I raised an eyebrow. "People? What people?"

Eden brought her hands down my arms and then started unbuttoning my pants. All thoughts fled my brain. Who cared what she had been doing? If this was the result, I wanted her to do more of it.

She pulled my zipper down, dragged my pants down my hips, and let them fall to the floor. I kicked them aside and her eyes went to my straining erection, and her eyes seemed to grow even glassier as she reached out and stroked me once. I sucked in a breath.

"Lord Darkhaven and Lady Flowervale."

I had started leaning forward to kiss her and paused. "Dark what and Lady who?"

Eden laughed softly. "Lawrence and Elinor." She sighed, a dreamy look washing over her face. I was completely lost. She stroked me again and I groaned.

I leaned forward and took her face in my hands and kissed her lips. She immediately opened and our tongues met, the fresh taste of her bursting across my tongue, filling my mouth. She groaned and my entire body, my heart, my mind, they were focused on one thing and one thing only: Eden. She kissed me like she hadn't seen me for decades. She kissed me like I had just come home from war, unexpectedly alive and unharmed. Whatever I have to do to keep this girl kissing me like this every day of my life, that's what I'll do, my lust-fogged brain somehow pieced together.

I walked her backward to the bed and we both went down on it, my mouth coming off hers as she laughed. I grinned, too, and then began kissing the smooth, fragrant skin of her neck, inhaling apple blossoms and springtime.

"I love love," she moaned out. "I love you. I love being yours."

"I love you, too," I said, between kisses. "I love being yours."

Eden pushed me and I rolled over onto my back and she climbed on top of me, nestling my erection right against her core. My thoughts started to dim again.

She leaned down and kissed my neck and then reached a hand down and stroked her hand up and down my erection. "That feels so good," I moaned out. "Don't stop."

She stroked me for another minute and then leaned back a little and used her other hand to cup and fondle my balls. I sucked in a breath and my eyes opened. Eden's eyes met mine and widened, as a pink tinge rose in her cheeks. "Do you like that?" she asked.

My mouth opened but no sound came out. I simply nodded, doing whatever I needed to do so she didn't stop.

Eden's eyes were focused on me, and the dreamy smile only made me harder.

"Tell me about this book you read today," I said, my voice raspy. I was thinking that as soon as I had a job and was bringing in some money, I'd ration my food to buy her more of these books.

Eden stood up and quickly removed her clothes as I watched. I started to sit up so I could touch her, but she pushed me back down gently. "Lawrence, brave and noble lord, dark-haired and strong, just like you," she said, as she climbed on top of me and took me in her hand again. I fell back on the bed, my erection throbbing in her hand.

"Eden . . ." I groaned.

"I know," she said, "I want you, too. I've wanted you all day. I've been feverish with it, ever since Lord Darkhaven took Lady Elinor's maidenhead on the kitchen table of the servant's cottage."

"Maidenhead?" I groaned out.

Eden nodded. "Lady Elinor was hiding as a servant from the evil Duke of Wallington."

She sat up slightly and guided me to her opening. My vision grew blurry as I watched the tip of my penis enter her slowly. She stopped moving and I groaned, a sound of desperation and need.

Eden closed her eyes and lowered herself on me, the wet warmth of her squeezing me so tightly, I thought I could easily pass out from the pleasure. "Mmm," she murmured, and started moving slowly, her eyes still closed and her head tilted back.

"But he found her, anyway, and he captured her."

I tried to remember what we'd been talking about, who "he" was, but my thoughts were all blurry, my brain cells not firing properly.

Eden's ni**les tightened and she moaned, and the sight of her, along with the feel of her wet friction, was almost torturous. I gripped her hips, but resisted guiding her. I wanted to see what she was going to do. I wanted to see her move in the way that pleasured her the most.

She came up and down on me a little faster and each time she came down, she let out a little gasp of pleasure. She reached her own hands up and touched her ni**les and I had to close my eyes for a second not to cl**ax right then and there. "Eden," I groaned, "I can't . . . you're—"

"What feels good to you?" she asked on a breath, her eyes fluttering closed, and her full lips parting. She was exquisite.

"It all feels good to me, Eden. At this point, anything you do feels good. Move the way you like."

"Just a second . . . oh, you feel good, too," she breathed. "Lady Elinor was right. This is very good." My vision blurred even further and I felt my own cl**ax swirling through my abdomen. I held it back, gritting my teeth. Then, thank the gods, Eden started moving faster and crying out my name. She fell forward on top of me, gasping one final time as she moaned and pressed into me.

I flipped her over in one swift movement so she was on her back and I thrust into her hard and deep, my toes curling as the bliss spiked through my body. My own pleasure hit me, hard and intense, stars bursting before my eyes as I jerked and swelled inside her and pulled out just in time for my seed to spill on her stomach. I groaned into her neck, rolling my h*ps lazily, milking the last little bit of my cl**ax. I couldn't wait for the day it would be safe to come inside of her. But for now, I couldn't risk that.

We lay there together, my head right under Eden's chin, turned to the side. "But valiant Lord Darkhaven rode his trusted steed over mountains and through valleys, through the blackest of nights to rescue Lady Flowervale. And even though there was a twist, and they found out that Lord Darkhaven wasn't actually a lord at all, but a penniless pauper without a title or a castle, or even a shilling to his name," Eden ran a hand through my hair as my head cleared and my breathing slowed, "Lady Elinor chose him anyway because he was her one true love."

I lifted my head and looked up at her, my eyes widened as tears came to her eyes, one escaping down her cheek. "‘Lawrence,’" she whispered, bringing her other hand to her chest, "‘whether a lord or a pauper, a prince or a guttersnipe, I worship you and no other. Until there is no breath in my body and my bones have turned to dust, you, my love, you and no other.’"

She let out a breath and beamed at me as more tears flowed down her cheeks. I was utterly at a loss of what to say to the beautiful girl under me who I loved fiercely and yet was completely confused by. Maybe there was a good reason Hector had banned fictional books so long ago.

"I know it's just a story," Eden said, swiping at her cheeks, "but it made me believe that things can turn out okay in the end. Even when everything looks to be a mess—and you're not sure how or why or where to turn—that with love, everything will be okay, that we'll be okay. It gave me hope."

I let out a breath and smiled at her. "Morning Glory," I murmured. "Where do you find your strength?"

"From you," she whispered, running one finger over my lips.

We rolled to the side, so that we were facing each other on the bed, and I ran my hand down her long hair, working out the tangles we'd created.

"Tell me about today," she said softly.

I let out a breath. "No luck today. There doesn't seem to be any record of our births. Kristi thought there might be since we were registered in school, but evidently, after our birth at Acadia, no birth certificates were obtained. We're not sure how it all works—we're trying to figure it out. But until we do we're not gonna be able to work anywhere that requires identification, so no restaurants or stores. Xander and I have some ideas though, so I don't want you to worry, all right?"

Eden smiled a gentle smile. "I'm not worried. I know things are going to be okay."

I winked at her. "Right, Lord Dark . . ."

"Haven," she continued. "Yes, Lord Darkhaven." She grinned. "I pictured him to look just like you, only his hair curled up over his collar, in a rakish fashion."

I laughed. "I don't know what a 'rakish fashion' is exactly, but if growing my hair gets me more of what we just did, then . . ."

Eden laughed. "I think it just might." She put her head back down on my chest and I felt her smiling against my skin. I almost jolted from the wave of protectiveness I felt as I brought my hand up to run through my hair. Sometimes my love for her was almost too much for me; it made me feel I was bleeding inside. My beautiful girl, I said in my head. I will protect your sweet and hopeful heart. I vow to shield you from any ugliness in this world, and always be your shelter in the storm.

"What should we do for dinner?" Eden asked.

"Are you hungry?"

She nodded. "I worked up an appetite."

I smiled again. I had liked how she worked up her appetite. "Then let's get you some food. Kristi should be home soon, too. Hopefully she was able to sell our gold." I paused. "I feel like a pirate every time I say that."

Eden laughed. "I think Kristi had a book with a pirate in it out there. That'll be next on my reading list."

I grinned. "I support that plan."

She laughed back. We remained lying there enjoying the feel of being in each other's arms, the quiet around us, the knowledge no one was going to try to separate us, and that we would sleep tonight and every night from here forward, just like this.

**********

An hour later, Eden, Xander and I had all showered. Xander was turning television stations, showing us how it worked. It was loud and bright and too much seemed to be going on for me to focus. "Turn it off," I said, grimacing and turning away.

"You don't like it?" he asked, incredulous, pressing buttons on the controller again.

"No."

The door opened and Kristi walked in, smiling happily at us. "Hey guys," she said, closing the door behind her. "Good news. I have cash for you. Over a thousand."

"Holy hell. You're kidding," Xander exclaimed, clicking the television off and standing up.

"Yup. Here you go." Kristi grinned, handing cash to Xander.

"Well, let's celebrate," Xander said. "Dinner is on us." His face went serious. "Wait, how much is dinner?"

Kristi laughed. "We'll go somewhere very affordable."

"Okay, and hey, we don't need your money now."

"Well, you're getting it anyway," Kristi said, winking. "I just wish I could give you more. Let me freshen up and we'll get going."

Xander, Eden and I grinned at each other. Things were falling into place. "What do you think, Lady Flowervale?"

Eden grinned. "I think we're gonna be just fine, Lord Darkhaven."

"Ready?" Kristi asked, coming out of her room.

"Yup," I said, taking Eden's hand in mine.

We walked down Kristi's stairs, chatting and laughing. When we turned the corner to the parking lot, a police car rolled slowly to a stop. A police officer stepped out of the passenger side to our right, his hand on the gun at his belt. I squeezed Eden's hand more tightly, adrenaline streaking through my system. "It's okay," I breathed, "just follow my lead. Maybe they'll help us."

I looked behind me. There was nothing except a solid, concrete wall.

Eden nodded, her eyes filled with terror.

That's when the officer driving the car stepped out and turned toward us.

It was Clive Richter.

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

Eden

"We've been looking for you, Eden," Clive said, smiling. The smile didn't come anywhere near his cold eyes.

"Clive," Calder said, sounding incredulous, his voice hard and raspy. "She's fine. She doesn't want to live with Hector."

"Well, unfortunately, son, Hector's her guardian and she doesn't have a choice." He squinted at me, resting his hand on the gun at his waist, just like the other officer. "You do, though. You're free to do as you please. You're eighteen. Hector doesn't want you back anyway."

Clive Richter was a police officer! I tried to wrap my mind around what was happening.

"No way I'm leaving her," Calder said, squeezing my hand tighter and pulling me against him. My brain reeled. My body swayed. I felt vomit rise up my throat. How had we been laughing and joking just minutes ago, and now my whole world was crashing down? Clive looked pleased somehow at Calder's words. Why? It's what he had wanted him to say.

"Do you know the man you're bringing her back to is a cult leader?" Kristi said, her voice rising.

The other police officer lowered his sunglasses and looked at her. "You call it a cult, he calls it his religion," he said. "And regardless, he's still her guardian."

Kristi shook her head, looking confused. "What? That . . ." But she didn't seem to know how to continue. He must be right.

"You're lucky we don't arrest you for harboring a runaway," he said, and then spit on the pavement next to him. "And we really don't want to shoot you, but we will if we have to." He laughed and touched his gun again. I had no clue what was funny.

"Get in," Clive said, his face turning stony as he pointed to the police car. "Don't make me have to cuff you."

"Calder . . ."

Calder looked back at Xander, widened his eyes, and Xander nodded his head once. Then Calder made a sudden movement, throwing himself in front of me and facing the officer. Calder pushed me backward to Xander who took my hand and started to run. I screamed, looking backward as the officer dived at Calder.