CHAPTER 32

"Did you like it?" he asked.

"Yes." She had hesitated only a moment before answering.

"I admit it's not the ballet, or the opera, but the park goers seem to like it." He commented.

"I can understand why, the music is magical and the imagery in the lyrics is vivid, but you're right, it's not the opera or the ballet. I liked it either way." Erik let out a small unsatisfied sigh.

They were silent for a while longer as the sounds of retreating footsteps faded away and the lights were put out. Soon enough they were alone in the theater, whose only illumination came from a pair of gas lamps that were left lit by the doors that led out to the boardwalk. The box in which they sat was pitch black, and even Lisa's keen eyes would have trouble finding the way out without assistance. The strange part was that neither she nor Erik was in a hurry to escape its confines. Sitting quietly they simply enjoyed the presence of the other.

"Perhaps… I have a place here. I could play you something more to your liking if you wish?" He said softly.

"I would enjoy that." Seeing only the faint outline of his form, Lisa watched Erik stand and approach her. He gently took her hand and guided her to stand and follow him. They went back out and down the spiral stair that had brought them to the opera box. When they reached the first floor platform, instead of exiting the door that led back to the alleyway, another dark passage was revealed that descended to an area that was at least 2 floors beneath the stage.

When they reached the bottom Lisa lost the safe grip of Erik's hand and was left standing alone in what seemed like an endless darkness. She heard the jingle of keys, the scraping of a lock being released, and the creak of a door being opened. He pulled her through the new opening and then his footsteps moved away from her. The small explosion of a match being lit flared in the darkness and resolved into the five points of light from a candelabrum.

The first thing she saw was his mask, the white porcelain half mask he normally wore. Somehow he had managed to discard the black raven's mask he'd been wearing.

"Slipped into something more comfortable I see." She teased, and the ghost of a smile touched the corner of his mouth. Carefully she moved forward and the rest of the room began to come into focus. It was fairly large and occupied a space directly below the musicians pit and stage above. There were no windows that she could find, nor could she make out the color of the walls but guessed they were black or nearly so. But the part that amazed Lisa the most as she neared the center, was a large black piano that glistened under the candlelight.

Erik had seated himself on the bench, waiting for her to reach the instrument. When she did, Lisa stood facing him and ran her hands across the shiny surface of the piano. Erik opened the cover of a loose leaf portfolio that had already been in place. He positioned his hands over the keys, but before he began he looked up into Lisa's eyes.

It took a moment for Lisa to quantify what she saw in those orbs. There was pain and sorrow, mixed with excitement and passion, but there was also fear. Was he afraid of her, or of the music? She knew already that his practiced hands had no risk of faltering in playing, and it humbled her that he'd give her a private performance.

The music began softly, using very little effort to bring each chord to life. The room had been made to have the best acoustics she'd ever heard and the music seemed to stroke every inch of her skin. She was hearing more than a pretty collection of notes, a story was being told and even without lyrics Lisa could feel the emotions it conveyed. Longing, desire and pain, then with a faint build of melody there was hope.

She closed her eyes and felt the colors of it fill her mind. They danced in her head and splashed against an invisible surface. The aching need in the melody made Lisa ache for her paint brush so that she could paint this music. It would burst forth with black and grey before bleeding red and purple onto the canvas, but just before the vision began to take shape the music stopped.

Lisa's eyes popped open as if she'd been startled from a deep sleep. Erik was staring at her, his eyes wide and rapt, glistening with unshed tears.

"Why did you stop?" Lisa asked with a shaky voice.

"It's unfinished. I was writing it just before…" his eyes trailed away and he looked over the last page of the composition once more before gently closing the cover. Erik stood and walked to her. He stopped only inches away then leaned over and blew out the flames from each candlestick. Blackness swam again around Lisa, causing her senses to ignite. She became achingly aware of Erik's heat as it collided with her own. Anticipation seemed to bleed into the air, making it thick. In moments all they could hear was their increasingly ragged breathing.

Erik's hand found Lisa's on the surface of the piano. He massaged each digit from tip to base with his fingers, giving special attention to the tender flesh in between. He then lifted it and kissed the knuckles, than the tips of each finger and finally the warm palm.

All of Lisa's senses were focused on his touch, and when she felt his lips it made her entire body tingle. But the biggest shock was when he started brushing his face against her sensitive hand. Having the comfort of darkness to hide him he'd discarded the mask, and guided her fingers to explore the distorted flesh of one side then the smooth angelic skin of the other.

Lisa's mind exploded with a whirlwind of color as the paintbrush of her imagination kicked in. She wondered if he knew that as an artist she was able to visualize every inch of his face as she caressed it. Every rough rise of skin and twisted sinew took shape in her mind, so when she raised her lips to find his in the darkness she knew the reality of the person she yearned for.

Lisa felt his breath first, then his lips soft and strong against hers. She led the way at first as they only brushed, testing the suppleness of tender skin. Then in a rush of passion he pressed his mouth fully to hers and she opened to offer him her surrender. He hesitated only a moment before slipping his tongue inside to claim her.

If it wasn't for the support of the piano on one hip and the grip of his long fingers on the other, Lisa would have crumpled to the floor on legs that had become jelly. Her hands were still caressing his face as she tasted his desire. Growing bolder with each second she reached to feel the muscles of his neck as they worked.

Erik had pulled Lisa into a painfully demanding hold that pressed the entire length of her body into his, and Lisa's own body was responding with equal fervor. She could feel every bit of his hardness enticing her. Lisa was his willing prey, aching more with every passing second to be made his entirely.

With Charles she'd been the virginal blushing bride, not knowing or understanding the burning desire within. His experienced touch had taught her how to savor the intimacy between a man and woman. Now it was different, she was different. She craved and hungered for this strange man in ways she knew weren't conventional even in the new world. Would he think her brazen and shameless for responding to him in such earnest? Lisa pulled away, gasping for breath but not letting go of Erik's shoulders.

"Are you alright, did I hurt you?" there was confusion and anxiety in his voice.

"No, no, it's just been a long time since… well, since I've felt like this. Since I've wanted…" she trailed off, uncertain how to express herself and unsure if she should admit her need. He let out a small disbelieving huff.

"And what do you want?" He asked tremulously.

"I want you Erik, as if it isn't already very obvious." Lisa buried her face into the front of his coat as tears threatened. Admitting it to herself had been a difficult enough ordeal, having to say it out loud to him was grueling. But it had opened up something inside of her. Lisa felt so vulnerable.

There was suddenly so much she wanted to say, but couldn't find the words to express her feelings. If he was to reject her now she knew she'd die. Erik raised his arms to wrap around her shoulders and hold her in a possessive embrace. Lisa was pliant in his arms, ready to give him anything and everything if he would just ease the throbbing ache of her soul.

"Lisa, will you stay here with me tonight?" he asked.

"Yes." Lisa responded. Her voice wavered from the weight of her need. She didn't recognize the sound, but before she could panic his lips were on hers again, and his hands were everywhere. Urgency was building.

Undaunted, Erik caressed her shoulders and felt his way down to the small of her back. With each pass he grew more daring, running his hands over her bottom and thighs. He came up high enough to brush his thumb along the underside of her breasts, making her shutter. She also began stroking his body through the suit, feeling the long limbs and narrow waist. He was so warm that she wanted to crawl inside of him and sleep forever. The thought made her smile into their kiss.

"Is there something funny?" he asked.

"I just feel… good, very… good." She said on a long sigh, spreading her fingers wide on his chest to feel the shape and the beat of his heart. "Someone once told me that if you can't laugh with your lover then you have the wrong person in your bed."

"Then I'll have to think of some good jokes, but we're not lovers yet." He teased.

"Semantics, quickly remedied." She said.

"Well, not that quickly." At the same moment he recaptured her lips, Erik bent forward and swept Lisa up, cradling her against his chest. It was still pitch black and Lisa couldn't see where he was taking her. She heard a door open and his footsteps became muffled as they transitioned from wood to carpeted floors. After a few feet Erik stopped, released her legs and lowered her to the ground.

She'd already managed to loosen his cravat and tossed it aside. She slid the buttons of his jacket free, then those of his waistcoat and finally of his shirt. When she felt the silky skin and springy hairs of his chest she moaned loudly with approval. Eric hissed a breath of pure elation at the feel of her hands exploring him. It was a sensation so alien he had to fight the reflex to pull away, but at the same time so delicious it kept him routed.

Christine's touch had been hesitant and modest in comparison to Lisa's hungry petting. Finding it hard to hold back Lisa leaned forward to kiss his chest. His scent was immediately intoxicating, and Lisa couldn't resist tasting him. Erik only held her tenderly as she drank in the nectar of his body. She pulled and tugged the clothes from his arms until he was naked from the waist up.

Lisa looked with her hands, and saw with her heart so that when she felt the marks of scars on his torso and back it startled her. His face had not scared her, but the long strips of raised flesh and misshapen areas of indented tissue that she traced were horrifying. Had he been whipped and burned?

"Erik! How did this happen to you." It took him a moment to register her question. He'd been drunk on the feeling of her touch, but her words had suddenly made him feel ashamed to be so exposed.

"Remember what I'd told you about my childhood. The gypsies didn't just see me as an animal; they also treated me like one." There was sadness in his statement, but not the same bitterness he had shown when he'd first described his captivity to her. What had changed she wondered.

Lisa circled around him and kissed every inch of skin she could, and there was plenty to keep her busy. Erik threw his head back as he relished the sensation. It wasn't pity, pity Erik would not have allowed, nor was it sympathy. It was something far more precious that he couldn't yet identify, but when Lisa circled back to stand before him he was too distracted to analyze it. The ruffles of her dress brushed against his belly as she caressed his scars, and his erection jumped against the restrictive binding of his trousers.

She was wearing a lot more clothes then he was now and Erik wanted to remedy the unbalance as soon as possible. Thankfully his knowledge of women's apparel had expanded since he took up the task of designing some of the show girls outfits. While she was busy with exploring his exposed flesh, he found and began slipping buttons out of buttonholes on her dress. As soon as she felt it was loose enough she stepped back and tugged it off.

How he wanted to look at her, but if he could see her then she'd be able to see him, and he could not take the look of disgust on her face. Surely she would find him repugnant and seek to escape. He had some small hope, that after loving him, she would not be appalled by his face like Christine. Although he knew it to be inevitable, Erik hoped to avoid the big reveal as long as possible.

There was the sound of some more shuffling. When he reached out he expected to find a corset to tangle with or another of the layers women wore, but was greeted instead by hot skin.

"You weren't wearing anything under that dress this whole time?" His voice had an uncharacteristic tenor as he imagined her.

"I'm not a big fan of corsets, and everything else is pretty easy to slip off. Does it bother you?" She knew she sounded like a schoolgirl afraid of displeasing a beau, instead of a grown woman about to accept a new lover. Lisa tried to shake off her own inhibitions before she turned tail and ran.

"I assure you I have no complaints." Erik collected Lisa's bare waist and pulled her close. Her generous breasts were crushed against his chest, and when he kissed her he growled audibly. Erik pushed Lisa backward until the back of her knees collided with a bed, and she instinctively sunk down taking him with her. With her hands she sought out the pillows and head board, then laid back to get comfortable. Erik was with her every step of the way and settled down next to her to caress her bosom.

He measured every inch of each mound before dipping down to seek and capture the aching peak in his mouth. He felt like a wanton animal as he took all he wanted from her, but every sound she made encouraged him to continue. Erik may have been a novice in experience, but he'd had decades to study all the techniques that would bring a woman pleasure.

Erik had spent many long moments imagining all the things he yearned to do. During his days as the phantom he'd very nearly exploded with need daily while he lusted after Christine, but rarely did he succumb to the temptation of self-abuse. He'd denied himself any form of release until he could have her.

Erik had believed it a necessary discipline, and reserved himself for only his music or her. It was during his most manic episodes of desire that he created his best works. Most would consider the self-control he commanded phenomenal given his situation. That last night she'd come to him, he'd taken her over and over, filling a need that might never be sated. Now, even though his technique was much more calculated, Eric's passion was still a beast he had to fight with for control.

Erik spent many long moments honoring the tender globes of Lisa's breasts. Lisa then took his hand and sucked each finger in turn before guiding them down to sink between her thighs. She led his hands to trace and learn every fold, until finding the hardened nub that was the core of her longing. He remembered touching Christine this way, but he'd only explored those feminine secrets while trying to let her whimpers teach him. Lisa knew what was needed and he allowed her to show him what she wanted for a while, but then took the initiative to command her pleasure.

He found the swollen opening to her body and dipped his fingers into her wet heat. First one digit tested the tight ring of her entrance by twirling just the tip around and around, then a second and a third before pushing slowly into the channel; Lisa arched her hips as her hunger swelled. Soon he was stroking her with an escalating rhythm. It was like playing an instrument, a living and breathing instrument whose need to crescendo was building steadily. All his concentration was set upon it, but when she reached down to touch the bulge of his pants he was nearly undone.

"I need you now Erik. Please now." She moaned. He unbuttoned and kicked off his pants in record time, tossing them to the floor with his shoes, than positioned himself over her. She obligingly spread her knees and reached to find the turgid flesh of his manhood. She petted along the shaft and cupped his testicles before guiding him into her depths.

In the moment they were joined both let out a loud sigh of delight. It was like coming home, and nothing else existed on the earth but them. Lisa's eyes rolled as he filled her, the girth of his cock spreading her secret lips. His length immediately reached that place deep inside her that sparked the spasms that preceded her climax.

Erik tried to keep the pace as slow as possible for as long as possible, but the need clawing inside him was growing louder and louder, and Lisa's hips rising up to meet him made keeping control a near impossibility. The vessel of her body was programmed to grind her aching pubis against him and maximize the friction between them. Each slide of his pulsing erection against the swollen and slick walls of her sex set his blood on fire. Moving in a dance as old as time, Lisa and Erik's body collided in one moment than moved in unison the next, riding every wave of sensation to its crest.

They began to gain tempo, his grunts matching her moans as they undulated together on the bed. Unable to hold back any longer, Erik began to thud hard into her, as if he were trying to creep inside her. Lisa's moans became a pained whimper until the explosion of her orgasm burst forth in an animalistic scream that almost sounded like his name.

Lisa's body convulsed and went rigid underneath him. Her cry of release filled the room and reverberated off the walls. Erik felt the canal of her womanhood grip and pulse around his cock, drawing the juices from him and making him explode within her. Every cell of his body seemed to ignite and burst like the combustion of fireworks.

Even after he'd spilled all his seed and she'd collapsed spent, he kept riding her until slowly and only because of exhaustion he stilled and lay down on top of her. The weight of his body was delicious. When he tried to roll off of her, Lisa held him firmly in place. It made him laugh at her as he kissed her shoulder and collar bone. They stayed for a long time that way, with him still nestled within her and exchanging amorous kisses.

He couldn't remember where, but at some point his wig had been discarded. She languidly stroked his scalp and the few strands of scraggly hair he had. He was too satisfied at that moment to worry about his appearance and simply enjoyed the tenderness. There was a fullness to the moment that hadn't been there after he'd loved Christine. Erik knew without having to think what the difference was. There was a promise here, though neither had said it, of a sunrise.