Chapter 15: The Ball

To say the wizards stole the show would be putting it politely.

While they had arrived in the more acceptable manner by coming to the front door and waiting to be announced, that was about all they did that was mundane. Olivia, Warren and Lillian were amused as they watched them enter the ballroom. To start with, they were the tallest people there.

Sarah, Zarka and Payton were breathtaking. There was more than one man in the room who wanted to bury his head in their tits. The fact that that the tits were at eye level in Sarah and Zarka’s case just made them more enticing.

Lord Paul got a lot of envious looks when all three of the girls gave him a gentle cuddle and a kiss on his cheek. When Olivia joined them, and she gave him a kiss too, it had them all speculating.

As for the women, they couldn’t decide which of the men was the hottest. The tight pants showed some very fine arses, lovely solid legs and nicely full front packages. It took several of them to work that none of the men had them padded and didn’t need it. This caused a lot of twittering.

Daniel whispered to Ashley that he had better watch out, as a few old biddies were eyeing off his merchandise. Ashley lifted his eyebrows and replied, “Should I stand at more of an angle for them?”

He cracked the guys up. Daniel offered to rub his arse for him, so they got a better view, and Ashley warned him that two could play at that game. They were distracted when they both ended up staring at Olivia when she made her way to them. Ashley groaned, “God, I hope she doesn’t stand too close, or the old biddies will get more than they bargained for.”

Daniel could only agree. Olivia had worn white, and both the boys had to fight hard to keep themselves in check as they watched her hips while she flowed towards them. They grinned when Sarah said to Zarka, “Damn, I knew there was a knack to wearing these dresses.”

Storm slipped his arms around Sarah and said, “Sweetie you don’t have to move to look sexy.” He was rewarded by Sarah turning and giving him a kiss. The guys got to grin when he shuddered.

Daniel glanced down and nudged Ashley, and said, “Move this way a little mate, so the old biddies get a look at Storm. Then they’ll leave you alone.”

Storm shot Daniel a look, “Maybe I should rub your arse?”

Daniel shook his head, “Nah, you’d better not, I don’t want them fainting.” His cheeky grin had them all chuckling.

Olivia was supposed to circulate, but with Ashley on one arm and Daniel on the other, not another man had any opportunities to get Olivia alone. The rumour that she had become a wizard didn’t take long to get round. Those with magical abilities noticed her glow reacting with the boys, but none could decide which one she favoured as she treated them equally.

Payton was amused that she had gotten Lord Paul by default. He, however, had a harder time defending her honour than Daniel and Ashley did with Olivia. Her exoticness with her pale green/grey skin and aqua hair was a major drawcard, and quite a few asked Paul for an introduction.

Sarah was safe being with the Lord Wizard and the fact she was his wife. Lillian and Warren took it upon themselves to be their escorts and to introduce them around. After all, it wasn’t every day you got a Lord Wizard to drop into your party.

The men, however, were not sure what to make of Zarka and her two bodyguards. They often split up, and you could find them chatting to all and sundry. It was only if a bloke got too fresh with Zarka that he suddenly found one of her boys breathing down his neck reminding him to be a gentleman.

When the dancing started, the visitors were amused when it opened with a waltz. Ciaran, Olivia’s niece, was in seventh heaven when Daniel offered to teach her the dance. Ashley said to Olivia, “How much do you think it would cost me to get her to keep pursuing him?”

Olivia looked at her niece. This was her first official ball as she was now sixteen. The fact she was infatuated with Daniel was obvious to many a disgruntled suitor. She was stunning, and despite having the parents she did, Olivia had decided that she liked the girl. She had some spirit, and she wasn’t a ninny like her mother.

“Daniel had better be careful, if he gets her into bed and she becomes pregnant, he has to marry her,” Olivia said.

“What if I convince you to take a chance on me?” Ashley asked.

Olivia grinned. “The same I’m afraid, but then no one has managed it before,” she told him.

“You’re aware that if there was a problem before you put on the bling you’re wearing it has been fixed?” he told her.

“What do you mean?” she asked him worriedly.

“You, my dear girl are in heat. If a fertile male takes you to bed in the next couple of days the chances are you will become pregnant,” he told her.

Olivia looked at him, “Why did you warn me? Your chances of getting me into bed were already high.”

“I don’t wish to win you by trickery. I want you to be with me because it is what you want, not your biological clock,” Ashley told Olivia as he spun her around.

“Do you want to be with me?” she asked.

Ashley gave her a breath-catching smile. Then he brushed his lips across hers. “In a heartbeat, my sweet girl,” he whispered sending chills down her spine and heat to her crotch.

They came close to Daniel, and Olivia was amused how smoothly the boys swapped between them. She looked at Daniel and had to smile at his cheeky grin. “So did Ashley tell you?” he asked.

“What was Ashley supposed to tell me?” she replied.

“He did? Good,” Daniel said relieved.

Olivia looked at him perplexed. “Did you both agree to tell me?” she asked.

Daniel grinned, “Of course, we could have just convinced you to screw us both and then got Storm to work out who the daddy was, but knowing our luck you’d fall to both of us. Many female wizards do if they have two guys screw her together.”

He shivered and said, “Damn, you’re potent. Please keep your doors locked for the next couple of nights. Even better pick one of us now and put us out of our misery.”

“But I don’t know which one of you to pick. It may be that neither of you will be my destiny,” Olivia said as she couldn’t make a decision.

Daniel moved his head in the negative. “No, I believe it’s one of us,” he said with conviction.

“Do you love me Daniel?” she asked.

Daniel dropped his eyes and looked thoughtful. He sighed, “I honestly don’t know if I’m capable of that sort of love, Olivia. You’re probably the one person I’ve felt compelled to be with, that I might be able to stay faithful to. I feel connected to you on many levels.”

“I admire you and enjoy just being with you. The only other women I’ve felt some of this with are Lee and Trixy but it was safe for me to love them. They were more like big sisters to me. You scare the hell out of me.”

Olivia gently kissed him. He returned the kiss as softly as the one she placed on his lips. She knew they affected each other, and she had slept with a man for lesser reasons, but like him, she wasn’t sure it was enough. He was a man she could see herself growing old with. Even his flirtatious nature didn’t bother her.

She surmised he had a real issue with insecurity and the girl who cracked that shell would get a very loving man. She wasn’t sure she could. She also knew that it would take time. She worried about if she loved him enough to walk the long walk of life with him. Her impatient nature may not make the distance.

Olivia found herself back in Ashley’s arms. He held her gently and just danced with her. He guessed that she and Daniel had an in-depth discussion. He glanced at Daniel and wondered at his pensive look. The music stopped, and he escorted her off the floor.

Daniel and Ashley let several other bucks dance with Olivia, but they didn’t get to drag her off for private chats. They also took careful note of who were the least happy with their protection of Olivia. Daniel nudged Ashley and nodded at two men in particular. Ashley asked Lillian who they were.

When they heard that they were past beaus, they were worried. Lillian mentioned that Randell had expected her to marry him after her sister died because he had been engaged to her first. They suspected the bloke would try to do something stupid to force her to his will.

They smiled at each other. The fools had no idea that Olivia wasn’t unprotected even without them. She was a Wizard after all. They also guessed that no one here except possibly Paul had any idea what she was capable of doing. They were sure Paul would warn the malcontents not to mess with Olivia.

Daniel attracted Warren’s attention and motioned at Ciaran, “Warren, may I suggest you put a guard on that little ladies door?”

Warren looked at Ciaran. She was having a lovely time, but he too noted several gentlemen that were on his watch list paying her a lot of attention. “I agree, Daniel. If Olivia does do what she told us she wishes to do, it puts Ciaran in a lot of danger.”

Storm looked at Ciaran with interest and smiled, “I think I’ll steal your granddaughter for a few minutes, Lillian.”

She looked at him in surprise when he winked at her, and she knew her granddaughter was safe with Storm. She unconsciously touched her chest just below the diamonds she wore and Storm nodded. She smiled and nodded back at him.

They watched the big man wander over to Ciaran. He gently took her arm and walked out into the garden with her. Sarah giggled, “That’s going to cause a stir. We probably should have gotten Olivia to do it.”

“Sorry,” Daniel said. “I just wanted the girl protected.”

Sarah kissed his cheek, “You’re a good boy Daniel. There is hope for you yet. I don’t think Storm even thought of it, as he desired the same thing as you. I think I’ll wander out into the garden and walk back in with them, so it all looks on the up and up.”

Lillian agreed this was wise. Daniel escorted Sarah out, so she wasn’t alone either. As the others watched, the couple walk away, Olivia said, “He had such a caring nature.”

Zarka nodded, “Trixy said that she and Lee rescued him. He was an orphan living on the streets of a city in the world they came from. He was trying to take care of two girls he had found. One of them was sick, and he stole a ladies purse so he could acquire money to pay to get the girl to a doctor.”

“He has a hard time believing anyone can love him. I don’t think his early years were very happy. Trixy said that his mother just walked out the door one day and didn’t come back. He never even knew who his father was,” Zarka finished.

Olivia took this in and realised that her thoughts and Daniel’s words had a basis of truth. He honestly didn’t know if he loved her. He wanted to, but he didn’t know how or what that sort of love entailed, or if he was capable of it.

Ashley gently squeezed her waist. “He is the most considerate of lovers I’ve ever had. I think he has used sex for a long time to make people want to be with him. I believe the feelings you evoke in him has him very confused. You are both very strong personalities, and it is understandable that both of you feel a kinship, but is that enough for you, Olivia? Do you think that will turn into love?”

Olivia sighed and shrugged. Ashley affected her differently to Daniel. Daniel had an excitement about him that did attract her. He was fun to be with and attentive. Ashley, however, called to something different in her. He was reliable, caring and patient with her. He made her feel safe and desired her for herself, not who she was.

She wondered what she knew about love. Was she as bad as Daniel was and truly had no idea what it was? She did know what it wasn’t. No, she corrected herself, until she met them she knew what it wasn’t. But they had her feeling things she had never felt before.

She liked Ashley holding her that she could agree with. She felt safe with him, and she definitely found him sexy. She had a feeling he would take her temper tantrums in his stride. Did she love him? She couldn’t decide.

She was just as confused now as she had been when she first met them.

After four weeks, Olivia was still undecided.

She had spent time with both the boys on different dates. She had even been on dates with other suitors more for political reasons than any other reason. They had wooed her, and dined and attended the multitude of parties for her.

The boys had been on other dates as well. Olivia wasn’t sure how she felt about that. They hadn’t promised to be faithful while courting her. She also that knew being wizards, that was near on an impossibility. She knew Payton still spent time with the boys off and on, but she also knew it was for relief on her part just as the boys did.

Daniel tended to flirt with everyone, but not when it was his night to escort her. She knew Ashley had been on several dates when she was with Daniel, but the boys didn’t advertise or talk about whom they may have been with. The ladies also weren’t talking, but there were a lot of rumours.