Laughing breathlessly as they emerged into the upper tunnel, they embraced again, Vincent spinning Catherine around in his arms. Feeling her anticipation, he obligingly took possession of her mouth, his kiss lingering insistently.
“Come, my love,” he said, his breath fanning her face, “let me show you my first surprise.” Holding her close against his side, he led her to another tunnel leading downward again, away from their chamber.
“Where are we going?” she pleaded, without much hope of getting an answer.
“On the next step of our journey of love,” he answered enigmatically, nuzzling her hair.
“Will you tell me for a kiss?” she teased.
He paused, looking down at her with naked longing on his face. “Do that, and we will never get there.”
“Then let’s hurry, Vincent, because I do want more of your kisses,” she urged wantonly.
With a groan, he swept her up into his arms and strode quickly down the passageway. After many twists and turns, he stopped outside a new chamber doorway.
“Close your eyes,” he commanded. She buried her face against his neck, loving the warm, masculine smell of him, and kissed him where she felt his strongly beating pulse. He set her quickly on her feet inside the chamber, before he allowed himself to respond to her lovemaking.
“No peeking,” he coached and turned her away from him. Now she could smell the candle wax burning and the fragrance of flowers; bright candlelight flickered against her closed eyelids.
“You can look now,” he whispered with a kiss on her ear, his arms wrapped around her, holding her back against him so he could watch her expression.
Catherine opened her eyes and gasped at the sight that met them. A large bed covered with a white counterpane was before her. White candles decorated every nook and cranny in the rock walls. Flowers were everywhere she looked; bunches of red and white roses and other hothouse flowers.
“Vincent…it’s beautiful! How can you think of anything so perfect?” she breathed.
“I love you, Catherine. All I do is think of you, and the beauty within you. Everything else is merely a reflection of your beauty in comparison.”
Turning her around again, he knelt down and took the hem of her kimono, kissing it in silent reverence to her love.
She looked down on him tenderly. “I can think of better places for your kisses, Vincent,” she said slowly moistening her parted lips with her tongue.
Swiftly glancing up, he caught the motion. With a quirk of his lips, he took her hand, lightly kissing its silky smooth top before turning it over and lingering on her palm, then her wrist. He felt her pulse beating quickly and heard the catch of her breath. Her free hand stoked through his tawny mane of hair caressingly. When his kiss reached the pulse inside her forearm, she was visibly trembling.
He looked up in wonder. “ Catherine, I can feel your desire. Does my touch excite you so much?”
“This is my answer, Vincent.” She tentatively traced her fingertips over each outline of his features; his curved brow, his high cheekbones, his flat nose and velvety muzzle that was his upper lip, the line of his jaw…things she had never dared do before. He was mesmerized! Then she stooped and began planting soft kisses all over his beloved face, teasing his mouth. He stood with a groan, gathered her in a crushing embrace and captured her mouth. All sense of time and space were lost…no thought or reason was left to them…only ecstasy blossoming unchecked. When he lifted his head in wonder, he saw the same quivering passion in her eyes and on her full lips that he felt running through her, through him.
As she clung to him for support, she panted, “How can you… make me feel…this way, Vincent? I never knew love could be…like this.”
His voice was deep and husky as he struggled to reply. “I love you so much, Catherine…I never allowed myself to…even imagine…how wonderful love could be.”
She looked at him through passion laden eyes, and said persuasively, “Vincent…just as we can always say anything to each other…because of our love and trust…tonight there must be…nothing held back between us…we are free now to express our love…fully…I love you so much, Vincent…all of you.”
With shaking hands, she slowly began to unbutton his tunic. The love in her expression and in her heart overwhelmed him. He drew her to him, his hands pressing her closer. Her hands were stroking the fine, burnished red hair on his chest, before burying her face there and kissing every part of him she could reach, while tugging off his tunic.
He lifted her onto the bed, and then stepped back, hesitating; but she could see the hunger for her in his eyes. She knew she had excited him, and kneeling on the bed, slipped off the silver kimono. She beckoned him with open arms. With a look of wonder and appreciation, he lightly touched her soft, white skin. Catherine encouraged his caress with a tremulous smile and nod, while she in turn stroked her hands over his muscular physique.
“You are so…beautiful…Vincent, you make me feel…” she shook her head for lack of words.
“So…beautiful!” He finished for her.
His inquisitive touch was igniting exquisite waves of pleasure in her. He knew... he felt how she needed him, wanted him, as he did her. The last remnant of his rigid self-control slipped away. He enveloped her in a passionate embrace, plundering her mouth, feeling her ecstatic responses, until she pulled him onto her; opening to him the last barrier to their love. He took her then, in love, as gently as need would allow, and they were united in rapture almost beyond endurance.
*****
She clung to him; their limbs entwined together even in her sleep. She lay against him, exhausted but replete. He couldn’t believe the joy he felt to have her here within his arms…could not believe the peace within himself that went beyond physical release, as beautiful and satisfying as that had been. The love he felt for her welled up in his heart.
She stirred sleepily, “Vincent, you’re purring,” she murmured and fell back asleep.
He smiled tenderly and kissed her hair. He never knew it was possible, but then he had never been so contented, so sublimely happy before, so complete. They two were finally one as they were always meant to be. With such thoughts, he too, finally closed his eyes in sweet sleep.
*****
Catherine awoke and stretched deliciously the next morning, when she saw him propped up on one arm next to her, watching her with a smile.
“Mmmm…I love waking up beside you, Vincent,” she murmured sleepily.
“I love watching you sleep, Catherine, but it is quite a dilemma.”
“I don’t see the problem,” she said curving her arm around his neck.
“The problem is whether I should let you sleep,” he said stroking the soft skin on her arm igniting a flame within her, “or kiss you awake,” he demonstrated provocatively and felt her passion flare, “or, begin our journey.”
“I’m not sleeping anymore,” she spoke softly against his mouth, pressing herself closer to him and feeling his physical response. “And right now, I’m feeling very reluctant to begin any journeys. So…your only problem,” she said between hungry kisses, “is how…to stop me…from loving you.”
*****
Much later, they were resting happily satisfied in each other’s arms.
“Have I made you as happy as I hoped, Vincent?”
He hugged her against his broad, tawny chest. “I am whole; complete in you, Catherine. There are no other words to express it. Have I hurt you in any way?” he asked anxiously, and she knew it was important to relieve his mind.
“No, Vincent.” She propped herself up to look in his eyes. “I’ve never experienced anything as beautiful and fulfilling as your loving. I’ll never stop wanting or needing your love, Vincent…I love you so much.”
“Nor will I deny myself your love, ever again,” he said enjoying yet another deep kiss. Then he gathered the sheet around her…and picking her up in his arms, carried her out of the chamber into the tunnel. She glanced up at him and he answered her unspoken question.
“We are not far from the bathing place we use. I have arranged it for our use this morning.”
“Really? I never knew how..” she trailed off. “Please, tell me all about it.”
He told her as he walked, how the tunnel dwellers used the steam pipes to heat the water in a chamber that had a shallow rock basin, rather than a flat floor. Water was constantly refilled from one of the underground springs, so it was always warm and fresh. If the room was occupied, a torch or candle was lit outside the chamber. There was another, smaller chamber the next level down where a similar arrangement was used to do laundry. Catherine was amazed when she saw the natural rock formations, formed from the underground currents of the ages, and used naturally by those who lived Below.
Assured of their privacy, they frolicked like children in the basin, splashing, teasing, and shrieking with laughter. Later, lounging back in the room-sized tub, Catherine admired the raw strength and beauty of Vincent’s muscles rippling beneath his golden skin, his tawny mane of hair, his perfectly proportioned build, not an once of fat on him. He was gorgeous; his expression so carefree, as love rolled the weight of the years from him. Vincent, feeling her admiration, stood and moved toward her through the water, for once glorying in all that he was. He had never felt so alive, so admired and accepted for himself. He stood over her; studying her white skinned beauty, honey brown hair, exquisite figure and wide, luscious mouth. Kneeling beside her in the warm, shallow water, he reached behind her. Taking a bar of soap and cloth from a rock shelf, he gently began lathering and massaging her. She moaned with pleasure as he caressed her body and pulled his face down to hers in abandonment and gave herself to him once again.
Later, when he in turn rolled over to lay back relaxing
in the warm water, she laid her head on his chest
in contentment. “Vincent,” she exclaimed,
“I believe you’re purring!”
“You mentioned that last night.”
“Did I? I don’t remember.”
He smiled tenderly, “You were very sleepy.”
Not to be distracted, she said, “What a beautiful sound you are making…no don’t stop,” she protested when he suddenly ceased.
After a moment he chuckled, “I have no control over it.”
“But I do,” she retorted, sitting up with a splash, and retrieving the soap, began washing his magnificent body. She was enjoying his expressions as she touched him in ways he had never experienced before. He was rumbling so loudly it echoed around the chamber. He grabbed her arm and pulled her down to kiss her soundly.
Tired, yet refreshed, they sat on the edge of the basin,
drying themselves with the towels left there for
their use. They took turns toweling each other’s
hair and brushing out the tangles. Catherine was constantly amazed
at the rich thickness and burnished red highlights of his mane of hair.
Vincent was incredibly gentle and could have done nothing else but run
his fingers through her silky hair all day.
“I’ve just realized something,” she exclaimed.
“What is it Catherine?”
“I’m starving! What about you?”
He leaned over to take a playful nibble on her neck. “Ravenous.”
She giggled and said, “Let’s eat!”
Vincent wrapped the sheet around them both, for he knew how chilly the tunnel would feel after the warmth inside. He blew out the candle as they left, and they hurried back to where they had spent the night. They dived under the blankets, warming quickly in each other’s arms.
“Vincent, will we be staying here another night?”
“Are you very tired, my love?” he asked.
“Maybe a little,” she admitted, “but mostly I asked because it is so wonderful to be here with you. I don’t want to leave.”
He kissed her gently, and then reached over her to bring up a hamper of food onto the bed. “Breakfast is served,” he announced.
Catherine sat up and divided the food between them. In answer to her question, he replied, “We cannot stay another night, Catherine, even though I would wish to as well. This chamber has been finished for two of our friends who are ready to move in today. They lent it for our use last night, but will be using it themselves tonight.”
“Then we should be on our way,” she agreed with a nod.
As they were eating the bacon and egg biscuits William had packed, Vincent continued his thought. “We should rest awhile yet. Then we can walk down to where the passage to the hot spring begins and camp there tonight. It will take an hour or two and shouldn’t be too much for you.”
She smiled appreciatively. “Sounds great!”
When they were finished, she repacked the hamper, in readiness
for their departure while Vincent was dressing. She quickly donned
her own hiking clothes and lay down beside him to rest. Snuggling
close against his heart, they were soon sound asleep.