Chapter 18: Say My Name

a/n: Okay, kiddies…this is the part where you must decide if you are old enough to ride this ride. We are moving into an "M" rating for this chapter. If you feel the need to skip this moment in our fav duo's lives, you should be able to pick up in the next chapter without missing anything too significant to the story. For those of you proceeding…I hope I did these two and this moment justice. This chapter was written entirely to one song, set on repeat…so, if you're into music, go listen to "Dust To Dust" by The Civil Wars. It was my muse. :)

Only a couple of chapters to go now!

In the late afternoon sunlight, Camille's body took on a golden glow, her rosy flesh appearing a burnt sienna where the angled light kissed and warmed her bare skin. Klaus's fingers trembled as they traced the flush that spread high across her delicate cheekbones. She stood, facing him, in nothing but a simple, lavender bath sheet, her pale, blonde tresses drying in soft waves about her shoulders. Her face, scrubbed free of make-up, was without even the slightest imperfection, and he looked on, mesmerized by the vision that stood before him.

To look upon her in this moment, in this context, was a privilege, he knew…one he'd waited a thousand years to experience. He'd known many pleasures over the centuries, but perhaps none as sweet as this. They'd had a similar moment once before, but that instant had been tainted with sadness, marred by doubt and the fear of being lost to one another for an indeterminate amount of time. They'd been two people in a dark room, desperately trying to figure out how to say goodbye. That brief, unexpected encounter had resulted in their son, and he would never cease to be awed by the magnitude of the connection he'd shared with her that night, but they had both been mired in varying degrees of grief and uncertainty then…it had been with them in that room, lurking in the shadows, mocking them with taunts of missed opportunities and accusations of wasted chances.

This time would be different.

It was just the two of them here now, and nothing was standing between them anymore…

Tilting her head, Camille turned her face into Klaus's touch, closing her eyes as his fingers uncoiled to cradle her cheek in his palm. Turning, she placed a sweet kiss at the base of his thumb, leaving her lips pressed against his warm skin for the space of several heartbeats.

Her feet left bare, she stood several inches shorter than him, and he loved the way her beautiful eyes appeared impossibly larger and near-bottomless as they swept upward, seeking his. Stepping forward, into her space, he cradled her face in both of his hands and tilted her head, gently, until her lips were perfectly aligned with his, and then, never moving his eyes away from hers, he slowly closed the last of the distance between them.

Sighing with a mix of pleasure and relief, Cami melted bonelessly against Klaus's solid form, gripping his biceps, as his lips pressed against hers. She opened herself to him immediately, and he wasted no time accepting her invitation. His lips moved over hers, and she kissed him back, hungrily. He tasted sweet and familiar and right as his tongue slid inside. It brushed seductively against hers, and she exhaled, audibly, signaling her pleasure.

Spurred on by the sound of Camille's gentle sighs, Klaus slid his hands down her body, his palms finding the dip in her lower back and tugging her forward, holding her smaller frame against his own, tightly, possessively. He continued to ravage her mouth, his hunger for her growing exponentially with every sigh, every slick thrust of her tongue against his.

When she was dizzy with lack of sufficient oxygen, Cami, reluctantly, pulled away from the kiss, her heart beating erratically. She saw the hesitation in Klaus's eyes as he took in her swollen lips and pinkened skin. She watched as he, unconsciously, raised a hand to his stubbled chin, scratching absently at the prickly growth he found there, no doubt pondering the damage he'd done to her sensitive flesh. She smiled, reassuringly, as she drew in a few fortifying breaths, and then, slowly, her hands shaking slightly, she reached for him again. Bravely, she slipped her fingers under the hem of his t-shirt, pressing her palms to his abdomen and sliding them around to his hips, luxuriating in the feel of his hot skin beneath her fingers.

She slid her hands upward at a maddeningly slow pace, taking the cotton material with them. Growing impatient, Klaus ripped the offending garment over his head in a single, smooth motion, leaving himself unclothed before her, save a worn pair of low-riding, black jeans.

Camille watched as his muscles rippled gloriously beneath skin turned golden by the slanting rays of a waning sun. She dragged her eyes across his exposed skin, briefly meeting his gaze, before moving forward and pressing her lips against the smooth patch of skin, directly over his heart. She felt his fingers slip into her hair, his large hand cradling the base of her skull, lovingly. When she felt him press his open mouth against the tender skin of her neck, she whispered his name, involuntarily.

Camille's breathy murmur whispering across his skin nearly had him ripping the flimsy towel from her body and tossing her onto the waiting bed. Growling softly, he fisted his hand in her silky, blonde hair and tugged, gently, until her head tilted back. He attacked her mouth with fervor then, tasting and sucking until she clung, tightly, to his shoulders for support. The press of her body against his was maddening, and helplessly, he gave himself over to the moment.

He began walking them, purposefully, toward the bed, until the backs of his legs bumped against the soft edge of the mattress. He sank gracefully onto its surface, dragging Camille with him, keeping her close, never breaking their kiss. His hands roamed the expanse of her back, slipping low to cup her perfect backside. His hands kneaded the flesh he found there, and he tugged her forward, instinctively.

Cami's entire body thrummed with anticipation. She couldn't think of anything, her mind so fully consumed by what Klaus was doing to her body. She felt weak and dizzy, yet energized. Her knees pressed into his hips, her body straddling his, and when he pulled her into him, she could feel the hard press of him through his jeans. She gasped into their open-mouthed kiss, dragging in much-needed air. She could feel her towel slipping, their current position straining the loose knot at her breast. Just as she was debating between letting go of Klaus's shoulders to secure it or letting it fall, she felt his warm hand, high on her inner thigh…moving, seeking. Her fingers tightened, involuntarily, gripping his shoulders, reinforcing their hold on his upper body.

He grinned, cockily, and she smiled back, blushing prettily, despite herself.

Damn the man. He was sexy as hell, and he knew it.

She bit her lip. She remembered this part of him…not a shy bone in his body.

Maintaining eye contact, he shifted his thighs, moving them further apart, opening her to his seeking fingertips. When they found their destination, her eyelids fluttered closed, her breath leaving her on a shaky exhale. The warmth low in her belly flared to life and began to burn in earnest.

Klaus's eyes were fixed on Camille. She sat before him, looking tousled and loved, her skin flushed and backlit by the burnt orange sunlight streaming through the upstairs window. Shafts of refracted light slanted through the pale waves of her hair, and he was suddenly, infinitely grateful for his heightened, vampiric senses. The same sharp eyes that helped shape his paintings, took in the work of art he held in his arms. His eyes moved over her closed lids, her parted lips, the clamorous flutter of her pulse near the base of her throat. They slipped lower, noting the way the soft material of her towel rode impossibly low over the gentle swell of her breasts. And all the while, his hands remained occupied with the joyful task of relearning the intimate workings of her body, discovering what made her breath hitch in her chest, what triggered her body's frantic, unconscious movement, and, finally, what caused her to go rigid with pleasure and then blessedly still in his arms. He watched it all unfold before him with the keen eyes of a painter.

If he was an artist, his hands the tools of his trade, then she was the masterpiece he wanted to paint every day of his life.

Her, like this, again and again.

His desire for her was unquenchable, he knew, but, regardless, he was going to do his best to slake his thirst. Moving his hand from between her thighs, he slid it gently to her hip, squeezing lightly, before moving upward along her ribs, tracing the delicate ridges until they gave way to the soft underside of her breast. Sliding his other hand along her torso as well, he moved both of them in tandem, gently covering her breasts with his palms. The movement finally loosed the knot on her towel and it fell away completely, leaving her fully exposed to him.

Cami felt the chill in the air as the knot in her towel finally gave way and the soft, lavender cotton slipped from her body. She was still quivering from the unbelievable feelings Klaus had managed to elicit from her. No one had ever played the instrument that was her body with such ease…it was as if he'd known the chord that resonated within the deepest part of her, and he'd struck it effortlessly, plucking it gently, repeatedly, causing her entire body to vibrate at its frequency...until it shattered.

She wanted to make him feel like that, too.

She could see the evidence of his desire for her straining against the front of his jeans, and she ran her hand along the taut denim, smiling to herself in satisfaction when she heard his breath falter. She leaned forward, kissing the underside of his chin, as she sank her fingers just inside the waistband of his jeans. Pressing tiny kisses along the length of his jaw, she continued her work, releasing the button on his faded denims.

Pop. The sound was loud in the relatively quiet room, accompanied only by their harsh breathing and the gentle whisper of fabric shifting against fabric.

The audible drag of his zipper releasing sent a shiver up her spine.

Klaus rubbed his hands up and down the length of her back, creating friction. "Are you cold?" he asked, his brow creasing.

She smiled at his concerned expression and shook her head, silently.

Looking down at her naked form, he couldn't help but murmur, "You are prefect, Camille."

She smiled, widely, at that. Feeling emboldened, she slid off of his lap and stood, completely naked, before him. However, before he could respond to her bold move, she was reaching for his hands, tugging him to his feet as well. When he was standing, she stepped forward, and raised her lips to his.

He crushed her to him, pressing her naked torso against his. Her breasts dragged against his chest and he could feel their firm tips leaving indelible marks on his fevered skin. He took the kiss she offered, and when he felt her hands slip from his lower back down below the waistband of his jeans, he thrust his tongue inside her mouth and growled, hungrily.

Cami slipped her hands downward and gripped the firm globes of muscular flesh in her hands. She grinned, reveling in the fact that he was completely bare beneath his jeans. She pulled Klaus toward her, causing him to press his hardness into her soft belly, and she listened as he groaned in pleasure. Tearing herself away from their searing kiss, she slid her hands down along his thighs, divesting him of his jeans as she went. As she watched, Klaus toed off his shoes, stepped quickly out of his jeans, and tugged off his socks, leaving the discarded items strewn in a haphazard pile on the floor. His movements were graceful, like that of a big cat, quick and agile. When he stood before her, this time as naked as she was, her entire body clenched in response.

He watched her irises darken with desire, and seeing that look in her eyes sent him over the edge. Klaus pounced, like the giant cat she'd likened him to moments before. He moved so quickly, she never felt her feet leave the floor, just her back hitting the mattress. Before her body could still against the springy surface, he was on her, attacking her with unparalleled, sensual intensity.

His hands were sliding along her back, threading through her hair, tugging at her hips, gripping her forearms, her wrists, her thighs. She could barely catch her breath, but the pleasure was so intense she didn't care. His mouth was everywhere, licking and sucking…her neck, her breasts…lower. She thought she might hyperventilate, but then she remembered that she'd had a purpose when she started this. She wanted to make him feel like he'd made her feel. Reaching between them, she wrapped her hand around the length of him, stilling his movements immediately. She listened to his ragged breaths as she moved her hand up and down, loving the way he responded immediately to the slightest change of pressure in her grip. Letting go and moving to one side, she tugged on his shoulder until he was sitting up in the center of the bed, then she moved over him, straddling his thighs. When they were face to face once again, she took him in her hand and placed him against the entrance to her body.

She loved him, and she wanted him to feel loved…and wanted. She wanted to give him pleasure…and goodness-which he'd had so little of in his life up to this point. Looking straight into his eyes, Cami lowered herself onto him, willing him not to look away as he slid inside of her.

Being inside Camille was possibly the most intense experience of his life. The pleasure was so powerful it was nearly excruciating in its intensity. When she shifted her hips and he sank impossibly deeper, he couldn't stop himself from moving. She whimpered and rocked against him in response, and he thrust into her, gripping her hips and tugging her down onto him, closing the last of the distance between them.

She felt so full. Her body was stretched and humming with pleasure, and she felt more connected to Klaus than she'd ever felt to another person. It was as if their chests were open and his heart was merged with hers, every bit as connected as the rest of their bodies were, in this moment. She watched her emotions reflect back at her from the depths of his eyes…the desire, the sense of connection.

"I love you," she whispered, fiercely. Her eyes shone happily above her flushed cheeks.

Klaus stared into the swirl of intense emotions that seemed to fill Camille's irises with vibrant color. In the past, he'd thought he knew what being in love meant…but he'd merely been obsessed with Tatia, infatuated with Aurora, and though he had truly loved Caroline, he had not been in love with her, either. It was Camille who'd taught him what truly being in love with someone meant. He knew Camille. When he looked into her eyes, he knew her, and she knew him. When she looked into his eyes and he allowed her to see all of him, the real him, the way he'd never allowed another person to see him and know him…she loved him. She was in love with him, too.

He held her tightly and rolled them on the bed until he was on top of her, pressing her firmly into the mattress. "I love you, more," he growled, intensely, pushing into her once more, causing her to moan and arch her back, involuntarily. He drove into her at an unrelenting pace, pushing them both higher and higher.

His body moving inside hers was producing a need in her so intense that she thought she might pass out if it didn't abate soon. She was flushed and dizzy and her body was straining. She was so close, so incredibly close…

"KLAUS!" she screamed, her body going rigid with pleasure.

He felt her body trembling and gripping, rippling, and he pushed himself further, straining to end the sweet torment he was feeling. He thrust into her twice more, deeper still…as deep as he could go, and he felt the skin on the back of his scalp prickle in anticipation of his own release. He felt her body clamp down on his, as if to hold him there, deep inside her, forever.

"CAMILLE!" he called out, stilling inside her, as the storm rolled over them both.

As Cami began to come back to herself, she recognized the comforting presence of his body on top of hers. His weight was deliciously heavy, though she knew they wouldn't be able to stay this way for long without her body protesting from lack of oxygen. For the time being though, she ran her hands along the length of his naked back, reveling in the feeling of his body still nestled deep inside hers.

She took another too-shallow breath.

Klaus sighed, contentedly. He knew he should move before he smothered Camille, but he couldn't remember ever feeling more relaxed in his entire, previously-miserable life, than he did right now. He thought back to moments before, when he'd caused her to scream his name in ecstasy, and he smiled…

Because she'd made him scream hers, too.