His mouth brushed teasingly over hers, but he didn't claim hold of hers as he dipped lower into the water. She remained nestled within his arms as the water swelled up around them and his tongue teased over her lips. Hannah squirmed in his embrace, pressing closer against him as she begged for him to ease the torment growing within her.
Finally, he eased her misery as his mouth settled hotly over hers. A feeling of rightness stole through her as she was once again reminded of the fact that she was home, that she had found where she belonged with him. Before he had wandered into her tavern her future had been bleak. She never would have been able to leave this town, and it would have only been a matter of time before Calvin forced her into marriage. She wasn't the only one that had been saved though, as the inhabitants of this town now knew a freedom and sanctuary that many of them had never experienced over their long lives.
Now, her future was an open road of joy and happiness, an open road of dreams already fulfilled and thousands still to be fulfilled with him. They would rebuild the tavern, they would travel and they would get married and have children, lots of children. It was all so much more than she ever could have hoped for in her life, and she was unbelievably blessed to have not only discovered the love of this man, but also the freedom that such a love had given to her.
EPILOGUE
Jack slammed the last of his nails into the final piece of the roof he was working on and pulled the gloves from his hands. Wiping the sweat from his brow with the back of his arm, he sat back on the board beneath him. The tavern was almost complete, just a few more days and they would have everything back together inside, and the furniture ready.
He was eager to get it over with. He'd thrown himself into the rebuilding yesterday after Hannah had informed him that she would like to be married by the lake, but the reception had to be held in the place she had always loved so much. Though he knew that she was his, that it was a fact apparent to everyone within this town, he wanted it to be official and he intended for Aria, Braith, and Daniel to be here for the wedding ceremony. They'd said they could stay for at least a couple more weeks but he knew that Braith had to return to the palace soon.
For the first time in over a year, Jack was actually looking forward to returning to the palace he had come to despise over the years. It was time to put the past behind him, to let go of his hatred of his father and Caleb, to confront the loss of David and the grief that had caused him to retreat from the world. Now, he planned to embrace the world, to face it head on and show Hannah all of the astonishing things it had to offer.
The sound of a board breaking drew his attention and William released a muttered curse. Jack tried not to laugh as he glanced over his shoulder at his friend. William picked up the broken pieces of ruined board and heaved them over the side of the building. "Easy," Jack told him.
William's eyes turned the color of a ruby as he glared back at Jack. His eyes gradually turned back to their normal blue color as he shook his head. "Sorry."
"It's going to take awhile, but you'll get it."
"I think I'm going to destroy a few more boards before that happens."
"At least it's getting some of your excess energy out."
William grunted in response and pulled another board toward him. Jack watched as he tapped the nail carefully in with his hammer before grabbing hold of another nail. His attention was drawn back to the town as Hannah, Aria, and Ellen stepped out of Abe's house. He couldn't tear his eyes away from Hannah as she moved with a lithe grace he found mesmerizing. Her skin, once so pale it was nearly translucent, now had a sun kissed hue to it that was radiant. The tinkling sound of her laughter drifted up to him, she held her loose hair back from her face as the wind blew around her. It was an amazing thing to hear her laugh, it had happened so rarely before but it had become a more common occurrence over the past week. Her laugh never failed to make him smile.
He'd never dreamed he'd find someone like her, and he'd never thought that he would be good enough to earn her love. He'd always been the least wanted son, then he'd become the rebel, and finally he'd become the man that had run from everything he'd ever known in an attempt to ignore his grief. He'd been completely wrong to do so though and she had proven that to him with her unwavering love. She had been his saving grace, his savior and redemption when he'd been adrift in the world and content to stay that way.
"I'll be back," he said to William as his friend released another volatile curse.
Jack didn't look back as William heaved another board off the side of the roof. Jack ran across the peak of the roof and dropped off the front of the two story building. Ellen took a startled step back, Aria shook her head at him but she was smiling as she brushed past him. Hannah gave him a teasing smile as she turned and ran back down the road.
Her laughter trailed behind her as she darted up the steps of the abandoned home they'd started sleeping in yesterday. He caught hold of her waist before she made it through the front door. A squeal escaped her as he lifted her within his arms and spun her around. Her eyes sparkled with love in the light of the sun as he carried her inside and kicked the door shut.