. However, she found herself unable to help it. Despite the unconventional origin of her marriage with Samuel, it already was off to a better start.
Turning over, she laid on her side. Samuel must have followed suit because Hannah heard the rustling of sheets. “Can I hold you?” The sound of his voice came over her shoulder. There was no need for her to think about it. “I would like that.”
She felt his arms circle around her waist. It was a comforting feeling with the firmness of his body at her back. The physical act felt like a manifestation of the figurative. For the first time in a long time, she fell asleep with a smile on her face.
ChapterEight
SAMUEL
It had been an hour since Hannah had drifted off to sleep. Well, at least one of them was having a good night’s sleep. Samuel was enduring sweet torture. Her warm, soft, curvy body was pressed against him. For the first fifteen minutes of holding his wife in his arms, he kept his lower half dormant. After that, he lost the battle. He turned to granite as she ground into him. His hand stayed respectfully around her waist. Even with the temptation of the fullness of her globes just above his arms.
This is what he wanted. He signed up for being in this bed with her. All because he couldn’t go another night without having her close. They should have been together all along. Hannah hadn’t chosen him. Hell, she hadn’t even chosen Jeremiah. He knew her. What she had really chosen was the Trinity Covenant Church. His desire for her was unaffected by the negative thoughts. If those thoughts weren’t enough to kill his hard-on, he didn’t know what would.
