Breaking her concentration from his face, she glanced down, and, through the soft glow of candlelight, she found the hook and then the button. She heard his breath hitch several times when her fingers slowly grazed his bare skin as she unzipped his pants and pushed them off his hips. They released and fell to the ground.
Alex and Valeria stood for the first time together with nothing between them; not silk, nor distance, nor time. His mouth came down on hers in an avalanche of emotion and, although he attempted to restrain himself, his body yearned for her with a need that had been denied for far too long. He drew a rough breath and then picked her up, gently lowering her onto their marriage bed.
Laying next to each other, luxuriating in the taste and touch and feel of each other, Alex took her face in his hands and looked at her with so much love that all she wanted in the world was him…closer, deeper, completely.
“Make love to me,” she whispered.
And this time, he nodded.
It was there, in their own bed, in the cottage that he had built for her, that—as in his vision from 3,000 years before—they made love for the first time…and the second…and the third…
∞
Deep shudders of pleasure ran through both of them and then faded into wonderful ripples of memory as they clung tightly to each other. Alex kissed her again, breathlessly, and she pressed into him for a moment before he rolled onto his back, pulling her with him so that she was on her side and still wrapped around him. The flame from the candles had long since disappeared into a hollow of wax and they now basked in the glow of the full moon shining in from the window, setting the room aglow in a magical light.
She marveled at the wonderful dewiness of their bodies and how they seemed to fit together so perfectly—hip to hip, chest to chest, their legs entwined. She brushed her lips over his chest, as her hand trailed down to the dips in his midriff. They both continued to revel in the mystery of the extraordinary emotions released during their lovemaking.
He turned his face toward hers and the passion in his eyes took her by surprise. “I would have never believed it was possible that I could love you more,” he said.
She smiled and brushed the side of his face as she pulled up on her elbow.
“Well, now, Mr. Morgan,” she said with a breathy, seductive voice that she had previously not possessed, “did you mean that literally or figuratively? Because I believe that tonight we have proven that there are no limits.”
He released a soft, sexy laugh. She had never heard that aspect of him before. “Oh, I believe we are probably approaching the daily limit.”
She smiled and wrapped herself tightly around him.
“Alex, thank you so much for this.”
“Making love to my wife?” He snickered. “Just part of the job,” he said with a relaxed and joyful smile.
Her smile broadened but a tear touched her eye. “All of this!” she whispered. “The wedding of my dreams here at Morgana, our wedding night in our beautiful cottage, inviting Weege, and,” she shook her head, “I don't believe I will ever be able to express to you what this has meant to me!” A tear rolled down her cheek.
“Hey, no tears. Besides, it isn't over yet.” His smile grew playful. “We still have our honeymoon.”
She took in the rise and fall of his chest, still a bit too fast, and her fingers played with the bit of hair over his heart. For several hours, they laid there, both feeling complete, as they learned every inch of each other.
“What time is it?” she asked completely relaxed and happily entwined with her husband.
He stroked her arm and then turned his wrist to capture the moonlight on the dial of his watch.
“Hmm, three,” he said, his voice sexy with sleep.
“Three…really?” She stretched. It seemed like they had been making love all night. She couldn’t seem to be awake next to him without wanting to possess him again—tasting him, touching him, taking him.
He smiled and nodded lazily, as he moved his face down to hers. “It seems that you’ve had other things on your mind.” He kissed her nose. “Not that I’ve minded.” His smile broadened, as he settled back against the pillow. Valeria sighed, as Alex ran his fingers down her side. It felt so natural to be this close to him—so perfect. She had always thought he was beautiful, but being with him tonight was a whole other level of appreciation.
“I guess I owe Kristiana a thank you,” she said, and she noticed her voice sounded different…more confident.
Alex stretched lazily as the corners of his mouth turned up. “Yes. She was a great teacher…” He bit his lip. It was the first time he had ever spoken of his sex life with Kristiana, but Valeria could tell there was more he wanted to say.
“What?”
Alex shrugged, his eyes sparkling with a hint of amusement and the deep joy that they shared.
She rolled on top of him. “I’m waiting.”
“I had some other teachers.”
Valeria pulled back in surprise. “Who?”
“Oh…Vatsyayana, Cleland, Miller, Lawrence, and James, to name just a few.”
“Should I be jealous?” she teased.
“Hardly!” he reached his other hand around to her leg, pulling it up on the side of him. “They’re authors: The Kama Sutra, Fanny Hill, Lady Chatterley’s Lover, Tropic of Cancer.”
“James? What could James Joyce have taught you in this arena?”
He playfully swatted her bottom. “Not James Joyce...E.L. James.” She pulled her head back, so he continued, “You know, Fifty Shades of Grey.”
Lifting her eyebrows, she asked, “Fifty Shades? Hmm! Was this all a recent course of study?”
He let his finger trail over her swollen lips. Unexpectedly, she opened her mouth and pulled his finger up into her mouth, dragging her teeth across it as her tongue lightly caressed it.
“Last February, I realized that it was unfair to you that I was so…inexperienced…” He drew another deep breath, and she released his finger. “And, a little overly anxious.” He ran his finger back down her neck lingering over her breasts.
“You were anxious? You could have fooled me with all the distance you were giving me in Africa!” she said. “But now, I definitely know better!”
“I ordered every book on the subject.”
“When did you have time to read them…I mean, you were in phone conferences…” Sudden realization hit her. “Oh. You weren’t on phone conferences.” Alex chuckled and shook his head. “But when you came out from your meetings…or, I guess, from your studying, why were you always so distant?”
He leaned his nose against hers. “If I hadn’t been, I can assure you that tonight would not have been our first time together. Thank God for Caleb!”
“Caleb?” She thought for a moment and then realized that Alex had been using their gift of non-verbal communication to cool things down. “I wondered what had suddenly gotten into him.”
Alex shrugged innocently, and Valeria rolled her eyes. She had fallen for it hook, line, and sinker!
“Well, thank you for doing so much...research. So, Fifty Shades, hmm?”
Alex blushed a bit. “Yes, well…forty million women can’t all be wrong.”
“And so…is there something to it? I mean, it’s about being tied up and all, right? I don’t know if I can do that. Is that what you want to do?”
Alex’s joyful laugh reverberated through her body. “Not unless you’re interested. I prefer you,” he thought for a minute and then smiled again, “unleashed! I did learn some interesting tips on sensory deprivation though—you know, blind folds. We can try that if you get bored.”
“Oh, I’ll never get bored with you!” she said resolutely. “But that sounds…interesting, and…kind of kinky. But for now,” she happily leaned her nose in close to his, “I’m hungry.”
During their lovemaking, Valeria had discovered her own sensuality and confidence and it had been incredibly freeing. Alex had obviously taken notice.
&nbs
p; The corners of his mouth turned up again. “You might have to wait a bit. I’m afraid you’ve about worn me out tonight.”
“Sorry. Well, not really...but this time, it’s for food.” She jumped up naked and walked into the kitchen. “Besides, I’ve heard that oracles recovery is legendary.” They both smiled. “Do you think there’s anything in here?”
Alex watched her. “My God, you are beautiful!” he said, his voice full of reverence.
Valeria suddenly realized it was the first time she had ever been so comfortable with her own nudity, and she loved how liberating it felt. “I think I could live with you like this!” she said.
“Yes, I’ve been thinking the same thing. That’s why I chose a particularly private location for our honeymoon.”
“We can’t stay here?” She opened the refrigerator. “Well, thank you, Camille!” she said as she strolled back in with a platter full of fruit and chocolate.
As she scooted her engagement ring back on the bedside table so that she could set down the tray of food, she noticed the candlelight playing off the crystal of her ring. It was a luxury to wear it, but after nearly scratching Alex with it several times during the night, she decided it was better to remove it for sleeping…and for other things. She’d kept her wedding band on though—which was a work of art in itself! The platinum band had grape vines delicately moving around it that joined the vines on the engagement ring when they were placed together. How Alex could have designed something so perfect for her, so long before he had actually spent any time with her, was remarkable. She assumed it was the magical understanding between symbolons.
Valeria picked up the framed photograph of the two of them—her favorite—it was their first picture together and it had been a gift from Camille. She set it back down, refilled their shared wine glass, and rolled back to her previous position on top of Alex. She picked up a strawberry and tasted its sweetness, as Alex sipped the wine.
“So, the million dollar question…” She said, as she playfully gave him a bite of her strawberry; she watched Alex as he sucked the piece of fruit into his mouth and bit down, his eyes never leaving hers. Alex handed Valeria his glass of wine and she sipped it, and then used his chest as a resting place for the glass. “How long can we stay?”
Alex thought for a moment. “If there isn’t any sign of trouble by tomorrow, we might be able to stay for one more night.”
“You don’t expect any trouble do you?” she asked, taking a bite of the decadent chocolate.
He gazed into the distance, and then shook his head. She knew better than to take his response at face value, but decided she wasn’t going to force a discussion—especially not tonight.
“So, where are we going?” she asked excitedly.
He shook his head lightly, amused at her energy, and then set the wine glass on the bedside table. “I was wondering when you were going to ask. But aren’t you tired yet?” he asked playfully as he rolled her over.
“I’m too excited to sleep,” she said.
He smiled and evaluated the look in her eyes carefully. “Hmm, my guess is that you’ll be asleep in less than five minutes.” He kissed her nose and crawled out of bed. “Be right back.”
Alex took the tray back to the refrigerator and then blew out the candles. When he returned, the corners of his mouth turned up—she was asleep. He raised his eyebrows. “Told you…five minutes,” he said softly, not wanting to wake her.
He stood there watching her soft breaths as the moonlight bathed her perfect face and shoulders in a mystical white goddess-like sheen. He felt the thrilling and overwhelming joy as he again realized that this extraordinary woman, who he had dreamt of and desired for an eternity, was now finally, and irrevocably, his wife. He blew out the last of the candles and crawled into bed next to her. Instead of facing away from her, as had been his habit to avoid temptation, he turned and pulled her tightly into him as their legs and arms wove their bodies tightly together and they both drifted into delicious sleep.
CHAPTER 5
It was a delicious dream and Valeria curled tightly into her husband, wrapping herself in closer as she listened to the soft crackling of the fire. Alex’s arms responded, even in his sleep, brushing his hands along her hips and nuzzling his nose in her hair as his lips brushed her ear.
There was a moment of disorientation when she considered that the crackling of the fire must be a part of her dream, though she had a slight awareness of danger and something urging her to wake.
As she continued to battle her consciousness about the reality of the fire, there was a loud pop that broke through her dream, and she bolted straight up. Immediately, Alex jumped out of bed and quickly took in the situation. Flames crawled along the ceiling from the artist’s studio, next to the fireplace, filling the great room with smoke.
They sensed a new source of air that fanned the flames and watched as they quickly spread toward the entrance. Then they heard Mani’s frantic voice coming from the front door as he shouted, “Alex! Valeria!”
It took Alex no more than an instant to pull on his pants and lift a dazed Valeria from the bed and onto her feet. Reaching down, he grabbed the first bit of clothing he found—his shirt—and slid it over her. He buttoned a few of the buttons as she stared at the flames.
“All of your work!” she cried, as he pulled her into the great room and toward the front door. Then she saw the leather-bound books. As she reached to grab Walden, she saw her left hand and her lone wedding band.
“My ring!” she said, pulling free from Alex’s grip.
Suddenly, it began to rain flaming cinders in the great room as the blaze gleefully danced toward the bedroom and front door, devouring the ceiling behind it. From the bedside table, she reached for her engagement ring and the picture of the two of them that she loved.
“We have to go,” Alex said.
A loud hissing began, like a boiling teakettle. It evolved to a whistling whine that grew more intense by the second. Their eyes searched behind them and into the great room for the source of the sound...that seemed to lead to the door of Alex’s studio. A rumbling, combined with the whine, made Alex’s eyes grow wide with realization.
He wrapped his arms around her waist and quickly rolled them both over the bed, away from the direct line of the flammable art supplies in his studio. The whining had become a wail as they reached the floor; he covered her protectively as a deafening explosion shook her to the core.
When she opened her eyes, she looked up to discover a surreal world with missing walls and pages of books that had, moments before, been on the other side of a wall. Now they were floating...billowing down endlessly. She breathed in and began to choke. Alex took her face in his hands and examined it for a moment.
“Are you all right?” he asked.
She stared at him completely dazed. Everything had happened so fast—one minute she was asleep in his arms, and then there were explosions and fire and she couldn’t quite grasp it all. But she knew they needed to get out of their beautiful cottage…their enflamed cottage. She glanced at her hand and saw only the picture frame. The ring was gone. As her eyes followed a route, over the mess that had been their bed—now covered in debris—she caught site of the glistening blue stone sitting on top of a pile of fluffy down that had once been part of Alex’s pillow.
She saw Alex glance toward the window at the front porch and nod as in a non-verbal communication. Most of the glass was already blown out, but the panes remained. Then she saw movement from outside, although the state of her mind and the smoke made it difficult to think clearly.
“Stand back!” Mani shouted, and Alex pulled her face down into his chest and barred her again.
She heard a loud crash and the tinkling of glass. In an instant, Alex swept her up in his arms and, without a second thought, stepped barefoot over the broken glass to the window, passing her into Mani’s arms. Immediately, she noticed that she could breathe, and she could feel the cool wood of the porch under her feet. Mani
continued to support her, sensing her lack of balance.
“Mani, please help Alex!” she said and struggled to stand on her own as she leaned on the outside of the window sill to stabilize herself, suddenly aware that she was shaking.
Alex leaned out the window and gave her a quick kiss. “Be right back,” he said.
Before she could object, he turned and shot chest first over their bed, reaching for the ring. Now, the ceiling in the bedroom was ablaze.
She stood voiceless in her terror and was suddenly aware that she was clutching their picture to her chest. The smoke parted and she saw that the other side of the room had crumbled, blocking the other window. Then she saw the blood and glass that gaped from the soles of Alex’s feet and she felt the air being sucked from her lungs. As he turned back toward the window, the roof of the cottage seemed to groan, and then released a fiery beam. Alex jumped back so that the beam missed him, but now he was trapped inside.
“Oh, Alex…come out, please come out,” she said to herself over and over again.
“Val, it’s all right!” he shouted, attempting to calm her. She thought he was saying something else to her but she couldn’t hear it. Then, as the flames increased, he disappeared for a moment and then returned, shrugging at Mani as he tossed out Valeria’s engagement ring and his watch.
“She needs to leave,” Alex yelled over the crackling of the fire.
“No!” Valeria screamed, reaching for Alex through the window. Mani grabbed her and pulled her back.
Leaning near the gaps between the beam and the window, Alex shouted out to her, “Val, you have to leave now! Do you understand me? You have to leave! I’ll meet you there,” Alex said.
“I’m not leaving you!” She heard him coughing and then he pulled back and disappeared in the smoke.
“Valeria…Alex is all right,” Mani said.
She kicked and tried to push Mani’s hands off from her. Just then, Alex returned to the window and she saw he had something in his hands and was trying to move the flaming beam. The material instantly went ablaze and his hands burned. Surrendering that location, she thought she saw him at the other window.
The Last Oracle Page 9
