coming nearer and nearer to the very quick of her

Hi,
Here are some words from the novel Lady Chatterley's Lover(the last paragraph, page 254, chapter 12) by Lawrence (planetebook,here):

And as she melted small and wonderful in his arms, she became infinitely desirable to him, all his blood-vessels seemed to scald with intense yet tender desire, for her, for her softness, for the penetrating beauty of her in his arms, passing into his blood. And softly, with that marvellous swoon-like caress of his hand in pure soft desire, softly he stroked the silky slope of her loins, down, down between her soft warm buttocks, coming nearer and nearer to the very quick of her. And she felt him like a flame of desire, yet tender, and she felt herself melting in the flame. She let herself go. She felt his penis risen against her with silent amazing force and assertion and she let herself go to him

This is the second time for me to meet the quick. What does it mean this time please?
Thank you in advance

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coming nearer and nearer to the very quick of her