Part VI: Checkmate

The game ends when the only move left for the King is into mate.  At this point the King has no option but to concede.  The beauty of chess is that with two lovers of the game they simply begin again, varying their strategies and moves to keep it infinitely interesting and fresh.

     It was perhaps an hour later when Vincent began to wake.  Catherine's hands were moving against his back, touching, rubbing, massaging that muscled expanse.  The images from the D3 pool washed over him and left him weak.  "Catherine," he groaned softly against her neck.
     "Yes, my love, yes."  She soothed him with her voice, her caresses and billowing waves of serenity through the Bond.
     Her hands moved further down his back and, as in the fantasy, her fingers moved deeply into the longer hair on his spine at the small of his back.  The pleasure was electrifying and his purr filled the room as his penis stirred and began to fill with hot blood again.  She stayed there for some time, building his passion and her own.  Then she moved lower still to cup his buttocks, rubbing and squeezing the muscled firmness there.  Her fingers moved into that tantalizing division, stroking the sensitive skin downward until she could just reach the edge of his lightly furred sac.  He gasped and moved his legs further apart, opening himself to her tender touch and pushing her own legs outward in the process.
     "Oh yes, there, touch me there."  Vincent pulled himself up slightly higher along her body so that she could reach that sensitive flesh a little easier.  He slid his legs outside of hers and pulled his knees up to rest his weight on his haunches near her hips and his forearms at either side of her head.  He held himself off her now, but very low so that their bodies just touched.  In this position she was able to reach his chest with her kisses and she set about this leisurely as her fingertips brushed against the tender skin of his scrotum.  Vincent swayed slightly above her, moving backward into her hands a little more forcefully and brushing his growing erection against her abdomen.
     He moved slowly now, lazily, almost trance like; his eyes shut, mouth open and panting.   It felt so good, so good...      .  And it wasn't over.  It had felt as if the building emotions of an hour ago would kill him with their intensity, but here they were again and it was starting all over.  Only now he felt more strongly in control, more determined to experience everything of her, with her.  He had thought there was nothing to compare to the sensation of his hands upon her body, the sight and scent and taste of her before him.  He had not seriously considered the effect of her hands upon him.  And he wanted that now, suddenly, urgently.
     He pulled gently away from her to lie on his back at her side.  "Touch me Catherine.  I want to feel your hands on me, loving me.  Please."  There was a tinge of hesitancy in his voice, a question in his eyes, as if he might be asking too much of her.
     She sat up suddenly then, to look down upon him, at his magnificent body lying before her.  She leaned down to frame his face with her hands and stared deeply into his eyes, connecting through the Bond on a deeper level yet.
     "Yes my love, yes.  I've wanted to touch you for so long, so long.  There were times when we were together and my hands ached to touch you, to give you pleasure and take it for myself.  You are the source of all my pleasure Vincent, let me be that for you.  Give yourself over to me now, Vincent, let me show you, my love."
     He stared up at her, mesmerized by her words and the assurances sensed through the Bond.      "Yes, I do give myself to you Catherine.  Touch me, love me...please me."  His voice sank to a husky, seductive whisper at the last words.
     Her hands slid down to his chest then and she pushed up from him to sit curled by his side.  She began to massage his shoulders, up towards his neck then back to his biceps.  His eyes flickered and he drew a shuddering breath as the fantasy of the bathing pool came back to him full force.  Her hands moved back to his chest and she stroked outward from its center, petting and stroking him, sliding her fingers deeply into his curling fur to encounter the warm skin beneath.  When she uncovered his paps she rubbed her thumbs there in smaller and smaller concentric circles then leaned down to lave him with her tongue and blow hot breath against each peak.
     He was trying to stay still, to let her have her way with him, but his chest muscles strained beneath her and his moans floated somewhere above her.  He finally raised his arms from his sides to hold her head between his palms, guiding her back and forth between the puckered tips, his sounds and actions showing her what he wanted.  Catherine stayed there, her hands and mouth pleasuring him in this way until his arms fell back to the bed and she knew he was ready for her to move on.
     She sat back up to kneel at his side and take in the lusty sight of him.  Passion infused his entire being, the muscles taut with sexual tension.  His body seemed to glow in the moonlight; sweat darkening his fur to a burnished gold, his hair streaming about him in a coppery flame.  The blue of his eyes was intense and dark, glinting up at her through half closed lids.
     Her eyes moved slowly down the length of his body, drawn inexorably to his straining erection.  It rose from its nest of darker, longer curls, astounding in its length and breadth, curving towards his belly in unselfconscious splendor.  He was circumcised, but the head was still quite a bit broader than the stalk, and suffused with an even darker mahogany glow than the rest.  The vein running along the underside was prominent, the throbbing blood running through it visible to her eyes.  He was magnificent.
     He was watching her perusal closely, needing to know that everything would be all right.  He had worried about this aspect of a sexual relationship between them as much as the thought that his dark side might take over.  They had lain together tonight, touching and being touched; he had felt no fear from her thus far and he clearly heard her thoughts and emotions just expressed through the bond.  She was pleased by him, she was excited by him.  She must know then that it would be all right, that he wouldn't hurt her.  Still, that concern would not leave him entirely.  Perhaps his size would not be restrictive, but what of the combination of that, his strength and the passion that might overwhelm him in the throes of orgasm?  What might happen then?
     The fear was beginning to take over when he felt the touch of her hand on his knee.  She was sliding it upward along his inner thigh, her nails lightly scraping into his fur and against his skin.  He was trembling at the expectation of her touch on that most intimate part of his body, the fear pushed aside for now.  Her hand pushed gently at his far leg, urging it outward to open for her touch.
     She began, as she had done a short while ago, by lightly brushing her fingertips against his scrotum.  It was fuller now than before, tight and tender to her touch.  He moaned loudly and grasped handfuls of sheets at his sides.  Catherine alternated between watching his face and her hand on his body, she couldn't decide which was giving her more pleasure.  She stroked him tenderly, all over, then cupped her hand around those tempting globes.  She squeezed him gently and his moans increased in strength and volume, his head thrown back, canines gleaming.  She felt hot juices dripping down her kneeling legs as she watched and heard his response.
 Her fingers moved upward now, to the base of the staff where it connected to that sensitive sac.  She rubbed gently there and smiled knowingly as he cried out.  Then with just one finger, she lightly traced the pulsing vein along its length until she reached the jutting edge of the tip's brim.  He was holding himself tensely still beneath her now, the moans turning to growls he could not control.  She ran her finger around the circumference there then slid upward to tease at the small eye at its center, her touch so light it was more sensed than felt.
     Vincent's hips bucked beneath her and he attempted to gain control using all his will.  But he didn't want her to stop, no, please, don't stop.  He had a sudden, shocking urge to close his hand around hers and stroke firmly along his length, to watch the sperm erupt, driven by their lustful hands together.  But he didn't of course.  Oh God! what was happening to him?!  His fingers clenched more deeply into the sheets while he waited for what she would do next.  And what she did next nearly pushed him over the edge.
     Her hand left him and both rose to cover her own breasts.  She cupped them gently, teasing the nipples with her thumbs.  He didn't think it was possible for his heart to pound more frantically than it had been, but he was wrong.  He couldn't take his eyes off her hands as she touched herself tenderly.  Her hands slowed their caressing strokes then moved to slide down over her rib cage and abdomen to her belly.  She was kneeling at his side, sitting back on her haunches, her legs spread open slightly.  She moved them further apart as her fingers gently petted the curls at her mound then slipped beneath to the hidden flesh there to stroke that wet, sleek surface, delving deeply.
     He was panting and groaning now, the hand lying near her knee moving to cover it, yearning toward that sweet spot, drawing her female scent in deeply.
     Her probing fingers left her body then and closed around his pulsing stalk, stroking and coating him with the essence of her sex.  Several times her fingers left his body to bury themselves again in her honeyed depths, returning to coat him in her warmth and sweetness.
     He writhed beneath her now, pumping his hips against her hand, thrusting his growing erection through her tight, wet fingers, moaning growls filling the otherwise silent room.  Then her hands left him and he cried out at their absence.  "No, please Catherine, don't stop!"  He was wild to find completion, but she wouldn't give it to him, not yet.
     "Shhhh, Vincent, it's all right, we have all night.  Soon my love, soon."  Her hands soothingly stroked his thighs and belly, gently pulling him back from the brink.  Slowly he felt himself gaining control again.  When he seemed fairly relaxed she began anew.
     This time there was no precursor, no warning.  She leaned down and flicked her tongue against the head of his penis and he cried out, his whole body convulsed in surprised ecstasy.  She licked and kissed down one side stopping to mouth that sensitive junction at the base, then moved back up the other side.  When she reached the tip, she moved her tongue around him, nipping at the brim.  She paused then for a moment, staring down at his throbbing flesh.  One hand moved to cup his fleshy sac, the other rose to grip him tightly around the staff, her fingers not meeting around its impressive width.  She began to lightly tease with one hand and firmly stroke with the other, then she took the throbbing head into her mouth completely, sucking strongly upon him as he had at her breast earlier.
     He bucked and spasmed beneath her.  "Catherine!  Oh yes, yes!  Don't stop, don't stop...  Now, please now... please let me...!"  His cries trailed off, desperately urgent, begging for release.  His trembling hands rose to cup her head, holding her to him fiercely, fingers threading through her silken hair.
     She didn't stop this time, and within minutes he spurted up into her, filling her hot mouth with his seed, crying out in an ecstatic agony of release.  She continued to stroke him with her hands and mouth as he thrust beneath her in pulsing waves, until they slowed then stopped and he was finished, his hands lying limply against her scalp, his manhood now soft to her touch.  She kissed the tip lightly, licking another drop from the opening there, then moved to lay her head on his belly, her upper body draped across his torso, her hands still gently holding him.
     Vincent shuddered beneath her in one long, continuous wave that enveloped his whole body.  A purring noise rose above her and she could feel the resultant vibrations underneath her cheek.  His hands slid to her shoulders and neck to massage the skin there gently, one hand moving to stroke down her spine to cup her curved hips and full buttocks resting at his side.  "Oh Catherine, Catherine..."  He crooned her name over and over again in a dazed, shivery whisper.
     Vincent had never imagined such intense pleasure, such erotic intimacy.  It was so beyond him, so beyond his expectation, his mind reeled at it.  Catherine's skin was silky smooth beneath his hands, a thin sheen of perspiration coating it.  Her warm hands still cupped him tenderly, holding that most intimate part of him protectively, possessively.  Her cheek lay upon his belly, lips resting against the tip of his now softened flesh, her tongue periodically flicking out to lick away another drop oozing from the tip.  Her touch was soft, gentle, stirring but not demanding.  He felt deep satisfaction seeping through him, but oddly enough he was not sleepy now.
     Catherine sensed his contentment and acceptance and her heart leapt at the knowledge that she had given that to him.  She needed to see his face now and gently released him to move up his length and stare into his eyes.  He looked so completely relaxed, so supremely masculine as he lay before her.
     He held her immobile against him, one hand cupping the luscious fullness of her bottom, stroking, caressing, exploring her there.  He lifted his other hand to slide it under her hair to the back of her neck, urging her lips to his, then kissed her slowly, deeply, controlling her completely.  When they drew apart he stared first at her mouth, then into her eyes, his own filled with an exquisite mix of stunned awe and lust.  "Catherine...  I taste both of us on your lips, so sweet...  I need more Catherine, more of your taste."  His voice and eyes held her in their spell, compelling her to give him that which he desired.
     The erotic image his words evoked, the very idea that he felt free enough to make such a request, sent a shuddering flush along her length.  Oh yes, anything, anything at all for him.  How she wanted to please him, to give him all he had ever imagined and then more, to make up for all the years of isolation and self-imposed exile.  And her own pleasure...  Oh God!  How much pleasure could one person take?  She was willing to find out, with him, only him.
     She slowly slid her hand down her body to move between her legs, seeking the moisture there which had never left and still called to him.  Her coated fingers returned to him then, tracing his lips as he stayed still against her for a moment, drawing in her scent so close to him now.  Then his free hand grasped her wrist and his mouth closed on her fingers as he sucked and licked the fragrant honey from her greedily, hungrily; his sex already beginning to stir against her thigh.  The sensuousness of his response held her spellbound and she felt the muscles at her core contract at the image before her.
     She took her hand from his mouth and caught his, their gazes locked together.  She drew his hand down to her curling nest and slipped his fingers between her thighs, rubbing them against the liquid heat there.  He gasped at the feel of that lush flesh and held very still, letting her hand guide him, listening closely through the Bond for any signs of distress from her.  He felt waves of pleasure and love from her, nothing else.  His hands held her entirely now, both front and back, as his greedy fingers explored her yearning flesh.  She writhed against him, whimpering mewls pulled from her throat and she moved her leg up higher across his body, opening more fully to his tender touch.  That touch was deepening in response, as his confidence grew.  Finally, with a rapturous gasp and shiver, she brought his hand back to his mouth and he took in the scent and taste of her, his eyes never leaving hers, experiencing the contrast of that feminine essence upon his taloned claw.
     He stopped suddenly and brought his hand to her mouth, gently tracing her swollen lips, watching her intently.  She licked and nipped at his fingers, tasting herself upon them, groaning deep in her throat at his wanton action.  At that sound he leaned forward and kissed her, his fingers still between their mouths, losing himself in the sensory delight of her.
     Vincent pulled away from her suddenly, his breathing and heart rate accelerated, his eyes unfocused with that same inward look she had seen several times that evening.  Catherine wasn't sure exactly what was occurring then, but she certainly liked the results so far, and this time was no exception.
     His gaze crystallized upon her as his rapid breathing settled into the patterned panting she'd been growing used to, was indeed looking forward to. Oh God!  What would he do now?  Something delicious she was certain, and she squirmed against him, a whimpering moan building in  her throat, feeling her body cry out to him for relief.
     He backed away slightly and pulled her towards him to lie on her stomach in the middle of the bed, then moved to straddle her hips, his knees on either side of her.  His hands slid up her back to her neck where he massaged and caressed her tense muscles, then to her shoulder and so on downward until he was at the small of her back.  He pushed his hands up along the outer edge of her back, fingers just brushing the soft breast and underarm skin, then trailed his nails down lightly on either side of her spine.  He leaned forward then for a moment, resting his weight upon her and rubbing his stirring flesh across her buttocks.
     "Oh, Vincent, Vincent..." she moaned against the mattress, wanting him closer, closer.
     He leaned back on his haunches and moved further down her legs till his knees were resting outside hers.  His hands fondled her fervently then, tracing her full curves, cupping and squeezing.  He leaned forward to mouth the twin concavities at the small of her back, then moved downward further to kiss and nip at her firm, smooth flesh.  When his mouth reached the backs of her thighs, his hands gripped her tightly and spread her cheeks open, pressing his face against her, inhaling her feminine scent from its source, so close now, so close.  The deep growling was back again, mixed with the panting, as his tongue flicked out to lick at her sensitive skin, reaching the edge of her luscious, hot flesh, her sleek, honeyed warmth.
     She spread her legs as far as she could, trapped as she was between his, wanting the touch of his mouth and fingers there, wanting him buried inside her.  "Please Vincent, more, I need more!  Touch me, take me, please, oh please..."  She whimpered and moaned frantically now, her head thrashing from side to side.
    He pulled away from her suddenly, his hands on her pressing even harder as a snarling growl loosed from his throat.  He moved quickly then, kneeling off to her side, pulling her onto her back then repositioning himself between her legs.  He pushed outward on her knees from that vantage point, opening her farther.  He slid down the bed to lay flat then wrapped his arms around her hips, burying his face against her and inhaling deeply, his kisses falling wildly upon the curls there.  His growls were a continuous, low rumble now, defining the night and their passion.  His tongue was delving wildly through the curls to the lush flesh below, stroking the sleek tissue and lapping at her honeyed sweetness.  He couldn't get enough of her.  When he brushed against the protruding nub her whole body convulsed beneath him and she cried out.
     "Yes! Oh yes!  There Vincent, please, please!"
     He paused then, lifting his head to watch her writhing body as she moaned loudly.  Her torso was a deep valley curving upwards to her arching ribcage, her straining breasts and turgid nipples cried out for attention, her face suffused with wanton lust.
     He couldn't resist her this way, he absolutely couldn't.  He slid his hands up along that sloping, tensed belly to cover her swelling breasts, squeezing and stroking the aching peaks.  Catherine groaned deeply and thrust against him.  But he couldn't stay there long, the scent just beneath his nostrils was stronger now, calling him back.  His hands released her breasts and Catherine whimpered as they slid away, replacing them with her own.
     Vincent stroked down to the curly mound, once again experiencing the myriad textures of her there.  His fingers moved to caress the crease of her inner thighs and his fingers were quickly coated with her fragrant ambrosia.  He traced her flushed outer lips then slipped inside, spreading her open to him completely.  Ahhh!  So perfect, so beautiful...  The smaller, petalled flesh gaped open slightly, luring him to the hidden treasure.  Just above it the swollen button of her most sensitive tissue peeked out, throbbing and quivering.
     The moment seemed frozen in time.  Vincent was beyond words, enveloped in a passion that controlled them both now.  But this sight before him caught and held him suspended.  The most intimate, precious secrets of her flesh were bare before him.  And Catherine wanted it that way, even now was pulling her knees up to open herself wider to him, offering him everything, begging him to take all she had to give.  The intensity of his emotions over this sight stilled him and he felt a strange, quiet calm enclose them both.
     He leaned forward and gently licked around the outer perimeter of her delicate, pouting lips, then moved to trace the quivering inner edges.       Her opulent scent was moving through him in waves, a foreign delicacy he knew he could no longer live without.  It didn't seem possible for its potency to increase, but it was, and he was lost in it.  His tongue dipped into that fragile orifice, drawing out her sweet nectar to take the taste deeply into himself.  He returned again, this time delving deeper into her savory, silken channel.  Over and over again he plunged into her, holding her firmly with his hands and mouth as she bucked beneath him, crying out for completion.
     "Please, Vincent, please!  I can't wait anymore, I can't.  Now, please now!"
     He left her satiny depths then and quickly enclosed the pulsing nub between his questing lips, pulling against her strongly, tonguing and suckling that hypersensitive flesh.  It took only a moment and Catherine was shuddering against him, crying out and holding his head tightly as he moved his mouth with her undulating hips, riding the waves of her passion and easing her down slowly.  Then the muscles of her body seemed to collapse in a boneless heap beneath him and he gently released her.
     He laid his head against the curve of her thigh and tenderly stroked the curls and sensitive, quivering flesh, petting and gentling her as she recovered her breath.  He watched his hand move upon this, her most delicate flesh, with stunned amazement.  The sight held him absorbed, the inherent contradiction unbelievably resolved to the most perfect of sensations.  He traced the tender folds and sleek flesh with finger and claw now, and felt only the shockingly sensual aftershocks of her pleasure radiating off of her.
     Irresistible, she was irresistible to him; he couldn't stop touching her.  His fingers stroked down her curls, once again opening her to his avid gaze.  Her swollen button of pleasure peeked out of its hooded enclosure, drawing him.  One finger gently probed there, rubbing over and around that engorged spot tenderly, lightly, careful to keep the embers of her desire low for now, in this aftermath of her passion, needing this exploration for himself.  He watched intently as he allowed the tipped edge of his finger to scrape ever so gently over the swollen flesh and heard her satisfied, low moan at that touch.
     He couldn't believe he could touch her this way, the sensuousness of the act, as he watched, overwhelming him.  His hands, however, knew no doubt.  They moved upon her with a certainty undreamed of, stroking and caressing, learning her flesh so that the sight and feel, scent and taste of her would be with him always.  Finally he moved from that tender knot of flesh to stroke the fragile inner petals, so delicate, almost translucent in their pale perfection.  He traced the outer edges, then moved to rest gently at their center.  Her skin lapped against him lazily, and he could just sense the deep currents within her, awaiting him.  He watched in stunned fascination as he allowed himself to slip within her just a little.  Then the currents only sensed were suddenly, strongly there and her body drew him in entirely and he followed without thought or question, the sight and sensation unbelievably arousing as her sleek flesh tightened about him, grasping and holding him.
     A growl was pulled from the depths of his chest as the sensations swept over him.  He moved closer, hooking an arm around her waist to hold her still, then drew his hand slowly away from her satiny folds, his gaze locked upon her glistening flesh.  A low moan rose above him at that absence, and he leaned forward to tenderly cover her nether lips with his own, kissing her there as he would her mouth.  His tongue teased lightly at the edges of her lips, then slipped inside to caress her sweet, full curves.  It flicked out to cover and stroke her sensitive button and her hips jerked against him while a groan floated down over him in response.  He felt her on the edge and slowly pulled back, needing to give her this slow, sensual affirmation of his love now.  Finally, his tongue again sought her creamy depths, and he plumbed them deeply, completely, claiming all of her with this most sensuous of lovers' kisses.
     A motion above drew him and he watched as she rolled her shoulders against the mattress and groaned in satisfied pleasure.  Yes, my love, yes.  He sent deep waves of comfort and love to her, holding her close in every way.
     "Oh, Vincent..."  Her voice sighed down to him, husky and shivering with emotion.
     He released her then and slid up along her body to hold her tight against him, cuddling and stroking her with tender reverence.  She turned to kiss him, a slow, soft kiss that settled a deep calm into his tense muscles.  The expression on his face was precious, a wild excitement mixed with a sure serenity.  This time he had experienced her climax undiluted by his own and he was stunned by the revelation of that sensation.  And the touching afterwards....  How to explain what that freedom meant to him; her acceptance, her desire for his touch...
     She reached up to stroke his soft, silky cheek, the realization just sinking in that there would be no more prohibitions against their touching.  She sighed in deep and utter satisfaction.
     "I knew it would be like this, but I never suspected it would happen so quickly.  I thought it would take a while before you lost your inhibitions, but look at us!"  Catherine giggled and gestured down the length of their naked, entwined bodies and Vincent's eyes followed helplessly.  "And we haven't even..." she paused, blushing, "well, you know."  She was going to say 'made love', but quickly realized that they certainly had been doing just that all night long.
     "Yes."
     How could he put so much sentiment into a one syllable word Catherine wondered?
     "Catherine, I still can't believe this isn't a dream, that I won't wake up to find myself alone, aching with need for you."  His stunned look was so open, admitting his fears and desires to her.
     "It is a dream Vincent, our dream.  And it's finally coming true."  She stared into his eyes deeply, compellingly, willing him to believe her and the fear slowly left him.  Her expression changed then, the sultry sensuousness returning as her hand slid down his body and began to gently touch and caress him again.
     Vincent gasped at the feel of her hand there, especially now when they were a little removed from the deepest urgency of their desire.  He found her touch perhaps even more stimulating under these conditions, the mixture of intimacy and rational thought shocking him.  He couldn't pull his eyes away from those tender, skillful fingers on his growing flesh.
     "Come inside me now, Vincent."  She whispered silkily against his ear, the heat of her breath and words causing shivers to run down his spine and settle at his groin, his erection jerking against her hand in response.  She turned her body in towards him, wrapping her legs around one of his, rubbing her slick flesh against his thigh while pulling his legs open slightly to make more room for her questing hand and his swelling flesh.
     Vincent threw his head back and squeezed his eyes shut, feeling the calm satisfaction of a moment ago slipping away, quickly being replaced with an insistent drive to lose himself emotionally and physically within her.
     "Catherine..."
     She paused then, caught by an unexpected question in his voice.  She looked into his eyes and saw a hesitancy there that confused her.  What could be worrying him after all they'd just shared?
     "What is it Vincent?  Tell me."  Her hand on him had stilled, but she didn't let go, cradling him protectively.
     "Catherine, are you sure...  I mean... I...  I'm still afraid that I might hurt you."  He looked almost frightened waiting for her response to this statement and rushed on.  "What we have done so far..."  He swallowed hard as those words brought images to his mind that stunned him now, in this more rational state.  "You must have known that I was worried about my... differences...  My nails and teeth, my strength and size... and that other side that I've feared would be let loose if we ever gave in to passion.  But you were right.  I didn't feel any 'dark' urges.  At least," and here he paused with a look of wonder on his face, hardly believing the things they had done, "none that have harmed you.  I don't think that I could harm you in that way, the Bond protects us, I see that now.  But I still can't help but worry about..."  His face was beet red and his gaze was locked upon the area of his genitals, swelling now to impressive proportions.
     He looked up into her face, meeting her eyes and suddenly she felt his hand pushing against her thighs, seeking entry.  She opened to him and his fingers curled in to touch her fragile inner petals, stroking her there as she gasped and squeezed his erection in response.
     "You are so small, Catherine, so delicate here.  I'm afraid I could injure you unintentionally when I'm overcome with passion."
     Catherine paused, gathering her thoughts.  She didn't want to belittle his fears; she knew they were real, but she also felt they were unfounded.  "Vincent, you must trust me in this.  I know you won't hurt me, you can't.  Don't you see?  The Bond does protects us, in all things.  I'm sure of that Vincent, I have no doubt."
     She saw fear warring with hope in his face, but it could not be driven out entirely.  She sighed softly.  "I don't know how to prove this to you any other way.  We can take it slowly this first time, it should be easier for us both to control our reactions now, given what's happened already."  She was blushing again and he found it astonishing that he should be at the heart of it.
     She lay still next to him, fighting mightily not to let her emotions loose yet over his touch upon her.  "Please Vincent, we have to try."  Her eyes pleaded with him now, she needed him so.  If it didn't work it didn't, she knew they could satisfy each other in a myriad of other ways if need be.  But she couldn't give up the chance untested, she just couldn't.  Even now she felt her tender lips contracting around even that slightest intrusion of just the tips of two of his fingers, her clenching muscles aching for his firm flesh filling her.
     The silence went on for what seemed an eternity as he considered her words.   "You will keep the Bond open to me fully, tell me if you feel the slightest pain?"  He was staring at her intently, needing her assurance.
     Catherine hesitated for the smallest moment.  "Vincent, I will tell you if there is anything that's out of the ordinary, but it's been three years, notwithstanding last Sunday night, and I'm still not sure what to think of that."  She spoke this last lightly and it was Vincent's turn to blush as the memory and its implications washed over him.  How could he have forgotten that!
     "What I mean is...there might be a be a slight amount of pain...and intense pleasure can border on pain sometimes, especially with sex.  Please promise to listen to me completely, don't misjudge what you sense from me.  Please?"
     She found herself holding her breath, waiting for his reply.
     "I'll try Catherine."
     He was still concerned, but he would try, for Catherine's sake as well as his own.  He needed her so badly.
     Then there was a still silence - the calm before the storm, Catherine would always recall afterwards.  It was as if neither knew quite the way to begin after this break in their passion.  Vincent was finding it almost impossible to believe he'd actually said the words to Catherine, spoken aloud of his deepest, most intimate fears about himself, about them.  But he felt only happiness from Catherine now, she was glad they'd brought these fears out in the open, glad he'd finally confided in her.  As if he could keep anything from her after the events of the last few hours he thought ruefully.
     "Good," she said, reading his thought clearly through the Bond.  "There's nothing you can't tell me Vincent.  My love for you will never change, no matter what.  I'll always be with you my love, always!"
     Tears sprang to his eyes at her adamant claim and he leaned into her, burying his face against her neck and letting them fall hotly against her skin.  His fingers slipped from between her thighs to loosely clasp her waist and pull her close.
     Her hand released him then too and both arms wrapped tightly around him.  One thigh was slung over his hip, holding him protectively, possessively, daring anyone, anything to come between them.  Always my love, always!  She projected this thought to him with all her might, needing him to know.
     Catherine held him, stroking his silken mane and murmuring lowly to him of her love, her commitment.  She felt his hot tears upon her neck and breast and rocked her body against him soothingly.
     In the midst of that precious stillness the Bond began to draw close about them, suspending them within a golden aura, a complex mix of tranquil serenity and intoxicating expectation.  As on that Sunday night its presence bordered on the physical, colors shifting and pulsing just on the edge of their vision.  Only this night they were not destined for sleep, quite the contrary.  They were oblivious to their surroundings, but despite all that had gone before both were vividly aware of each other.  The sensual detail of their awareness was exquisite, denying any withholding of response.  As before, the Bond began to tighten and vibrate, compelling them closer with forceful intent.
     Vincent gasped and drew his head back, his eyes seeking hers incredulously, even while his body sought to pull her closer, his hands gripping her buttocks, the thigh between her legs pushing urgently against her womanly flesh.  Catherine's body responded immediately, flooding him with the warmth of her most intimate dew and his straining erection surged against her belly, swelling until he thought he would explode with the agony of it.  His growls filled the room and he made no attempt to quell them.
     He had surrendered to the Bond, to her.  His magnificence surrounded her and Catherine groaned loudly in triumph.  She strained against him, wrapping her thigh higher and tighter about his hip, sliding her wet, yearning sex against his rigid, throbbing fullness.  Her eyes blazed into his.  "Love me, Vincent, love me.  I need to feel you inside me now, my love, fill me, complete me.  Oh now, Vincent, now!"
     Her husky voice urged him on desperately, commandingly, calling to the wildness within him to meet her own and he could not deny her.
     "Yes!  Oh yes, Catherine!  I need you so, come to me now, give everything to me my love!"  His heart ached and his body pulsed with his love and need of her.  She was a fever in his blood, pounding in his veins, throbbing against his skull, filling his questing flesh.
     His hands were everywhere upon her, touching, caressing, demanding.  One arm hooked about her waist, holding her still for the other.  His hand slipped between them to cup a breast, kneading that silken globe while he rubbed his furred chest against the yearning peak.  He released her suddenly to slide his fingers down their bodies and curve into her blood-engorged, quivering sex, swirling against the lush flesh, loving the feel of her, insatiable for these foreign textures and scents of her body and the passion-filled sounds his touch evoked from her.
     Catherine cried out and lunged against him strongly, trapping his hand in that silky nest.  She reached around his hip to grip one cheek of his straining buttocks, alternately squeezing and rubbing that enticing muscle as he groaned and ground his pelvis against her curly mound.      "Now, Vincent, now! Oh, please..."  Her loud cries trailed off into whimpers as she begged him to take her, to finish this torture once and for all.
     He pushed her onto her back then, urging her down with his own weight.  He rested upon her completely, nipping and nuzzling her throat.  Catherine moaned and pulled her legs up around his hips positioning herself for his hot, full flesh.  Vincent reached to his sides and gripped the backs of her knees, pulling her legs even higher about him.  He ground his throbbing sex furiously against the outer wetness of her own, groaning and growling fiercely.
     Suddenly he pulled his upper body away from her, kneeling between her spread legs, his throbbing flesh poised at her quivering gate.  She lay before him in glorious, abandoned sensuality, craving what was to come, crying out to him so loudly through the Bond that the sounds from her throat were secondary to him.
     His hands reached out to sweep across her aching breasts, building the tension there.  One slid down her torso then, fingers delving into her curls, opening her to expose her pulsating sex, eager for his own.  He moaned deeply then and ducked his head to lap at her feverishly, needing her taste again, her heady scent fueling him on.  She writhed and moaned beneath him in rapturous splendor.
     He pulled away suddenly, fingers still holding her lips spread wide and looked up at her expectantly.  She reached down and grasped his swollen erection, guiding him to her tender portal, positioning the blunt head snugly against her throbbing flesh.
     He stared down at that juncture, consternation and doubt plain on his face.  But Catherine had no doubts, and her siren's call echoed through the Bond urging him on.  He pushed gently with no discernible effect.  Catherine moaned desperately, twisting her hips under him and he felt her flesh give way just the slightest bit.
     He increased the pressure and twisted his own hips, copying her motion.  Her silken flesh throbbed about him and the tip of his pulsing sex slipped in, lodging firmly.  A groaning cry was torn from his throat at the sensation inspired as her body clutched at him and held him tight.
     He froze then, looking up into her face and concentrating furiously on the Bond.  He could feel an aching pressure from her, almost a pain, but easing even now as her flesh yielded to his.  And she definitely didn't want him to stop.  His fingers released her quivering outer lips and gently massaged the tight flesh now surrounding his.  He leaned his weight carefully back over her, supporting himself on his forearms and knees, not moving deeper within her yet, though it took all his will to hold back.
     "More, Vincent, please, I need more."  She whimpered and writhed beneath him, her hands rubbing up and down his torso, digging into the furred expanse of his chest to scrape her nails against his skin.
     "Please, Vincent, I want all of you inside me, filling me."  Her hands slid down suddenly to stroke his pulsing stalk, slipping into the edges of her own silky wet flesh where she enclosed him to gather the sweet nectar there and coat his exposed flesh with her insatiable fingers.
     "Stop, Catherine!"  His cry was desperate, urgent, his eyes wild in his face.  He leaned his weight onto one arm and slid his other hand down to grasp both her wrists, pulling upwards to pin them above her head.
     "Please, Catherine."  He was panting erratically, fiercely.  "I need to go slowly now, I need to know I'm not hurting you."  His words could barely be understood through his gasping breath and the rumbling of his chest, the compelling purrs and growls drawn from there.  He was sinking deeply into the sensuality of the moment.  Absorbing that slight connection between them, anticipating the fullness to come.
     She willed herself to lie still then, to let him take the lead, concentrating on the building vibrations welling within them both.  She knew that soon they would spin out of control.
     His hands shifted so that each one held one of her wrists now just to the side of her head.  He buried his face against her throat again and brushed his furred chest lightly against her straining nipples.
     Then she felt the pressure subtly increase as his hips pushed inward once more.  She moaned loudly and tried to open her thighs further to him, though it didn't seem possible to do so.  His straining flesh advanced another inch then paused, waiting until her quivering muscles expanded to yield to him.  His hands were clasping hers tightly, opening and closing on her fingers, trying desperately to control the growing tension in his groin.
     Catherine couldn't stop the mewling whimper that was building in her and creeping out.  More, she wanted more, needed more...
     He pushed again, this time more aggressively than before and gasped at the sensation.  He waited then, feeling her flesh give way before him.  Finally he was unable to hold back any longer.  He gave a strong lunge against her and was buried completely within her luscious depths.  Catherine screamed in ecstasy as he filled her.
     Oh God!  The sensation was heavenly.  Beyond anything that had come before.  Vincent didn't know how it was possible to surpass the exquisite passion of the last few hours, but the feel of her sleek muscles holding his pulsing erection tight did that and more.  He lowered his weight to her completely and released her hands, wrapping his arms around her back, gripping her to him tightly.
     The moans coming from Catherine were increasing in intensity, matching Vincent's growls.  She slid her arms about his neck, under his hair, massaging and caressing him there, feeling the building tension in his taut muscles.  They lay very still, absorbing the feel of their bodies pressed together tight.
     The Bond tightened between then suddenly, strongly, and their response was immediate.  Vincent's erection throbbed and grew within her, pushing deeper still, as if to seek her very womb, and Catherine's silken channel convulsed wildly around his swelling flesh, drawing him ever inward, leading him to her furthest reaches.  A low moan left him as a shiver moved in a continuous wave down his body and his hips arched against her.  They cried out together at the sensation, this first deviation from the memories of their 'dream'.
     The Bond was glowing, pulsing, throbbing, tightening about them, holding them in a velvet grip that would not be released.  It was the dream and more.  Every sensation of those memories came to him then, but he needed the friction of her now, needed it with a bottomless desire that was unstoppable.
     Vincent began to rock against her, his hips rolling in short, controlled thrusts, moving his  rigid flesh deeply within her.  Catherine's hips moved against his in response, matching his rhythm, drawing him deeper, urging him on.
     He tightened his grip about her and held her still again for a moment, then drew out almost completely, only the swollen tip still embedded.  He stayed absolutely still then, watching her face, feeling the intensity of the Bond surrounding them.  She whimpered and moaned, writhing beneath him, begging him to come back to her.  Finally he gave in to the driving urge and buried himself within her in one thrust and they both cried out in ecstasy.
     He rose up to kneel upon his haunches, pulling her hips off the bed into the curve of his loins and increased the tempo and depth of his strokes.  His hands gripped her buttocks as he plunged into her over and over again, his loins grinding against her furiously, his power driving her utterly.
     The Bond pulsed a blood red, the haze rising up behind their eyes and burning through them with an intensity that couldn't be denied.  The vibration reached an indescribable peak and there was no withstanding it.  His erection swelled even further within her and her muscles began to spasm in continuous convulsions.
     Their orgasm ripped through them in a blaze of explosive heat, sweeping away everything before it.  Catherine screamed out his name and Vincent's call to her quickly escalated into a full-blown roar which was almost immediately cut off as the dream impulse overtook him again and he set his teeth against the tender skin of her throat near the curve of her shoulder.
     He held her still beneath him as his seed spilled into her in hot, pulsing bursts, splashing against her womb.  Their bodies shuddered as wave after wave of orgasmic pleasure pounded through them.  She felt the hot liquid of his love filling her and clutched him tightly, her sweet juices dripping over him in endless ecstasy.  It seemed to go on forever.
     Finally their bodies collapsed together in a crumpled heap upon the bed.  His body was heavy upon her, but she gripped him tightly with her limbs when he tried to move away, keeping him there.  His softening flesh still filled her deeply, throbbing within her sensitive sheath.  They were drained, all they had given up to the other, as they sank together into the deepening vortex of sweet, peaceful sleep.
     The last thing they heard before slumber overtook them was the barest breeze of thought sent out to each other.  They were barely cognizant of anything at all by then, but the thought was heard and understood clearly through the full circle of the Bond enclosing them.

             I love you Vincent...  And I love you Catherine, forever my love... forever...

*    *    *

It was done.  There would be no going back now, the Bond was assuring itself of that even as they slept.  It completed the new weave begun this night, tying them together in an endless circle of love and acceptance, never to be broken, no matter the separation, for all eternity.

*    *    *