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On Friday morning - after his shower and a shave Tommy just had sent another Good morning my beautiful woman! to Barbara - there was a firm knock at his door.

"Coming! Just a second!" He had to close his shirt first before he opened the door curiously. He was not expecting anyone but least of all he had expected this. Surprised he needed a second to compose himself.

"Barbara!" Tommy grinned happily.

She really was there. Barbara was wearing jeans that looked as if they were dungarees hidden under a wide jumper and she carried a small sportsbag. His face lit up and his heart was somersaulting. She was looking as if she came to stay.

"They should have a lot of second thoughts about data security at their reception." Barbara laughed. "Hello, Tommy."

"Hello." He looked at her for a few more moments and they only shared a smile. His calm face was just letting on a hint of his bursting inner happiness. "It's quite early."

"It's late enough." A trace of seriousness in her voice made it clear that Barbara was not referring to the time of day.

Tommy got the hint. "But not too late."

Nodding, she deeply breathed. "I'm willing to try it."

"Try what?" He had to hear it in clear words. Tommy did not want to go on with guessing and hoping.

"I'll try to get used to being the wife of an Earl." Her eyes widened. She had not planned to say that but the words, the long speech she had so carefully put together on her drive here, had simply vanished when she had seen him. She had planned to ignore her little fears of being his Lordship's partner and start letting him into her life and maybe even share his and she had had some beautiful sentences on her mind to declare it. Now it all was gone after one look into his eyes. But she still dearly had wanted to rip off the invisible curtain that, from the moment he had stepped over her threshold two days ago, was between them because neither of them dared to make the next step towards each other, simply embrace and get the kiss they visibly both longed for.

They had to make their step into a shared future together, and Barbara had just had drawn the curtain with her accidental proposal.

His heart sped up. He had not proposed to her the other day for several reasons, as much as he would have loved to, but now she was offering marriage on her own accord.

"I know we'll be going along very well." Tommy knew it was an understatement. He grinned about it but Barbara kept a partly earnest face. There had to be some things set right first.

"Just to make that clear: It's not your money or the huge house... well, houses... your manor or anything about your Lordship stuff. I don't want that. I just want to have a father to my girl. And I think, we've wasted more than enough time."

"And you love me." Tommy added. "Like I love you."

"Yes. I said that. And I do. I'm just not going to play your countess and run around at upperclass charity events, smiling at rich people."

"You don't have to."

"And I don't want our daughter to become a spoilt princess."

"I'm not sure if I can keep myself from spoiling my... our child."

"You know what I mean. I don't want her to become one of these hoity-toity rich kids."

"Hoity...?" Tommy gave a short laugh before he nodded. "Yes. I understand. I'm pretty sure with your parenting she won't." He paused and watched her expectant but doubting face. She was biting her lower lip. "Although - and if I may say so, it was your idea to marry - you will officially be the Countess of Asherton afterwards, so I suppose there will be one or the other event where you, and probably our little princess eventually, will have to dress up and smile."

"If it's inevitable, and not so frequent - so be it."

"Good."

Still standing in the doorway to his room they finally grinned at each other. With simple words and without really saying it, they just had agreed on marriage. It had been very easy in fact. Their faces beamed as if they just had said the important yes already.

Eventually Tommy winked and became bolder. "Will we share my bedroom?" he hopefully asked.

"I don't know." she said with a mischievous grin. Of course she knew she was going to share his bedroom. She was going to share his bed as well, and she wanted it of course but she had to tease him nonetheless. "Actually I need more time to think about that." He looked at his watch and his gesture made her laugh. "I guess, it will take me more than an hour, Tommy. But you can prepare the guest room until then."

For a brief moment desire flashed across his face and the darkening of her eyes was telling Tommy that Barbara was thinking about the same moment in his guest room in London.

"This is just a hotel room, Barbara, it's not a suite."

"Well, we could move to my flat and you could sleep on my sofa."

His voice was hoarse when he answered. "No way."

Their eyes had locked in the moment he had opened the door and they had not stopped their eye contact from then on. The look they shared now was full of love and he tried to convince her silently that now was the right moment for her to make the next move. Barbara understood and slowly blinked. His knees turned weak. She had never given him such a loving look.

"Barbara, are we going to stand here forever and be jolly or will you finally come closer?" Tommy murmured. "I'd like to hug you."

Barbara nodded. She wanted to hug him too. She blushed a bit but stepped forward nonetheless. Uncaring about it she let her sportsbag drop to the ground and while Tommy let go of the door to open up his arms widely she moved her hands to his waist. Without further ado, without any more teasing conversation, they embraced each other. Finally they were where they needed to be.

Eventually she looked up to him. Barbara's face looked relieved and happy. Tommy smiled. Relief and happiness was what he was feeling deep inside. "I'd like to stall our conversations for some time, Barbara."

"Aha?" She did not think that this was a conversation.

"I'd like to kiss you."

"I'd like to kiss you too."

They shared an affectionate smile before Tommy lowered his face to hers and she closed her eyes. Their lips met in a brief and gentle kiss, very soft and almost only letting their lips brush. It felt a bit as if it was their first kiss ever and in fact it somehow was. It was followed by a second, slightly longer touch.

"Oh, Barbara." Tommy breathed. "You are my treasure."

"And you are mine, Tommy." Barbara answered and increased the grip of her hands on his waist.

It was the trigger for more. In an instant their lips met in a long and hungry kiss.

Breathless afterwards, Tommy whispered onto the skin of her cheeks that he loved her. "I love you with all my heart, body and soul, Barbara. And I want to stay with you forever. I'll care for you, for you both. I am so sure that we will manage everything. I know we'll still have one or the other serious conversation but we'll get over our fears together and I don't want to lose you again. I respect that you don't want to give up your new life, or your new job, or your new flat. But promise me you'll stay with me, wherever that would be. I need you so much in so many ways I can't count. Please stay with me."

"I will, Tommy." she breathed into his ear. "That's why I'm here."

"And stay with me tonight."

He kissed her again to emphasise his loving need.

"It's still morning." she replied onto his lips with a smile.

"Then stay with me right now." Tommy almost growled.

She could not answer because her lips were sealed by his one moment later.

The self-closing door had been held open by Tommy's knee and his foot. Now that they were kissing he accidentally moved his knee away and they lost their stance. Laughing loudly they stumbled into his room together. The door fell shut.

The small sportsbag with spare clothes and a toothbrush still laid on the floor in the corridor in front of a closed door. Barbara had packed it just to be safe for whatever would happen. It only was brought inside a few hours later by the room service waiter who was delivering their ordered snack in the afternoon.

After he had left the slightly blushing man in bathrobe the waiter hung up the discreet sign at the door knob without an order to do so. But the heap of duvet and pillows looked supiciously huge.

Please do not disturb!

He smugly grinned all the way down the corridor.

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FIN

Thank you!