Refugee Road (Freedom Fighters Series Book 1) by Nikki Landis Page B

into the space. He wanted to make sure they would not get blown away.
    Excitement made Alec’s fingers tremble. He felt like a much younger man again. Like a teenager. His thoughts traveled back to the night he met Lizzie. She was so beautiful. His stomach twisted in a small knot and he took a deep steadying breath. She had that effect on him. Making him weak in the knees. And set his heart racing in his broad chest.
    It was time Alec told her how he really felt, not just hinting at it. Time was not going to wait. The world had gone to shit fast. Every moment brought them closer to their death. He didn’t want to wait anymore. He wanted Lizzie to know the truth. Everything. He had enough of secrets. Enough of waiting. Three years was a terribly long time. Now more months had passed. The wait was killing him.
    At the next opportunity he would reveal his love for her. He would marry her as soon as he had the chance. She would say yes. He knew she would. Alec knew she loved him. He saw it in her beautiful brown eyes. Every time he looked in her face, it was written all over that beloved smile that beguiled him.
    Alec smiled. It would not be long now…
     
     
     
     
    I ran to Alec the second I saw him. Tears filled my eyes and I quickly blinked them back, burying my head in his neck. It would not be a good thing if he saw me cry. I didn’t want to worry him, but in that moment I was overcome with emotion.
    “What’s the matter sweetheart?” He asked, his fingers grasping my chin and tilting my face up to his.
    I cleared my throat. “I’m happy to see you.” Let that be the reason. Nothing else.
    He smiled. “So am I. I’ve missed you. Terribly.” He lowered his head, placing a kiss on my forehead. “Your letters make me want to run to you.”
    Alec’s arms slipped around my waist. I felt his fingers curl around the fabric of my shirt, tightening next to my skin. “They do?”
    His nearness was making me breathless. He leaned down, his mouth hovering above mine, moisture and heat shimmering between us.
    “Oh yes,” he answered, his lips tickling mine.
    I closed my eyes, hoping he would kiss me. Nothing happened. I opened my eyes to his chuckle as it rumbled through his chest.
    “Are you waiting for something, darling?” He teased.
    “Y,yes…” I managed to squeak out.
    “What do you want Lizzie?” He asked, leaning our foreheads together. The simple gesture was gentle but adamant. He asked the same question in his last letter. The one I had waited to answer until I saw him. They were words I wanted him to hear, not words for paper and pen. The funny thing was, now that the moment was here, all I could say was one word.
    My heart skipped a beat. “You.”
    He picked me up and swung me around, pulling me back against his chest. His eyes had turned to an almost grayish blue, bright and happy. His exuberance made me laugh.
    “I want you too Lizzie,” he admitted, his voice husky.
    “Oh Alec,” I whispered. I was falling, plunging down, becoming lost in emotions that were new and unfamiliar to me.
    “Surely you must know the way I feel about you.”
    I shook my head. He was going to have to say it. I had no idea at all.
    “Do I need to say the words? Is that what you are waiting for?”
    At my look of uncertainty he continued.
    “Then I will, so you will be in no doubt of my feelings.” He laced his fingers through mine and held me close, our eyes chained to each other, unable to break free. “I’ve loved you since that first night we met. I was going to date you, ask for your hand in marriage, and spend the rest of my life with you.” I gasped in surprise but he continued. “The war changed everything but one important thing for me. You.” His eyes reached down inside me and touched somewhere deep in my soul. “You are my constant Lizzie. You are my heart. I promised myself I would find you…and once I did…I was never letting you go again. Never mistake my calm and patient attitude for