Disclaimer: Gaston Leroux is next to Charlotte Brontë the best author who's ever lived.

~Chapter eighteen~

Erik damned himself for making a sound! How could he have been so stupid and careless! She had heard him, he knew it!

A thousand thoughts went through his mind all at once. He knew he shouldn't be watching her, but knowing the mirror was one you could see through from the other side he simply couldn't stay away. He was too curious. He told himself that he would just take a quick look to make sure she got into the bath alright but when he had seen her standing there, in all her glory, undoing her hair and then closing her eyes and starting touching herself he couldn't leave, and instead he had pressed his head closer against the wall, which resulted in a small noise, but he knew she had heard him. She was looking now, straight into the mirror, straight at him. He wanted to leave but he couldn't.

The room was filling up with steam all around her, but she knew what she had heard, and she wasn't afraid, quite the contrary. A small smile played on her lips and she pretended like she hadn't heard him. She closed her eyes again and continued to caress her breasts. She taunted her nipples so they got hard and let out a small sigh from the feeling. Then she took the courage to mumble a whisper to the man she knew was standing outside the bathroom somewhere, watching her.

"Oh, Erik… I wish you were here. I wish this was you…"

Erik couldn't believe what he was hearing but he knew what she had said. She knew he was there! Should he dare to go in? He couldn't stand there being all indecisive. He would have to decide what to do.

Should he dare come in, Christine wondered? Maybe she was being too bold, maybe he hadn't heard her in the first place, or maybe it had been a rat after all? Maybe the rat catcher and the master of the house had missed one small, smart rat somewhere? She gave up a sigh of defeat when all of a sudden she felt Erik's cool hands over her own. He had entered without her knowing it or hearing him at all. He was standing behind her and watching her in the mirror without making a sound. He didn't move, it was as if he was a ghost. His touch was as light as a feather on her hands. No other part of him touched her. She guessed it was his way of showing that she was in control over the situation. One word from her and he would probably leave as quickly as he had arrived. She gave him an encouraging smile in the mirror and started to move her hands around again, with his on top of hers. When she did this she noticed how his yellow eyes became more and more dark and she thought that he wasn't as unaffected by the whole scenario as he pretended to be. Before he knew it she had changed grip so she had her hands on top of his. She wanted to feel his skin against her own. She led his hands down to her belly, and then down even further to her waist, while she was leaning back against him, tilting her head back against his shoulder. Feeling his jacket she decided he had too much clothes on. She turned around and while he was looking at her with a look of shock mixed with awe she pulled off his jacket and dropped it on the floor. Then she started to unbutton his shirt. When her hands finally got to feel the cool skin of his chest he stiffened and gasped for air. That didn't put her off instead she got fascinated by all the scars he had. Some were old and had faded with time and some were new. She followed them all with her fingertips, and then with her lips, one by one. She could both hear and feel Erik breathe deeply, especially when she reached his stomach and was kissing a big scar he had right next to his bellybutton. When she was done with his scars she stood up and took the rest of his shirt off, and left it on top of his jacket. His eyes followed the shirt down to the floor, but when she started unbuttoning his pants he stopped her hands with a warning look in his eyes and voice.

"Don't do anything you'll regret Christine."

"I won't."

"I don't know… I have never… experienced this before. Not with anyone willing, that is. I don't want to hurt you, you're so young... and I'm not. I don't know if I'll be able to stop once we go past this stage, and I can't guarantee for your safety."

"I know."

He reached for her chin and forced her to meet his eyes.

"Are you sure?"

Instead of giving him an answer she kissed him. This kiss was possibly even better than the ones they had shared that same morning, and while kissing him she continued to unbutton his pants until they also joined the other clothes on the floor. It was as if a bridge had been crossed because then he grabbed her and pressed her hard against his body. He kissed her neck, her collarbone and she gave a sigh of pleasure when he reached her nipples. She tried to caress his arms and back while he was doing this. She wanted him more than ever and she knew that no matter what now, he wouldn't stop, and she didn't want him to stop. He grabbed her ass and lifted her up and pushed her against the wall. She wrapped her legs around him and could feel his erection between them. She kissed his neck as well, and then she found his lips again. This was the point of no return and they both knew it. He wasn't gentle. He forced himself inside her quickly and with a need she had never experienced before. She lost her breath and it hurt a little, but he must have been able to tell that from her facial expression or something because then he slowed down a little and they found a pace together that fit her too. They both climaxed rather quickly. As their breaths found their regular rhythm again she relaxed her legs and he let her down to the floor again.

He pulled out and felt ashamed of what he had done. He knew he couldn't make it undone, but he regretted not being able to take things slower and have more restraints. She must feel used by him. He sure was a monster. This beautiful girl… she deserved better than that.

"Erik, what's wrong?"

"I'm sorry Christine. I'm a monster. I will leave you alone now." He turned around and picked up his clothes as if he was going to leave.

"What? No! What are you saying? You're no monster! Stay!" She grabbed his arm to stop him with her one hand and pulled the clothes from him with her other.

"We were just… a bit too excited, that's all. Now come, let's have a bath together. You are in need of one too." She pulled him into the bath and when they both had stepped into it some of the water ran over the edge and out on the floor.

"I hope the water is not too hot for you? Being Swedish I consider hot baths a luxury."

"No, it`s alright."

"Good" she said and smiled. "But you know as well as I do that you will ruin that mask of yours if you get it wet, so I suggest you take it off."

He hesitated for a while and she bet he was considering leaving it on or leaving the bath in order to keep it on until later.

"Go on." She encouraged him. "I promise I won't peek." To show him she meant it she turned around and started washing her hair. After a while she felt his hands helping her to rinse it.

"Thank you." She said and grabbed a cloth and made a sign for him to turn around so she could wash his back with it.

When they both were done they got up and wiped themselves dry with a towel. When that was done she noticed how he took great care of making sure his damaged face was completely dry.

"I get fungal infections easily due to the tight wear of the masks."

"Oh… I didn't think of that. Do they hurt?"

"They sting sometimes, but mostly they itch a lot. But now I'm all done, what about you?" She gave him a nod and carried her clothes to her room to change them for new ones.