Well, in my defense, I had this chapter written out Friday night for you. I had planned on posting it Saturday morning before going out of town. Unfortunately my computer crashed sometime in-between and it corrupted the saved file. In other words, when I got home today, I had to completely rewrite this chapter. Luckily for you, I remembered most of what I had written so it didn't take too long. Read, review, and enjoy, and Merry Christmas to you all, and for those of you who don't celebrate Christmas, Happy Holidays, Happy Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or whatever holidays I may be unintentionally forgetting!
~nibblesfan
A few months later…
Erik walked into the house after spending the day at the theater with some exciting news. Belle was on the floor playing with her toys, Ayesha curled up next to her, but she began to babble and held out her arms when she saw him, clearly wanting to be held. He scooped her up and kissed the center of her forehead.
Her chubby hands came up to tug on his mask. Erik rolled his eyes, pulled the porcelain from his face, and placed it on a nearby table. Once Belle had figured out the mask came on and off, it had become a wonderful game for her. She would lift it up, reveal his face, giggle, then let it go, like an elaborate game of peek-a-boo. However, it quickly became irritating for Erik so he rarely wore his mask when he was home anymore. Like Katja had promised, his face didn't seem to bother Belle at all.
He walked into the kitchen, where he found his wife beginning to cook dinner. "There you are," Katja said, placing a kiss on his cheek. "I was starting to wonder if rehearsal ran long again. Supper will be ready in about half an hour or so."
"Was Fredrick here today?"
She shook her head before turning back to the stove. "No, he was just here yesterday." After a few weeks without any sign of danger, Fredrick began spending only a few hours with Katja every day, then only a few days a week, until he was just stopping by every once in a while to check on Katja, usually about once a week. "How was rehearsal?"
Erik shrugged. "It was alright," he replied.
Katja whirled around to face him. "What do you mean 'alright'? If there's one thing I know about you Erik Destler, it is that nothing is ever just 'alright'. You are the most dramatic man I ever met. Either everything is perfection or on the verge of catastrophe with you! What are you hiding?" He sat at the table with a sigh, hugged Belle, and hung his head. "Erik?" Katja asked softly.
"Well, one of the toughest critics in Europe was at the performance last night."
Her eyes grew wide as she sat beside him. "And…"
"He was at rehearsal this morning…"
"And…" Katja prodded.
"I was playing one of my compositions beforehand…"
Katja stared at him, as her voice grew more urgent. "And…"
Erik suddenly smirked. "He loved it. He wants to publish my music!"
"Oh Erik, that's wonderful!" Katja cried. "Now the whole world can hear your genius!" She took Belle and kissed her stomach, making the baby giggle. "Did you hear that, Belle? Vati's going to be a published composer!"
Belle extended her arms towards her father. "Vati!" she repeated gleefully.
The couple exchanged a wide-eyed glance. "Did she just…?" Erik started.
"Her first word!" Katja exclaimed. "Erik, you were her first word! Oh I don't think today can get any better!"
Their daughter stood on Katja's knees, rocking unsteadily, relying on her mother for support as she babbled happily. "You know, Brigitte thinks that Belle will be walking soon," Erik said with a smile.
"She can't be that old already."
"Well she'll be a year old in just a couple months," Erik replied.
"Nein, I won't believe it. There's no way Belle's growing up this quickly. Because if she's nearly one already, then the next thing we know, she'll be all grown up, and I can't even begin to imagine that right now."
Erik realized that Katja was tearing up. He reached out and caressed her cheek. "Don't worry about that right now. Belle's still just a baby. She still has her whole life ahead of her. Don't get ahead of yourself just yet."
Katja wiped her eyes quickly. "I suppose I'm being foolish, aren't I?"
"No more than usual," he replied with a teasing smile.
She rolled her eyes before passing Belle back to him. "I suppose I'd better get dinner finished before we starve."
Later that night, after Belle was in bed, Katja walked into the music room and wrapped her arms around Erik's neck, pulling him away from his composition. "What do you want?" Erik asked, as he brought her onto his lap. He leaned in and kissed her neck, gently nipping the skin.
"I want you to play for me," she replied.
"Anything in particular?" Erik growled before running his hands up her body. Katja arched her back, pressing her soft breasts into his hands. "Whatever it is, I hope it's short." He resumed kissing her for a moment before adding, "Because I have another activity in mind right now."
"Something from your opera."
Those four words shattered the mood between them. Erik remained silent for a moment as he attempted to process her request. Finally he spoke. "No," he replied coldly.
"Why not?"
"Not with Belle in the house."
Katja stood and crossed her arms. "She's asleep. She won't hear. You've never played anything from it before. Why won't you let me hear it?"
"Because you tried to kill yourself when you took one look at it!"
"I was lost, confused, and scared. I had spent five years locked in a cage, being tortured and raped when I found a book full of erotic music. Could you blame me?"
"That's why I don't want to play it," Erik replied. "I don't want to drag up all those painful memories for you or me. I wrote that in a very dark time of my life, and I killed one man and nearly killed another the last time I played this. Don Juan is powerful. It burns to listen to it Katja. If I lose control of myself…"
"You won't," she protested. "You haven't with me yet. Maybe, we can take all those bad memories and replace them with good ones. And surely the whole thing can't be so awful. There must have been some lighter points in the opera."
Erik shook his head. "You don't understand, Katja."
"Then help me understand."
He stared at the piano before him for several tense minutes, deep in thought. After several, agonizingly long minutes, Erik relented. "Don't say I didn't warn you," he said before pulling out the leather-bound music. He thumbed through it before deciding on a song and placing it before her. "This is probably the least worst song for me to play for you, especially with Belle home, but unfortunately this is the most painful for me. This was as far as we had gotten during the performance."
Katja swallowed hard as she looked over the song, The Point of No Return. Not only was it the song she had skimmed through before overdosing on morphine, as she looked at the lyrics, she couldn't help but feel a surge of jealousy from the thought of Erik singing this to another woman. He glanced at her again, waiting for the go-ahead to begin playing. Katja knew that if she didn't have him play now, he would never do it.
"It's a…well, a duet," Erik said, staring hard at the piano. "You'll need to sing Aminta's part."
"I…I suppose I can," she replied. "I probably won't sound as good as your opera protégé though." Erik could hear the bitterness in her voice. He wanted to comfort her, but he no longer knew what to say. Instead, he began to play, hoping that he didn't turn into the animal that he knew was still buried deep within.
"You have come here
in pursuit of
your deepest urge,
in pursuit of
that wish,
which till now
has been silent,
silent . . ."
Katja closed her eyes as his silky smooth voice caressed her body. Already she could feel her desire growing again. She ran her hands over her breasts, feeling her nipples grow taut, although it wasn't the same feeling she had when Erik touched her.
"I have brought you,
that our passions
may fuse and merge -
in your mind
you've already
succumbed to me
dropped all defenses
completely succumbed to me –"
Erik's fingers slid from the keys, as he stood, still singing seductively. Katja could feel his hands over her own, running them over her body. He leaned in closer, his hot breath on her ear.
"Now you are here with me:
no second thoughts,
you've decided,
decided . . ."
He paused for a moment to nip her earlobe. Katja waited breathlessly for his song to continue. Her husband didn't disappoint, and after another kiss on her neck, he continued.
"Past the point
of no return -
no backward glances:
our games of make believe
are at an end . . .
Past all thought
of "if" or "when" -
no use resisting:
abandon thought,
and let the dream
descend . . ."
His hands dropped hers before encircling her neck. While he wasn't choking her, Katja still found herself panting. Erik pulled her backwards until his hips were grinding into hers, and she could feel his erection growing in his trousers.
"What raging fire
shall flood the soul?
What rich desire
unlocks its door?
What sweet seduction
lies before
us . . .?"
Finally Erik's hands began to explore her body again. He cupped her breasts in his hands and flicked his thumbs over her nipples. Katja moaned and arched her back, her soft mounds begging for more attention.
"Past the point
of no return,
the final threshold -
what warm,
unspoken secrets
will we learn?
Beyond the point
of no return . . ."
Katja finally opened her eyes again as Erik released her. He was watching her like a predator stalking its prey, and she knew she was completely at Erik's mercy. There was no backing out now. They had truly passed the point of no return. She had awakened the beast within Erik and nothing was going to stop it until its desire had been sated.
"You have brought me
to that moment
where words run dry,
to that moment
where speech
disappears
into silence,
silence . . ."
For a moment, Katja feared that her voice wouldn't be strong or beautiful enough to please Erik, but he didn't seem to notice if it wasn't, and if he did, he didn't seem to care.
"I have come here,
hardly knowing
the reason why . . .
In my mind,
I've already
imagined our
bodies entwining
defenseless and silent -
and now I am
here with you:
no second thoughts,
I've decided,
decided . . ."
A moan escaped her lips, a result of Erik's attentions to her body. He leaned in close to her ear. "Sing," he commanded in a voice that left no room for debate. Katja repressed another moan, nodded, and obeyed.
"Past the point
of no return -
no going back now:
our passion-play
has now, at last,
begun . . .
Past all thought
of right or wrong -
one final question:
how long should we
two wait, before
we're one . . .?"
Now it was Katja's turn to torment Erik. She deftly undid the buttons of his shirt, revealing his hard chest beneath. She raked her nails over the skin, making him hiss, before reaching down to rub the growing bulge in his trousers. Erik's breaths came out in heaving gasps, his eyes glistening with raw, carnal desire. Katja wanted to know just how far she could push him. As she continued the song, she ceased her attentions and walked across to the other side of the room.
"When will the blood
begin to race
the sleeping bud
burst into bloom?
When will the flames,
at last, consume
us . . .?"
Erik wouldn't have it. He crossed the room in only a handful of steps before taking both of her wrists in one of his hands and pinning them to the wall above her head. "Vixen," he growled, before crushing his mouth against hers. When he came up for air, their voices began to blend, while he began to unbutton her dress with his free hand.
"Past the point
of no return
the final threshold -
the bridge
is crossed, so stand
and watch it burn . . .
We've passed the point
of no return . . ."
As their last note died out, Katja and Erik stared at each other, both panting and full of desire. Erik released her wrists so he could remove her dress, leaving Katja standing there in only her corset and chemise. She slid the shirt from his shoulders so that Erik was naked, except for his trousers. To her surprise, Erik took her into his arms, singing another song, this one far softer and sweeter than she expected.
"Say you'll share with me one love, one lifetime
Lead me, save me from my solitude
Say you'll want me with you here beside you
Anywhere you go let me go too, Katja, that's all I ask of…"
She cut him off with a passionate kiss. Erik picked her up so that her legs were around his waist and her arms around his neck. He carried her into the bedroom, and the two tumbled onto the bed. He began to fumble with the laces on her corset. Katja was just about to reach around to help him when she heard a loud Riiiip. "Erik!" she gasped in shock as he tossed the ruined corset aside.
He yanked the chemise over her head before he pushed her backwards onto the mattress. "I'll buy you a new one," he growled, before leaving a trail of kisses between her breasts and down her stomach. Erik paused long enough to discard his trousers before beginning to make sweet love to his wife, taking them both past the point of no return.