Jareth let slip a soft sound that told her everything there was to know about just how very badly he wanted her. Then, as if he'd only needed to hear the truth of it in his own voice, he snatched her close. He lifted her right off her feet in furious delight, holding her tightly as he took charge of the kiss. Sarah parted her lips under the onslaught, her arms going up around his neck. The sweet taste of him exploded in her mouth, shorting out basic neural functions. She couldn't breathe. She couldn't think.

Sarah could almost feel her I.Q. dropping. It was that good.

He was kissing her in slow motion, deep, desperate, lingering caresses. She felt like she was melting. Sarah tangled her fingers in his feather-soft hair, deafened by a rising roar of lust, and relief, and some deeper emotion she couldn't name. It coiled delightfully in her stomach, glowing warm with unnatural heat.

God, the way he tasted...it was like some forbidden drug. Too wonderful. Sarah licked at his mouth as if she would never get enough. Jareth leaned into her, forcing her back into an arch, deepening the kiss until Sarah thought she just might faint dead away. She realized suddenly that she was making noise. Soft little desperate sounds, swallowed by his mouth. Sarah broke off, gasping for air, and barely stopped herself from whimpering at the loss.

She had to get a hold of herself, Sarah thought as the room got a bit fuzzy. She blinked her eyes and shook her head a little, breathing hard. No swooning over deposed, magical, sexy kings.

Jareth groaned softly and recaptured her mouth, as if he couldn't stand not to be kissing her. Her tongue was still tingling from the first kiss, still echoing with the sweet taste of her heart's deepest desires. So it was a shock how much of a relief the second kiss was. It was as if having already had it, she'd become more sensitive, not less. The affect was utterly devastating. She'd never want anything else, Sarah thought with a thrill of awe and terror. She'd never drink or eat anything ever again...after all, what flavor could possibly compare to this? Even worse- how could she ever stand to go without it? Sarah would end up like a mouse in an addiction experiment, refusing to hit the button for food so she could keep hitting the lever for one more fix.

Then Jareth moaned into her mouth. He made a noise like she was hurting him. Like he was ravenous, and terrified, and exhilarated all at once. He stated to shake a little.

Jareth sounded like Sarah felt. Sarah wondered for the first time what she tasted like to him.

The liquid heat that had curled so deliciously in her stomach migrated higher, and started to ache. Sarah pulled back a little, lifting her eyes to look up at him as she brushed her lips lightly over his mouth. He breathed out softly, the warmth spreading over her face. He looked dangerously carnal. Sarah was so close to him she was sharing the air in his lungs, but it still wasn't close enough. She felt her heart contract in her chest. The feeling was damn near unbearable. God, she ached...and when she met his eyes, she saw a similar desperation there.

Jareth took a step and pushed her up against the back of her couch. His hands caught under her thighs and he lifted her up, pressing forward as her legs parted. His head dipped, his mouth moving wetly down along the delicate skin on the side of her neck. He was messy and desperate about it, and Sarah moaned gratefully, sharing his impatience.

She slipped her hands up under his arms, drawing her nails firmly down the length of his back.

"Ah, yes," Jareth hissed, shivering once all over as if she'd done something unspeakably wonderful. Encouraged, Sarah pressed herself against him, bracing herself with one hand on the back of the couch so she wouldn't fall over. A firm, warm part of him slid snugly up against her inner thigh, making her stomach flutter. Sarah tugged her arm tightly around his waist to hold him there. Jareth growled softly, and bit her, just where her neck met her shoulder. He applied his teeth carefully, worrying at her skin as if he found her delicious.

Sarah tilted her head and pressed her face into pale, feather soft hair until she found the ear she was looking for, and started to nibble. Jareth sighed against her skin, leaning into her, very obviously enjoying what she was doing to him. Sarah licked him, enjoying herself. He hissed in a breath and lifted his head to trail the tip of his tongue delicately along the edge of her earlobe. It sent a shock down that entire side of her body, making her jerk and gasp against him. Jareth's erection shifted as she moved, and it came to rest at a very sensitive spot. Sarah had a brief instant of shocked appreciation at how undeniably right it felt to have him there. Jareth stiffened, his eyes fluttering shut.

Then he thrust against her, hard.

Sarah was tugging at the fastenings to his lovely pants with total, mindless want. While she was distracted, Jareth hooked his thumbs underneath her bra straps and tugged them down her arms. Sarah decided that was all right too, and helped him, squirming out of the stretchy material. The leather of his gloves was warm on her skin as he cupped her, his fingers trailing lightly over her nipples. He bowed his head, his mouth brushing over her collarbone, then moving lower. His hands slid down to rest on her hips as he licked at her breast.

Sarah arched her back slightly without thinking.

"Mmm," Jareth said against her skin, sounding pleased. He sucked at her nipple, teased it gently with his teeth. Sarah clutched at his shoulders. He turned his head and gave her other breast the same treatment, firming his mouth against her skin, sucking and nipping at her.

Then, to her surprise, he broke away, moving down her body. His breath was warm at her navel. She jumped slightly when he kissed her inner thigh, and she looked down at him with her mouth open.

Very matter-of-factly, Jareth got a finger underneath the edge of her cotton underwear and moved it aside. Just enough to make room for his mouth. His tongue slipped inside her. A hot, wet flick of sensation that drew a strangled sound from her throat. He froze, tensing for a second, before tasting her again with a soft, almost frightened sound of appreciation. Sarah hissed in a breath. Encouraged, Jareth began to lick her in earnest.

Sarah choked and clawed at the sofa fabric.

So good...

Jareth was tasting her with a desperate single mindedness that had her shaking and sticky with sweat in a ridiculously small amount of time. He was making noises, a grown man who'd never tasted sugar before savouring his first piece of candy. She shifted restlessly, trying to give him better access. He moaned softly against her in gratitude and the vibration made her sputter in shocked delight. He sounded raw with desire and pleasure and not a little bit of fear.

Once again, a flash of thought darted through. A mouse in a cage, ignoring food to endlessly strive for one more hit.

Anything else she might have thought was brought to a screeching halt by a splinteringly forceful blow to her front door. The sound was so loud that for a terrified second she thought the door had broken, and she almost fell on the floor turning to look.

Somehow, Jareth managed to pull back and catch her around the waist before she even thought of catching herself. For a moment they both looked at the unbroken door in wide-eyed silence. The pounding resumed, much quieter, as if the beast had temporarily exhausted itself.

Sarah looked down and met Jareth's eyes. For a split second they stared at each other in complete understanding.

Any second this could end. This could end, and they never would get to what they both wanted.

Sarah scrambled over the back of the couch as Jareth shot to his feet. She bounced back onto the cushions, kicking out of her underwear as Jareth franticly peeled himself out of his boots, shoving his pants down with savage impatience.

He crawled onto the sofa, bowing his head and pressing his lips to her skin as if he couldn't bear the few moments they'd been apart. He moved up her body with small, warm touches. Mouth, hands, breath. Each one sent a sweet, sharp shock up her spine. It was happening fast, too fast to hold on to the sensations, the things he was doing to her. Then he was above her, and his erection touched her just...there.

Sarah hissed in a breath as everything came crashing in on her all at once. She gasped and lifted her hips, the motion pushing them together. As easily as taking a breath, he was just barely inside of her. Jareth made a harsh sound. Sarah had just enough time to realize that she was lucky it was happening this way, without time to think, because if she had a minute to dwell on the way it felt it might just give her a heart attack.

Then Jareth pressed against her, and her brain whited out. Sarah clutched at him with a high, desperate exclamation. She gripped at his shoulders, his back, hands roaming over his skin with something near to disbelief. This was Jareth here. This was Jareth inside her...His next thrust was much harder and she cried out in thoughtless reaction. He stopped, sagging a little, bowing his head. Sarah was half-mad with want and she pulled at him with arms and legs, pressing close, urging him on.

More, yes, more of that...

"Sarah," he choked, sounding shocked and raw. His eyes were wide with something huge and strangely fragile. He was so close to her face she could count every eyelash. "You..."

Sarah gritted her teeth, almost crying she wanted him so much, needed him so much... She hitched her legs up around his waist, lifting herself, and they were suddenly...So much closer. Terribly close. No talking now.

Jareth let slip a sound that was suspiciously close to a whimper. The angle was frighteningly better. He moved inside her, not hard, just moved...

Sarah let her head drop back onto the cushion, shutting her eyes. Again, harder, and...

"Please, " Sarah whispered desperately. Jareth kissed the word out of her mouth as he moved within her. She kept saying it, and he kept taking it from her, drinking it out of her.

"Yes," he gasped against her lips.

Sarah would never think of wine or cherry lollipops or summer evenings ever again. When she dreamed, it would be of this...

Please don't stop. Please, just there, please more...

"Yes," into her lips, as he pressed against her smoothly, fitting himself to her so tightly it was as if he was made to be there. As if he knew exactly what she needed from him...

What are you doing?

What you wanted. As ever.

Jareth was making little strangled gasping noises as they came together. The sound seemed to burrow down underneath Sarah's skin, making her tingle and spark. This was too good to last, and Jareth's reaction just made it even harder to hold back. The world narrowed to the place where they met. Sarah trembled against him as he thrust into her, squeezing her eyes shut as her body roared in delight. She went very quiet, knowing what was coming...oh, god...

Sarah wailed once in joy and terror as she came, her body tensing so forcefully she nearly lifted herself completely off the couch. She grabbed onto him tightly, clutching him close as her body sang. Above her, Jareth groaned in anticipation and relief, sounding almost entirely unhinged. He pushed into her again, spiking her fading orgasm wonderfully. He choked and gasped above her, stiffening against her in frozen ecstasy.

It was, she decided, a startlingly lovely sound. She was suddenly quite certain that particular sound would never entirely leave her thoughts again.

He lay heavy against her for a moment, panting. Sarah relaxed into the cushions of the couch, determined to enjoy the afterglow, no matter what might be after them. Jareth pressed his lips to her shoulder and lifted himself up a little.

His face, when it came into her view, was luminous. She smiled automatically in response. It was impossible not to. Sarah had never seen him look that way. She'd never seen anyone look that way, honestly.

"Hello," she said warmly.

Jareth laughed out loud and kissed her soundly. It was, as always, a dangerous thing to do, and what had no doubt meant to be a brief peck turned into something quite different. Jareth made a soft, appreciative sound against her mouth as Sarah deepened the kiss, reaching up to cup his face as she sipped greedily at her wildest dreams.

When Jareth pulled back they were both flushed and gasping.

"Have to watch that," Sarah panted. Jareth grinned, his eyes flashing. "What?" she prompted. She'd never seen him so giddy before. He reached up and brushed her hair back from her face.

"Tell me now," he said with a smile that was not human at all, "That I have no power over you." He lifted his eyebrows. "Say it and mean it, Sarah."

Sarah opened her mouth. She paused, startled.

Jareth laughed. It was not a giddy sound. It was more like something that would frighten small children. He pushed himself up on his knees and looked down at her as if she was some kind of magnificent feast made just for him. He lifted her hand, and kissed it.

"Well done," he said.

Sarah narrowed her eyes, and pushed herself up onto one elbow. She could see Jareth very clearly. Could see the triumph in his eyes, the crooked twist to his lips. He was damn near glowing, and not because he'd just had spectacular sex. He was actually glittering, as if a dusting of whatever-it-was that he had deposited on her while he was learning her shape had taken residence underneath his skin. His hair shone golden in the light coming off her horseshoe wards.

Jareth looked powerful.

An idea stepped fully formed into her mind, leaving her sputtering.

'I fought and I lied, I charmed and I threatened...'

"Did you...plan this?" Sarah hissed, a blossom of mortification opening in her chest. "Was this..." she sputtered, shoving herself upright, "all this...everything you said...you..."

"There was no way to know-" Jareth began, tilting his head, admiring her as if she was his, as if he owned her now.

"Get off me!" Sarah snapped, shoving him, squirming away from him. She scrambled to her feet, fumbling for her clothes. "I don't believe...I can't believe-god, what an idiot I am!" she hissed to herself. Jareth watched her, stepping back, looking startled and amused.

"The whole time," Sarah sputtered, hopping on one foot to tug her jeans on. She gave Jareth a murderous look. "The whole time, you were just trying to-" She gritted her teeth, thinking about how fragile he'd made himself seem, so freaking in love with her..."And I let you." Sarah tried very hard not to think about how desperately amazing it had been, to let him.

"No," Jareth said, and nearly laughed. "I should have been, though." There was something in his voice that made her think that he was finding the memory as distracting as she was.

The pounding coming from her front door was very loud and alarming-sounding. Jareth was between Sarah and the secret opening in the wall. She felt justified, then, in trying to knock him down. He was too quick for her, though, and danced out of the way.

"Get away from me," Sarah growled, focusing on her outrage so she wouldn't think about hurt feelings, or tangled-up truths, or the way Jareth was looking at her. Maybe he hadn't intended to use her. Maybe he was telling the truth now, or maybe he was telling her the truth two truths ago. The only thing Sarah could really focus on was that she wanted to get away from him. She wanted distance, so she could think. If he had his power back, then he damn well didn't need her help anymore...Sarah snatched up the ring of keys, blinking rapidly. Not the cold one, or the one that made her think of flowers, no...

She paused on an ornate little key that from some angles was almost entirely invisible. Yes. Without fanfare, Sarah jammed it at the suggestion of a door in her wall, and the faint outline of a keyhole became an actual one. Sarah turned it in the lock with a click and threw a glance over her shoulder.

"I hope they do get you," she said hatefully, wishing she could mean it.

Jareth lost his good humor, and stared at her with a sober expression.

"Do you?" He searched her face. "All you have to do to ensure that is leave me here." He said, startling her. He opened his hands, quietly drawing her attention to the apartment around them.

Her front door cracked with a sharp report of breaking wood. The ward above it finally set her wall alight, the fire licking at the paint. Something pushed at the broken wood from the other side, and a piece of her door fell to the floor with a hollow sound.

Sarah looked over at Jareth. He was watching her quietly.

Sarah let out a breath of frustration, and opened the small door in her wall. A cool wind whipped through it into her apartment, bringing a sense of wide open spaces and growing things. She moved to go through it, to leave him and stopped, her heart contracting unpleasantly in her chest. She'd been wrong about him before...

"Damn," she breathed, and bowed her head for a moment. She took a deep breath. "Come on then," she said through her teeth, refusing to look at him. She ducked down, moving to step through.

God, she was stupid.