Sarah smiled as she opened her eyes. Today would be their first anniversary. She turned to the pillow beside her, knowing her husband would've already left. She sighed as she saw the single red rose on the pillow beside her. She took it in her hand and held it to her nose. She inhaled the sweet fragrance and pulled his pillow into her arms. The scent she associated with her husband assaulted her nostrils and she breathed deeply, content in the knowledge that he was hers, now and forever. She released the pillow and climbed from the bed. 'This night will always be ours, Chris,' she thought as she headed for the shower. Her smile broadened as she followed the trail of red rose petals leading from the bedroom towards the kitchen.

On the Oak table in the center of the dining room was a bouquet of lavender colored lilacs, their heady scent intoxicating as she moved towards them. A note sat beside them and she picked it up. "I love you Sarah Connelly-Larabee. Thank you for making me whole and being part of my life...Chris."

She knew now what it meant to love and be loved and to do so unconditionally. A thrill of anticipation ran down her spine at the thought of what tonight would bring. She looked at the clock and wondered how she would get through the long hours until her husband was once more in her arms.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Chris turned the Blue Chevy truck into the yard and sat for a few minutes. Tonight he planned to show his wife just how much she meant to him. He reached into his pocket and took out the tiny black velvet box. He opened the lid and smiled at the tiny broach inside. It was perfect. Two heart shaped diamonds joined at the center. To him it symbolized the love he shared with his wife. They were joined at the heart and nothing or no one would ever pull them apart. He smiled as he thought of Sarah's reaction, knowing in his heart how much she loved symbols of their love. She kept telling him he was a hopeless romantic and he knew she was right.

His parents' home life was nothing like what he shared with his wife. His mother and father fought all the time, they never hit each other, but the verbal battle was worse sometimes. The name-calling and hatred was clear in their words and he wondered if they'd ever really loved one another. Shaking himself from the painful memories he made his way towards the Bungalow he and Sarah owned. The house had three bedroom, spacious kitchen with walk through dining room. He opened the front door and stepped into the small alcove. He took off the black denim jacket he wore and hung it in side the closet. He walked towards the sunken living room and smiled as he saw the wood was already in place for a fire. He walked towards the kitchen and smiled at the woman standing there. She had yet to turn to him and he drank in the beauty that was his wife. Her thick brown hair hung down in ringlets around her shoulders. She wore a pink strapless, knee length sundress that shaped the contours of her body to perfection. He stood for a moment, not wanting to let anything intrude on his thoughts. 'Unforgettable, Sarah Larabee,' he thought as she turned towards him.

Sarah saw her husband and smiled lovingly. She knew he showered at the office and changed his clothes there as well in order to be ready for their special night together. He wore black jeans, cut tight and narrow at the legs and hips, the white short-sleeved shirt did little to hide the rippling muscles she knew so well. His hair, always so unruly, framed his handsome face, showing to perfection the green eyes she so loved to lose herself in.

He walked towards her, wanting nothing more than to take her in his arms and make love to her forever. He wrapped his arms around her narrow waist and lifted her off the floor. "I need you, Sarah," he whispered in her air as he nipped at the lobe.

"I need you too, Chris, but not yet."

"What do you mean not yet?" he asked as he nuzzled her neck, tantalizing his own senses as much as hers.

"I...I made your favorite d...dinner," she gasped as he placed her on her feet and his tongue found the dip between her breasts. "C...Chris," she said breathlessly.

Larabee lifted his head and smiled at her. "Sarah," he said simply.

"I want you, but I want it to be perfect," she sighed as his hands ran the length of her arms.

"Its always perfect when I'm with you," he told her as he lifted her into his arms. He walked towards the dining room table, knowing how much time his wife put into making this dinner special for them both.

~~~~~~~~~

Chris led his wife into the back yard and turned on the stereo. Their home was four miles outside the city of Billings; Montana and he knew they were safe for his plans here. He dreamed of making love to his wife under the open expanse of star-studded sky. He pulled her towards him as soft strains of Unforgettable surrounded them. They danced slowly, holding each other tight, gazing deeply into each other's eyes, feeling their twin souls meet again for the first time. Their love knew no bounds and Chris would make sure there never would be anything between them. "I love you," he whispered in her ear.

"I love you too, Chris," Sarah told him as she held tight to her husband's lean body.

They danced under the stars, holding each other close, neither wanting to break the enchantment of the warm July night. As the last strains of the song slowly whispered out the couple clung tightly to each other, neither wanting to lose the sensuous feeling flowing through their bodies. They swayed to the silent music, not needing anything, but the touch and feel of the person they loved. He reached for her hand and placed the tiny box in her soft one.

"What's this?" she asked as she brought the box up between them.

"Open it and see," he told her.

Sarah opened the box and gasped in delight. The delicate broach was perfect and she took it from the box. She turned it over and read the tiny inscription, using the light from the dining room. "Two hearts beating as one. Love always, Chris."

Chris watched as her eyes filled with unshed moisture and knew he'd found the perfect gift. He reached out and took the pin, placing it over her heart and attaching the gift to her dress. The gift she'd given him was stabled at a ranch twenty miles out side of town. A wonderful three-year-old horse named Pony. She'd taken him to see the animal the day before and the delight on his face was all the thanks she needed.

Chris smiled contentedly; knowing the next part of the evening was something he'd planned for weeks. The storm that was called for all week was canceled and the sky overhead was filled with billions of tiny twinkling stars surrounding a full-bodied moon. He slowly moved her towards the soft velvet blanket and pillows he'd placed in the yard while she cleaned off the dining room table.

The couple stopped before the blankets and Sarah looked at him timidly.

"Someone might see," she whispered.

"There's no one out here, Sarah. It's just you, the stars overhead and me. Let me make love to you, Darling, let me show you how much you mean to me. How many ways we can share that love." He smiled as her head bobbed once. He reached for her and pulled her close, slowly unzipping the back of the sundress. He gently caressed her soft shoulders, and sighed as the soft material of the dress dropped with whispering breath to the ground. She wore no bra underneath and he felt that satiny smooth skin of her breasts. His hands moved lower and slowly removed the rest of her clothing until she stood before him wearing nothing but a shy smile.

In the year since they'd married she'd been slowly coming out of her shell. She still let him take the lead in their lovemaking, let him set the pace and show her every nuance of the relationship between a man and a woman. She reached for his hands and held them to her mouth, sighing as she realized how much she loved him. She released her grip on his hands and reached for the buttons on his shirt. One by one, she painstakingly undid them, using her hands and fingers to awaken the passion she knew this man possessed. The last button popped open, revealing the taut, well-muscled chest beneath. She ran her hands the length of him, stopping just above the button of his black jeans. She tickled and teased him until he gasped and pulled him back into his arms.

"S...Sarah," his voice was filled with need and he felt her reach for and cup his penis through the tight material of the jeans.

"Sh," she ordered as she released her hold.

"No," he hissed as he felt her hand leave him.

"Wait," she told him. She reached up and slid his arms from the sleeves of his shirt, letting the soft cloth fall behind him. She smiled as she watched the emotions on his face, grateful for the full moon and star filled sky that allowed her to see just what she was doing to her husband. Her hands moved to the button of his jeans and she released it from the hole. Next she sensuously pulled down the zipper until she could peel the jeans from his lean hips, buttocks, thighs, and finally his feet. She licked her lips as she reached for the silk underwear she'd bought him for Valentine's Day earlier that year. Tiny pairs of red hearts covered the black material and she loved the way his manhood bulged against them, fighting for release from its prison.

Chris sighed as her hands briefly came in contact with his rigid penis. It sent urgent signals to his brain that he needed to feel this woman surrounding him, smothering him in her nearness.

Finally the loving couple stood naked in the warm night air. They reached for each other and slowly sank to the blankets. Chris pulled her trembling body closer and smiled at the reaction the idea of lovemaking always had on Sarah. She was shy, always had been and his love for her made him keep his lovemaking slow and gentle. He placed her on her back and slowly nuzzled her neck and shoulders. He smiled as she whimpered against him. The soft sound telling him she was enjoying his touch as much as he was enjoying the feel of her naked body against his.

He lifted his head and possessed her lips, slipping his tongue inside her moist mouth. He felt her own tongue push its way into his mouth and groaned at the exotic taste of her. He lifted his mouth from hers and worked his way down to her full, firm, ripe breasts. He suckled each nipple until it stood to attention, before continuing down her body to the soft mound that marked the entrance to the part of her he needed to join with.

He slowly worked his fingers over the small thatch of hair, his eyes widening as he felt her fingers reach for, and clasp his engorged penis.

Sarah smiled as she ran her finger up and down the length of him, eliciting tiny muffled groans of pure pleasure from the man she loved. She pulled him over her with her other hand, not relinquishing the hold she had on his manhood. She felt his mouth once more engulf her right nipple and arched her body towards his seeking fingers. Slowly they began a careful rhythmic action that caused the warmth of the evening to explode in heated passion. Unable to stand the wait any longer Chris moved his body over hers, seeking the moist softness of the entrance to her body. He slowly slid inside her, causing an instant of panic as he felt the call for release. He held back with everything he had, calming himself, waiting until he could move inside her without losing control. He wanted this night to be perfect, wanted to bring her to the brink and bring them both beyond above and beyond the normal realms of climax.

Sarah watched him fight for control of his trembling body and lay still until she felt his steel nerves regain control. She marvelled at how much this man loved her. At how he needed to please her before he let his own body's needs take over. She felt him move inside her, filling her, enthralling her in the emotional act of lovemaking.

Chris pushed all the way inside, feeling her moist vagina capture him in the soft folds of passion. With slow deliberate strokes he began to bring them both to the brink of the abyss he knew would be waiting for them. The muscles on his arms stood out as he kept his weight off of her slender form.

The slow rhythmic strokes were too much for Sarah and she arched her hips into him. The two heated bodies matched pace under the silver moon as they continued to bring about the skyrocketing climax of their mate.

Chris could feel his body reach the abyss at the same time Sarah cried out and shuddered against him. He couldn't hold back any longer as her body massaged his pulling him deep inside, spilling his seed deep inside her. He collapsed on top of her and buried his face in her neck. Their breathing slowly returned too normal as their spent passion eased the tension from their bodies.

"Sarah, I love you!" he whispered into her ear.

'Chris, that was unforgettable," she told him as their lips met.

Chris knew he was heavy and rolled off her. They lay naked on the blankets and he reached to pull her to him. He glanced up at the bright stars and pointed to the North Star shining brightly overhead. "Sarah, every time I look at that star I'll think of this night with you," he told her.

"And I you, Chris," she told him. She placed her head in the crook of his arm and slowly they relaxed in sleep, content in the undying love they had for each other.

~~~~~~~~~~