Through the Darkness: Of Love and Loss Series Book One

30

Every moment of their week-and-a-half-long honeymoon in Atlantic City passed in a blissful blur. Elyria had never been to such an awe-inspiring place before, filled with so many different smells and sounds that she became dizzy by the end of their first day from trying to sort it all out.

They stayed at the Hotel Chelsea, walked along the boardwalk, or spent days at the beach swimming in the ocean.

Several times while there, they went to the Steel Pier to take in the horse diving show. It was a forty-foot tower from which a horse and female rider would jump off to dive into an eleven-foot-deep pool below.

The brass band nearby punctuated the hooves stomping along the ramp as the horse raced to the end, where the rider jumped on the back of the horse—a heartbeat before they leaped from the platform. A strange, eerie silence followed.

The very air changed, pulsing with electricity and tension. The crowd held their collective breath, then broke out into wild cheers and applause when horse and rider emerged unscathed from the pool.

No matter how often they attended the performance, it proved to be spectacular and thrilling every time.

But while more excitement than Elyria had ever experienced filled their days, their nights were magical, filled with passion and joy. Their last night, while lying in bed, she smoothed a hand across Everett's well-muscled and naked chest.

Mapping out the scars and learning their stories had become her nightly ritual. Nearly all of them along Everett's right side were scattered remnants of war. But there were four hidden amongst the others, noticeably different in texture, that he'd received from his father.

They painted a clearer picture of her husband. One that brought tears to her eyes for the injustice he'd suffered and the vulnerability in his voice when he spoke of the man.

She almost wished he was still alive or that she could travel back in time just to give him a piece of her mind.

Knowing such thoughts were nothing more than pointless fancy, she silently vowed to spend the rest of her life doing everything in her power to ensure Everett never had cause to doubt her love for him.

And he did a more than adequate job of reciprocating. He bathed her daily with love and adoration, the likes of which she could never have dreamed of knowing.

From the moment they'd reunited at the train station two weeks ago, she couldn't remember being so full of happiness.

Since their wedding, it had deepened, growing and evolving into such incandescent joy that the emotion now frightened her.

"You've grown quiet," he murmured, brushing his right hand gently up and down her arm.

She adjusted her cheek against his chest and kissed the scraggly shaped 'v' scar marring the upper swell of his left pectoral. "Are we too happy?"

"What do you mean?"

"It's something my brother used to say," she whispered. "Don't let yourself get too happy, El, or something's bound to go wrong... I used to think he said it only to annoy me when Daphne and I would get too boisterous. But what if he was right?"

Everett remained silent for a minute, then softly said, "How else will we appreciate the happiness if something doesn't go wrong? It's like when you have a cold and can't breathe through your nose."

She poked him lightly in his ribs. "So, you agree with him?"

"I dare you to admit that the last time you had a cold and were congested, you didn't vow never to take the luxury of being able to breathe through your nose for granted again."

Shaking her head, she bit back a smile and sighed. "You're right."

"We've had a similar conversation before, if you'll recall. You rebuked me."

"When?"

"You told me happiness isn't a commodity to be bartered for. And you were right." He cupped her jaw and tilted her face to look at him. "I don't agree with your brother. My life should be proof that bad things don't happen as a consequence of being too happy. It's taken me a while to realize it, but you've helped me see that the bad parts are just a natural and necessary part of life."

Raising on her elbow, she cradled his face in her palm and pressed a soft kiss to his lips. "Everett Monterose," she sighed, trailing kisses along his jaw, then down his neck, "you are a wise man."

"You're only saying that because I'm quoting you."

She laughed. "No, I said it because it's true."

He chuckled, then sighed. "Remind me to get that carved in stone; I'll display it in class. That way, if anyone ever questions my intelligence, all I have to do is point to your decree."

Elyria placed nibbling kisses down his chest, smiling when the muscles flinched and flexed beneath her lips. A ragged hiss escaped him when she repeated the actions in the same sensitive spots a second time on her way back to his mouth.

The instant their lips touched, he rolled her to her back and plied her mouth in a long, languid kiss that made her toes curl with pleasure.

"Pegleg?" He whispered, nipping lightly at her bottom lip with his teeth.

She threaded her fingers through his hair and tugged his mouth closer. "No more talking, just kissing."

"So bossy." He grinned against her lips, stealing her breath with a heated kiss before pulling slightly away. "Only kissing? Isn't that a bit like going to a candy store only to leave with a small tootsie roll when you could have had an entire bagful?"

Chuckling, she cupped the back of his head and brought his mouth back to hers, "Well, when you put it that way..."