I hope this chapter gives everyone warm fuzzies.

Enjoy.

BEYOND THE SHADOWS

CHAPTER 16

Later that morning, around the breakfast table, Erik decided to bring up the informative email he had received. He chose to disregard what he had heard Christine say last night; choosing, instead, to believe that she had not known what she was saying.

"Guess who I received an email from?" He asked.

Rachel looked at him with raised brows, "Who?"

Erik looked around the room and saw that everyone, including Christine, seemed anxious to know the identity of the mysterious "email" perpetrator.

"Lana."

All eyes flashed red in anger, including Christine's…but Erik could have sworn he also saw a hint of green jealousy. He brushed it off and continued.

"She is to be married to Stuart Radcliff on April 9, in Georgia." He stated without emotion, "She was writing to invite me and a guest."

Rachel and Rebekah both spoke at the same time, "Whom do you wish to take?"

Erik buckled his brow and scoffed at them, "I'm not going…she is only inviting me so that she can mock my hopeless state of bachelorism and have her friends and family gawk at me."

Christine heard the fury that laced each word; he had truly gotten over Ms. Simmons…a fact that made Christine very happy.

Christine defiantly stood up and announced, "Erik, I want you to go and prove to that dimwitted witch that you are not pining away for her and that you do, indeed, have a woman in your life."

He smirked at her insistent tone, "And how, Ms. Daae, do you intend for me to do that?"

She dropped her eyes and smiled impishly, "By taking me."

Erik stammered for a couple of seconds before finally finding his voice, "I could not ask that of you."

"You didn't ask, I volunteered." She pointed out.

Erik's features relaxed and he allowed himself to smile.

"Christine, I appreciate what you are trying to do, but we're not in a relationship…you don't have to pretend…"

Christine placed her hands on her hips, dropped her chin, and looked at him from beneath her lashes, "Erik St. Clair…you are, beyond a doubt, the most bull-headed, stubborn man I have ever had the privilege of knowing."

She strode over to his stunned, amused side, reached her hand out, and stood there, waiting for him to respond by taking her hand.

For the sake of curiosity, Erik took her hand and allowed her to escort him out of the room, through the rear foyer, down the portico stairway, and over to the large, ornately carved, wooden swing that rested beneath a gazebo canopy in the middle of the garden.

They were out of eyesight from the house and Christine knew that Rebekah, Rachel, and Nadeesh would leave them alone. Sachin would stay where his mother and father told him to stay. She had Erik all to herself.

She indicated for him to sit down and then she took a seat next to him. She scooted as close to him as she could, leaving Erik no room to avoid her.

Erik instinctively put his arm around her shoulders as she leaned into his warm, hard, body.

She looked up at him, realizing that he was nervous about being so close to her. She put her hand on his thigh and felt him immediately try to move away.

"You stay right where you are, mister…there are some things you need to hear." She stated with a stern look in her eye but a teasing smile on her face.

"Christine, there are some things I need to tell you, too." Erik murmured; allowing himself to relax under the pressure of her hand.

She looked at him, but did not speak. She smiled warmly, assuring him of her undivided attention.

"You first." She said.

Erik was thankful for the opportunity to tell Christine what he had been hesitant to tell her. He looked down at the small, dainty hand upon his thigh and sighed, hoping she would understand why he had deceived her.

"I told you that I wanted to be found by you; and you only." He paused as she shook her head in agreement. "What I didn't tell you, was why I wanted to be found."

Christine remained by his side and nestled in the crook of his arm, listening intently to what he had to say.

"After I turned eighteen, and established a home for the girls, I started the search for my mother. I really didn't know if she was alive, but I had to find out. My memories weren't very defined, I was barely six when she left…but I was determined.

"I used every resource available to me to search for her. Throughout the next seven years, the search consumed me; as did architecture and music. I sold several designs, and made a seven figure a year income, from my building designs, alone.

"I was finally able to get a few leads on her whereabouts and two years later, I had located her. She had remarried, which explained why I could not find her under the name by which I knew her. I stayed away, assuming she had started a new family and had other children, perfect children, that made her life complete.

"By this time, I was a billionaire and had shut myself off from the world, but her ghostly presence in my life haunted me. I knew that I would not be able to have a fulfilling life if I did not contact her, but I knew that I could not just drop into her life and cause upheaval, I knew she had to find out about me gradually.

"The magazine presented the perfect outlet for my story, which would reveal to her my true identity. People who are loyal to me started the rumors and passed quiet hints around until they reached Abigail's ears and she did what she does best. It didn't take much prodding on my part for her to hire you. You are one of the two journalists I respect the most."

He seemed hesitant to go on, but if there was any chance that she would want to further their relationship, then he would have to continue; regardless of the pounding of his heart.

"There's more…" he sighed, "…St. Clair is not my real surname."

Christine regarded him with amused eyes; this, she had not anticipated.

"What do you mean it's not your real surname?" She asked.

Erik shrugged his shoulders and told her, "After I ran away from home and started living on my own, I could not bare to be associated with my father in any way…so, after I turned eighteen, I applied to legally have my name changed to St. Clair, and the girls, too."

Christine lifted her brows and pursed her lips; she really couldn't blame him for not wanting to remember anything about his father.

"So, what was your birth name?" She asked.

"Erik James Lamour." He finally stated.

Erik paused a moment and looked into her midnight blue eyes; he said a quick prayer that the next words he had to tell her would not send her packing.

He turned his eyes from her, reached up, and tentatively removed his mask, setting it on the gazebo floor. He did not move; staring downward with his scarred face out of her sight.

The beautiful, seductive strain of his voice reached her ears although his eyes remained fixed on the floor.

"I can't do this anymore, Christine." He breathed. "I can't fight these feelings anymore…I've tried…" He finally turned to look at her and she smiled through her tears, "…believe me, I've tried."

Christine reached up and took his face in her hands as his cleansing tears caressed their soft surface. She leaned in and placed her forehead against his as he quietly spilled his heart out before her.

"I have fallen so deeply in love with you…and the power that love has over me terrifies me." He cried. "I sit before you now, completely void of any masks – seen or unseen."

He lifted his stormy eyes to her and trembled from the magnitude of his confession, "This is what I am, Christine…a broken, scarred, wounded man…" he searched her face, not sure of her response, "…but more than that, I am the man who loves you."

Christine did not pull away from him, did not move her eyes from his face, nor did she take her hands from his face; she allowed a moment of complete silence as she thanked God for giving Erik the courage to face and admit his true feelings.

"I love you, too." She whispered, after a few moments. "I knew perfectly well what I was saying last night, Erik."

She smiled as he began to relax, sensing that she was not going to go anywhere.

"I have loved you since the moment I heard your voice over the intercom." She admitted, knowing it was the truth, "Everything after that had been icing on the cake."

They sat quietly for few minutes, relishing each other's company. Finally, Christine lifted her eyes to his and smiled broadly, "Now, I suggest we get this article written and published so you can finally be with your mother.

"I've already compiled the facts into literary form and Meg can put the finishing touch on it, we can go to Lana's wedding in Georgia and then go to New York and present the article to Abigail." Christine furrowed her brow before continuing; "This article is not due out until next year…" she began.

Erik gently silenced her with a finger to her lips, "The date of the article does not matter…trust me."

Christine felt the energy coursing between them and knew the moment had come. They had both exposed their true feelings and it was time to move forward. She teasingly brushed her tongue across the tip of his finger.

The sensation caused Erik to jerk his hand away and examine his finger, wondering why he suddenly had the urge to have her suck his finger into her warm mouth.

She dropped her lashes seductively and moistened her lips; she fixed her eyes on his sensual mouth and leaned into him; she only hoped he would take the hint.

Erik was following the instinct within him. He knew what she expected, but he had never kissed a woman before.

He bent his head forward, to the side, and leaned slightly toward her. His hand came up and cradled her cheek in his palm and then slid down and wrapped tenderly around the back of her neck. His thumb caressed the sensitive spot right below her ear.

"Don't hurt me, Christine." He whispered, just centimeters from her mouth. "I couldn't bear it."

She felt tears approaching and caressed his beautiful features with her watery eyes, "I would never hurt you, Erik…trust me…please."

He tenderly nuzzled her nose with his, sensually rubbing against her in a flirtatious fashion. "God help me, but I do trust you." He breathed.

With those words, his heart was hers, and she knew it. She gingerly touched her lips to his, testing him with the brief encounter. She opened her eyes and saw that his were closed, anticipating her next touch.

Christine lovingly reached up and caressed the marred side of his face; he flinched, and opened his eyes, but he let her continue. His eyes slowly closed at the strange sensation of having her hands on his grotesque cheek. The flesh was so sensitive.

"Kiss me, Erik."

His inimitable eyes opened and Christine saw his love for her glowing within them. She placed her other hand tenderly on his perfect cheek and smiled as he moved to claim her mouth.

"I thought you would never ask." He jested, with a seductive grin.

He touched his lips to hers and immediately felt a burst of electric energy go through him. He moved over her mouth with exploratory expertise, feeling the softness of her beneath his lips. He felt her hand slide around and tenderly play with the hair at the nape of his neck.

Her lips parted slightly and she pulled on his bottom lip, causing him to groan into her mouth. She moved her lips around the outline of his mouth, placing tiny, tender kisses over each spot she could touch. He tasted divine.

She worked her way around his mouth and then reached the corner; as she began to suckle on his bottom lip, Erik timidly touched his tongue to her moist, soft lips.

Christine moaned and opened to him, presenting her warm mouth for his passionate probing. He moved his tongue over her tongue with proficiency he did not know he possessed. She felt velvety soft and tasted sweet as honey as Erik thrust into her mouth with long, flowing strokes.

She unknowingly moved her hand to his chest and rested it possessively against him. Her hand moved from his chest to settle on his neck as she pulled him into her for a deeper taste.

"Where did you learn to kiss like this?" She breathed as he continued to kiss her neck and run his tongue along the erogenous area of her ear. He sucked on the lobe with tender pressure, causing her to moan with pleasure.

She moved into his lap and immediately meant with the distinct rigidness of his arousal. She smiled, knowing that she was the cause of his excitement. It was a power rush to her, knowing that she affected this potent, passionate man so immensely.

"I'm a fast learner." He groaned, as he fought the pull of his burgeoning erection.

She leaned back in his arms as he once again claimed her mouth with his. He pulled up and sucked her bottom lip into his mouth, nibbling on its swollen flesh, causing ripples of desire to run through Christine.

His left hand rested just beneath the swell of her breast; his thumb massaged tiny circles on her rib cage. Her nipples were erect and throbbing with the need that she had ignored for so long, wanting him to work his magic on them; but Erik, although very much aware of the outline of her hardened peaks against her blouse, did not push his luck.

He managed to pull away, placing his forehead against hers and breathing heavily. "Can I do that any time I want to…it felt so good?"

"Please do." She breathed, and he took her mouth again.

TBC