Anger rushed through Cam and he saw red as he strode forward and caught the old man’s arm in a tight grip. He dragged him back from Alexa and would have knocked the old man out. But suddenly Alexa launched herself from her foetal position on the floor and grabbed Cam’s arm with a pleading expression on her face.
“Don’t,” she begged and Cam hesitated as he stared at her.
“He hurt you,” Cam told her as though that gave him every right and she turned her head away from him with her hair falling over her face in a tousled mess.
“He’s my father,” she admitted at the same time the old man tore away from Cam’s grip and began spouting abuse at both of them in Greek as he gestured wildly in Alexa’s direction.
Cam stood frozen and stunned as he looked between them and realised with a surge of fury that this was why Alexa had been acting so quiet and nervous. She was being abused by her drunken father. It made him sick to his stomach to think of her delicate flesh being bruised by her father’s fists.
“Let’s go Alexa,” he announced furiously and she turned wide eyes on him but before she could answer the old man strode forward to put himself between them.
“You will not go near my daughter,” he said in stilted English and Cam narrowed his eyes on him.
“Just leave, Cam.” Alexa said with her head bowed and Cam didn’t know what to do. There was no way he could leave her here alone with her father but he also couldn’t just force her to go with him when she refused to leave.
“Leave. My daughter should have been a pure untouched bride and now she is ruined,” her father spat at him and Cam’s eyes widened as realisation set in. He had known that some Greek fathers arranged their daughter’s marriages and it was nearly always to fellow Greeks but he hadn’t thought of Alexa in those terms. And suddenly it all made sense to him. He could save Alexa and make amends to himself with just one simple decision.
“Didn’t Alexa tell you our good news?” Cam asked and both of them stared at him suspiciously.
“What news is this daughter?” the old man asked as he swung his harsh gaze on Alexa who froze like a deer in the headlights.
“I…”
“Yes? Spit it out,” he snarled and Cam fought his rising temper.
“I had returned so we could tell you together that we intend to be married,” Cam informed him and both of them stared at him in disbelief.
“There is a price for my daughter,” the old man hissed and Cam shrugged.
“I am willing to pay any price to have my precious Alexa as my wife,” he said and Alexa stared at him wide eyed.
“Very well. Then I accept,” the old man said softly and Cam sighed with relief as he reached for Alexa only to have her snatched from his hold again.
“You will not have my daughter until I have the money and there has been a wedding,” her father hissed and Cam hesitated. There was no way he was leaving Alexa here with her father when she was already injured.
“I will double the price if you will allow Alexa to come with me now,” he said gruffly and her father considered it.
“Triple it and make the wedding within the week and you may take my Alexa,” he confirmed and Cam didn’t hesitate to make the deal. Money meant nothing to him when it came to the safety of an innocent.
He immediately ushered Alexa from the hut and she went quietly which worried him. She hadn’t said a word since confirming her father’s identity and she seemed pale and too quiet.
He placed a hand at the small of her back and ushered her forward. When she stumbled he swore beneath his breath and lifted her in to his arms ignoring her squeak of protest. He moved quicker as he made for the villa.
Carrying her indoors he headed straight for the bedroom and placed her gently on the bed before disappearing in to the bathroom. He half expected Alexa to have bolted the second he left her alone but instead she remained where she was sat on the edge of the bed looking pale and too quiet.
He set down the first kit he had collected and reached for her arm. She barely even moved and her expression didn’t change as he cleaned the wound and dressed it before noticing fainter marks that were covered by her top.
Reaching out he stripped her top from her in one move before she had chance to stop him or protest. He could only stare in horror at the multitude of dark bruises and red welts that covered her light skin.
“What do you think you’re doing?” she demanded as she finally snapped out of her stupor but Cam ignored her question as a muscle in his jaw worked.
“How long has this been going on?” he asked quietly and she avoided his gaze as she wrapped her arms around herself.
“Nothing was going on. I’m fine,” she said and he snorted at that. She was definitely not fine. She had been in pain all this time and hadn’t said a word. How long had her father been abusing her? He hated to think this could have been happening back when they were children. Surely he couldn’t have missed that.
“Alexa. How long?” he ground out and finally she raised her eyes to his and shrugged.
“My mother left when I was sixteen and he turned to drink. He thought I was like her and he would punish me for my sins,” she said with no tone whatsoever and he frowned at that.
“Your sins?” he prompted softly and she shrugged one shoulder.
“It was my fault. I deserved to be punished. I let men talk to me and touch me in the bar. I should have stopped them,” she said softly with her head down and he gritted his teeth furiously.
“That night those boys grabbed you. Did he hit you?” Cam ground out and she averted her head.
“I deserved it,” she said so quietly he barely heard her but the fury spread through his body. How could her father have treated her like this?
“You didn’t deserve it,” he told her and she finally looked at him.
“I should have been a good Greek daughter,” she argued and he sighed.
“Soon we’ll be away from here and you won’t have to worry about it again,” he told her and she spun round to face him.
“Don’t be ridiculous. I’m not going anywhere with you,” she said and he quirked an eyebrow at that.
“I’m not sure it would be a good idea for you to stick around here any longer than necessary given the circumstances and I can’t remain here indefinitely,” he told her while she frowned.
“I’ve managed just fine here all this time. And there’s no reason why you should have to stay here at all,” she told him.
“We’re to be married in a week. We should probably come to a decision before then,” he pointed out and she stared at him.
“Don’t be ridiculous. We don’t have to go through with this wedding idea,” she told him on a forced laugh and he sighed.
“I gave my word Alexa and I have no intention of going back on it now,” he told her firmly and she stared at him in astonishment.
Hours later when she was tucked up in bed with the sun still shining through the curtains she could only stare at the ceiling and wonder why Cam would want to marry someone like her. Why was he doing this? She was sure he would change his mind by the end of the week and everything would go back to the way it had been for too long now.
Except a week later Cam hadn’t changed his mind and Alexa had been swept along for the ride, which was how she now found herself on the ferry to the mainland staring back at the Island that had always been her home while her new husband wrapped an arm around her waist and placed a gentle kiss to her temple.
She hadn’t wanted to go through with the wedding but Cam had convinced her and had made her think that maybe just maybe he was falling for her like she had fallen for him long ago. He had been so considerate and loving over the last week that she had found her heart opening to him all over again. He had sorted everything from the dress she wore to all the paperwork that needed to be done. She loved him for everything he was doing for her and for everything he was.
Cam stared down at his new wife with a sad smile on his face. He had felt the
tension simply drain away from her the moment that they had left the Island but he wasn’t sure how she was really feeling. She seemed happier but he didn’t want her getting the wrong idea about them. Since he had been on the Island his problems had faded but now they were heading home and the guilt was returning.
He didn’t want Alexa to get hopes that he would fall madly in love or that he was some perfect Prince Charming when he was simply a fraud. He didn’t know how to go back to being the carefree young man he had once been but he didn’t want Alexa to be dragged down with his problems.
He would return with her to his hometown where his parents lived and where both he and his siblings had their own homes in case they wanted to return for a while. Until she was settled in Alexa would need friendly faces and though his family would be shocked by her appearance he had no doubt that they would welcome her with open arms.
He was right that his family were shocked but they were more than welcoming. As soon as he had arrived home and introduced her to them his mother had swept her in to her arms for a hug and his siblings had been enchanted with her. Even his father had been won over by her charm and easy smile. They had of course remembered her from their holidays and even though they were shocked they seemed pleased. His mother confessed that she had always thought there was something between them. Alexa seemed more relaxed after ten minutes at his home than she had been in the five weeks he had been on the Island with her and Cam was beginning to like the easy smile she wore as the evening wore on.
His family held a good portion of the small countryside village where they lived and Alexa had been enchanted with the cottage he had shown her to that belonged to him and would be their home. It was close enough to the rest of his family for them to keep an eye out for each other but far enough away to give them some privacy. Considering that she had never had a close family like Cam it seemed so wonderful to be surrounded by such loving people who had accepted her without question.
Everything seemed perfect to Alexa until they arrived back at their cottage. She had thought that the reason Cam had jumped to her defence and married her was because he felt the same love for her that she felt for him but their first night in the cottage he insisted that she take the master bedroom and he slept in another room. Alexa didn’t understand why he wouldn’t sleep with her. Was he not attracted to her? Did he not want her?
For Cam it was complete torture to have Alexa sleeping so close and not be able to sleep with her. She was so beautiful that it nearly killed him to think of her sleeping so close. But he could not let himself take advantage of her. She had been abused for years by her father and there was no way that he could simply force himself on her. He had married her to save her and he intended to allow her to be independent and free. He could not take advantage of her.
Alexa thought that Cam was simply being sweet and allowing her time to settle in before he took her to his bed. But the days turned in to weeks and then before they knew it a month had passed and still they slept alone. She was happy in her new home and loved her new family who she saw constantly and who went out of their way to make her feel comfortable. Yet still she didn’t understand why her husband would avoid her at times and why he would not share her bed.
Six weeks had passed before Alexa finally plucked up the courage to seduce her husband herself. As usual they ate together and they talked about their days and about whatever random thoughts crossed their minds. Then Alexa went up to her room and she changed in to the sexy negligee that she had bought that afternoon. Slipping quietly across the hall she lay on Cam’s bed and waited for him. It didn’t take long and she smiled as the door slowly opened and suddenly Cam was there. His eyes widened at the sight of her and then she saw his eyes travel over her half naked body and they darkened at the sight.
“What are you doing?” he said softly, so softly that she almost missed it.
“Waiting for my husband,” she replied in a voice that sounded nothing like her own.
Cam slowly moved towards the bed never once taking his eyes off her and Alexa swallowed nervously as he moved closer. She wanted him with a passion she didn’t understand and she just prayed that he didn’t turn her away.
She moved to the edge of the bed and as soon as he came close to her she leaned up and placed her lips against his in a soft kiss. Alexa had intended it as a way to soothe him but instead the kiss took on a life of its own. After the first hesitant touch of their lips Cam had deepened the kiss and his hands had trailed down Alexa’s back until they had reached her firm bottom. He groaned against her mouth before pulling away and removing his jeans and top leaving him with just his boxers covering him though even they didn’t last long. Alexa moved back against the pillows and smiled as her husband immediately joined her. His hands skimmed her satin skin as he gently removed her negligee then his lips trailed a path over her body as they kissed, sucked and nipped their way back to her own trembling lips. Alexa couldn’t help but gasp and moan and writhe and beg as Cam expertly bought all her senses to life until all that was left was that one throbbing need.
“Please…” she begged and Cam finally took pity on her as he plunged in to her silken depth and then froze at her sharp cry of pain. He kissed her softly providing his reassurance even as he waited for her pain to ebb. Alexa waited a few seconds and then cautiously moved and at that hesitant move Cam once again took the lead as he slowly moved within her. He kissed away her gasps and moans before he increased his movements. He used his hands, his tongue and his body to bring her to the edge and then together they flew in to the wonderful orgasmic storm that made Alexa’s toes curl as complete ecstasy swept through her and she cried out Cam’s name before collapsing back on to the bed.
Cam placed a gentle kiss on her temple as they lay next to each other trying to get their breath back. Alexa was glad that Cam had been her only lover for she hadn’t realised what an intense experience it would be and she hadn’t been prepared for the depths of her feelings for him.
Cam however was laid there thinking the complete opposite. He couldn’t believe what an asshole he had been. He had married Alexa to save her and yet he had taken advantage of her. Of course she had offered herself to him, she must think she owed him for saving her. But he should have been the stronger one. He should have explained that he didn’t expect her to sleep with him. Instead he had taken her virginity. He was as bad as her father.
With guilt once again plaguing Cam he knew he only had one choice. There was no way he could stay here and not touch Alexa again. She deserved to have the freedom to live her life without fear of any man. He knew what he had to do.
Alexa awoke the next morning to find herself alone but that didn’t diminish her happiness for more than a second for she finally felt happy and content. She loved Cam and who knew maybe already their baby grew within her. It was doubtful of course but she couldn’t wait for the day when they could be a family and could raise their own child and show it what a real family was.
Considering how perfect everything felt to Alexa it came as some shock therefore when Cam returned late afternoon and ripped her entire world apart with just one announcement.
“I joined the army,” he told her casually like it was nothing.
Alexa knew that she should be proud of him that he was fighting for his country but instead she was furious because he had made her wish for things that he’d never had any intention of giving her. He hadn’t even had the decency to discuss it with her.
They argued well in to the night but ultimately Cam had already made his decision and there was little that Alexa could do but wave him off a week later and pray that he would return to her soon.
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Their Marriage Reunited Page 18