Author's Note: This story is rated M for a reason. Sexual content ahead. Just a little warning.

Erik's heart began to race. "You… what?"

Christine hugged her arms to her chest. "I said I would do it. Just… keep this between us, alright?" she said quietly, looking down at her lap once more.

Erik could not believe what he was hearing. She had agreed?

He knew Christine; she would never sleep around. She had to feel something for him for her to say yes! Deep down, she must have loved him, even just a little!

Erik suddenly felt extremely nervous. When would she do it? Where? How would they hide this from Nadir? Was this a one-time deal? How would he go about paying her? Would she enjoy him?

Questions flooded Erik's mind and he decided he needed to have much further discussion with Christine. He pulled up a chair across from her and took a seat.

"I believe we should speak about this," he said softly, his nervous eyes meeting her dazed ones.

When Christine did not speak, Erik decided he would begin asking his questions. "Christine… you know you don't have to do this, correct?" he began, gently touching her wrist.

The young girl nodded. "I know," she said softly. "But I am willing."

Erik was still shocked that she would ever be willing. How could a woman like Christine desire to sleep with him?

"I just want you to know that, for me, this is more than a service. This would be a great kindness and a gift. I don't want this to seem like a burden to do and I certainly don't want you in my bed if you have no feelings towards me," he said, taking on a serious tone.

Christine returned her gaze to the mirror. "I know," she said once more. "I figured as much."

Did this mean she felt something towards him? Were those innocent eyes holding something else?

Erik took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. This was a bit overwhelming; he never imagined Christine actually loving him.

Before he could ask another question, Christine spoke up again. "I want to help you as much as I can, Erik. I hate to see you as angry or sad as you've been lately. I can tell that you are lonely, and I will help you. You've helped me through my loneliness by being my friend, and now I shall return the favor. But you must keep this between us. I do not want anyone else knowing. If I find you have told anyone, I will end all of my services and leave you. I want to make that extremely clear," she said, her eyes locking on his.

Erik nodded quickly. "I understand," he agreed.

Christine continued to speak. "As for payment, I will admit that I do need the money if I want to go on and live on my own. You may add the new fee onto my weekly tab. We do not need to discuss a rate, for I know you are more than capable of handling that on your own. I would prefer to keep this not extremely frequent at the beginning. I do not know how things will go and how comfortable I will be, but I am willing to try. Is all of this making sense?"

The masked man took in all of the information before giving an answer. There had to be another reason that she was alright with bedding him, but he didn't dare ask.

"Yes, perfect sense. I will do exactly as you say, Christine. I want your consent more than anything."

She nodded, letting herself relax a bit. Christine wasn't sure if she was quite ready for this, but she wanted to do it. Maybe it could help them get closer, maybe Erik had more than lust for her. After all they had been through, there had to be a little more than lust there. Maybe there was no lust at all, who knows? Christine knew Erik loved her deeply, even if he wasn't showing it. She had not forgotten that night in the lair when she had given him his ring back. He had admitted his love to her, and he meant it. There was no way he didn't feel love for her anymore.

"When would you like these services to begin?" she asked quietly.

A twinkle of desire lit up Erik's eyes.

"Tonight."

Erik left Christine alone to prepare herself. She had requested an hour to herself before she came to him for their first night together.

Christine went to her armoire, fingering through all of the different garments she had. Her heart hammered wildly as she pulled out a lacey white dressing robe. Christine began to feel extremely nervous. Was she really ready for this? Were things going too fast?

She shook the thoughts away, wanting to clear her mind. There was no use in stressing, she had already agreed to the service.

As she began to undress, doubts began to fill Christine's mind. With every bit of skin that became uncovered, a new doubt came to her.

'Will he find me pleasing? Am I too thin? Too pale? Are my breasts too small? My hips too large?'

Christine pushed the doubts away and focused on dressing herself. She removed her work gown and apron, hanging them up neatly. She changed her undergarments, changing into a pair of shorter bloomers and a sheer chemise, topped off with the more revealing corset Erik had bought her last month and the lacey robe.

Christine was not afraid of what she was going to do, she was just nervous. Erik would only be the second man to see her undressed, to sleep with her. The thought made her blush. What would Erik think of it?

The young girl went to her mirror and began to fix her hair. She pinned up a few stray pieces that had fallen from her loose updo, wanting to look her best for him.

Christine glanced over at the clock, realizing that she'd stalled for too long. It had been just over an hour since she had agreed to sleep with Erik, and she needn't be late. As she reached for her doorknob, she began to wonder what Erik was doing to prepare himself. Would she enter his room to find him fully clothed, or stark naked in his bed?

She took a deep breath and slowly opened her door, peeking outside. When she saw no sight of anyone in the hallway, she quickly moved to the room next to hers. Thankfully, Erik had kept his bedchamber door unlocked and she could enter without a problem.

Christine opened and closed the door quickly, hiding herself from any wandering eyes that could be in the hallway. She glanced around Erik's room, noticing that he had pulled the curtains closed most of the way. The room was lit by a few candles and gas lamps that scattered the few tabletops. There was also a warm, orange light coming from the fireplace. Beside the fireplace sat Erik in his chair, his back turned to her.

He had shed his jacket, waistcoat, and cravat, leaving him just in his white dress shirt, black trousers, and a white mask. Christine studied the way his broad shoulders and long back were nearly exposed through the thin white shirt. He stood then, letting Christine get a better look at him from the back.

His broad shoulders and long back faded into a lean waist and soft hips. Her eyes followed the curve of his backside, noticing how it was hugged by his fit trousers.

'Christine! Focus!'

She quickly shifted her gaze to his long legs, trailing her glance all the way down to his bare feet.

Erik turned to her then, letting his eyes wander over her as well. Christine studied his front, taking a sharp inhale of breath as she noticing the first few buttons of his shirt unbuttoned. A small amount of chest hair was visible, as was a little of his strong pectoral muscles. Christine was mesmerized by the sight of him, and it was very obvious that Erik was feeling the same way about Christine. She saw his jaw tighten as his eyes wandered over her barely-clothed body. She couldn't help but wonder what he was thinking.

Christine quickly turned, feeling the need to lock the door. She turned the lock, feeling the air around her thicken with heat and desire.

As she turned back from the door, Christine noticed that Erik had taken a few steps closer to her and his bed. He had taken on a new form of confidence and strength, looking more masculine and brave than ever. Christine took a few steps towards him, stopping when she was right in front of him.

Erik's hands rose slowly, then dipped into her hair as her removed the few pins that held together her updo. He drew each pin out carefully, letting her wild curls fall onto her back and over her shoulders. Christine stood still, her heart beating fast and her throat feeling dry. Erik circled her slowly, pulling out all the pins in the back as well as the front and sides. Christine suppressed a shiver as she felt his gentle fingers brush against the back of her neck.

Neither of them said a word as Erik returned in front of her, his eyes locked on Christine's. He slowly brought his hand out of her beautiful hair and traced her jaw with his fingers. He brought his lips closer to hers, initiating their first kiss of the night.

Christine's mind, body, and soul came alive when his lips graced hers. She remembered their first and second kiss in his lair, reliving the brief feeling of passion and desire she had felt two years ago. Christine surprised Erik by welcoming the kiss, pressing her mouth against his and bringing her hand up to his shoulder.

The kiss was almost intoxicating. Christine lost herself in the moment in Erik's hand travelled down her neck while his other arm circled her waist. He brought her closer to him, letting his hand wander to the sleeve of her robe.

Erik broke off the kiss and let his hungry eyes wander to the ties of the robe. His eyes rose once more, locking onto Christine's. She got his message and lowered her hands, untying the robe and letting it fall to the floor.

As soon as the lacey fabric graced the wooded floorboards, Erik turned Christine around. She gasped as she felt the strings of her corset being loosened. As he tore away the garment, she felt as though she could breathe again, though this didn't last long. Erik soon turned her back to him and captured her lips once more, putting his hands on her hips and guiding her body closer to his.

Christine soon felt Erik's tongue gently caress the inside of her lip. Her knees nearly gave out as she was consumed in his passion. Erik's hand moved to her breast, cupping it softly as her tongue shyly met his.

Erik broke off their kiss once more and Christine stared at him with barely-open eyes. His golden eyes twinkled with desire as Christine felt herself being lost in them. It felt like the first time those beautiful eyes had appeared in her dressing room mirror back at the Opera House. She relived the magical feeling, though nothing was more magical than this moment. His lips descended to her jaw, pressing small kisses to her soft skin. He kissed and sucked her jaw and neck as his hands found the hem of the chemise and began to lift it over her head.

Erik's shirt clad chest now had Christine's bare torso pressed to it and the fire inside him stirred. Both of their hearts fluttered as Erik's hand found her soft, perfectly round breast once more. He released a light growl into her skin as he kissed the crook of her neck. Christine's hand went straight to his strong bicep as she held tightly to him.

The kisses travelled lower and soon Erik's mouth found Christine's breast, sucking and kissing the tender skin gently. Christine released a tiny moan as her legs began to wobble. Erik felt her body tremble and brought one of her legs up around his hip, bringing her to his bed and laying her on his mattress.

Soon, his white shirt disappeared onto the floor and Christine caught a brief glimpse of his bare chest before his lips crushed against hers once again.

It felt like hours had passed since she'd entered the room. Christine was surprised how thorough Erik had been with their foreplay. Foreplay with Raoul had usually not lasted very long and Christine enjoyed the extended time of pleasure.

Erik's lips were not joined with Christine's very long before they travelled down her body once more. His hands caressed her hips as his tongue gently flicked into her navel. His fingers found the waistband of her bloomers and slowly began to slide them down her legs. Christine blushed, nervous to see his reaction to his first real sight of her naked body. She began to panic a little as the weight of the bed shifted, but when she opened her eyes, she did not find him to be disgusted. He stood at the edge of the bed, focused on undressing himself. Christine watched as his trousers slide to the floor, followed by his breeches.

With his only remaining piece of clothing being his mask, he stood before Christine. Her eyes quickly studied his body, her heart fluttering in her chest at the sight of him.

Erik did not look anything like Raoul. Erik was much taller, more muscular, and brawny. He made Raoul seem like just a boy! Christine hated to admit it, but Erik's bare body had been a bit more intriguing than her husband's.

Christine's knees locked together suddenly as she began to feel her nerves kicking in. The weight of the bed shifted again as Erik crawled back over her, stroking his hands up calves. His fingers brushed against her knees and began to slowly draw them apart.

"I won't hurt you, Christine. Relax," he said, his voice a bit rough and smoky. Her muscles relaxed then and she let him pull her knees apart.

Christine waited for what was to come next, her hands quickly grabbing at the sheets. She was a bit puzzled when he began to kneel between her legs, dipping his head down a bit. "Erik?" she called softly, her eyes following his every move.

Suddenly, his mouth was pressed between her legs, causing her stomach to tingle and a moan to erupt from her throat. Had he told her to relax? How could she relax when he was doing this to her? This was a new pleasure Christine had never endured before, but to say she didn't enjoy it would be a lie. Her whole body trembled and her back arched as she gave in to the new sensation.

She soon found Erik's head lifting up as his hungry eyes gazed at her. He recaptured her lips, finally pressing their bodies flush against each other, his hips resting in the natural cradle of hers.

The singing of Christine's veins and the music of Erik's pulse collided together and the pair began to hear their own Music of the Night. That night, two strands of melody finally became one.

Author's Note: That was quite a long chapter, but we must admit, they needed that.

Again, sorry if you don't like some of the content, but I did rate it M and put a warning in the summary for a reason.

Keep on reviewing, because I love to read them. Thank you, everyone! (: