Tommy was still smiling at her reaction when he opened the door. It was unfortunate timing but any later and it would have been much worse. The porter was standing there with the ice bucket, two glasses and the magnum of Bollinger that Tommy had arranged earlier. "Thank you Michael."

Barbara came up behind him. "You did bribe him!"

"No, I paid a three a.m. price for a service that I wanted," he replied in his best Lord Asherton tone. He threw the cloth onto the bed and he put the bucket on the desk, nestling the champagne into the ice. He turned and grinned at her. "That's for later. Now where were we?"

Barbara lowered her eyes and looked up at him shyly. The desire in his dark eyes burned into her and thrilled her. Barbara recalled the touch of his hands and the way it had made her feel. She wanted him kiss her. She wanted to feel his arms around her and she wanted him to worship her, to make love to her in the way she knew only he could. "I think you were about to kiss me."

"Ah, yes. I think I was." Tommy moved towards her and embraced her. "I think I might also have mentioned that I love you."

Barbara was suddenly scared. He had said it so easily; too easily. It was if it was just part of a sexual ritual. "You don't have to Sir."

"Tommy remember."

"Tommy." Her voice was low and faint.

He leant down to kiss her and she moved back out of his reach. The mood had been broken by the interruption and the confident, sexy Barbara had reverted to the more familiar insecure Havers. He needed to take things slowly and re-establish the atmosphere of earlier but first he had to convince her that this was real. She had seen him in love and lust too often and he knew why she doubted him. It might have been too early to use the word but in many ways it was far too late. She affected him in ways no one else could move him. He could trust her with anything and his love for her was far more complex and meaningful than any other.

He took her in his arms and hugged her lovingly. "I know I don't have to say it. I want to say it because it is true. It's been true for a long time but it had been beyond physical. It was only after seeing your reaction yesterday that I realised it could be both, because the two of us feel the same way. Don't we?"

"Yes, but how can I be sure?" Her arms circled around him and her cheek was pressed to his chest like a child never wanting to leave the protective embrace of their parents.

"Remember the photos on my table?" Barbara nodded. "That's how you can be sure."

She sighed. "I'm not used to happiness. It makes me afraid."

"But I'm here for you and you're here for me. We don't have to be scared or lonely or unhappy ever again." Tommy kissed the top of her head and her whole world became brighter. "Now are you going to kiss me or not?"

His heart pounded against his ribs as if it were trying to escape. In the silence he could not only feel it, he could hear it. Her breathing was heavy but shallow. She angled her face towards him and tilted it slightly. The sight of her neck was so tempting but this was the time. If he did not kiss her now he never would. He kissed her forehead as his hand cupped her face. "This is something I should have done yesterday." His lips met hers with a gentle, light touch; a long, spiritual and devoted kiss that told her he would love her for the rest of time.

"I do love you." Barbara looked up at him; her deep green eyes told him how much she cared for him.

"I know. It's in your eyes," he said, his voice jagged with emotion. No one had ever looked at him like that and it moved Tommy almost to tears. How did I miss this all those years? Tommy ran the tips of his fingers up her arms leaving a trail of goosebumps in their wake before he kissed her again. They were still standing near the desk and he slowly led her back towards the bed. Her soft lips lingered on his uncertainly. Tommy did not want to rush her. He kissed her gently and affectionately at first but then far baser instincts began to take over. Gradually their lips began to dance with increasing pace. Their kisses became urgent and forceful. Their lips quickly parted and their tongues fought to explore each other's mouths. They had no rhythm to their breathing and they soon pulled apart panting.

"Sorry," he said leaning his forehead on hers, "in my mind it was going to be tender and loving and a lot less lustful."

"Lust is fine." Her hand disappeared into his hair and she pulled him down and kissed him again. Right now she was his and he was hers. Ten years of repressed desire surfaced and she was powerless to stop. His smell, his taste, the sound of him breathing and memories of looks, of times he had touched her all crowded in on her mind, and her body reacted to them. Barbara tugged at his shirt and ran her hands across his stomach. It was soft, not like the toned version in the photograph but that did not matter. It was Tommy, as she knew him, and to her his body was still hot. She smiled and kissed him harder when he tightened the muscles so that he appeared more toned. She knew he was thinking about her looking at the photo and she was thinking about him standing there watching. Her nimble fingers quickly undid his buttons so that she could access more of him.

Tommy had expected the night would progress as it started, that he would slowly make love to Barbara. He had thought about what he would do and how much she would enjoy it. He had not stopped to think she would also make love to him. Most women he had known were passive and waited for his lead. How like Barbara to turn the tables. He thought briefly about slowing down but the hands pulling at his shirt told him he needed to keep up. His lazy caresses on her back became firmer. Her back was smooth yet velvety and he wanted to kiss it, to feel the texture of her skin on his lips. He shivered and kissed her harder.

As they broke to control their breathing she moved her face close to his bare torso and inhaled his scent. It was earthy and strong and she wanted more of it. She ran the tip of her nose in circular patterns over his chest. It looked hairless but as she has seen when he had shamelessly showered in front of her it was covered in a fine down that tickled her face delightfully. She traced her tongue around his nipples and sucked them, pleased that it caused him to coo. She moved down his body and on impulse blew a raspberry over his belly button. He jumped and she laughed. She stood up. His shirt had vanished so she scratched her nails down his back, just hard enough to make him wince. "Oh Barbara."

He kissed her again, his tongue forcing hers back as he tried to wrest back momentum. He wanted her to know he was making love to her. Tommy had his hands on her side and he turned her so that they were facing the mirror above the desk. He wanted to watch her face but the sight of her back entranced him. He began to kiss her neck as he slid his hands across the silk dress and around to cup those magnificent breasts. His kisses moved slowly down her spine as he caressed her. Barbara arched her back and uttered short moans of encouragement. The silk warmed under his hands softening it and moulding it to the shape underneath. His fingers traced the outline of her nipples which were still too pliant so he slid his hands beneath the silk, grateful for the accommodating design of her gown. She shivered at the touch of his fingers all over them except for her errant peaks. He could feel the skin tighten and he knew before he finally touched them that he had succeeded. As his mouth reached the zipper he grabbed the tab between his teeth and edged it slowly down.

Barbara's eyes had been closed but as his fingers touched her skin so intimately they had flown open. She shivered when she saw her reflection. Her face radiated pleasure that was both embarrassing and erotic. The dress became looser and she stepped back to make it easier for him. Her stocking brushed his foot. When did he take off his shoes and socks? She was pre-occupied with that thought when he stood and eased the straps of her dress off her shoulders. She was still watching the mirror and now so was Tommy. Their eyes met in the reflection and they watched each other's expressions as he steadily peeled her dress down her body. It did not occur to her that she would be almost naked in front of him until it was too late. He had started to smile, that grin of his that said so much, but this time it was tinged with a new form of admiration. She stepped out of the dress and he kicked aside with his foot.

Tommy had not expected her to be so beautiful. She was flawless apart from the scar which he wanted to touch. He had seen her shot and it had destroyed him. The prospect of losing Barbara had been far greater than that of losing Helen. He loved Helen, or thought he did, but he needed Barbara to survive. How was I to know feeling that was real love?

She expected to feel horrified that he had seen her scar but strangely it did not matter. The scar was part of their history. The dress had made her feel sexy but when Tommy began to kiss her shoulder and moved his hands slowly down her front onto the scar she had never felt more loved or desired. He traced it with his fingertips in a way that re-assured her. "I'm so glad you didn't die that day," he whispered into her ear, "I couldn't have survived losing you."

She moved her face towards his and they started to kiss once again. It was painful and awkward so she moved around to face him. Her flesh seemed to burn as their chests touched and Barbara began to unbuckle his belt as she pushed him backwards against the wall. He took the hint and let his trousers and shorts fall to the floor. "I thought I might have done that," she said with more than a hint of disappointment.

Tommy spun her around and kissed her. He shuffled his feet out of his trousers then pressed himself up against her. He began to kiss her neck and trailed down to her breasts. Now it was his turn to nip and suck and elicit moans of pleasure. The more she wriggled the more he pinned her into the wall restricting her movement. He wanted to drive her wild and he no longer hesitated to let her feel how much he wanted her. He reached down hooked his fingers into her stockings. They were as fine as gossamer and tore in his hands. "Sorry."

"Don't worry." She did not care and when she felt him rip them off she enjoyed the sensation. It was almost animalistic and the carnality of it made her want him more urgently. So you can be a bad boy after all!

Tommy was shocked at himself. He was allowing his instinct to run ahead of his manners. He could quite easily have taken her there against the wall. The idea excited him far more than it should. Each kiss and every touch made him harder and now it was almost painful. He was not sure how much longer he could wait and yet they were so far from the end. He released her, slightly ashamed. He did not want their first time to be like that. He sat on the bed and pulled her in front of him. "Sorry,' he said as he kissed her breasts, "I got carried away."

Barbara straddled his legs and sat down. She smiled at his surprise as she manoeuvred herself against him. "It's alright Tommy. I think we might be doing this more than once," she murmured in his ear, "at least I hope so."

"For the rest of our lives." Tommy kissed her again, lovingly and tenderly. His arms rested on her back holding her shoulders so that he could control her movements. Too much of what she had started to do would end disastrously. Gradually he lowered her onto the bed and they lay kissing and stroking each other until he was confident he could satisfy her. He ran his hand over the silk of her panties. He had not noticed they were even still there. Slowly his hand crept underneath and Barbara started to move in cadence with his fingers. The space was restricting and he tried to slide them off and grunted in frustration. He looked at her and she nodded. He ripped them apart and threw the frayed cloth on the floor. It made him feel manly but he knew exactly who was in control.

She was so on edge that the barest touch of his hand started a reaction she was sure would be the most powerful sensation of her life. He was watching her carefully and his eyes were full of love. She smiled at his irritation as he tried to find the access he wanted. His slicked back hair had fallen back into his usual style but she liked having an edge of danger in this man who was normally so steady and safe. We willed him to rip off her underwear. Adrenaline raced through her when he tore them off. She wanted to feel him take control of her body and to pleasure her in a way that would also pleasure him. She kissed him and opened herself to him. He was skilled and seemed to sense exactly what she needed. Again and again he fingers slid over her. He built her up to the point where she thought she would explode into a galaxy of stars only to change his pattern and bring her back to Earth until she started to beg him.

One final time he glided his thumb back and forth. She was on the precipice; panting hard and moaning softly with her back arched when he entered her. It was too late to stop and she cried out loudly in shock and delight, the sensation almost too much to bear. He felt dangerously long and thick as he moved slowly inside her. She could feel the heat radiating from him as her muscles clamped around him. It had been unexpected but pleasurable beyond words. She lay exhausted and euphoric as he continued to move almost imperceptively. She watched the joy on his face and the love in his smoky eyes.

She ran her fingers down his back and dug her nails into the curve of his buttocks. He groaned appreciatively. Barbara started to move beneath him, pulling him into the spot that stimulated her. He wanted to let go, to experience the rhapsody he had seen on her face but he sensed she had not finished. He obliged her by matching her rhythm until he saw the same look he had seen a few minutes before. Her contractions pulled at him in the same sweet way as before, dragging him further and further into her. Tommy no longer tried to stop himself and gave in to wave after wave of orgasmic rapture.

They lay entwined, kissing and caressing each other. He traced the outline of her body lazily with his fingers. He glanced at his watch. "Is five o'clock too early for champagne?"

Barbara shook her head. Tommy got up from the bed and went to the bathroom. She heard him turn on the taps for the bath. He uncorked the champagne and brought a glass over to where was now sitting. He kissed her then handed her one. "Did I mention at all that I love you?"

"Once or twice Mr Dorchester."

"And did I ask you to marry me?"

"No."

"Ah good, then we still have something to discuss in our bath." Tommy kissed the shock from her face and led her to the bathroom. "Oh and it's Mr Rochester. One day I'll show you the movie."

Author's note: Some astute Nat Parker fans may recognise some of this from one of his films although I did tend to compress several scenes into one. It was deliberate as it was part of my in joke for my friend(s). Comment if you get it! Well comment anyway please but mention it if you recognise it.