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Chapter Twenty-Five

Chapter Twenty-Five

The pain in Michael's back and leg is what awoke him the next morning. Lying on his old bed of rags had disagreed with his joints. Feeling Allie curled up against him however helped lessen the discomfort.

As he stroked her back and kissed her hair he thought about the truths that she had trusted him with last night. His Allie, his angel, had lived such a hard life and yet she had somehow remained beautiful through it all. Michael knew she couldn't see it in herself but he could.

She cared about other people. She had risked so much and sacrificed even more to save her sister, to give the girls in that orphanage a chance and to save him, a man who she didn't know at all at the time, a man who most would have turned their noses up at and simply pretended didn't exist.

He thought about what her father had done to her and felt true anger rise up in his chest. Anger was something new for Michael and he didn't like the emotion. How dare that man, who was supposed to love and protect his daughter, touch her and hurt her in such a way--not only that but he had been prepared to do the same to Amelia!

Michael held Allie closer and breathed in her scent. He would protect this woman and Amelia from any other men that ever tried to do them harm. He loved them both and Allie had taught him that's what you did for people you loved; you protected them.

Michael wanted to marry Allie, he wanted to be her husband, he wanted to love, honor and protect her for the rest of his life. He felt things when he was near her and suspected it was his body wanting to be with her the way a man and woman were meant to be together.... But he wouldn't force her. Surely the abuse of her father would keep her from wanting to share that with another man--and Michael had never given any thought at all to being with a woman before he'd meant Allie. He feared he wouldn't be able to please her the way she deserved.

Allie stirred in his arms and Michael smiled, "Good morning."

"Good morning," her whispering voice was hoarse from all the tears she had cried the night before.

Michael put his knuckle beneath her chin and lifted her head up so he could press his lips softly to hers. Allie moaned and kissed him deeper. Michael lost himself in the kiss, in the way her fingertips gently caressed his cheek, not bothered by the scar and deformity that marred it.

Never had Michael imagined he could feel the way that Allie made him feel. His heart raced, heat filled his veins and love and desire all swirled together in his mind. Michael could feel his pants tightening as the heat built and grew in intensity. He knew enough from books to know what all those feelings in his body were but nothing in a book could prepare a person for the intensity of feeling them.

"I love you, Allie," he gasped as she pulled her lips away.

"And I love you" Allie whispered, color flushing her cheeks. Michael felt a jolt of bravery course through him and he put his lips against her neck, nibbling the tender skin there.

His name left her lips on a moan and Michael felt her cling to him a bit tighter. He flipped them over and braced himself over Allie's tiny body as he once again moved his lips to hers.

Kissing Allie was one of the only times that Michael felt strong and powerful. With her below him this way, she seemed smaller somehow and he felt somehow as if he were more of a man.

Michael lost all sense of time as Allie's arms looped around his neck and their lips and tongues molded together, becoming more like one mouth instead of two. Michael moved one hand up along her side and his thumb traced lightly over her breast.