The Last Oracle (10 page)

With a shake of her head, Valeria recalled Camille’s words, “Wear all of it…some of it,” and then with a playful grin she had added, “Or none of it.”

“Oh, my God!”
Valeria said in terror.

Alex tapped hesitantly on the door.
“Everything all right?”

Gulping, she pulled the cream silk panties from her wedding lingerie off, pulled on the g-string, and with one more glance in the mirror, she drew a deep breath.

“Yes…everything’s…uh, fine…I’ll be out in a minute.”

Why was she suddenly so nervous? Feeling ridiculously over-dressed, she pulled the robe off. As she reached for the door she caught sight of the g-string’s line under her gown as she glanced in the mirror. She reached under her nightgown and pulled it off without letting go of the door handle. The door swung open and she flipped off the bathroom light.

Alex stood frozen with his eyes locked on her. His breath hitched as he began to breathe again. He was barefoot next to the bedside table, having shed his jacket and tie, with his shirt unbuttoned. The small flame of a wooden matchstick blazed in his hand and the glow of candles cast a romantic radiance throughout the room. He had turned on soft music and lit numerous candles throughout the bedroom and living room. The fireplace blazed yellow and red and lit up the cottage in an extraordinary way.

“You…you take my breath away,” he whispered, as his face flooded with a desire she hadn’t seen him give into before. Then, distracted by the fire lapping at his fingers, he blew out the match, his glance quickly returning to Valeria. Even from the distance, she could
see his chest pounding, nearly as hard as hers. She was certain that, in the golden glow of candlelight, there was not a trace of mystery left to her beneath her gown. Instead of shyness, that was exactly what she wanted.

“Do you…want some wine?” he asked as a courtesy that he didn’t want to fulfill.

The shake of her head was nearly imperceptible as she stepped toward him, drinking him in from beneath her dark lashes. He swallowed and his nervousness touched her heart, flooding her with even more love for him.

Alex reached for her wrist and turned it up and caressed it. His lips caused
a thrilling warmth that ran through her entire body. He smiled and ran his hand down to her locked fist, gently releasing her fingers. He pulled the bit of material from her hand and surveyed it. Suddenly, she realized that she still had the g-string in her hand. In that instant, he also realized what it was. They both laughed and she bit her lip.

“I’m sorry, should I be wearing that?” she asked, wondering if she was violating his vision of the evening.

The movement of his head was slight as his eyes lit in mild amusement. He set the g-string on the bedside table and glanced back at it, lowering his brow for a moment. “Perhaps…later?” he said with a trace of hope.

Then his arms went around her and he pulled her in as he kissed her deeply, but with a tenderness and heat that was new and intoxicating.

Lifting his face inches from hers, he bit his lip again. She could feel the trembling in his fingertips as he moved his hands from her waist up her sides, without his typical caution, and up to the shoulder of her gown. “This is beautiful, but I would like to…” He pushed the straps down her arms and stopped before it dropped below her breasts. “Is this all right?”

Suddenly, it was
very
all right. She nodded as tears flooded her eyes, reflecting her deep need for him. He pushed the gown off her arms and his eyes locked on hers. The gown stopped at the curve of her hips and with her eyes never leaving his, she slowly lowered it the rest of the way down, so that she was standing naked in front of him.

“You are breathtaking!” he said, overwhelmed with a desire that very nearly overtook him.

She was shocked at how comfortable she felt…and by her absolute need for him. But then, he was her Alex—her symbolon—the man she was meant to be with. He pulled her into his arms and their kiss deepened as she pressed against him. He ran his hands down her and she felt the thundering of her pulse reverberating throughout her entire body. When his fingers and mouth moved down her neck, she shuddered again and released a small moan.

“Umm…Just one thing,” she said as her mouth brushed just below his ear. He raised his head and turned toward her, looking somewhat concerned.

She ran her fingers up over his bare chest and then to his shoulders pushing his shirt off.

“Oh.” Alex let out a nervous chuckle. He quickly reached for the button of his pants and she put her hands over his, stopping him.

“Please, let me,” she said gently, as she took his hands and kissed them. Then she took in the look and feel and taste of his chest while his hands brushed over every inch of her. She slid her fingers down his chest and over his stomach as her mouth traced its way down to his heart. She felt him shudder as she grasped the top of his slacks. Locking her eyes on his, she bit her lip again. Alex pulled her face up to his, nearly distracting her from her quest. She fumbled with his buttons, feeling a bit foolish.

“Do you want help?” he
asked, his voice breathless. She shook her head no, determined.

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.”