There is a plot to this - I swear. It's coming…really…

This chapter contains adult content. Please do not read if such things offend you.

Chapter 3

He trailed the back of his hand against her cheek just as a particular strong round of thunder rippled along the sky and shook the very ground. "The storm is not abating."

"You won't be leaving this evening." Her eyes danced. "Not with the storm as bad as it is."

"I've come to believe I won't be leaving for quite sometime." He leveled a heated gaze at her and grinned when she took his hand and led him out of the kitchen.

"You say that as if it's a bad thing." She bent to shake out a few blankets she had brought downstairs and he gingerly sat on the floor in front of the fireplace, leaning heavily against the pillows.

Their passion appeared abated for now and he watched her work - until she turned around and regarded him with the most mischievous smile he'd ever seen on a woman. His heart somersaulted in his chest and he absently smoothed the folds of the blanket he'd re-secured around his waist. When she knelt beside him after finishing her task and placed her hands flat against his chest, he knew he was about to lose his valiant fight.

"We will find a way." She whispered answering a nagging question that had burned in his mind since his identity had been revealed. How they would continue with this charade, did he even want to, how would they shift Victoria's attentions to him now from Zorro, were all questions they'd not yet discussed. And he forgot every single one of them as she placed a gentle kiss to the corner of his jaw.

The firelight flickered across their bodies casting shadowy movements against the walls. Her touch was slow, experimental as she explored the broad expanse of his torso. When he pulled her down into the pillows and pressed her against his chest, she could feel his heavy sigh. She knew his heart warred with his mind, as did hers, but they'd waited long enough for this moment, and she wasn't about to wait any longer.

Wind howled through the cracks in the structure causing a small shiver to rush through her body. While he was the one nearly naked, her close proximity heated his skin unlike the hottest flame ever could.

Lightly, his hands slid up her back beneath the peasant blouse. His touch was so gentle, so light, that she snuggled closer, fitting herself to the curve of his uninjured side. She craved the warmth and closeness of his body and she trembled as his hands slid intimately along the smooth skin of her back.

"Diego?" Her voice was a breathless whisper when he began nuzzling her neck, his mustache tickling the sensitive skin there.

"We can still go back," He whispered against her neck and for a moment he was afraid she would want him to stop. The properly raised gentleman in him wished she would ask him to stop. The man, whose blood boiled at the slightest glance cast in his direction, prayed that she wouldn't want him to. "We can still-"

She stretched herself along the length of his body and kissed him soundly, letting her actions speak louder than any words. His body responded instinctively and his blood boiled. She wanted this as much as he did. Carefully, he made quick work of her blouse, drawing it up and over her head with little trouble. When the firelight flickered across her bare skin, his eyes glazed, taking in every inch of the strikingly beautiful sight.

Victoria sighed softly, unabashed at his frank stare. She delighted in his heated gaze. It meant that he would not push her away. The chill in the damp air cooled her overheated skin. When his mouth dipped to nibble her breasts, his hand began to absently trace small circles along her hips. She draped a leg over his and leaned back against the pillows allowing him all the access that position would give him. When he gazed down at her, there was such love and adoration in his eyes that she felt she would burst from the excitement.

Thunder rattled the walls, drawing his attention away from her lovely skin. "Not here, Victoria. Not like this. Not-"

"Yes here." Slim hands slid into his and she regarded him with a smoldering. "It couldn't be any more perfect."

He regarded her with a curious, incredulous look but she placed a silencing finger across his lips before he could speak. "Love me, Diego. Please-" The mere sound of her plea cemented his decision. He couldn't bear it. Not after all the times he'd wanted to take her in his arms and love her all night long. In his guise as Zorro, he'd made many a hasty exit, and her seductive charms were usually the reason why.

"I do," he pulled her into his arms and kissed her soundly. "And I will. Forever." A tiny sliver of rational thought crept into the forefront of his mind and he needed to be doubly sure of her choice. "But the consequences-"

"Cease to be the perfect, proper caballero for tonight." She quipped, eyes dancing.

"I am far from perfect and proper, querida." He smiled wryly, glancing down at their state of undress and their close proximity. What they were about to do, pre-marriage, was not something any well-bread and well-learned caballero did to the woman he loved. It was looked on as a disgrace.

Lightning flashed across the sky and thunder rolled along the hills but once their lips met, the outside world was forgotten. Lost in the sensation of his hands sliding beneath her skirt, she whimpered against his lips. A tension was building, slow and steady, spiraling to whatever heights she could not even imagine. She'd never gotten this far with a man before. Not even Zorro. He was always - She chuckled to herself - the proper gentleman. When his fingers began to slowly caress the insides of her thighs, they fell open, allowing him full access to the wet folds hiding beneath the nest of dark hair. She gave a small start when a long, slim finger parted the wet folds and slipped between them. Her eyes flashed uncertainly to his. "Tell me now, querida, if you want me to st-"

"No." Came the breathless whisper and she silently cursed his restraint. His touch was maddening and she didn't understand how he could continue to doubt. Even as a long finger moved cautiously within her, her own hands slipped beneath the blanket to tentatively touch the part of him that she had felt swelling against her for the better part of the evening.

He shifted suddenly, and she pulled her hand away, thinking she'd done something wrong. But when he rolled her onto her back, the blanket fell away from his hips and she was greeted with a full view of his magnificent, well-sculpted body. How he'd hidden such a beautiful physique for so many years, she'd never guess. Her mind raced at the sight, but the thoughts were driven from her mind as his fingers brushed across that most sensitive spot.

When she realized his swift movement had not been because she'd dare touch him, she slowly slid her hand between them again and brushed her fingers down his rigid length, reveling in the velvet stiffness quivering beneath her touch. She was no innocent when it came to the differences between a man and a woman's body but this was certainly the first time she had touched a man in such an intimate manner. His sharp intake of breath startled her and she glanced uncertainly into his eyes. The passion she saw reflected in his crystal gaze encouraged her to slide her hand slowly down the rigid length, familiarizing herself with the delicious feel of him.

His heart was beating so fast he feared it would pump right through his chest. As her fingers, to be replaced by her hands, enfolded him, he sucked in a deep breath and rested his forehead against her neck. Composing himself took longer than he anticipated, but he recovered enough to slide the skirt off her legs. He draped one leg across his hips and flattened his hands against her backside, pulling her tightly against him. A small gasp escaped her lips as her hands were pinned between them and she reluctantly released him and rested her hands at the base of his neck, tugging at the dark hair at his nape.

His whole body was throbbing. Raw passion spilled over him like a tidal wave and he couldn't resist rolling her onto her back. Lowering himself between her legs, he glanced down to see his own passion reflected in her dark eyes. She was ready for this, and so was he. It had been too long. Too many wasted years. Her arms opened and he leaned into them, his hardness pressing against her. She shifted her hips as his hands slid beneath them. He tilted her hips so as to cause her the least pain possible but he knew it was inevitable. He ignored the nagging in the back of his mind, the gentleman arguing with the lover, who warned of dire consequences if he let himself get carried away with his passion. It was too late now. Neither one of them could stop their actions even if they wanted to. Passion and hunger drove them and when that moment came, she accommodated his length without hesitation. Eyes closed tightly, he froze above her, when she gasped at the painful intrusion. Even though his body screamed out at him to move, that famous restraint he'd frantically hung to was in near tattered shreds, but he clung to it as if to a lifeline.

"Querida?" He whispered, his voice cracking from the restraint.

"I'm fine," She answered, sliding a trembling hand along his jaw. "I know what is supposed to happen." Her eyes danced as she tugged his mouth to hers and kissed him deeply. Already the pain of his initial penetration was subsiding, to be replaced by a most frustrating pressure.

That was the only encouragement he needed and his body began to move, slowly, allowing her much smaller frame to become accustomed to the feel his painful intrusion.

He released her hips once they were joined and slid his hands to her cheeks, cupping them gently. When she tilted her hips, causing him to slide deeper, he muffled a groan into her lips. He could feel her smile and he pulled away, staring down into her bright eyes.

When bent down to take her lips in a gentle kiss, she arched her hips against his, longing for more. She knew there was more. Her body began to tense now with each smooth thrust and burned with each long stroke. She could feel every inch of him moving within her and she bit her lip against the overwhelming surge of desire. Tears slipped down the corner of her eyes and she tugged at his dark hair, trying in vain to draw him closer. He was already as close as he could possibly be! He murmured into her ear as he nuzzled the soft skin of her neck and she tightened her arms around his shoulders, her legs around his hips. Soon they found a rhythm and matched one another stroke for overwhelmingly pleasurable stroke.

Firelight danced over their entwined bodies and embers crackled and popped. The rain pelted the walls and the wind howled through the multitude of cracks. But nothing could completely drown out the sound of their loving.

The knot within her stretched tight and she heaved a huge, strained breath. With one final, incredibly passionate kiss, it snapped and she felt herself falling. She would have screamed aloud her pleasure had his lips not closed over hers at the moment of her release. She clutched at him, scratching her nails down his back.

Pleasure, mingled with the sensation of her nails digging into his skin, caused an explosion of desire to within him. He groaned against her mouth as her body instinctively tightened and released his throbbing length, driving him to thrust one final time against her before finding his own release. Well-muscled arms kept the majority of his weight off her but she wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him tight. It took several minutes of panting, of labored breathing, before their bodies began to relax and the trembling began to subside.

She whimpered as he rolled onto his back, both from the loss of their intimate contact and the warmth his body atop hers had created. But he quickly gathered her in his arms and held her close, staring at the flames flickering brightly in the fireplace. Then he was immediately lost in thought, contemplating what they'd just done . When she glanced up at his face, she suddenly feared that he had regretted his actions.

"Diego." She dragged her nails lightly down his damp chest.

"Hmm?" he smiled down at her, eyes full of adoration and love.

"Do you regret it?"

He smiled warmly and tilted his head to brush his lips against hers. "Not one moment, querida."

She released a deep breath and snuggled against his chest, relieved that he had no regrets. He pulled her leg over his and absently began tracing gentle circles along the soft skin of her thigh. After too long she was fast asleep and he smiled warmly when he noticed her steady breathing. It didn't take him long to follow her into an exhausted slumber.

Consciousness came far too early, even for Victoria. The sun had not even risen yet and the storm still raged outside. She whimpered softly and stretched sore muscles before snuggling closer to her solid… pillow? Her eyes snapped open. The 'pillow' beneath her head was breathing. In the waning light of the fire, she stared at her sleeping childhood friend. Images of last night raced through her mind and she smiled mischievously allowing her hand to slide down his chest. He must be somewhat awake because -

Before she could reach below his waist, his hand came down on hers and brought it gently to his lips. "Good morning." Came the husky, sleep-filled voice.

"That it is," She lifted her head and was pleased when he tilted his to meet her lips.

He chuckled a moment before realizing that it wasn't even close to sun-up. "What an odd feeling." He regarded her with a curious stare. "I'm usually just going to bed about now."

She slid her hand behind his neck and absently began to twirl thin strands of his silky dark hair around her fingers. His eyes darkened with growing passion and she was thrilled that her simplest touch could bring about such a reaction.

"We can do that." She said pointedly, hoping to coax him into loving her again. "My bed is right upstairs."

"Oh, yes. I know." He regarded her with a knowing, secret smile before pressing a brief kiss to her upturned lips.

Victoria responded quickly, stretching her body across his and deepening the kiss. She knew what she wanted. And she knew how to use her body against him. He wouldn't be able to resist. Not after last night. But by his eager response to her kiss, she didn't think she'd have a difficult time getting him to acquiesce to her …request.

"Victoria, it will be light in a few hours." He absently rubbed along the small of her back.

"Yes it will." She nuzzled his neck. Placed tiny, feather-light kisses along his jaw.

"We will need to assess the damage to your storeroom." His eyes rolled into the back of his head when small fingers circled his rising manhood.

"Yes we will." Tentatively, her fingers brushed along the length of him, causing his body to tremble from the contact.

He knew she was not at all interested in what he was saying, but he felt he needed to at least try. Some sense of propriety still ran in his blood, even after the evening's earlier events.

"Victoria-" he gasped when her fingers curled around him and stroked from base to tip. He wasn't going to be able to keep his train of thought much longer.

"Yes?" She smiled up at him with innocent eyes.

"You don't want to discuss this right now, do you?" His eyes danced and his arms came around her shoulders.

"Not particularly."

She gasped when he scooped her into his arms, the blankets surrounding them falling into a heap at their feet. He carried her to the stairs and pressed a kiss to her still parted lips. "This time you shall have a bed, then."

She wrapped her arms around his neck as he took the stairs two at a time. "It doesn't matter as long as I am with you."

"It matters to me." He opened the door to her room and squinted, looking for a candle, something to add a little light.

"We don't need any light." She anticipated his question before he had a chance to voice it. "Just feel your way around my body," She whispered hotly into his ear and was rewarded with a sharp intake of breath. As an afterthought, she whispered, "You've been in here enough times."

"With pleasure," He whispered and slowly crept toward where he thought the bed lay. When his legs encountered the hard frame, he bent to place her atop the covers. She shivered from the contact her bare body made with the cold blanket but that feeling was quickly smothered as he lay down next to her and half-covered her body with his own.

She draped a leg over his bare thigh and pulled him into her arms. Her bed was not that large and it would be amusing to see how they accomplished such an act on the small mattress. As if sensing her thought, he whispered against her lips. "We'll manage."

"Yes, we will." She breathed. A small tremor of delight rushed through her body when he lifted her off the bed to straddle his hips. She could feel his arousal behind her and longed to touch it again.

"Ah," his hands cupped her breasts, thumbs gently rolling across the firm nipples. "Better."

She wasn't sure what to do next but the intense heat rising in her groin, and the throbbing of his length behind her caused her to tremble with desire. She closed her eyes tight and arched her neck, simply enjoying the feel of his caress.

After a few moments, he caught her in his arms and sat up, pressing her breasts against his chest. When his lips came down on hers, she slipped her hand between them and grasped him. His sudden gasp delighted her and she squeezed gently. He lifted her so that she could guide him, control the deepness of his penetration. It was a heady feeling, this control she suddenly held over him. She could feel his restraint, could feel his body trembling with anticipation.

As she settled her hips against his, she took him in one smooth, if not a little painful, stroke. She closed her eyes against the momentary pain but all too quickly it was replaced by that powerful, and quickly rising tension she had remembered from their first time. He held her tightly against his chest and pressed kisses to her hair and forehead before tilting her head to place a deep kiss to her swollen lips.

Instinctively, she began to move, rolling her hips against him. The pressure built slowly, with each deliberate movement. Delighted at his reaction to this change of position, she wove her fingers into his hair and tugged, drawing another groan from deep within his chest.

"I love you," He murmured against her neck and she squeezed her eyes tight to keep the tears from dripping onto his heated skin. Those three words she had waited so long to hear from the man behind Zorro's mask. That she was hearing them now, in the heat of passion, and from her most trusted childhood friend, caused her heart to swell with such delight. She had even wondered herself if she would want to hear them from the man when she finally knew the truth.

"I love you, my precious Diego," She responded, drawing his lips back to hers and arching her hips sharply.

As inexperienced as she was, her body knew what it wanted. They moved together as one, murmuring, kissing, stroking, until the fire burning within them became near unbearable. She cried out this time as the tight coil wrapped around her body snapped. Her insides constricted around his intrusive thrusting and she trembled violently. She felt herself falling but was caught and enveloped tightly in Diego's strong arms. She could feel him pulse within her and she rolled her hips, delightfully drawing a long, low groan from his lips. Exhausted, she leaned over him and urged him over her, knowing, somehow, that he had not yet found his own release.

She could see his eyes even in the darkness, could see the passion radiating within them. He gently rolled her onto her back and settled between her thighs, all the while not breaking their intimate connection. She gripped his hair as he resumed his gentle, long, slow strokes. His hands brushed across her already sensitive nipples and down to her hips where he gripped them tightly. She pressed a long, lingering kiss to his chest as he leaned over her, tilting her hips up sharply to meet his demanding thrusts.

A few moments later, her body tensed and she shivered, feeling that tension building with each passing minute. She clutched at him, nails digging unconsciously into his back. When he groaned loudly against her neck , his whole body trembled violently. She could feel his arms shake, feel the warmth of his release as his thrusts slowed but did not cease. He circled his hips against her and her eyes widened as a whole new sensation sliced through her body. She bit her lip and clutched him tightly, murmuring in his ear. Soon, she was falling again as another powerful release wracked her body. They clutched one another closely as their bodies ceased trembling, as their breathing returned to normal.

"I hope this feeling never ends." She whispered after he'd settled her against his chest.

"Hmm?" he murmured sleepily.

"This passion. This fire."

"We waited a long time for this moment." He said softly, curling a strand of her hair around his finger before bringing her lips to his. "Only your cool, sweet lips will ever quench my burning desire."

TBC