Disclaimer: I still don't own it...but it's still fun to play with:)

Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews. As always, I only catch errors after I've posted...sorry bout that, heh;) I tend to have this bad habit of editing per line, instead of doing the final read through. Takes a long time and turns out badly but hey, hopefully I'll do better this time. And I do believe someone remarked that the story moves too quickly. Well, that may be and I'm sorry if it comes off that way but I prefer to keep the characters moving as opposed to bogging them down with fancy adjectives and heavy dialogue. If it's not your cup of tea, it's cool...just don't burn it to cinders! It's mean;p

Anyhoo...enjoy!

Chapter 12:

Sarah felt light, disconnected. Her body seemed to be moving at great speeds, though her feet were firmly glued to the stone floor. Her blood rushed beneath her skin, fueled by the ever-increasing tempo of her thudding heartbeat. Her head, a veritable plethora of conflicted thoughts and emotions.

Jareth's tongue grazed her shoulder, forcing another helpless shiver from her traitorous body. God help her if he finally made it to her mouth! She highly doubted she had a prayer of halting her responses in that event. Boy, did he know what he was doing! Good Lord.

Every feeble kiss she'd suffered since high school had been boring and sloppy by comparison. Jareth made her skin sing, her nerves went insane, sending chills in every direction imaginable. When his teeth found the soft-spot between her neck and shoulders, her eyes fluttered closed. She bit her lips to keep from crying out.

He paused, brushing his cheek against hers softly, almost reverently. His breath tickled her overtly-sensitive earlobe when he spoke. "Sarah, you're destroying my shirt."

Her eyes snapped open. Sure enough, her guilty hands had his collar in a white-knuckled grip, renting the flimsy fabric from the sleeves down. Mortified, she let go and hastily clasped her hands to her heaving chest. All the blood that had been traveling downward at top-speed was now climbing into her cheeks with a vengeance.

How unbelievably embarrassing! Mentally beating the ever loving shit out of herself for taking Jareth up on his bet, she buried her face in her hands and groaned. What the hell was wrong with her? One second, she was making a startling revelation and the next she was climbing into the Goblin King's body like he was a life-line. It's amazing what a girl will let a man do when she knows how he feels about her.

Especially when the knowing makes her happy.

This was certainly one of those times she had no desire to argue with her subconscious. Damn it!

Jareth pulled her more tightly against him, cradling her head in either hand. She kept her eyes downcast, praying he would get bored and find something better to do. Instead, his hands slid down her shoulders, caressed her waist and slowly moved up again. As his fingers passed the undersides of her arms, she felt him shudder.

"What would you have me do, my lady?" He pressed the length of his body tighter to her own. One hand wound in her hair, destroying Ria's lovely chignon, the other palmed the base of her spine. She gasped into his chest. Quickly losing focus on her objectives. All she could feel was the press of his lean frame against hers. The only sound the harsh breathing at the base of her throat.

A week ago she would have struggled, would've hit him or worse. Now... now she couldn't bring herself to move at all. "I...I don't know." She answered as honestly as she was able. Jareth sighed into her hair.

"Lay down Sarah."

For the first time in what seemed hours, she took stock of her surroundings. They were no longer standing in the throne room. Plush white carpets and silken bed-curtains were the only witnesses to the finality of her humiliation. A roaring fire cast Jareth's bedchamber in a hazy glow, causing the golden shades of his hair to seem molten against his dark over-coat. He'd somehow zapped her into his room without her notice, further proof of the talented workings of his mouth.

Despite the normal irritation she felt at being manipulated at his hands, she couldn't say she was surprised by their sudden whereabouts. The bed beckoned, a hands-width behind her. Before she could panic and object as expected, Jareth crushed his mouth to hers with such force her knees buckled. The next thing she knew, she was inert on the mattress with him looking down at her tenderly. His fingers stroked the curve of her jaw, his eyes dark and unreadable.

"You have the finest skin I've ever seen. It's almost transparent. So soft, so warm. Do you enjoy this?" He asked, nipping the edge of her jaw, then gliding his tongue around the curve of her ear. A pitiful moan was his answer. God help her, he was good! She couldn't think at all when he touched her.

She knew she had to stop and yet, were those her hands curling into hair? Did her leg just wind itself around his waist? Definitely not! Though, the evidence of these actions was found in the mounting harshness of his breathing. Jareth's left hand slid slowly down her shoulder and across to her chest, pausing only at the rise of her left breast as it strained at the fabric of her too heavy gown.

She felt her body lift into his, as wantonly as her inexperienced libido could manage. Jareth's hand found her breast and he groaned. Something, some switch went off in Sarah's head. She could no longer control her body. An animalistic instinct she wasn't aware she had took over.

She tugged at his hair until his face was properly above hers. He had only a moment to look down at her surprised, before her mouth found his. Their bodies melded together seamlessly, as if made to be entwined. He made a harsh sound against her lips and jerked off his jacket and torn shirt, before lowering himself completely, artfully. His hips ground into hers mercilessly, tearing a shriek from Sarah's already hoarse vocal chords.

He froze, holding himself aloft on his elbows. "Did I hurt you?"

Sarah shook her head, taking advantage of the new space between their bodies. Her hands roamed his chest and throat like a blind woman examining a statue. Her breath came in gasps, her legs inching ever further apart by the second. Jareth's eyes squeezed shut over a pained expression.

"Stop that now love. You have no idea how good that feels...ahh, give me your hands." He encircled her wrists with his palms and pressed them into the pillows. He took several deep breaths, swallowing hard. "Forgive me. I hadn't meant to take it this far. If you will give me a moment to collect myself."

Reality crept into Sarah's head by inches. As the fog cleared, she had more time to realize just what the hell she was doing. Her face caught fire. She turned her head aside so she didn't have to face him. Just what was she thinking? Here she was panting like a whore in Jareth's bed, just like he'd promised her she would be! Oh for Christ's sake. She wished there was an oubliette nearby to crawl into.

He brushed his lips gently over her mouth and chin. "No, no love. Please don't be this way. This is the happiest moment of my life, truly."

Though she couldn't be sure why, a stray tear wormed its way out of her eye. Jareth's lips caught it before it could slide down her cheekbone. That only made it worse. A pathetic sort of muffled sob broke through the silence. She felt completely ridiculous crying at such a time but she couldn't help it. So many feelings sprang into her heart at once, the effect was overwhelming. Once the dam was open, there was no stopping the ensuing flood. He held her against him, as if cradling a child.

"Sarah, hush now. It'll be alright, I swear it. Here now, let's rest awhile. Just so." He said, rolling onto his back and pulling her head onto his bare chest. She could hear his steady hearbeat beneath her ears. The sound was soothing. He was so warm. His hands drew lazy circles over her back and hair.

When she was calm enough to speak, she shifted in his arms settling her cheek against his shoulder. "I'm sorry, I don't know what came over me." She mumbled into his skin, feeling an utter fool.

Jareth chuckled low in his throat. The sound was husky, raising gooseflesh on her exposed skin. "Only what usually happens when two people are attracted to each other. Nothing to be ashamed of, I promise you."

"Whatever. You knew this would happen didn't you?"

"Well, no but I hoped...perhaps prayed is a better word? You have no idea how badly I want you my dear. Just admitting the truth frightens me. If I lost you so easily...I have no idea how I would survive."

Sarah's heart swelled to abnormal capacity. What was this feeling? He had just casually admitted that her suspicions were correct. He loved her. He truly loved her! How was she supposed to respond to that? She had no idea how she felt about him. For years she'd thought he was merely a hallucination, a frightening, foreboding one to boot. Now, she knew he was real and with that knowledge came a thousand more doubts to plague her in the night.

He manipulated her, lied to her, rewound all of her perceptions to the point that she could never trust him and yet...what was this feeling?!

Had she always felt this way about him and not noticed? Was that even possible?

"Jareth," She whispered, hesitantly.

"Yes?"

"Do you want me to stay with you?" Beneath her hands, his heart began to race.

A deep silence followed her question. After quite a long while, Jareth sighed.

"Sarah, I think you know I do."

She swallowed, the sound was a thunder-clap in the quiet of the chamber beyond. Summoning every ounce of courage she could muster, she prodded further. "Why? Why go to all this trouble for me? I'm a pretty regular sort of girl. No one special."

He looked at her seriously. "You're not ready for that answer my dear."

"Maybe I am." She challenged, doing her best to keep her voice even.

His eyes darted away. Bits of his golden hair strayed onto his collarbone. Sarah's fingers brushed them away absently, before she knew what she was doing. Cool fingers clasped hers, pulling her down to face him. "It won't work, darling. Give it time. When you're ready, we'll have this conversation again. Now, I would greatly enjoy waking up with you in my arms. May I stay here with you tonight? I promise to be a gentleman." A ghost of his usual smile flitted over his face.

"You promise you'll tell me?"

His eyes bored into hers with such intensity, her mouth went dry. "Sarah, when you're ready...nothing could stop me."

Ahhh! That one was a bit harder to finish! Time for bed:)