Champagne and Candlelight

VII


Jarrod spurred Jingo on violently and Amber was hard pressed to catch up.

“I can’t believe his nerve!” Jarrod hissed. Amber had seen the hurt and disappointment on Jarrod’s face turn to anger when the minister who was covering for Rev. Stacey refused to marry them. He had grabbed Amber’s hand and dragged her out of the church behind him, telling her to mount up before riding off.

“Jarrod,” she called, “Jarrod, it’s okay.” Amber pulled up alongside and saw the pain in Jarrod’s eyes. She loved him, loved him with all her heart and soul, but now that love was causing her beloved pain. She steeled herself, knowing what she had to do. “You don’t have to marry me, Jarrod. I understand.”

“NO!”

Amber quailed at the fury in Jarrod’s voice. Never having seen his temper before, Amber wasn’t sure how to react.

Jarrod noticed the alarm on her face and his expression changed to one of contrition. “I’m sorry, Amber, I didn’t mean to take it out on you. I love you and we are going to be together. It’s just so frustrating!” He shook his head. “Rev. Allen had no call to refuse to marry us.”

“He’s not obligated to marry anyone if he doesn’t think it’s right,” Amber reminded him gently.

“Even if we know it’s right?” Jarrod reached over to touch her leg and Amber smiled at his blue eyes so full of love.

“Even so. It doesn’t matter, Jarrod, we know what’s in our hearts.”

Jarrod suddenly pulled Jingo off the road and Amber followed, wondering where he was going, and dismounted when he did. He took her hands in his. “I want to marry you, Amber, right here, right now.”

Jarrod dropped to his knees, pulling Amber with him and gazed deeply into her eyes. “I, Jarrod Barkley, do take you, Amber Barkley, to be my wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, in sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer, for better or for worse, in sadness and in joy, being faithful to you alone until death do us part.”

Jarrod’s declaration of the marriage vows tugged at her heart and Amber’s eyes became bright with tears as she repeated them. “I, Amber Barkley, do take you, Jarrod Barkley, to be my husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, in sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer, for better or for worse, in sadness and in joy, being faithful to you alone until death do us part.”

“And what God has joined together, let no man put asunder,” Jarrod whispered, placing a hand on her cheek and tilting her head for a tender, loving kiss. “Now all we need is a judge’s signature to make it legal.”

Amber sank into his arms. “I love you, Jarrod.”

Jarrod held her close. “And I love you.” He kissed her forehead, then a devilish smile came over his face. “And I just had a brilliant idea. If we hurry, we can catch the last train to San Francisco. We’ll find a judge to witness our vows in the morning and I can give you a wonderful honeymoon at the same time. What do you say?”

“Jarrod, I don’t even have a change of clothes,” Amber protested laughingly.

“I’ll buy you whatever you need,” he assured her with another kiss. “It’ll give me a chance to spoil you rotten.”

“Well, in that case…” Amber got to her feet and mounted her horse. “Let’s ride.”

*

The train pulled into San Francisco well after dark and it was late by the time they got to the Palace Hotel.

“We’d like a room, please,” Jarrod informed the desk clerk. “A suite, if you have it. We’ll be staying a few days.”

“Jarrod, we don’t need a suite,” Amber objected as the clerk went to get their key.

Jarrod turned to her with a smile. “Hush. It’s our honeymoon, and you deserve the best.”

The clerk came back and handed Jarrod a key and turned the register toward him. “Room 412. That’s on the fourth floor. If you’ll just sign here, sir.” Jarrod took the proffered pen and Amber’s heart warmed to see him write ‘Mr. & Mrs. Jarrod Barkley’. They headed to the stairs before Jarrod said, “Wait here a moment.” Amber didn’t hear what he said to the clerk, but saw some money change hands and heard the young man’s answer of “Right away, Mr. Barkley, sir.”

When they reached their room, Jarrod opened the door and swept Amber into his arms, carrying her into the room and pushing the door closed with his foot.

“Jarrod, put me down!” she laughed as he carried her across the sitting room, through the open bedroom door and deposited her on the bed.

“There!” Jarrod proclaimed and joined her, leaning over her to kiss her passionately. Amber wrapped her arms around him and kissed him back, pulling his shirt out from his waistband and running her hands over the smooth skin of his back. Jarrod got as far as undoing the top three buttons of her shirt when they heard a knock on the door.

“Room service,” a voice from outside called.

“We didn’t order room service,” Amber said, puzzled.

Jarrod kissed the tip of her nose. “Ah, but we did.” He got up and went into the outer room, not bothering to tuck his shirt back in. Amber heard him open the door and say something to the hotel employee, then heard the door shut again.

Jarrod reappeared, pushing a cloth-covered cart. He picked up two long-stemmed glasses and placed them on the nightstand, followed by an ice bucket with a bottle inside.

“Champagne.”

He then lifted off two silver candlesticks, which he placed beside the glasses.

“And candlelight.”

Amber was speechless as Jarrod lit the candles and turned down the lamps. The light of the flames danced off the crystal and Amber couldn’t help a smile as Jarrod popped the cork.

“You are an amazing man, you do know that?”

Jarrod handed her a glass and sat down beside her. “So I’ve been told,” he said, smiling. Amber’s blue eyes met his and they were lost in a loving gaze for a long moment before Jarrod lifted his glass.

“To my incredible, beautiful wife,” he declared softly.

“And to my wonderful, charming husband,” Amber added. They lightly clinked the glasses together and drank of the sparkling liquid.

Jarrod wordlessly took her glass and returned it to the nightstand and pushed her back on the bed, continuing to remove her shirt.

“You are beautiful,” he breathed, gazing at her bared chest in the candlelight. Amber just lay there, breathing heavily as she waited for Jarrod to touch her. Her eyes widened in surprise as Jarrod picked up one of the champagne flutes and dipped his finger.

“What are you doing?” she asked breathlessly as he drew a lazy circle around her nipple with the wet finger.

“You didn’t think the champagne was only for drinking?” he teased as he bent down to kiss her breast. He repeated the action on the other side, rubbing champagne on the tip and sucking it off.

“I guess I just wasn’t thinking,” Amber responded with a laugh as Jarrod dripped the liquor into her navel and lapped it up. He rubbed his champagne-soaked finger across her lips and kissed them, the alcohol and already sweet taste of her making an intoxicating combination.

Amber sat up and took the glass from Jarrod’s hand. “You,” she informed him as she drained the glass and set it down, “are wearing entirely too many clothes.” She unbuttoned his shirt and pushed it open, running her hands over his chest. Jarrod quickly undid the cuffs and removed the shirt the rest of the way as Amber worked at unfastening his belt and pants, freeing his straining erection.

It was Jarrod’s turn to be pushed back on the bed as Amber made short work of taking off his pants and boots and his turn to smile as she drizzled champagne down the middle of his chest and stomach and licked it off slowly. But he wasn’t expecting the stream of cool liquid running down his shaft, dripping onto his balls and gasped when the coolness was followed by the heat of Amber’s mouth sucking it off. She started at the base, running her tongue across the soft skin of his scrotum then up the length of his hardness, engulfing the crown with her lips. Jarrod moaned with contentment as Amber sucked him in and out of her mouth, wanting nothing more than to taste him.

“Oh, Amber,” he panted, fighting the urge to thrust into her mouth, “I can’t hold it, baby, I’m going to--- Ohhhh!” he groaned as his balls tightened and his maleness erupted down her throat. Amber swallowed every last drop and gave him one last languorous caress with her tongue before moving back up to taste his lips. Jarrod slipped a hand around the back of her neck, holding her close, prolonging and deepening the kiss.

“You didn’t have to do that,” he whispered, not trusting his voice.

“But I wanted to,” she assured him, “anything to give you pleasure.”

Jarrod chuckled and rolled her over. “Now who’s wearing too many clothes?” he chided, realizing she was still wearing her riding skirt and boots.

“Well,” she said, slipping out of his grasp and off the bed, “if you pour us each another drink, I’ll take them off for you.”

Jarrod complied, filling up both glasses with cold champagne and he sat back against the headboard, sipping as he watched Amber first take off her boots, then her pants, followed by her stockings and undergarments, all in a slow, seductive manner. His member stiffened again as he watched and he reached a hand down to lazily stroke it.
Amber collected her glass and slipped onto the bed next to him, never taking her eyes off his slowly moving hand. “Do you mind if I watch?” she asked. Jarrod just gave her an enticing smile and stroked harder. Amber drank her champagne as she enjoyed the sight of Jarrod pleasuring himself, watching him gather the moisture at the tip of his erection and spread it down the length of his shaft.
“My turn,” she murmured finally as Jarrod’s movements gained in intensity and took both glasses away. Straddling him, Amber gripped his aching hardness and guided it between her legs, lowering herself until he was completely engulfed in her steamy canal. Rocking back and forth, Amber worked him in and out and Jarrod grabbed her hips, timing his thrusts to hers. Jarrod started to move vigorously as he felt the tingle build again and he willed himself to hold on for Amber. He didn’t have long to wait before she moaned in ecstasy and her hot core pulsed around him, making his release all that much sweeter.
Jarrod held her close, basking in the afterglow. “You are more intoxicating than any champagne,” he told her, “and more beautiful than any candlelight. I love you, my sweet Amber, and I’ll never let you go.”
*


Amber awoke the next morning to the sound of Jarrod’s deep, even breathing. She gazed lovingly at the man who was now her husband, maybe not yet in fact, but definitely in her heart. The covers were pushed back and her eyes roved over the strong shoulders, the lean, muscular back and his firm, tight ass.

She carefully slid her hand across his hip and stroked his maleness, causing him to swell, stopping when he stirred slightly. When she was sure he wasn’t about to wake, Amber resumed stroking him, a bit harder this time. Oh, she’d wake Jarrod eventually, but she wanted him primed and ready.

Jarrod stirred again and Amber rubbed the moisture from the tip of his member, using it to aid her movements.

Jarrod’s eyes blinked open to a myriad of sensation. “What…?” he murmured sleepily, then inhaled sharply as Amber’s other hand slipped between his legs and caressed the sensitive skin behind his balls. “Amber…” he gasped.

“Good morning,” she whispered, continuing to minister to him. “I’d say I didn’t mean to wake you, but that would be a total lie.” Jarrod rolled over and grabbed her, pinning her beneath him. Amber didn’t let go of his slowly-filling organ, rubbing the head against her clit, enjoying the sensation while Jarrod took a nipple into his mouth, sucking and nibbling until he was fully ready.

Waking to the feeling of being pleasured was so erotic, Jarrod didn’t waste a moment ramming his entire length into her once he was fully hard. He ground his pelvis against hers and Amber moaned in satisfaction. Jarrod knew she didn’t mind him being forceful, so he drove into her again and again, balls slamming against her ass as he fucked her with a mind-blowing intensity.

“Ohhh, Jarrrrrrrodddd!” Amber cried, her moans turning into a scream as his thrusts sent her over the edge, Jarrod’s own release coming hard on the heels of her orgasm.

They lay together, sucking in much-needed air as Jarrod managed to say, “Well, if anyone nearby was still asleep, I’m sure they’re awake now.”

After a quick wash, they dressed and headed out of their suite for breakfast. A matronly woman gave them a disapproving look as she exited the room beside theirs while Jarrod was locking the door. Knowing there was no way they could feign innocence, Jarrod just slipped an arm around Amber’s waist and pulled her close for a long, passionate kiss. They heard a loud, “Hmph!” as the matron marched away.

“You’re horrible, Jarrod,” Amber giggled as they walked downstairs.

“I thought I was amazing,” Jarrod said with a smile.

“Well,” Amber admitted, “you are amazing. That doesn’t stop you from being horrible.”

His lips brushed across her cheek as they approached the dining room. “I’ll show you just how horrible I am later,” he promised, and Amber felt her knees grow weak at the prospect.

After breakfast, Jarrod hired a cab and took Amber to a shop his mother and sister frequented. Telling the proprietor to make sure his wife had everything she wanted, Jarrod left Amber in the hands of the talented modiste and went to collect some of his own belongings from the townhouse he kept in the city. By the time he returned, wearing one of his best suits, Amber was in charge of several large boxes and dressed in a gown of sea-green silk with a hat to match.

“You are utterly enchanting,” Jarrod told her, taking her hand and kissing it tenderly, making the shopgirls giggle at his gallantry. The debonair lawyer couldn’t help a rakish wink at the two young ladies, and left them sighing, wishing they were in Amber’s shoes.

“You know you’ve just spoiled them for other men,” she chided as he helped her into the cab.

Jarrod turned over her hand and pressed his lips into her palm. “As long as they’re not the only ones I’ve spoiled,” he teased, giving each finger its own slow, languid kiss.

They arrived at City Hall and in no time had their marriage vows witnessed and the legalities all in order. Jarrod then insisted they have their portrait taken and as they were waiting for the photographer to set up, Jarrod reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a small box.

“I hope you like it,” he told her.

“Jarrod,” Amber protested, “I didn’t get you anything.”

Jarrod shook his head, smiling. “Just open it.”

Amber opened the box and inside was nestled a white-gold ring encircled with sapphires. She looked at Jarrod in amazement and he slipped it onto her left hand. “I love you, Amber,” he said softly and brought his lips to cover hers.

“That’s it!”

They broke apart and looked at the young photographer, who in turn looked a bit sheepish. “I mean, it’s a bit risqué, but if you’d like and you can hold that pose, I think it would make a nice wedding picture.”

Jarrod chuckled as they moved into place in front of the camera. “Oh, I believe we can hold that pose for as long as it takes,” he assured the young man and leaned in to kiss his wife again.