For personal use and select distribution only © March 1999 by S.L. Snyder

THE ALCOVE
by S. L. Snyder


Timeline: September 1873


Michaela, Sully, Brian and Katie were enjoying a quiet dinner. Midway through the meal, Sully said, "Michaela, I'm gonna be making an addition to the house, actually an alcove behind the stairs, starting tomorrow. Matthew and Brian are gonna help me. It's a surprise for ya, so ya can't ask any questions. And I want ya to promise ya ain't gonna snoop!"

"But, Sully..." she said, smiling.

"Michaela....promise...."

Michaela glanced at Brian, who had a big grin on his face. "Oh, all right....I promise....but won't you even give me a hint of what'll be in the alcove?"

"No, Ma. You'll just have to wait!" said Brian.

"Yeah, wait, Mama!" repeated Katie.


They started the next morning. When Michaela was home, they covered up the work with a large blanket. It was all Michaela could do not to look. Katie was also kept away because she might tell Michaela something. It was obvious to Michaela that even Colleen, Amanda and Andrew knew what was going on.


"Sully?" Michaela said as they were in their bed a few nights later and she was laying in his arms.

"Hmmm?"

"Won't you take pity on me and give me a hint?"

"No, my love, no hints. Ya just have ta have patience.....somethin' you're kinda short on at times!" Michaela turned her face into his neck and softly bit him. "Ain't gonna get your way even if ya keep biting...ya'll just start something else."

"Is that a threat?"

"Nah, a promise," he said as he kissed her on the forehead and slowly moved down to her lips.

Sully kept kissing Michaela and moved his hand down to caress her breasts through her nightgown. He then moved his hand down and pulled her nightgown up and off, with her help. He moved down to kiss and caress her breasts with his lips while moving his hand lower to continue the caressing. In no time at all, as Sully entered her, Michaela forgot all about the alcove.


Sully, Brian and Matthew were finished with the addition. They added the small alcove behind the stairs and on the outside it fit into the space between the house and the spring house. Instead of a door, they had hung a curtain in the doorway.

Finally it was time to show the surprise to Michaela. Sully put his hands over her eyes and led her to the doorway of the new room.

“Ready?” he asked.

“Most definitely!” Michaela replied.

He took his hand away and Michaela gasped in surprise as the family, standing behind them, clapped their hands. Sully had designed a bathing room. “Instead of having to take a bath in the kitchen, you can take it in here. I did the basic design, but the kids gave me some good ideas.” He led her into the room. “See, we anchored the tub to the floor. Then, although we ain’t got pipes to fill the tub, like in Boston, we can empty the tub by pulling out that there plug. The water empties outside. Then to heat up water and keep the room warm, we put in this small fireplace. We put a curtain in the doorway, which Amanda made, cuz there ain't enough room for a door.. Then over here, we put shelves fer soap and towels and anything else. And we put in this bench here for.....well....”

The kids laughed at that, knowing Sully and Michaela enjoyed being together while one or the other was taking a bath.

“Oh, Sully,” Michaela exclaimed, “it’s perfectly wonderful! I love it!” She put her arms around him and rewarded him with a wonderful kiss, which he enthusiastically returned. Then she looked at the others. “Thank you all for helping Sully with the building and the curtain and the ideas. It’s so perfect!”

"We figger you could try it out tonight if ya like," Sully said.

"Oh, yes! That will be wonderful!"


After dinner with the entire family, after Matthew, Amanda, Colleen and Andrew had gone home, after Katie was in bed, Sully and Brian brought in the buckets of water to put on the fire Sully had lit in the alcove. Once all the buckets were in the alcove and some of the water was in the tub, Brian said goodnight to his parents and headed for bed.

Michaela helped Sully finish filling the tub, then she took off her clothes, pinned up her hair and got into the tub. Sully sat down on the bench. Michaela looked up to see him smiling. "What?"

"Nothin'. Just like being with ya and watchin' ya taking' a bath. You're pleasin' to the eye, sides the fact I love ya."

"I love you, too," she smiled. "I remember the first time you watched me take a bath. It was all I could do not to cover myself. I'm sure I was blushing. I probably still do blush, on occasion, when you're watching me!"

"Yeah, ya do. But that ain't a bad thing!" Sully got up, walked over to the tub and knelt down. He leaned over and kissed Michaela. "I also like to help ya with your bath. Okay?"

"Yes," she whispered, as she lower her eyes.

Sully reached for the soap and began to assist Michaela. The bath became very sensual as he rubbed the soap over her body. Michaela leaned back in the tub, stretched out and her body automatically arched up. She reached out to tuck her hand inside Sully's shirt, to caress his chest. "Sully," she whispered, "join me?" She opened her eyes and looked at him.

He smiled, stood up and shed his clothing. As he did, she watched him, her eyes hooded with desire. Sully stepped into the tub as Michaela made room for him.

"Turn around, your back to me," she said. He did as she asked. She put her arms around him and pulled him back against her breast. She reached for the soap and began soaping his chest, and lower.

He enjoyed the feeling of her breasts against his back and he squirmed against her as she applied the soap. "Oh….Michaela….." He pulled away from her and turned around to put his arms around her. They kissed and that kiss had a lot of passion. He pulled her toward him and up so that he could enter her. She put her arms around his neck and buried her face in his hair. They moved together with need and desire as they reached the heights of pleasure.

Slowly, they came down from the heights. They were still enjoying the closeness surrounded by the water as Michaela felt Sully soften. She moved back, off his lap, after kissing him again. She leaned back in the tub, looking across the water at his smile. She glanced at the floor and started laughing.

"What?" he asked.

"After all your hard work to put the hole and stopper in the tub, look at all the water on the floor! Half the tub must have emptied out over the sides!"

Sully looked at the floor and saw what she meant and laughed. "I guess we best try and clean this up tonight or the kids'll wanna know why we emptied the tub the wrong way!"


The next morning, over breakfast, Brian said, "Ma, how did ya like the tub?'

"It was wonderful, Brian."

"Wasn't the stopper neat to empty the tub?"

"It certainly was," Michaela replied, with a straight face, but she couldn't look up at Sully.

"Hey, Pa, we should find another building project, huh?"

"It's your turn to start thinkin' on one, Brian, and let us know when you decide what we should do."

"Okay, Pa. Me 'n Katie'll talk it over. We gotta think some to make it as neat as the room we built for ma!"

Michaela finally looked at Sully and they shared a smile over last night's memory of the alcove.


Your Spirit Enhances Mine

----Chan Heawak

The End


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