Night's Pleasure

by Amanda Ashley

“You’re right about that,” Cara said, and went in to the other room to make her calls.

  Rafe and his pretty blond wife, Kathy, showed up a short time later, and Cara’s parents arrived some twenty minutes after that. Kathy and Rane’s grandparents greeted Savanah with welcoming smiles as they introduced themselves. Cara’s father, Roshan, was tall and lean with powerful shoulders and long limbs. His hair was black, his eyes a bold midnight blue set beneath straight black brows, but it was Cara’s mother who held Savanah’s attention.

  Brenna DeLongpre seemed too pretty to be a witch. Fiery red hair fell to her waist, her eyes were almost as green as Mara’s. She wore a white peasant blouse over a colorful, ankle-length skirt; a necklace of amber and jet circled her throat.

  Vince brought out a bottle of vintage wine. After filling everyone’s glass, he lifted his own, and said, “A toast to the prodigal, who, though away from us, was never out of our hearts or our thoughts.”

  “Here, here,” Rafe said.

  “And to the woman in his life,” Cara added. “May she always feel welcome in our presence and in our home.”

  Rane slid his arm around Savanah’s shoulders. Drawing her close, he whispered, “See? I knew they’d love you. So, will you marry me?”

  Chapter Forty-One

  Savanah glanced around the room. No one would ever think any of the occupants were Vampires. She was finding it a little hard to believe herself.

  Rane poked her in the ribs. “You didn’t answer me.”

  “They really are wonderful people, aren’t they?”

  “I think so.” He looked at her, his dark eyes intense. “You still haven’t answered my question.”

  “Yes, Rane, I’ll marry you whenever and wherever you want.”

  “She said yes!”

  Savanah glanced over her shoulder, startled, as Brenna announced her decision to the room.

  “I’m sorry,” Brenna said, hurrying over to give Savanah a hug. “I didn’t mean to eavesdrop, really, but…welcome to the family!”

  “This calls for another toast!” Vince said.

  The next few minutes were hectic as everyone came over to wish Rane and Savanah well. Amid bear hugs and smiles, Savanah found herself wondering who would perform the ceremony, since it was illegal for Vampires and mortals to intermarry.

  Rane must have been reading her mind because a moment later, he put the question to his father.

  “There’s only one place to hold the wedding,” Vince said, smiling at Cara. “Right?”

  “Yes, of course,” Cara replied.

  “And only one priest to join the two of you together,” Brenna declared.

  “Father Lanzoni,” Rafe and Kathy said in unison.

  “Who’s Father Lanzoni?” Savanah asked.

  “He’s the priest who married us,” Vince said, giving his wife’s hand a squeeze.

  “And us,” Roshan said, smiling at Brenna.

  “And us,” Kathy added, linking her arm with Rafe’s.

  Rane kissed Savanah on the cheek. “We can’t break a tradition like that, can we?”

  “No, indeed,” she agreed.

  “So, when’s the big day?” Kathy asked.

  “Whenever Savanah wants,” Rane said. “We haven’t really had time to discuss it.”

  “We’ll have to let Mara know,” Vince said.

  “Speaking of Mara,” Roshan said, “I hear she’s taken a mortal lover. Is that true?”

  “I don’t know for a fact,” Rafe said, “but I’d say it’s a safe bet.”

  “I wonder if she’ll bring him to the ceremony,” Brenna remarked.

  “I wonder if he knows what she is,” Cara mused.

  “Well, one thing is certain,” Vince said, refilling his wineglass, “we know she’ll come.”

  The next week was filled with excitement and anticipation the likes of which Savanah had never known. Once she made the decision to marry Rane, there seemed little reason to wait. The women in Rane’s family were more than supportive, and they were all eager to help with the planning, although there was little to plan. There was only one choice for a church, and no need for a caterer.

  The one thing Savanah did need was a dress. To that end, the females in the family whisked her into Portland to go shopping. White dresses were no longer in vogue for brides, and Savanah tried on dresses in every color of the rainbow.

  Though she had always envisioned herself walking down the aisle in a long white gown, the one she fell in love with was a pale, pale blue. The lines of the gown were simple yet elegant, modest yet sexy.

  When Savanah stepped out of the dressing room to show Kathy, Brenna, and Cara, the looks on their faces told her she had made the right choice.

  “Perfect!” Kathy and Brenna exclaimed.

  “Rane’s going to love it,” Cara said, giving Savanah a hug. “You’ll be a beautiful bride.”

  Savanah picked out a shoulder-length veil to match the dress, as well as a pair of heels. Leaving the bridal shop, they went to a store that specialized in lingerie. Savanah’s initial embarrassment at picking out such personal items in the company of Rane’s mother and grandmother soon gave way to laughter as they examined a variety of undergarments, including edible underwear and crotchless panties, which brought a rush of heat to Savanah’s cheeks as she imagined wearing them for Rane.

  She picked out a long, black nightgown and matching peignoir, several pairs of bikini panties, bras, a robe and slippers. Cara insisted on buying her a different-colored teddy for every day of the week. Brenna gifted her with a shimmery silver nightgown that looked like it had been made from stardust and moonbeams.

  Kathy chose a flowered nightgown, a matching velour robe, and fluffy pink slippers. “For after the honeymoon,” she explained with a shrug. “Or for those mornings when you don’t feel like getting dressed. After all,” she said, gesturing at the pile of gossamer gowns, “you can’t answer the door in any of those.”

  The only time Savanah felt the slightest bit ill at ease was at mealtimes. Rane’s parents assured her that she was welcome to cook in the house, but she politely declined, preferring to eat at one of the restaurants in town. Rane always accompanied her in the evening, lingering over a glass of wine while she ate dinner.

  Mara showed up the night before the wedding with a handsome young man in tow. As Mara introduced Kyle to Rane’s family, Savanah couldn’t help wondering if Kyle Bowden knew that, except for the two of them, everyone else in the room was a Vampire.

  She was glad when Mara and Kyle took their leave and Vince and Cara went to bed, giving Rane and Savanah some time alone in the living room. Though they had shared a bed in the past, Savanah had told Rane she wouldn’t feel comfortable doing so in his parents’ house, and he had acceded to her wishes.

  Now, sitting on the sofa, Rane pulled Savanah closer to his side. “Nervous about tomorrow?” he asked, one hand lightly massaging her nape.

  “A little.” She snuggled against him. “We haven’t talked about it much lately, but I’m still hoping to find the Vampire who killed my mother. Do you think I ever will?”

  “I don’t know, but you’ve got a lot more help now.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “My family. Mara. They’ll all help.” Frowning, he ran his hand over his jaw. “You know, it occurred to me before that Mara might know who the killer is.”

  “How could she possibly know that?”

  “You always ask the tough questions,” Rane said, blowing out a sigh. “It has to do with her power. She’s lived a long time. I’m not sure how she does it, but she seems to be able to tap into whatever affects the Vampire community. It wouldn’t surprise me if she knows who killed your mother.”

  Savanah bolted upright. “When can we ask her? Do you know where she’s staying? Can we call her tonight?”

  Rane slipped his arm around her shoulders and drew her back down beside him. “I don’t know where she’s staying, and even if I did, I doubt if she wants to be disturbed.�
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  He was right, of course. Savanah had seen the way Kyle Bowden had looked at Mara. No doubt the two of them were curled up in a bed somewhere. Savanah let out a sigh. She had waited this long for information about her mother’s killer; she could wait one more night.

  Kyle came awake abruptly, not knowing what had roused him. Sitting up, he switched on the bedside lamp, then turned to see if Mara was asleep, only to find her side of the bed was empty.

  “Mara?”

  Gaining his feet, he prowled through the hotel suite, turning on the lights as he went. There was no sign of her. Frowning, he returned to the living room and sank down on the sofa. Where would she have gone at this time of the night?

  Mara. She was a mystery wrapped in an enigma. True, he had only known her a short time, but she surprised him on a daily basis. She looked to be about twenty years old, but there were times when he would have sworn she was older. Much older. He sometimes found himself studying her, looking for some sign that she’d had a face-lift or other cosmetic surgery, but her body was toned and taut, her skin flawless.

  And then there were the people he had met earlier that night. It had been all he could do to hide his astonishment when he overheard one of the Cordova brothers call Vince Cordova “Dad.” Until then, Kyle had assumed that Vince was another brother. Impossible as it seemed, all of them—men and women alike—appeared to be in their late twenties or early thirties.

  His thoughts turned to Mara again. Since the day he met her, he had thought of little else. She was like an addiction he couldn’t shake, a thirst he couldn’t quench. A riddle he couldn’t solve.

  He remembered a conversation they’d had while still in Egypt. They had been in his hotel room, watching an old movie about Antony and Cleopatra. They had discussed the movie when it was over. Kyle had made a comment about Cleopatra. He couldn’t remember now what he’d said, but Mara had corrected him and then, her expression wistful, she had told him about Egypt’s most famous queen. Kyle was no expert on the subject. He’d had no way of knowing if what Mara had told him was historically correct or not, yet everything she had said carried the ring of truth. It was almost as if she had known the Egyptian queen personally. It reminded him of an old Twilight Zone episode in which a beautiful woman mesmerized men, then, with the help of a beetle, took their life force, thereby keeping herself forever young.

  Chiding himself for his fanciful thoughts, he turned off the lights and went back to bed. If there was one thing he did know about Mara, it was that she loved the night. No doubt she had just gone out for a walk in the moonlight.

  Chapter Forty-Two

  It was late afternoon when Savanah awoke. Sitting up, she glanced around the guest room. Rane’s mother had quite a knack for decorating; the room, done in shades of gray and blue with red accents, looked like it had been taken from the pages of House and Home magazine.

  Savanah glanced at her watch. Since staying here with Rane’s parents, she found herself waking later and later each day. She supposed she would have to adjust her hours to Rane’s, though now that he could come and go as he pleased during the day, finding time to be together was no longer a problem.

  She wondered if he was awake yet, and if he was as nervous as she was.

  Today was their wedding day. She had always dreamed of a big wedding, always imagined herself walking down a flower-strewn aisle on her father’s arm, but that wasn’t possible now.

  “Oh, Daddy,” she murmured, “I wish you were here.”

  Rising, she ran her hand over the gown hanging on the back of the closet door. The dress made her feel beautiful. Would Rane think the same when he saw her?

  After showering, she pulled on a pair of shorts and a shirt and went into the kitchen. The house was quiet, leading her to believe that everyone else was still asleep. She poured herself a glass of orange juice, then stood at the sink, staring out the window. She had avenged her father’s death. Tonight, she would ask Mara if she knew the name of the Vampire who had destroyed her mother. Strange thoughts for a bride-to-be, she mused, yet these days her life was nothing if not strange.

  Rane and his parents rose just before sunset. Since Savanah had decided to get dressed at the house, Cara shooed the men away, insisting it was bad luck for the groom to see the bride in her gown before the wedding. That simple little superstition somehow set Savanah’s mind at ease. Rane’s family might be Vampires, but they had managed to retain their humanity.

  It wasn’t until she was dressed and realized there were no mirrors in the house that Savanah regretted her decision to get dressed at home instead of at the church.

  “You look lovely,” Cara said, arranging the folds of Savanah’s veil. “Rane is a lucky man.”

  Clad in a tea-length dress of mauve silk with her hair piled artfully atop her head, Rane’s mother looked pretty enough to be a bride herself.

  “You’ve been so good for him,” Cara said, taking Savanah’s hands in hers. “You do love him, don’t you?” she asked, her gaze searching Savanah’s. “If you’re not sure, if you’re having any doubts, tell him now, before it’s too late.”

  “I love him more than anything. I’ve had my doubts,” Savanah admitted, “but I can’t imagine my life without him.”

  “What about children? You do know that Rane can’t give you any?”

  “Yes, of course.”

  “Adoption is always an alternative,” Cara said with a wink. “I don’t know if Rane told you, but I was adopted.”

  Savanah nodded. She and Rane had talked about it one night. She was tempted to ask his mother what it had been like, having Vampires for parents, but she didn’t quite have the nerve. Perhaps another time, when she knew Rane’s mother better.

  Cara squeezed her hand. “Welcome to the family, daughter. I hope you and Rane will be as happy as his father and I have been.”

  “Thank you.” Savanah accepted her mother-in-law’s embrace.

  “Do you have everything?” Cara asked. “Something old?”

  “My future husband?” Savanah said, grinning.

  Cara laughed. “Something new?”

  “Everything I have on.”

  “Something borrowed?”

  “You’ve got me there.”

  “Here.” Removing her pearl necklace, Cara fastened it around Savanah’s neck. “Something blue?”

  “My garter.”

  “Perfect!” Cara exclaimed.

  “Thank you for everything.”

  “You’re more than welcome. Shall we go? Our chariot awaits.”

  The chariot turned out to be a white stretch limo. Feeling like Cinderella going to the ball, Savanah gathered her skirts around her and ducked inside.

  “Well, isn’t this nice?” Cara asked, sitting across from Savanah.

  “Very. Thank you.”

  “It was Rane’s idea,” Cara said, her expression softening.

  “You must have missed him very much.”

  “You can’t imagine! It’s wonderful to have them both home again. Sometimes I can’t help wishing they were still my little boys. They grow up so fast,” she said with a wistful smile. “Too fast.”

  Not knowing what to say, Savanah stared out the window. Not for the first time, she wished her father was there beside her.

  It was late when the limo turned down a long, winding road lined by ancient oaks and pines. Savanah hadn’t known quite what to expect from a church frequented by Vampires. Something dark and gloomy, decorated with leering gargoyles and fallen angels. Her expectations couldn’t have been farther from the truth. Tall trees and lush greenery surrounded the old church, which looked almost ghostly in the light of the full moon. The air was filled with the fragrant scent of evergreens and dew-dampened earth. The sweet song of a night bird blended with the cheerful chirp of crickets and the croaking bass of a bullfrog, their evening songs combining in a moonlight serenade.

  “It’s lovely,” Savanah murmured as she followed Cara up the walkway to the entrance.

&nbs
p; “It is, isn’t it? It’s pretty during the day, but it’s even more beautiful in the moonlight.”

  Savanah clutched her bouquet, her heart skipping a beat when Rafe opened the door leading into the vestibule. Once again, Savanah was taken aback by how much Rane and his brother looked alike. She wasn’t sure how she knew it was Rafe. She would have to ask Rane about that later. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that not only did she love Rane, but she had shared her blood with him.

  After telling his mother how nice she looked, Rafe took her by the hand and escorted her down the aisle to her seat, and then came back for Savanah.

  With a wink and a smile, he placed her hand on his forearm. “Ready?”

  Savanah nodded. She had a brief glimpse of the chapel as Rafe walked her down the aisle. The altar and the pews were carved from burnished oak. Moonlight streamed through the red, blue, and gold stained-glass window above the altar. The carpet was a deep blue. A sad-faced Madonna stood in one corner, her arm outstretched.

  Rane’s parents and grandparents sat in the first pew on one side of the aisle; Kathy sat behind Rane’s parents, along with a man and a woman Savanah didn’t recognize. Mara and Kyle sat holding hands in the front row on the other side of the aisle. Mara looked resplendent in a silver gown that shimmered in the candlelight. Her hair, as black as ink, stood out in sharp contrast to her gown.

  And then Savanah saw Rane waiting for her at the altar, and everything else faded into the background. He had always been the most handsome of men, but now, dressed in a black tux, his hair shining like ebony, he fairly took her breath away.

  Rafe gave his brother a wink, then placed Savanah’s hand in Rane’s, and took his seat. Turning, Rane and Savanah faced the priest.

  Father Lanzoni was of medium height. His hair was black and wavy, laced with silver at his temples. He smiled down at the two of them, his hazel eyes filled with warmth. “Welcome, my children.” His gaze moved over Rane’s family. “It gives me great pleasure to see you all again, and to share this sacred moment with your family.”