#### P A R T 7 ###

“Are you nervous?”

Dave turned to her and smiled as she stood there, leaning against the doorframe. He looked absolutely dashing in his black suit and black shirt.

“A bit,” he admitted.

She walked to him and felt his eyes wandering up and down her body, drinking in how she looked. She wore a simple but elegant dark green dress.

“You look absolutely beautiful,” he said, placing his hands on her hips, pulling her in to him, kissing her softly.

“You don’t look so bad either,” she winked at him.

“Yeah? Good enough for the occasion?” he grinned.

“Mhm,” she murmured as he kissed down her neck. "Almost too good."

“We got to go,” he whispered onto her skin, kissing her once again and then taking her hand in his.

They walked out the hotel room in Monte Carlo. He couldn’t keep his eyes off her as they were in the elevator. His eyes shone with such warmth and love, it made her stomach flutter.

In the lobby they met up with Martin and Fletch and their significant others. A car was waiting for them to take them to the award ceremony. The others were quietly talking, but they sat there in silence and she could feel him tensing beside her. She reached for his hand, intertwining their fingers.

He looked down at their hands. Silver sparkled in the light of a passing streetlight. His thumb traced her ring. He wore the same on his left hand. They had spent an afternoon in the goldsmith’s shop, making their rings for one another. Who had come up with the idea, he couldn’t remember. They didn’t want partner rings every other couple had. And they thought it would be nice to each make the ring for the other. She didn’t want any gemstones, because, she argued, she would lose them anyways. So their bands were simple, but unique.

They had invited their closest friends and his family, since her brother couldn’t be there. A small gathering in a quiet restaurant by the piers. It was something different to anything both had ever experienced. Each of the guests had stood up to say something to them: good wishes, thoughts, anecdotes. They had had a lovely dinner and a wonderful evening with their beloved ones. Just like they had wanted it to be. Their little ceremony of love.

That was two weeks ago. Today, he and the band would be honoured at the World Music Award with the Diamond Award for over 100 million albums sold. And he was nervous.

The car stopped and they got out, Dave offering her his hand to help her out. The flashes of the cameras were nearly blinding her and she blinked a few times. Slowly, they made their way past the press, when Dave was stopped by a reporter, nearly thrusting her microphone into his face. Instead of asking him questions about his music and the award they were about to receive, the woman clearly tried to get a rise out of him by asking stupid questions. She could feel him clasp her hand more tightly, trying to stay polite and to move past the woman.

“Where did you get married?”

“No comment,” Dave said resolutely.

“Is it true you’re pregnant?” the woman shot her way.

For a second, she was taken by surprise and the woman possibly took her silence as admittance. Before she could reply, she bombarded her with questions.

“Is it true his ex-wife was your bridesmaid and you wore a D&G dress? Were you sad that your parents couldn’t be at the wedding? And what does it feel like to be Mrs. Gahan? Where did you buy the rings?”

For a moment she was flabbergasted and she could sense Dave’s anger rising, but she squeezed his hand and coolly replied: “I think we’re here to celebrate the band’s fantastic work and huge influence on today’s music and not to discuss private matters. Now if you’ll excuse us.”

With that she turned away, Dave pulling her along and inside.

“Morons,” he muttered as they followed Martin and Fletch to their seats.

The reporter’s questions kept replaying over and over in her head. She got angry at herself for how easily the reporter could get to her and she was hurt by the aggressiveness of the woman. She tried to shake it, but it was difficult. It drifted into the background, however, as the evening went on.

Throughout the entire ceremony, Dave’s right knee was nervously tapping. She took his hand, trying to calm him down, but she was getting nervous now, too.

And then the big moment arrived. Bono would give them their award. They had made the effort to make a really nice film about the band, leaving out Dave’s drug history for a change, which made her sigh in relief. Sometimes she didn’t know how he did it. To have to pay for a mistake for so long and get it rubbed into your face all the time, over and over. They showed the maturing of the band over the years and even mentioned that Dave had contributed several songs to the last and the new album. She was relieved about that, too. He deserved that recognition.

She squeezed his hand and he looked at her, knowing exactly what was going on inside her. He smiled at her and leaned in to softly kiss her cheek.

Then Bono called the guys on stage. She watched him walk up there, his happy grin as he saw the audience giving the band standing ovations. She had tears in her eyes. Martin dove into a longish speech, followed by Fletch, who had a relatively short one. Then Dave stepped up to the mike and simply said “thank you all very, very much”. Another applause and standing ovations as they walked off the stage, people thrusting hands their ways to be shaken, congratulations to be accepted.

“Uh, Dave,” said Bono, “you forgot something.”

Dave turned around and looked at the stage.

“Please come back up here, we got a little something for you, mate.”

Dave walked back up and Bono put his arm around his shoulders. “You know what you get when you’ve sold one million records in the US, right?”

He grinned broadly and Dave registered a woman stepping on stage with something in her hands, a frame…

“Your solo album reached platinum yesterday. Congratulations, mate.”

Dave was as if in a haze, his heart thudding fast, adrenaline rushing through his veins. He stared down at the frame in his hand, his own face staring back at him from the album cover, the CD shining in the spotlights. Platinum. He looked up and found her face in the crowd.

Martin’s wife handed her a handkerchief and she dabbed at her eyes, looking up at him, smiling. She was so proud of him, he could feel it across the distance, and it made his heart soar even higher.

He didn’t remember what he said, only that it was very short and it must have been funny, because the audience was laughing and Bono slapped him on his back. He hoped he had not forgotten any of the guys. As he walked off the stage again, people applauding and patting his back, he felt the weight of the frame in his hands. So many hours of work, so many dead-end streets, so many discussions, so many insecurities and doubts, so many hurdles taken. All in one album, all the weight of it in his hands. All the hopes and dreams, all his life and heart, his failures and success, bared open for everyone to see. And to finally get acknowledgement for it… it felt bloody good.

Dave now had reached the row with their seats. Martin shook his hand with a bit of a strained smile. It was the best Dave could have hoped for and he moved on, being hugged by Fletch, barely registering what he said.

She watched as he made his way to his seat and stood up, too. Finally he was standing there before her. The frame documenting his success in his hand, beaming like a boy at Christmas and yet, still unvelieving, his eyes shining with such relief and joy and pride, it brought fresh tears to her eyes.

He opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out.

“I love you, Dave,” she said so only he could hear, her voice thick with emotion.

He nodded, still speechless, pulling her in for a long kiss.

* * *

She woke when he kissed her earlobe. She moaned softly into the pillow, drifting out of sleep, feeling his hands trailing down the curve of her naked back, caressing her bum. Those were not the sheets of her bed and that certainly wasn’t her pillow… Oh right. They were in Monte Carlo.

They had left the after-show party pretty quickly and had retreated to celebrate with Martin, Fletch, Kessler and a few friends in their hotel bar. Dave had been hyper all night, his heart singing with happiness. When they finally got back to their hotel room, they had been so knackered they fell straight into bed.

Dave now was kissing her shoulder blades, trailing down her spine, making her shudder and with one final sigh she gave up on sleep and lifted her head and turned it to look at him.

He still seemed to glow with happiness, as he was lying on his side, propped up on his elbow, grinning down at her. His hand reached out to brush her tousled hair from her face.

“Morning, luv.”

She closed her eyes and lay her head down onto the pillow again.

“Morning.”

Her voice was husky from all the cheering, talking and laughing from last night. He raised an eyebrow. He wasn’t about to let her fall asleep again. Not yet anyways.

His fingers caressed her shoulders again, his hand moving down to her side, where he could feel the soft curve of her breast. He leaned in to flutter kisses onto her soft skin and he smiled when he saw it break out in goose bumps. He sneaked his hand between the mattress and her belly, caressing her and gently rolling her onto her side, her back now pressed to his chest.

She moaned when she felt his hard member rubbing against her backside. His hand travelled up her belly to her breast, cupping it and teasing her nipple with his index finger. He kissed down her neck, his legs intertwining with hers, moving his body against hers, both moaning at the friction of skin on skin.

“Mmh, baby,” he whispered hotly into her ear, “I didn’t get to celebrate with you last night.”

“What exactly did you have in mind?” she asked, her voice still husky.

His hand gently pinched her nipple that now stood erect, making her sigh.

“I’m gonna make you scream.”

His words sent a wave of liquid fire right to her groin and she arched her back, pressing her bum into his groin, making him moan.

“That a promise?” she panted and he growled.

His other hand slipped under her neck, making her turn her head so he could kiss her deeply. The feel of his hot tongue rubbing against hers, dancing tantalisingly slow made her groan into his mouth. His hand held her head in place as his other hand let go of her breast and travelled down, caressing and teasing her, till he felt her pubic hair, stopping there for a moment to push his leg between hers and give him better access.

He found her wet and ready for him and his hip jerked forwards, pressing into her backside as he dipped his long, slender fingers into her tight, wet channel. He let them glide out and up again, to find her aching nub, circling it, rubbing it, teasing it, to slide back down and inside of her again.

“I need to be inside you,” he breathed, before his lips crashed down on hers again.

She moaned and his hand moved out of her again, grabbing her thigh, lifting it up higher. His hand found his throbbing shaft and he positioned himself at her wet entrance. Then he curled his hand around her thigh, holding her leg in place, his index finger teasing her clit, his shaft rubbing against her wet folds.

She broke the kiss and moaned: “Dave, please!”

He complied gladly, pushing himself inside of her, slowly, inch by inch. He buried his head in her neck, both moaning at the feeling of finally being joined. He felt almost holy as he entered her temple.

“FUCK! Luv, you’re so fucking tight!” he hissed.

She moaned at his words and he kissed the skin of her neck, licking it, sucking it. He moved his arm from under her, lower, so it was now slung around her waist, his fingers finding her clit, starting to rub it faster now, his other hand gliding down to her knee, opening her for him more as he slid almost all the way out of her.

She arched her back and pressed her ass into him, as he pushed back up into her again. Her hand grabbed his ass, squeezing his cheek, taking him in further and he moaned. He pulled out again, stilling for a moment, to lick her neck and then as he sank his teeth into her skin, thrusting up hard inside her. She cried out at the bittersweet pain.

She was already on the edge and he knew it.

“I need to see you,” he breathed and before she knew what was happening, he had pulled out of her, got up and grabbed her by the hips, turning her on her back, pulling her ass to the edge of the bed, him standing before her.

Dave opened her legs for him and looked at the beauty in front of him. Her folds were wet and red, her clit hard and swollen, waiting and aching for his touch. His cock grew even harder, almost painful now. His eyes wandered up to her breasts that were moving up and down to the rhythm of her breathing. Her lips were parted and slightly swollen from the kissing, her chin a little red from his stubble, her eyes hooded and dark with desire and passion.

“Beautiful,” he breathed.

He got down on his knees, hands holding her legs, resting her feet on his shoulders. He bent his head and she dug her heels in his shoulders, her hands clasping the sheets, not able to look away from his eyes. He still watched her, the feral look he shot her making her shiver in anticipation. She saw his tongue flick out and lick her clit and she moaned.

He held her hips in place with one hand, with the other he caressed her sensitive skin of her inner thighs, moving closer and closer to her wet folds and he licked up from her wet entrance to her clit, savouring her taste. She cried out as he inserted one finger, his tongue now sucking in her nub. She could feel his teeth grazing it slightly, his hot tongue licking, sucking and rubbing her.

He inserted another finger and another one, stretching her and she moaned as she saw his eyes grow even darker. He let his fingers slip in and slide out of her tight channel, curling his middle finger each time he slid out, stimulating her g-spot.

She was close, so close and she dug her heels more into his shoulders, jerking her hips into his face, but he had a strong grip of her. She let go of the sheet, burying her hands in his hair. He moaned at the feel of her fingers, closing his eyes for a moment, then opening them again, now positively black.

“Fly, angel,” he said, his hot breath puffing against her wet folds, his fingers now working in and out of her frantically.

Then he bent forward again, kissing her clit and humming against it. The vibration against her sensitive spot, his fingers inside of her, his tongue on her, the stubble scratching against her skin and his hot gaze was too much. With a cry she arched her back as orgasm hit her hard and she was blinded by hot, white oblivion.

He watched as she was flying, riding the wave out with her, letting go of her hip and bringing his hand to his shaft. His fingers pressed the point at the underside of it so he didn’t shoot his load right then at the sight of her. He wasn’t finished with her yet. He concentrated hard, breathing in and out as his fingers continued to slide in and out of her, his tongue licking her, still pressing the spot on his shaft.

She came to, opening her eyes, her entire body shaking. He licked her fanny once again, then lifted her shaking legs off his shoulders and stood up. He took his rock hard member in his hand, the other on her hip and pushed inside of her. She cried out again, her hands shooting out to touch his chest.

He moaned and threw his head back at the feeling of her still trembling, tight walls around him. He grabbed her hips with both hands now, pulling her closer to him. He looked down to where they were joined, watched as his thick shaft thrust up into her, all the way in, till his balls touched her ass and the pubic hair at the base of him tickled her wet folds and her aching nub, stretching her tight cunt.

The sight turned him on no end and he could feel himself grow even more inside her, a feeling of power and raw, primal lust surging through him. He wanted to fuck her senseless, so hard she would be sore. He wanted to hear her scream his name so often, so long until she would be raspy for days.

“Dave, yessss…,” she moaned.

Sweat was trickling down his forehead and chest, slowly rolling down his stomach as he slid out of her, ramming back in, his hands pulling her hips back hard against him, sinking his shaft deeper inside of her. He was thrusting into her frantically now, moaning as she rubbed his nipples, grabbing her hips harder. She would have bruises, but she didn’t seem to mind at the moment.

His hot, burning eyes locked with hers, making her shiver all over again. He built them up, bringing them closer and closer to orgasm. She was screaming his name now with every thrust. He didn’t mind that the other hotel guests could hear them. He wanted everyone to hear them. How good they were together, how perfect. How much they loved one another and just how beautiful that love sounded.

His breath hitched at the look in her eyes: complete trust, utter submission, genuine, warm love. Offering him herself entirely. An intense wave of tenderness washed over him. He was amazed at the sudden change of feelings and he grabbed her hips, crawling onto the bed and settling between her legs again, propped up on his hands, sweat dropping from his body and mingling with hers. He stared into her eyes, feeling her legs wrap around his waist, her hands coming up to cup his face, caressing him.

Dave slid out of her and slowly back in again, rolling his hips, watching her face closely at his every move. She was now whispering his name, her hands caressing his tattoos, moving down his arms, feeling his biceps, rippling under her touch, down his forearms. She felt the hair tickling her fingertips, felt the protruding veins, following them down to his wrists, then letting her fingers move up again, this time running down his sides and snaking around to his back, caressing him.

He shuddered at her touch, now moving in and out of her in a slow rhythm. He saw her pulse beating under the skin of her neck. He bent his head, kissing her softly there, feeling the pulse underneath his lips. He looked down at her, coming down on his elbows and she welcomed the weight on her, his fingers running through her hair.

“I love you, luv,” he said.

Tears welled up in her eyes at his tenderness and she felt them roll down her temples and into her hair as he bent down to press his lips on hers in a long, slow, languishing kiss.

“Luv ya, too, Dave,” she whispered, before he claimed her lips again.

His tongue mimicked the movements of his shaft and she embraced him, moaning in his mouth as he rolled his hips again. He broke the kiss, eyes locked with hers.

It felt as if a ball of white light was created where their bodies were joined, growing with every thrust and rolling of his hips, every time she whispered his name, every second they stared into each other’s eyes. It filled them with warmth, flooded their hearts with love, soothed their souls with peace and deep joy.

They were both on the edge now, waiting for him to push them over. And with a deep, hard thrust, he did. They both spiralled down into oblivion, he arched his back, his head thrown back, shouting her name, as he felt her clamp down hard around him and he shot his hot semen into her, his body shivering, feeling her writhe under him, hearing her scream his name, her voice breaking.

It was pure, deep bliss. And he felt blinded by the light and shaken to the core by the power of their souls touching. And he could feel something else. Something that made his heart soar again. They rode out the waves of orgasm, slowly coming back to earth again. He slipped out of her, letting himself fall on the bed next to her and pulling her to his chest. Their lips met in a passionate kiss and he let his hand draw lazy circles on her back, the other resting on his chest, fingers intertwined with hers.

They gazed into each other’s eyes, sated and happy and very much in love. He kissed her forehead and she rested her head on his chest, closing her eyes. He watched her breathe. He knew she was still awake and listening to his heart beat. Perhaps the feeling he had had meant they had just created a little angel. They would have to wait and see. Dave closed his eyes, feeling her heart beat against his chest in unison with his.

#### F I N ####