by S. L. Morgan
As soon as she started to become concerned about Levi’s whereabouts, he walked into the room carrying an armful of wood. His dark hair was soaking wet, and so were his clothes. Reece admired him with satisfaction at how devastatingly handsome he looked.
“Is there anything I can do to help?” She sat up as Levi strode briskly across the room.
He dumped the wood in the fireplace and knelt down. “No, just try to stay warm; I’ll have your fire started in a moment,” he answered her as he arranged the logs in the fireplace.
Reece reclined against the pillows again and watched as Levi brought a silver rod to the pile of wood, instantly sparking a flame. Within seconds, a healthy fire was crackling in the fireplace, and illuminating the previously darkened room with a warm, amber glow.
Levi poked and moved the logs around in the fireplace, allowing the flames to begin consuming the wood. When finished, he placed the poker to the side, stood up, and began to unravel the wet cravat around his neck. After it was removed, he laid it out on the mantle above the fireplace, and with casual ease, he started unbuttoning his waistcoat. Looks like this storm was a blessing in disguise, Reece thought, as she settled comfortably into the pillows. She was greatly appreciating the rain, the storm, and him having been out in it. Levi must have noticed her watching him, as he glanced over at her and grinned while he removed his waistcoat and hung it over the top of the iron poker next to the fire to dry.
Reece’s chin dropped down and her eyes widened as Levi started removing his muslin shirt. After he casually draped his damp shirt in front of the fire, he turned and walked over to where she was. Reece remained quiet, fully appreciating the strong man in front of her. The tight-fitting, white undershirt he wore left nothing to her imagination. She saw the ridges of the hard muscles of his chest, and the tightness of his abdomen. It was obvious that Levi was well-built, but Reece was absolutely amazed witnessing such perfection with her own eyes.
When her eyes met Levi’s, smiled sympathetically. “I hope you won’t be too upset about having to dine with a poorly dressed man,” he said, as he smoothed his wet hair back and sat next to her.
Reece arched her eyebrow at him. “Poorly dressed? Not the phrase I would use.” She ran her hands along his back. “This shirt’s a little damp…” Levi glanced at her, and she used this opportunity to tease him with her eyes. “Are you sure you don’t need to take it off, too?”
Levi smirked in response. “I don’t want to make you too uncomfortable, love.”
“Believe me, I’d be far from uncomfortable,” she said playfully.
Levi laughed softly as he reached over to the basket, pulled out a plate, and placed muffins, along with different pieces of fruit on it. Once he finished arranging the food, he reclined back, and casually leaned against Reece.
He picked up a piece of fruit, which resembled the size and shape of a strawberry, and brought it to her lips. “You’ll like these.”
She accepted gladly, eager to try one of Pemdas’ native fruits. Levi watched her as she began to chew it. It may have appeared to be a strawberry, but the taste was far from that. It was the lushest piece of fruit she had ever eaten. Flavors of vanilla, sweet cream, and a tiny zest of citrus erupted in her mouth. She swallowed and licked her lips, as she indulged herself in its sweetness.
“What is that?” she asked in amazement. “That was delicious!”
Levi offered her another. “It’s a special fruit that comes from a plant that grows underwater; they’re only ripe for one month out of each year. They came into season a few days ago, and the villagers delivered them to the palace this morning.”
“You know, I could probably get sick from eating these,” she said, as she reached for another.
Levi nodded in agreement as he swallowed. “I agree. When we return to the palace, you will have to try the juice that Pasidian’s staff makes from them.”
As Reece sampled the variety of fruit that Levi offered her, she nestled in closer to his side and fully immersed herself in the cozy atmosphere of this indoor picnic. The darkened room, which was slowly being warmed by the fire Levi had built, was extremely relaxing. With the skies constantly flickering from the lightening flashing throughout them, the rain pouring down, and the comfort of being next to Levi, she was perfectly content. She instinctively brought one arm around his back, and used her other hand to caress the well-defined bicep of his seamlessly chiseled arm.
Levi glanced over at her in amusement, and she smiled brightly in response. “You’re absolutely gorgeous, you know that?” she stated confidently, as she gazed proudly into his eyes.
Levi kissed her nose. “I believe it’s a matter of perspective, but I am indeed grateful that you feel that way,” he said with a wink.
Reece began tracing along his arm. “This is really nice, being here with you like this in our new home. I have to say, it has me very excited to be married.”
“I feel the same way,” he said, as he offered her a piece of muffin. “That reminds me; I wanted to talk to you about our wedding ceremony, and how they are performed in Pemdas.”
Butterflies swarmed in Reece’s stomach as she tried to keep a confident expression. “It’s gonna be pretty big, isn’t it?”
Levi placed the plate of food to the side and twisted to face her. “Quite the opposite, actually,” he said with a sympathetic grin. “In Pemdas, after a man and woman decide to commit their lives to each other, there is no ceremony such as there would be on Earth. Their vows are honored simply by saying words of devotion in front of a few witnesses.”
“Sounds so romantic,” she teased. “So all we’d have to do is walk up in front of your parents, say a couple of words of love…and that’s it, we’re married?”
“In a way, yes. However, in Pemdas, we celebrate the couple’s union after they return from their vacation, or rather, honeymoon. It is quite a celebration, to be sure.” He reached for her hand. “So actually, we could walk in tonight and become a wedded couple.” He sighed and gazed longingly into her eyes. “And believe me, it is tempting; but that is not how I would like to see our wedding performed.” He raised her hand to his lips and softly kissed it. When his eyes once again met hers, they were piercing. “Reece, I wish to honor you and our marriage with a traditional wedding ceremony from Earth. I understand you are already sacrificing a lot simply by being required to live in Pemdas, and I want to do everything in my power to honor traditions from your culture as well.”
“Levi,” she smiled, as he tenderly rubbed the back of her hand. “I’m not sacrificing anything and I can’t imagine anywhere else I’d rather be.”
“It may feel that way now, but as you already are aware, Pemdas’ culture and Earth’s culture varies widely. I will tell you that I am astounded by how well you have adjusted already. However, you will have moments where you will find yourself missing the only traditions you have ever known.” He smiled warmly at her. “This is why, in regard to our wedding, I want to give you everything that you, as a new bride, would expect to have on Earth.” He smiled wryly. “Engagement parties and all!”
Reece stared intently into Levi’s humorous eyes, “You’re the most thoughtful man I’ve ever met.” She said meaningfully, “And as tempting as it is to have a Pemdai ceremony and become your wife as soon as we get back to the palace, I think it would be wonderful to have a wedding ceremony to honor both of us. So,” she lifted her chin and gazed knowingly into his eyes, “while you’ve been considering all of this, have you thought of a date, too?”
A brilliant smile stretched across Levi’s face. “Of course,” he said proudly. “Although, all of it will depend on what is most comfortable for you. As far as time periods go, I am confident that everything can be arranged for our ceremony to take place three months from now.”
“Well, you are certainly not one for wasting time.”
“When it comes to you becoming my wife? You are correct; I most definitely will not waste any time.”
Reece laug
hed in disbelief. “Will we be able to plan all of this in that amount of time?”
“You will be surprised at how swiftly my mother will have everything arranged in three months. I hope you and I will be able to keep up with her.” He smiled sympathetically. “And while we are on the subject of planning, I wanted to advise you about a celebration that we have been invited to attend.”
“Celebration?”
Levi nodded. “There are numerous times throughout the year that my family vacations away from the palace for months at a time, giving my father the opportunity to go over business matters with those in leadership of the various kingdoms. As it turns out, we will be visiting the Sandari Kingdom, where my father’s closest friend, King Hamilton, reigns. My family has an estate there, which I believe you will enjoy, given its proximity to the ocean shoreline.”
“That sounds really nice. Is that where the celebration is going to be?”
“No, it will be hosted by the Hamiltons at their estate. King Hamilton has arranged a ball in order to honor the emperor and his success in recovering our men and keeping you safe from the Ciatron. This will be an interesting gathering, due to the fact that all of the kings and their families will be in attendance, not only to celebrate, but also to meet with their emperor to discuss the events that took place that day in the Council of Worlds.” Levi’s lips turned up into an admiring grin. “These kings and their families are highly anticipating making your acquaintance as well.”
Reece was doing fine up until the last part. She swallowed hard. “Um…exactly how am I supposed to prepare for something like this?”
“All you need to do is walk into the room and they will all…”
He went to kiss her, but Reece held one finger over his lips and stopped him. “Any other time I would gladly listen to you over-exaggerate how wonderful I am, but let’s get real for a minute; a ball?” She cleared her throat. “Do I need to do anything to prepare for this?”
Questions started lining up one by one in her head. She’d done pretty well in this land so far as she struggled to blend in with its culture, but wearing seventeenth-century clothes instead of t-shirts and jeans, or riding in a horse and carriage instead of driving in a car, wasn’t the same as attending an extravagant ball with royal families.
Levi pressed his lips into her fingers for a soft kiss before taking her hand into his. “You’ve already admitted to Harrison, Elizabeth, and me that you’ve taken dancing lessons; am I not correct?” He laughed softly. “So it appears to me that the only thing you would need to prepare for is already resolved.”
She narrowed her eyes at him. “Laugh it up, Mr. Oxley, because you’re going to look like an idiot when your future wife busts into some square dancing moves on the ballroom floor.”
Levi’s eyes crinkled in humor. “Square dancing? That most certainly will be delightful to witness. I’ll see to it that the emperor secures the first dance set with you.”
Reece arched her eyebrow at his smug grin. “Or the two-step…” she taunted.
His eyebrows shot up as he softly laughed. “Ah, indeed, the two-step…now that I should love to see,” he said, as he reached for a small piece of fruit. He tossed it in his mouth and leaned back. It was obvious that he had no concerns about bringing her to this ball, prepared or not. “I will say, that if this is your preference of dance at the celebration, Harrison will be extremely delighted to help you introduce this way of dancing to the Pemdai culture—preferably those in royalty.” He laughed again.
Well, if he wasn’t going to worry about it, then neither was she.
Reece shrugged her shoulders. “Forget it. You’ve been warned,” she said with a smile.
Levi turned to face her. “Whatever style of dancing you should decide upon, I can assure you, I will not ever consider myself an idiot to be at your side.” He ran his long fingers along her neckline and over her shoulder; his vivid blue eyes followed the fiery trail his fingers created on her skin. “However, if you should choose the Pemdai way of dancing, I will happily volunteer my services to help instruct you.”
“The Pemdai way of dancing?” she repeated with confusion.
“It is similar to what those of Earth consider ballroom dancing,” he absently answered her, while he slowly pulled her sleeve down, exposing her shoulder.
Well, that’s not so bad, she thought, while having difficulty keeping her thoughts straight now. Levi’s attention was solely on her bare shoulder as he tenderly caressed it with his thumb. “How long do we have until this ball?” she whispered. Her heart was now racing at seeing the hunger in his eyes.
“Two weeks; and I’m confident you will be proficient with your dancing skills long before then,” he said in a lower, raspy voice before he placed a soft kiss on her shoulder. When Levi’s eyes returned to hers they were dark with desire, instantly entrancing her.
His eyes pierced through her. “You are so incredibly beautiful,” he said hoarsely.
Levi slowly lowered his face closer to hers, and his expression sent butterflies swarming in her stomach. When his lips were close to her neck, he closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. His mouth gently claimed the side of her neck. Reece reacted as if she had never been kissed by him before. She tilted her head back, offering more of her neckline to Levi, and he eagerly accepted her invitation. One of Levi’s knees slid underneath her legs as he positioned himself to lean further into her, tenderly kissing the base of her throat and under her chin. Her eyes closed in utter satisfaction as his soft yet powerful lips lovingly caressed her hot flesh. She massaged her fingers through his damp hair, encouraging him for more.
As Levi pursued her collarbones with lingering kisses, Reece ran her hands under his shirt and up along is warm, muscular sides. Levi groaned softly and brought his eyes back to hers. The light of the fire flickered in his dark, smoldering irises as he gazed deeply into hers. She ran her hands up his back, seized his sturdy shoulders, and let her lips linger at the base of his throat. Levi’s mouth parted slightly as he closed his eyes and moaned in response to Reece actively kissing and tasting of his intoxicating flesh.
With the warmth the fire had created in the room, and this being the first time Reece had ever tasted of his rich fragrance she loved so much, Reece became wild with desire for more. Levi remained perfectly still, only low groans escaping him, while she continued to pursue his tantalizing skin. She ran her hands along his sturdy back. “My love,” she whispered, as her lips tenderly tugged at his earlobe.
“Reece—” he replied breathlessly, obviously as taken by this moment as she was.
She brought her mouth back to his, needing to feel his lips on hers. He kissed her with more passion than before. He ran his hands through her hair, gripping it tightly as he kissed down the center of her chest, and then ran a blazing trail of fire along the daring neckline of her dress. Reece closed her eyes, completely consumed by the pleasurable sensations of Levi avidly kissing her.
It was not long before his lips were hungrily on hers again, sending Reece’s heart rate soaring. She moaned softly in response, and couldn’t be more grateful for this sudden thunderstorm that gave her this moment with Levi. Time appeared to have stopped, and Reece had no idea how long they remained in this delicious kiss, before Levi slowly withdrew from her.
Reece sighed softly while Levi grinned at her. He kissed her tenderly on her lips. “You, Reece Bryant, are most fortunate that the rain has let up, or I would insist upon you becoming my wife tonight,” he finished with a laugh.
Reece smiled as she caressed his cheek. “I wouldn’t have a problem with that.”
As Reece’s better judgment slowly began to return, she sat up and glanced out the windows. The sun was shining brightly on the wet grass, making it appear as though thousands of diamonds had been thrown out into it. Just when I thought this place couldn’t get any more majestic. She looked over at Levi, who was lounging on his side, running his fingertips along her arm. As tempting as it was to maneuver her way back into hi
s arms, she realized that it would probably be a better idea to start preparing for this ball that was two weeks away.
She pulled her sleeve back over her shoulder and laughed when Levi frowned in response. “Unless we’re going to be tap-dancing to “Mary had a Little Lamb” at this royal ball, you should probably get busy on giving me some dancing lessons.”
The days leading up to the Oxley’s trip to Sandari Kingdom passed quickly. Reece, Allestaine, and Elizabeth met with the seamstress every morning to be fitted for the extravagant dresses that were to be made for their trip. Since this was Reece’s first introduction into the royal society of Pemdas, all of her gowns were given the utmost attention, with not one detail unattended to. Allestaine was determined to present her future daughter-in-law in such a way that no one would question her as Levi’s intended wife. Reece was to marry the future emperor, and Allestaine would leave no room for speculation about whether or not Reece was the perfect match for her son.
Despite everyone’s reassurance, Reece had natural insecurities about meeting the royal families in this land. She had no idea where to start with the etiquette that she knew would be expected of her amongst royalty. On Earth or in Pemdas, Reece was not accustomed to royal lifestyles or traditions. Knowing that Reece was somewhat nervous about the Hamilton’s ball, Levi held to his word and spent a few hours each day teaching her the Pemdai style of dancing.
The dance lessons turned out to be Reece’s favorite part of the preparations for the celebration. Levi was not only an impeccable dancer, but his way of leading her so properly in this ballroom-style of dancing was quite charming. When Reece teased him about his flawless dancing skills, he laughed and informed her that in Pemdas, it is expected that a young lady or gentleman achieve proper dancing abilities by the time they are of age to court.
