Lucien arrived home with excitement in his step, clutching the beautifully wrapped box in his hand. "Jean?" he called out, expecting to hear her in the kitchen or parlor.

But her voice was more distant than that. "Out here!" she replied.

He followed the sound to the sunroom, looking forward to seeing the late afternoon light make her hair shine with strands of mahogany and amber and auburn. He did see that. And much more.

Jean had moved the wicker bench from the wall against the house to the middle of the sunroom, surrounded by blooming flowers. She had positioned herself in a most enticing manner, leaning back with her bare arms wide open, perched on the back of the bench, causing her chest to strain against the lace and silk that barely covered her. Her legs were crossed in such a way that the slit of her negligee revealed the wide expanse of her thigh, nearly all the way up to her bare hip. It was clear to see that she had no undergarments underneath the white lace and silk.

He stared at her, wide-eyed and slack-jawed.

"Lucien," she cooed.

Lucien? Yes, that was his name. Of course. He swallowed hard, unable to recall how to speak.

Jean smirked, delighted at his reaction. "Lucien, do you know what today is?"

"T-Tuesday?" he replied dumbly.

She snorted in laughter. "Yes, but it's a very special Tuesday."

Her laugh had helped him regain control over his own brain. He smiled. "Yes it is! Exactly one year ago today, we shared our first kiss."

Jean's face lit up. "You remembered!"

"Of course! It was the happiest moment of my life, up till then." He approached her and sunk down onto his knees, placing the box on the ground beside him. "You got on that bus to Adelaide," he began, retelling their story as he placed his hands on her legs, feeling the silk of the negligee, balling the fabric between his fingers.

"And so did you," she interjected, beaming at him.

He nodded. "Yes, I did. And I held you in my arms and caressed your hand for hours. I got to breathe in the scent of your hair."

"And I got to nuzzle into your neck and feel your beard on my skin." Jean sighed at the memory. It seemed like such a wonderful thing to be able to take for granted, feeling him against her. She had dreamed of it for so long, and now she had the real thing forever, beginning with that moment on the bus.

"Then you went home with Christopher, and I came to see you two days later," he continued.

"And that's when you told me you love me, and I kissed you," she finished.

He sighed happily, placing his hands on her bare thighs now, moving the fabric aside. Lucien dipped his head down to press reverent kisses to the top of her exposed knee.

Jean couldn't stop smiling. She stroked his hair and his face, holding him in her hands. "Happy anniversary, my love," she whispered.

At the mention of 'anniversary,' Lucien remembered his plans for the afternoon. Based on this display, Jean may have had plans of her own that would coincide nicely with his. He reached down and picked up the box. "Happy anniversary, Jean," he responded, handing her the gift.

"I didn't even think you would remember, but here you are with giftwrapped presents!"

"Just this one is giftwrapped," he replied.

She opened the box, revealing a diamond necklace. The design reminded her of budding flowers, all sparkling in a circle. Jean gasped. She'd never seen anything so extravagant in her life. "Lucien!"

"Do you like it, darling?"

"It's…beautiful. But I…Lucien, I can't wear this!" she protested.

"Of course you can," he countered. "I bought it for you so you can wear it. Here, let me." He took the necklace out of the box and stood up. Lucien moved to stand behind where she sat and put the necklace around her neck. She moved her hair out of the way as he fixed the clasp. His hands lingered, caressing her shoulders and moving the thin straps of the negligee off her.

Jean hummed happily when she felt the soft scratch of his beard beside the cold metal of the necklace. He pressed kisses to her neck and shoulders. "Thank you," she murmured.

"Beautiful," he whispered into her skin.

She tilted her head so he would kiss and nip behind her ear the way she liked. "Mattie and Charlie are out all evening," she told him, gasping with arousal as his teeth grazed her earlobe.

Lucien growled happily, seeing that they did indeed both have the same plan to celebrate their anniversary. "We can go inside, if you like. But I did want to see the diamonds sparkle in the sun."

"I can wear it in the daylight another time," Jean reminded him. She had no real intention of taking their lovemaking into the bedroom, but she was curious how he would ty to convince her to stay out in the sunroom.

"I don't think we'll get another opportunity for me to see you wear it in the sunlight with nothing else on," he clarified.

Jean laughed breathlessly, enjoying the way he sucked hard on her neck. She was surely going to have a mark there for days, and she couldn't possibly care at that moment. She reluctantly pulled away from him, pursing her lips to keep from laughing at the noise he made at having her skin removed from his eager mouth. She shifted herself to pull the negligee off over her head, dropping it on the ground beside her.

Lucien practically dashed around the bench to be in front of her, to see her bared completely to him. And there she was, his Jean, her pale skin practically glowing in the late afternoon sun, her hair shining, the diamonds around her neck sparkling, and her eyes dark and twinkling in arousal.

"I can't be the only one to be naked," she pointed out. "Let me watch you."

All of a sudden, Lucien felt strangely nervous. Usually, they undressed each other in the midst of passionate kissing or else with the lights off in the evening. He liked to take his time removing her clothes so he could worship each part of her exposed body. He would remove his own clothes in haste, as a means to an end. Never had she really watched him before. But never had she sat naked in the sunroom in the middle of the day either. She was becoming bolder in their love life, and Lucien couldn't have been happier. But this…this was different somehow.

"Let me watch you," she repeated, nodding encouragingly. Jean's tongue darted out to moisten her lips.

Unsure of how to refuse, Lucien did as she asked. He stood before her, looking into her eyes, and unbuttoned his waistcoat. His gaze flickered to her body, watching her breasts move as she breathed. As he removed his tie and shirt, her smile grew wider. Lucien was feeling more relaxed as her expression became more and more excited. He was bare-chested when she stood up from the bench and came toward him, biting her bottom lip teasingly.

Jean couldn't stand just looking anymore. She needed to touch. She pressed against him, clutching at the rippling muscles of his arms and back as she kissed him deeply. The coarse hairs on his chest rubbed her breasts in a way that always gave her a jolt. That, coupled with the twitch she felt from his groin against her abdomen, made her shiver in anticipation of the things his body would do to her. She smiled, peppering kisses down his neck and chest and stomach, ending up on her knees and making quick work of his belt and trousers.

Lucien grabbed onto the edge of the workbench to steady himself when she took him in her hand. God, how he loved her hands. The skin was soft yet rough. He wasn't sure how that was possible, but her gentle touch and calloused palms created the wildest sensations. He grew hard in her rasp. Lucien looked down to see her grinning up at him. And without any warning, she took him in her mouth.

"Bloody hell, Jean!" he hissed, unprepared for what she was doing. She had done this once before, but it had been different. She had been nervous, concerned about how to bring him pleasure. But this time, she was completely in control, confident in her actions. Perhaps his reaction the last time had let her know exactly how much he had enjoyed her efforts. He could practically feel her mouth smile around him. Somewhat unconsciously, he tangled his fingers in her hair, guiding her movements as she went up and down, her tongue swirling over the head, bathing his shaft in her warm, wet mouth. He couldn't seem to control himself, couldn't stop her in time. He stumbled against the workbench as he climaxed. Her mouth was still around him.

When he realized what he'd done, he pulled away from her. "Jean, I'm so sorry!" he said, mortified at what his base impulses had forced her to experience.

But Jean just stood up, wiping the corners of her mouth and grinning. "Happy anniversary, darling," she replied, thoroughly unconcerned with his worry.

Lucien had never experienced anything sexier. He pulled her close and kissed her deeply. His own salty taste was still fresh on her lips. His hands caressed her waist and back and hips before resting on her bottom. After a few massaging squeezes, he moved his hands lower, lifting her up.

Jean instinctively wrapped her legs around his waist, locking her ankles behind him. He broke the kiss as he carried her, eyes darting around. She frowned at him, confused. "What are you looking for?"

"I wasn't sure where I could put you. I don't want you to get splinters," he replied, frowning at the wooden workbench.

She threw her head back, laughing. The diamond necklace glinted. "The wicker is fine," she assured him. "That shouldn't hurt. And if it does, the floor has worked rather well for us before," she pointed out.

He smiled, squeezing her tight in his arms. "You are…" He pressed a few kisses to her lips. "…the most wonderful…" More kisses. "…woman on earth."

Jean grinned in appreciation as he deposited her back on the wicker bench where she'd started. He descended to his knees as he had earlier. This time, however, he had other intentions. Knowing exactly what he was going to do, Jean shifted so her legs rested on his shoulders. Her knees fell open as he licked and nipped up her inner thighs, switching between them and taking his time reaching his destination. He paused and looked up at her, smirking. She started to chuckle at his excitement, but the sound quickly turned into a moan as he buried his face between her legs. His nose nuzzled her as his tongue caressed all the right places. He began to alternate between sucking onto her and thrusting into her with his tongue.

Jean's moans of pleasure increased in volume. Her panting breath became labored. Her mouth was going dry, and her hands clutched wildly at his hair, pressing his face exactly where she wanted him. The pressure was building, vibrating within her. Her climax came like a wave. She screamed his name as her body clenched and shuddered around him.

Lucien kissed his way up her body gently, allowing her to recover. He still couldn't believe the intensity and sheer joy of their lovemaking. She was so much more brazen than he had ever expected, though he should have gotten a clue from the way she had always kissed him; demanding and hungry and strong, always so strong. He took it as a point of pride that he could bring his strong, proper, moral wife to this state of ecstasy. Since their wedding night—and slightly before then—Lucien had quickly found that she took pride in bringing him to the highest heights of pleasure as well. It was all part of what made their relationship so wonderful. They both enjoyed loving each other intensely and beautifully.

"Oh that was wonderful," she signed upon regaining the power of speech.

"I'm not through with you yet," he growled, claiming her lips once again.

As it always did, pleasuring her had aroused him to the point of being ready to stand at attention again. Jean, while very satisfied, was nearly always ready to go again. It was astounding, the sexual appetite of his wife. True, they hadn't been married long, but he had yet to find her unwilling. More often than not, it was she who initiated things. Lucien had lost count of the number of times he had given her just one kiss, and she had escalated things all the way to the bedroom.

Lucien stood from his kneeling position, his joints cracking as he did so.

"Oh dear, are your knees alright? I should have thought to get you a cushion," she lamented.

"You were on your knees as well, are you alright?"

She chuckled, "I'm sure I'll be sore for days, but I'm in no pain now."

"Good," he said with a smile. "And since you're feeling good, I'm going to have my wicked way with you, Mrs. Blake." He sat down beside her and leered in the most exaggerated fashion.

Jean laughed as she got up, wobbling on weak limbs, and straddled his lap. "And I shall have my wicked way with you," she murmured. She took him in hand and positioned herself to slide down onto him.

They both groaned in unison at the feeling. Him being sheathed in her warmth, her being filled by his hardness. Lucien gripped her hips and moved her up and down. She twisted and gyrated on him, increasing the friction and varying the angle of the thrusts. It didn't take long for either of them to be close to finishing. Jean's movements became erratic and faster. Lucien bucked against her roughly. She bit down onto his shoulder to keep from screaming, and he buried his face in her hair. He buried his face in her hair. Lucien climaxed before she did, but in her position, she could continue until she found her release, moments later.

They were both slick with sweat, breathing heavily as they clutched each other. Jean was slumped on him, lacking the strength to move. He was reclining on the bench, still inside her, not wanting to leave her body.

"If this is how we celebrate the anniversary of our first kiss, I can't imagine what we'll come up with after we've been married a whole year," he wondered aloud.

"You did set expectations a bit high with this necklace, Lucien," she pointed out, touching the diamonds that glinted and gleamed around her neck.

He kissed all the skin around the diamonds. "I'll have to get you a tiara next time."

She laughed. "We'll see about that." Jean clambered off his lap and wandered around the sunroom, gathering her negligee and dressing gown. "I think perhaps a bath before I start dinner," she suggested.

"Yes, I think we should."
"If we take a bath together, we might not make it to dinner," she warned.

Lucien shrugged, picking up his own clothes off the ground. "I think it might be well worth skipping a meal for."

"You are incorrigible."

"And you are insatiable."

She blushed slightly. "Is that a complaint?"

"Never. I'm just enjoying your eagerness until you become bored with me," he teased.

Jean placed a hand on his cheek, holding her clothes against her naked body with her other arm. "You are a very smart man, and very creative. I have no doubt that we'll be eagerly enjoying each other for the rest of our lives." She turned and walked toward the house, proud that she had such a wonderful husband who encouraged her wanton ways, especially since her husband was extremely attractive and inspired such wantonness in her.

Lucien just grinned. He admired the way the sunset illuminated her body with pink light, highlighted by the diamonds. "Jean."

She paused in the doorway. "Hmm?"

"Happy anniversary."