Ancient Guardians: The Uninvited by S. L. Morgan Page B

the shore. The horse responded, spraying water up with every lift of his hooves. Levi buried his face in her neck, trying to avoid getting wet. Areion kept at a steady pace through the water, soaking them. Finally, she guided him out of the water, and pulled back on the reins. Areion halted, and Levi dismounted before pulling Reece down with him. He gently kissed her forehead and pulled her close.
    “Did you enjoy yourself?” he teased.
    Reece looked up into his brilliant eyes, dancing with humor. Levi was completely soaked; his dark, wavy hair dripping wet. She reached up, ran her hands through his thick hair, and smiled in relief.
    “Sorry I got you wet,” she said with a laugh. “But you look adorable.”
    Levi arched an eyebrow as he clasped her waist and lowered her to the ground beneath him. Reece laughed in amusement as the dry sand of the beach coated her wet clothes. She giggled at her sudden discomfort, yet became entrapped by Levi’s humored expression. Before she could say anything, his lips nuzzled her chin while he framed her face with his hands. “I believe the last time someone referred to me as adorable was when I was five years of age.”
    “Well, you looked adorable. And now,” Reece squinted at him, “I have sand all over my back.” She tried to squirm out from underneath him, but it was pointless.
    “You’re not going anywhere, Miss Bryant,” he said in a lower voice. His eyes roamed over her face, and then he brought his lips down onto hers.
    The discomfort of the sand clinging to her skin and her clothes faded as she wholeheartedly accepted his affectionate kiss. Everything disappeared; her concerns, her discomforts, and all of her anxieties. All that mattered was savoring Levi’s always-tasteful kiss and passionate touch. She shivered with the knowledge of how safe she felt with him, how his love and affection made her feel complete, regardless of what anyone thought about their relationship. Her fears subsided, and her emotions became more powerful in response. She gripped his shoulders, rolling Levi onto his back. He moaned softly as his hands grazed her sides and rubbed along her hips. Her kiss became more possessive and fierce with desire for him.
    They stayed this way for a long while, taking time to appreciate their strong love for each other. The waves crashed into the shore, while the leaves in the trees rustled in the soft breeze. As awkward as a moment like this was, both coated in sand in their wet clothes, it was also surprisingly pleasurable.
    Reece slowly withdrew from him and stared deeply into his eyes. Levi smiled sluggishly, his brilliant eyes glazed. She smiled when she saw the clumps of sand in his hair, and traces of it throughout his face.
    She started picking it out of his hair. “You’re a mess,” she teased.
    Levi tilted his head to the side, running his hands through her matted hair. “You’re beautiful.”
    Reece sighed, while continuing to pluck sand from his onyx hair. “What am I going to do with you?”
    Levi grabbed her hand, and raised it to his lips. “Do you realize how fascinating it was to watch that horse respond to you as he did?”
    She kissed his nose. “That was really incredible.”
    Levi sat up, bringing her to sit in front of him, facing the ocean. He wrapped his arms around her, and she happily relaxed back into his chest. “Reece, you are the only other person that horse has ever allowed to master him in such a way. Areion is extremely particular of anyone, and at times, he will even fight my will.” He kissed her on the side of her face. “But tonight, he happily adhered to your riding him. If you cannot trust my word that our love will not cause our lands problems, trust the stubborn horse you recently rode. His intuition goes farther than you might understand.”
    Reece ran her fingers over his hands at her waist. “I’m not trying to insult Areion here, but how can a horse know if Pemdas will have problems because of you