I'm back! Sorry I was off for a few... I had some things to work through, but I think I've got it all figured out now. Thank you for all of your support on the last chapter, and throughout the course of this entire story - if you're still reading after all this time, know that I am honored beyond belief.

Well, enough faffing around: in this chapter, Harry finally initiates Corrine into the art of love. I think you all know what's coming (ha ha)... anyone not of age or uncomfortable with reading extended sex scenes, this might be a good time to exit the room ;)


Corrine followed Harry into the bedroom, which was almost entirely taken up by a four-poster bed made of carved dark wood. The bed coverings looked luxurious - nicer and more expensive than any she had slept on before, surely. And it was large... definitely big enough for two, she thought. Soon, she knew, she would be naked in that bed, with the man she loved. The thought was both thrilling and intimidating.

She stopped, suddenly hesitant and unsure.

"What now, Harry? Should I just... take my clothes off, then, and lie down?"

He turned then and looked at her closely, sensing her trepidation. "Well, yes, my darling girl, that is a part of it, but it's not quite as... mechanical as all that," he said gently. He hesitated, then said, "I think I can say, without fear of contradiction, that you've never been physical with a man before, right, Corrine?"

"No... well, you came close a few times." She blushed.

"Right. I remember," he said, grinning to relax her and lighten the mood a bit. "Well, there's an art to it, I guess you could say. We don't just... have at it - at least, not the first time. I have to prepare you, make your body ready for me."

Her heartbeat thundered in her ears, and her blood suddenly heated. She had an idea of what that might entail, and it sounded like it would feel... exquisite.

"Show me, then," she purred sensuously.

"First, the clothes; then, we play," he teased, but his voice was suddenly uneven with desire. "I can help you get undressed, if you want, but I'd rather... watch." The last word came out in a sort of strangled rasp, and he swallowed hard.

She eyed him closely. From the look of his trousers, he was already aroused... but then again, so was she. Just the conversation, the anticipation, had made her wet... how much more ready could she be? Oh, she couldn't wait to find out.

She nodded silently in assent, and his eyes flared with sudden heat. Slowly, she began removing her clothes, while he sat on the edge of the bed, watching her every move with keen, greedy eyes. It was awkward at first, feeling his gaze on her, but she relaxed a bit once she realized how very much he was enjoying the view. He reached down once to soothe himself, and the titillating sight brought a little whimper to her lips. After that, she dispensed as quickly as she could with her many layers, freeing her hair from its pins at the same time. Finally, the last piece of material covering her fell to the floor, and she stepped out of it. She suddenly felt very exposed - and very shy. She had never been nude in front of anyone before, and she had an almost irresistible urge to cover her breasts with her hands. She stared down at the floor, face flushed; she couldn't look him in the eyes. What if he didn't like her body? What if it wasn't the shape he preferred? What if-

"Oh, Corrine, you're breathtaking," he whispered. She heard him stand and walk to her, but she still couldn't look at him. He tilted her head up to meet his eyes. They burned with a combination of desire, tenderness, and adoration. "You are the most beautiful thing I've ever seen." He stroked her cheek with his hand and planted a soft kiss on her lips.

Relief coursed through her; his words were like a balm to her soul - as if he knew exactly what she had needed to hear. She reached for him, but he stepped back, away from her, and began removing his own clothing. He undid the remaining buttons on his shirt and tugged it off, discarding it casually in the corner of the room. Then he unbuttoned his trousers and slid them down his slim hips, tossing them in the corner as well. Only his drawers remained, and she stared hungrily at his nearly naked body. He was lean, hard, and muscular, with a chiseled chest and a washboard stomach that had a smattering of dark hair leading below his waistline. She felt her skin flush and her nipples harden at the sight. He had been watching her closely, and when he saw that he raised his eyebrows and acknowledged her physical reaction with an appreciative smile.

He grabbed the waistband of his drawers and pulled them down, and his cock sprung free at last, erect and dripping. A tremor ran through her body at the sight. It was... bigger than she thought it would be. For a moment, she felt apprehensive. How was she supposed to fit that entire thing inside of her? Tentatively, she reached out a hand to touch him. It was rock-hard, yet... smooth, the skin soft. It twitched under her gentle caress, and she moved closer, wanting to grasp the whole thing in her hand.

He closed his eyes and drew in a sharp breath, taking a step back. "Don't, Corrine," he warned her in a low voice. "You're going to unman me before we even begin."

"But I want to feel-"

"There'll be plenty of time for that later," he growled. He was devouring her with his eyes, his chest rising and falling rapidly. He took her hand and led her to the bed, pulling the covers back and then lying down beside her.

He tangled his hands in her long hair and kissed her deeply, groaning into her mouth as her arms wrapped around his body, her hands caressing his back. She pulled him closer, needing to feel his body on hers. He leaned over her, the brush of his bare skin against her own sending goosebumps and tingles from her head to her feet.

He let his hands rove freely over her body as they kissed, first grazing her waist, then caressing her hips, and finally gripping her thighs in his hands. Slowly, deliberately, he let his hands slide upward until they brushed the sides of her breasts. At her breathless nod of encouragement, he shifted his weight onto his hip, allowing himself better access, and drew his finger in lazy circles around them, watching her nipples pucker with rapt fascination. She arched into him in a silent request for more, and he responded by cupping her soft, full mounds, squeezing them gently while he grazed his thumbs over the taut rosy nubs. His rough hands on her smooth skin had sent her whole body trembling and sizzling with need; she moaned loudly, yearning for more, not wanting him to stop, and he obliged, toying with her nipples, caressing her breasts, and admiring her uninhibited and passionate reaction to the stimulation.

She was utterly shameless now, craving his mouth and hands everywhere on her. But he wanted to take his time, and he made her wait as he kissed her some more, prolonging and increasing the tension between them with his flicking, probing tongue. Finally, she could wait no longer. Boldly, she took his hand and guided it to the spot between her legs, spreading wide for him in silent invitation to stroke and caress.

At the first brush of his fingertips, she hissed. No one had ever touched her there before; it felt so intimate, so personal - and so divine. He drew back a little to gaze into her eyes. "You're so wet, Corrine," he said in awe. She whimpered and her eyes fluttered closed as he continued to gently trace his finger around her opening.

Tentatively, he slid one long finger inside of her. She gasped but did not tense up, so he slowly moved his finger in and out, letting her get used to the feeling, the movement. Then he rubbed that sensitive, swollen area right above her opening, and she thrashed wildly. It felt like an electric current had coursed through her body, and she thrust her hips up, craving the feeling, needing more. He alternated between rubbing and stroking, and she felt her body open like a flower to him.

He devoured her mouth with his, still touching her between her legs. Little gasps and moans escaped her lips at the shocks of pleasure that pulsed through her. She felt his hardness pressed hot against her thigh, tried to reach down to touch him again, but he grabbed her hand by the wrist and held it above her head. He pinned her other hand next to the first, and with her arms thus immobilized, he traced a wet trail down her neck with his mouth.

He paused to gaze at her breasts, and she moaned in anticipation, sensing his intent. He kissed each erect nipple with his soft, wet lips, then took one in his mouth and sucked gently. She gasped as another current erupted in her body, this time from her nipple to the throbbing area between her thighs. He moved from one to the other, now circling with his tongue and sucking, harder this time. Oh, she was going to lose her mind. Her body squirmed, craving contact, friction... anything to relieve the ache. But with her arms trapped, she was helpless, at his mercy - and it only increased her mad desire for him. He continued to tease her breasts, sucking and licking, until she panted, "I need you, Harry... please..."

He gazed down at her, as if to assure himself that she was ready, then he released her wrists and positioned his body between her legs, supporting himself with his arms. She arched her back as he covered her body with his and resumed kissing her hungrily, urgently. He rubbed the tip of himself against her, and she felt herself opening further. Gasping, she pushed her hips up toward him, silently pleading for more. But he held back, reaching down to play with her again, fondling and teasing until she writhed under his hand.

Her body flushed, her eyes burning, she grabbed his face. "Now, Harry. I'm ready. Please."

He ran his thumb along her cheek while his other hand continued petting her gently between her legs. "Darling, it'll be less painful if I can give you-"

She put a finger to his lips to silence his words. "Please, Harry. I can't wait any longer. I want your..." She blushed, unable to say the word, but her meaning was perfectly clear. She gazed up at him beseechingly. "Please," she whimpered again.

A flicker of apprehension crossed his face as he stared intently into her eyes. "This is going to hurt a bit."

"I know. I don't care. Harry... I'm begging you..."

At that, the last of his resistance crumbled. Needing no further encouragement, he spread some of the wetness from her body on his cock and guided himself to her opening. She lifted her hips, her eyes locked on his, and he slowly pushed against her, parting her folds, and slipped inside at last.

Her body reacted immediately, clamping down around him, and she gasped in surprise at both the alien feel of him and her own unexpected response. He kissed her until she relaxed her muscles a bit, then nudged himself in a little further. She felt pressure, a little resistance, a sharp surge of pain - and then it was over. She was suddenly... full, and uncomfortably so. She sucked in a ragged breath and waited for her body to adjust to this new experience.

"Relax, Corrine," he whispered, caressing her face and kissing her gently. "I'm going to go really slow, all right?"

She nodded, not trusting herself to speak. He inched forward, slowly, ever so slowly, gradually stretching and filling her until he was fully sheathed at last, all the while showering her with kisses to take her mind off of the pain.

Once he was in he paused for a minute, which gave her a much-needed chance to compose herself. She thought she had been prepared for this, but it was more intense than she had expected. Her tender flesh had been abraded when he penetrated her, and she had to take shallow breaths to alleviate the burning sensation. She tried to relax as he had suggested, but it was easier said than done. To her inexperienced body he felt enormous, and her core throbbed with the unfamiliar pressure. Not wanting to upset him, she hid a wince as her body instinctively tensed around this intrusion.

Fortunately, he was too preoccupied to notice. When he felt her taut muscles grip him, he closed his eyes and inhaled sharply. "Oh, fuck, Corrine, you're so tight," he moaned. His body trembled with the effort of holding himself back.

She clung to his neck, willing her body to loosen its hold on him, to take him all in. Eventually her insides obeyed, and once she stopped resisting him, she noticed the discomfort ease almost immediately. It still hurt, she conceded, but not unbearably so.

Harry had waited patiently, and when he sensed the slight slackening of her inner walls, he nuzzled his nose against hers, relief pooling in his brown eyes. "Better?" he asked in a gentle voice. When she nodded, he breathed an ardent sigh and dove in for another kiss. But his lips soon betrayed his pent-up fervor; they prodded her insistently, a reminder of his tenuous restraint. He pulled back and studied her, his expression deferential, almost apologetic. "Can you bear it if I... move?" he pleaded hoarsely.

She pushed down a flutter of apprehension. She was still feeling rather unpleasantly overstretched, although the stinging had fortunately receded to a dull ache. But in spite of the pain, she wanted to please him more than anything in the world. She reached up to pull his head down to hers. "Yes," she breathed, and kissed him.

Slowly, with great care, he began to slide in and out of her body. At first, the movement was uncomfortable... but it was a delicious discomfort, a mingling of pleasure and pain. She found that even though her insides still felt raw, the lubrication from their arousal helped him to move without too much friction. Little by little, she began to relax, savoring the feeling of his body inside hers, the stimulation of areas that had been awakened for the first time. And that sensation of being overfull lessened as her body widened and spread to make room for him. In fact, the gentle rubbing became quite enjoyable, and she stopped wishing he were just a little bit smaller when his motions sent a new set of electric currents surging through her.

Harry, on the other hand, was visibly losing control. He tried to slow his already languid rhythm, pulling himself out of her partway and breathing heavily. "Fuck," he gasped, as his body shook, "I can't- You feel so fucking good, Corrine." She silenced him with a kiss, and he groaned helplessly in her mouth as he slid back inside of her. She felt his strokes change, becoming more irregular, still gentle yet urgent. His breath was coming in a series of hitching gasps, punctuated by moans and curses as he strained, trying in vain to hold back his onrushing climax.

He soon lost the battle for control of his body. "Oh, shit," he moaned, "I'm going to-" He couldn't finish the sentence; his eyes closed and he groaned. She felt him change inside of her then, felt his cock tense and then quake and convulse deep in her body. With a last mingled cry of anguish and ecstasy, he collapsed on top of her.

Corrine held him, wrapping her limbs around his torso as he continued to shudder and gasp at the force of his release. As she stroked his hair and dotted little kisses onto his shoulder, she wondered at the power of the thing they had just done together, this act that had caused him such joy and satisfaction. She had witnessed the height of her man's pleasure - no, she had caused it - and the realization made her feel both flattered and inordinately proud.

Finally, he raised his head to look at her, and she was surprised to see disappointment etching his features. "I'm sorry, Corrine. That shouldn't have ended so quickly. But it's... been awhile." He blushed. "And you were so..." He struggled to find the word.

"Tight? Wet?" she helpfully supplied.

He snorted. "Receptive," he confirmed, kissing her swollen lips gently. "I'll last longer with more practice, I promise."

And with that admission, the last of the insecurities she was still harboring instantly melted away. Sharing such an intimate, sacred experience with him had lifted a great weight from her chest, one that she had borne ever since she learned of his prior indiscretions. But it was the knowledge that he too had vulnerabilities and weaknesses - and had exposed them to her shamelessly - that had truly set her free. They were not so different after all, the two of them.

She felt so close to him in that moment that she could almost reach out and touch the connection that had been forged between them. The feeling of being one heart, one soul, with him shook her to her core, completely overwhelming her. Inexplicably, she felt tears pricking the corners of her eyes. She opened her mouth to tell him how she felt - and burst into loud, ugly sobs that shook her entire body. It was as if the joining of their bodies and hearts had finally shattered the dam holding back her emotions since she had awakened on the Carpathia. The joy and beauty of their lovemaking intermingled with darker, more painful memories of her terror during the sinking, her loneliness, her fear of losing him, and the heartbreaking sadness of their separation. She had never let herself acknowledge those feelings, desperately suppressing them so that she could continue functioning. But now she released all of it, letting it flow out of her in a healing tide of tears and wailing that drained her utterly.

Without having to be told, Harry understood everything. Wordlessly, he pulled her to him, and she lay cradled in his arms, her hot tears soaking his chest. Gradually, her sobs subsided to hitching breaths, and then to little whimpers. Finally, exhausted, cleansed at last, she fell into a deep, restful sleep.


And there it is! I tried to handle the love scene as sensitively and accurately as possible, and I hope no one was offended. I don't write smut for smut's sake, or to be titillating or gratuitously graphic. No, there's always a larger purpose. And I do think that the physical aspect of Harry and Corrine's relationship is an essential component of their character development. It's through these intimate moments that I can convey the evolution of their feelings for one another, and tell aspects of them that I feel would be impossible to convey otherwise. And... this may not be the last you see of these two making love, just so you're forewarned :)

We're all just gonna ignore Harry's little white lie of it having 'been awhile', given what we now know from the interludes. To give him the benefit of the doubt, I suppose it could be a matter of opinion whether a few weeks has really 'been awhile'. But really he says that for two reasons: 1) to once again spare her the details of his sex life before her - especially his most recent encounters - and 2) to cover up the fact that he finished so quickly. Because although he's 'been with other women' (his words), he's never made love before. Which is why he failed miserably his first time - and tells a little fib to cover his insecurity ;)