Vivian Peters bustled around her desk. For once, she wasn't writing, but rather compiling a playlist for her upcoming honeymoon. With her wedding less than two weeks away she wanted to make sure everything was perfect.

 

There had been songs she puts playlists over the years that reminded her (however how  distantly) of her fiancé and best friend Nathan Clarence or songs that set the mood as she liked to think of it. Some of the songs were far from what people may have expected her to like. Pulling up Spotify, she created a new playlist which she is entitled "Honeymoon Mix". Smiling to herself, she began compiling songs.

***

 

After a particularly enjoyable, but hectic day, Nathan and Vivian (now Mr. and Mrs.) were headed for their hotel for the night. In the morning, they would be leaving for their honeymoon in Hawaii, something Vivian was particularly looking forward to.

 

"So what do you want to do first?" Vivian asked.

 

Nathan wiggled his eyebrows and smirked.

 

"Other than that!" Vivian exclaimed exasperated.

 

"Well the care package your parents packed us looks pretty good."

 

"Don't you think it's a bit early to pop the champagne? I mean, how many glasses did we both have at the reception?"

 

Nathan chuckled.

 

"Maybe you're right."

 

Both dressed in jeans and T-shirts, they finally settled on a movie on the bed, but halfway through they both had other ideas as Nathan's hands had started to wander; not that Vivian minded.

 

"What about my playlist?" Vivian muttered.

 

Nathan paused.

 

"What playlist?"

 

"My honeymoon playlist. I kind of made a list of songs for us to… You know."

 

Nathan chuckled, his blue eyes twinkling.

 

"Oh really. Did you now?"

 

"Uh huh." Vivian murmured.

 

"Where's your laptop?" Nathan asked as he got up off the bed rolling away from her.

 

"On the table, next to yours."

 

"Password?" Nathan asked.

 

"Birthday, my birthday. It's on Spotify, you can't miss it."

 

Nathan clicked "play". His brow wrinkling as he heard the first bars of the first song.

 

"Country, really?"

 

"It can be sexy too." Vivian offered.

 

"What is the song anyway?" Nathan asked as he returned to the bed.

 

"It Goes like This" Vivian replied. "By Thomas Rhett."

 

 

It started slow, first one touch then another. Their clothes came off gradually; slowly intensifying with each kiss. For the first time Vivian explored him, in a way she had always wanted to.

 

"So what do you want me to do first?" Nathan asked, his voice low and soft.

 

"I don't know." Vivian whispered. "I've never done this before."

 

Nathan chuckled softly.

 

"Well neither have I."

 

"Just don't start googling things… I'm not that adventurous."

 

"I guess we'll make it up as we go." Nathan murmured, as he began kissing down her neck, his lips traveling along her shoulder. "That freaky stuff isn't exactly what I think I'm going for."

2: Fingertips and Lips in the Dark

Vivian heard the music change again, another country song, something low, slow and sexy.

 

"What's this?" Nathan murmured as he continued to work his way down her body.

 

"Dierks Bentley, Black." Vivian murmured.

 

"Sounds dangerous." Nathan murmured.

 

Vivian smiled.

 

"Hmm. TV, off, lights too…" Vivian murmured.

 

Nathan did as she asked as he reached up to turn off the bedside lamps and turn off the movie they had been watching.

 

"Where you going with this V?" Nathan murmured, though she could hear the smile and amusement in his voice.

 

Softly, Vivian began singing along with track as she murmured the words her hands began to move from Nathan's hands to his wrists and up his arms, over his shoulders and finally up his neck to his face. Nathan smiled as her fingers traced his lips.

 

"So where do you want me to go?" He murmured softly.

 

"Surprise me."

 

Nathan chuckled, his breath fanning against her bare shoulder. "Okay."

 

Nathan's lips took a slow journey over her collarbone and down her chest. His lips touched her right nipple.

 

Vivian blinked at the sensation, her eyes fluttering close.

 

"Oh…! Nathan…"

 

Then his hands joined his mouth, exploring, flicking, rubbing. His fingers continued to slide down; over her ribs and down to her hip. He alternated between using his hands and mouth each a different sensation. Vivian kept her hands on Nathan's shoulders if only to keep herself grounded. If she could barely handle this how was she going to handle the actual intercourse?

 

"How do you do that?" She murmured drowsily.

 

"Do what?" Nathan asked,

 

"Like I'm having an out of body experience."

 

"Well, I'm just doing what I think you'd like." Nathan chuckled, his lips close to her ear. "Just wait till I make you climax…"

 

Their eyes met briefly in the dim light altering through the closed door.

 

"I like it," she said with a small smile, "I like it very much."

 

Nathan kissed her temple.

 

"Good."

 

Nathan paused, frowning slightly.

 

"I better get a condom before I forget. Then we'll be in trouble." He grinned briefly before grabbing for a box nearby. They both had boxes in their suitcases, Vivian remembered, their parents had made sure that. The idea of their parents giving them sex advice still made her uncomfortable, but she knew they meant well.

 

For the moment she was glad the lights were off she wasn't ready to see Nathan fully naked yet; married or not the idea would take some getting used to.

 

"Ready whenever you are." Nathan murmured climbing back on the bed. He was definitely naked now; Vivian felt his warm body up next to hers, her body already taut in anticipation. She could feel the moisture pooling between her legs; her underwear already itching to get off. She bit her lip.

 

The music shifted to something slower and softer. It was perfect, she thought, so far so good.

 

"I'm ready." She whispered, "if you want to do the honors." She lifted her hips so he could slide her underwear over her hips and down her legs. There was no going back now.

3: Slow As a Mississippi

 

The music shifted again, to something slower and softer.

 

"Who's this?" Nathan whispered as he leaned over her.

 

"Canaan Smith, "Love You Like That" Vivian panted. She was still trying to get her bearings for something big she was about to experience.

 

"You ready?" He asked again. Vivian looked into his eyes, they were warm and concerned, which was one of the things she loved about him.

 

She nodded, everything was perfect.

 

Vivian winced slightly as Nathan slid into her.

 

"You okay?" He asked, pausing.

 

She only nodded, her lips pressed tight.

 

"Go." Was all she managed to say, it was all she could say.

 

He moved slowly, rocking back and forth, in time with the music it seemed.

 

"So you want me to go "slow as a Mississippi"?" Nathan murmured in her ear, amusement lacing his voice.

 

"Maybe not that slow." Vivian whispered back. She rose to meet him slowly and firmly until she could barely think, until he was all she felt; inside and out.

 

After a while it was only the music telling the story, telling their story and they didn't talk anymore; the only sound was of their breathing as they learned each other for the first time. Vivian felt herself coming undone and she knew Nathan felt it too from the way he was breathing; short, and staggered.

 

She pushed, thrusting up into him, then she felt him shudder, which caused a chain reaction and she came, overshadowing even the music.

 

Finally, they came back down and Nathan rolled off her as they lay there shoulde trying to catch their breath, the music playing softly in the background having switched to one of Nathan's favorite Coldplay songs.

 

"So this is what they call everglow." Vivian murmured.

 

Nathan chuckled softly, still sounding breathless.

 

"I think it's called afterglow, V."

 

"I know, I just think of the song every time I think of a moment like this."

 

Nathan gave her sidelong look, raising his eyebrows, a cocky grin stretching over his face.

 

"So you were thinking about playing the song after sex, before we could even have sex?"

 

He was rewarded with a shove in the shoulder, which only made him laugh.

 

"Oh!" Vivian scolded playfully, " Go clean up and let me get dressed then I think it's time for us to go to bed."

4: A Pause

 

Unfortunately there was no time for the "morning after" Vivian had always dreamed of, but rather, they were racing around like crazy trying not to miss their flight to LA and then to Hawaii for the real start of their honeymoon.

 

"Slow down," Nathan said with a chuckle, "we do have time to eat breakfast, we don't have to be at the airport til 9 o'clock."

 

"Breakfast in or out?" Vivian asked.

 

Nathan shrugged.

 

"Whatever you prefer, Mrs. Clarence."

 

Vivian grinned at that, it was going to take some getting used to.

 

Finally they were packed, dressed and on their way out the door to check out. It wasn't that they had unpacked that much anyway; the hotel in downtown Nashville was only a stop before the real beginning of their honeymoon.

 

"Ugh, this is going to be such a long flight!" Vivian complained.

 

Nathan smiled at her, a smile she had known for years.

 

"You'll survive, I promise."

 

"Yeah, so says my husband the world traveler. I'm a homebody Nathan I live behind a desk, going out in the world is scary."

 

Nathan chuckled again as he shifted their luggage.

 

"You'll be okay, no one ever died from a little jetlag."

 

"Says the guy that looked dead on his feet after he returned from a two-week trip to Australia." Vivian replied dryly.

 

Nathan shrugged.

 

"Point taken."

 

There was little to do in the Los Angeles airport during their layover so Vivian set to people watching. If she couldn't do anything she might as well brainstorm for her novel, she was always coming up with new ideas for characters just from watching people; even a passing stranger. Sometimes she just watched Nathan, who was currently drafting another blog post.

 

Finally Nathan looked up at her.

 

"Are we being antisocial? Are newlyweds supposed to be this antisocial?"

 

Vivian smiled.

 

"I don't know, you tell me. I don't think were anymore antisocial than usual."

 

Nathan gave her a one armed hug.

 

"Well then, I guess that's normal for us."