by Robin M Helm
As Richard and Bethany stood together, smiling for the camera, Elizabeth returned to her husband’s side.
“I think that was a good day’s work,” she said a little smugly.
“I think you may be right,” he replied, kissing her cheek as Lynne, Grace, and Delores grabbed their cameras to take pictures of the couple.
“Shall we leave now, Mrs. Darcy?” he asked, smiling at his lovely wife.
“I do believe we can, Mr. Darcy. Mom packed a hamper for us and put it in your car, and I think we have talked to everyone and had all the pictures made that anyone could possibly want. I’m ready to go spend our first night together in our home. I’m very tired, you know. I’m looking forward to a good night’s sleep before we head out to – where is it we’re going in the morning?” she asked innocently, her brown eyes wide and merry.
“That is still a surprise, and I think we must do something to wake you up as it is much too early to think of sleep,” he whispered in her ear.
“I know! We could do a training session! That always raises my energy level,” she teased.
“Oh, yes. A training session. That is exactly what I have in mind,” he answered, bending to kiss her lips quickly.
Michael, Gabriel, and Niall walked up behind them.
Michael cleared his throat.
Do not say a word, Michael. They are married before God and man. They have taken vows and signed the marriage license, thought Gabriel.
This will take some adjustment on my part, thought Michael.
I hope you are able to adjust quickly, chuckled Niall.
Just remember that you agreed to turn your back and be very, very quiet, answered Xander.
That will not be a problem. I plan to spend at least a week with my back turned, said Michael.
Make it two, said Xander.
Agreed, replied Gabriel.
Elizabeth spoke to her mother and father, kissing them goodbye, and David had the DJ announce that the couple was leaving. Everyone gathered outside to toss the birdseed that had been handed out at the reception by the flower girls.
Joshua Lucas drove Xander’s Escalade up to the door, and Xander raised his eyebrows. His car was decorated with signs, and there were old shoes tied to the bumper. Their status as newlyweds would certainly be no secret.
The freshly minted Mr. and Mrs. Darcy ran from the building to the car through a shower of birdseed. Xander opened the door for his bride, being careful of her train, and then walked rapidly around to get in himself. The happy couple waved to their family and friends as they drove away.
Xander and Elizabeth left with substitute guardians and warriors flying overhead. Michael, Niall, and Gabriel had arranged for Jonathan to drive them to the only hotel in town. From there they would change forms and fly back to guard their charges. Until that time, Michael had assigned a full contingent of warriors to surround Xander’s house while the guardians would station themselves inside the house.
For all his bluster, Michael was determined that nothing would disturb the happiness of his brother and sister on their wedding night.
Chapter 9
“So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; then He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh at that place. And the Lord God fashioned into a woman the rib which He had taken from the man, and brought her to the man. And the man said, ‘This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.’ For this cause a man shall leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave to his wife; and they shall become one flesh. And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.”
Genesis 2:21-25
The happy couple left their reception under a heavy angelic escort and drove straight to their house only a couple of miles away. When they arrived, Xander got out and came around to open the door for his bride. She took his hand and stepped carefully from the car, taking care to retrieve the train of her wedding dress so that it would not be caught in the door. Hand-in-hand they walked up the steps to their home, pausing on the wrap-around porch so he could unlock the door. He pushed the door open, and then turned and caught Elizabeth up in his arms.
As warriors quickly surrounded the outside of the house and guardians preceded them into the hallway, Elizabeth giggled a little in surprise at Xander’s actions. She graced him with a lovely smile. “Such a superstitious groom!”
“I will carry my bride over the threshold as is the custom. All of the traditions have been observed so far, and this one will be as well,” he replied, smiling.
“By all means. Let it not be said that we did not do everything properly and in order,” she teased in return.
“While I do not believe in bad luck, I will acknowledge that having you trip over the door sill in that gown could put a damper on our honeymoon,” Xander replied, still holding his bride.
“You have a point, my husband,” she laughed.
“I also will make certain that my bride is not kidnapped by anyone other than her lawful husband – namely me. I like the idea that we are now a family, starting a new life together,” said Xander as he took her into the house.
He pushed the door closed with his foot and kissed her hungrily, still holding her tightly in his arms at the foot of the stairs.
When they were both out of breath, he lifted his head and whispered into her ear, “I have wanted to do that all day. Now I can kiss you as much as I want, any time I want. I can relate to the man in Sweet Home, Alabama. You are finally mine.”
She brushed his cheek with her lips. “And you are mine. As much as I am enjoying this, are you ever going to put me down? I would like to change, and you could bring in my luggage and the hamper. Aren’t you hungry?”
Xander’s smile was a little crooked. He pursed his lips and said, “Oh, I am hungry. But if you want your bags and the food, I suppose we could eat.” He placed her on her feet and drew her to him. “You asked me for something a little while ago, and I did as you wished. I changed forms for you. Will you now do something for me?”
Her head was nestled under his chin. She took a step back and looked up at him, smiling. “You have a fantasy? Tell me about it. This is fascinating.”
He lifted her chin with his fingers and kissed her lightly on the lips. “I have a whole host of fantasies, Elizabeth, and you are featured in all of them. But I have a special one right now. The idea took root when I saw you walking down the aisle toward me, and it has grown over the course of the evening.”
“I have complete confidence in you, my love. I know that whatever you want would never hurt me. Name it, and I will do my best to fulfill it,” she replied, looking him full in the eyes. “This is ... new territory for both of us,” Elizabeth whispered shyly, as he drew her close. “But my mother –”
He nibbled her ear. “Yes, love?” he murmured. “What about your mother?”
“She has told me about … you know. This.”
Xander leaned back, smiling. “Elizabeth,” he said with mock severity. “I seem to recall that you watched The Notebook with Charlotte. That movie was fairly explicit.”
“Yes, but you have guarded so many people,” she said. “And even though you’re a –”
Elizabeth hesitated, humming to guard her thoughts. She dipped her head coyly, but there was laughter in her eyes.
“What,” he said, completely hooked. “Go on. I am a – what exactly am I?”
Smiling, she spread her hands. “You always bring up movies.”
“And –” he prompted.
“And it occurred to me that, well ... even though you're a ‘ten thousand year old virgin,’ you certainly have more knowledge than I.”
“There is a way to remedy our deficiencies, Elizabeth,” he said, blue eyes twinkling. “We must practice until we are proficient.”
“Oh, that’s a good point.”
“Then, do you agree it is time to begin to address our education?” he asked, smiling.
“I place myself in your capable hands,” she said, looking up at him.
He took her shoulders and turned her toward the stairs. Red rose petals were scattered up the steps.
“We shall follow the trail, then,” he said, scooping her up into his arms again.
Elizabeth chuckled as he carried her up the stairs. “I’m beginning to think I may never have to walk anywhere again.” She began to kiss his neck, and he stopped on the landing.
Xander’s voice was low. “Unless you want my fantasy to be lived out right here, you may want to stop kissing me until I get you upstairs.”
“You have iron control; I’m not worried,” Elizabeth said, though she resorted to leaning her head on his shoulder rather than kissing him.
The rose petal trail continued through an open door, and he carried her into the room. She looked around, amazed. The room was in perfect order. His massive bed stood against one wall, the covers turned down to reveal the sheets strewn with rose petals as well. Music played softly through speakers mounted behind an antique screen which had belonged to her grandmother.
He lowered her gently to her feet, and she turned in a slow circle. “You’ve hung the curtains and cleared away all the boxes. It’s wonderful, Xander! When did you do all this?” Her enchantment was obvious.
“My brothers and I put all of the boxes in one of the downstairs bedrooms. We cleaned up the house earlier today so that you would not be coming into a mess tonight. I did not want you to be distracted or feeling that you needed to work,” he said, smiling at her.
She saw her luggage by the closet door and the hamper on a small round table beside the bed. The table was covered with a lovely embroidered tablecloth and bore an old-fashioned lamp which glowed softly. “I assumed my things were in your car. How did you manage this?” she asked, gesturing to the luggage and hamper.
“Chance and Janna brought the luggage and hamper over while we were having the last of the pictures made. Living so close to the church and your parents has its advantages,” he answered.
“You, Xander Darcy, love of my life, are amazing,” she said, stepping to him and reaching up to put her arms around his neck.
“My strategy appears to be working already,” he replied, exploring the back of her dress with his hands.
Michael and Gabriel arrived, floating through the walls, settling to the floor, and tucking their wings. They immediately separated, walking to the two windows and facing them to look outside through the sheer curtains. The guardians they replaced flew through the ceiling, back to heaven to receive their next assignments from Asim.
“What are you doing?” she asked with curiosity.
“Trying to figure out how to take your wedding dress off you without destroying it in the process. I thought that you might want to keep it,” he answered. “I have been looking at it for the last several hours, attempting to see how it fastens, but it seems to be quite intricate. We should have worn simpler clothing,” he said.
“Oh,” she answered. I think I am beginning to understand at least part of your fantasy.
It is not very complicated, love. I have not seen you unclothed since you were quite young, at which point I determined, even then as your guardian not to allow myself to look on you when you were undressed. Now that you are finally my wife, I want to undress you myself the first time.
I would have needed your help in any case. I could never get out of this dress by myself, she thought.
Xander answered, I have made every effort over this long, wonderful day not to think of undressing you. I did not know how you would feel about it since I have not even seen you in a swimsuit since I assumed human form. Had I realized that you already knew that you would need my help in removing your dress, it would have been very difficult to control my thoughts all day.
I never thought about it because it was a foregone conclusion. She turned her back to him. “There are snaps and fasteners under the bow. The train lifts away to expose the zipper.” She looked back over her shoulder. “You know, I do have an absolutely beautiful nightgown.”
He was already through all of the snaps and working on the fasteners. The zipper quickly followed. “I am sure that you will look stunning in it, too, love. Later, though. Much later.”
Xander kissed her neck, turned her to face him, and softly guided the dress off her shoulders. He watched as it fell to the floor. Elizabeth stepped out of the dress and stood before her husband, clad only in her under garments. He stood silently in awe, unable to speak, and his chest tightened as he looked at his beautiful wife. He had known she was perfection, and that her form would please him, but nothing could have prepared him for the glorious sight before him. He reached out and embraced her, hoping she felt all the love he had to give her in that moment. You are altogether beautiful, my love. Words are not enough.
After a few moments, Elizabeth pulled back and looked up at him with a slight frown on her lovely face.
“Xander,” she said in a slightly petulant voice.
“Hmmm?” he answered, leaning in to kiss her neck while removing the pins from her hair.
“This is not fair,” she replied as her hair fell in curls around her shoulders.
Using all of his considerable willpower, he stopped kissing her long enough to look into her face. Her expression was not happy, but her pout was adorable.
“What is the matter, Elizabeth? Have I done something wrong?” He drew his brows together and forced himself to look no lower than her eyes. He quoted from I Corinthians 13 in his mind, ‘Love is patient, love is kind … does not seek its own … love never fails.’ Patience, patience.
“Well – it’s just that – one of us is overdressed, and it can’t possibly be me,” she said, a small wrinkle appearing between her brows. “I hope this wasn’t your fantasy – you in a tux and me in – very little.”
Xander smiled in understanding, showing both dimples. “I never thought about myself much in the fantasy, Elizabeth.” He began to remove his jacket. You cannot be embarrassed, Elizabeth. You are exquisite.
She stopped his hands. “Oh, no, you don’t. Turnabout is fair play. I have been cooperative while you lived out one of your dreams. Shouldn’t I get to live one of mine, too?”
“By all means, love. What shall I do?” he asked, smiling as he dropped his arms to his sides.
“Turn around,” she commanded. “I’m going to unwrap my present now.”
“Do you need any help?” he asked, giving her his broad back.
“You’ll be the first to know if I do,” she promised, reaching up to pull his coat from his shoulders.
She walked around him to face him and started unbuttoning his vest and his shirt. “You know, husband, I’ve worked out with you for six months while you wore that tank top and sweatpants. I’m sure that I didn’t control my thoughts all the time, especially before I knew that you could read my mind. What was I trying not to think? You must remember.”
Xander did remember, and she was working much too slowly to suit him. He moved his hands to his chest to help her with the buttons, and she batted them away.
“I told you that I would ask for help when I needed it. I think I can handle a few buttons,” she teased. When she finished removing his shirt and vest, she bit her lip. She had seen him in a tank top, but never without a shirt of any sort. Good grief, you’re beautiful. Another thought escaped. You’re perfect. She looked at his muscled, sculpted chest, and her eyes dropped to his well-defined torso. Her hands covered her mouth, and her heart thudded as her courage deserted her. Okay. I think I need help now.
Are you sure? he asked, standing motionless, careful not to smile. Because I thought you were doing a fine job. Please continue. I would by no means suspend any pleasure of yours.
No, I think I’ll just wait for you over here. She dove for the bed and pulled up the covers, watching him.
He took off his shoes and socks, walked to the bed, and sat on his side of it, looking into her sparkling eyes as the
y peeped at him over the comforter.
“That bed looks so much better with you in it,” Xander said, thinking of all the times he had imagined her there. “May I join you?”
“Nope,” she said in a small voice.
“No?” he asked, drawing out the single syllable as he raised his eyebrows in surprise. “Why not?”
“You are still overdressed,” she said. Have mercy, Xander. Please don’t make me spell it out for you. Help me – please. Just because I could not yet undress you fully myself… it doesn’t mean that I don’t want you to be …oh, you know what I want. Stop teasing me!
“Ah, now you have fulfilled another part of my fantasy,” he replied as he removed his trousers.
She pulled the comforter down under her chin and turned toward him. Her eyes widened in wonder as she watched her husband get into bed and under the covers with her. You really are magnificent, she thought.
Abruptly, Elizabeth’s thoughts jerked back to his statement, and she blurted out, “Really? You wanted me to chicken out?”
Xander laughed a little as he reached for her and pulled her to his side. “No, love. I wanted you to ask me to disrobe. I wanted you to desire to see me as much as I have wanted to see you. You have been … upsetting my equilibrium … for so many years, Elizabeth. It is unbelievably satisfying to know that I finally have the same effect on you.”
“I haven’t disappointed you, then?” she asked, placing her hands in his hair and drawing his face to hers.
“Not possible, love,” he said as he kissed her, stroking her back, delighting in her soft, bare skin, and in the feeling of her relaxing in his arms.
Elizabeth found many things for which to be thankful in the next few hours, and she discovered, to her husband’s delight, that she especially liked his gift of mental telepathy. What she could not put into words concerning their connection, he was able to know from her thoughts. Xander, in turn, shared more of his mind with her than he ever had before. When he thought, With my body, I thee worship, she knew that he meant it.
You truly complete me, Elizabeth, he thought. You understand me as no one else ever has. Only God could love you more than I do.