Neutral Space(34)

When Ren said we were one, I could hardly believe it. She moved into my arms and kissed me. I never wanted to let her got. Then I remembered the old priest was there. Kheda took my hand instead and with a quick thanks to Ren led me away. I had no idea where we were going, but she seemed to. She led me deeper into the house and eventually to a set of stairs. At the bottom, she opened a door. It was a spacious chamber lit with dozens of candles. There was a bed on the far wall and a small table of food on the right wall.

She shut the door and stood with her back against it. “Well, what would you like to do now?” I asked genuinely wondering if she were hungry.

“After all this waiting you have to ask.” She moved into my arms and kissed me as she never had before. She led me to the bed and asked me to sit down. She pulled off her dress and stood before me in only her heels and the necklace I’d bought her. Needless to say, things progressed from there. It took us a little while to figure out exactly how things worked best but Kheda was patient and willing to help. Being with her was more than I’d ever imagined and was worth the wait. She’d done right by her religion, and I’d done right by her. Now she was mine, and nothing could change that.

She lay beside me with her head on my chest idly tracing my muscles with her finger. “Thank you, Jackson, for making me wait.” I kissed her in response. “Now that we know what to do, can we do it again?”

“God, I married a sex-crazed maniac. Just wait a while, and I’m sure that’s not the only way it can be done.” She smiled at me.

“You think so, then you should eat to regain your strength.” She got out of bed and went to the table of food.

“You can’t seem to keep your clothes on around me.” I teased her.

“Why start now?” She bit into a piece of fruit and let the juice run down her arm before licking it off.

“Come back to bed.” She gave me a triumphant grin. But she brought some fruit with her. We didn’t sleep very much that night, and I had a feeling it would be that way for at least the first few weeks.





Chapter 14





W



e woke the next morning to someone knocking on our door. Ren stuck his head in a few minutes later and smiled at us. He said breakfast was waiting in the oasis and left again. Kheda kissed me and ran her fingers through what little hair I had. “I like the black better.” She commented as she got out of bed.

“I didn’t have much choice. Bhet wanted to cut it all off.” I found my boxers and pulled them on. Kheda laughed at the thought of Bhet coming at me with clippers. “It means a lot to me that you did all this.”

“I know, and you owe me so take it easy today.” I teased her.

“What are you thinking?”

“I want them to know I’m so happy to have you, that you can barely walk.” She threw my pants at me before finding the clothes she brought down yesterday before the ceremony. She pulled her panties on and stepped into a blue one-piece. She left it unzipped, just enough to reveal her purple and gold necklace. She ran a hand over the metal before running her fingers through her hair. She sprayed on her perfume and waited for me at the door.

I snatched one more kiss before going outside. Ren and Bhet were already seated with a bowl of stew in hand. Bhet passed us each a bowl before returning to her own breakfast. “I trust you both had a pleasant night,” Ren said solemnly.

“We did, thank you,” I said, and Kheda blushed. Sure, with me she was a fiend, but with others, she was still innocent. She remained a walking contradiction, and I found it irresistible.

“You are welcome to stay for another day or so, but then you must leave. I’m sorry.”

“We understand.”

“What is it you plan on doing today?”

“Jackson needs to learn to meditate.” Kheda offered.

“I do?” I asked Kheda.

“It will improve your fighting. Once you are in tune with your body, you will exceed your own expectations.” Kheda told me as if she were my instructor and not my wife.

“All right, meditation it is,” I replied doubtfully as I ate my breakfast.

She and Ren worked with me all morning. They told me to think of only blackness and then one object in every detail. That got me into trouble on my first attempt. It’s something no man with a new wife should be told without proper directions. Not that Kheda was an object, but she was the first thing to come to mind. I focused, instead, on a toy I’d had as a child. A wooden dog my grandfather carved. It was stupid, I thought, but it was simple and easy enough to remember. Soon I could see it in my head as if it were still in my hands. I could almost feel the grain of the wood in my hands. Kheda touched my shoulder, and it was gone.

I looked at her wondering why she stopped me. “It’s time for lunch.” She smiled.

Kheda gave me another combat lesson that afternoon. The moves were more advanced, and I began to realize she hadn’t been using all of them on me. The only reason I was able to get close to hitting her was that she was holding back and making me advance one level at a time. We didn’t spar that afternoon. She didn’t think I was ready. I went downstairs to shower and change before dinner, and Kheda followed me. She grabbed me just as I was about to climb into the shower. “Wait, Kheda, let me wash up.” She shook her head and turned off the water but pulled me into the stall all the same.