Chapter Five
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Lucy made her purchases and had them sent directly to her family’s private quarters while Axel waited. He then purchased two cold bottles from the clear case next to the register along with a small bag of something labeled M&M’s.
She wanted to go with Axel more than anything she had ever wanted to do in her life. She had told him she only had an hour, but she had two. She built in a buffer so she wouldn’t be late for the special dinner her parents had planned.
They always had a fancy family meal in their quarters on the first night of their arrival at a way station before traveling back home. It was a tradition of sorts. Lucy figured it gave them another excuse to dress up, but it wasn’t her favorite family tradition.
These dinners were always catered by the luxury liner with specially acquired foods not served to the masses on the ship. It would be very elaborate. Lucy would take the time to fix her hair, put on makeup and change her clothing. Even she needed the better part of an hour to exhibit the very basics expected.
For now, she would enjoy sneaking out of the facility, only bending the rules for the opportunity to see big trees and an abundance of water, with an intriguing man.
Axel led her out of the basement facility, through several long hallways with lots and lots of doors, and finally through a large metal door.
Once outside in the sunny day with the light blue sky overhead, Lucy followed Axel to what looked like a parking lot filled with strange Earther vehicles. She had seen pictures and videos, but the real thing was so much different. So real. She suppressed the urge to squeal in delight.
Being a little bit bad felt very good.
Axel took her hand and led her toward a large Earther truck in the corner of the lot. It was big. It was black. It was very shiny. It was a tall truck with what looked like a back seat, and four-doors. She couldn’t wait to ride in it.
“Where are you taking me again? The woods and water, right?” She sounded breathless to her own ears.
“Yes. It’s a little place hidden away not far from here. The locals know it’s there, but not many others. We call it a swimming hole.”
“A swimming hole?” A place filled with enough water that she could swim in it? Amazing. She couldn’t wait to see it.
“Yeah, it’s sort of a hidden spot in the woods.”
“Woods. I can’t wait to see that.” Lucy was secretly delighted about both the water and the woods. From where they stood she could already see many trees surrounding the aboveground Big Bang Truck Stop.
“I figured you’d want to see both big trees and water on your initial sneaking out of the basement to visit Earth.” Axel opened the passenger door and helped her inside his large vehicle.
He showed her how to put on her seat belt. “For safety,” he said with a smile and then closed her door securely. He climbed in on the other side, secured his own seat belt and away they went.
“How long will it take to get there?” From her seated position looking through the window at the wonderful things she saw on Earth, Lucy was struck by the huge feeling of being naughty.
This was contrary to the way she usually operated. She was the daughter who never got in trouble. She was the daughter who always stayed home and read books and behaved—unlike her eldest sister, who had gotten into trouble more than once during her formative years on Alpha-Prime.
If Lucy had known how wonderful and exciting it would feel to break the rules—or bend the rules, as Axel called it—she might have done this a long time ago.
Then again, it was likely better to have waited for an opportunity to do it here and now with this perfect man in this wonderful place.
She certainly had a different view of Earth now that she’d visited.
Earther vehicles moved near and around them on the road. The double black ribbon of highway dotted with white lines in the center and gold on the edges mesmerized her as they traveled on.
“I promise I won’t make you late. The place I’m taking you to is only about ten minutes down the road. We can hang out there for twenty or thirty minutes, dip our toes in the water and then head on back with no one the wiser.”
Lucy could already see patches of tall trees alongside the highway they traveled on. The lush surroundings were so very different from the desert-like conditions of Alpha-Prime. Seeing Earth in person was quite dramatic, in a good way.
“I can’t wait to see this swimming hole.” And dip my toes in an outdoor water source. On Alpha-Prime, dipping toes into an outdoor water source might result in having them gnawed on by vicious little crust-fish.
They drove without speaking, which was fine with Lucy. She didn’t think she could come up with anything intelligent to say anyway. She looked out of the clear glass and admired the view. There were strange little buildings by the side of the road that looked like they were built out of wood. Amazing.
There were ditches filled with little puddles of water and green grass as far as the eye could see along each side of the road, broken up only by narrow dirt roads that disappeared into the woods on either side of the double lane highway.
After a few minutes, Axel took a right turn onto the same kind of dirt road she’d noticed along the way. It led straight into a tall patch of trees and suddenly they were surrounded by dark forest. The lush canopy allowed only little shafts of light through to the ground. It was magical. She loved it.
Her heart was beating hard, thudding against her chest wall. This was a very thrilling experience, mostly because the whole way here, she kept thinking, “What if I get caught? What will they say? What will they do?”
Lucy rested her head against the cold glass and looked up to see what she could see. The trees were ridiculously tall.
After the truck bumped and jostled along the dirt road for several minutes, the tree-lined road opened into a large flat area of grass with wildflowers abundant on either side of the dirt road.
Axel took a hard left onto a dirt patch that looked like several other vehicles had created the bare space and tamped down in the center of the ground where no grass blades stood a chance. Now they didn’t have to feel guilty about parking there and smashing all the lovely velvety green.
“Is this swimming hole close by?” Lucy couldn’t see any water, only an open oasis of grass and a tiny hill in front of where they’d parked.
“It’s just up over this knoll. There’s a small area where someone put down sand along a twenty-foot edge, making it look like a beach, but the rest of the edge is all rocky next to the grass.”
“Where we can dip our toes, right?”
“Yep. The pool also has a natural rock formation shaped like stairs that goes down into the swimming hole along one edge. But it’s not too deep. I think you’ll like it. If you had your swimming suit with you, we could take a dip. If nothing else, at least we can roll up our pant legs and get our feet wet.”
She contemplated the idea of dipping her toes into a body of water outside in nature. There was absolutely nothing like it on Alpha-Prime.
He exited his side, grabbing the sack from the convenience store on his way out. He came around and opened her door to help her remove the restricting seat belt. He then opened the back door of his truck and retrieved a bundle from the floor.
“What’s that?”
“Just a blanket and some towels so we can be comfortable while we dip our toes in the water and dry off afterward.” He shut the door and took her hand to lead her around the small hill to another path tamped down in the grass. They walked around the hill and Lucy stopped in her tracks. She stared at the beautiful small lake for a full ten seconds before Axel nudged her forward to see it up close.
“Oh my. This is so beautiful. I love it. It’s like an oasis of water hidden in the middle of the woods.”
Axel grinned. “Glad you like it.”
“I do. I love it.” She did.
He squeezed her fingers and pulled her toward the body of water that was so clear she could see down into the rocks that stair stepped their way deeper into the center of the pool.
“This is what they call a natural spring. What’s neat is that it is surrounded by rocks so it’s clear and not as dirty as if it were at the lake. And there are several places where you can sit and dangle your feet in the water around the edge. See them?”
“I see. How deep is it?” Lucy stared at the center of the pool and wondered if she’d sink to the center of the Earth if she dared step inside this large pool of water.
“It’s only about ten feet at the very deepest place, I promise.” Axel led her to a grassy spot about three feet from the water’s edge. A natural wall of rock looked like it had been drilled out of the very surface of the earth with a fifty-foot diameter bauxite bit and then water had been poured into the drilled space. She’d read about the history of bauxite during the ten days she had been away from Earth, wanting to be up to speed on area facts.
Axel reached into the bundle and pulled out a multicolored blanket she believed was called plaid. He straightened the material out, spread it on the ground and gestured for her to sit. She seated herself in the center of it, feeling the springy grass sink beneath her weight under the blanket. He sat beside her, his expression exuberant.
“They call this place the Hidden Hope Springs.”
“Oh? Why do they call it that?”
“Probably because everyone hopes that they’ll stay hidden when they are swimming here.” Axel laughed.
She smiled and wondered what the joke was. “Why do they hope they’ll stay hidden?”
He grinned, and her cheeks heated up. He was so attractive and even more so when he grinned. “Have you ever heard of skinny-dipping?”
Another flash of heat warmed her face. She knew exactly what skinny-dipping was. That was where Earthers swam naked.
“Ah, I see by the blush on your cheeks that you know what skinny-dipping is.”
“I may have heard this term. But I don’t really want to participate.”
He was instantly contrite. “I would never expect that of you. But that is why they call it Hidden Hope. Besides, most people don’t go skinny-dipping here anymore. Too many local folks know where this spring is. They can hope they’ll stay hidden all they want, but there is no guarantee of privacy.”
Lucy turned her attention to the scene before her. She tilted her head toward the sun in the clear blue sky and felt the warmth on her skin. She looked around at the tall trees surrounding this place, making it more of a private oasis.
Axel grabbed the bag with the drinks and the mysterious M&M’s. “Want to try a Dr Pepper and some M&M’s?”
“Sure.” Whatever those are.
He twisted the metal cap off the drinks and gave one to her. He sipped from the bottle and she did the same. It was bubbly and sweet and she loved it. “I like this Dr Pepper.”
“Good. Try these.” He opened one end of the bag and poured a small handful of what looked like colorful beads into her palm. He popped a few into his mouth. She did the same. “It tastes like chocolate. Crunchy chocolate.”
“Yep. This is my favorite snack. Dr Pepper and M&M’s.”
“Mine, too.” She would never forget this treat or this man or this perfect day. “This place is lovely. Thank you for bringing me here.”
“My pleasure. Are you ready to dip your toes in the water?”
Lucy glanced at the inviting water. It looked cool. She wasn’t hot, exactly, except that she was warm all over because of Mr. Axel Grey, a man who put a whole new meaning of heat into her world. “Yes. I really would like to dip my toes in, maybe up to my kneecaps, maybe my whole leg.”
Axel pulled his boots off and then his socks and rolled up his jeans until she could see his hairy calves. She followed suit, taking her shoes and socks off and rolling up her pant legs all the way to her knees. She was grateful not to have hairy legs.
He stood up and offered his hand to pull her to her feet, leading her to the area where flat stones descended into the clear pool. Something about being so near a large pool of water made her a little nervous.
She laced her fingers, placing the pads of her thumbs together and pressed hard for a count of three to quell her fear. She then reached out and wrapped both of her hands around his forearm. She wanted to make sure she didn’t slip.
“I won’t let you fall in, Lucy. The rock is granite, but there are slick spots, so be careful.” The first two steps were warm, but as they moved deeper into the water, each step got cooler. His warning in her head, Lucy wanted a firmer grasp of him.
She slid her arm around his waist to hang on as they eased into the pool little by little.
“I’m not used to seeing so much water, you know what I mean?”
He nodded.
The pool was mostly circular and the water was clear to a point down the steps carved in the rocks, but an open dark space was greenish and dark and she hoped there were no critters in the water. Did Earth have a creature like Alpha-Prime’s nasty little crust-fish?
Axel put his hand over her fingers. “Hang on to me. We’ll go slow.” The water lapped gently against the top step. Axel walked down two steps until he was ankle-deep in water. Lucy tentatively followed, sucking up close to him once she was also ankle-deep in the cool fresh water. It felt deliciously decadent to be standing in so much water.
“We can take one more step. Any more than that and our pants will get wet.”
“Okay.” Lucy took one more step, holding firmly onto his forearm.
“What do you think?”
Lucy looked down at her feet. She then looked around the beautiful scenic green view with the tall trees swaying in the wind. In the distance, an animal, possibly a bird, made a noise, reminding Lucy that she was not on Alpha-Prime. She was on Earth. The heat and humidity of the atmosphere crowded around her, making her feet feel even better submerged in the cool water.
“I think it’s glorious.” She took a deep breath, wanting to memorize everything. The scents. The sounds. She smelled something floral. Like exotic Earth flowers she’d once purchased on Alpha-Prime, well before she’d come to this perfect place with this perfect man in this perfect moment.
“It smells like flowers and the air is thick with water. So different from Alpha-Prime’s dry climate. And if you kiss me, I’ll remember the taste of you for the rest of my life.”
Axel’s eyes widened the moment she said the word kiss, but he didn’t hesitate. He leaned closer to press his mouth to hers. His firm lips felt deliriously wonderful. He tasted deliriously wonderful. The kiss was as sweet and charming as Axel was.
Lucy released her titan grip on his arm and slid her fingers around his waist. She could hold on better that way. She took everything in, standing in calf-deep water, in the embrace of someone special, surrounded by big trees and kissing a man she was fast falling in love with.
The kiss ended. But their faces stayed close together.
“That was nice,” she said quietly.
“Guess I’ll have to try harder then.” Axel pressed his mouth to hers with more determination. He kissed her exactly like she imagined a date would kiss her at the end of the evening. Just like she wanted to be kissed. By the time the kiss ended, she had bunched up two handfuls of his shirt. He didn’t seem to mind.
He pulled back, his breathing a tad unsteady. “How was that?”
Her cheeks flamed with heat. “That one made my toes curl.”
“Excellent.” He pointed at the area that looked like pictures of the beaches she’d seen near oceans of water on Earth. “Would you like to go lounge on the beach over there?”
“Yes. Please.”
They carefully turned and climbed the shallow steps back out of the water and walked around the edge, staying a few feet away from the water’s edge to keep her fears at bay. Until they got to the sandy area. Axel unceremoniously dropped down to the sand, stretching his legs out and propping himself up on his elbows. Lucy lowered herself right beside him, scooting closer until their hips touched. This was a much easier way to get the kisses she wanted.
Lucy twisted to hover over him for a moment, blocking the dappled light filtering through the tall trees. He stared into her eyes with a rapturous, wonder-filled expression. She didn’t think she quite believed his interest, but apparently, he liked her. He was the first guy to ever do so.
Anytime someone had come to their home on Alpha-Prime for dinner or a party or whatever and the sisters were trotted out to meet the guests, every single one of them nodded politely until they met her. Their eyes would widen and they’d look away, like she was the ugliest creature on the planet. Francine, always standing next to her, often wrapped her arm around Lucy’s shoulder and gushed, “Don’t you love the color of her hair?” when any guest was particularly aghast.
Given her long-standing arranged marriage, Lucy hadn’t ever considered her feelings where a potential husband was concerned. Until now. With Axel in her personal space, she never wanted anyone else there. Certainly not some stranger she’d never met.
Selecting a husband for herself would be exhilarating. Because she would select Axel.
A mean little thought wiggled its way into the forefront of her mind and she wondered if Axel knew who she was and was only interested in her wealth. She batted that unpleasant thought away. He didn’t know who she was. Did he?
She rubbed the tip of her nose against his. He grinned. “There are folks in colder climates up north that consider rubbing noses together a type of kissing.”
“Oh?” Lucy lowered her mouth to his and kissed his lips. “What do they call rubbing mouths together?”
“They also call that kissing. Unfortunately, their lips promptly freeze together until the spring thaw.”
Lucy smiled, but then thought about it. “I could think of worse things than being stuck together kissing you until spring.”
“Me, too.”
They kissed again. And again. He turned and kissed her lips, gently at first then with intent. She liked the firmer kisses the best.
The wind came up around them, rustling through the trees. Buzzing sounds and bird calls surrounded them in the humid, fragrant air. Lucy never wanted to leave. She could be happy right here forever, kissing Axel Grey until the end of time instead of only spring.
Axel leaned backward until he lay flat and pulled her down with him, not breaking their kiss. She settled her weight on his chest, but he didn’t seem to notice.
Lucy lost track of time and everything around them in favor of kissing a man she was fast falling for, hoping she got to keep him. Axel kneaded her shoulders and stroked her hair as they kissed and kissed and then kissed some more.
At long last, she lifted her torso, breaking their long kiss, the longest she had ever shared, to stare down into his gorgeous face. She did her best to memorize every one of his features. His beautiful blue eyes, his wavy hair, the rough texture of his beard, as if he’d forgotten to shave this morning, and best of all his mouth. They grinned at one another and just stared. Maybe he was memorizing her features, too. Did he like what he saw? Did he like kissing her?
“I love kissing you,” he whispered as if he’d plucked the question from her mind.
“I was just about to say that.” Lucy stroked his face. He grabbed her hand and kissed her palm. She funneled her fingertips into his wavy hair. It was very soft to her touch. They stared at each other some more and Lucy moved her mouth closer to his.
Just when she thought they would continue their kissing addiction, a noise intruded on their perfect, serene moment.
The sound of another vehicle roared closer to their idyllic private sanctuary.
Axel sent his gaze over one shoulder toward the little hill. “Sorry. Looks like we’re about to be interrupted. I had hoped we would be all alone until we had to go back.”
“That’s okay,” she said wistfully. “I enjoyed our short time here.”
He sent a regretful look her way. “These are popular springs, especially when the weather starts to warm up.”
She lifted one shoulder. “It’s okay, really. It’ll give me something to look forward to the next time we’re together.”
“I’m glad you brought that up. When will that be? Because I’m ready for a second date.” Axel clinched her a little tighter, looking deeply into her eyes.
“I wish I knew.” Lucy understood her time with him would be short. She had taken this unique opportunity to steal away from her world and the airship waiting for her back at the way station basement facility.
She’d wanted to do something daring. She’d wanted to bend a rule. Mostly, she’d wanted to spend time with Axel.
Lucy had zero regrets.
The sound of the vehicle came nearer and nearer until finally the engine cut out.
Axel helped her stand and led Lucy back onto the first step of the water hole to wash the sand stuck to their feet and ankles from the kissing marathon on the beach. He then led her back to where they’d left their shoes and socks on the blanket.
They heard a vehicle door open and close. A few seconds later, a tall man who resembled Axel rounded the hill. He shook his head as he looked at them.
“Axel!” The man sounded exasperated.
“Cam!” Axel responded in the same tone. So, this was Cam Grey.
“You and your friend need to get back to the basement, pronto.”
“No,” Axel said gruffly. He gave Lucy a smile and handed her a small towel the color of sunshine. “To dry off with,” he said, turning back to his brother, who looked perturbed. Axel took the sky-blue towel and dried his feet and ankles off before putting his socks and boots back on. He took her damp towel, rolled it up with his and shoved it back in the bundle.
“No?” Cam walked closer. “Do you hear the utter and unwarranted insolence in your tone?”
“You should be used to it by now, Bro.”
“I doubt that will ever happen,” Cam said. “Seriously, though, Axel. You need to get back.” Cam glanced her way, his expression softening.
“Why? What’s the problem?”
“Director Patmore and someone with the prestigious last name of Duvall is searching for—”
Lucy broke in to say. “Me? Are they looking for me?”
“Are you with the Duvall family?”
“Yes.”
“Then, yes. They are looking for you. Quite forcefully, I might add.”
“We’ve only been gone for little more than half an hour,” Axel said, glancing at his wrist watch.
“Apparently there was some sort of misunderstanding when a package showed up without the purchaser directly after the two of you left.”
“How do you know when we left?” Axel asked.
Cam pushed out a long sigh. “Do you even know who I am?”
“Who are you?” Lucy asked, her tone filled with awe.
“I’m in charge of security,” Cam responded to Lucy’s question. The one she hadn’t meant to ask out loud.
Axel clapped a hand to his forehead. “Right. You probably have us on camera leaving the facility, don’t you?”
Cam’s brows went north, affirming the question’s answer.
“So, you couldn’t even cut your own brother a bit of slack?”
“I could have, but the problem is that I’m not the only one who’s seen it.”
“Who else saw it?” Axel and Lucy asked at the same time.
“Director Patmore.”