THE LAST TIME TITANIC EVER SAW DAYLIGHT
Chapter Four
The diamond almost slipped completely from
Jack's hand as her words stunned him, his mouth dropping open in astounded
silence. Sure, he had drawn plenty of sketches of that one-legged prostitute
nude while in Paris, and they had hardly caused him apprehension. Why did just
the thought of Rose unclothed as he drew her cause a quick panic to rapidly
flow over him?
Glancing with amazement into Rose's eyes, he
could have sworn he saw the same shock and fear in the crystal clarity before
him. She took in a deep breath, and he noticed the way her full lips parted and
her tongue touched the bottom one as a nervous reaction. "Are you sure
that's what you want?" he asked.
A look of dread raced across her features,
and then the smile returned. She appeared to be fighting her own emotions.
"I'm absolutely sure." Her voice quivered when she replied.
Tension between their bodies was once again
becoming overt as he stared at her. Jack's eyes unconsciously found their way
to examine her shape, already visualizing how she might appear without the
cloth barriers between them. He shook his head as Rose placed her small hand on
his shoulder, attempting to bring himself back to the current moment. Keep
control, Jack, he kept telling himself. How could he possibly sit calmly
and form a picture of her as she sat in front of him nude? His hormones soared,
and he knew full well he was already as aroused as he had been while holding
her in his arms dancing and on the bow.
Rose's own body was shaking with extreme
feelings of wonder. Would she actually be able to go through with it? Jack's
smile faded while he looked at her. She knew she simply couldn't strip her
clothes off there in front of him. Besides, didn't he have things he needed to
prepare as well? Aware that no man, including Cal, ever had seen her naked
before, Rose remained stunned that she trusted Jack enough to allow him.
Feeling uncomfortable for a brief second, she swallowed hard. "Perhaps you
should get your things ready while I prepare..." Her voice trailed off
before she could finish her sentence.
She knew she had to perform the necessary
tasks without seeing him in order to convince herself to actually proceed. Turning
her back, she started to make her way to her bedroom. Jack's voice interrupted
the chaos in her mind. "Rose, you don't have to do this." He wasn't
saying it to just calm her, but to also help his own surge of sensations.
With a simple smile, Rose replied, "I
know, but I want to."
He watched the bedroom door close, and
suddenly his legs nearly collapsed beneath him as his breathing grew rapid and
hard. What the hell was he doing? he kept asking himself. Why did she trust him
so much? Why was she teasing him so? The whole time they had been together,
Jack had kept in the back of his head the fantasy he had about Rose's
voluptuous form. Now, Rose was the one bringing it out in the open. Jack told
himself to calm down, and then looked about the room to find anything to
distract him and anything to help set up the scene.
Rose shut the door firmly behind her, and
almost passed out. Her pulse was becoming more and more rapid. She was going
against everything she had ever been taught to be proper. Then again, that was
all part of the world she desired to turn her back on. After all, it was just
art, wasn't it? With shaky hands, she removed her dress and soon found herself
unable to reach her corset strings. A sigh of frustration reached her lips as
she recalled how Trudy had always managed for her.
Dressed in her chemise and camisoles with the
corset still laced tightly around her, Rose opened the door again. Jack dropped
the supplies in his hand and then turned to stare at her, startled. She drew in
a deep breath. "Could you please unlace me?"
Jack made his way to her. As he placed his
hands on her shoulders and began to turn her around, his face grew red, and he
could feel the warmth of the blushing and wanted to kick himself. Relax, he
kept repeating in his head. His fingers fumbled with the laces, softly untying
them, moving from her shoulders to her waist.
The warmth from his hands was able to be felt
through the thin fabric of her undergarments, and Rose's pulse quickened once
again as she nearly shivered from the contact. She sighed heavily, fighting the
urge to spin around and kiss him. Her senses seemed awakened by his touch.
As his hands nestled at the small of her
back, Jack felt every fiber in his body wanting to grab her and cover her with
kisses. He had to fight them back with such force, not wanting to ruin
anything. The corset finally came free, and Rose felt the restricting garment
loosely fall past her hips, relieved. Jack quickly caught it and handed it back
to her as their eyes locked. He couldn't speak, he was so flustered.
"I--I'll only be a few more minutes," she sputtered, as she walked
backwards into the room.
He wheeled around, letting the perspiration
fall freely down his face after she was out of sight. What was God trying to do
to him? He loved Rose so much, and was so tempted by her beauty. Noticing the
divan and pillows, he arranged them for her comfort and modesty.
Rose haphazardly threw off the remaining
clothing, and slipped the necklace with all its weight around her throat. In
her reflection, she could see the artery of her neck quivering with her
pounding heart. Sliding the jade butterfly comb from her hair, she let her
long, loose auburn curls fall appealingly past her shoulders. With one final
glance at her reflection, her breathing slowed. Rose knew she wasn't horrible
looking, but she did still find herself unable to be completely content with
her body. Part of her desired to be as small as some of the other women, like
the Countess of Rothes or her own mother, but still her curves had been
commented on by several of her school friends, and especially by Cal. Jack
apparently liked them, and found her attractive, as she recalled the way he
stared at her on the deck and the way his eyes lit up at the grand staircase.
Still, she wondered how she would measure up in comparison to the other women
Jack might have seen in Paris. Finally, she threw caution to the wind and
realized that it was her body, she was proud of it, and all that mattered at
that point in time was she and Jack, who was still waiting for her in the
sitting room.
Tying her blue silk kimono around her waist,
she realized it was somewhat see-through. Cal had given it to her as a gift
before they left Philadelphia, and Rose had always stayed adamant about wearing
it with less conspicuous nightgowns beneath it in case he decided to call late
at night. So, normally, she would've worried about her skin showing under it,
but now she no longer cared. Jack would be seeing her body entirely, anyway, in
only a few moments. Looking into the mirror again, she asked herself,
"Ready, Rose?" Then, with a nod, she reached for the doorknob and
opened the door...