by Rivi Jacks
“You’re marrying the man you love, and he is—totally besotted with you.” She nudges my shoulder. “He’s a smart man.”
I give her a smile. “I know I’m really lucky—”
“Sofie, he’s sexy as hell, hot as sin with a body to drool over. And you just have to tell me—can he fu—”
“Okay, okay!” I laugh, holding up my hand. “Stop thinking about my fiancé’s body.”
She laughs and then reaches over to place her hand on my shoulder, her expression at once serious. “You two are perfect for each other.”
I look out across the arena and then back at her. “Emma Rae, what does he see in me? He could have—anyone.”
“Sofie!” she says sharply and then blows out her breath.
“I’m not putting myself down, Emma Rae. Seriously. I just—” I shrug.
She gives me a warm smile. “Sweetie, Lucas saw your specialness right from the start.”
I shake my head at her and laugh.
“It’s true.” She frowns. “I know you don’t see that in yourself—you never have, but I suspect that over time Lucas will convince you of just that.”
I smile weakly. “I’d hate to think the benefits of our marriage will be all one-sided.”
“Sofie,” —she turns more fully to face me— “I’ve heard plenty from Andy and some of the other Guard to know you bring a lot of happiness to Lucas. Andy’s told me that Lucas used to seem so lonely.” I frown at what she says remembering that Clea Hunt said basically the same thing when I first met her. “That’s one reason the Guard all adore you.”
I give her a wide-eyed look. “They adore me?”
“Don’t go gettin’ the big head.” She nudges against my shoulder as I laugh. “You know what I mean. You’ve made Lucas a happy man.”
I can’t help but smile since that’s exactly what he told me when I agreed to marry him.
I suddenly feel so much better.
“It’s going to be okay,” she says.
“It is, isn’t it?”
We sit quietly then, looking out over the darkened arena.
“So, the weddings back on?” she eventually asks.
I laugh. “It was never off.”
“Good. There must be something to that sappy shit about true love always finding a way.” She looks over at me and grins.
I lean over to give her a hug. “Thank you, Emma Rae.”
“You just needed a girlfriend’s point of view to put everything into perspective.”
“You’re right, and you and me and Diane need a girl’s night out,” I suggest.
“We need to plan your bachelorette party too.”
I groan and make a face. “I don’t think I want one.” I know I don’t have to explain why to her. She knows I hate being the center of attention.
“Well, it’s either that or a chivaree.”
I give her a look of horror. “Emma Rae! Don’t you dare put that idea into Sawyer’s head!”
She just laughs and waves her hand through the air.
“Emma Rae,” I say as calmly as I can. “You give me your word you won’t suggest anything of the sort to Sawyer.”
“Sofie, you know—”
“Emma Rae, I mean it, damn it!”
“I promise I won’t, but you have to know that Sawyer’s already planning on it.”
“No!” I sit forward. “The wedding’s off!”
“Tell him, not me.”
“I will kick his ass,” I vow, and Emma Rae laughs. I should have already thought of this. I need to find Sawyer and threaten him within an inch of his life.
A chivaree is an old hills custom that’s supposed to be a celebration honoring the newly married couple. I can’t think of anything more horrendous. It’s usually organized by the kinfolk of the bride and includes friends and family of the couple. In the old days, it always took place the night of the wedding after the reception when the newlyweds retired for the night. But since most couples leave nowadays on a honeymoon, a chivaree can be carried out at any time within the first couple months of marriage.
Annoying family members and so-called friends storm the unsuspecting couple’s home shortly after the lights go out. Either they have a key to let themselves in, or they break into the house. People bang on pans, honk car horns, and shoot guns into the air to announce their intentions, which is to hopefully catch the couple naked and doing what newlyweds do. The poor couple is pulled from their bed, often wearing nothing but their bed sheets. The custom is that the bride has to give candy to the women and the groom offers the men whiskey. If there is no offering of candy and whiskey, the groom is hauled off to the nearest body of water and tossed in.
My cousin Eli Jones and his new wife, Dawn made sure to keep candy and whiskey on hand, but it didn’t save Eli from taking a dunk on one of the coldest nights of the year. So there’s never any guarantee, it all hinges on the mood of the crowd. Of course, I believe it was mostly because of Sawyer in Eli’s case.
I smile at the thought of anyone trying to put Lucas into a pond, and at the same moment, Emma Rae laughs out loud.
“Sofie, I think you should let Sawyer have a go at Lucas. Sawyer would be the one to end up wet.” She laughs again and slaps her knee.
“Yeah, well, I have no desire for anyone to pull me out of my bed in the middle of the night. Lucas won’t like me wearing full body armor to bed every night either.”
She sobers. “Yeah, I don’t think I’d enjoy being caught naked by the likes of some of these local boys.”
“Just think of what that would do for Chip Davis,” I tease.
She snorts.
“You’d crank his tractor.” This is one of Emma Rae’s favorite sayings, and I can’t keep the laughter out of my voice.
“I ain’t crankin’ nothin’ of his,” she says without a trace of humor.
“Okay,” I chuckle and stand. “Are you free tomorrow night?”
“Yep. And let’s hang out at Murphy’s. We used to do that on Fridays.”
“Sounds good,” I tell her. “I’ll call Di. We can go to the Shotgun Shack afterward.”
“Friday night poker, fun times,” she says.
I’m a couple of steps down when I stop and turn back. “Emma Rae—” I know I’m about to change her life, but I also know what I have to say is the right thing to do.
“Yeah?” she says looking up at me.
“I think—you need to ask Andy about his life.”
She turns to look back out over the arena as I stand there watching her. “Do I have to?” she asks softly.
I hesitate, realizing she knows something but then—how could she not? “No, I guess you don’t if that’s the way you want it to play.”
She sighs heavily. “I figured you knew more about them than you were saying.” She looks up at me.
“I’m so sorry, please don’t be mad at me it’s just—”
“Sofie,” she sits up straight. “I’m not mad,” —she shakes her head— “not even a little. Honest.” She slumps back down in her seat and pulls her legs up to perch her feet on the back of the seat in front of her. “I could have asked you, and I know you would have told me.”
“I would have.” I sit back down beside her. “But—it’s Andy’s story. He’s the one who needs to tell you.” I’d brought the subject up recently with Lucas, and he told me that in his opinion it was Andy’s business if and when he decided to tell Emma Rae. Which I mostly agree with except for the fact that Emma Rae is my best friend and I believe she needs to know.
“He started to tell me one time.”
I look at her. “He did?”
“Yeah. I told him I didn’t want to know.” She laughs and then meets my eyes. “When did Lucas tell you?”
I
give a soft snort. “He didn’t. I finally figured it on my own.” I frown. “I guess he did tell me in a lot of ways.” I smooth the skirt of my dress down across my lap. “It was a shock but—”
“Please don’t tell me they’re in gorgeous disguise and that they really resemble the Kihn in some horrific way.”
I bust out laughing. “No. No relation to the Kihn.”
“Thank you, God,” she says looking up.
“Just talk to Andy. It’s time you know.”
“Does Diane know?”
“No, but I’m sure Jake does, and I’ll talk to him about telling her.”
“Sawyer?”
I laugh again. “You know him. Yes, he knows. Sam too.” I hear one of the arena’s doors open, and I stand. “We probably need to go.” She follows me down the steps, and we both squint against the sunlight as we step outside.
“I’ve known I needed to ask him the last couple of weeks but—” she shrugs. “It really doesn’t matter to me.”
I hope she means that because I’m certain that no matter what she’s come up with while speculating about Andy—it’s nowhere close to the fact that Andy is a vampire. She is going to be shocked, and I know there’s a chance their relationship might not survive the truth.
I link my arm with hers. “It’s time. Especially since you’re moving in with him—”
“Thinking about moving in with him.”
After I walk Emma Rae to her car, I decide to take a chance and see if Lucas has a moment free. I want to tell him my plans for tomorrow night and—I just want to see him. I enter through the back of the quiet house, and as I move through the rooms, I hear the din of voices coming from Lucas’ study. I stop in the open doorway aware that there are other men in the room, but I only have eyes for Lucas.
A lazy, devastating smile sweeps across his face. “Gentlemen, I think it’s time we take a much-needed break.” His face breaks into a wide grin while he holds my gaze.
I bite my lip to keep from laughing out loud, suddenly feeling ridiculously happy. As the men shuffle out of the room, I can feel their curious glances, but I don’t take my eyes off Lucas. He looks delicious. He’s wearing jeans and a white linen shirt left untucked with the sleeves rolled up his muscular forearms. The first two buttons of the shirt are undone, and I feel an overwhelming need to press my mouth against the warm skin of his neck.
“My sweet.” His eyes move over me with a sensual caress, and my breath takes a sudden hitch. “I like that dress.”
I look down and then back to him. My hands go behind my back as I twist slightly back and forth, the fullness of the short skirt flounces around my thighs. “I thought you might.”
“Is that right?” His lips quirk at the corners, and he’s suddenly crooking his finger, beckoning me to cross the room. When I’m close, he reaches out to pull me even closer, positioning me between him and his desk. I bite my lip again to quell the strong reaction my body has to his when we’re this close.
His hands encircle my waist, and then he lifts me up to sit on the edge of his desk, using his thigh to push my legs apart. My hands slide around his shoulders, seeking the back of his head where I fist a handful of his hair as I pull him down closer to my lips.
“Are you trying to seduce me?” The breath of his words brush my lips.
I lean back, raising my eyes to see the wicked gleam in his. “Of course not,” I lie, my voice soft and breathy. My gaze is drawn down as the corners of his mouth curve seductively. When he places his hands on the desk on either side of me, I look back up into his mesmerizing silver-green gaze.
“Well—that’s disappointing,” he murmurs.
My lips part as his mouth swoops down to take mine. When our tongues merge, he growls low in his throat, and the sound vibrates between us sending a thrill through me. I have a quick thought that maybe we should close his study door, but my thoughts quickly scatter as his skillful mouth pulls me under. Passion explodes as he nips and sucks first at my bottom lip and then the top before reclaiming my mouth with his searching tongue. I’m aware of his hand as it trails sensuously down my bare arm, continuing down to rest on my knee.
“You have the lushest mouth,” he says against my lips before continuing across my jawline where he uses his teeth to nip and bite, sucking my earlobe into his hot mouth.
I moan in surrender, clutching the front of his shirt. The hand he has on my knee moves up under the fabric of my skirt, and I gasp as his fingers softly glide up the inside of my leg until his hand rests at the apex of my thighs.
He lifts his head. “You’re already wet for me, my sweet,” —his eyes glitter into mine— “I like that.”
I pant a soft breath as my body warms with flush at his words. My nipples tighten painfully against the fabric of my bra, and I desperately want him to take me to the bedroom and relieve the sudden pent-up tension that coils and tightens in my belly.
His skillful fingers stroke me through my panties and I drop my head back releasing a moan that is at once filled with both longing and need.
“You’re so beautiful,” he murmurs against the curve of my throat as his lips suck the delicate skin. “And I’ve wanted to ravish you in here on my desk for quite some time now.”
I laugh breathlessly. “Ravish? So instead of seduction, this is entrapment on your part?”
His fingers give me one last stroke, and I sigh at their loss when his hand slides back down my thigh to rest on my knee. He growls in frustration. “I’m tempted to take you next door and have my fill of you.” My toes curl in reaction to his threat. “I fear that’s futile though” —he runs his nose down the length of my neck, inhaling deeply— “because I can’t seem to get enough of you,” he rasps and then playfully nips at my tender skin.
“Good,” I croak.
He rests his forehead on mine for a moment, emitting another growl from between gritted teeth. Gripping my waist, he lifts me off his desk, standing me beside it.
I glance quickly at the door. I’m certain the men who were in here with Lucas are supes and doubly certain they’ve overheard everything going on between us.
When I look back up at him his amused gaze meets mine. “I won’t be able to concentrate for the rest of the afternoon,” he says as he adjusts the bulge in his jeans.
“Well then, my work here is done,” I whisper teasingly, my voice as shaky as my legs. Will it always be like this between us?
I smooth my dress down, my hands trembling as I run my fingers through my hair. I hope I can make it out of the house without running into anyone.
Lucas lifts my chin, and I meet his smoky green eyes. “You, my sweet, are delectable and I can’t wait to taste you.”
“Lucas!” I give a furtive glance toward the door as he laughs.
Reaching out he strokes a finger down the side of my cheek. “And you blush beautifully.” Which makes me blush all the more. He laughs softly.
Will I ever stop doing that? We’re about to be married, for crying out loud!
“It’ll serve you right,” —I whisper, stepping around him— “if any of your guests heard us.” I look at him with a smug expression.
He smirks, his arms crossing over his chest. “You were the only one moaning, my sweet.”
I give him my best scowl, and he promptly throws back his head, laughing.
“You’re impossible,” I hiss. “I’m leav—” In the next instant he’s beside me, jerking me gently against his body, his mouth silencing me as his tongue plunges deeply. Pulling my hands to the small of my back he proceeds to render me senseless with his kiss.
I slowly melt against his body as his tongue teases and tempts, his mouth devouring my moans as he drives me to the point of no return. I’m ready for him to lay me across his desk and use me as he’s threatened to more than once.
; He suddenly tears his mouth from mine, and I struggle to draw in gulps of air. When he releases my hands, I scramble to grab hold of him to stay upright.
Holy shit!
He leans down bringing his mouth close to my ear. “I believe my work here is done.”
I give him a strangled laugh as I step back, my legs jellylike. “I believe you’re right.” I shake my head against the sensual fog, and it seems to help. I quickly look up then, suddenly suspicious. My eyes narrow at him. “Did you just—”
“Was there another reason you came to see me, sweetheart?” His eyes are aglow with humor, and I know without a doubt that I am going to have to learn how to fight fire with fire in this marriage of ours. The problem is I don’t think I can learn how to compel. Is it even possible to compel a vampire?
I take a deep breath. “I wasn’t sure if I’d see you tonight and I wanted to let you know I’ve planned a girl’s night out with Emma Rae and Diane for tomorrow night.”
He saunters back across the room to his desk as he says, “I was going to call you later and let you know I’ll be in meetings for most of the night.” He reaches to pick up a sheaf of papers. “Taylor and Quanah are on their way to the airport in Springfield for me.”
I cross to his desk on shaky legs to sit on the edge across from him. “Who are they picking up?”
He glances up at me before looking back down. “Otto Racine.”
Otto Racine! I still wonder why he and Lucas met in Jackson Hole. I know there’s more to the story than Otto wanting to hunt elk. More likely he was hunting Kihn.
I lean in slightly to surreptitiously read a business card lying on his desk. Lucas reaches to turn it so I can see it better. When I glance up one corner of his mouth is lifted as he continues to peruse his papers.
“Is his charming wife accompanying him?” I ask casually.
Lucas looks up with a smirk. “No—Lena is not going to be with him this time.”
I set the paperweight I was checking out back on his desk. “You do know I don’t really think she’s charming.”