Refugee Road (Freedom Fighters Series Book 1) (13 page)

I stood there, shaking, and so fatigued that I couldn’t move. Everything was converging on me at once. The last few weeks, Darren, my injuries, missing Alec, and I felt cornered. My heart was racing, my breathing accelerated. In a panic I glanced around the room, feeling closed in.

Alec approached me slowly, cautiously, as someone might approach a deer in the forest, afraid at any moment the animal might bolt and sprint away.

“There now,” he whispered.

His hands brushed my cheeks, an infinite tenderness in his fingers, soaking into my skin, sending waves of calming love into my shattered soul. The simple touch of his skin so close to mine was enough to thaw my rigid body. I raised my eyes to his, uncertain, but no longer afraid.

Alec lowered his head, touching my lips softly, a chaste but loving kiss, a kiss of promise, and took my hand, leading me over to the bed.

“We are safe now, my love. You are safe. Nothing can harm you. Relax, please.” His voice held an edge, whether it was anxiety or fear, hurt or desperation, or perhaps a combination of it all, I was uncertain. “Your ordeal is over. I won’t let anyone harm you ever again. I swear it,” he promised me. “I love you Lizzie.”

“I love you too Alec. Hold me, please. I don’t think I’m ever going to stop shaking,” I admitted.

He pulled me close against his chest, my head resting over his heart, listening to the pounding beat, a consistent thrum that comforted me like a soothing balm, a sound that called me home, never letting go the whole long night. I finally stopped shaking and fell asleep, safe in his loving embrace.

It was bright outside when we awakened. Alec’s touch was gentle, bringing my consciousness out of sleep and into reality, the light stroking of my arm sending goosebumps along the flesh. He failed to notice, absently moving his hand as if the gesture happened without his knowledge or consent.

“Good morning my love.”

“Good morning.” I answered, feeling shy but happy, truly happy.

“Lizzie, we will be married today.” My eyes met his. “Is that agreeable with you?” He asked me, his palm against my check. A flash of nervousness made him squirm. How adorable!

Agreeable? I nodded. “Yes, that is…agreeable.”

He laughed lightly. “I hope you find the experience more than agreeable.”

I blushed. “What is the date today? Is it far from here?”

“Oh no, not far from here at all. It’s March ninth,” his fingers brushed along my cheek and then slid to the soft column of my throat, “we shall have our wedding night and then I am taking you on our honeymoon.”

Wedding night? Honeymoon? I bit my lower lip. “Ok.”

He swallowed as his eyes lowered to my mouth. “Would you like to travel? I have money saved,” at my nod he continued, “I want to show you how wonderful this world can be.”

He said “this world” but his eyes were talking about something altogether different.

“We have two weeks together before I have to return to my duties. How does that sound?” A husky deep timber lowered his voice.

I’m almost positive that all of those words rang hollow in my ears because all I could think about, all I could concentrate on, was the hungry look in his eyes and the way he kept staring at my lips.

“It sounds wonderful. I’m so happy. I didn’t think it would ever be possible. The war…it took everything from me. I thought it took you too,” my voice broke slightly.

“No, my Lizzie, it could never take you away from me. When the bombing started, I ran for shelter, only one thought on my mind. I had to find you. I had to get to you.” His eyes had met mine briefly but they were now staring at my mouth with an intensity that made me almost weak. I licked my lips and felt his grasp tighten.

“By the time I reached your home it was too late. I saw your sister and Angela’s graves. I knew you survived. It gave me hope. A longing in my heart that one day I would hold you close and call you mine. I haven’t stopped looking for you the last three years because we are meant to be, my darling.” He started to breathe faster. “Oh God, how I love you.”

He kissed me then, his lips descending on mine with heated passion, a warmth flooding my body and filling me with the same scorching heat. The muscles of his arms bulged, pulling me closer. In that moment I knew a hunger that had never risen inside me before. I gasped as his lips left my mouth and traced the line of my jaw over to the delicate flesh of my ear.

He whispered “I love you” and made his way down my neck, pressing a kiss to my throbbing artery, and then to the top of my shoulder, right where bone raises slightly above the skin. Little shivers of delight ran along my spine.

I started to breathe faster, matching the increased pace of his chest, enjoying his touch, the feather light caresses of his lips. The way his mouth left my skin trembling in anticipation. The way the moisture left me tingling. Melting away, drifting on a current of desire, crossing new unchartered waters, experiencing new and thrilling sensations, leaving me breathless. Gasping. Yearning. I wanted more, please more.

“Lizzie, I want you. I can’t help it. I want to make love to the woman who has stolen my heart and captured my soul. You own me Lizzie. Kiss me, my love.” He demanded, as lost as I was.

I rolled over on top of him and kissed him with abandon and all of the love I felt for him. I put everything I felt in that moment into the kiss. He moaned low in his throat and grabbed me, his hands pulling on my shirt, yanking it up over my head.

“My God, what perfect breasts.” He murmured.

His lips lowered to my chest, then the hot thick flick of his tongue as he sucked through the thin silky material of my bra, the heat of his saliva burning one moment and then cooling the next as he moved to the other breast.

“Oh!” I moaned, my head falling back, lost in his perfect touch.

His hands reached for my hips and brought me against his, pelvis to pelvis, the bulge of his trousers leaving no mystery as to his attraction or desire. His eyes remained locked on mine, the soft pads of his fingers lingering on my panties. Then they were lower, inside, sliding over the rounded curve of my backside.

I was completely lost in that moment. My panting chest and heaving breaths seemed to match his own. I would have done anything. I would have let him do anything. A burning need, throbbing in my core, rushing lower into my loins, made me ache for something I did not know existed. I turned to him in confusion, watching as his eyes softened and the hunger diminished, if only a little.

“Your innocence is beguiling.” He pressed his lips to mine, biting my lip slightly and then running his tongue over it to lessen the sting. “I shall enjoy teaching you the art of love.”

He grinned so big that I laughed, blushing crimson. Alec was a wolf, disguised as a man, prowling and hungry, insatiable, he would swallow me whole…if I let him. I found that I liked the comparison. He could devour me if he wanted, I was left in little doubt that I would enjoy every brutal and thrilling second.

“We are going to have a very loving and passionate marriage. You and I are meant for each other. I’m happy Lizzie. Delighted. Thank you,” he admitted, kissing me with a little more restraint.

He left the bed and started the shower, steam escaping the bathroom and trickling into the room in tufts of mist. I waited while he took one first and then, wrapped in a towel, his body glistening in the morning light, he handed me a long white box. For a few seconds my eyes could not leave that broad expanse of chest, rippling with strong muscle, with dark hair running across his chest, becoming sparse across his abdominal muscles and lower, plunging into the towel. Heat spread through me like a wildfire. Dear God, he was a beautiful man.

I opened the box curiously and found a wedding dress inside, wrapped in tissue paper, all of the necessities included, even a small veil.

“When did you get this?” I asked in surprise.

“I bought it after that first time I saw you. I knew you would come with me when I asked. I’ve been planning these last few months. Everything is ready for our new life together.”

“Thank you,” I whispered, placing a kiss on his naked chest and nipping at his nipple.

He shivered. “We really need to get to that church.” His hand lightly smacked my bottom on the way to the shower and he laughed. “Yes, indeed. Tonight is entirely too far away.”

I took a leisurely shower, toweling off quickly and putting on my undergarments. I brushed and curled my hair, thankful for the blow dryer and curling iron included in the room, and twisted it on top of my head, adding flowers from the vase in the room. I walked out of the bathroom and his eyes widened in pleasure.

“You look beautiful. I am the luckiest man on earth.” He placed a kiss on my forehead. “Would you like help with the dress?”

I nodded and he helped me step into it. It was simple with a cinched waist and a sweetheart neckline. It had little seed pearls and lace all over the bodice and skirt. It was an A-line inspired dress but fit close to the body. I slipped on the matching heels and added the short veil, covering my face as was the custom. He handed me a floral bouquet, completing the look.

Alec stared at me lovingly, tears in his eyes, overcome with emotion. “I’ll never forget this moment as long as I live. You are the most beautiful bride I have ever seen. It reminds me of the night we met.” He sighed softly. “I love you Lizzie.”

“I love you too.” My throat was tight.

He packed all of our belongings and put them away. I touched the cross around my neck and suddenly remembered my father’s pocket watch. He should have something special, something that belonged with him, a part of my life joining his. I crossed the room and pulled it from my pack, handing him my father’s pocket watch. His face lit up when he saw it.

“It belonged to my father. I want you to have it. It’s my gift to you today. Wear it for me, please.” My fingers trembled when I placed it in his palm and he squeezed them, his own just as unsteady.

He added the watch to his suit and smiled, taking my hand. “Come, my beloved, follow me for eternity.”

We walked to the little chapel down the road about a mile. Alec had our identification and papers, marriage license, and other documents. Everything was legit. I don’t know how he managed it since I didn’t have papers but I didn’t say a word. Some mysteries were not necessary to solve and understand.

The minister married us in front of his little wife and the dog. We said traditional vows of love and promise, pledging ourselves to one another, in health and in illness, to honor and cherish, dedicating our souls, our hearts, and our devotion, for the rest of our lives. Alec slipped a gorgeous diamond and gold ring on my finger. Then he winked and handed me his ring, a simple gold band, which I pushed onto his finger with a shaky hand.

The minister declared us husband and wife as Alec kissed me with unrestrained passion. The minister actually had to clear his throat since Alec was so enthusiastic. His gray eyes sparkled at me, perfect and glinting like steel in the sun, filling my heart with joy.

Our license was signed and finalized along with our marriage certificate. A copy would be mailed in to the records office in Columbus, the capital. His confident signature was added to the documents and then my swirling name was added below his, sealing the contract.

We were now legally wed. I smiled in delight, blushing as the minister’s wife embraced me in a quick hug. I felt surreal, as if in a dream, like I was watching myself from far away, a spectator, instead of an active participant.

The minister and his wife insisted on a wedding photo they developed on site and gave us two copies. We toasted champagne to our marriage and our health. And before we left they said a beautiful prayer and asked God’s protection and blessing on our union. It was perfect, in every way. The only absence was our families here to celebrate with us.

Back at the inn, Alec helped me change out of my wedding dress. His fingers carefully undid every button, brushing along my skin, before he placed a kiss on the back of my neck. I carefully packed it away, taking time to fold it and run my fingers across the silky material, wanting to preserve it forever.

Alec was watching me, already stripped down to his pants. He took my hand and pulled me close, chest to chest, pressing a kiss on the top of my head. He started dancing with me, swaying softly, to a slow song he hummed into my ear. I suddenly remembered.

“We danced to this song the night we met.” I told him, surprised.

“Yes, we did. I hum it often and think of you. I told you, I’ve loved you since that night. Angela…she had told me so much about you already, I felt like I knew you.” He let out a slow breath, slightly unsteady. “It was a natural feeling. When I told her that I liked you, she smiled and told me to treat you well. She knew we would end up together.”

I thought about her and then the image of her body came into my mind. I sighed, shaking my head.

“I miss her. We were very close. She was the best friend I ever had. I wish she could have been here today…and my mom…especially my sister.”

I glanced at Alec and the tears fell down my cheeks. I was powerless to stop them. He brushed them aside with his thumbs, his lips meeting mine gently.

“What I wouldn’t give to have all of our families to be here. My parents and my brother. John would have loved you.” He smiled and cleared his throat. “They are with us in spirit. I feel content and happy. Surely they are smiling from heaven down upon us both.”

Alec leaned in and kissed me softly. His lips lingered on mine, moving gently, until his tongue began to probe them apart. At first it was a gentle exploration. A tentative plunge inside an unknown cavern. But then he thrust his tongue into my mouth, more determined, claiming my surrender and I gladly gave it. He seemed to savor the taste, sucking on my tongue one second and then dueling with it the next.

I felt breathless, taking air into my lungs and breathing through him, exchanging oxygen and carbon dioxide inside each other, the most basic of needs, and the most intimate act of swapping life, our chests rising and falling, sustaining each other through the simple act.

His fingers slid from my shoulders to my waist and then around my body to reach behind me. A soft sigh escaped my lips. Every touch was feather light. Gentle. My slip hit the ground in a soft whisper. I felt the straps of my bra come loose and then disappear altogether.

Alec’s lips left my mouth and made a slow, intimate, heated descent down my neck. The wet trail was at once cool, the heat rising in the air, until he opened his mouth and blew, the hot air returning, branding my skin, marking me as his own. My flesh raised, little goosebumps on the skin, and he smiled, as heated as the scorching fire of his tongue.

“Alec.” I whispered, a passion I did not recognize nor understand filling my voice.

He smiled knowingly, lowering his head, his full mouth capturing that which he so desperately sought. The suction and sudden contact sent a shudder through my system, lighting up my nerves, tingling, burning, until my senses were hyper aware of his touch. My back bent of its own will, thrusting my breasts closer to his eager mouth.

Thick hot waves of liquid desire pulsed in my veins, soaring through my body. His teeth nipped at the bud, sending a sharp shot of awareness into my fuzzy brain, then at once the pain was sucked away, leaving wave after wave of pleasure coursing through me, deeper in my belly and lower into my loins.

My knees buckled beneath me. I had not the strength to stand. Alec picked me up, his lips claiming mine, our tongues beginning another dance, more sensual, more urgent, than moments ago. I felt the coverlet against my back and Alec’s body on mine. He gently parted my thighs with his hand, running his fingers up to my breast, playing at his leisure. A soft moan escaped my lips.

“Do you seek to play with me, my love?” I asked, meeting the thrust of his tongue with my own.

“No, my darling, only to make you weak, wet, and burning with desire.”

His mouth began another descent, passing quickly over my breasts and placing a kiss on my belly. His fingers gently tugged on my panties, pulling them down and over my feet. For a moment he gazed at me, a deep resonating hunger naked in his eyes, and then he was above me.

His touch was soft, loving and tender, and full of passion. He kissed me again, taking off his pants and then he was nude, skin to skin, his body pressed tightly to mine. We kissed, our hands roaming each other’s bodies, our touch igniting flames of desire that moved seamlessly back and forth, as if the flames could not decide where to rest.

My breathing accelerated; the rise and fall of my chest brushing against his gently. Alec moaned and pulled my hips against his, making me gasp in surprise. I felt the raw strength of him, the hard and eager length against my belly.

“Lizzie…I love you.”

“I love you Alec.” I was not afraid. Every emotion I experienced in my body was apparent, each separate second immortalized in my head, until only pleasure, raw and carnal, took control.

Alec suspended his weight above mine, continuing his delicious torture, his tongue thrusting against mine. I ran my fingers up his strong and hard chest, tracing the muscles, and then wound them in his hair. We rolled back and forth, completely lost in a passion that promoted a throbbing need, the sheets tangling around us. His fingers intertwined with mine. Of their own volition my thighs parted wider, eager for this new experience, hungry for a release only he could give me.

Alec was inside me.

“Lizzie, I love you.” His eyes met mine, a turbulent ocean wave of misty gray, at once startling and at the same time deeply loving.

“I love you.” I gasped, tears springing to my eyes at the sudden burst of pain.

“I’m sorry, my love, it will go away. I promise.”

Alec’s mouth met mine, then his tongue, in a delicious rhythm matching the thrust of his tongue to the movement of his hips. They were simultaneous, a wet friction that matched each perfect plunge. My hips rose to meet his, needing the contact, refusing to separate for even a second. Our bodies clung to each other, two hearts, two souls, merging into one.

My body felt weightless, carried away on a cloud, propelled by a terrific need, a building and tightening of my loins, an exhilarating rush of pressure, building ever higher, layer after layer, carrying me ever closer to that unknown destination. The pounding of my heart thudded in my ears, fast, thick, heavy in my veins. I felt his racing heart with every thrust, felt it in his fingertips as he squeezed my hand, saw the vein in his neck pulsing every time he drew near.

“Lizzie, my God, my sweet wife…”

I was unprepared for the crescendo, the launch of fulfillment, the crashing wave of total bliss that burst inside me, like a rocket launch, it catapulted my body, sending my consciousness into oblivion, where my body joined his in a final journey of completion.

“Alec.” I called his name and he answered, his voice ragged and thick.

“Lizzie!”

In the aftermath, I stared at him, astonished at the connection we shared. He held me close to his chest, smiling, his forehead lowering to mine, as his breathing became more normal. There was something new in his eyes, awe mixed with amazement.

“I love you Lizzie. I love you my beautiful darling wife.”

His lips met mine in a tender kiss, dissolving any shyness I might have felt.

“I love you Alec.”

We made love a second time that night, sleeping off and on. His arms never let go of me, not even once. It was the first time I felt safe and loved in years, not in the passing moment kind of safe, but the forever kind. I didn’t remember being this happy since I was a little girl and my father was still alive. My throat tightened as I turned my head into Alec’s shoulder and cried.

He was immediately concerned. “Are you all right my Lizzie?”

“Yes, I’m so happy. I haven’t felt this loved and safe in a very long time, not since…my father. Thank you Alec.”

He hugged my body close, pressing a soft kiss on my forehead. “And you always will be my love. Count on it.”

I lay my head on his chest, right over his heart, listening to the beautiful beat that was so familiar now it was my own. I yawned sleepily. The consistent and even rise and fall of his chest told me he was already out. As my eyelids fluttered I smiled into the darkness.

We were one now, one heart, one soul, one entity. I had no idea where one of us ended and the other began, so close and seamless was our bond that I felt certain it would be impossible to ever separate us. Our marriage had cemented that bond. Blessed it. As long as I lived, I could imagine sharing that with no other. His very breath was inside me, giving me life, and for the first time since my birth, I felt I supplied the same for someone else.

Alec surprised me again the next morning with a suitcase full of clothing and shoes. It contained dresses, hosiery, heels, and more. I showered again and put on one of the new dresses, a pretty navy print that buttoned from the collar to the hem with a wide white belt. Then I pulled on the nude hose and a pair of black Cuban heeled oxfords. Such luxury was unimaginable. Lydia would have been gaga over this wardrobe.

Lastly, I curled my hair and added one of the large fresh flowers from the vase in our room, pulling it back from my face and rolling the waves, framing with my face with soft curls. I added a pair of white gloves and turned to look at Alec, a huge smile on my face.

“You are so beautiful my Lizzie. Come here love.”

He kissed me, his eyes dancing in the light, then glancing at the cross around my neck. I knew it made him happy that I always wore it. Since he had placed it over my head, I had yet to remove it.

We grabbed all of our belongings and left, taking a cab this time. Alec sold the horses to a farmer, making a nice profit. We traveled by train with our own private room with a window that overlooked the river. We were going to visit main cities for our honeymoon and anywhere else I wanted to go. Alec offered to take me anywhere I wanted.

I haven’t been on a train since I was ten. We used to go and visit my dad when he worked at the steel factory. Sometimes we took the train across town to visit some of my other relatives. I had forgotten the way it felt, the gentle rocking motion and the whistle. Everyone traveled by train now. Commercial flying was too expensive. Since the war started, only the very rich could afford to fly. The car we were in was crowded, full of people traveling all over Ohio.

We were journeying to Columbus to see the state capital and then to Lake Eerie. Alec and I sat in our private room, side by side, watching the scenery flash by the large window. The blur of colors ran together, like the strokes of an artist on canvas. It was beautiful in a way, streaking in the sunlight, reflecting inside the room in a quiet kaleidoscope.

I turned to look at him, still in surprise at the turn of events. Alec was my husband now. Mine, as much as I was his. The bond, the irrefutable link that connected us, was forged now like fine steel, unbreakable.

Alec looked very dashing in his militia uniform. The navy brought out the gray and silver shine in his eyes, or perhaps, maybe, I had a little something to do with that. I smiled at him as he met my gaze.

His hand reached for mine and held it. “What are you thinking about? You’ve been very quiet.”