Doves Migration (9 page)

reached inside his coat pocket and pulled out an envelope with documents
tucked neatly inside. Taking the tickets, Joshua looked at Elise in
hesitation. As much as she wanted Joshua to say yes, seeing the look in his
eyes, Elise knew this was out of the question, so she smiled and nodded
reassuringly at him.
Before Joshua had a chance to refuse, Michael and William told them
how his career was well on track now that the Myles’ along with Alfred
Honeycutt had requested that upon returning from his honeymoon, Joshua
should be in charge of overseeing their holdings and business matters from
here out. In complete shock, Joshua didn’t know what to say.
Rapidly Michael added, “We’ve tried to think of everything, to assure
both of you begin your new lives together as man and wife should. Even
your living accommodations once you return have been arranged. You see,
Lucas has decided it was time he found his own home here in New York,
so my home off Bloomindale Boulevard will be vacant. So when you
return, perhaps you will do me the honor of accepting this home as a gift
from your mother and me, since we both have found another in which to
begin our new life here in New York.”
The couple stood in complete shock, unable to speak. Not only had
they just been offered a trip to England; they had discovered Joshua’s law
practice was well on the road to recovery with influential clients, along
with the fact they now had their own home.
“Speaking for both Elise and myself, I . . . er . . . We’re speechless.
And as well meaning as your thoughtful gifts were intended, I’m afraid we,
simply can’t . . .”
“Son.” William Carmidy interrupted. “Before you try to refuse, please
consider what I’m about to say. All of us here in this room, along with
those whom we have mentioned, look at you two as a symbol of hope for
this grieving nation. When we look at you and your bride, our daughter,”
William paused to look over at Elise before continuing, “we see how
extremely, strong-willed, fine people, despite their differences, managed to
find some happiness in all this madness. Don’t you see, just seeing you two
together renews our hope that we can rebuild and somehow come to terms
with our differences and put the past four years behind us. So please, son,
allow us to offer these gifts as a token of our appreciation and well wishes
for a new life for you and your bride. A life that both of you have earned
and deserve.”
Solemnly, Joshua looked between his parents, Michael and Sarah, and
finally Elise before answering. “Well father, I just have one question. When
do we leave?”
Hearing his response Elise squealed in delight and wrapped her arms
around his neck tightly. “Oh thank you, Joshua.”
Rushing to her mother excitedly she said, “I can’t believe this is
happening! How did you ever manage to keep something like this from us?
When did you pack our clothes? When did Mr. Brown decide not to rent
Michael’s home any longer? Oh Mama, thank you so much.”
Sarah looked at Mary smiling. “Oh you’d be surprised what can be
accomplished when two mothers put their heads together.”
Turning to Mary Carmidy, Elise’s lips started quivering. Running to
Joshua’s mother, who was on the verge of tears herself, Elise hugged her
tightly. “Oh thank you so much, Mother Carmidy.”
“No it’s I who thank you my dear, for making my son so happy. Just go
and enjoy yourselves.”
For several minutes, the six of them chattered about, as Elise and
Joshua repeatedly thanked them and went over the particulars of their
generous gifts.

As arranged by their friends and family, Joshua and Elise left their
wedding reception to begin married life at their new home on Bloomindale
Boulevard. As the carriage pulled up in front of the three-story, brick
federal dwelling, Montgomery, the Honeycutt’s chauffeur stepped down
and politely addressed Joshua. “Sir, I’ve been instructed by Mr. Honeycutt
to return tomorrow in the event you and your Missus will be requiring
anything.”

“Yes, Montgomery. Not too early, make it past noon, good man.”
Turning his attention to Elise, Joshua offered his hand. “Ready to start our
new life?”

Accepting his help, Elise smiled at him and nodded. “More than you
could ever know.”
After opening the door, Joshua turned to Elise and scooped her into his
arms and carried her over the threshold. Giggling, she wrapped her arms
tightly around his neck, her pulse quickening and she whispered, “What if
someone is watching?”
“Let ’em! You’re mine now.” Closing the door behind him with his
foot, still carrying Elise, Joshua made his way up the stairs leading to the
second floor, heading in the direction to the only room where the door had
been left ajar.
“Where are you taking me, darling?” She asked, acting as if she didn’t
know.
“To settle some unfinished business,” he said huskily, while bending
down to kiss her eager lips passionately.
Stepping into the room, while still locked in their embrace, Joshua
tenderly released Elise. As her feet touched the floor, her arms still holding
his neck, Joshua wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her petite
frame snuggly against him. Feeling their bodies so close to one another, the
urgency in their desires intensified, and Joshua slid his tongue into her
mouth, which Elise eagerly accepted, moaning and pulling him even closer.
As their breathing increased, Joshua pulled slightly away from her to gaze
into her eyes. Tenderly his hand slid to the small of her back. “Perhaps we
should see where we are?”
Chuckling nervously, Elise nodded, and the two of them looked about
the small but quaint bedroom where a poster bed nestled up along a wall,
with two matching mahogany night stands on each side. Six feet to the left
of the bed, under a window, was a table and two tapestry-padded chairs. On
the table stood a silver ice bucket with an unopened bottle of champagne
wrapped in linen, and there were two glasses set next to a vase of fresh-cut
lilacs. Directly across from the bed was a fireplace, and to the right of the
room was a small sitting area with a settee, small round end table and
Queen Anne chair.
“Oh Joshua, it’s perfect!” she exclaimed. “Absolutely perfect.”
“You’re perfect.”
Taking her hand in his, they walked over to the table holding the
champagne, and Joshua pulled out the bottle and smiled, while Elise sat on
the edge of the bed, hoping their first time together would not be
disappointing for him, since she was inexperienced in lovemaking.
Admiring how skillfully Joshua opened the bottle and poured the
contents into the two glasses, she said, “They thought of everything didn’t
they?”
Accepting the champagne from him, Elise took a small sip, and
wrinkled her nose as the bubbles tickled it. “I wonder if any of our clothes
were left unpacked in the wardrobe over there?”
Not responding with words, Joshua’s eyes sparkled as he drew closer
to her and gently took the glass from her hand and placed in on the
nightstand. Turning back, he whispered tenderly, “I don’t think we’ll be
needing a change of clothes this evening, darling.”
From his look, Elise knew precisely what was on his mind and her
heart raced.
What if I don’t please him,
she thought nervously
.
Kneeling in front of her, Joshua cupped his hands around her face. “Do
you?” he asked, huskily, showering her with tender short kisses trailing
down her cheek and neck. Feeling his touch, her concerns started to vanish
and she moaned his name as her breathing increased.
“Will you let me help you slip out of your wedding dress, darling?”
“If you would like,” Elise said shyly, hoping her voice didn’t sound as
nervous as she felt.
Tracing her face with his fingertips, Joshua started to unlace her shoes.
Removing them, his fingers suggestively began inching up her calf as he
caressed her leg while he tenderly removed her stockings. Hearing her
breathing increase, he seductively asked, “Did Mammy Tess undress you
like this, darling?”
“Not quite, like this . . .” she whispered, her voice trailing off, feeling
his hands caress her frame until it reached the first pearl button of her lace
gown. Feeling his breath on her cheek, as he bent forward releasing the
loop around the button, her heartbeat soared. Never had she imagined a
man’s touch could be so inviting and gentle as his.
Gazing into her eyes, Joshua jokingly said, “If I didn’t know better, I’d
swear this gown was picked out deliberately to keep me from you.”
“Shall I help?” Elise asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
“No. Please, darling let me. Unless it makes you uncomfortable.”
Hearing no complaints from Elise, Joshua slowly unfastened each of
the buttons that trailed from her neck to her midriff. His tenderness aroused
her, and as he delicately opened her blouse fully exposing her ivory-white
neck and chest, it rose up and down with every intake of her quickened
breath. Saying not a word, he gingerly slid his fingers across her bare skin
and gasped at the feel of her.
“Your skin feels like silk,” he huskily whispered.
She closed her eyes, allowing herself to fully enjoy his touch, which
sent immediate waves of desires through her. Elise moaned softly, “Oh
Joshua . . .”
Gliding her blouse fully from her arms, he discarded it near his feet
then delicately traced the length of her arms across her shoulder until he
reached her corset. Feeling his fingers slide inside the rigid garment
between her bosoms, she gasped as his fingers found the drawstrings,
nestled between her pert breasts. Masterfully, he untied them and gently
loosened the tight hold of the garment around Elise’s torso.
After unfastening the cord from every hole, the corset was also
discarded.
Never could Elise imagine such tenderness existed between a man and
a woman, which only caused her to desire Joshua more. As his fingers
caressed the tops of her breasts, Elise’s breathing increased and she
moaned in delight. Then tenderly, his hands lifted her arms over her head,
as he stood directly in front of her and removed her camisole.
Taking her hands in his, Joshua helped Elise to her feet. His eyes traced
her nakedness, while his breathing increased. As their eyes met, she saw
the depth of his love, and her hands trailed up his arms to his shoulders
while losing any inhibitions by his sensual touch. Slowly and deliberately,
Joshua unfastened the buttons of her skirt one-by-one until the creamcolored garment, free from restraints, fell around her feet.
Anticipation increased while he gingerly slid his fingers inside the
waist of her pantaloons and slowly eased himself downward following the
garment over her thighs until it was free from her body. Still grasping onto
his shoulders for balance, Elise stepped free of them one leg at a time,
while Joshua traced her frame with his fingers, sending pulsating longing
through her.
Shifting her head while arching her back, slightly exposing her
complete nakedness to Joshua freely, she drank in the pleasure of his caress
on her naked thighs and midriff, moaning, never experiencing such
pleasure. As his hands trailed up her body, he paused and tenderly kissed
her abdomen, which sent immediate aching to her loins. “
Joshua
. . .”
Responding by lifting her into his arms, he tenderly lay her on the bed,
while gazing wontedly at her creamy white skin. No longer was Elise
concerned of pleasing him. Her urgency and desires increased as she
watched him quickly remove his clothing. The sounds of their rapid
breathing filled the room, until Elise gasped at seeing his masculine
physique and enlarged manhood.
With one knee planted firmly on the edge of the bed, he leaned over
and tenderly kissed her scared knee and thigh while huskily saying, “My
poor darling. No one will ever hurt you again.”
Knowing his bride was a virgin, and that their first encounter together
may be painful, he softly whispered, “Not even me. I’ll try, my darling, to
be as gentle as I can.”
Touched by his concern for her at such a moment of intense yearning,
she reached for him. “Oh Joshua, please come love me.” As his body slid
next to hers, feeling his firm nakedness on her skin sent new longings
through her.
Huskily he whispered, “I do love you, Mrs. Carmidy.” While cupping
his hands around her face, he tenderly began kissing her. As their fervor
increased, so did the intensity of his kiss, while his hand inched down her
neck to her pert rounded breasts, causing her to moan softly again.
Especially aroused by how Elise responded so readily to his touch, Joshua
then began gently kissing her bare skin where his hands had just been and
she stirred beside him, her breathing increased, moaning his name softly.
“Oh Joshua, Joshua.”
Feeling his tongue glide across her ribs and down to her navel sparked
a fervor inside her that she had never experienced before. Softly moaning
under her breath, her head moving from side to side, taking in the full
pleasure that Joshua was bringing to her, she gasped, feeling his fingers
slide inside the moist crevice of her body.
Never had she experienced such pulsating pleasures, and instinctively,
Elise grasped his shoulders as he began sucking her nipples. Breathlessly,
she pleaded with him, “Oh please Joshua, please . . . Come to me. . . .”
Certain she was completely aroused and would be able to accept his
full erection, Joshua kissed her stomach as he removed his fingers from
inside her, while gently raising his body over hers. Tenderly he edged his
enlarged manhood between her legs and slowly, while kissing Elise
tenderly, Joshua entered her.
Feeling their bodies being joined, they both gasped as Elise wrapped
her arms around his neck. Slowly Joshua inched himself further inside until
she gradually accepted all of him, while softly groaning. Feverishly she
pushed her body up to his until she lost control and let her desires release
as she called out his name.
Feeling her tighten up around him, Joshua, no longer able to hold back
his desires, matched Elise’s urgency and exploded in a fiery raw passion of
ecstasy, as they climaxed together. Their bodies erupted in the culmination
of the pent-up longings for over four years and they clung one to the other,
breathlessly, kissing each other frantically.
Elise, overwhelmed by her love for Joshua, began to tremble as she
softly wept in his arms. Aware of her tears, Joshua began to pull from her,
but Elise grasped his neck tighter.
Unsure what to say at a moment as this, she whispered, “No Joshua,
please don’t leave me. You’re not hurting me, honest. Just let me feel us
like this a little longer. I love you so much, it hurts . . .”
Tenderly he wiped her tears, and kissed her eyelids. “I love you so
much Elise, it scares me. More than you could ever imagine, even more
than I had ever dreamt possible.”
Feeling his desire mounting again, Joshua lowered his head and
eagerly Elise parted her lips as his mouth came crushing down on hers. As
their passions became more urgent, the two of them again fulfilled their
needs in the rapture of their love.