A/N: Herein earns the M Rating.

In Passion

The kiss was a tempest…and Christine a temptress. This woman who had trembled in fear of the Phantom now trembled in passion, her body pressed against Erik's so closely that it seemed she was a part of him. Of course she was a part of him, had not she always been such?

She was his soul.

His hands traveled possessively along the curve her spine, pressing at the small of her back and pulling her hips closer still. Christine shuddered at the contact, feeling the unmistakable proof of Erik's desire. It frightened her a little, more so in the fact that it didn't frighten her nearly enough. The feelings spiraling through her burned away her fear and she longed for more.

Her hands found their way under his cloak and fisted against the material of his loose fitting shirt. The heat of Erik's body seeped into her blood, and she shifted against him, seeking to increase the sensation blossoming deep in her belly.

A groan escaped from deep in his chest as he set her away. "Christine! We must stop this…before we cannot."

Christine tried to focus through the haze of sensual pleasure as she looked into Erik's tortured blue -green eyes. Stop? The word seemed suddenly foreign to her. Her mind screamed at her to listen to him. Oh, but her body…her heart…her very soul begged for something entirely different, and it was that which her voice chose to obey.

"I do not wish to stop, Erik."

He recoiled from her in shock, dangerously close to letting his demon loose to take her. "Do you even know what you are saying? Such an act can never be undone, Christine."

Christine studied his face, one side so beautiful, the other side ravaged...condemning him to a life she could not even begin to comprehend. She lifted her hand to his marred cheek, gently tracing her fingers over the ridges of skin. Perhaps if it was merely desire she felt for him, fear would once again send her running from this moment, but the past weeks had taught her what longing truly was, and her soul ached for completion now. She met Erik's eyes with determination. "I know. I give myself to you freely."

His eyes sparked, hot and dangerous again, and Christine caught her breath. His mouth was over hers in a heartbeat, and he pulled her back into her arms once again. A tremor raced through her at the certainty that Erik would finally take complete possession.

And she wanted him to.

Erik lifted Christine against him, carrying her towards the bed. Heedless of the missing bedclothes, Erik sat her down upon the edge of the mattress, kneeling in front of her. His hands trembled as he reached up to caress the curls of her hair and he studied her carefully, his face awash with desire. He whispered raggedly, "Are you certain?"

Christine drew a nervous breath, leaning down towards him so she could whisper her answer against his lips. "Yes, Erik." Then she kissed him again, tracing her curious hands over his broad chest and feeling the muscles contract under her touch.

A shudder racked his body, and he stood suddenly, gripping Christine at her elbows and pulling her up with him. His lips left hers only to begin a slow journey over her cheek, across her jaw and to her throat. Christine's head fell back, a moan escaping her, and she felt him smile against her skin.

Suddenly, she felt impatient to touch him. She tangled her fingers into his hair and pulled his head up, pressing an urgent kiss to his mouth, as her hands moved to untie his cloak. When he was free of that, she began working open the fastenings of his shirt, kissing his chin, his throat, and finally pressing her lips to his chest just over his racing heart.

"Oh, Christine…mon ange…this must be a dream…"

Christine drew back far enough to look into his eyes. "If it is, then it is a dream we have both shared."

Their eyes caught and held, intensifying the connection between them. Christine's hands slipped beneath the edges of Erik's shirt and gently slid the silk from his shoulders, leaving him bare-chested. Christine tore her eyes away from Erik's intense gaze only to travel down to the flesh she had exposed. She gasped at the sight of the pale scars that crisscrossed over his powerful form. Reaching out a trembling hand, she traced one jagged line that stretched over his shoulder to his back.

Christine squeezed her eyes shut tightly, as if by doing so she could will away all of the suffering that he had endured. "Oh, Erik..."

When her dark eyes opened again, they were glistening with moisture. She leaned forward and deliberately placed a tender kiss to the raised flesh. The action was Erik's undoing, and he reached for her again in desperation, tipping her face back up and capturing her mouth. His usually deft fingers trembled violently as he began to clumsily work open the buttons of her dress.

Christine felt a tremor of anxiety pass through her, but it was not enough to douse her desire, and her own hands moved to aid him in his task. Erik pulled back slightly and watched the color rise on Christine's already flushed face as she finished opening her dress and pulled it from her shoulders to let in pool at her feet.

She stood before him in her corset and under-things, her chest rising and falling enticingly with each heavy breath she drew, and her eyes dark with passion.

"Christine..." Her name falling in a whisper from his lips sent another jolt of sweet longing through her.

"You…you will have to unlace my corset, Erik." His beautiful eyes fell closed a moment, his very being seemingly awash in silent prayer. He drew a heavy breath, then opened his eyes and placed one kiss to her shoulder before slowly turning her away from him. Christine felt him tugging at the laces of her corset, heard his barely audible groan of frustration before the wretched garment finally gave way and fell loose to the floor.

Christine caught her breath as Erik suddenly dragged her back against him, wrapping his arms around her from behind and pressing his mouth to her throat. Her head tipped back and to the side to grant him better access, and one arm snaked up to tangle in his hair. Her breath began to come in little gasps as his hands grew bolder, more certain, touching her as he had as the night of their performance.

As he had in her dreams.

"Erik…please…" She knew not what she begged for, only that she never wanted him to stop touching her. He spun her back around to face him, his lips catching hers again as he lifted her into his arms and laid her down upon the bed.

He paused over her, his eyes clouded with sudden doubt, but Christine reached toward him, dragging him down with her. Erik hissed out a breath, his hands shaking again as he touched her, slipping under the fabric of her chemise to caress her skin. Christine moaned and pressed herself against him.

"Oh, Christine…Christine…" He murmured her name like a mantra, slowly peeling away the last of her modesty, laying her bare. Her heart was pounding in a strange mix of desire, excitement and fear. Every sensation felt magnified as he stroked trembling hands so gently over her body. "My angel, Christine. You are so beautiful to behold."

His gentle seduction enflamed her beyond reason, and she longed to explore him as he was exploring her. Her curious fingers danced across his chest and over his belly, drifting lower until they wrested with the fabric of his trousers. His body jerked violently away from hers as he caught her hands in his. Christine turned worried eyes to his, fearing she had done something wrong. "Erik?"

He shook his head, his jaw clenched and his breathing erratic. His words were low and full of sweet agony. "It is too much, Christine. Your touch will be the end of me."

"Then touch me, Erik…please…"

A shudder passed over him again, and he kissed her deeply. He could no longer keep his demon in check. He tore himself away from Christine only long enough to carelessly finish the task she had started by shedding the last stitches of his clothes. He saw Christine's eyes widened, heard her tiny gasp, and felt himself teetering on the edge of madness. He wanted nothing more than to possess her.

He came back to her without restraint, kissing her again, moving over her. Her nails bit into his shoulders and her body suddenly grew tense, but she did not try to push him away, nor beg him to stop. It was this acceptance of him that stilled his actions again, and he lifted his tormented eyes to wordlessly seek her consent once again.

At his unspoken question, Christine felt her fear drain away. Her body craved to be one with him, as her soul already was. She wound her arms around his shoulders and opened herself to him, whispering, "I want you with me, Erik...within me." Strange, such words did not shame her, but the need he had aroused in her would not be silent. She had come here tonight for this…to finally be complete.

Erik's eyes darkened at her request, his entire body trembling now with need. "Oh, Christine. I am yours." And then the last barrier between them was removed. Christine felt the brief stab of pain and she cried out. Erik shuddered against her, his voice breaking on a sob. "Forgive me, mon ange…forgive me…"

He began to pull away from her, but Christine held him fast, the moment of pain was quickly replaced with a feeling of fullness so exquisite she could not bear to lose it. She whispered to him the words of her countless dreams. "Don't leave me, angel."

Erik was helpless to resist her, and he thrust forward, joining their bodies more deeply. Christine gasped in pleasure, pulling him closer. They moved together in wondrous discovery, losing themselves to the sweet music of their passion until they were far past the point of no return.

And they found a heaven of their own making.

A/N: Okay...I tried to keep this chapter away from the smuttier end of the spectrum. Erik is still too tormented to be a perfect gentleman, and Christine is just thinking in the moment at this point. (Sexy Phantom dreams will do that to a girl.) They are both very much in the want…take…have frame of mind. (Yes, I used to watch to much Buffy the Vampire Slayer.) Hope I didn't disappoint too badly.