As you can see, I rated it NC21, only because I didn't believe it fit in with the standards of NC17.

She found an old worn chest, unlocked, in the small dark cabin, and hurriedly opened its groaning lid. Immediately discovering, exactly what she was searching for, a slight smile touched the corners of her mouth, in spite of her fear. The treasure, more valuable than gold . . . A blanket . . . for their makeshift bedroom . . . although a little timeworn . . . softer, then she ever would have imagined . . . and it was clean. As she carefully covered the mattress on the floor, she noticed some dingy brass lanterns, pitted and tarnished from their years at sea, hanging on the wall . . . which thrilled her more, than if they had been priceless works of art.

She shook several, gently . . . hoping for fuel, as she removed them from their hooks . . . and satisfied . . . placed them along the edges of their bed. She found a long tin box, nailed to the wall, below one of the hooks. It was very dark, but when she reached her hand in, she felt two dry strike matches, and clutched them safely in her hand, until she placed them carefully next to the bed. She walked softly, down the narrow, shadowed hallway, and waited by the dim light . . . floating . . . full of fear. The power and depth of this love, reflected in their desperation, had forced them into very dangerous waters.

She drew a quiet breath of relief, as she heard his hurried footfalls, on the iron deck. Rushing toward her. Each step, resounding in the beating of her heart, and bringing him closer to her. When her loving eyes met his, nothing mattered anymore. Safe together, wherever that might be, for however long . . . was home.

" We have one hour." A lifetime of love, in one hour. For death might touch them, before they had another chance. Some, had less.

His touch . . . their kiss . . . just a prelude to the passion, yet to come.

A damp, intense hunger, stirred deep within her body . . . waiting only for him . . . his throbbing aching need, waiting only for her, already fully awakened . . . as they slipped each others clothes off, and dropped them in a pile on the floor. The vestiges that had been Section One, where now forgotten, as she took his hand and gently lead him to their softly covered bed. She proudly presented him with the matches, as if giving him a gift, and held her breath as he scraped one along the floor. It sputtered, sparked and then ignited. They smiled at each other. The flame another treasure. He lit the lanterns and they sprang to life. The old rusty freighter, creaked and yawned, as they shared its warmth . . . and uninvited hospitality.

As they laid side by side, facing each other, he held her tightly in his arms. Her slender arms wrapped around his waist, and her shapely bent knee, hugged his hip closer to her. She felt his erection, involuntarily bobbing against her stomach. She resisted the urge to laugh, at being tickled by love, and she smiled happily instead. His long, beautiful lashes, fluttered against her soft cheek and she felt his heavy breath in her ear, just before he pulled far enough away, to look deeply into her eyes. Like the colors of the powerful sea, holding up the bluest of skies, on a distant horizon, forever bonded together . . . She thought of how often those eyes had held hers captive, through her years of longing for him, with the same power and intensity. At times, that look, her only hope that they would someday be together, and the reason she kept loving him. His eyes now searched and studied her face, as if he was trying to remember it for all eternity. Her soul lived somewhere in those depths. From the past, to the present, he had drawn it from her very slowly, and not without pain.

He moved his hands up from their embrace, and held her face tenderly between them. His sparkling eyes, still searching, thoughtful.

"What ? What are you thinking?"she asked, beginning to sound like him He parted his lips, as if to respond. His eyes grew misty, and he tried to smile, as he strummed her lower lip, softly, with the tips of his fingers.

" It's Nothing."

She had learned a long time ago, that he only lied to her when it was absolutely necessary. Their definition of necessary, not always in agreement, but she knew he would tell her eventually, so she didn't prod him. She didn't have time.

He opened his mouth and devoured her silky lips, and took complete possession of the sweetness that belonged to him alone.

The sensual softness of their tongues, took turns . . . moist and slippery with desire, drifting gently in, held there by intense hunger, then drawn so deep with passion . . . sometimes carried, by the others love . . . drifting out . . . blending and encircling with desperate need . . . as their lips, claimed the others as their own.

Beautiful, shimmering patterns, reflected through the battered portholes, and floated among all the interior, as if on a breeze. As the water gently lapped against their shelter, that held them safely in the palm of its hand, it joined the creaks and groins, and became the orchestration, for the miracle and beauty of their love.

Like miniature lighthouses, in a safe harbor . . . the golden glow from the lanterns, joined the shimmering patterns, and became their seascape. Their flawless bodies, bathed in tawny light, as in a nude portrait . . . painted by the gifted hand and brush of an unknown artist striving for perfection . . . and only now . . . brought to life by passion, forged with undying love.

Immersed in the golden glow, their beautiful eyes never left each others face. He held the small of her back, and pressed his enormous erection against the soft skin just below her waist, so she would feel his all consuming need for her. Her breath caught in her throat, as she ran her soft, slender fingers, slowly down, and over the strength and length of each muscle, so apparent, as his beautiful long fingers, delicately as a feather, slid down the profile of her perfect body, until they reached their destination . . . the wet silky opening that was waiting impatiently, only for him.

He traced and stroked the soft, sensual, burning passion at his fingertips, and as two entered the silky wetness, he watched her as she drew in her breathe. As his fingers climbed deeper in their seductive search, he felt her shudder at the expectation, of what was yet to come. She clenched his hips tightly, as she arched her back, against the sensation of his exploration. "No, Michael," she barely breathed, " It's too soon."

He disregarded every word she'd spoken, and continued until she finally pulled away.

She pushed his hips, till he laid firmly on his back, and quickly swung her leg over his strong thighs, and placed both her hands, on perfect broad shoulders. She slid her fingers slowly down the length of his beautiful arms, and held his wrists captive, as her tongue gently traced the tip of his pulsating hardness to its rim. The wetness there, mingled with her soft tongue, and as she tasted his sweetness . . . she knew he couldn't breathe, for fear he would explode on her lips.

" No Nikita," he gasped, as he tried to find the breath that had escaped him. " It's too soon." As he broke free of her hold over him, he closed his eyes for a moment, and his long lashes fluttered as he tried to regain some composure.

With strong hands, he lifted her up and onto his throbbing swollen hardness, which swiftly found her entrance, and was waiting just as desperately, for the joining that promised ecstacy. His slow, tender thrusts, tightly encased by the slippery, deepest, burning passion he had ever known, tried desperately to drive into the deepest part of her . . . but she teased him without mercy, as halfway in, she'd withdraw, then give his arousal another teasing taste, before pulling back again. His control, to withhold the heavy load he was carrying, was on the threshold of failure, as he finally pleaded, " Please . . . only for you . . . so much."

" Be Patient," her sweet breath on his face, answered his plea to release him from his agony. With every ounce of strength, he tried . . . but couldn't hold back much more, and she knew it, as he pressed her buttocks to him without mercy, penetrated her with his whole length, and buried his heavy erection into the deepest recesses of her soul.

The slippery heat, pulling him ever deeper, pushing him back, sucking him back into the depths of her erotic steam, and consumed him, beyond all reason, and reached far beyond the boundaries of any other love, before God, he knew with certainty. " Now, Nikita. Oh My God, NOW."

" Yes Now," she barely whispered, and their lips met only briefly, till they both cried out as their pulsating shudders joined their souls, soared them upward toward the stars, then placed them on a beautiful tidal wave of ecstacy, that over and over again, crashed them to the shore.

They clung to each other, never wanting to let go. She ran her fingers through his thick hair, waited for their hearts to stop pounding, and their bodies to cool down, but they were quickly running out of precious time. Their eyes were locked on each other, both holding back tears that they knew would come in the night, when this beautiful memory would become so painful. She wondered if they would ever get used to the sorrow, and how many more times they would have to say goodbye. A few weeks ago, time meant absolutely nothing to her, and now at this moment, it meant everything.

She started to draw away, but he pulled the curve of her hips even closer to him, refusing to extract himself from her warm loving body. His eyes were full of misery, as the reality of the cruel dark world they survived in, would separate them once again. " Just one more minute, Nikita?"

She felt the tears welling up behind the blue pools that were an exact reflection of the misery she faced. She laid her hand gently on his cheek Her soft fingers traced his strong jaw line, and finally rested on his lips, where he opened his mouth and drew them into the warmth there. As his mouth released them, his trembling hand held the tips of her fingers, that knew him so intimately, and pressed them softly to his tender lips, where he placed a heart-breaking kiss. Nikita closed her eyes tightly, for she could not bear to see the torment, that had quickly taken the place, of the now cherished memory.

She pulled away, before she would give in to the tears she was desperately trying to hold back. She stood and walked quickly from the cabin, where the scent of their passion still mingled with the kerosene from the lanterns.

She retrieved their Section clothes, and returned to her love, who was standing looking out the porthole, onto the sea. The shimmering patterns danced over his beautiful body, and it reminded her so vividly of their night spent together in Lyon. She smiled, as she realized, this was nothing like the memory in Lyon. How many nights through the years of despair, had it been the only memory that she cherished? That she lived for?

She had learned so much since then. She knew that she would wait for him all of her life, if she had to. Until death, do you part. And that the path to peace and love could only be found in his arms. She finally knew, that they shared the same dream.

Before she started to dress, he walked slowly to her. He buried her head on his shoulder, and held her in his arms, the only place on this earth she felt safe. The quiet beautiful moment, contained no peace, no comfort, only agony. She knew it, as she told him softly, about the agonizing evening, she had spent not too long ago. " I walked in the snow, and I was in the depths of despair, when I thought of the ending of a bittersweet love story and the words brought me comfort. The next morning, I made a pot of coffee, pretending you were there, and as I was drinking the horrible stuff," she smiled, hoping to lighten the burden they were both carrying, "I found the note you slipped under my door, and my gift . . . Sometimes, from the depths of despair, comes a gift of great joy. Promise me you'll try and accept our fate for now, or we won't survive this, Michael."

Michael's face drained white, and he was struggling to remain composed.He took several deep breathes, before he asked, " What were the words that brought you comfort?"

"Why ask for the moon, when we can have the stars? . . Please," she pleaded, "Think about them, Michael."

He pulled her back into his arms, and turned his head quickly away, for fear she would see the suffering, that he almost couldn't carry. It was one of the many things he loved so much about her. Her ability to look beyond the grief and pain, and find the sun and rainbow, through the clouds.

He tried to sound calm, by his voice was strangled as he said into her hair, " I promise I will . . . I'm so proud of you."

She smiled, and a bitter sweet happiness touched her own heart. As she started to leave the protection of his arms, he pulled her back to him again, and his eyes glistened with tears, only held in place by his thick lower lashes.

" There's something very important . . . that you never told me . . . I have to know."

His voice, fraught with hesitation, and so faint, that she could barely hear him. She waited for him to continue, and searched his face for the cause of this new, stirring, emotional pain. He looked down briefly. She knew that look so well. His undeniable effort to keep control, was starting to frighten her.

" What is it, Michael?" she asked softly.

" Do you love me?"

It was such a simple question. And one to which she'd always had the answer.

He had as well, known the answer for many years, she was sure. Nevertheless, he was desperate to hear the words spoken, so he could remember them, through the time that would pass, before they had another chance to be together, and would risk their lives again. She knew exactly how he felt. As much as she had always loved him, she never loved him more, than she did at this very moment, just before another goodbye.

She looked deeply into the beautiful gray-green eyes, that sparkled with profound love and unshed tears, with a new understanding. She pressed her hand onto his chest, and felt his heart beating, as she answered, " Yes, I love you . . . With All My Heart."

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