ALL I KNOW OF LOVE

Erik and Christine are the creation of Gaston Leroux; the reference to Persia and some of its customs are derived from Susan Kay's book, "Phantom". All other characters and the backdrop of the story are the creations and property of GerrysJackie.

Some places and all names are fictional.

PLAYERS:

Erik – Gerard Butler - Perfect

Christine – The face and coloring of Zooey Deschanel (Failure to Launch, Elf) – and the body of Marilyn Monroe, except 3 inches taller

Gustav - Billy Connelly – Because I really like him.

Patrick Connelly - Paul Bettany – (A Knights Tale, Firewall, A Beautiful Mind)

Pascal – Mel Gibson's looks (slightly older with graying hair) with the cunning and cruelty of J.R. Ewing from "Dallas".

Madam Marie Forsythe – Miranda Richardson

James Lumpkin (the butler) – Daniel Davis (the butler from the TV show "The Nanny")

Kamilla – Georgie Henley (Chronicles of Narnia)

Duke Sergei Beauvais – Derek Jacobi (Underworld:Evolution)

Kaveh Hushmand - Oded Fehr (The Mummy, The Mummy Returns) - Thank you Mlle.Fox, for suggesting this striking actor as a model for Kaveh.

Use your imagination on all others.

This story has taken a while to develop, but I hope it has been worth it. I have several chapters already written, but I am taking my time. There is humor, drama, and romance in this story, so I hope you will enjoy it.

This rendition of Erik is one of a man who has suffered greatly in his life, at the hands of just about everyone in his life, but his spirit is still intact. He is less self-loathing than others that I have written, but he is very much aware of his self-proclaimed faults. He is dangerous and ruthless, but has had enough of death and destruction. Women are still a mystery to him, and he needs a strong, independent woman who is his equal in every way.

This Christine is not a drop-dead gorgeous woman, but her beauty is less assuming and soft…Erik will see it.

I will try to update twice a week, depending on how quickly I write chapters. I don't anticipate this being a particularly long story, but we'll see.

Enjoy.

Sorry for not posting last night, I was so tired that I did a little bit of reading and then went to bed.

CHAPTER 19

Erik stood in front of the mirror in his bedroom and examined the image he had lived with for thirty-five years.

He knew he wasn't considered handsome and most considered him downright hideous; however, up until Christine entered his life, it hadn't really mattered.

Now he looked for something – anything that he felt would cause Christine to react to him the way she did. He saw nothing that even remotely resembled attractive.

His attractiveness, or the lack thereof, had never posed a problem – there had never been a woman he wished to love…he had felt lust….but love – that had eluded him. Now, he found he wanted to be loved and give the love he knew resided within him.

He had been telling Sergei the truth when he said he poured his passion and desire into his music and art – but he had sated his own lust on many occasions; what man hadn't? It was a means to and end and the act held less satisfaction for him as the years past.

Christine made him want passion and desire again. She created new feelings within him that petrified him on one hand and exhilarated him on the other.

Most nights, he slept with her image carved into the back of his eyelids and her voice echoing in his mind; this night would be no different.

ЖЖ

Christine had bathed shortly before dinner, so she opted for dabbing more rosewater behind her ears, over the curve of her neck, and in the valley between her breasts.

She pulled her hair into a ponytail and secured it with a black ribbon. A black silk robe accented the only other stitch of clothing she wore – a black, embroidered corset – a gift from her sister.

She examined her reflection and hoped she looked as sexy to Erik as she felt. How does a woman set out to seduce her own husband…especially when the husband has no experience in the love department?

Tonight, she would do just that. Tonight, she would give him the gift of her body and let him know he already had her heart. Her only prayer was that he would bestow his trust upon her.

Her body was already aching for him as she quietly made her way down the hall and up the steps to the third floor.

She knew that he did not lock his door in case Kamilla needed him in the middle of the night; of course, that played perfectly into her hand.

She eased the door open and moved inside without making a sound. The candle she carried illuminated the room in a romantic glow and she saw how enticingly masculine the furnishings were.

She anxiously moved toward the door she presumed would take her to his bedroom. She found it slightly ajar and carefully eased it open further.

She heard her husband moaning loudly as she tiptoed through the door and toward the massive bed; the sounds coming from him were agonized and full of anguish.

She quickly made her way to his side and marveled at what she saw. Erik was tangled in the sheets of his bed and he appeared to be virtually nude. He was lying on his stomach and his face was turned toward her.

There was no mask concealing his features from her; apparently, he slept without it. She saw the dreaded accessory lying on the nightstand and picked it up.

The surface was as smooth as it looked, but the mask was made of leather with a porcelain coating. The artisanship was meticulous and beautiful; he wanted it to look as unassuming as possible.

She placed it back where she got it and climbed onto the bed beside his prostrate form. The marred side of his face was exposed to her and she could see why he hid it from the world; but there was not reason for him to hide from her.

She reached a trembling hand to his face and gently ran her fingers down the jagged skin. It was soft to her touch and appeared to have no hair growth.

Tears formed in the corners of her eyes as she thought about the pain he must have endured - physically, mentally, and verbally. She marveled that he had become the man he was despite what he had been through and her heart swelled with more love than she thought she could ever feel for any man.

Erik had stopped moaning and fussing the moment her weight touched the bed; it seemed her presence calmed him, even if it was subconsciously.

He stirred slightly as her fingers continued to caress his torn flesh and then she leaned down and placed a gentle kiss upon his fine mouth. She pulled back and could not resist running her thumb along the curve of his full lips, admiring how incredibly soft they were.

Erik thought he was dreaming, but her scent permeated every cell in his body. Even in his dreams, he couldn't escape the hold she had on him.

His flesh responded to her touch and Erik roused from his dream state; he became aware of her body beside his, but his mind hadn't fully registered the reality of it.

Erik turned slightly, moving to rest on his side, rather than on his stomach. Several strands of his sable hair fell into his eyes and Christine reached over and swept it away; she jumped only slightly when Erik hand firmly, but gently grasped her around the wrist.

"Wander into the wrong room?" He asked with an arched brow, facetious tone, and acutely sharp eyes.

Her eyes were so luminous in the glowing candle light that Erik lost himself in their depth. Part of him wanted to hear her say that she had come to him with a distinct purpose in mind, but the other part of him was terrified that she had come to him with a distinct purpose in mind.

He saw the tears in her eyes and rose up to look at her more fully; it was then that he realized he wore no mask.

His first thought was that she was crying because she was terrified of him, but logic soon took over and he realized she hadn't tried to move from him; so that was not the reason.

A fleeting snippet of panic swept over him, but it soon passed as he felt her hand deftly stroke his flawed cheek; he froze in place as her tears flowed without restraint.

"It doesn't cause me pain." He whispered, hoping to stop the tears.

It was at that moment Erik realized how much she had come to care for him. The realization hit him suddenly and caused his heart to swell with emotions he had never felt before.

"Maybe not the scars themselves, but you have suffered greatly because of them." Christine murmured in broken words as she tried desperately to cease crying.

She moved closer to him, until her body laid flush with his. He remained under the sheet, but Christine knew he wore no clothing; and that fact caused a rush of desire to flood through her.

She moved her arm beneath his neck and cradled his head in the crook of her elbow. Her other hand caressed his soft cheek with such loving strokes that Erik felt his own tears threaten to flow.

"There is no reason for you to hide from me…I understand if you wish to wear the mask in public areas or when we have visitors, but in this room or when we are together as a family…" she caressed his scars with her open palm, "…this is the man I want to see."

Erik was stunned at her words and he felt the moist texture of tears creep down his face. Crying was something he rarely did, but this woman had managed to render all his defenses useless with one touch of her soft hand.

"Christine…" he began, but he was silenced by the light touch of her lips against his.

He couldn't even respond at first; the love he felt with each touch of her lips spoke louder than any words she could have ever said.

He finally managed to ask her a question that had been plaguing him since she had lovingly caressed his ugliness.

"What have I done that makes you lay beside me now…with no fear in your eyes and the willing touch of your flesh against mine?"

She smiled so beautifully at him, and tears still sparkled in her dark eyes, "You've just been you, Erik…" she kissed his lips again – as softly as a feathers touch, "…just you."

His incredible eyes had not left her face as she spoke and he was unusually still. He finally reached up, ran his hand along the curve of her neck, and then pulled the ribbon from her hair.

"Just me?" He repeated, not believing that just being who he was would be enough for her.

As he spoke, he filtered his long fingers through the softness of her ebony curls. He breathed in the smell of rose water, knowing he would never tire of that smell.

She didn't have to say anything else, she rested her head on his chest, listening to the steady beat of his strong heart beneath her cheek. His taut muscles flirted with her from beneath the material of the sheet and Christine ran her hand across them; she heard Erik breath in sharply from the sensation.

She put her fingers to the edge of the sheet and began pushing it slowly down his chest to reveal the dark, dusky spattering of hair that had always teased her from the opening in his shirt, but had never been completely exposed to her.

"Let me touch you, Erik." She purred into his ear, and then laved her tongue across its surface.

He hissed from the desire she was coaxing from his body and could not trust himself to say anything, he simply conceded to her hands and mouth.

Christine ran her hand through the hair on his chest, loving the soft texture it had and the way his muscles rippled beneath her palm.

She went back to his ear, nuzzling into his thick hair and then sweeping her tongue over it again. Erik moaned his approval, especially after she ran her hand over his male nipple and sent an erotic shiver over his entire body.

"I love touching you." She purred again and blew softly into his ear.

"I love it when you touch me." Erik murmured, as a husky sigh crossed his lips.

Christine chuckled bewitchingly, but could not help the sensation that shot through her and hardened her nipples to the aching point.

She moved from his ear to his luscious mouth and skirted her tongue across its fullness. Erik answered by touching his tongue to hers and then twining his arms around her.

The kiss was the most earth moving experience Christine had never had. He had certainly become an expert in the few times they had kissed, and Christine would never tire of the feel of him.

He nestled her against him as he explored her mouth with his tongue, gracefully dancing with her to a melody only he could hear.

Christine moved her hand over his chest, teasing his erect nipples and then moved her hand down further. She explored the taut, toned muscles of his abdomen and was impressed by this physique.

She didn't stop there, her hand had a mind of its own as it skimmed the tip of his erection, not far from his belly button. She marveled at the length of him – and she felt her body react.

Erik's eyes shot open and his mouth ripped from hers as he stared into her eyes with a desirously shocked look on his face.

With her eyes locked into his, Christine caressed his rock hard length through the silk sheets and watched as his eyes drifted shut in ecstasy. He surged his hips into her hand, and she moved her mouth over his nipple, caressing its stiff peak with her tongue.

He moaned loudly and one hand buried itself in her hair while the other gripped the sheets.

"I never knew a man's body could be so beautiful." Christine moaned.

She pulled the sheet down and away from him, and then firmly gripped his erect staff in her hand. She felt Erik tremble in her hand, and his moans were like music to her ears.

Erik had never considered his body beautiful; it was covered with small scars – front and back. He had never considered his muscular build attractive; it was a result of the exercises he had done while in Persia to stay in shape. He had kept up the same regiment since arriving in France.

He opened his eyes and regarded her while she pleasured his body with her hand. He gripped her face gently in his hands and kissed her passionately.

"You are so beautiful." He purred as he pulled out of the kiss.

She smiled at him and moved her hand more firmly, bringing his hips forward in a fierce thrust. His eyes slammed shut and his breathing became heavy.

He grasped her hand with his and stopped her movements. He pulled her hand to his lips and kissed the warm flesh.

"You know where this is leading, don't you?" He asked, pointedly.

Christine gave one nod of her head.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" He asked in a quiet, passion-filled voice; every part of him praying she wanted this as badly as he did.

She crawled away from him and stood beside the bed. She opened the robe to reveal the black corset beneath, and Erik's eyes raked over her with a hunger that threatened to devour them both.

"I've never been so sure about anything in my life." She murmured. "Make love to me, Erik….make my body sing…give me that passion I see burning in your eyes and sounding in your voice." She reached over and wiped the one tear she saw from his cheek.

Erik moved to the side of the bed and drew her into his arms. His head rested just beneath the jutting curves of her breasts and his hands were on her hips.

Christine ran her fingers though the thick, black strands of his hair and then ran them over his broad, scarred shoulders.

He pulled his head back and stared deep into her eyes. He read a passion in them that matched his own and he knew they had reached the turning point in their marriage.

"Once I take you, I'll not let you go…are you prepared for that?" His husky voice stated. "You'll be mine."

Christine smirked with seductive arrogance and ran her thumb over his trembling bottom lip, "Once I give myself to you, I'll not let you go…are you prepared for that?"

Erik arched his sable brow with an amused twinkle in his eyes.

"You'll be mine, Erik…." She whispered.

Erik felt a strained ache reach his throat and tears threatened to spill over, "I've been yours since the day we married."

She pushed him back onto the bed and took his mouth in a tender kiss; a kiss that told him that every word she said was true and he was no longer alone – she would be beside him and help him fight his personal battles.

Erik only took a brief moment to accept the gift she was giving him and wrapped his arms around her. He caressed the plump sweetness of her backside and moaned from the feel of it.

She straddled his hips and felt the overly generous swelling of his body beneath her. She drew his hands around to her front and placed them on the aching swell of her breasts. Her eyes closed in pleasure as his large hands cupped her fullness.

"I'm yours, Erik…touch me."

Erik filled his hands with her curves, but the material of her corset was hindering his experience. He pulled her to him and ravaged her mouth with a passionately rough kiss. His tongue plundered her savagely while his hands untied each clasp of her corset.

He made short work of the corset strings and when Christine sat up, the full beauty of her curves was revealed to him. His eyes took in every inch of her and he closed his eyes in a silent prayer of thanks.

He growled deep within his throat and a feral glint shown in his eyes. His large hands cradled her full breasts and his thumbs stroked the tips to erect nubs.

"I have no idea what I'm doing…tell me what you want." He groaned, meeting her midnight eyes with his tumultuous aquatic ones.

She placed her hands over his, ceasing his exquisitely thorough strokes. She leaned down, rested her chest upon his, and then placed a tender kiss upon his lips as tears sparkled in her eyes, "I want you to love me - with your heart and body."

TBC