Chapter 7

Home. Safe. Those were the first coherent thoughts that came to Vincent's mind as he slowly emerged from a realm of pure sensation. The storms that had ravaged his soul all his life had subsided, and he had finally reached the safe shores of Catherine's love. This was where he belonged, and he knew that she felt the same, that they now had a world of their own, where they could be truly together, forever.

He lifted his head from her shoulder to look at her and met a starry, deep green gaze and a wide, dreamy smile. She was so beautiful! And she was his, now.

"Oh, Catherine, I love you!" he groaned. How weak those words sounded, compared with the strength of the feelings pulsing through their bond, but he needed to say them, he always would, and so would she.

"I love you, Vincent." she answered, pulling him down to kiss him.

The kiss, tender and leisurely at first, grew more and more sensuous and demanding as they clung to each other with renewed desire. Vincent felt a fleeting twinge of uneasiness at wanting Catherine again, so soon, but her own urgent need flowed through the bond to reassure him, and he flexed his hips strongly to sink deeper into her, enjoying her jolt of pleasure even more than his own.

She arched against him with a moan, locking her thighs tight around his waist, taunting him, but he stilled her with a light, slow caress on her side. Their first time had been fast, completely instinctive, and he understood it couldn't have been otherwise, but now he needed to take his time. He wanted to savor every second of it.

Catherine instantly complied and relaxed in his arms, letting him set the pace of their lovemaking, explore the world of physical love in his own way. She felt a grateful loving wave and he smothered her with tender kisses, nuzzling her hair and neck, finding sensitive places to nip and lick while he began to move inside her in a slow, leisurely rhythm.

The sensation of her hot, tight flesh enclosing him, drawing him in was wonderful, but her own rapture flowing over him through the bond was what felt the most incredible to Vincent. The realization that his body, that for so long he'd thought unfit to touch her, could bring such pleasure to his Catherine evoked a stunned disbelief, mingled with deep, proud joy. He wanted the moment to last and kept his own need under tight control to savor her every reaction. He grasped her thigh and pulled it high, opening her to him as he changed the angle and depth of his thrusts to give her more pleasure. He brought her close to the edge several times, only to slow down to a quieter pace, not wanting it to end too soon.

Catherine writhed under Vincent, moaning his name, and deep inside he marveled that he could keep his control while fully sharing her wild sensations. Soon, though, he knew that he couldn't delay it much longer. Catherine's need for completion was too compelling to be ignored, and her flesh clung at his greedily as she arched against him, begging for release.

"Now, oh please now, Vincent!" she groaned in his neck.

He pulled away slightly to look at her. "Yes, now, my Catherine." he promised. His eyes locked on hers, he began to move deeply, setting a hard, fast rhythm that sent her reeling. Soon he felt her begin to peak and clung to his control, wanting to share it fully with her. But when he felt her sheath contract around him and her orgasm engulfed him, there was no resisting the strength of their connection. In a last, powerful thrust, he gave himself completely to Catherine, and joined her in that wonderful place where they were truly one.

Catherine dreamily caressed Vincent's hair as they cuddled together, exhausted. She had always suspected that he'd be a wonderful lover, but the reality of it went beyond her wildest imaginings. If she hadn't been absolutely certain that he'd had no previous experience, she might have found it hard to believe. He had loved her with such assertiveness and innate skill!

Her musings must have permeated the bond, for she felt him stir. "Tell me?" he enquired, his voice still somewhat breathless.

She chuckled. "I was just thinking that you're a very fast learner, my love!"

A warm wave of love, with a touch of smug pride washed over her as he caressed her breast tenderly. "Catherine, I feel what you're feeling. Your pain is my pain, and your pleasure…." he brushed her nipple with his thumb, causing her to whimper softly "…is my pleasure. How could it be otherwise? I should have known, but I was so sure that I could never be what you wanted me to be, that a body such as mine could never give you pleasure…"

She smiled mischievously. "Well, you know better, now, don't you?"

"Definitely." he solemnly admitted. "Though I still find it hard to believe. Oh, Catherine, forgive me for doubting!"

"There's nothing to forgive, my love" she said tenderly. "we're here now, and it's all that matters.

They snuggled together, enjoying blissful satisfaction, until Vincent's head suddenly jerked up. "Catherine, I believe you're hungry! How long has it been since you last ate?"

She giggled, a hand on her rumbling stomach. "Sorry, not very romantic, is it? We didn't have time for lunch."

"And maybe you didn't have much of a breakfast either!" he gently reproached, disengaging himself from her. "Let me prepare something."

She sat up, too. "Thank you. Food will be welcome, but before, is there a place where I could wash a little?"

He looked at her, disheveled, her hair damp with sweat. He, too, was feeling somewhat sticky.

"Of course. Please wait a moment." He stood up and walked to a corner of the chamber, disappearing into a side tunnel she hadn't seen yet. Looking around, she noticed that the chamber was now much darker than it had been when they'd arrived. It probably got some outer light, in the same mysterious way as the Mirror Pool, and night had fallen Above. It was warm here, too, she reflected, much warmer than in the rest of the Tunnels.

She understood why when Vincent came back a minute later and lifted her in his arms to carry her through a short passage into a much smaller cavern. Steamy water sprang out from one of the walls to fill a rounded natural pool. She saw Vincent had lit candles in niches of the rocky walls, and laid out towels, soap and shampoo.

She beamed up to him. "A hot spring! How wonderful! I've always dreamed of sharing one of those with you, Vincent!" Smiling back, he lowered her carefully into the water before joining her.

"So have I, my Catherine!" he answered in a deep voice, pulling her close. "This is a secret place of mine, that only Devin knows about. We discovered it together shortly before he went away, and maybe it was selfish of me, but I never wanted to share it with anyone else. I needed a place where I could be alone, to think, and to dream." He drew back slightly to look into her eyes.

"Later, when you came into my life, this is where I would come to dream of you. Dreams of things forbidden, that shamed me…but brought me so much joy, too, even though I knew they must remain forever unfulfilled. Oh, Catherine, you have made all my dreams come true!"

Her throat too tight to speak, she hugged him hard, silently promising him, with all the strength of her love, that his years of aloneness were over. He crushed her against him in an almost desperate embrace, needing to persuade himself that this time it wasn't a dream.

She felt his renewed arousal and pulled away slightly to look at him with mischievous eyes.

"Tell me, Vincent, what did I do in your dreams?" Her hand left his shoulder to travel sensuously down his muscled chest, reveling in his hard strength. She found a small, well hidden nipple on the way and teased it lightly, eliciting a whimper. "Did I touch you like this? Or…" Her fingers slid down his tight stomach to find his hard throbbing flesh and caress it tenderly. He moaned with rapture, leaning into her touch, and she laughed softly. "Yes, like this, rather."

"Catherine!" Suddenly shy, he nodded, hiding behind the curtain of his hair. How he had yearned for the touch of her hands on him! Alone, in the wet heat of this hidden chamber, he had dreamed of this, and of all that he knew he could never have. And on a few occasions, the call of his yearning flesh too insistent to be ignored, he'd let his own hands replace hers on his body and bring a momentary, frustrating release. A brief instant of dizzying pleasure soon smothered by shame and guilt for having soiled the purity of their love, allowed her revered image to mingle with the satisfaction of his animal needs.

"Vincent!" Her more intent touch brought his eyes back to her, to meet a sweet, understanding smile. "It's all right. I'm glad I could help you sometimes, if only in your dreams. You were not the only one, I dreamed too! Surely you must know it!"

He nodded again, this time with a smile. How could he have ignored it? For his sake, she'd kept her desires under tight control, but she had no power over her dreams, dreams that had grown more insistent and precise with time, often keeping him awake in sweet torment. Her dreams had been the cause of more than one nightly dive into the icy water of some subterranean pool, in a futile attempt to calm the fire in his blood. Sometimes he'd even be caught in his own sleep, swept away into rapturous sensations and a glorious release, guilt and shame catching up with a vengeance as he awakened to face the torturing hopelessness of their situation.

Yes, he'd been well aware of Catherine's needs, and of how much she was denying them for his sake. He knew that her love for him was the cause of her frustrations, depriving her of the physical love she deserved, but he could never give her, because of what he was. Yet he knew it would kill him if she sought that fulfillment from another…as if she ever would! For so long he'd refused to see there was only one way out of their tragic predicament!

All that was in their past, now, and the hopeless dreams had miraculously turned into blissful reality. His smile widened as his hand slowly trailed down Catherine's soft curves, teasing her nipple on the way in loving retaliation. He hardly brushed her stomach, feeling it flutter and tense as his hand continued down to finally cup her silky curls, his eyes locked on hers. She smiled back and opened her legs slightly to give him better access, her own hand still caressing him gently.

Eager to learn her secrets, Vincent insinuated a finger beyond the yielding barrier of hair to explore her soft folds. Wary of his sharp nails, he touched her very carefully at first, getting bolder as her sensations reassured him. He soon found her most sensitive place and was surprised by her jolt of sharp pleasure. He caressed her there for a moment, delighted to feel her tense and arch under his touch, before continuing his tender exploration.

He found her small opening and slid a cautious finger inside, making her whimper. Her flesh felt so delicate, so fragile! How had he not hurt her? Then her muscles contracted around his finger with surprising strength to remind him that her fragility was only apparent, that he could not, would not hurt her, because she was the one made for him.

The mere thought of how her tight sheath had clenched around his flesh was almost more than he could stand. He instinctively thrust in her hand, seeking friction, and his finger started a matching movement inside her, while his thumb sought her hidden nub.

Catherine moaned and leaned into his touch, drawing him deeper as she tightened her hold on his erection, loving his size and strength. She ground her pelvis in his hand, the tantalizing caress of his fingers not enough for her any more. She wanted him inside her. Now!

Her legs parted and came up around him. Answering her need with an urgency of his own, he seized her waist and lowered her gently on his shaft, savoring every second of this deliciously slow impalement until he was once more buried deep inside her. Yes! This was where he belonged. Tightly held in Catherine's body, warmly surrounded by her love, Vincent truly felt at home, and a wave of overwhelming joy swept over him.

"Oh, Catherine!" She drew away a little to look at him. He was literally beaming, all his teeth displayed in the widest smile she'd ever seen on him, the elation she felt through the bond radiating in his eyes.

She beamed back. "I know, love! I can hardly believe it too! It's so wonderful!" She moved slightly, tightening her muscles around his throbbing flesh, delighted to feel his jolt of pleasure through the bond. "Mmmmm!" she purred, rubbing her breasts on his chest. "I love to feel you inside me Vincent!"

His answering thrust took her breath away and she moaned softly, looking at him with widened, darkened eyes. He was still smiling, with a hint of virile pride that delighted her. He pulled her close to kiss her, his hands caressing her body as his hips flexed against her in a slow, steady rhythm.

They made love in a leisurely, playful way, small waves of warm water lapping gently around them as they moved. They kept smiling to each other between tender, lingering kisses, fully savoring, beyond the rapturous sensations, the simple joy of being at last together, truly together. They kept that quiet pace for as long as they could, until the need for completion became too imperious to be delayed. They were so close by then that a single powerful thrust was enough to send them both over the edge, clinging to each other inside and out as he erupted inside her.