Saved (29 page)

Eric allowed his thoughts to wander to his Abby, well loved and sleeping in the next room. She was the simplest love he had ever known, with her pure innocence, no games or pretenses. It’s almost too good to be true, he thought to himself as he felt a rueful smile shining inside his heart. Looking over at the bedroom door again, he muttered under his breath, “You’re mine. By god, I won’t let you go.”

He watched Rachel sleeping peacefully, her tiny thumb stuck in her mouth now, gently suckling. Bending over, he tucked the blankets around her to make sure she was snug and secure, feeling a rush of pure joy wash over him while he crouched down, just watching. Then, from out of nowhere, he
was hit by a fleeting panic when he thought about what kind of father he would be. He didn’t know the first thing about it, and he scrubbed his hands down his face and headed back to his room and Abby.

Eric looked down at Abby, who was lying, peaceful and content, curled up and well sated in the middle his bed. The sight
took his breath away and sucker punched him right in the gut. He left the door ajar so they could hear Rachel in the next room, and he took off his shirt and pants and tossed them onto the chair in the corner. Climbing into bed, he settled up against her, pulling the covers over them and running his hand gently over her stomach while pulling her closer to him.

Hearing her murmur, he lifted her hair, kissing the back of her neck, holding her tight in his embrace. He stopped her when she tried to roll over and face him. “Don’t move,” he whispered. Running his hand slowly down between her legs, he nudged them open, lifting her leg as he slipped a finger inside and heard a moan escape while she grasped his other arm, which encircled her waist. Slowly, he entered her from behind, anchoring her tightly to him, then lowering his head and taking her earlobe between his teeth, nibbling until he heard the sweet gasp as her breath caught. He slowed his pace, controlled his depth, pulling out and then back in.

“Oh, Eric, please…”

As he felt her begin to lose control, he reached up with one hand to cover her mouth, stifling the screams as he found her hardened nipple with his other hand and rubbed it in a circle. Plunging deep inside of her, he felt his control slipping,
then teetering over the edge. He muffled his groan in her blond mass of hair as he buried his seed deep within her.

“My God, I think I need a minute—no, maybe an hour until I can move again,” he said to her.

She slid around in his arms and faced him, then reached up with her slender hand, sliding it over his rough cheeks.

“I need to shave,” he said, then turned his head. He nipped at her hand and kissed her again. “I didn’t hurt you, did I?” he asked while tenderly running a finger over her jaw.

She shook her head. “Is it always so wonderful?”

“Yes, and it always will be. Now, enough talk; we need some sleep.”

She snuggled her head against his shoulder. She was a perfect fit. The contentedness that washed over him was nothing he had ever experienced before. He listened to her steady, easy breathing as he allowed himself to slowly drift off to sleep.

Eric couldn’t keep the silly smile he knew
was pasted ear to ear from his face. The last week had been the best week of his life, spending every night in Abby’s arms. As they now headed back home to port in Norfolk, he remembered the call from the admiral that had come through the morning after his reconciliation with Abby. He had been having breakfast with her when he received the news: They’d been ordered home.

The crew’s adrenaline was pumping, and he could feel the joy come out of every wall and nook of his ship the closer they were to home.

Joe put a call through to Mary-Margaret since Eric had already arranged for housing on base. She volunteered to take care of their basic needs so they’d have a bed, food, everything they needed in their home. When Joe warned Eric to expect everything handled, because Mary-Margaret didn’t do anything halfway, Eric hoped Abby would be okay with that.

There was a lot to consider, and as the ship neared the homeport, he wondered about Seyed Hossein. With what he’d done by marrying Abby, well, he knew he’d made enemies, but not knowing and knowing what they were up to were two very different things. That old saying, ‘Keep your friends close and your enemies closer’—he’d made an enemy with the CIA, because there was a difference between taking an ordinary US citizen and taking the wife of someone in his position.

Standing on the deck of the ship as it approached the port, Abby cradled Rachel. As they came in, the crew scrambled around her, readying the ship for docking. The crowd that was gathered could be heard as they approached, and it was something that filled every part of Eric with such joy that he couldn’t quite put it into words.

Eric leaned down, and, with a subtle brush of his lips, he said, “It’s time you went back down. Petey will take you to my cabin. Wait there until I come and get you.”

“But I want to watch us dock.”

“This isn’t the time or place. When I give an order, I expect it to be obeyed,” he said. The last thing he wanted was for her to fall over or
get bumped by some over-exuberant sailor, and that was a very real possibility. Eric snapped his fingers in the air and got Petey’s attention. “Take my wife down, and stay with her until I come down.”

“Yes, Captain,”
Petey said.

Eric could see Abby’s disappointment, but, to her credit, she left with Petey.

***

Eric leaned against the frame of the open door to his cabin. He could still hear the roar of the crowd for their loved ones. He knew Mary-Margaret would be out there waiting for Joe in that crowd. He could hear the crew on deck, every one of them shouting and jumping, anxiously waiting to kiss and hug their wives, their girlfriends, anyone who was waiting for them. Eric now had Abby. He took her in with a full sweep of his eyes.

“Thanks, Petey. You’re dismissed. Grab your gear.”

The young man didn’t linger. “Thank you, Captain,” he said as he jumped out the door.

“Are you ready to start your new life?” Eric asked as he stepped toward her and pulled her into his arms. Rachel was cooing from the cradle by the desk.

Abby didn’t pull away but looked up at him with her chin resting on his chest. “Yes, as long as you’re with me.”

Leaning down, he claimed those luscious lips, soft with passion, cupping her head as he took what was his. He was breathing heavily as he rested his forehead against hers. “My God, woman, what you do to me. Go pick up our girl. Let’s go home.”

Abby lifted Rachel from her cradle, and Eric lifted the duffel bag packed with all their belongings, tossing it with ease over his shoulder and then leading them out.

Mary-Margaret was waiting for them when they disembarked from the ship. She was bouncing up and down when she saw Joe. She had blue eyes, short brown hair, round cheeks, and a slim figure. After she finished giving her husband a kiss, she looked over to Abby, who glanced at Eric and blushed. Mary-Margaret hit Eric in the arm.

“Hey, what was that for? Joe, your wife just hit me.”

Joe just laughed, and Abby wasn’t sure what to make of them.

“I cannot believe you got married! Well, introduce me.” Mary-Margaret gestured with her hand for Eric to hurry up.

“Abby, this tough broad here…”

Mary-Margaret smacked his arm again. “Hey, be nice,” she said, jabbing her finger at him. “Abby, I’m Mary-Margaret.” She slid in between them, bumping Eric over with her hip, sliding her arm around Abby. “Now, you come with me. We’ll let these two sailors bring up the rear with the kids. Abby, that’s Taylor, my oldest. He’s ten, Janey is eight, and Steven is seven. As you see, Joe didn’t give me much of a break there for a while.” The kids were shouting and hanging off their dad. “Can I hold her?” Mary-Margaret asked, gesturing to Rachel. Abby just nodded, and Eric noticed she was looking a little overwhelmed. Mary-Margaret starting fussing over the baby as she walked away with her in her arms.

Eric picked up Abby’s hand, smiling at her, and pulled her along with him, following Joe, the kids, and Mary-Margaret. “I think you’ll really like Joe’s wife. She can be a little out there sometimes, but she’s put up with me all these years.”

Eric stopped and watched her for a minute. She was taking everything in, and then she stepped closer to him and pulled the sweater she was wearing tightly around her.

“I’m fine,” she said. “
There’s just so many people. And just to be here…I didn’t expect all this.” When she looked up at him, she tried to smile, but there was something there in her eyes, and she looked away as if trying to hide it.

“Abby, you’re safe here. We have a house on base waiting for us. No one gets in or off base without going through security, which is tight. There’s an alarm in the house.”

She swept her hair back and peeked up at him. “You think I’m being silly?”

“No, but I want you to feel safe.” He slid his arm around her and pulled her closer.

Joe whistled and shouted from the purple minivan everyone was piling in, “Hey, you two, come on!”

“Let’s go before they leave us behind and take Rachel home with them,” Eric said.
And this time, when Abby smiled, there was light in her eyes.

Two years later

Abby stood on the pier with the other Navy wives and kids. She felt the familiar butterflies churn in her stomach as she held tight to Rachel, now a rambunctious two year old with jet-black hair and dark eyes, like her father.

There were times when she’d catch a glance at Rachel when she was running or reaching for something, just from the side, and she thought of Seyed. She would never, ever say anything to Eric, because the fear that haunted her for so long that he’d find her had returned a few months ago. After Eric left on this deployment, she wondered if she’d ever get used to having him gone for so long at a time, staying at home and pretending everything was fine. He made her feel safe, and while he was here, she slept soundly, peacefully.

She could not see Eric through the flow of sailors disembarking, so she stood on her toes, anxious, searching, when she spotted him in back, almost a head taller than many of the men.
She waved frantically to him, wanting nothing more than to run to him and throw herself into his arms.

Making her way through the crowd, she felt the familiar pull to him, which had only intensified over the last two years. Reaching him, she couldn’t stop the tears that always came when he left and when he returned. It was a roller coaster of emotions, and her eyes were like a damn faucet, as he’d just hold her.

“There are my girls,” he shouted and quickly scooped Rachel in his arms while pulling Abby with her, and Rachel screamed with delight, “Daddy, Daddy, my Daddy!” Eric kissed them both and then pulled away as he felt the baby kick.

Reaching down, he laid his hand possessively on Abby’s swollen belly. Then he leaned down and kissed her again. “How’s my boy today?”

Good God, the man, she swore, was more handsome than when he had left, and he took her breath away. Just hearing his voice made her heart jump, and she felt his hands running over her. She held his hand as she tried to smile through her tears. “Your boy’s fine. Your wife is ready to have this baby, though.”

Laughing, he bent down and gave her a deep, passionate kiss that still had the power to leave her breathless. He slid his arm around her shoulder, Rachel in his other arm, still carrying the
weight of his duffel bag. Eric led them to the car. “Come on, wife of mine. Let’s go home,” he said.

And
Abby knew that tonight, she’d be safe.

Afterword

Thank you so much for reading Saved. I originally wrote this novel back in 2007, titled The Captain’s Lady. This is my first novel and I just received the rights back from my publisher. The storyline is the same but I did rewrite and change some parts back to the original intent of the storyline.

Human Trafficking of woman is an international problem, and many of these
woman disappear without ever being found. In Saved, Abby is one of the lucky ones, she finds her way home.

If you enjoyed
Saved, then I’d love to ask you a favor and have you go back to Amazon and provide a review. Indie Authors live and die by their reviews, so the few extra seconds it takes you to leave a review really helps us authors out.

Although this book and all my books have been edited and proofed, editors, proofreaders and I are all human. If you spot a typo, please email me at
[email protected]
and let me know.
Also, I would like to thank everyone who has emailed and told all their family and friends about my books. And if you’d like to know more about my other books please scroll to the next section or visit my website at www.LorhainneEckhart.com

All the best,

Lorhainne Eckhart

Other Works by
Lorhainne Eckhart

The Forgotten Child
, Book 1

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The Outsider Series

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Romance