Warning: this chapter gets R-rated; for those who would rather bypass this section, there will be a marker. It goes until the end of the chapter.

Chapter 8: Lust

Beau and Edythe lay quietly in the meadow for a long time after Beau's proclamation. Edythe was deep in thought, and Beau did not want to rouse her, giving her the time she needed to sort through the chaos that was no doubt in her head. She lay with her head against his shoulder, her eyes far away as the ideas swirled around in her head; she eventually sighed, trying to shake them from her mind. She knew there would be no progression until her family had made their decision, and she wouldn't know that for at least a little while. She decided to concentrate on something else.

Edythe turned her head, her lips grazing across Beau's shoulder, moving up toward his neck, up his jaw and to his lips. Beau kissed her back lightly, though allowing himself the freedom to press against her a little more. He knew there was no fear of her thirst overpowering her, but she was still getting a grip on her humanity.

Edythe appreciated the gesture, the familiar feeling of Beau's lips against her churning up the familiar impulses that she had always felt when she touched or kiss him. Though the bloodlust was gone, the equally strong urge for his body was ever present. She was surprised by the strength; she had always wondered how much one urge affected the other, and how dependent the two were intertwined. She found they had been equally separate but just as powerful and, unlike before, she did not have the willpower to hold back, released from the stiffening fear of hurting Beau with her supernatural strength.

Edythe pressed her lips and body against him harder, her tongue pushing against his teeth, fighting for entrance. Beau allowed it, his own groan barely contained as they kissed. His own urges were as strong as ever, though not quite adequately restrained, knowing the Edythe's fear for hurting him and her resulting caution that had always kept them both in check, was gone. Though every fiber of his being was urging him on, he put on the brakes, pulling away from her mouth to kiss along her exposed shoulder. Edythe let him, though reluctantly, and grazed her nose against his clavicle.

"I don't think that would be the best idea," Beau whispered against her skin; she shivered.

"Why not?" Edythe asked, sounding innocent enough, though her voice hinted at the passion that was raging through her body. She pressed herself harder to him and they both felt the excitement in each other.

"I can't really think of a reason at the moment, but there definitely is at least one," Beau said, his jaw tight. Edythe let out a little aggravated groan; her body was screaming at her, just as she knew Beau's was. The lust was rippling through her, and she felt her resolve crumbling; for all the years she had resisted blood, as a human she couldn't imagine resisting Beau. Again, she moved her lips from his shoulder to his earlobe and back, then crossed the point of his collarbone to the center of his chest. Beau's eyes were on her, his mind unable to concentrate on anything other than her lips.

Edythe pushed him on his back and she climbed on top of him, continuing her line of kisses back and forth across his shoulders and chest, just above the top neck of his T-shirt. He whispered her name softly, his own willpower beginning to dissolve. Edythe dragged the hem of his shirt up and he removed it for her, shivering under her warm touch as her lips grazed the expanse of his chest, reveling in the tightness of his pectoral and abdominal muscles.

Beau was slightly glassy-eyed, focused on Edythe, his eyes glued to her body. She caught the look and worked without hesitation to give him what he wanted. She pulled the tank top over her head, revealing the simple white brassiere underneath. She thought she would be shy and self-conscious under Beau's gaze, but she felt no hesitation as his eyes and then hands roamed her body, running across her collarbones, down her sides, across her flat stomach and settling on her hips. She ducked back down, continuing the ministrations as his hands roamed over her. Neither of them spoke, not feeling the need to as their minds seemed to know exactly what the other wanted, try as they might to ignore their instincts.

But, as Edythe paused just above Beau's belt line, he felt surprised as she went to unbuckle his pants. His hands caught hers before he wrapped one arm around her waist, hoisting her back up to his face. She could see the question and confusion in his eyes, but also the desire.

"Edythe…," he began, pulling them both up into a sitting position, her in his lap.

"Are you sure about this?" he asked. Edythe smiled slightly, relaxing against him as he gently held her still. He was trying hard not to let her advances get to him, and the love she felt for him surged around her even more. Beau was inherently and unwaveringly good; even as he had her practically climbing all over him, he did not allow his own desires to come before her. She reached out and lay the palm of her hand against his cheek, kissing him sweetly before responding.

"Yes, I am sure," she assured him. He didn't looked convinced, believing her advances the result of instinctual lust borne from the human hormones she had not completely battled.

"I love you," she continued, "Despite everything that has happened, despite all the chaotic emotions I've felt, I know this to be the one thing about me that hasn't changed, and it may even be truer now than before. I love you, Beau, and I want to love all of you. I want us to be in love as we never could before.

"Those boundaries are gone; there is no danger, no fear. And I don't want to wait; such social constructs mean nothing. My love for you and yours for mine is so much stronger, so much better than that. And I want to love you; I want to be your one and only." She pressed her mouth to his once more, her own lust apparent. Beau worked to restrain her, and himself, still not completely convinced.

"I just don't want you to wake up tomorrow morning with regrets."

Edythe opened her heavily lidded eyes to look at him. His eyes, though still the warm blue they always were, were filled with just as much desire as she felt. She saw how much control he was exhibiting to hold himself back, to not just let his body do what it wanted, like she was. Despite the near century of practice of holding back her bloodlust and the months of careful bridled control over her desire of his blood and body, she was incapable of surmounting the latter now that she no longer felt the former. She knew she wanted him, and that the time she became his did not need to be any longer than it already was; they had already been through so much, loved each other through so much. She pressed another delicate kiss to his lips.

"I could never regret you," she answered before silencing him with a deeper kiss.

Mature section begins below this marker.

They fell into step, Edythe pulling Beau on top of her so she could run her hands down his abdominal muscles while he kissed the skin on her neck. He held his weight on his hands as his mouth ran over her velvety skin, pausing to suck at the hollow of her neck, marking her. Their breathing was labored, their bodies twisted over each other as their tongues fought for dominance.

Beau gave in, kissing her passionately as his own fingers wandered across her body, down her stomach, cupping her legging-clad thigh to wrap it around his waist. Her breathing hitched and her fingers went to his jeans, beginning to unbutton them herself. Beau helped her, removing one of his hands from her skin to pull his jeans and boxers off, kicking his shoes off as well. He knelt naked over her and her eyes raked over his form. Though he was tall and nowhere near the stature of a bodybuilder, his chest and torso were tightly muscled, his biceps coiled as he held himself over her. Of her own accord, she ran her hands over his flaming skin, taking him in.

Likewise, Beau was kissing Edythe's neck, the hollow behind her ear, traveling down across her collarbone until reaching the swell above her breasts. His eyes went to hers in askance and she arched her back up from the blanket, allowing him access. Gently, he undid the clasp of her bra and it fell away, Edythe pulling the straps off her shoulders and tossing it behind him. The creamy flush of her skin made her radiant and Beau could only stare in awe. Edythe smiled demurely, lifting her head to press his mouth to hers once more. He responded in kind, his hands wandering farther down. Their hips grinded against each other unconsciously, both eager for each other and Beau fed off that feeling. Edythe lifted her hips up, shimmying out of her leggings and pulling her panties down to her ankles before sliding them off completely.

Beau understood her desire for him to derobe, as he felt the same, looking at her body in a way no man ever had before. He grazed along her flat stomach, her breasts, her thighs. Her body was so soft and felt so fragile, but as Edythe's eagerness overpowered her and she locked herself to him, he could still feel how solid she was. The two continued their passion, hands wandering over each other's bodies while their lips stayed put. The feel of Edythe's skin against every inch of Beau's was like fire, tingling down his body in a very pleasant way. One of his hands went to her left breast while the other traced along her hip. The electricity sparked wildly between them, begging to be indulged.

Unconsciously, Edythe's legs parted, Beau's hips nestling between them. The heat was building and Edythe moaned Beau's name; her request was clear to him. His fingers moved from her breast downwards to the softest flesh he had ever felt. Her folds were velvet, delicate, and dripping wet. Regardless, he began to stroke her, gently at first but growing firmer as he got more sure of himself, driven by Edythe's sounds of pleasure. Though his body instinctually urged him forward, his concern for the girl underneath him overrode his desires; he would make this as pleasurable as possible for her.

Edythe was trembling, her body curling and twisting under him as she was overcome with the feeling Beau's fingers brought on her. His thumb found her clit and the emphatic whimpers bursting from her lips clued him into what to do. Her nails digging into Beau's bicep and her breathing labored, she sucked on his bottom lip, earning a few guttural groans from Beau himself. It did not take long for his fingers to be drenched; he then pulled away.

Edythe calmed slightly as he stopped his ravishing on her body, noticing the glint of determination in his eyes. He shifted his weight to his right hand, holding himself over her so she felt none of his weight, and lined himself up with her entrance, his eyes never leaving hers.

Edythe's body stilled, one hand holding onto Beau's forearm and the other pressed against his ribcage as she braced herself. He then slipped an arm underneath her back, holding her tenderly, and she took a deep breath. Carefully, he pressed inside her with a single, smooth stroke, filling her to her barrier.

She tightened around him instantly, and he couldn't help the groan that escaped his mouth as her internal muscles gripped him tightly. Edythe's face was twisted with discomfort at the sudden sharp pain, a small sound escaping her clenched lips and her brow furrowing. It was an invasion that, though expected, felt foreign and something she had not been prepared for. Beau transferred his weight to his forearm with one hand as he brushed the hair from her face with the other, caressing her cheek soothingly as she adjusted to the feeling.

"Breathe," he murmured, "Just breathe." He kept himself still, despite his primal desire to push on; the coherent part of his brain saw Edythe's discomfort and brought it to the forefront, refusing to allow him to hurt her any more than he already had. His heart ached at having to cause her this pain, and he pressed his forehead to the top of her head, kissing her hair tenderly, keeping his caresses light and gentle.

He didn't want her to feel afraid or unsafe, and slowing the motions, easing her into it, had worked up until this point. Edythe recognized his gentleness and was grateful for it, and she forced a deep, steadying breath. Beau's lips pressed delicately against her forehead as she took deliberate breaths, her body eventually relaxing as the pain ebbed. She inadvertently spread her legs more, opening her hips to him. Gradually, Beau pressed further and he groaned as her insides gripped him firmly, cradling him inside her so completely that his breathing hitched.

Beau's movement inside her caused a rush of pleasure for Edythe; though the feeling was strange, a fullness she had never felt before, it felt right, a buried instinctual desire that was finally being met. Beau felt the same feelings, the ecstasy of being completely one with her, to be together in a way that they never had before, and probably never could have been had they never been the same species. None of those barriers impeded them now, and he responded to the freedom. He began to move, rocking his hips back and forth, starting off slowly.

Beau inhaled sharply, taking aback by the feeling that came with the movement, the pleasure from being inside her. Edythe moaned from the warm feeling it caused her, the friction counterbalanced with how wet she was. She hoisted herself up and pulled Beau's face down to hers, pressing her tongue against his lips until he granted her entrance. Her body began to move with him, making it clear that she wanted more.

Edythe moved against him, rocking her hips forward experimentally; he groaned as her walls moved with her, opening her up in a new way that gripped him tightly as he slid in and out of her folds. He increased his pace, finally letting go of all control as his love trembled and writhed underneath him in pleasure.

Beau thrusted into her over and over again, his strokes strong and firm but not painful for Edythe. She was gasping for air; her name became a groan on Beau's lips as he filled her again and again without a break. She moved her arms from his chest to under his arms and her legs wrapping around his waist, holding herself closer to him as she panted. He curled his body over her as he plunged into her wet folds as fast as he was able, holding her to him with one hand as his other was planted on the ground, keeping them upright.

"Beau," his name came out as a whimper on her lips.

"Edythe, I'm…" he couldn't finish his thought as the building sensation began to overwhelm him. Still, she understood. He couldn't stop himself, a primal instinct overcoming him; she took his insistent thrusts, and they both climaxed at the same time, Edythe milking him until he could give her no more.

When they were done, Beau exhaled loudly, all but collapsing on top of her, his hands on either side of her head as he panted for air. Edythe's hands slid over his body as they both came down from their high, one hand at his stomach while other curved to fit his cheek, locking eyes with the man she adored, her own green eyes shining.

"I'm…sorry…" he managed to gasp out, but she shook her head.

"It's okay…it's okay," she murmured to him quietly, leaning up to kiss him again. His seed was dripping from her folds, him still engulfed in her wetness. When they had caught their breath, Beau eased down besides her, and she turned to face him. She lay her head in the crook of his shoulder, her body still buzzing from the experience. Beau's eyes raked over her body; though she was sturdy, he had not been careful and wanted to ensure he hadn't injured her. When he was satisfied, he dropped his face to hers, kissing her gently.

"We never could have done that when I was a vampire," Edythe said softly, a little breathlessly. The overpowering emotions, combined with the extreme proximity and lack of control, she was sure she would not have been able to handle it and Beau wouldn't have come out of it unharmed. Beau chuckled slightly.

"I think we could have," he countered. Edythe looked up at him, eyes deplorable.

"You always overestimated my self control," she told him, but he shook his head.

"You didn't have enough confidence in yourself," he said, squeezing her closer. "You would have been fine." Edythe shook her head, not agreeing but not willing to argue about something so needless. She closed her eyes, content where she was, allowing her skin to absorb the warm rays of the sun as they beat on their naked bodies.

Beau kept his eyes on her, his blue eyes raking over her perfect body. He could hardly believe she was his; he felt like the luckiest man alive. Without seeming to think about it, his hands moved from her shoulder to lay on her hips and he ducked his head to kiss her collarbone chastely. Edythe made a humming noise in the back of her throat, arching her neck to allow him to explore. His lips moved slowly, enticingly down her neck and then back up to the corner of her jaw, stopping to nip at her ear. She inhaled sharply at the contact, and felt her heat begin to burn anew.

She turned away from him, onto her back, and he followed, situating himself between her legs. She lay before him, enjoying the sensation as he moved across her collarbone, down to trace circles over her breasts, to draw a line down the flat expanse of her stomach. He ravished every inch of her skin and she hummed again in contentment.

"You're so beautiful," he murmured as he worked, and Edythe looked down at him.

"Even now?" she couldn't help asking. In the days plus since her change, it was something that had always been at the back of her mind, whether Beau thought of her any differently now that she did not have her inhuman beauty. Beau continued his ministrations on her skin without a break as he answered.

"Vampire or human, you have always been the most beautiful thing in my world," he assured her, and a light warm feeling settled in her belly, like butterflies. She sighed and relaxed back against the blanket, her hands combing through Beau's hair and her eyes closing as she enjoyed the caresses on her skin. His trails of kisses moved lower and lower, and Edythe felt her internal muscles clench in anticipation and want. Beau moved slowly, his breath hot on her most sensitive area; he could see the coil of her muscles as she waited for his actions, but he wanted to take his time, to worship every part of her as the goddess she was. His lips ran down the sides of her inner thighs, teasing her lightly. He took her in completely now, her swollen lips dark pink and engorged with blood. Edythe was calm under his gaze, resting against the blanket as she basked in his loving hands and kisses.

She suddenly gasped, her body locking in surprise before a whimper escaped her clenched teeth. Her hands moved to Beau's hands, which wrapped underneath her thighs, keeping them open as he kissed her intimately. Instead of pulling away, his fingers dovetailed through hers reassuringly. After a moment, her tense hands moved from his hands to his head, tugging lightly on his hair and her hip angle opening to allow him more room. Beau's tongue lapped generously over her core, pressing into her and circling her outer lips, rewarding him with her energetic cries of pleasure.

Recalling the first time, the tip of his tongue pressed against her clit, making circular ministrations against the most sensitive organ of her body, causing Edythe's hips to buck in response. He held her still gently, but continued his work. Edythe's hands pressed into his scalp now, urging him on, small mews escaping her lips as she emulated the feelings running through every nerve in her body.

"Beau. Oh, Beau," she whimpered, her muscles tensing over and over as she tried to cope with the feelings his lips were ravaging her body with. He couldn't help a small smile, enjoying how he could get her so worked up. Her lips got warmer and wetter as he continued, physically displaying the pleasure she was feeling.

Beau moved slightly as he readjusted himself, stopping his attack on her wetness for a moment and Edythe cried out, upset. A second later though, as Beau's fingers slid into her heat while he continued his damage on her clit, she forgot about it, her hips grinding against him perfectly in time with his movements, increasing speed in line with Beau's pace before she was overcome, her climax sending shivers throughout her body. Beau lapped at her entrance for a few moments as she rode it out before pulling himself up to cradle her in his arms, holding her as she came down from her peak. Her head dropped to his shoulder, her own breathing heavy despite her lack of actual work.

The couple lay like that in silence for a few moments, Beau waiting patiently for Edythe's breathing to even out; even in the feelings of the moment, he did not want to push her too far. But she was not done; her breathing still ragged, she reached out to grip his length, which was pressed against her stomach, firmly swollen with desire. Her fingers ran down his shaft and it was his turn to gasp. She fondled him for a moment before hitching her leg over his hip. In doing so, her hips were opened and spread for him once more.

With one hand, Edythe guided him to her center and both moaned in relief and satisfaction as they were joined again. Beau's left arm slung over her back to pull her close while his right stayed underneath her, supporting her head. They moved in unison, their lovemaking not out of lust, but merely out of desire to be connected. Their eyes stayed glued to each other's faces and they murmured sweet "I love you's" and other musings, just enjoying each other's company.

As they moved, they could feel how right it was; though there were still many decisions to be made and many adjustments to adapt to, this, their togetherness, felt more natural than breathing to them. It took no effort for them to be together like this, to love and hold one another as they showed each other their devotion in the most physical and intimate way. They had never thought they were missing anything in their relationship before Edythe's change, and that had been true, to an extent. But now as they saw what they could do, how far they could go to express and share in their love, it felt like the missing piece of the puzzle had been found and slotted into place effortlessly, without any extra effort on their part.

Edythe reveled, not for the first time, in how easy it was to be with Beau; it was easy to touch him, to kiss him, to make love to him; it was easier than breathing, easier than anything else in her human life so far. And she felt, as the afternoon went on as they continued their passion, that she felt her mentality shifting again. Being this way with another person, being this way with Beau, was an exclusive experience, one that she could not understand until she experienced it herself.

Of course, being the telepath that she had been for so many years, Edythe had been privy to more sex than she would like to admit. The humans she was around were more than enough, but the experiences she felt through them differed than those of her family. Though she tried to shut them out as much as she was able, she always knew. And underneath it, she longed for the connection, the feelings her family members felt when they were with their mates. But even having the closest encounter to first hand without it being first hand, she never could have predicted the feelings that rippled through her as she and Beau gave themselves up to one another. It was an entire more wholesome, gripping experience, and one that strengthened their relationship and solidified it.

They were not simply boyfriend and girlfriend, not simply lovers, not simply best friends; they were all that and much more. They were soulmates; there was no other appropriate word. And as she thought it, she saw how true it was.

Beau was her soulmate, and she was his. They always had been, and they had only now realized it. And now that they had, their love grew and flourished beyond what either of them could ever imagine.