Ancient Guardians: The Uninvited (17 page)

Reece reached her arms up around his neck, and he welcomed the embrace. “Thank you, Levi.” She turned to pet Arrow. “Looks like we match now, boy. When Levi and I get back, we’ll take our walk together,” she promised.

Levi brought his attention back to Areion, and tightened his bridle. “That will not be necessary, love. Arrow will be accompanying us on our outing today.” He turned back to Reece. “Ready?”

“Absolutely,” she answered.

Once they were on Areion, Levi reached down and unfastened the rope that was tied to Arrow’s halter.

“Don’t you need that rope so that he’ll stay with us?” Reece asked with concern.

“Arrow will follow closely along our side; Areion will make sure of it. The colt will be fine,” he said as they turned to leave.

Reece squeezed tightly around Levi’s waist, thrilled to be with him again. Once they were out of the courtyard, Areion sprang forward and into a faster gallop, carrying them away from the palace.

L
evi directed Areion toward an area that he knew Reece had never seen before. His plans were to enjoy a long horseback ride together before returning to their estate, where the palace’s staff would arrange the outdoor picnic he requested.

The horses galloped at a steady pace through a meadow that was blanketed with vibrant flowers. Levi directed Areion toward a steep and rugged mountain. He felt Reece’s arms clench around his waist as the horse began to ascend. Once they reached the top of the ridge, Levi halted Areion so that Reece could take in the astounding view that surrounded them.

“Nice job, Arrow!” Reece shouted enthusiastically. She squeezed Levi’s waist. “Did you see how well he kept up with us?” she asked proudly.

Levi twisted in the saddle, strongly desiring to see the expression on her face. Her stunning blue eyes were bright with excitement, her smile enticing, and he couldn’t resist the urge to bring his lips down onto hers at that very moment.

“I’ve missed you.” He said.

Reece smiled, “I’ve missed you too.” she said, before turning her attention to the valley below them. “It is absolutely gorgeous up here. Where are we, anyway?”

Levi shifted forward in the saddle. “We are on the outer boundaries of our property.” He pointed to the horizon in front of them. “Over there we will ride alongside the river that will take us to the backside of our estate.” He glanced back at her. “This part of the journey may seem frightening, but I do believe you’ll appreciate the scenery.”

Reece’s grip tightened around his waist as Levi guided Areion over to the steep ledge carved into the granite mountainside. The narrow rocky ledge forced Arrow to follow behind them, as both horses slowly stepped down the rugged surface of the mountain. When Reece’s grip tightened around him even more, he could sense her fear. He placed a hand reassuringly over her clenched hands, which were digging into his abdomen.

“Areion’s not going to slip, is he?” Reece asked, her voice muffled with her head buried into his back.

“Areion will be fine,” he answered in a reassuring voice. Reece embraced him even tighter, and he chuckled softly. “I would have never taken this route with you if I wasn’t confident that we would be safe. You’re missing out on the spectacular view of your property.”

“That’s fine; just let me know when we make it to the bottom,” she stammered.

“Open your eyes, love,” he said in humor. “Do you not trust me?”

The clicking of Areion and Arrow’s steady hooves on the smooth surface of the rock echoed in the large canyon they were traveling through. The steadiness of the horse’s making their descent down the mountainside seemed to encourage Reece to relax some. He felt her grip loosen as she removed her face from his back. ”This is breathtaking! The lavender leaves on the trees are incredible!”

As the horses continued their descent along the narrow mountain ridge, Reece seemed exhilarated by the scenery. The glistening aqua-colored river to their left, along with the rocky cliffs covered with the lavender trees all along the banks of the river, astounded her most.

“This is on our property?” she asked as the horses came upon the vibrant pink mossy pathway that followed alongside the river.

“It is,” Levi answered. “We are about five miles away from our home.”

Levi loosened the reins on Areion, and the massive stallion responded eagerly. As they came out of the canyon, they continued to follow along the banks of the river that snaked through lush green meadows. In the distance, their estate came into view; but instead of riding directly to it, Levi guided Areion over a stone bridge to where the staff had been instructed to arrange their outdoor lunch on the meadow, across the lake from their home.

As they approached the location where a large blanket was laid out underneath a canopy of trees, Levi smiled with satisfaction. The staff had done an excellent job on such short notice, and they had exceeded all of Levi’s expectations.

A bouquet of freshly cut flowers was arranged neatly next to a large basket overflowing with food from the palace’s kitchen. Levi halted Areion a few feet from their picnic area, and his heart beat erratically when Reece squeezed him tightly and unexpectedly placed her soft lips on the back of his neck.

“You will never cease to amaze me!” she said cheerfully.

“I was sure that this would be a perfect day to make up for the picnic that I had planned when I first brought you to our home.”

After Levi dismounted, he turned to help Reece off of the horse. When she was on the ground, she gazed up into his eyes. “It’s perfect!” she said with a beaming smile.

Levi grinned. “Give me a few moments to unsaddle Areion.”

Levi turned to remove Areion’s bridle and saddle, while Reece walked over to where Arrow had busied himself grazing on the lush, green grass. He watched discretely as the young colt happily welcomed Reece’s attention; it still astounded him how the young Guardian horse had taken to her in such a way.

After the tack was removed from the horse, Levi strolled over to the picnic blanket and dropped the saddle next to it. As he knelt down and reached for the basket of food, he was instantly enraptured by the scene in front of him.

It was an exquisite portrait of serenity, and Levi would never allow the images of this particular moment to leave his mind. Their future together was laid out before his eyes; their home across the small lake was set magnificently in the background, and the woman he would spend the rest of his life with was standing right before his eyes.

When Reece turned around to walk over to where Levi sat, she was unbuttoning her riding coat. Once she had unfastened the last button, she glanced up and laughed softly when she became aware that Levi had been watching her every move. He grinned when her demeanor changed, and at that moment, she smiled at him provocatively. She strolled over to him slowly, gradually removing her coat in a playful, yet seductive manner. Levi dropped his chin and arched his eyebrow as she slowly shrugged off the coat, revealing her ivory silk shirt tucked neatly into her fitted riding pants. He watched with absolute pleasure as she continued to tease him while gracefully running her fingers through her long, golden hair.

Reece gently laid her riding jacket on the blanket; and before she could say a word, Levi gripped her waist and pulled her onto his lap, facing him. He ran his hands along her firm thighs, and gazed into her brilliant blue eyes. “You probably shouldn’t tease me like that,” he said in a low voice.

“Tease you?” she said with laughter. “All I was doing was taking off my jacket.” She lightly kissed his nose. “I was starting to get hot.”

Levi placed a soft kiss to her lips. “Is that so?” he answered, while he brought his hand up to the silk cravat that concealed her neck. “Well, we must not have you uncomfortable in any way. We should probably remove this as well.”

Levi loosened the cravat, exposing her delicate neck to him, he relaxed against the saddle, and traced his fingers down her enticing skin. “Would you care for lunch?” he asked softly, as he twisted his fingers in the silk cravat that now hung loosely around her neck.

Reece bit her bottom lip as her eyes roamed over his face. A rush of energy jolted through him as he saw the hunger in her eyes. He grinned in satisfaction, knowing what her answer would be.

“I think lunch can wait, don’t you?” she answered with a lively grin.

“Indeed it can.” was all Levi said before the couple lost themselves in a passionate kiss.

After some time, and with great effort, they both withdrew. As Reece sat across from him, Levi began setting out the food prepared for their lunch.

After placing three small sandwich squares, a variety of fruit, and fresh vegetables in an orderly fashion on her plate, Levi handed it to her. As he started preparing his own plate, he watched Reece subtly as she picked through the food on her plate. When Levi instructed the kitchen staff on the foods he desired for their picnic, he specifically requested a particular fruit, wanting to see Reece’s reaction when she tasted it for the first time.

Reece examined the unique fruit; and without questioning Levi about it, she popped it in her mouth. Levi’s lips tightened as he restrained himself from laughter while he watched her try to keep her composure. After a violent shiver, her brow furrowed and her nose crinkled, as she forced herself to chew on the fruit.

She glared over at Levi with the most adorable look of disgust he had ever seen. “What is this?” she muttered through her teeth. She took the fruit out of her mouth, and placed it a cloth napkin. “I’m sorry, but that was the most disgusting thing I have ever eaten,” she said with another shiver, as she bit into her sandwich, endeavoring to erase the flavor of the fruit from her mouth.

Levi laughed aloud, took the wadded-up napkin from her, and set it aside while he continued to watch her in amusement. “That was a helion fruit; they are quite a delicacy in Pemdas,” he answered, while pouring her a glass of wine.

Reece accepted the glass he offered, and gulped down a large mouthful. “Delicacy?” she said with disbelief. “There are people who like to eat that?”

Levi placed his plate on the blanket in front of him and lazily reclined on his side, facing her. He grinned widely. “I believe you have to develop a taste for them. I’m quite fond of its flavor.”

Reece’s eyebrows rose up. “I don’t think it’s possible to develop a taste for something like that.” She picked up the other helion fruit on her plate and brought it to his lips. “Here you go, crazy guy. I don’t understand how you could like something that sour.”

Levi accepted the fruit she placed in his mouth and gently pressed his lips against her delicate fingers in appreciation. He laughed while Reece watched him with a look of disgust as he chewed and swallowed the small piece of fruit.

“So,” Levi started, as he reached for a sandwich square on his plate. “Did you enjoy the rest of your visit in Sandari?”

Reece’s expression brightened. “I did,” she said with excitement. “I met with the seamstress that will be designing my wedding dress.”

“And will you be holding to the traditions of Earth and keeping the gown concealed from me until our wedding day?” Levi teased.

Reece nodded, “Of course!” she playfully added. “By the way, your mother has all of the decorations picked out for the engagement party. She’s absolutely unstoppable when it comes to planning stuff like that.”

Levi laughed. “I am not surprised.”

As Levi continued to eat, Reece proceeded to inform him about all of the details of their intended engagement party. Her many expressions had him laughing and greatly intrigued by the information she was giving him.

“So now I guess we’ll be spending the next few weeks decorating the palace,” she concluded.

“Sounds intriguing,” Levi answered with a laugh.

Reece smirked playfully. “You can help, you know.”

Levi sipped his wine. “I think I’ll pass.” He gently took her hand in his. “It sounds like you ladies had an excellent time. Now all we have to do is get this engagement party out of the way so that we can focus on a more important event.” He brought her hand to his lips. “And that is, the day you become Mrs. Reece Oxley,” he said proudly.

The smile on her face ignited every nerve in his body. “I like the sound of that.” She angled herself to face the lake in front of them. She quietly gazed at their home, bringing Levi to do the same. Areion and Arrow were peacefully grazing, and the harmonic sounds of the birds flying throughout the sky added to the serenity of the moment.

She sighed softly. “I love everything about this place. I wish we didn’t have to leave.”

Levi sat up and pulled her into his arms. She reclined back into his embrace, and continued to stare out at their house. Levi brushed his lips on her cheek. “I hadn’t planned on returning to the palace anytime soon. I understand exactly how you feel; I look at this home and all of the surroundings, and can’t help but to envision our future here together. This place gives me more peace than I ever imagined it would.”

Reece stroked the back of his hand. “I hadn’t thought about this until now, but when you go to Earth, that big house is going to get lonely.”