The touch of her cheek to his hands was like a spark to a trail of gunpowder, sooner or later he would explode. His fingers tilted her head upward towards his lips kissed hers, first gently and softly, then deeper.

She sighed into the kiss, her hands moving to rest between them on his chest. When the kiss deepened, she squirmed restlessly against him, her knees going weak. Her eyes drifted closed before she murmured his name into his mouth. Pearl's hands curled and gripped at the fabric of his shirt.

Her reactions to his touch only encouraged him, dared him, drove him. Joe ran his hands through her hair.

"Pearl." he whispered softly, between soft and eager kisses.

"I can't believe I'm your wife, my love," she said after pulling slightly away. Her eyes searched his. He might notice the wedding band on her third finger, indicative of the marriage she spoke of, as her left hand was now cupping the side of his face ever so tenderly.

"I finally made an 'onest women of you and you made me the 'appiest man in the world.." he answered softly

"Make love to me," she murmured. Her fingers moved over his chest again, rested over his heartbeat. Her eyes were half hooded. It was as if they had been together for a while, she responding like his touch was familiar. Her mouth found his again and she drank of his kiss deeply, molding herself against him.

He wanted to satisfy her so, feeling lucky that she chose him. Like a hero of old, given this great gift: she was a pearl to be cherished. His fingers gently traced the contour of her cheek, her jaw, her neck, stopping tantalizingly close at the neckline of her shift. In that moment, in that place, he was hers - her wish was his command.

Her head tilted back to expose her throat more to him, her pulse leaping at his touch. She was warm, her cheeks flushed with excitement. She looked at him desirously, as if he were the missing piece to a puzzle. Her fingers found the buttons to his shirt and popped them open one by one until his chest was exposed, then she let out a shuddering breath when her hands slid beneath the fabric. She peppered his skin with kisses before capturing his mouth with hers.

He was putty, and yet he greedily accepted her kisses. His fingers moved lower from her hair to running down her spine, scrunching the material of her shift in hands.

Pearl was his. The way she pressed herself to him as if they had been together for some time... She slowly raised her arms and let him lift at her shift... That was when she said his name in a whisper, "Joe..."