“I have to carry you over the threshold.” She giggled, wrapping her arms around his neck while swinging her feet. Lizzy asked him if he knew how it started with the groom doing this. She knew he’d know, too. He was full of little facts and trivia that she loved hearing him talk about. “It’s a really old tradition. It started in ancient Roman times when the bride had to show that she wasn’t at all crazy about leaving her father’s home. She’d be dragged over the threshold to go to her now husband’s home. Seems kind of nuts if you ask me.”

  “Yes, it makes you think that not all brides are as happy as I am right now. Because, Clay Strong, I’m going with you willingly and cannot wait to see how many more places you carry me to. Also, I fully expect to be made love to all night long.” He said that was his plan as well. “Good. Then we’re on the same page.”

  When he put her on the floor, she looked up at him. All she had on was a pair of shorts and a tank top. It had been all they could find at the airport to wear in the more warmer climates coming from Ohio. She was glad now that she’d been able to find herself a nice pair of sandals to wear as she’d nearly forgotten about footwear when they’d started out of the shop. Her heels, pretty as they were, wouldn’t have lasted long on the sandy beaches here.

  “I’m so in love with you, Lizzy.” She smiled at him as he pulled her in for a long erotic kiss. When he pulled away, he leaned his head to hers and held her. “I plan to make love to you slowly and making sure that I find all those places on you that made you sigh while we were enjoying our time outside.”

  “I’m all yours.” He pulled her shirt off and dropped it on the floor. Pulling her shorts off, she left them to fall to her feet and then kicked them out of her way. For the wedding, it seemed so far gone right now, she’d purchased a bra and panty set that was nude in color and transparent. Clay stepped back from her while looking her up and down. “It’s pretty, isn’t it?”

  “Yes.” His voice sounded strangled, and that caused her to laugh. “If I had known you were wearing this under those clothes, we would still be on the plane making love on the floor. Christ woman, you’re trying to kill me with this look.”

  Helping him remove his shirt and then his own shorts, they stood there kissing and touching each other. She loved the way his skin was warm to the touch. The way his muscles tightened when she touched them. Licking his nipple, feeling it harden under her tongue, he moaned and held her to him as he slid his hand down her body to slip his fingers into her panties. She nearly came apart when he slid his finger further into her pussy.

  Riding his fingers, she reached into his briefs to wrap her hand around his cock. It was thick and hard, the tip leaking just enough precum from it so she could slide her hand up and down his shaft. Needing more of him, she dropped to her knees in front of him, hating that he could no longer reach her and uncovered his cock so that she could taste him.

  “Yes, baby. That’s it.” She took him into her mouth and cupped his balls in her hands. Gently she rolled them in her palm as she bobbed her head over his luscious cock. The more she tasted of his cum, the more she wanted. When he started to fuck her mouth harder than he’d been doing until then, she looked up at him with his cock just popping from her mouth. “I need you.”

  Before she could tell him how much she needed him, he picked her up from the floor and turned in a way that had her back to the door. Wrapping her legs around his hips so that she’d have some balance and not slip to the floor. Lizzy thought, only for a moment, how nice the bed would feel right now when he ripped her panties off and slammed his cock into her. Screaming out her climax that she’d not realized would be so close, she held onto Clay while he took her hard enough, pounding her pussy until she felt her teeth rattle in her mouth. But she didn’t care as she came so many times that she was sure that she was never going to be able to walk again.

  When he stopped moving, she was sure that she really had killed him. All breath was gone. His eyes were closed tightly. Suddenly he looked at her as he fucked her again, bringing her over the edge again and again before he cried out that he was coming.

  Nothing could have prepared her for the onslaught of emotions, feelings and scents that happened when he claimed her. That was what it was, too, a claiming. She had thought she had loved him before making love to him, but now she was as sure as she had been of anything that she was so deeply in love with Clay that she knew she’d not be able to spend a single day without having him with her. Not necessarily by her side all the time, but knowing that at the end of the day that he’d be there with her and for her. Just the same as she would be for him from now until eternity. Perhaps even beyond.

  Holding onto him, he held her to him as he made it to the bed. Dropping her on the mattress, she had to giggle when he dropped beside her. He kissed her as he rolled himself to the other side of the bed. However, he didn’t leave her there but pulled her atop him and held her gently in his arms.

  “So much for making love all night.” She laughed with him when he spoke. “I will be ready here again in a few, I don’t know, months. I’ve never come so hard in my life. It was like I was trying to connect with you.”

  “I think you did. Connect with me, I mean.” She told him what she’d been thinking. “So you see. You’re stuck with me. Forever.”

  “Gladly.” His fingers ran up and down her spine, and she felt herself relaxing with the slow movements. When she closed her eyes, she knew she’d be sound asleep if she lay here like this for much longer. Trying to stay awake was difficult. Even trying her best to keep her eyes open was getting hard. “Just give me a few more minutes, love. I want to make soft, gentle love to you in a few minutes.”

  His hand stopped moving over her as she closed her eyes again. In a matter of moments, not really all that long, she heard his soft snore and was delighted that she’d been able to wear him down. Thinking that when she woke, she was going to make love to him while he slept. At least she hoped she’d wake before him.

  Lizzy woke just as the sun was coming up. They’d forgotten to close the curtains the night before, and she got up to do so then. But she got distracted when she saw what was happening below her. The ocean was alive with activity.

  There were people getting into the water to go do what she thought was snorkeling. Children were collecting shells, and she thought starfish at the water’s edge. Boats were out, too, racing the skiers behind them along the coast. She could almost hear the laughter that was bouncing along the shoreline. There were even a few people fishing off a long pier that was jutting out into the beautifully clear water.

  Yoga classes were being held. Couples were walking along the waters as it made its way in and out of its deep depths. She could see, even from this distance, that there were boaters out bringing in their catch from the sea. When she heard Clay say her name, she told him what she was seeing.

  “Want to go and do some of that today?” Nodding, not believing her luck at being asked, he hopped out of bed and sat back down. “We might have to take a shower first to get some of the soreness out of my poor, abused body. Last night was epic, but I haven’t any idea why you’re able to stand while I have to crawl my way to the bathroom.” She laughed with him as she made her way to the bathroom.

  They ended up making love in the shower again. Getting dressed, they were both like little kids excited to be going on an adventure. Once they had a light breakfast of fruits from the island and juice that had been freshly squeezed, they headed out to a local shop to pick up a couple of bathing suits, then headed to the beach to see what sort of things they could get into today. It didn’t take them long to find a place called Seven Mile Beach.

  It was a beautiful spot to be. It was a bit overcrowded, but nothing like she’d seen at other beaches around Ohio. But it was busy. She wondered if it would only get busier as the day got warmer. Settling on a place to go snorkeling, the two of them suited up and went out on a boat to have some fun.

  It was more than she could have ever hoped for in trying something new. As soon as they were in the water after a few lessons on what to do, they were inundated with so many fish and coral that she just stayed in one place to have a look at it all. Even the stingrays, larger than she had thought them to be, were coming up to them and letting her pet them. It was an experience that she would never forget.

  After a couple of hours of hanging out below the water, they decided to get onto a tour boat and have a look around the entire islands. Even from their bedroom, she knew that the island was huge, but getting to see it from all angles was more than she could have hoped for. It was also something that she wished she could explore on her own. But it was pointed out to her and the people on the boat that it was dangerous to get out alone if you didn’t know the area.

  They had their cell phones on them at all times and were sending pictures to a group chat that had been set up to do just that with their family back home. Grannie told them to not forget to pick up souvenirs. Lizzy hadn’t even thought of that and wanted to get on that right away. But as soon as they left the boat, they decided to get some lunch. Everyplace they passed seemed as exotic as the next.

  Every part of this place was different than she’d ever experienced before. The food. Colors. Even the air felt different to her. She thought that this was something that she’d like to bring her children to someday. Just so they could enjoy a really amazing vacation with the family. She also thought that this would be a place to come with all the family with them. The house certainly seemed big enough to accommodate them all at once.

  Heading home, they were excited to lay on the sandy beach in front of the home. The staff had packed them a picnic lunch to eat on the shores, and she was happy to see that there was more fruit as well as cheese and crackers. The juice, ever-present on the island, was as delicious as it had been this morning and had a sweetness to it that she was sure she couldn’t get back home. Thinking of going home, she was both sad about the prospect and excited too.

  “Do you suppose Jenson and Jade are having as much fun as we are?” She told Clay while he lay on the blanket eating grapes that she didn’t think anyone was having as much fun as they were. “I have to agree with you on that one. I am having the time of my life with you here.”

  She laid down beside him, careful of the bright sun beating down on them. Lizzy was telling him how much she had enjoyed the day and that she couldn’t wait to see what tomorrow would be like for them. He didn’t answer her, so when she sat up and looked at him, she realized he’d fallen asleep. Smiling about that, she looked out over the water again. She really was having a great time and couldn’t wait until tomorrow to see what it might bring them.

  ~*~

  When they’d pulled into town two days ago, there was a roadblock waiting for them. Alfred wasn’t sure what was going on. He hadn’t any idea that it was there for the two of them at the time and was startled when the police came to the door and asked him to get out of the camper. They had their guns pointed at him and Linda, and while he was still mad at her, he didn’t want her dead either.

  “All right, I’m getting out.” He put his hands up and waited for one of them to open the door for him to get out. “I’m cooperating here. Don’t shoot anyone. I’m getting out.”

  He was dragged though gently, about halfway back on his side of the camper and slammed against the walls. He nearly wet himself when the captain, whom he’d seen around town when he was here, got close to his ear to whisper in it.

  “Your daughter’s father-in-law called, Barkley Strong. He said you were wanting to go back to Lizzy. We’re helping to make that happen so that Linda isn’t the wiser.” He nodded, his body weak with relief that he wasn’t going to be killed right here on this dirt road. “You’re going to be arrested, Alfred and taken to jail for expired license plates as well as an expired driver’s license. Play along, all right? That is if you still want to go.”

  “I do. I have me a credit card in my pocket that I’ve been hiding too. Can you take it? It will make me less worried about things if you were to help me out with that.” Handing over the credit card, something that he’d never had before in his life, made him feel like some of the tension he’d been feeling up until then had just washed away. “Thank you so much, Captain. You’ve no idea how many plans I’ve been working on that I couldn’t ever see to working. I just knew that Linda was going to find it, and the gig, as they say, would be up.”

  The captain told him he had his back. When he had been put in cuffs, Alfred had a little bit of fear then. Being put in handcuffs was something that he’d had done to him a time or two before. Even knowing what was going on, he was sure that he was sweating bullets by the time Linda was brought around to the side of the camper he was currently being read his rights at.

  “They’re telling me that you’re going to jail.” Alfred told her that he knew he’d be caught sooner or later. “What am I supposed to do now, Alfred? You know that I depend on you to do everything for me. I don’t want you in jail. Do something about this.”

  “What do you expect me to do, Linda? Beg them to not see that I have no license? Tell them that you think that me waiting on you hand and foot is more important than them doing their job?” Linda actually said yes. That it was way more important. “They’re not going to let me go. I know that, and so do you. I’m going to go to jail and do whatever they tell me to do so that I don’t get myself into more trouble. You’ll be all right for however long this takes. I might think of this as a little vacation away from you running your mouth. What do you think of that?”

  “You planned this. I told you to speed up when we were going through this place. If you’d have gone faster, then they’d not have been able to catch us. You are forever not listening to me.” Alfred didn’t know what to say to her. He’d noticed on the way home, the many miles that they covered, that there was just no talking to her about something different than the plans that she had. Like a dog with a bone. “Are you listening to me, Alfred? I want you to take me home, set us up, and we’ll pretend like we didn’t go all this way to see our daughter. You know as well as I do that she’s not going to come and visit us. She has that rich husband—call him. Tell him you want money for something. You think of something to blackmail him with and tell him to send us money. That way, you can get home with me.”

  “I’ll take her home and set her up for you, Mr. Sharple.” He looked at the officer standing there. A young kid that he felt like he should know. “It’s Joey Toliver, sir. I don’t mind. Unless you’re going to take it in for not having a license plate on it that’s up to date, Captain. I can do what she needs to be done, sir. If that’s what you want to happen.”

  The captain looked at Linda with a stern eye. He could have told him that she was better at that looking mean stuff at people, but he kept his mouth closed. The captain would deal with her all right, he guessed.

  “Will you be moving it around again, Ms. Sharple? I need to know that once he takes it to where it was parked that it’ll be there when I come to check on you. I’ll allow you that because I know you got nowhere else to go. But you have to promise me that you won’t be moving it around anymore.” She said she couldn’t drive at all. “That’s not answering my questions. Will you be moving it again?”

  “No. I can’t move it because I can’t drive it. Christ, you people are stupid. I don’t want you to arrest Alfred, either. There will be no one at home to care for me if you take him to jail.” She looked at him. “I swear to you, Alfred, there are times when I think your head isn’t on right correctly. This wouldn’t have happened if you’d just taken care to listen to me. You know that I’m always right about shit, and now you’re going to jail. Don’t expect me to walk into town to visit you, either. I have better things to do than to get all dusty and nasty visiting you.”

  “I won’t expect it.” She stared at him for several long, tense moments. Like she was going to ask him what he meant by that, but in the end, she turned and started yelling at the officer that volunteered his own time to help her out. “You just need to hook it up to the solar panel that we have and the dump container. I emptied it before we left, so it won’t be bad when you have to hook it back up, son. Thank you for this.”

  “You should be thanking me for not telling you off like I should be doing.” As Linda returned to the camper to get in, he looked at the cops in front of him. Both of them were shaking their heads like they couldn’t believe something.

  “She’s…I was going to tell you that she’s not always like that, but she is worse than this all the time. It took me going to see my daughter that made me realize what sort of person I’ve been living with all this time.” All he’d been able to think about while driving back here were the things she’d said to their only child. And it hurt him more and more each time. “She hurt Lizzy so badly.” Both officers said they were profoundly sorry. That they both liked Lizzy and missed her.

  “I’ll take the missus there now, sir. If you could make your way to pick me up in about an hour, I’d appreciate it.” Tom, he found out the captain’s name said he’d send a car along with him in the event that Linda needed anything while alone. “I can go and do that for her if she has her a list.”

  “I’ll make a list for you if you want to do that. She’ll have you buying things that she don’t need because she’ll feel if you’re stupid enough to offer up your own money, then you’ll be paying for what she wants.” After giving the man the essentials of things that Linda would need to get her by for a while, he was glad that someone had thought of it. She would have walked into town to ask him where she was going to be getting the things he usually picked up if she didn’t have them right away. Alfred decided that he didn’t want to see her. “If you don’t mind me saying for you to go to the store in the second car and have the stuff dropped off, not giving her a chance to bitch about it not having things on the list that she wants, it’ll save you some grief. Or not. I’d just drop it off and leave if I was you.”