AllFreeNovel
Share Us
He pulled back a little, gazing into her face. “Yes. I would have walked over water to get to you, Olivia. I would have killed with my bare hands.”
She could not speak. Something new was shining in his blue eyes. Something she had never seen before.
***
Back in the hotel room at long last, they lay in a bath together. She tenderly washed him, tending his injuries. He was battered and she could already see the dark swell of bruises coming up on him. The gash on his forehead looked angry but it was cleaned up.
The Watch had arrived quickly. They never knew who had called them, alerted by the struggle within that dreadful house, but they were just glad that they had. Bertie had been bundled up, still unconscious, to be taken to the watchhouse after the story of how he had abducted her and assaulted Alexander was told. He was going to be charged for his crimes, his entire life ruined. Justice was going to be served.
Alexander sighed, gazing at her.
“I thought I had lost you forever,” he said slowly, his eyes full of pain. “I thought you were gone from my life, never to return.”
Her heart skipped a beat. “You cannot get rid of me quite that easily, Captain Fletcher.”
He laughed softly. Then he was silent, looking solemn. The air was thick with tension. Olivia could barely breathe.
“I love you, Olivia,” he said, in a strangled whisper. “I think I have always loved you. But I could not admit it to myself.” He took a deep breath. “There was someone in my past. I had a broken heart. The usual story. I never wanted to go through that pain again.”
“Rosalie,” said Olivia, her heart skipping a beat. “I know. Lucy told me all about her.”
He smiled wryly. “That is just like my little sister. She worries about me. She always has.” He hesitated. “I was a fool. Even as I realised I cared for you more than I ever thought I could, that it was not just desire, I still could not admit the truth. It took almost losing you for me to realise exactly what you mean to me.”
Silent tears of joy trickled down her face. “I have longed for this moment,” she whispered. “For I love you so much, Alexander. I have been waiting for you to notice and fall in love with me. I thought the day would never come.”
He reached out for her, taking her into his arms. She felt the steady beat of his heart. “You are the only woman I want,” he whispered. “The only woman I will ever want. And I commit my life to you, Olivia. I shall not be sailing on theMary Elizabethon the voyage to the Caribbean. I want only to be with you.”
“Are you sure?” she asked, gazing up at him. “I know how much you love the seafaring life. I do not want you to sacrifice everything for me…”
He pressed his lips against her forehead. “It is no sacrifice,” he said slowly. “It is time for me to give up that life. I will be the Earl of Weaver one day. My life is here… with you.”
He kissed her, a slow tender kiss. Her heart skipped a beat. It did not seem possible that it was true. That he loved her as much as she loved him. That her heart could contain this much joy.
In the bed, warm and dry, they turned to each other. His lips sought hers again. He gathered her up, caressing her body, in a feverish way. The passion which had always simmered between them from the very first moment they laid eyes upon each other flared to life once more.
Olivia sighed, giving herself up to it, knowing that the time for words was over and now their bodies needed to find each other again. To finally communicate their newly expressed love in a different way entirely.
The lovemaking was fierce but tender. She felt like she was enveloped in a strange new light. When he finally entered her body, she drew him into her, deeper than he had ever been before. At the moment of climax, she felt like the world exploded around her; that their souls were merging and melding. As if they had truly become one person.
Afterwards, she nestled into his chest, closing her eyes. Only a few short hours ago, she had believed she might never see him again. And now, they were in each other’s arms, basking in their love for each other. All her dreams had come true.
She had found her love match. She had found what she had always longed for.
She sighed. Their love story had not been linear. It had so many twists and turns that she had despaired of ever seeing the end of the road. But suddenly she realised that this wastheirunique love story. She had always yearned to emulate her parents love story, but it had never been possible. Every love story was exceptional. Every love story followed its own particular path. There was no set script for it.
Her mother had been right all along. She just needed to surrender to it. And now, the future spread before them, the road strewn with bright light.Theirfuture. Together in body and soul, at long last.
