The sound of footsteps woke her up, bringing her to an upright position as she looked around them. Maybe it's Cara and Zedd, she thought to herself before she looked over to him. He slept peacefully, unaware that there was someone around them. Straining her ears, she tried to concentrate on the footsteps, trying to figure out how many of them there was. There was at least half a dozen and they were surrounding them.

Moving quickly, Kahlan grabbed her blanket and laid it over his sword, not wanting it to be seen, for it to be known who they were. Swiftly, she moved into his arms, waking him as she cupped his face in her hands. His eyes opened in panic, only to be calmed slightly by her eyes.

"What's wrong?"

"We're surrounded, but they're not attacking." she whispered, looking up and around them.

"Why wouldn't they-"

"They're watching us. They want to be sure it's us." looking back to him, she tilted her head, unsure that her plan would work. With her eyes locked on his, she slowly reached between them, grabbing his shirt and pulling it up.

"Kahlan?" he whispered, confused by her actions.

"They're not going to attack if they think-" Unable to say the words, she pressed her lips against his, kissing him passionately as her hands continued to pull at his shirt.

Wrapping his arms around her, he held her tightly against him as he gave into his wants. Rolling them over, he tossed his shirt over his shoulder, before pressing his lips to her chest. Snaking his hands between them, she pulled off her dark jacket, exposing more skin for his lips and tongue to taste. Her fingers wound into his hair, holding his head to her chest as her mind began to go blank. Soft moans escaped her lips as he kissed over the tops of her breasts, meeting the fabric that forbid him from going farther.

His fingers trembled at the thought of removing her corset, of removing the barrier that hid her from him. This was not what she wanted, he told himself, forcing his hands to travel away from the laces. Her body arched upward to him, begging for him in ways that he wanted so badly to give her, but knew she wouldn't never allow it. The way their bodies moved together made his heart pound with a fierce passion that he was sure no other had felt before.

Her legs lifted up, moving over his and holding them down to her. She ran her hands over his back, drawing him impossibly closer as she soaked in his love for her. Grabbing onto her legs, he slowly pushed up her skirt, before returning his lips to hers, stopping the moan that tried to escape.

The reason behind this left his mind, leaving only room for his love for her. Richard pulled her hips up to him, grinding himself gently against her as her fingernails began to dig into his back. He lost himself in her kiss, her embrace and her touch. His hart pounded in his ears as she grabbed his lower back, pulling him roughly against her.

"Look at what we have found here, boys." Richard looked up instantly at the rough voice, finding it difficult to think as Kahlan continued to kiss him, her lips moving along his neck and part of his chest.

"David, we're wasting time." Another said as he stepped up behind the other, appearing to the one in command. "We're looking for The Mother Confessor. No man in his right mind would be this close to her." The other man, pushed past the others, looking around them carefully.

Richard felt her lips pause for a brief moment, realizing the truth of the man's words. "You're right." He said looking back to her, grabbing a fist full of her hair, pulling her head back into the dirt. "Who would want The Mother Confessor, when there are plenty of other women in every town." A soft moan escaped her lips as he ran his tongue over her neck.

The group of men watched for a moment, intrigued by the sight before them. Richard's hands moved down her sides, pulling her up off the ground and into him before using his body to push her back down. Her hands gripped at his back, her nails digging into his skin and her soft moans drew the men even closer, making Richard hold onto her tighter, protecting her in the only way he could think of.

"Let's leave these two alone." The general said as he turned away from them and walked off through the trees. "Come!" he shouted back, causing a few of the men to jump at his tone and then turn around and rush after him.

For a few minutes, Richard continued kissing her, his lips slowly moving over her neck and chest, wishing that he had more skin to kiss. He jumped at the sound of footsteps, looking around them quickly as he hoped that the men had not returned for them. He could feel her eyes on him, burning into him as she waited for him to tell her it was safe.

"I think they're still watching us." he whispered before looking back to her.

Almost instantly, she leaned up and connected their lips, her arms wrapping tightly around him as she pulled him down to her. For a few moments, she forgot what she was as she allowed him to kiss and touch her the way she always wanted him to. Without thinking, she snaked her hands between them and grabbed the small strings of his pants and began pulling them loose.

His mind went blank as her lips moved over his chin, her tongue sneaking out and tasting him quickly before retrieving to the safety of her mouth. Sitting up, he grabbed her corset and pulled at it frantically, needing to remove the barrier. For a moment, he thought she was going to stop him, but the look in her eyes told him that she wanted him to continue. The moment it was loose enough, Kahlan lifted her back off of the ground, allowing him to pull it from her body.

She watched his eyes slowly move over her, his hands frozen in place on her hips, holding tightly onto her skirt. Grabbing onto his hands, she pulled them up, never taking them from her skin as she moved them over her. Her eyes closed as he took her breasts in his hands, gently cupping them before he pressed his lips against hers, laying himself flat against her.

"Kahlan," he breathed out her name as he rested his head in the crook of her neck. "If we keep doing this, I'm not going to be able to-"

"I don't want you to." she admitted as tears collected in her eyes. "I'm sorry, Richard."

"I know." he pressed his lips against hers, kissing her lightly. "I think they've gone, but I'm not letting go of you. I can't. I don't have the strength."

"I don't want you to. Still," she added softly, "we can't be sure they are gone." she smiled, "I think it would be better if you didn't move."

Smiling, he ran his fingers through her hair, watching as she closed her eyes, enjoying the simple touch. Trailing his fingers down her neck, he followed with his lips, leaving soft slow kisses. The sound of his name brought his eyes to hers, seeing the darkness around the blue that he loved so much.

"I'll crush you." He wanted so badly to continue his exploration of her body and the lust in her eyes only made it harder for him to roll off of her.

Kahlan held onto his arm, holding it against her as she turned her head towards him. His lips were parted as he breathed, his eyes lingering on her chest for a moment until she pressed her lips against his. His hand grabbed onto her waist, slowly moving up and over onto her back, holding her to him as her fingers slid into his hair.

"I should get dressed." she whispered as she pulled away, a small smile crossing her lips as he gave a disappointed frown. "If Cara and Zedd found us like this-"

"What if they did? Kahlan, we didn't do anything wrong."

Pushing away from him, she sat up, covering herself with her arms. "Look at me! Do you see what we did- what we almost did? We can't let them know we did this. He can't know."

"Why not?" She didn't answer him. Moving quickly, she grabbed her corset and turned away from him, allowing her tears to fall while she dressed. "Kahlan?"

"Zedd can't know, Richard."

"Why not?" he was confused, they had never kept anything from the wizard and they had done nothing wrong.

Pushing back her hair, Kahlan closed her eyes, not wanting to tell him. "Because I- He made me promise that I wouldn't-"

"He made you promise that you wouldn't confess me?"

"Yes."

Laying his back down, he stared up at the stars, thinking. "Why would he do that? You would never- He shouldn't have asked you to do that."

"Yes he should have. He's trying to protect you."

"From you?"

"Yes."

Her words made him laugh as he moved his hands behind his head. "You'd never hurt me. He shouldn't have-"

"Yes he should have. Do you realize what happened? I almost- I could have destroyed you."

"But you didn't. You didn't and not because of some promise you made to Zedd, but because you would never hurt me."

"Not intentionally, but I wanted to. If I hadn't made that promise to Zedd, there would be nothing stopping me from crawling into your arms each night or kissing you the way that I want to."

"Come here." he whispered, his eyes locked on her, waiting for her to turn around to face him.

"I can't."

"Alright." there was a moment of silence before she noticed that he was moving. Turning around, she jumped slightly when she realized how close he had gotten to her. She was about to ask him what he was doing, when he wrapped his arm around her and pulled her down beside him, letting her head rest on his shoulder. "We should get some sleep. They'll think something happened if we're too tired to argue with Zedd about stopping to eat."

"I don't think it would matter. He always wins and we stop for food." she smiled, remembering the last time they had stopped. She and Richard had spent as much time as they could sitting alone at the table in the Inn, talking. "It may be nice to stop at another Inn. The food is much better than anything Cara makes."

"She tries." Her body shook as he laughed, making her tighten her her hold on him to keep from falling to the ground.

"I'm not sure that she does. Each time she makes dinner, we end up having to go and find something else that won't kill us."

"We could always stay here for another day."

"If we stayed here for another day, alone, I may break the promise that I made to Zedd."

"Maybe you should."

"You know that I can't." She looked over to the trees, focusing on the one before her, seeing the scratches along the base, where an animal had rubbed up against it.

"But it won't stop me from wishing that you would."

"Wishing that I would destroy you?"

"Kiss me the way that you want to."

"Me too." she whispered, afraid that her words would change everything. "But I can't."

"I know," Slowly, he rolled her to her back and laid over her, slightly surprised that she didn't stop him. "but that doesn't mean that I can't kiss you the way that I want to."

Kahlan laid still for a moment, doing her best to keep from doing any of the things that were spinning around in her head. Unable to help herself, she wrapped her arms around him, drawling him closer as she parted her lips, giving him complete access to her mouth.

Within moments, his hands were pulling once again at her corset, needing to feel her flesh. Grasping his hands tightly, she held them still, keeping him from doing something she wanted him to.

"I'm sorry, I-" he breathed out, before she pressed her lips against his to silence him.

She released his hands, returning hers to his hair, holding him to her as he continued moving his hands over her. His heart pounded, helping to drown out every sound other than her soft moans and breathing.

With a sigh, she flipped them over, unable to deny herself what her heart, her body wanted. Resting her hands on his chest, she slowly ran her tongue over his neck, tasting his skin. His eyes closed as he held on to her waist, needing to remain in contact with her as she continued her exploration of his body with her mouth. The feel of her warm breath and the wetness of her tongue drove him mad with passion. His hands moved up, sliding over her sides as she moved lower, her mouth now taking it's pleasure from his chest, making him tighten his hold on her.

Entangling his fingers into her hair, her gently messaged her scalp as she moved even lower. She could feel him pressed against her, wanting her - needing her. Her magic, already threatening to burst from within, took most of her concentration. Holding it back, away from him, Kahlan breathed deeply as she continued her mouths journey. Without thinking, she pulled at the strings of his pants, realizing that he hadn't bothered to tie them again from before. Almost instantly, he grabbed a fist full of her hair and gently pulled her away. Taking in the sight of her completely dark eyes, filled with her power. He longed for it.

"Kahlan," Her name left his lips in a light gasp "stop- If you go any farther, I-"

"This is all I can give you." she whispered, meeting his eyes as he sat forward.

Gently pulling her to him, he pulled her down with him, laying her head against his chest. "You can give me this." Wrapping his arms tightly around her, he held onto her as she closed her eyes, trying to fight the tears. "It's going to rain."

Kahlan nodded against his chest, unable to form words while her mind replayed the previous moments. The taste of him still lingered on her tongue, making her want more. Her left hand, resting lightly on his chest, slowly grasped at his skin as she closed her eyes, taking the moment to loose herself in her thoughts. With her heart continuing to pound, she tried to clear herself of the thoughts of what she wanted to do. She could still feel his hands on her, his lips softly connecting with hers, showing her a love that she would never know again.

Maybe she could control it, she reasoned with herself, knowing that the lie was all that kept her from him. She was so close before, reaching a pleasure that she had never experienced before. A pleasure that only his body could provide her. The thought brought the images of before back to her mind, reminding her the way it felt to lay beneath him. She slowly rocked herself against him, unable to stop herself as he pulled her against him, trying to give her what her body wanted, what she needed.

"I want you." she breathed out softly, her mind lost to all thoughts other than the way she felt in his arms.

Pulling him onto her, she kissed him, as she arched her body into his, pulling him against her as she wrapped her legs over his. When he lifted himself from her, ready to question her actions, she quickly began removing her corset, not wanting to waste a minute or give him the breath to speak, hoping the sight of her would keep him from stopping her. She heard him whisper her name and tell her that she didn't have to do this, but she needed him too much.

With her eyes locked on his, Kahlan reached between them and lifted her skirt, not wanting to take the time to remove it. In seconds, she was pushing at his pants, shoving them from his hips until he was able to kick them off, finding himself giving in freely to their desire. Before returning his lips to hers, he grabbed hold of her skirt and pulled it quickly, not wanting anything to separate them. For a brief moment, he paused as he ran his eyes over her, his heart pounding at the thought of what he was about to do.

Seductively, she smiled up at him, taking in the sight of him, naked before her, forgetting what she was. He reached down, keeping his eyes on hers as he touched her stomach, watching as her eyes slid closed to his touch, trusting him completely. Leaning forward, he pressed his lips against her, holding back a smile as she arched her back, pushing herself closer to him as he kissed his way over her body. Grabbing a fist full of his hair, she pulled him to her, connecting his lips.

Without hesitation, they moved together, each clinging to each other as they had dreamed about. Her nails dug into his back as her magic filled up within her, using everything within her to hold back what came naturally, she had to keep it from him. With a soft cry of his name, she lost control, sending her magic flooding through his body and seep into his veins. claiming what already belonged to her.

"Kahlan?" She opened her eyes to his panicked voice and smiled, easing his worry. "Are you alright?"

"I- I can't believe I just did that." Instantly, she pushed him off of her, shoving him onto his back beside her. "Spirits, what have I done?" she cried as she reached up and covered her mouth in horror.

Richard leaned forward, excited to reveal that he was still the man that she loved, the man that loved her. "It's a little late to push me away." She jerked her head towards him, shocked by his tone. "I've already been consumed by my love for you."

She didn't hear him, her mind was spinning and her heart was pounding so hard, she couldn't hear herself gasping for air. Tears poured down her cheeks as she cried out, his name leaving her lips over and over again in a chant as begged the spirits to forgive her. It broke his heart, seeing her like this. Her body shaking from her hearts agony. How could she have done this to him?

"No, no, no!" she cried out, as she covered her eyes, her fingers digging into her skin as she began to rock back and forth. "I'm so sorry, Richard. I'm so sorry." she cried, leaning forward, her chest pressed against her legs. "I shouldn't have- Why would I do that to you. I can't-" she dropped her hands, and sat up, looking around them frantically. "I can't lose you."

She moved quickly, pushing away the blanket that covered his sword, it was closer than her daggers. Leaping forward, he grabbed her, stopping her from taking hold of the sword.

"No! Kahlan, don't you do that! Don't you dare do that to me!" he shouted at her, shaking her shoulders, trying to gain her attention as she struggled to free herself from his grasp. "You can't do this. You can't leave me." he breathed into her ear, pressing his forehead against the back of her head. "Stop."

She turned around to him, looking into his eyes, that were now wet with his tears. "I have to do this. Let me go."

"No. I'm still me. You didn't confess me. It's not possible to make me love you more than I already do." Staring at him in disbelief, Kahlan tilted her head as she studied his face, tears continuing to fall.

She leaned forward, grabbing his face in her hands and pulling him to her, looking into his eyes for the truth. "Richard?"

"Hi." he smiled widely, as her eyes searched his.

Shaking her head, Kahlan leaned closer, not trusting the distance between them. "How- This doesn't make sense."

"Yes it does. Kahlan, I already love you more than anything. When your power washed through me, I felt it call to me and I answered. I never wanted anything more than to be touched by your magic. It couldn't make me love you any more. I'm already yours."

Before she could say anything, he pulled her to him and kissed her, wrapping his arms tightly around her. Running her fingers through his hair, she pulled him closer, allowing herself to forget what she could have done to him. Smoothly, she moved closer to him, needing to be pressed against him once again. Pushing him to the ground, she pulled back to look at him. She had to be sure.

"I- I can't believe this." Suddenly, she looked away from him and into the trees. "Zedd is going to-"

"He's going to be happy for us."

"No." she whispered returning her eyes to him. "Richard, I- We- I promised him that I wouldn't-"

"Destroy me." he finished her sentence, nodding his head with a smile. "And you haven't. You didn't break your promise."

"I could have- How didn't I?" She saw his smile widen at her confusion. "You should be lost."

Reaching to her, he pulled her hand, laying it against his chest and over his heart, letting her feel it pound beneath her touch. "This is not lost. It was found the moment I laid eyes on you. When I look into your eyes Kahlan, I can see us together- I can see us growing old together. I can see how happy we are. There was nothing your magic could take from me, that I didn't want to give. I wanted so badly to be touched by your magic, to prove my love for you."

Staring at her hand, mostly covered by his, laying against his chest, she smiled. "You didn't have to prove anything."

"I know, but I wanted to. I wanted you to know, without a doubt, that I love you."

"I know." she whispered, nodding her head slowly, her smile growing wider. "I've always known." She licked her lips quickly, finding her eyes running over his chest, making her heart pound in need, drowning out the sounds of the night around them. "I can't believe I can't hurt you. We can- We can-" her excitement flowed through her words, widening her smile. She looked like a child.

Richard's smile grew wide as he watched her, watched as she realized they were both completely naked and she sat on top of him. Suddenly growing self-consciousness, she went to cover herself, remembering there may be men watching through the trees, but he stopped her. Grabbing hold of her arms, he held them at her sides, looking over her for a moment.

"I don't think they're still watching us. I heard them leave just as we began to lose our clothes." His smile was contagious, spreading quickly to her lips as she returned her eyes to him, seeing where they rested as he released her hands.

She had never seen a man look at anyone the way she saw him looking at her. The way he was always looking at her. Her heart pounded as she stared down into his deep brown eyes, filling her with excitement at the thought that she could not hurt him. That she could kiss him without the fear of destroying him. Without a moment of hesitation, she leaned forward, taking his face in her hands and she kissed him. She never wanted to do anything else ever again.

Pulling back, she smiled widely, her mind still spinning and her body begging for his once again. Frantically, she pushed him to the ground and moved over him, pressing herself against him. "I hope they're not watching." she smiled, "I don't think I can keep away from you."

Her lips were on his once more, letting go of everything and allowing herself to be with him. She pulled him forward, making him sit so that she was able to wrap her legs around him, holding him close to her as she ran her hands over his back, shoulders and chest. She was at last able to show him how much she loved him. She was not going to let another moment pass, continuing even as the sky opened up upon them.

Her magic flooded through him once more, this time, their eyes locked on each others as they shared the moment. Their bodies fell still, pressed tightly against the other as the rain poured down upon them. Neither having any plan on moving away from the one they loved.

Suddenly, as their bodies began to shake with the cold, he grabbed a blanket that laid beside them and wrapped it around her shoulders, pulling it tightly around her to keep her a little bit warmer. "We should find a dry place to sleep tonight. I don't want you to get sick."

"I don't mind." she whispered, already wanting to in his arms once again. "The town we just passed, it has an inn."

Richard reached out, grabbing hold of what clothes he could and pushed them between them, trying to keep them dry as he stood and went out for the rest. She watched him move through the rain, finding it impossible to take her eyes off of him. Dropping to his knees before her, he handed her skirt with a smile as he took his shirt from her soft fingers.

He dressed quickly, wanting to get them out of the rain as soon as he could. The darkness around them made it difficult for her to re-lace her corset. She laughed as he helped her, making small comments about how it wasn't necessary to wear it, because he planned to remove it again when they received their room.

Kahlan stood in the center of the room, a few feet from the bed, her back facing him as she stared out of the window, watching the rain bead over the glass. He stopped instantly as he entered the room, captivated by the sight of her. The soft light of the fire across from her, made her look like an angel. Her hair wet, clinging to her jacket as her skirt stuck to her lets, making it look skin tight. His breath quickened as she turned her head slightly, just enough to get a glimpse of him in the corner of her eye. Her movement took him from his thoughts and he shut the door.

Richard walked slowly, making his way across the room, which seemed bigger than before as it took too long to get to her. Coming to a stop behind her, he wrapped his arms around her waist as she stepped into him, her back pressed firmly against his chest. She could feel his heart pounding against her. Leaning her head back, Kahlan closed her eyes as his hands slowly moved over her stomach, the leather of the corset, dulling most of the sensation, but the knowledge of his hands on her was enough to drive her wild.

The sound of the rain was lost to her as she focused on the sound of his breathing. The sound that had brought her comfort on the nights that she thought she would go mad with her want of him. Her head rolled away from his as he pressed his nose into her hair and against her neck, getting lost in her damp hair. Reaching up, he unclasped her jacket and pushed it gently off of her shoulders as he took a single step backwards.

Kahlan breathed deeply as he slowly began unlacing her corset, pulling the strings free carefully. His body ached for her, making his breathing turn to soft pants as her skin was slowly revealed. His hands stilled as her corset fell to the ground. It felt as though it was the first time it had ever left her body, he thought he might go mad in his desire. Fearless, she turned around, her eyes locking on his as she grabbed his shirt and lightly began pulling it over his head.

Looking away from her eyes, he ran his eyes over her chest, finding it difficult to breathe with her beauty. His hands resting on her waist as she reached up, running her fingers over his chest. He loved seeing her this way, as the woman he had known was within her, the woman that she never allowed to be seen. The woman curious about him, wanting to know more, to explore.

He stood there, watching as her fingers trailed over his chest, feeling the muscles and the beat of his heart against them. His hands tightened on her waist as she leaned forward, lightly pressing her lips to his chest. Her kisses were slow, taking the time to memorize the taste him. The passion he felt coming from her, seeped into his veins, magnetizing his own.

Stepping back, Kahlan looked at him, her eyes dark with passion. Unable to stop himself, he pulled her to him, kissing her as his arms wrapped tightly around her. The softness of her skin fascinating him as his hands moved over her back, feeling as her muscles flexed against his touch. Laying her hands to rest on his waist, she grabbed his pants, pulling him closer.

Walking sideways, he lead her to the bed, pulling away from her long enough to lift her into his arms and lay her gently upon the bed before him. The firelight danced over her, lighting the scars that decorated parts of her flesh. With his fingers, he lightly traced over the scar he had given her. He could see the moment clearly in his mind. The fire shined in her eyes as she opened them, noticing where his fingers still laid.

"Richard?"

He looked up, pulling his hand from her as though he had done something wrong. Kahlan grabbed his hand and pulled it back to her, laying it where it had been for a moment, before she pulled it up, letting his fingers slide over her. She let go of his hand as he cupped her breast, returning her hand to the bed, where she gripped at the blankets beneath her. Parting her lips, she gasped for air as he leaned down, pressing his lips to her skin, right below her belly button. Richard reached up, with his other hand, taking her other breast into his grasp, holding onto her as she ached upward.

Slowly, his hands ran over her, moving down to the top of her skirt and hooking his fingers beneath the fabric. He pulled slowly, his lips following the fabric as it was pulled from her skin. She gasped, her hands leaving the blankets and taking hold of his head, holding him to her. Dropping her skirt to the floor, he stepped back and looked down upon her. Slowly, she sat forward and reached for him, untying the strings of his pants as she pulled him closer.

She pushed them to the ground, watching carefully as he stepped out of him, his breathing just as fast and short as hers. Looking up into his eyes, she laid back onto the bed, moving closer to the head as she waited for him to follow her. He didn't waste a moment. Crawling onto the bed, he laid over her, his hands roaming over her before coming to a stop at her hips as he began to kiss her. The noise of the Inn around them died out as they moved together, combining their bodies in love, each only hearing the sounds of their lover.

The bed and walls shook with the strength of her magic, the power of it nearly ripping him from her. He moved off of her quickly, not wanting to hurt her. Kahlan smiled as she rolled onto her side, looking at him as he struggled to catch his breath. Laying her hand over his chest, she inched closer, resting her head against his shoulder as he wrapped his arm around her.

"I love you." she whispered, unable to speak any louder as her breath continued to fail her.

Turning his head, he smiled widely and pulled her even closer, their bodies finding no piece that wasn't touching. "And I love you Kahlan, so much."

After a moment, she laughed and looked over to the window, watching the rain continue to run down the glass. "Do you think that they'll mind if we stayed for another couple of nights?"

"If we don't show up, they'll come looking for us and I don't want them to interrupt us. We'll just have to insist on sleeping far away from them from now on."

"I don't think they'll be happy about that."

"It doesn't matter." he replied softly, running his hand along her arm. "We'll be happy. And we'll be together."

"That's all that matters."

END