by Lee Rose
Liz waited a few seconds and grabbed the phone he forgot on the nightstand. She ran to the bathroom, locked the door and turned the shower on. She wasn’t calling that jerk Ethan, so she called Lacy’s cell phone instead. All she got was Lacy’s voice mail.
“Lacy, it’s me, Liz,” she whispered, feeling the tears falling from her eyes. Her heart thumped so loudly, it felt like it wanted to jump out of her chest. She couldn’t afford to break down right now. She could only hope Lacy would check her messages soon.
“Gary has me at his house. He has lost his mind, Lacy, and I need help quick. Tell Ryan please!” Liz explained in a hurry. “Tell him to come get me now! Gary wants us to fly out of here and I’m so scared! I will try to stall as long as possible.
Liz hung up quickly and put the phone back in case Gary came back in. She went back in the bathroom. She didn’t want to chance taking her clothes off and getting in, so she leaned in and wet her hair. Liz grabbed a towel and turned the shower off. She heard the bedroom door creak open.
“Are you almost done?” Gary yelled through the door.
“Yes, I am getting dressed. Be out in a second,” Liz answered, hoping she sounded calm instead of the overwhelming anxiety she was feeling. She toweled her hair dry. She stood there a few minutes trying to stall and think of a plan in case no one got her message. She opened the bathroom door and Gary was sitting on the bed waiting for her.
She glanced at the table. The phone was gone and a cup of hot tea was there.
“Come sit down and drink your tea. We have a schedule to keep,” Gary told her impatiently, looking at his watch.
Liz sat on the bed and grabbed the tea, sipping it slowly. She stayed quiet, praying Ryan or someone would get here. She was doing her best to stay calm and not freak out.
“Okay, call your dad,” Gary stated irritably, handing her the phone. Liz stood up and set the tea down and grabbed the phone. She noticed Gary had left the bedroom door open. Liz looked down at the phone, pretending she was dialing a number then she made up her mind to try to make a run for it. She threw the phone at Gary and he instinctively put his hands up to block the hit. She ran out the opened door and down the stairs as fast as she could go. This was her one chance of escaping and she was taking it.
Chapter 13
“Liz, you’re going to be sorry. I tried being a gentleman with you,” Gary yelled, running after Liz. He reached her as she got to the bottom of the stairs and she saw the front door. He grabbed her hair, halting her escape.
“I got you.” He laughed. “You think you are so smart but you can’t win over me. No one can! I’m too smart.”
Gary turned her so she was facing him and slapped her across the face and raised his hand to hit her again. Liz stepped back. Her cheek throbbed but she ignored it. She wondered if she’d make it out the front door. She had no choice but to take a chance. What if no one got her message? It might be up to her to save herself. She kicked him with all her might in the knee and Gary went tumbling to the floor with a surprised yell. Obviously he hadn’t expected her to fight back.
Liz ran for the door as fast as she could before he could get back up. Gary was fast and reached her when she had her hand on the doorknob. She had almost made it out! He pulled her back against his body laughing. “This is fun, Elizabeth. I could do this all day. It’s getting me excited.” She could feel how hard he was and shuddered in revulsion. “Unfortunately we have a plane to catch, my dear. We can play later.”
“You are a crazy bastard, Gary!” Liz yelled, struggling wildly to get away from him. She looked around the living room for anything she could use as a weapon. Even though she was terrified she refused to give in to fear and give up. This was her life she was fighting for. Liz started kicking Gary as hard as she could to get him to let her go. Maybe she could reach the lamp on the table and hit him over the head. It always worked in the movies, she thought.
Suddenly the door was kicked opened. Liz screamed with fright. Ryan and Ethan stood there with their guns drawn.
Ethan saw Gary holding Liz and anger and fear exploded through him. “Let her go, Gary! You’re done here,” Ethan yelled, pointing his gun at Gary.
Gary sneered. “You wouldn’t take a chance on hurting Elizabeth, would you? Did you know I can snap her neck in two before you even get a shot off? I have a black belt in tae kwon do.”
Ethan smiled but it wasn’t a nice smile. It was kind of scary. If Gary had any brains he’d give up. “Well then, how about a no-weapons fight, or are you too scared by my size?”
Gary shook his head. “The bigger they are the harder they fall. Let’s go.” Gary let go of Liz. “Sit down and watch me get rid of this big oaf for you, my dear.”
Liz ran to Ryan’s side and whispered, “Gary has lost his mind if he thinks he can beat Ethan.”
Ryan smiled back at Liz and patted her hand, confident in Ethan’s abilities. He put his arms around Liz and put her behind him. “If he wants to fight Ethan, I say we let him. Want to wait outside in the car?”
Liz shook her head, peeking around Ryan. “No way, I’m not missing all the action.”
Gary and Ethan circled around each other as if measuring each other up. Ethan had more muscles than Gary but Gary was lean and fast. Gary leaped for Ethan with a sudden blur of speed, but Ethan was bigger and stronger than Gary and it was like hitting a brick wall. Ethan barely moved and just grinned crazily. Ethan retaliated with a punch to Gary’s midsection. Gary groaned and held his stomach then yelled. “I’m going to kill you for touching Elizabeth. Only I can make her happy.” Gary tackled Ethan with all his strength and got a punch to Ethan’s midsection. Ethan groaned and punched Gary in the jaw, knocking him down. Gary wasn’t smart enough to stay down. He stood up and punched Ethan in the face. Then there was nothing but the sound of pounding flesh as they punched each other over and over. Liz winced at the sound and after a few minutes yelled out, “Stop!”
Ryan pulled them apart. “Okay, I think Gary is done for, buddy.”
Gary was groaning miserably when Ryan helped him stand and took him outside to handcuff him and put him in the car.
Liz ran over to Ethan and jumped into his arms. His lip was bleeding and he was sweaty but she didn’t care. Ethan hugged her and lifted her off the ground and swung her in the air. Liz giggled, feeling relieved it was finally over.
“You were magnificent,” Liz said, kissing Ethan on the forehead so she wouldn’t hurt his lips.
“I am so thankful to find you alive and unharmed, angel. I am so sorry about that scene at Thorn’s, but if you ever run away from me like that again I will paddle your ass, Liz. We have a lot to talk about.”
Liz nodded and agreed. “I’m so glad it’s finally over. I was scared I’d never see you again. I hope Gary goes away for a long time, Ethan. He has snapped and lost his mind.”
“Oh, he will,” Ethan assured her and glared when he saw her red cheek, wanting to go outside and hit Gary again.
“It’s nothing, Ethan,” Liz assured him, leaning into his big body and feeling safe again. “I just want to go home with you.”
* * * *
Ethan and Liz went back to his house so Ethan could shower and change clothes. They had spent all night searching the town for her, he told her. A few of the men helping them search had driven by Gary’s house and didn’t see his car or any lights on in the house. Ethan told her how scared he had been that Gary left Appledale and he would never find her again. He had almost broken down with grief when Lacy had come running with Liz’s voicemail.
She had already talked to both Stella and Lacy on the phone to let them know she was okay. Now it was just her and Ethan lying in bed after their shared shower. Ethan held her in his arms and she had her head on his chest. He smelled so good and tempting. He had already explained that he hadn’t wanted the scene with Melissa to escalate, but he apologized for hurting her feelings and not handling the situation better. Melissa meant nothing to him he swore. She just enjoyed causing
trouble.
“Liz, I love you with all my heart, and it is a scary feeling for me because I like being in control of everything around me. But last night showed me what my life without you would be like, and I didn’t like what I saw. You have to marry me.”
Liz arched her eyebrow and held in her smile. Inside she was screaming in delight. “I have to, huh? Why?”
Ethan leaned down to kiss her, lightly nipping her bottom lip with his teeth. “I’m not asking. You might say no and I don’t blame you. I haven’t handled ‘us’ with any kind of finesse and I know I have hurt you, but I love you, and from now on I will treat you like fragile glass if you just give me a chance.”
Liz laughed at that statement. “Ethan, I love you, too. I loved you before you loved me, so I will marry you, but don’t change who you are. I love you, Ethan. I love your strength, and it makes me feel warm and safe knowing you will take care of me and I won’t be alone any longer.”
He leaned down and gave her a passionate, fiery kiss, making her groan in excitement. “I love you, Elizabeth, and I guarantee you will never be lonely again. I want a future with kids and me and you growing old together.”
“I want that, too,” Liz whispered, blinking back the tears. She reached up to his face and caressed his cheek, feeling the stubble since he hadn’t shaved. He started kissing her, exploring her mouth with hunger and passion. Ethan caressed her naked flesh under the covers, making her moan and her body writhe in passion. He found a nipple and caressed the swollen, erect bud. He kissed her neck, her collarbone and worked his way down to her breasts, giving each of them loving, special attention, driving her crazy with desire.
“Oh, Ethan, stop teasing me,” Liz whispered, caressing his bare back up and down with her hands, and she opened her legs wide, giving him a hint of where she wanted to be touched. Ethan smiled as he felt the wetness between her legs and inserted his fingers into her pussy until he found her clit and rubbed it, making her sob with passion. “Is this what you want? My fingers touching your wet pussy?” He was hard already. He always seemed to be that way around her.
“Yes!” She laughed. “So quit teasing and touch me now.”
Ethan chuckled. “Demanding, aren’t we?” He played with her, making her crazy.
Ethan entered her slowly and built up a steady rhythm that had her groaning in excitement and biting her lip as she tried not to yell out. Liz held his shoulders tightly as he put her legs on his shoulders, giving him better access to her. He could feel her nails digging into his back as she arched up toward him and he loved all the signs of her pleasure.
Liz closed her eyes, loving the feelings that were building up inside her. She sobbed and whispered, “It feels so good, Ethan, so amazing. I don’t want it to end.”
Liz could hear their bodies slapping against each other again and again and the creak of the bed as they rocked together over and over. Her body trembled as she clutched him tighter, the fire inside her blazing hotter and hotter until she couldn’t contain it. Liz opened her eyes and looked into his beautiful golden eyes and saw love shining out of them. That look sent her over the edge and they both climaxed together in a loud cry of fulfilled ecstasy.
“I love you, Elizabeth, forever.” He groaned as he came in the hardest climax he had ever experienced. “Oh God, I love you!”
He lay next to her so he wouldn’t crush her with his weight. “I think we need another shower, but I’m too tired.”
“Mmm,” she mumbled but fell right to sleep snuggled into his side.
Ethan chuckled and pulled her close to his body, covering them both up, not wanting to give up the intimate feeling. “Okay later then,” he whispered with a smile, feeling peace now that she was back in his arms.
Chapter 14
Christmas Eve
The soft golden glow of the candles made a romantic atmosphere inside the little white church filled with the whole town. The smell of pine drifted in the air. Green garland and red bows lined the benches. Red poinsettias decorated the church. Lacy was beautiful in her white lacy wedding gown, and Ryan stood tall and proud as they said their vows in front of God and their family and friends.
Liz could feel her heart bursting with happiness. Her cup runneth over. She finally understood those words because that’s how she felt right now. This was the best Christmas ever. As she watched Ryan kiss Lacy passionately as the preacher pronounced them man and wife, Liz felt the tears come to her eyes, but she didn’t wipe them away. She was happy and she didn’t care who knew it.
Gary was in jail, where he would stay for a long time. Ethan had convinced her to tell her parents, so she finally caved into his wishes and got the surprise of her life. Roger and Claire Daniels dropped their plans for their annual trip to France and rushed to Appledale to make sure Liz was okay and to meet Ethan.
Much to her surprise Ethan got along well with her dad. After hearing the whole story from Ryan and Ethan, her father announced he was proud Elizabeth had found a man capable of protecting his daughter. He hired the best lawyer to make sure Gary would never be a problem to anyone again.
“Unfortunately my business puts me in the spotlight and I have always worried about something like this happening,” Roger told Ethan one night while they were having dinner at Golden House where her parents were staying.
Claire nodded in agreement. “We had Spencer investigate this town and had hoped it would be a safe place for our daughter.” Spencer was the head security man on her parents’ bodyguard team.
This was news to Liz. “Really? I didn’t know that.” She thought they just didn’t care if she moved away. Maybe she was still seeing things through a child’s eyes. If her parents didn’t love her they wouldn’t rush here to see if she was okay.
Her mother patted her hand. “Of course, darling. You didn’t think we’d just let you wander off to some unknown place without knowing if it would be safe.”
Claire looked over at Ethan and explained. “My Elizabeth has always been so independent and wanting to follow her own path.”
Ethan nodded and smiled warmly, winking at Liz. “Yes, she does but I love that about her, Claire. Your daughter is smart, kind, and beautiful. You should be proud of her.”
Her parents beamed at that statement, and Liz could feel her cheeks turning red. The compliment made her feel all gushy inside. All her dreams were coming true and she wanted to pinch herself to see if it was real.
Her parents had even stayed for Lacy and Ryan’s wedding, wanting to meet her two best friends. They wanted to spend Liz’s birthday with her. They would fly out to Paris the day after Christmas to finish their vacation. Liz had a beautiful engagement ring on her own finger. Soon she would be planning her own wedding and someday maybe even have kids of her own. Ethan’s family had been very welcoming toward her, too, and seemed excited that Ethan was finally settling down. Ethan’s mom cried when they announced their engagement and said she hoped to have a new grandbaby soon.
“Geez, Mom, let us get married first,” Ethan griped but his happiness was apparent because he smiled the whole time and everyone laughed. Liz liked his sister, Kari, and knew she had made a new friend. Kari was energetic and outgoing and her kids took after her, but Liz loved all the noise and the laughing. It was just the type of holiday she had always wanted.
Liz smiled as she felt Ethan’s arms wrap around her waist from behind, interrupting her thoughts as he kissed her neck softly. “Hey, sexy lady, you look beautiful in red. Let’s get to the hall for the party. Spencer took your parents already. I’m not sure who he’s protecting them from here, well maybe Mr. Harris’s sharp tongue.”
Liz laughed. Mr. Harris liked to complain, especially to anyone new in town. In reality he was just a lonely old man and very harmless. She took Ethan’s hand as they walked outside to his car. “I can’t wait to dance with you again, Ethan. I’ve dreamed of it for so long and now it’s really happening. If this is a dream I don’t want to wake up.”
Ethan hugged her and
whispered in her ear. “I can’t wait to be alone tonight and peel that dress off you. We’ll start celebrating your birthday at midnight, angel, just the two of us naked and alone.” He looked up into the sky. “Look, snowflakes.”
Liz lifted her face and felt the snowflakes fall on her face and melt. She grinned with happiness. “Yes, a white Christmas! Lacy will be so excited.”
Ethan looked at her beautiful face glowing from her happiness that came from inside her. She had a beautiful soul and that’s why he loved her. He felt an ache in his chest but not from pain. He was overwhelmed with joy and love and hope for the future. He felt like a little kid on Christmas morning who couldn’t wait to open his presents. Only, he already knew what his best present was and he was never giving it up. “I love you, Elizabeth Daniels, now and forever.”
Liz’s heart was filled with joy as she looked over at Ethan, who stood there staring at her with his sexy golden eyes. She couldn’t speak she was so touched by his simple words, so she laughed loudly and threw herself in his arms, knowing he would catch her—always. Lady Luck was finally on her side, and if she had anything to say about it, it would stay that way always and forever.
THE END
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