(This story is written strictly for the free enjoyment of fans of the "Beauty and the Beast" television series. No copyright infringement is intended.)

Guilty Pleasures

Angie

 

O ruddier than the cherry
O sweeter than the berry

- John Gay

Vincent and Catherine lay on his huge bed, half propped up on cushions, the covers pulled up to their necks against the chill. Vincent’s hand rested on her belly, where the slight swell of her fourth month of pregnancy was evident.

Catherine loved the feel of his hands on her bare flesh. They were always warm and his palms smooth, despite his rough labour. She stroked the long silken hair on the back of his hand and knew he enjoyed it as much as she did. Now, if he would just move his fingers just a few inches south, her enjoyment would increase substantially. The thought made her warm.

She reached to her side and grabbed another chocolate cherry. They had become her latest addiction. These were the real thing – not some candied maraschino in pink goo, but a real cherry floating in cherry liqueur inside dark chocolate. There was even a warning on the box about possible pits. She popped it into her mouth, closed her eyes, squeezed it gently between her teeth - and sighed.

She suddenly felt Vincent’s soft mouth on hers. She allowed some of the liqueur to seep through her lips and he obligingly nuzzled it off them, moving his tongue between them to find more.

"You’re incorrigible," she told him, when he was finally satisfied he had left nothing behind and her arousal was becoming urgent. "You can have one, you know."

She plucked another from the box and reached over to pop it into his waiting mouth. Vincent closed his eyes to savour it and she leaned over to plant her lips on his and suck his mouth in turn.

He had not moved his hand off her belly and she moved her free hand to his stomach and felt the muscles contract there. Their bond was shimmering and Catherine became a few degrees warmer. Vincent’s skin was vibrating with what she thought of as his "pre-coital" purr. It was a little rough, like a car engine warming up. That was a good sign, but she sensed his hesitation.

"I’m not made of blown glass you know," she told him, turning a little to get more of herself against him, loving the warmth of him - and his purr reverberating along her length.

"No, you’re like one of those cherries," Vincent told her, his silken voice deep. "A delightfully tasty exterior filled with something precious."

"And to think I used to wish for a man who would love me for my mind."

Vincent chuckled. "Catherine, that’s unfair. I’ve always admired your intelligence. You have that fortunate combination of beauty and brains – and you know precisely when to employ each."

She felt his happiness meld with her own. They almost basked in it these days. Some of that contentment, she suspected, was coming from their child. If a fetus could purr, this one certainly was.

"He’s very mellow," Vincent whispered, sotto voce, as if he had read her mind.

"He?" Catherine sat up and looked at him. He was grinning, the tips of his canines showing. That sight made her core throb, but he pretended ignorance, not very convincingly.

"I’m afraid so, Catherine. There’s no doubt about it now. You’ll be outnumbered."

"Hmmm. I wonder if he’ll love these cherries as much as I do?" she mused, to distract Vincent, who looked annoyingly smug.

"He may be the reason you’re so addicted to them," Vincent allowed, reaching over her to grab another. He popped it into his mouth and his purr ratcheted up a notch, as if the car engine was now racing just a little. "Whereas I have no such excuse."

"No, you just like to make me feel guilty for eating them," Catherine said sulkily, as she sucked on another.

"Never my love," he declared, planting another kiss on her sweet lips. "But guilty pleasures should be shared. Sharing halves the guilt and doubles the pleasure."

Catherine saw the immediate flaw in that argument.

"But Vincent, it also depletes our source of pleasure twice as quickly."

Vincent was silent for a moment. Catherine was sure he’d have a good rejoinder.

"Then, lest my disappointment be added to your own guilt – and thereby doubled - you’d better make sure we never run out," he intoned, reaching over her to grab the last one, quickly popping it into his mouth.

"Vincent! That’s not fair! You did that on purpose! Now what? I’m going into withdrawal already."

Vincent smiled. "The box is empty, Catherine. You must make amends. Let me think. Ah, yes."

He put a hand over her eyes and leaned over her. A moment later, she felt his lips on hers. His tongue pushed something very familiar into her mouth. She bit into it and sighed. Vincent removed his hand and she opened her eyes to look at him. His azure eyes were twinkling, but also held an unmistakable challenge.

She looked beside her and saw another box of chocolate cherries. A very much larger one.

She felt a giggle grow in her middle and soon had to hold onto Vincent for support as she let the laughter roll out of her. He hugged her close to him and let her humour run through himself as well. There was nothing more delightful than Catherine when she was laughing, he decided.

"I think we’re a mathematical marvel, Vincent," she said, when she could catch her breath at last. "We not only halve the guilt, but triple the pleasure – since three of us seem to be enjoying these delights. Then, magically, they multiply as well."

"There’s a fourth source of pleasure, Catherine - and an equation that the scientists would say was impossible," Vincent remarked, his eyes filled with a passion that set her afire. He then proceeded to demonstrate that three could be melded into one.

The chocolate cherries bounced in their box for a while and then were still.

Somewhat later, Catherine conceded his logic was nothing short of miraculous.

END