It was difficult to tell which was more intense—the anticipation of knowing we’d been caught, or the desperate hope that I would finally get a taste of freedom. Owen wore a somewhat pensive expression, focused on the road as we took an exit off the freeway. It was more or less empty, seeming to lead farther away from the suburbs and into the desert.

His lips curled as he glanced at me from the corner of his eye. It was all I could do to keep from outright begging him to tell me what had happened on the phone. He seemed far too composed for the situation, and when his hand found my own again, I struggled to calm my racing heartbeat.

“Their intel shows that you’ve gone missing,” he began, his voice shaking.

My entire being was gripped with fear at the idea of the FBI already knowing that Owen had helped me escape, and I stuttered for a moment, fighting tears. He wasn’t done talking, though, and his voice was tinged with disbelief as he spoke again.

“They’ve decided that the mission is a wash. They’re turning their attention to other ways of bringing your father in. As far as they’re concerned, you have ceased to exist,” he continued, sounding almost giddy.

The idea that they had given up on finding me was a surprising one, but I knew Owen wasn’t so malicious as to make up something like that on the spot. He was smart, but if he hadn’t been interrupted before the phone call, I was sure he was going to confirm that his feelings were as deep as my own.

I tried not to get too wrapped up in that desperate hope, but the expression he fixed me with as we made our way deeper into the Californian desert set alight a burning desire in me.

“I don’t understand. They’re not going to come looking for us?” I asked.

He grinned, shaking his head. My heart was nearly pounding out of my chest, and it was all I could do to keep from lurching across the center console to passionately lock lips with my savior.

“But…you’re going to be returning to your base in Hawaii after two weeks, right? So I might never see you again,” I said, the realization settling on me like a ton of bricks.

He sighed, pulling the car over to the side of deserted road. I realized we were going to have a very serious conversation, and I wasn’t sure I was prepared to have my heart shattered.

“Emily…as much as my life in the military has meant to me over the years, I have no doubt in my heart that you mean even more. It’s soon, I know, and I’ve never been one to rush my feelings, but I’m also not one to ignore them when I feel so strongly about someone. When Gomez called, he interrupted something I’ve been biding my time to say. I wanted it to be perfect; I wanted it to be romantic…” he explained, leaning back in the driver’s seat.

I tried to remain calm, but the hitch in my breath had to be noticeable.

“What is it, Owen? You know you can tell me anything,” I whispered, my heart pounding so frantically that I was surprised he couldn’t hear it hammering against my ribcage.

He smiled, a gentle expression as he reached out to grip my chin in his hand. I exhaled a quaking breath, the anticipation building up to a near crescendo inside me.

“Emily, I would give up anything as long as it meant we were together. I love you, with a passion and certainty that I’ve never felt for anyone else. In two weeks, once I’ve received my vacation pay, I will be resigning from my job. I’m going to give you a taste of the freedom that you’ve longed for, for too long. I just want to be sure that’s what you want…to remain by my side,” he said with adoration in his eyes.

I was unable to swallow my gasp, the sheer ecstasy of knowing that the man I’d given my virginity to loved me. He actually loved me.

“I’m free? You…love me?” I stammered, almost unable to believe it.

He laughed, a loud and joyous sound as he lurched across the car to capture my lips in a tender kiss. Tears spilled down my cheeks, though this time, they were tears of joy. I couldn’t believe that after so many years of being a glorified prisoner, I was free. Not only that, I would never have to worry about being alone.

Threading my fingers in Owen’s hair, I deepened our kiss with a desperation that I was almost embarrassed by. He moaned into me, pulling away all too soon and fumbling with his seatbelt. I watched him with a curious expression, the heat building in my gut as he pushed the door open and all but fell out of the car. He circled around to my side, and I obligingly unfastened my seatbelt when he threw my door open.

“There’s more room in the back,” he suggested, his voice gruff.

I tried not to sweat under the intensity of his stare, jumping out of the car and squeaking as he pressed me against the door. His attention was anything but gentle, the complete opposite to the first time we made love. There was desperation on both parts, and I squealed as he nudged a knee between my thighs. His lips found my neck, nipping and kissing the sensitive skin there.

“You drive me crazy,” I gasped, and he flicked his tongue to my earlobe.

“You haven’t seen anything, yet. I’m going to rock your world,” he whispered into my ear, his breath hot.

I whimpered, wrapping my arms around his neck as he grabbed me under my rear and guided me into the backseat. He tossed me inside, and I made a desperate attempt to shimmy out of my pants. He watched me with hungry amusement dancing in his eyes, like a cat playing with a mouse.

“Please, please. I want you so bad,” I pleaded, lifting my hips as he helped me with my jeans.

He slid them down my legs slowly and sensually, his fingertips grazing each inch of exposed skin. When he got to my feet, he grinned and tossed my pants into the front seat. He leaned in, grabbing me by the ankle and pressing a kiss to the top of my foot before dragging his tongue up my leg.

I moaned, unable to form actual words as he worked me up higher than I’d ever been before.

“We’re going to take this nice and slow. There’s no rush, anymore. We’re free, baby,” he murmured.

He drew away, tossing his head back and shouting towards the sky.

“We’re free!” he cried out, and my arousal only surged as he crawled into the car, slamming the door shut behind him.

The air conditioner was still blessedly pumping out cool air, but my skin felt like it was on fire. Owen loomed over me, pulling his shirt off over his head and sitting back to watch me for a moment. The ravenous look told me all I needed to know about how passionately he would make love to me.

“Touch me,” I whispered, sitting up a little to shed my shirt and bra.

He palmed my breast, then pinched my nipple, causing me to cry out in a mix of pleasure and pain. My panties were already uncomfortably damp, and we’d barely even gotten started. He gently rubbed my breast after the pinch, soothing the tingle that remained.

“Too much?” he inquired softly, leaning in to press a kiss to the stiff peak.

I groaned, shaking my head desperately.

“More. More,” I demanded, pressing a hand to the back of his head.

He allowed himself to be pressed flush to my chest, gripping the nipple opposite the one he’d pinched in his teeth. They were just barely touching the skin, but it was enough to make another gush of wetness soak my panties. I hadn’t orgasmed yet, but I was so damn wet just from his teasing.

If the buildup was doing so much to me, I couldn’t imagine how it would feel when he was hilted inside me again.

Owen seemed to be in no rush, removing his teeth and sucking on my rosy bud. I all but screamed, dragging my nails down the expanse of his back.

“Someone’s eager,” he murmured against my skin, his breath hot.

I whined, rolling my hips towards him. I needed friction, desperate for his experienced touch between my thighs.

He hummed, the vibrations against my nipple setting loose the shout I’d managed to contain up until that moment. He grinned, kissing his way down my stomach and settling between my thighs. The car was cramped, but I couldn’t think of anywhere I would rather be.

Looping his fingers in the waistband of my panties, he slowly eased them down. The slick that had seeped out of me clung to them, and I watched with an inexplicable thrill as he tossed them in the same direction he’d tossed my pants.

My breath stuttered as he leaned in, spreading my outer lips with his fingers and giving me a slow, sensual lick. My body stiffened, and it was nearly enough to make me come undone on the spot. He peered up at me from between my thighs, lapping at my slit as he grasped my hips in his hands. He drew me closer, sloppily enjoying every drop.

I might have been embarrassed by the sounds if I weren’t so taken with him. In the moment, it only served to heighten the sensations.

Teetering on the edge, I grabbed at him with fumbling hands and brought him up to kiss me. I could taste myself on his lips, and I whimpered into his mouth as I felt him shift his hands down to his own pants. I was smitten, driven to the very brink of ecstasy as I saw his massive member spring free.

“Please, Owen. Just…put it inside me,” I gasped, reddening at how crude I sounded.

He moaned in response, wrapping his hand around his girth and pressing the tip against me. I wrapped a leg around him, pulling him against me without any further hesitation.

Owen gasped as he was hilted inside me, his body shaking as he desperately locked lips with me. I was almost sure he would take my breath, my lungs feeling as if they would burst. Somehow, that only made me hornier.

“You’re so perfect. I love you so much,” he whispered.

I stared adoringly at him, burying my face in his neck. I pecked tenderly at the skin there, my body pleasantly sore as he pistoned into me. I felt myself being brought higher and higher, and when I thought I couldn’t take any more, I clenched around him, crying out his name in the steamed-up car. He continued to jerk his hips, prolonging my orgasm and driving himself closer to his own.

When I thought I knew all the pleasure there could be, fireworks shot off in my head as another orgasm tore through me.

The sensations were nearly enough to make me cry, and I threw my head back as my entire body shook with delight. He gasped out my name, ducking his head and filling me up one more time before he was enveloped in his own orgasmic bliss. His mouth hung open, and he panted desperately.

I allowed my head to sink into the cushion of the back seat as I stared into his eyes.

“Is this what freedom feels like?” I whispered, my voice laced with awe.

He chuckled, remaining inside me as he began to affectionately pepper my face with kisses. I grinned, happily wrapping my arms around him as he showered me with affection.

“Freedom, yes, and love. It’s wonderful, isn’t it?” he cooed.

“I can’t think of anywhere I would rather be, than here with you. I never thought I would know what love was like. I didn’t think I’d ever know something like my parents shared. Now…now I know how much I was missing. It makes the years of being alone worth it, being here in your arms now,” I confessed earnestly.

“You’ll never be alone again, Emily. I will spend the rest of my life showing you how much I care about you,” he murmured.

It hit me, in that moment, that I truly had the rest of my life to live as I pleased. I didn’t have to worry about being locked in a gilded cage any longer. I thought I had known happiness, but the truth was that I’d never been truly happy before that very moment.

Funny, how being kidnapped was what it took to make my life worthwhile. I wouldn’t have changed it for the world.