The tiny bubbles in the champagne sparkled merrily in the firelight. Two flutes sat waiting on the hearth, with the bottle resting in ice a little further away. The fire burned warmly, eclipsed only by the heat she felt in her heart. As she stood taking in the scene before her, Ashley felt her husband move up behind her. She had just finished her steamy bubble bath, and her skin was warm and rosy under the silk robe she wore. He kissed the nape of her neck, and whispered "I love you, baby," softly in her ear. He bent down to retrieve the bubbly, giving her a moment to reflect. Absence had indeed made their hearts grow much, much fonder. She had been gone for quite some time, and so many things had changed. There was, however, one constant: His love for her had not changed, nor had hers for him. If anything, the bond between them was now stronger than it had ever been before.

"Welcome home, lover. We missed you so very much." Their glasses clinked slightly, and they both sipped the champagne lightly. They turned to each other; he looked deep into her soul, his eyes piercing her very existence. He felt a tightening in his throat, he had been waiting for this moment for a very long time. They leaned slowly towards one another, kissing lightly, both trembling slightly. He looked at her once again and felt tears welling up in his eyes, and saw that hers, too, were sparkling in the firelight.

"I have taken the liberty of warming some oil, for your massage. I think you will enjoy the evening I have planned." He smiled gently, knowing that she would not soon forget this night.

"If you would please make yourself comfortable, I shall begin," he retrieved her glass, giving her the opportunity to disrobe. He drank in the sight of her as if he were dying of thirst. Her pulse quickened as she saw the hunger in his eyes. She laid face down on the palette that he had prepared, waiting patiently for him to begin. He reached for the warmed oil, covering the palms of his hands with stuff, and placed it back out of the way.

As his hands made gentle contact with her skin, an involuntary moan escaped her lips. She too, had been anxiously waiting for this moment in time. He tenderly drew the tension out of her muscles, kneading and caressing her skin and the tissue beneath. He started at the top of her neck, where her head met the rest of her body, and slowly, meticulously worked his way down, over her shoulders, across her back. He paused briefly to kiss her neck once again, before continuing his journey. Spending a good deal of time with the small of her back, he began to massage the tops of her buttocks, eliciting another moan from his love. Working his way soothingly down her thighs, first one, then the other, he paused to apply more oil to his hands. The backs of her knees seemed to be a bit ticklish, so he didn't stay there long, opting to lovingly manipulate her calves instead. Working past her ankle, he lifted her leg slightly; he began to rub the soles of her feet, knowing that she loved that sort of thing. She moaned lightly once more, encouraging him to continue, which of course he did without hesitation. When he was convinced that her feet were completely relaxed he asked her to roll over onto her back. He started working his way back up her body, massaging her shins, then thighs avoiding her center. That time would come. Rubbing gently at her abdominal muscles, then stroking against the sides of her ribcage to ease her laterals. Working his fingers high over her breasts, easing the tension in that group, he then ran his hands down her arms, causing gooseflesh to appear.