AN: Okay folks, this chapter is where the 'M' rating comes in. If explicit stuff isn't your thing, you can read to the dividing point in the chapter and then not beyond. You won't be lost next chapter for missing the second half of this one. :) It's kind of a long chapter – I hope that's okay!

Chapter 13

With Henry and Diane away from the castle, though they had to be careful, Richard and Catherine had the freedom to enjoy each other's company with far less tension and concern than before. Catherine had spent the first few days quite unhappy about the absence of her husband, and the fact that he had gone with another woman in her place. Richard spent time with her, gave her companionship, and listened to her as she poured out her frustrations, but even so, she would not be comforted in the beginning of Henry's absence. He was relieved to see her beginning to seem less consumed by it during Henry's second week away from the castle.

Richard was greatly looking forward to the wedding that was to take place at court that evening. It was that of his friend Robert and his young wife-to-be, whom he had not known long. They were an excellent match, and there was great happiness surrounding the occasion. With Henry away from court, and dancing planned for the party, as was always the case, he knew he would be able to dance with Catherine without arousing suspicion. A royal or noblewoman, in the absence of her husband, could perfectly reasonably dance with another gentleman who was well respected at court, as Richard was – and Henry's closest friend, no less - so that she might enjoy the celebrations. Richard knew it would not be frowned upon, and he was beside himself with excitement over the fact that he would get to publicly hold Catherine in his arms to music! He would have to be careful that he didn't accidentally kneel and propose in his star-struck state, but he assumed he would manage to avoid that! He began to wish that Henry would go away more often, but was brought back to his senses by a twinge of guilt, realising how upsetting that would be to Catherine.

That evening, the merriment was in full swing after the marriage ceremony, and the wine was flowing freely. Richard made merry with his friends, and made no more than a passing bow to Catherine, determined not to draw attention to their connection. She had taken his breath away when she had arrived, wearing a gown of fiery red (to match her fiery spirit, Richard reflected to himself, with a quickening of his pulse at the thought). The gown had full skirts, and gold accents, including embroidery across the bodice, which was tightly laced in corset style up the front. How he loved her front-lacing dresses! There was something so tantalising about those laces nestling between her breasts, like the decorative bow on a gift, teasing the recipient to undo it, and discover what was inside. Catherine wore a small tiara in her hair, which was so long now, that it had been coiled and twisted into beautiful designs on the back of her head. Her lady-in-waiting had done an exceptional job, and had left loose tendrils of curls at the nape of her neck and framing her face. She was resplendent and, Richard thought, quite put the bride to shame!

She remained quite reserved during the celebrations, talking with a few of the ladies, and exchanging a little conversation with the King, who favoured his daughter-in-law, as Richard had been happy to discover. He tried not to be seen watching her but, as covertly as he could, he was taking note of everything she did. She consumed quite an impressive amount of wine, and he hoped that she would be up to dancing later, although he had always noticed that Catherine de Medici could hold her wine better than most, especially considering her small stature.

Finally, after the dancing had been going for a while, Richard decided it would be a good time to ask his beloved to dance. Making his way through the laughing, talking guests, he found himself standing in front of her. She smiled at him, a mild look of surprise and puzzlement in her gaze. Richard felt proud of her ability to act the part, as he always did of any skill she possessed and carried out well. He bowed respectfully.

"Good evening, Catherine. In the absence of your husband, I thought I might ask if you would care to join me for the next dance?"

"Thank you, that's very kind of you." She offered him her hand, and he took it, walking on clouds with the lady of his dreams to the dance floor.

There were many couples dancing, and despite the enormous size of the hall, it seemed that there was almost too little space for so many people, which was reassuring to Richard. He knew they would not draw much attention amongst so many others.

Each bowed their head to the other as the dance began, and then Richard held her in his arms at last. She was so beautiful that he hardly dared touch her. The light reflected in her eyes as they sparkled at him, and off the gold accents on her dress. Her cheeks were flushed with the warmth of the evening, and the wine. His mind flashed back to the only other time he had had the pleasure of dancing with Catherine de Medici, that evening that he first met her when Henry had officially introduced her to French Court as his bride-to-be. He had had the audacity to ask Henry if he might dance with her, and Henry had light-heartedly agreed, given that Richard was without the company of his own lady that evening. He had been unable to speak to her at all while they danced, and felt increasingly concerned about it, though he could not force his tongue to move. She was so exquisite, and he felt he was in the presence of an angel. How could he speak with an angel in his arms? He did regret that he hadn't been able to say a word to her, though. He would make up for it this time.

"You look incredible, Catherine," he breathed in her ear as the dance steps drew them close before they passed around each other. "Nobody else here is as beautiful as you are tonight."

"Hush, Richard! Someone will hear you!" Catherine flushed a deeper shade of pink as she whispered in reply to him, but she looked radiant at his words.

"I am just making up for the last time we danced – do you remember? I couldn't speak a word – how embarrassing!" He chuckled.

"You were shy, I remember."

"I am perfectly capable of being quite the opposite of shy. No, you struck me dumb with your beauty."

"I will strike you dumb with my hand if you do not exercise a little more caution with your words!" she hissed at him, but her eyes twinkled with humour.

Holding her hand, he turned her under his arm, and then back again to face him. God, she was gorgeous! Fighting with himself not to allow his love for her to be betrayed by his eyes as he looked at her – nobody must know – he took in her beauty.

"What are you planning for the rest of this evening?" he barely whispered.

"I was thinking of visiting a friend at their chambers to… play a little chess before bed." She gave a mischievous smile and her eyes twinkled. He smiled back at her.

"But will the wine allow you a clear enough mind to triumph?" he ventured cheekily.

She gave a little snort. "I always triumph."

The music finished, and the dance ended. They parted, and he bowed courteously, taking her arm to escort her off the dance floor.

"Thank you. I hope you enjoy your evening," he said, and left her side, leaving no question over their association.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/

The knock he'd been waiting for came to his door shortly after eleven o'clock that evening. In the great hall, many still lingered at the party for the wedding celebrations, but most had already retired for the night, including himself. He left before Catherine, feeling that it would arouse less suspicion – if indeed any could be cast at all – if they did not leave around the same time. He went to his chambers and tidied his desk a little while he waited. He was quite sure she had meant that she would be visiting him this evening, when she mentioned chess with a friend, and his heart leapt when he heard the gentle rapping at the door. Quickly, he opened the door, revealing Catherine, stunning in that red dress, standing in the corridor glancing nervously over her shoulder. He grasped her wrist and with a playful yank, pulled her into the room, shutting the door behind her. He locked it deftly, and turned to her with a grin.

Catherine giggled in a slightly tipsy way, clutching his sleeve. "I do like this bold side of you, Richard!" Her voice was rich and suggestive in tone, and torturously sexy, as she looked at him through lowered eyelashes.

Richard felt so much more at ease in his own chambers, safer somehow, and more able to be himself. He pulled her flush with him, looking into her eyes.

"You have no idea what you have been doing to me all evening in that dress." He closed his lips over hers in a passionate kiss, before resurfacing to add, "Those laces have been tormenting me, begging me to pull them…" He felt quite grateful for the effect of the wine coursing through his own veins. It added to the heady atmosphere which was so arousing at this moment.

Catherine disentangled herself from his arms, and walked to the bed. Turning to face him, she said softly, "Then what are you waiting for?"

Richard all but bowled her over as he swept her almost off her feet in his arms, kissing her rapturously, deeply, tasting the wine on her tongue as she gasped at his advances. Her hands clutched at his shirt, his hair, and he took pleasure in hearing her breathing hard as he kissed and nibbled down her neck. He leaned back from her for a moment, and took hold of one of those tantalising gold laces. She watched, a wry smile curving at one corner of her lips. Breathing heavily, Richard tried to slow down. This was, to him, a glorious moment. She had come to him tonight, and she would be his. He had wanted her for so many years, and now the time had come. Henry could not get in the way, and the door was locked. Tonight, he would show her just how much he loved her. He could not wait – his intense desire almost overwhelmed him, but he knew he had to rein that in. He had to go slow, for Catherine's sake, and so that he could relish every second of such a privilege, with such a woman.

Pulling gently at the lace, he watched the bow spring apart. He began pushing the criss-crossed lacing apart with his fingers, tenderly stroking at her exposed skin as he worked the opening lower. The laces undone, he pushed this section of her dress off her shoulders, exposing the bodice, her beautiful freckled shoulders, and the glorious roundedness of her breasts, pushing up above the snug-fitting fabric.

"Like unwrapping a gift…" he remarked in a breathy whisper. He heard a soft giggle in response, but he didn't look up at her – he was too focused on the task at hand.

Bending his head down, he kissed one of the plump tops of her breasts above the bodice, then the other, and dropped his tongue down into the cleavage between them, tasting the curve of her skin. Catherine gasped, holding the back of his head in her hands, her fingers curling in his hair. She tightened her grasp, pulling his head up to her face, bringing his lips to hers for a searing kiss, her tongue stroking his amorously. Her hands flew to his hips, and her fingers grasped his shirt, pulling it out of his trousers and up his back. He parted from her just long enough to pull it over the top of his head, casting it carelessly to the floor. He returned to her delectable lips, while his hands roamed her back, seeking the release for the remaining section of her dress. Finding another set of laces, he pulled at the strings, untying them quickly and loosening the tight bodice of Catherine's dress. As it fell to the floor around her feet, taking it with it her under-dress, his hands took the place of the tight fabric, cupping both of her breasts in his palms and kneading them gently as he kissed her. Parting to catch their breath, Richard looked down at the treasure in his hands. Perfect – so soft, and fitting his hold perfectly, he marvelled at the darker pink of her nipples as he rubbed his thumbs over them gently, noting their reaction with delight. Beyond them he could see her nakedness in a blur of near incapacitating arousal – shapely hips and legs tapering towards slender ankles, the soft slope of her belly, the little triangle of curls below it that marked his ultimate destination. He paused to regain his senses. Catherine was working his trousers down, and her hand was – no, no! He would never hold off if… He stopped her hand gently.

"Tonight is about you," he smiled at her questioning look. "There's plenty of time for that."

Keeping her hand in his, he stepped out of his trousers and led her to climb into his bed. Pausing at the side, he reached behind her head to unpin her hair, which cascaded over her shoulders in waves of red-gold curls. He gasped out loud at her beauty, and her smile was bashful as she looked down slightly, eyelashes fluttering. She went to remove her tiara as he climbed into bed, but he stopped her, and pulled her in after him.

"No," he said, "Leave it in." Her smile lit him up inside, and he kissed her with all the love and desire he could muster, before pulling back to see her face. "I love you."

"And I love you." Her words came shyly, but with happiness, and his heart filled with joy. He cast his eyes down over her nakedness as she lay against him, and remarked, "You are so gorgeous, Catherine, so perfect," and he took one of her breasts in his hand and bent to kiss it, sweeping his tongue over her nipple and enjoying the gasp that came from her throat as he did so.

He ran his fingers down the curve of her side, tracing her belly as he used his mouth to give equal attention to the other breast. Lifting his head to see her, he praised her, "I can't get enough of you. You taste so…" he bent and took an erect nipple into his mouth, swirling his tongue around the tip lightly, "…delicious!" Oh, the sound that she made – the first moan just for him! He felt a rush of heat sweep through him. Breathing heavily, he caressed her more fervently, increasing his efforts with his mouth and tongue, eager to bring her more pleasure. He moved to shift his position slightly, and as he did so, he noticed her eyes closed and her fingers curled in those beautiful sunset locks spread out on the pillow. Her mouth was slightly open, her head tipped back slightly. She was a goddess! And she was his goddess tonight.

He caressed her hips now, in slow sweeping strokes. Running his hand around behind her, he squeezed the glorious curve of her backside, brushing the crease of her buttocks with his thumb, while his other hand grasped her other hip firmly. Catherine hummed contentedly, running her fingertips along the back of Richard's shoulders. He longed to hear those sounds again – the sounds he had heard her make for Henry. Just the thought of it quickened his pulse and he fought to keep his breathing under control. He didn't want to lose his focus, he mustn't let his excitement overtake him.

Laying his head against her soft belly, he ran his fingers lightly down her legs one by one, sweeping them down to her knee, and then slowly up the tender skin on the inside of her thigh, stopping just short of the treasure between them. When he lingered at the top of her other thigh, drawing light circles on the soft skin next to her womanhood, she gave a shiver, and he heard her pulse quicken with his ear to her belly. He wrapped one arm around her gorgeous thigh – the one nearest to him. Pulling it gently, he parted her legs a little. He took a deep breath, and moved his other hand to explore her where he had only ever dreamed of exploring her. Caressing through her curls on his mission, he finally found his prize. He was completely caught off guard by the unexpected heat and silky wetness that he discovered, and he was barely aware of the long-awaited sound from Catherine's lips as he groaned out his own sound of pleasure, aroused beyond anything he'd felt before.

"Oh God, Catherine!" he moaned, adding desperately, "Show me. Show me how you like to be touched."

Without hesitation, Catherine slid her hand under Richard's, and she began to move it in a certain pattern and rhythm. After a moment, she moved her hand to lay it on top of his, guiding his fingers as he followed her example.

"Like this?"

"Yes," she gasped, "Slow…. for now."

He kissed her navel, her ribs, her breasts, everywhere that he could reach while he ministered to her as she had shown him. He was glad to have asked her, because she was certainly responding to his touch, writhing gently beneath him, sighs and soft moans escaping her lips at intervals.

He soon discovered that using his mouth on her nipples seemed to increase her state of arousal, so he paid them plenty of attention as he pushed his lady towards the peak of her pleasure. She began to groan for him to go faster, and he responded accordingly, painfully aroused. He dared at one point to glance up at her face, and dear lord, he should not have done so. Her face was tipped back in ecstasy and bathed in golden light from the candles. Her lips and cheeks were deeper red than he remembered them being before, and her mouth was open as her chest rose and fell rapidly. She was so arousing to him, so absolutely ravishing, that he almost stopped the rhythm of his ministrations with the distraction, longing to just watch her.

Pulling his eyes from her, he bent his head back to her breasts and increased his efforts. Catherine made sounds that he hadn't heard her make even for Henry, moaning, whimpering and even calling out softly from time to time, and he didn't know how much longer he could take the tension. He didn't dare to move to enter her yet, for he knew he would not last any time at all being this aroused, and he wanted so much to bring her to that point of ecstasy that she deserved.

Her hips rolled and writhed beneath his hand, and he used his other hand to hold her more securely to the bed by her hip. Her arm around his body was moving feverishly, her hand clutching at his hair, scratching at his back, pressing into his shoulders, while her free hand grasped the sheets urgently. He knew that she was close.

"Catherine…" he urged her in a whisper, "Catherine, I love you. You feel so good! I want you!" Listening to her gasps coming faster, he added breathlessly, "I can't wait to hear you let go… Let go, Catherine… Let me hear you…"

Her sounds increasing in pitch, she threw her head back, arching against the sheets, and let out a sound that Richard knew he would remember to his dying day. It was almost a laugh, but it was utterly carnal and he was completely undone. Listening to her continued gasps of ecstasy, he swung his body over and inside her legs, he removed his hand and thrust towards the yielding softness between her thighs. She lifted her hips and spread her legs to make more room for him. With one final thrust, he buried himself deeply within her glorious slick heat, a sensation more exquisite than any he had ever experienced before, and came instantly, collapsing onto her as his orgasm racked through him.

After a moment, he came up for air so that he could apologise, feeling rather ashamed of such a quick finish. As he leaned up onto his elbows atop her, he felt her chest shaking. He lifted his head, and saw her watching at him with sparkling eyes, giggling uncontrollably. Her laughter stirred his own, though he did not see what was so funny.

"What has amused you so?!" he asked breathlessly.

"Just you," she chuckled.

Richard looked away, embarrassed. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to – that is, I - "

"Richard, that doesn't bother me at all!" Catherine reached up and put her hand on his cheek, turning his face back to hers. "Was I really that arousing?" Her eyes searched his for an answer, with an equal measure of mirth and curiosity.

"You were." Richard took her hand in his and kissed each of her fingers in turn. "You're such the erotic goddess, I had no idea! You were nearly the death of me there for a minute!" He laughed and she joined him, enjoying his amusing praise.

He rolled onto his side, and they lay facing each other, hands clasped and legs entwined, under the sheets. Richard freed one of his hands to reach out and stroke the strands of her lovely hair away from her face. He loved that her tiara remained, slightly crooked now.

Catherine spoke softly, "Was that truly your first time?"

"Yes. And I don't mind if it's the last time either. I would be content to my death bed." He kissed her gently. She chuckled as she reached up and touched her tiara, remembering that it was still there.

"This seems a bit out of place now!" she remarked.

"Not at all," replied Richard. "You're the Queen of my heart already."