by S. L. Morgan
Angeline’s eyes narrowed. “Are we leaving Pemdas?”
“Come.” Harrison smiled and drew her arm up into his. “You will soon find out.”
After Angeline and Harrison had been settled onto Saracen, the stallion responded with the same urgency that Harrison had to depart the Hamiltons’ estate. He gripped Angeline tightly. “Hold on. Saracen will start gathering great speed as we jump the barriers.”
Angeline clutched Harrison’s waist and leaned into his embrace as Saracen leaped over the protective barriers of Pemdas and raced toward the gates that led to where he had instructed a car to be waiting for them.
“Harry!” Angeline squealed in delight. “Are we to spend our first night as husband and wife on Earth?”
Harrison removed the long wool coat, revealing the strapless yellow dress that he longed to see Angeline wear since he purchased it for her. It framed her body better than he imagined, revealing the flawless curves that he had longed to reunite himself with again. He grinned when Angeline’s cheeks tinted red as she diverted his eyes from him.
Harrison brought a finger to her chin and forced her eyes to meet his. “Do not tell me that these vivid dreams you’ve had while recalling our former lives together have not involved me wholly committing all of my love to you?”
Angeline exhaled. “What do you think?”
“Then why would you find embarrassment while wearing a dress that is causing me to restrain myself from ravishing your enticing body at this very moment?”
Angeline swallowed. “Harry, you must know that I am overly excited to share our love together; however, I am quite nervous about it as well. Even though I have recalled—”
Harrison silenced Angeline with a kiss. He drew her body close to his as he tilted his head, inviting Angeline to accept the zealous kiss he longed to offer her. She did and answered Harrison’s passionate kiss with a sense of urgency he wasn’t expecting. Every part of his body ached to go beyond the kiss at that moment, yet he forced himself to withdraw.
“We really must be getting to our destination and quickly,” he said as he opened the passenger door of the car and helped Angeline inside.
Angeline remained quiet, studying the vehicle in awe as Harrison sped down the road to the vortex. “We will be entering Earth’s dimension in a moment. There will be a bright light, and the scenery will instantly change. I need you to use your mindset to prepare yourself for the changes you will experience for visiting Earth for the first time. The air will feel much heavier and denser than that of Pemdas, so you must prepare yourself for that. Also, the climate we are entering is much warmer than the climate we are in now. Are you prepared?”
Angeline squeezed Harrison’s hand. “More than prepared!”
A flash of light and they were traveling on the road that led to the private airport where two Guardians were assigned to bring them by helicopter to the location Harrison had reserved for the first part of his and Angeline’s vacation.
“Now,” Harrison started as he helped strap Angeline into the luxurious seat of the helicopter, “this aircraft is designed to travel through the air. Do not fear, as this is a standard method of travel on Earth, and the two Guardians that will be guiding it through the air are accomplished and experienced pilots.”
Angeline smiled as Harrison put her headset on. “I am not afraid at all. I am completely exhilarated.”
Harrison pulled on his headset and ordered the two Guardians to start the helicopter and prepare for their departure. “It will be much easier to use these headsets to communicate as we fly to our location.” He handed Angeline a glass of wine which was prepared for their ride. “Have a drink, and allow your mind and nerves to calm,” he said with a wink.
Angeline was silent throughout the entire trip. Instead of enjoying the views of the Caribbean Sea, he marveled at the image of his beautiful wife slowly sipping her wine, eyes wide as she studied the sea beneath them.
As the helicopter landed at the unique destination Harrison previously arranged, he was quickly out of the aircraft, greeting the staff that stood along the path of rose petals.
“Sir, it is an honor to have you and your new bride join us aboard the—”
“Say no more, my good man,” Harrison said as he shook the butler’s hand. “We are delighted to come aboard.”
He turned to help Angeline out of the helicopter and gestured for the Guardians to leave. When inside the large vessel, Angeline stopped and looked around the luxurious space in question.
“Harry, we are in the middle of a sea?” She turned to him. “I am quite confused about what type of vessel this is.”
Harrison noticed the captain as he approached. “Mr. Oxley.” The Captain shook Harrison’s hand and offered Angeline a warm smile. “Mrs. Oxley. It is our greatest honor to have you aboard. Everything is prepared in your rooms, and I have my orders for where you wish to travel throughout the next few days. The staff is under orders to give you your privacy. I assure you that you will not be neglected from their service, even though you will feel as though no one is on board with you. If, for any reason, you desire anything, you can easily contact your butler or the maid. Do you have any questions for me?”
Harrison glanced around the room. “When are we bringing this submarine under the water?”
The captain smiled. “Enjoy your stay. We shall depart soon.”
Harrison, having already toured the vessel when he paid an insurmountable amount of money to book this unique vacation for them, took Angeline directly to the room where he had planned to spend most of their time.
An array of foods awaited them, along with the finest wines that Harrison searched out and ordered specifically for this trip.
Angeline slowly walked toward the windows of their large room and placed her hand against the glass as the submarine began to submerge into the water.
“Harry.” She gasped as the vivid coral reefs and marine life came into view. “This is the most wonderful experience. I am in absolute awe.”
Harrison came up from behind her, wrapped his arms around her waist, and rested his chin on her shoulder. “I had hoped this would be your reaction. Are you comfortable being in this environment over the next few days? As for me, I have no desire to spend any time away from the inviting bed that awaits us.”
Angeline twisted in Harrison’s arms and brought her hand to his cheek. “So many dreams I have had sharing this moment with you, my heart racing and my body longing for you. It is finally happening, so I beg of you to not make me wait any longer than you already have.”
A shiver jolted through Harrison as he gathered Angeline into his arms and walked her over to the large bed. Angeline softly moaned while Harrison’s hands followed his lips, slowly removing Angeline’s dress. His lips skimmed up her abdomen to her chin but did not claim her parted lips.
He framed her face with his hands. “Angeline Oxley, I promise you that any dream or memory you may have had will not come close in comparison to the way I plan to devote my entire being to you at this moment.” He kissed her cheek. “I believe I have desired this moment with you as my wife for much longer than you, and I plan to fulfill both of our body’s desires to an extreme that you would never imagine.”
“I love you,” were the only words Angeline could manage before the room was filled with absolute love, devotion, and heated passion. Their lives were one again, and Harrison found himself in ultimate bliss renewing the love they once shared.
“Harrison James Oxley,” Angeline whispered as she ran her hand along Harrison’s forearm, which was leisurely draped over her side.
“Now we are using my second name along with my entire first name?”
Angeline chuckled and twisted in his arms, bringing Harrison’s attention from the rays of sun highlighting the electric blue ocean water outside their windows. Her dazzling bronze eyes bore into his. “I believe you deserve to be acknowledged as such, given you have far exceeded my expectations of our cherished moments together.�
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“Perhaps your dreams as well?” He smiled as he ran his fingertips along her forehead.
Angeline pressed her body into his and firmly gripped his back. “Ah, I have missed the reasons for you doing this.” Harrison sighed as he brought his lips to her neck.
That evening, Harrison assisted Angeline with her long silk robe. “Harrison, you only have on these lounge pants. While I am highly intrigued with your physique, are we not leaving the room to dine?” she said as she brushed her hands along his chest and tugged at the drawstring of his pants.
“That is precisely where we are going, my lady,” he said as he took her hand. “And I believe our meal will be cold if we do not leave at this moment.”
Angeline resisted and stood in place. “Harrison, we cannot go out looking like this. What if someone were to encounter us?”
“Angie, I understand your concern, but there are a variety of different reasons that I chose this particular vacation for you and me.” He nodded toward the bed. “One is for indulging ourselves on that masterpiece for as long as we like without any expectations to be in public.”
“Two?”
“For the captivating view of seeing nothing but the marine life in the Caribbean Sea.” He pulled her close. “And three? I can go on and on, but I believe you know the most important reason why we are here. Privacy is the highest of priorities on this vessel, and we are free to roam it as if it were our own home.”
“Very well.” Angeline followed Harrison out into the dining area where floor-to-ceiling windows offered scenic views of the ocean floor and the multitude of colors of the coral.
Harrison guided Angeline over to the chair that provided the best view of the windows. “Harry, this is unreal. I feel as though we are in another world.”
Harrison offered her an oyster before pouring her wine. “Am I not Harrison James anymore?” he grinned.
Angeline studied the oyster with trepidation. “What is the slimy substance in this rock?”
Harrison chuckled. “That is not a rock, Angie; that is a shell. This is known as an oyster. The only way I prefer to eat it is,” he paused and grinned mischievously at Angeline’s narrowed eyes, “naked.” He picked up the oyster and slurped it from the shell.
Angeline, confused, started to pull the robe off one of her shoulders. “You are confident that no one will enter this area?”
“Extremely.” He grinned.
Angeline paused and narrowed her eyes at him. “I do not understand you sometimes,” Angeline said as she moved the rock and watched the oyster jiggle in it.
“Angie, it is a term that most humans use when referring to how to eat an oyster. You simply slurp it out of its shell. If you add nothing to the oyster, you are eating it ‘naked.’ The oyster is the naked party, not the person eating it, darling. Although in this particular instance, I would not be upset if you both were naked.”
“What makes me think you came up with that term all on your own to request such a thing?”
“Are you going to at least try it? We only have a huge platter of them.”
Angeline followed Harrison’s instructions and slurped the oyster out of its shell.
“Swallow it,” Harrison advised.
She did.
“That wasn’t so bad. A little salty, but I have had worse.”
Harrison squeezed a wedge of lemon over the next oyster and handed it to her. “Here, the citrus of this fruit will balance out the salt.”
As both went to work, laughing and teasing each other while eating the oysters, they grew silent when they heard bustling in the cabin. Harrison looked to the windows and immediately noted that the submarine had unexpectedly surfaced. He shuffled Angeline into their rooms, tossed her a dress, and swiftly changed into his slacks and shirt.
“What is going on?” Angeline cried out in fear. “Harrison, the way you are acting—”
“Quiet,” he said, pulling on his shoes. “I am trying to read the minds of those who are boarding this vessel.”
The only thing he could read were the paranoid thoughts of the crew answering whoever boarded the ship. Something was not right, and these were not humans. He grabbed Angeline’s hand and led her briskly from the room.
“Is there a problem, you mindless creatures?” Harrison said when he saw it was two Ciatron defenders who had boarded.
“Hand over The Key, and we will not destroy you where you stand.”
What a joke! These idiots think Angie is The Key!
“Why exactly do you think my wife is The Key?”
“We know you are Guardian to The Key—”
“So because you think I guard The Key, that makes you assume that I am going to fall in love with her and marry her? Do you have any idea how ridiculous that sounds – even for you idiots?” Harrison eyed the creatures as they became notably agitated. “My bride is Pemdai, and you are interrupting a very special occasion.”
“Enough, Guardian!” the defender snapped.
At that moment, Julian and Caleb boarded the vessel with stern expressions on their faces. Julian marched directly to the individual questioning Harrison, gripped his neck, and threw him against the wall. “Do you foolish creatures think that you have the authority to question a Guardian?”
Harrison smirked as he watched the Ciatron defenders’ faces turn to fear. “They were just leaving,” Harrison responded.
“Allow me to properly escort them off the vessel,” Julian growled as he eyed the Ciatron beings.
Once the ship was rid of the intrusion, Julian returned, “They are no longer a problem.”
“Thanks for ensuring I didn’t have to work while on my vacation.” Harrison clapped Julian on the arm. “Although, I am convinced you’ve been waiting for the opportunity to check up on your sister and me.”
Julian had smirked before he and Caleb turned to leave. “Why would I ever argue with our commander when he instructed Caleb and I to guard you and Angie while on Earth?”
“I have no idea, brother,” Angeline returned. She stepped toward him. “You know I love you, but I really do not need the idea of you following us in the back of my mind.”
“You’ll never even know we’re following you,” Julian said with a wink before disappearing off the ship with Caleb.
Once they were alone again, Harrison glanced over at the crew before returning to his room to retrieve the device that would erase their memories of this happening. When he returned, Angeline was kneeling down and consoling them.
“Gentlemen,” he looked over at the maid, “and lady. Do not be afraid. Now,” he looked at the device, mentally commanding it to erase the fear from the humans, “we have merely resurfaced because my wife requested to see the stars.”
With that, the crew snapped out of their daze. The captain smiled. “Did you enjoy the fantastic view we have of the stars tonight?”
“Without a doubt,” Harrison returned. “Now, let us return to the fantastic views beneath the surface of the ocean. Thank you for accommodating my wife’s request to see the stars.”
After the staff had disappeared, Angeline embraced Harrison. “I believe I find you more attractive now than ever before. Even though my brother showed up and tried to steal your victory, I know you could’ve handled them on your own.”
Harrison returned her embrace. “Indeed.” He kissed her forehead. “But in truth, he saved me the trouble, and now I have more energy to use in order to utterly please my wife.”
A swift scoop into his arms and Harrison wasted no time returning to their room as the submarine submerged itself again.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Are you prepared to say your farewells to Arrow?” Levi asked as he came up from behind where Reece was happily admiring and spoiling the swiftly growing colt.
Reece turned and accepted her husband’s welcoming kiss and brought her attention back to Arrow. “I’m looking forward to you getting back, boy! Once you return, I’ll finally be able to ride you again.”
&nbs
p; “Perhaps you should allow me some time to work with him as I did in the past before you try your hand at mastering him.”
Reece folded her arms. “Really? Do we have to go through all of this again? Wasn’t it obvious the first time that Arrow took to me extremely well and proved your working with him was pretty much pointless?”
Levi pulled Reece into his embrace. “Do not forget you are pregnant this time around, and my only concern is you getting harmed and risking the lives of our children also.”
“You worry too much. I still have the power of the stone within me, and I’m pretty sure that it will work to protect our children, too.” Reece stepped back and looked up into Levi’s mesmerizing blue eyes. “So when are we going to make the announcement?”
“Harrison and Angeline return from their vacation on Earth this evening, and so a small reception at Pasidian has been arranged to celebrate their arrival. Perhaps we can make our announcement at that time.”
“Mother? Father!” Marian called out excitedly, prompting Reece and Levi to turn and see their daughter skipping cheerfully toward Pasidian’s stable yards.
“Marian,” Reece laughed as she embraced her daughter. “I have to say, I don’t think I have ever seen you this excited before. Is there something we missed?”
Marian took Reece’s hands into hers as she glanced at Levi and back to her. “I must request something from you, even though I have just begun my studies with Lizzy.”
“Lizzy, is it now?” Levi questioned. “This is the first time outside of her presence that I have not heard you refer to her as your aunt.”
“Initially, it was very difficult not to call her my aunt in her presence; however, she is much younger now than she was when I knew her, obviously. I feel as though we are growing to be very dear friends.”
“That is easy to understand, given that you both are pretty close in age now,” Levi returned. “Now, what is it that has you riddled with excitement?”
“Lizzy was invited to study abroad with our tutor, and she has asked me to join her.” She stepped back and eyed both Levi and Reece. “I know you wish to spend time at our home as a family, and I will most likely be away for nearly a month, but it is my greatest desire to see more of Pemdas and learn first-hand about our culture.”