The cool wind of the night blew past them, the fire having died out more than an hour previous and the thin blankets did nothing to shield them from the cold. It was rare for them to sleep through the night, even more so now that the rifts had been sealed. Richard found it impossible to keep his hands off of her, his lips never tiring of the feel and taste of hers. Any moment they weren't touching was agony and needed to end as quickly as possible. They slept separately from the others, giving them the privacy they required to be together.

Turning his head, he smiled at the woman sleeping beside him. She looked peaceful, a small smile on her lips as she shifted her body closer to his. The warmth of her body flooded through him, causing a moan that he couldn't suppress. They were naked, neither bothering to dress when the feel of the other's body comforted them into sleep. His body ached for hers, his arousal more than apparent through the blanket. If her knee raised any higher on his thigh, there would be no hiding it.

"Someone's awake," she whispered sleepily.

"Did I wake you?"

"Mmnmm," she replied before forcing herself to lift her head. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine. I can't seem to sleep."

Grinning, Kahlan shifted her body against his. "You should be exhausted... You did most of the work."

Her words made him shiver, his need growing wild. "I distinctly remember you-"

"Shh," she laughed, ducking her head and pressing her forehead against his chest.

"They won't hear us. If they do, Cara will make sure we know about it."

"You're right. Maybe we should take better advantage of our time alone..."

Giving a soft growl, Richard rolled over her and connected their lips, pleased with the passion in the return. It didn't matter how often they did this, it was always filled with more passion than either knew what to do with. His muscles ached, his back sore from the nails of his lover, though she did her best to keep from hurting him. He enjoyed the attention she would give him later, the way she would gently rub a healing cream over the wounds. Any contact between them was worth everything.

Richard's head snapped up at the snap of a stick a few dozen feet away, his eyes searching the area as his right hand abandoned her thigh and reached for his sword. Her breathing was rapid beneath him, her breasts against his chest made it almost impossible to focus. Straining his eyes, he saw movement and lifted himself from the warmth of her body.

"It's just an animal," she whispered, trying to pull him back to her. "Richard?"

"What if it's not?"

Lifting her hips, she pushed then against his. "I'll take the risk." Hooking an arm around his neck, she drew him down for another kiss, wrapped her entire body around him, opened herself completely to him. His shaft rubbed against her, sending shocks of pleasure zipping to every inch of her body. Her body flooded in anticipation of him sliding in, stretching her; filling her. "Richard," she moaned into his mouth, reaching between their bodies to wrap her fingers around his length.

"Not so fast, Kahlan." He shifted his hips back, not much, just enough to pull out of her touch. "There's no need to rush."

"Speak for yourself," she purred, knowing he was feeling the same anxiousness for her.

His lips curved against her skin as he kissed a blazing path. His stubble heightened every lick, every caress of his tongue. Neck, shoulder, collarbone, he slowly worked his way down, and when he finally reached her breasts, she held her breath. His tongue ran around her nipple, soft licks that tormented more than pleased. More contact. She needed more. Arching her back, she pushed deeper into his mouth, but he pulled back and switched to her other using the same touch as before.

His mouth set out again on exploration. He drew wet, moist designs on her stomach. Methodically, he worked lower and lower. Her breath grew short and spots danced at the edges of her vision. Never before had she felt as if she'd literally keel over from anticipation. An eternity seemed to pass before his mouth made contact where she wanted. She fisted the grass in her hands, dug her heels into the dirt and pushed up, her magic ripping through him as she moaned out his name. He was close, his body nearly exploding as he lifted his head and began to crawl up hers.

She lay on the ground, panting, writhing, breasts rising and falling in rapid secession as breath rushed in and out of her lungs. She looked spectacular. His chest filled with pride knowing every pant was because of him.

Sliding into her, his eyes rolled back in his head. Her muscles constricted around him, not from her ecstasy, not some automatic response to pleasure. No, she was milking him. Squeeze, release, squeeze, release, squeeze… He felt out of control. Each thrust drove him higher. Sweat beaded on his forehead. He was about to blow, but he wanted her cresting this wave with him.

Shifting his weight, he took hold of one of her breasts and squeezed. It was harder than he intended, but from the sound that left her, he knew it wasn't too much. Their bodies exploded together, her magic, once again, shaking through him as he fought to keep above her. Her legs wrapped around his waist, as if she felt the same way and was now doing her best to keep the contact as long as possible. Soft, shaky hands slithered up his arms, over his shoulders, around his neck and then tugged him down. It was such a sweet gesture, he couldn't stop himself from collapsing against her womanly softness.

The moment his lips were in range, she claimed them. The kiss was like all of the others they'd shared. Their tongues slid against each other as if their only goal was to be closer. Kissing for the sake of kissing. They never had enough.

Rolling them onto their sides, he held her close, knowing that if they separated it would bring an end to all happiness. Kissing her lips, Richard nuzzled his nose against hers. He knew she needed a few moments to recuperate, the release of her magic having taken so much of her energy. She wouldn't admit it though, the way it weakened her, if he would let her, she would roll onto him and take control of the next round. All in good time, he would tell her, his words barely making it through his heavy breathing.

He found her hunger for him to be more arousing, making his body respond quicker after each session. Had someone told him before how many times he would have her in a single night, he would have thought them mad, but the truth of it was almost even more so. Their muscles would ache almost to the point of hindrance. Almost. No matter how much it hurt, the reward was greater.

She was asleep in his arms, her breathing slow and strong. It was easy for her to drift off when they laid like this, their bodies still connected, her left leg lifted and slightly hanging over his. His heart began to race again, the image before him bringing the flames back to his blood. Unable to keep still, he bucked forward against her.

"Mmm," she moaned, pulling herself closer and meeting the thrust. "Spirits, Richard..."

"I'm sorry, I couldn't stop myself."

Leaning her head back, she grinned. "I wasn't complaining, but I think that if we wake Cara and Zedd one more time, they'll kill us."

Kissing her, Richard ran his hands down her back. "I can think of worse ways to die." Just as she started to return his kiss, he pulled back. "But, if you release your magic again, you may not be able to move."

"Can we risk it?" she teased, locking their eyes before slowly, running her tongue across her lips.

"Not when it puts my plans for tomorrow at risk... If you keep doing that, we will need them to carry us."

Grinning, she traced her hand down his chest. "Or we could stay here, together. Naked..."

Closing his eyes, he pulled back, gritting his teeth as he slipped from her warmth. Rolling into his back, he groaned. Apart from her left him incomplete. "Looking at me like that won't change anything. I can't see you." He felt her move away, almost making him open his eyes, but he knew that was her plan. When the blanket was pulled from him, he grew anxious, knowing she had something wonderful in mind. "Kahlan?"

"Can you see me now?"

Opening his eyes, he saw her above him, now sitting on his thighs. He was always proving himself wrong. She was more beautiful each time he saw her.

"We're in trouble..."

******END******