AN: Thanks again for the kind comments and messages about this story. They are truly appreciated. Red and Liz are finally beginning to define their relationship and taking it to a new realm. Please let me know how you feel about this chapter. I am not profiting from this story other than revealing my views of Red and Lizzie.

Chapter 10 Breathing Deeply

Stay with me...
Let's just breathe...

Practiced all my sins, never gonna let me win, uh-huh
Under everything, just another human being, uh-huh
I don't wanna hurt, there's so much in this world to make me bleed

Just Breathe ~Pearl Jam

The car traveled quickly over the narrow rural roads. As they approached the village where Liz had departed the bus, Red ran his hand over his close cropped hair and heaved a sigh. He was feeling conflicted; angry that she had created this scene, put herself in danger and for what, to protect him, a criminal? She had lost her focus for him; allowed herself to be kidnapped causing him to call in help to search for her, but most of all causing him to feel…feel deep distress and worry, panic. He wanted to grab her and shake some sense into her or worse. If only she had done as he had asked and gone to the villa.

On the other hand, he was relieved; overjoyed that she was safe, unharmed. He wanted to wrap her in his arms and never let go. She had been motivated by her need to protect him, putting her life on the line for him. She trusted him. She had declared her allegiance to him and was proving to be his worthy partner.

He felt vulnerable, exposed and weak where she was concerned. It had been a very long time since he had allowed himself to become so vulnerable. Weak! He despised weakness. For so many years, he had worked hard to shun weakness.

Dembe turned onto the road that would take them to the villa. Soon Red would come face to face with his passion. He knew he loved her, but he couldn't allow himself to show his vulnerability. He was a criminal, a liar, a murderer. He had been for years. Lizzie knew he had previously embraced darkness, the whole world knew, that was no secret; his sins would follow him endlessly putting anyone close to him in immense danger. He didn't want to immerse Lizzie in that kind of peril, a world from which she would never be able to escape.

Red could feel the tension in his muscles, the pounding of his heart, the quickening of his breathing and the total loss of focus. He knew he was wandering into an area of no return. He told himself that fate had brought Lizzie into his life. She didn't remember that he had rushed into an inferno to rescue her. She only acknowledged that he had been protecting her since he had entered her life a couple of years ago.

He was inexplicably tied to her. Now he had to admit he needed her more than she needed him. She brought light back into his world. She brought life back to his being, a reason for living. He wanted to live, really live, not just exist!

The past hours brought their present relationship forward with total clarity. Red couldn't face the possibility of losing her again unless Lizzie demanded that he should go. If his instincts were correct, he didn't see that happening. Her actions over the past couple of days confirmed that.

As he gazed out of the windshield ahead of him, he saw the cedar trees guarding the roadway. He spoke in an insistent loud voice, "Dembe, stop the car!"

He knew where she was! She was waiting for him in the grove. He knew without doubt why she would be there; he knew why they had found this place together. He was also certain that she was not fully aware of the real reason she had developed an affinity for the grove. The grove exemplified strength. Despite the twisted, disheveled appearance of the olive trees, they were very strong and capable of giving all they had to give. Their gnarled trunks had great twisted strength.

He was her twisted strength, she had become his refined strength.

"Dembe, pull over here and let me out. I'm sure Lizzie is waiting here."

Dembe quickly did as he was told. He pulled off of the road and parked alongside one of the imposing cedar trees, then got out to open the rear door for his friend. He could hear him clear his throat and noted a touch of anxiety in Raymond's voice. Dembe also noticed that Raymond was nervously chewing on his inner cheek. His necktie had been loosened and the top button of his shirt had been unfastened. The beloved fedora that most often accompanied his friend wherever he went had been carelessly discarded in the floorboard of the car.

Dembe knew this was a nervous, anxious man standing before him. It was such a rare sight to behold, Raymond Reddington, at the mercy of a woman. Finally, after years of loneliness a woman had touched and gained purchase in his friend's life.

"Raymond, all will be well my friend."

But calm still eluded the man.

As Red stepped out of the car he noticed the full moon had set just as the sun was beginning to rise in the east. The dim dawning light began to paint the sky with faint pink and light orange hues. He took in the sweet subdued scent of the rosemary bushes, the stronger masculine scent of the cedar trees and noticed that the landscape surrounding him was still in full slumber. Soon the grove would awake for the day, but for now he and Lizzie would have the peace and quiet they needed.

~X~X~

Red's eyes quickly adjusted to the dim light as he searched for Lizzie. He immediately looked toward the cedar bench and spotted her sitting just as he knew she would be. Now he walked determinedly through the wet dew laden grass, he decided how he was going to greet her. He was going to let her know right away that he was not pleased with the fact that she had ignored his request to return to the safety of the villa.

He reminded himself to take deep breathes! Just breathe. Calm the racing heart.

When Red finally got close enough, he could see that she was sound asleep. Her chin rested on her chest as her chestnut colored hair splayed around her unguarded beautiful face. Red couldn't take his eyes off of her…he had wished many times for the opportunity to observe her without her knowledge. Her pearlescent face was relaxed. Her beautiful deep blue eyes were closed, at rest, peaceful. She had a very slight smile on her lips.

Again his heartbeat quickened at the very thought of kissing her on her soft lips and exploring her delicate mouth with his tongue.

As he continued to stand before her, lost in searching her body with his eyes, he noticed that she turned her head slightly to the right and let out a low soft moan.

Breathe. Just breathe.

She still had on the low cut red blouse she had confidently worn into the restaurant when she quietly confronted Madeline. He wondered where she had suddenly found such confidence. This was a very different woman than the one who had boarded the plane as they departed the States only a couple of days ago.

The blouse now gapped provocatively exposing her rounded breast to his view. He could feel the heated reaction of his body as he noticed the unblemished firmly rounded breast and the delicate pink nipple standing taut in the cool air of the early morning.

Oh god, he must force himself to look away or he would be forever lost in lust.

Just breathe. Again, breathe deeply.

He was reminded of their trip to the museum and Lizzie's reaction to Botticelli's, 'The Birth of Venus', depicting the modestly nude goddess. Lizzie had said she felt exposed and vulnerable. He pictured her trying to shield herself from his view as he reminded her that Venus had the power to lift one's thoughts to divine heights.

Although she had covered her shoulders with an oversized woolen scarf, he noticed that her sleeping body shivered slightly in the damp morning air. He looked at the bench and decided to make room to sit beside her. Quietly he moved her large handbag to the ground, removed the jacket of his suit, then sat in the cleared space and scooted himself as close to her as possible. He paused to place his jacket over her scantily clad upper body; while in doing so she turned and leaned further into him, rolled her head into the crook of his neck and placed her free hand against his chest. Soon she let out a deep sigh.

Red was enamored. He was sure she would be awakened by the literal pounding of his heart and the increased frequency of his deep breathing or lack of breathing.

Remind yourself to breathe…deep breaths!

Soon Red was the one shivering, not from cold, but from desire. Lizzie was so close he could feel her warm breath whispering across his neck, smell the unique enticing scent of her skin and feel the involuntary movement of her fingers against his chest as she was obviously lost in a dream. She began to mumble against his neck and to stroke her fingers across the breadth of his chest.

Red wanted to respond in kind, but he knew that if he did he would awaken her, causing her to be embarrassed.

"Red", she murmured.

He realized she had said his name in her sleep.

Breathe. Just breathe. Breathe deeply.

As desire took firm hold of every part of his body, he couldn't resist any longer. He stroked his hand through her thick hair, leaned over and kissed the top of her head while placing his free hand gently against her exposed cheek.

"Lizzie, sweetheart." His deep voice spoke lovingly with adoration.

He whispered quietly once again into the strands of her hair as he stroked her cheek. The slumbering Liz dropped her head down to his chest and murmured, "Red. Mmmm… "

He put his fingers under her chin and lifted her face, then placed a chaste kiss on her lips. Lizzie's eyes popped open as she startled.

"Red!"

The cobwebs of sleep lost their grip on her mind as she awoke to the feel of Red's lips on hers. She jumped back from his kiss and stared at him with her soulful blue eyes. As recognition dawned and the memories of the last few hours reentered her mind she grabbed the fabric of Red's vest and pulled him closer to her.

Huge tears began to roll down her face as she mumbled, "I-i-i knew you would f-f-find me. I knew you would… come. Tom…"

She stumbled through the words as Red wrapped his arms around her. He had forgotten the scolding he was going to give her as she continued to cling to him.

She buried her face in the crook of his neck as he lovingly declared, "It's okay, sweetheart. I'm here. You're safe. No one is going to hurt you. Tom will not hurt you ever again."

Red continued to slowly stroke her back and nuzzle her neck as she once again relaxed into him and regained her courage. Soon she gave voice to the thought that disturbed her most.

Her voice quivered slightly, but she pulled back to look directly into his earnest eyes as she asked, "Red, are you angry with me because Tom is still alive? He's still a threat to you. He came to find you."

Tears welled in her eyes. "When I left that room that day I was sure he was bleeding out, dying. I couldn't find his pulse."

Red considered his next words carefully, "Not to worry, we will deal with Tom soon."

"Sweetheart, you're a compassionate woman. You once loved and trusted Tom. On some level I knew you couldn't bring yourself to kill him. You're not a murderer. That's the very essence of the reason I need you so badly. That's the very reason you are my second chance. You are compassionate; you're capable of loving and forgiving even those who have wronged you. You have a light within that shines forth and brings life to my darkness."

"No, sweetheart. I'm not upset with you concerning Tom. On the other hand, I am upset that you didn't return to the villa when I asked you to. This whole experience could all have been avoided if you had done as I asked."

Lizzie and Red continued to cling to each other as Red chastised her. She leaned back and looked deeply into his green eyes and said, "I wanted to protect you, Red. In the last few days here in this peaceful Tuscan countryside I have discovered much about myself and the challenges I struggle with. I know I have a volatile temper and I don't follow directions very well, but I am loyal to those I love. When I make a commitment in my life I honor that commitment."

Red felt the air being sucked out of his lungs. He felt as if he had just fallen into a ring of passionate fire, one from which he would not escape nor did he want to. She had just seduced him with the words commitment and loyalty. It took all of the strength he had to admit to her that he had a weakness. She was his fragile soft spot. He had to admit that she had the power...the power to have him feel devastating loss if she ever left him. Over the last few hours he had realized just how much she meant to him.

"Lizzie, from the time Dembe informed me that you were missing, I was so very worried about you. I experienced feelings that I thought I had put to rest, buried long ago. Sweetheart, I never want to experience those devastating feelings again. My god, Lizzie, the things you do to me. The feelings you overwhelm me with. And to think, I thought my emotions were dead, beyond reviving!"

He knew Lizzie was the strong one. She had found renewed confidence within the last few days. She was able to admit her feelings without reservation. Yet he still hesitated as he thought, "Have I told you that I need you?' Perhaps not in those exact words, but he had through his actions. He had told her that he was fascinated with her, that she was his second chance, and that there was nothing worse than losing her. What more could be said?

Liz realized that Red was struggling with his desire for her and his reluctance to display any form of weakness. She knew that he saw her as a life giving chink in his dark tarnished armor.

"Red, I haven't told you of my discoveries as I viewed the statue of David yesterday. He reminds me so much of you, as you must have been as a young man, from his long curls, toned muscles and alert eyes to his cleverness, bravery and willingness to face enormous odds. I see your strength chiseled in stone just as David's was. Both of you are flawed, imperfect, yet worthy of love and loyalty."

Breathe. Breathe deeply once again.

Red was tired of inaction. He couldn't speak. Although the words escaped his mind right now, the emotions certainly hadn't. He was overwhelmed with intense desire. He wanted to take his Lizzie into his arms and make love to her, show her how much he wanted her, how much he needed her. The moment he had realized that he might have lost her had elicited an immediate response. He refused to waste another second.

He ran his hands up under her woolen scarf and red blouse. The sensitive nerve endings in the tips of his fingers fairly flew up and down the soft warmth of the skin on her back. His entire body was on fire with barely controlled desire as he felt her whole body begin to quiver.

Red put his arms around her waist drawing her tightly to his chest. He then passionately devoured her lips with a kiss as he pushed for entrance to her mouth. Liz didn't object, in fact she encouraged him to deepen the kiss as she reached up to encircle his neck with her arms. She had longed for his touch and refused to discourage him now.

Lizzie moaned against his lips as his hands moved slowly over a very sensitive spot on her back. Red couldn't contain himself. He drew her onto his lap as his lips explored her neck and the sensitive spot just below her ear lobe.

She quickly and confidently discarded the necktie that had been hanging loosely around his neck, unbuttoned and removed his vest, then unfastened more of the buttons on his shirt giving her curious fingers access to his upper body. She reached upward placed her hands on his head, then allowed her hands to roam over his close cropped hair, down either side of his face and onto the hair of his chest.

When Liz reached up to caress the hair on Red's head he buried his face in her chest and groaned. He felt as if he were knocking at the gates of paradise. They both were drowning in the moment, consumed by a passion they had denied for so long.

As the man she had recently renewed her loyalty to, elicited sensations from her flushed body that she didn't think were possible, Lizzie cried out, "Red, please."

However, years of danger had taught Red to always be alert to his surroundings. He had been distracted by a familiar noise, the sound of a lorrie struggling up the narrow cobblestone road passing the grove.

Just as they were about to take their exploration to even greater sensual heights, Red became aware of the busy olive grove awakening around them. The dawn of a new day had arrived. It was no longer dark. Their privacy had been taken away. The early morning sky was now alight with the intense colors of fire. Purple, pink, orange and yellow hues lit the sky as the slumbering village down the hill began to come to life. A few cars and a couple of lorries roared by the grove on their way into a new day.

Red was very reluctant to pause the passionate moments he and Lizzie were about to share, but he knew they needed to find more privacy for he had too much respect for Lizzie. He was not about to make a public spectacle of her.

"Sweetheart, as much as I hesitate to say this, it must be said. Let's take a mental picture of this moment, then we can continue exactly where we left off when we arrive at the villa and find a more private place for our sensual explorations. I need time to explore every fascinating inch of your seductive body."

Despite her disappointment, Lizzie knew he was right. She would not be fully participating if they stayed here in the grove. She wanted more. She wanted her first time with Red to be the experience she had never had with Tom. She wanted to be cherished, adored and most of all respected. She very much desired to freely give the same to Red.

They must go…it was time; time to leave the teeming strength of the grove. It was time to rely on their strength as partners; the strength of their relationship as they chose to continue or not to continue their life together.

It was time to put their goliath to rest.

AN: Shall I continue? Let me know what you think about this chapter. All comments are welcome.