Warning: This chapter contains adult themes … reader discretion is advised.

XV

***Ohhh, Dearie!***

Belle blinked rapidly as she collapsed against Rumpelstiltskin's chest, her head swimming as her eyes tried to adjust to the muted lighting. She dragged her lips from his, the wispy purple smoke of his magic receding into nothingness. A smile curled her mouth as she took in their surroundings, and sat up, pleased to find herself still straddling her lover. She didn't like the darkness of their room, however; nor the way his beloved features were cast in shadow.

"Why is it so dark?" she whispered, glancing over her shoulder at the crackling fire in the hearth. "I know I left candles burning earlier …"

"Dark One, dearest … too much light is a distraction," he said evasively.

Belle hummed in suspicion, but let the matter drop. If he wanted to be a shy sorcerer, she'd allow it. She finally had what she wanted, what he wanted as well … they'd muddle through their issues later, she was certain. Ignoring the blush riding high on her cheeks – which didn't seem as if it would ever leave her skin – she reached for the clasps at the front of her peignoir, popping them open one by one. If it was possible, his eyes grew darker as he watched the velvet and lace slide sensuously over her shoulders, leaving them bare but for the thin straps of her night gown.

The smile faded from her lips as she noticed his hands fisted so tightly in the bedsheets, a low rumbling growl emitting from behind his clenched teeth. It grew steadily louder as she leaned over to press her lips to his quivering belly. "What's wrong, my love?" she purred silkily, her hands roaming over his chest.

He held tighter to the bedding as she covered his hands with her own, gently trying to pry them loose. "Stop!"

Belle jerked her hands away, and sat up, meeting his panicked gaze with a worried frown. "Rum, what is it?"

Rumpelstiltskin pulled himself away from her, pressing his back against the headboard as he tried to regain control over his erratic breathing. "I'm a-afraid I'm going to hurt you if we continue this," he hissed, unable to meet her eyes so filled with desire for him. It would be the finger between his shoulder blades pushing him over the cliff.

Sympathy shone in her eyes as she scooted closer to him, once more resuming her place on his lap. There was nowhere left for him to go, and if he were honest, there was nowhere he wanted to be more than there with her. Again, her hands sought his, her fingertips soft as a dove's breast as they ghosted over his. "Touch me, Rumpel," she cooed, her breath warm against his lips as she closed the distance between them. She brought his hands to her hips where they fisted the silk of her night gown. "You'd never hurt me, darling … never."

"Gods, Belle, do you know how long it's been since I've been touched like this?! I can't control … if I hurt you … I'd never forgive myself," he choked out, his voice no more than an agonized whisper.

"You would deny me?" Her fingers caressed his nape, those of her other hand fisting in his hair. She was confident he'd never lay a harmful finger on her, much less in the throes of passion. Since the day he'd brought her to the Dark Castle, he'd been so very careful never to hurt her. Now would be no different. "Let me love you, Rumpelstiltskin."

He gasped at the light stinging in his scalp, and the demon howled in pleasure as she sucked gently at his lower lip. It was almost as if she were trying to provoke the darkness within him, as if she truly wanted the beast he was. Before he could lose what was left of his control, he gripped her upper arms and set her back to sit on his thighs. She was beautiful, her cerulean eyes gleaming darkly with desire, her lips swollen and glistening from his kisses. And she wanted him. He groaned as her short nails scratched over his chest, her clever fingers seeking to bring him pleasure.

"Woman! Would you cease for just a moment?" the sorcerer growled, trapping her wrists in a gentle grasp.

That petal soft lower lip disappeared between her teeth as she debated her next move. Just this once she decided to hold her tongue as she watched him struggling with his inner demon. The emotions flickering over his weathered face would have been enough to frighten any other woman, but Belle held his heart. She knew he would overcome his fear … for her.

Finally, he lifted his tortured gaze to hers. She could smell the faint traces of ozone which permeated the air with his magic only a moment before he was pressing something into her hands. Belle frowned warily as she stared down at the dagger in her hands, his name emblazoned on the blade. She arched a brow, unable to ignore the creeping trickle of magic which slithered its way up her spine. "What's this?" she asked, her voice sharper than she'd intended, but nothing could have prepared her for the darkness she felt within the relic in her hand. "What is it, Rumpel?"

The Dark One was suspiciously silent as Belle's hand closed over the rugged leather binding on the dagger. It was testament to the demon's newfound faith in her that he wasn't howling for her blood. He could feel his host's deep profound love for the girl, but he could also feel her own darkness mixed in with her light. She was like a drug and he only wanted more.

"It's the source of my power, my curse," Rumpelstiltskin answered honestly, left with no choice. "With it, you control me. With this dagger, you can command me not to hurt you. This way you will be safe."

Anger welled up in her chest, nearly choking her. She regarded him through narrowed eyes, her lips pressed into a thin line. "You wish for me to use this on you? To take away your free will?"

At his fervent nod, she stabbed the razor-sharp tip of the blade into the cherry wood of the headboard. It quivered with a soft twang as he stared up at it in horror, his heart racing. "Belle!"

Belle crossed her arms over her chest to keep from smacking him. "How did you ever survive three centuries as the Dark One?" she asked, her tone filled with disbelief.

"I beg your pardon?" he gaped at her. Did she just insult me?

"You can be so thick!" she scoffed, shaking her head. Yes, she was definitely insulting him. "Rumpelstiltskin, what would ever possess you to just hand over that dagger … to anyone?!"

"I can assure you, dearie, I've never entrusted it to another soul in my long existence. I can see now it was a mistake –"

She leaned forward and cupped his face in her warm palms, her lips brushing his. "I don't want to control you, Rumpel; never." She laid her hand over his heart. "Every word, every deed … every touch … I want it to come from here." She changed tactics on him quickly. Now, in his arms, in their bed, was not the time to dissuade him from what they were about. "Would you want to control me?"

"No!"

"If you controlled me, how would you know what my honest feelings for you were as opposed to what you commanded of me?" she asked, trying to make him see.

His hands smoothed over her back in a gentle caress as she wrapped her arms about his neck. "I love you, Belle," he murmured, his voice thick with emotion. "I just …"

She pressed her brow to his, nuzzling her nose against his own as she felt him begin to relax in her embrace. "I know, my love." She nibbled softly at his lips. "Don't be afraid to touch me. I'm not made of glass; I won't break. Make love to me; show me what's in your heart."

No force in the seven realms could have kept the smile from lighting her eyes as he pulled her closer, his lips slanting hungrily over hers. His kiss was sweet, tender, and filled with love, and she reveled in it. He tasted of tea and cake with a hint of musky darkness which made her head swim with desire. She knew she'd never grow tired of kissing him, not after being denied for so long. Her body was pulled flush with his, her knees on either side of his slim hips, her breasts pressed into the hard plane of his chest. It was hard to concentrate on any one sensation as they all combined to consume her.

He was similarly affected by their embrace, his breaths heavy as he withdrew his mouth from hers. His hand lifted tentatively, a warm golden glow encompassing his fingers as he laid it over her heart. She gasped. There were no words for the feeling of his magic sweeping through her veins. It was strong, primal and more powerful than seven suns. "Is this what you wanted, dear one?" he asked brokenly, the sensation no less keen in his own body. "To feel what's in my heart for you?"

The blood pounded in her ears as the magic swept through her. Every one of her nerve endings burned with him. It claimed her, branding her as his. She could feel tears fall unbidden from her lashes in salty hot trails over her cheeks, unable to hold them back. He was showing her the depths of his love, and she'd never felt anything so meaningful and profound. Her own heart swelled. Every decision she'd made in regards to her master since coming to the Dark Castle had been worth any pain she'd suffered.

It was his memories flooding her mind and body. The distrust he'd had towards her, slowing giving way to friendship. The ache of longing as he'd begun to love her. Everything she'd experienced, he'd felt it, too, a hundredfold. Whereas she'd been confident he'd come to love her, he'd despaired of her ever feeling such a powerful emotion for him in return. Sharing this most intimate revelation … It was the most selfless gift he could ever have given her.

Belle collapsed against his chest, weeping openly. "I love you," she vowed, her voice barely more than a whisper. Slowly, she raised her watery gaze to his, seeing he was equally affected by what he'd shared with her. "Thank you … for showing me."

His fingers buried themselves in her hair, his palms cradling her face as he brought her closer. "You've brought warmth and light into my life, Belle." He kissed her tenderly, relishing the way her lips molded so perfectly to his. "You showed me what it was like to love … to be loved. I could never have imagined it would be this way when you promised me forever."

Her eyes darkened, so overwhelmed with emotion, she felt as if she were seconds away from breaking apart. She'd been gifted with the Dark One, with Rumpelstiltskin, her quirky master, and she'd be blessed with loving him forever … every day of forever to show him just how special he truly was. "Forever," she whispered reverently, leaning in to claim his lips. "Mine."

Rumpelstiltskin shivered despite the warmth in the room. Darkness and light swirled within him, a perfect balance to anchor his focus on the precious woman in his arms. He melted into her embrace, giving her free reign to have everything he could give. She purred as his hands settled on her thighs, his nails leaving little paths along her flesh. She mewled as they moved beneath the fine silk of her gown over her hips. And she keened as his fingertips brushed the soft pink lace at the apex of her thighs. Every sound from her throat showed him how appreciative she was of his attentions, and it spurred him on.

Frenzied, primal need coiled in his belly and hummed beneath his skin, his hands ghosting over her hips, and along her sides, steadily lifting the silk away from her skin. She broke their kiss so she could let him pull the garment over her head. She was breathless and flushed from his touch, and she'd never been more beautiful to him than in that moment of fevered passion. His gaze wandered over her soft curves and alabaster skin, and once again he wondered what he'd ever done to deserve his goddess. He wanted nothing more than to worship her as was fitting. She was glorious and she was his. He could have wept.

Belle's eyes sparkled with unbridled desire as she held his gaze, her hands roaming over his shoulders, her nails bringing intense pleasure wherever they passed over him. She shifted her hips impatiently, gasping as his leather covered erection came in contact with her core. He hissed sharply at the contact, and a slow smile began at the corner of her mouth. Again, she moved over him, grinding down with more pressure, and his tortured moan mingled with her own.

His arms tightened around her, roughly dragging her closer, his lips finding the sweet curve of her neck. He pressed her down, holding her hips in a firm grasp that would surely bear evidence to bruises come dawn's first light. She emitted a guttural sound he didn't think she was capable of as his teeth scraped over her collarbone. "More!" she cried, her hands delving into his curly locks to hold him in place.

His Belle was just as greedy in her desire as he was, and he would give her whatever she wanted as long as she continued to make those wonderfully erotic sounds in the back of her throat. Her pleasure was something he wanted more than anything. His callused hands mapped a path over her ribs, reaching ever higher as his lips trailed lower. She cried out, her hips moving faster now against him, pleasure spiraling out to her fingers and toes as his thumbs brushed over her turgid nipples. Her fingers tightened in his unruly locks, her soul surrendering to her beloved.

Rumpelstiltskin groaned as he buried his face between her breasts, losing himself in her softness. She was nearly as wild in her passion as the demon he hosted. Any inhibitions she might have had, deserted her completely in the wake of her desire. The fears he'd had of hurting her were no longer a worry to him. He was more likely to be physically hurt by her. He growled softly as his lips covered one pert nipple, his tongue rasping softly over the bud before pressing it tightly to the roof of his mouth. Gods, she tasted exquisite. Headier than the finest wine, and sweeter than peach tarts. His name on her lips, music to his ears.

Her eyes glowed like twin sapphires, filled with a mix of desire and unwavering trust as he gripped her hips tightly and laid her gently back against the duvet. She gasped, a soft moan slipping from her as his rough palm came to rest against her belly, his thumb teasing at the lace below her navel. "Rum … please," she whispered fervently, her hips lifting of their own accord to beg for his touch.

The mage brought his lips back to hers, the heat firing his blood leaving his kiss far from gentle as he tugged at the ribbons at her hips. She met him with equal fervor, her teeth nipping sharply at his lower lip. The delicious pressure continued to pool in her belly, the ache, the fire, the yearning she felt causing her to whimper softly. And then he touched her, stars bursting behind her eyes as his warm wonderful fingers came in contact with her wet folds.

His lips sucked teasingly at the sensitive spot where her jaw met her ear. "My Belle … my precious love, so wet for me," he purred, delving into her heat, his thumb circling her clit in slow deliberate strokes. One finger slid into her, and he pressed his tumescent cock against her hip to relieve some of the ache as she clenched around him.

"Yours," she cried in answer to his possessive claim.

Rumpelstiltskin sucked in a deep breath as she pushed him onto his back, his eyes heavily lidded as he stared up at the wild abandon written so clearly on her beautiful face. She scratched a path of fire from his shoulders to his waist with her sharp little nails, and it was his turn to arch into her touch and shout her name with reckless disregard for his pride. He was hers and didn't care if he could be heard all the way to the infinite forest. Her lips followed the path her nails had scored in his green-gold flesh, and he could feel her smile against the taut plane of his stomach as her fingers worked the gold buttons on his trousers.

"Belle …" he moaned in surrender, his head falling wearily against the luxurious bedding, unable to mumble anything more coherent in his current state of desire.

Boldly, she cupped him through the leather as she traced the circumference of his navel with her tongue. He bucked against her, his formidable control disintegrating beneath her artless touch. She worked the tight leather over his hips, her lips peppering his skin with the lightest of kisses from groin to knee. She could only be thankful she didn't have to rid him of his boots. She caught his startled gaze with a dark look as her mouth curled into a wicked grin.

"Y-You wouldn't," he stuttered as her nails dragged along his inner thighs.

Belle pressed a soft kiss to the inside of his right knee. "I wouldn't?" she asked, her teeth grazing high on his sensitive flesh.

He watched her, mesmerized as her tongue darted out to trace the length of his cock, her thumb reaching out to swirl over his tip to spread the bead of moisture which awaited her there. His eyes rolled back in his head and he could swear his heart stopped. The beast within him howled, calling to his mate, wailing his approval. She smiled against his heated flesh, waiting until he looked down at her, her lips poised and ready. And then he was sliding into the warm wet recesses of her mouth, her tongue a silken caress, her teeth a hint of pain amidst the indescribable pleasure radiating throughout his body.

"Woman!"

She chuckled lowly, the vibrations against his throbbing length nearly sending him on a quick descent into madness. She released him with a soft pop only to give him a slow lick from root to tip, her fingers wrapping tightly around him before she moved up his body to kiss him tenderly. She couldn't help the slow satisfaction coiling in her chest as she looked down at the disheveled wreck of her beloved. "Say it," she murmured against his lips, her hand giving a slow pull.

His dark eyes, black but for their warm ring of amber slowly lifted to meet hers, pleading within their depths. "I love you."

Another tug from her hand accompanied with a twist of her wrist. "Again."

"I love you. Please, Belle …" he whimpered passionately.

Belle released him, allowing him a moment to catch his breath as she cradled his face in her hands and pressed her brow to his. "As I love you, my darling. Whatever life may bring; I will always love you." She brushed her lips to his, feeling the swell of true love just beneath the surface. "My life, my body, my heart and soul … forever yours."

Their kiss grew frantic as he rolled them over, her body arching into his as his hand disappeared between her legs. She pulled at his shoulders, reveling at the play of muscle beneath his warm skin, yet he still resisted, wanting to make sure she wouldn't be harmed by his untempered passion. She keened beneath his touch, her hips bucking with a will of their own, desperate for completion.

"Rumpel …"

It was that pleading note in her voice which drove him, his own desire riding him hard, unable to deny her any longer. He groaned as he settled between her velvety thighs and placed himself at her entrance, her legs rising in silent approval to wrap about his hips, welcoming him home. So hot and unbearably wet, she was, and he was forced to bite down on his lip as her heels dug into his arse, urging him forward. He buried his face against her throat as he slid into her, not wanting to see the look of discomfort in her eyes as he took her maidenhead.

Belle smiled against his temple as he whispered soothing nonsense into the shell of her ear. She drew in a ragged breath as he filled her. "Shh, love," she whispered. "You feel so incredibly good."

He lifted his head, his lips parted on a silent gasp of surprise. "I didn't hurt you?"

She was sure she looked more like the cat who'd lapped the last drop of cream. Shaking her head, she shifted her hips, lifting them to take even more of him until his groin was flush with hers. Her mild discomfort had passed quickly, and she wanted nothing more than to sate her curiosity along with the fire in her belly. He caught her moan on his lips as he withdrew slowly before thrusting back in. Her nails were just short of shredding his back as he set up a gentle rhythm, proving to her that he could be tender and loving instead of the beast he was purported to be. He reveled in her soft moans and quiet gasps as he drove her farther and higher up the precipice.

He knew it would be the closest he'd ever come to heaven. To feel her soft curves pressed so tightly to his lean angles, her heat enveloping him, driving him on with mindless passion, her sweet husky whisper begging for more, harder, faster, please! Her petal soft lips rounded into a perfect 'o' of pleasure as she began to convulse around him, and then finally broke apart with his name falling from the tip of her sweet pink tongue. Fire, white hot light and electricity crackled along his spine, wrapping around him and blinding him with the intensity of his own climax.

She breathed heavily, her legs tightening about him as his strength failed him, and he collapsed atop her. Her fingers carded through the soft hair at his temple, and he couldn't remember a time in his life in which he'd felt more sated and replete, or more at peace. He pressed a tender kiss to her throat, unable to find the words to tell her what he felt at that moment in his dark heart.

And in the end, there was no need for words. They'd shown one another more than any words could ever convey.

A/N: Well, I hope it was worth the wait :D So, next time: Belle packs, Rumpel brews, there's a proposal and a few visitors to see them off. I hope you all enjoyed. Thanks so much for reading!

You don't know how much I appreciate each and every review from my darling readers! Thanks so much to those who care enough to leave a comment or review!