by Ashlyn Chase
“It is. Gwyneth figured Sly Wine would be better if made fresh. We researched the necessary process, ingredients, and environment, and then Merry and Jason helped us with the business plan. I even have a fireproof safe to store a few bottles, just in case. So we’ll always have enough to hold us until we can set up the operation again.”
“You’re brilliant.”
“There’s more. Jason said I don’t have to pay rent anymore.”
“I see… sort of.” His brows knit in confusion.
“I think you’ll like the next part the best.”
He tipped his head and waited without saying anything.
“I’m going to run the whole thing. If you’re the super while I make Sly Wine for you… for us, I’ll have plenty of money from readings and can give up the phone-sex business. Gwyneth’s already said she’ll take over the calls and help me stomp the grapes when it’s not busy.”
Sly’s jaw dropped. “Really? You’d want to do that?” His expression softened. “You know I never asked you to. Is this really what you want?”
She smiled. “More than anything. I can still work from home, be sure our needs are taken care of properly, and show muwumfuoo.”
She couldn’t finish her sentence because Sly had grabbed and kissed her.
When he let her go, he laughed. “What was that last thing you said?”
“By doing this, I can show my love for you.”
“Oh, honey.” He held her tenderly. “This means so much to me.”
She sported a grin he couldn’t see. She just hoped he’d hear it in her voice. “I thought you’d like it.”
“I love it. I love you. So much.”
She couldn’t speak around the lump in her throat as tears formed in her eyes.
* * * *
A couple weeks later, the operation was in full swing. The girls were knee deep in the vat stomping grapes. Morgaine glanced up and spotted her beloved on the stairs.
“Hey, Sly,” she called out when she saw him. “Want to join us?”
He chuckled. “No, I was actually hoping you’d join me, Morgaine. We have something important to take care of.”
Gwyneth continued squashing grapes with her feet. “More important than making all your curative wine?”
Sly cleared his throat. “It’s something we ought to do before the handfasting. You’ll have to forgive me for borrowing your cousin, Gwyneth.”
He moved to the side of the vat so fast that he created a blur. Then he lifted Morgaine out of it and carried her toward the stairs. She clasped him around the neck.
“Sorry for deserting you, Gwyneth. We’ll see you later.”
“Aw, don’t pay it no nevermind.” She waved them away. “I can finish this up without y’all.”
“Thanks, Cousin,” Sly said and winked.
That seemed to please Gwyneth immensely. It pleased Morgaine too, and she kissed him on the cheek.
Sly carried her up the stairs into his apartment and gently set her standing up in the bathtub. “Let’s wash off those feet of yours, and then we’ll take care of that little matter I mentioned.”
“Yeah, what is it we need to do that’s so important?” She turned on the water and waited for it to warm up.
“Since it’s going to be a late night, I thought you might prefer to go through the conversion first.”
Her eyes rounded. “You’re going to make me a vampire? Now?”
“Would you rather wait?”
She lowered herself to sit on the edge of the tub. “No. I guess I just thought we’d do it after or around the same time as the handfasting. There’s two weeks to go.”
Sly shrugged. “We can do it either way… or not at all. It’s up to you.”
“I still want to go through with it.”
“Are you sure?”
“Absolutely, positively.”
He smiled. “Okay, then. I guess we just need to decide when that should happen.”
“Does it take some getting used to?”
“Oh, yes.”
“Like how?”
“You’ll have to learn to hold things gently. Anything you grip hard you could crush.”
“Oh, dear. Is that why you’ve always been so gentle with me?”
“Exactly. When we’re both vampires and I know I won’t hurt you, we can play as rough as you want.”
Morgaine laughed. “Let’s see how it goes. Maybe we should let the mood decide.”
“Agreed.”
He twirled a lock of her hair around his finger and leaned down to kiss her.
After a long, sweet kiss, Morgaine said, “I think we should do this well before our celebration. I’d hate to give someone an enthusiastic hug and crush them.”
Sly laughed. “That’s what I thought.”
She trailed a finger up his arm sensuously. “Can this conversion involve sex?”
“I was hoping you’d be open to that. I understand it’s pretty hot that way. Your thinking of it makes me even happier.”
She washed her feet quickly and dried them on the towel he handed her. Batting her eyelashes, she said, “Race you to the bedroom!”
Naturally, Sly beat her to it.
* * * *
They seemed as perfect for each other in bed as they were in other areas. Morgaine understood his body and knew exactly how to turn him on. She felt every bit of her womanly power whenever he told her he’d go mad if he didn’t have her. Maybe it was her psychic skills—or maybe she was just paying attention to his moans and groans of pleasure. Whatever it was didn’t matter. He was the love of her soon-to-be immortal life, and she couldn’t believe she’d ever found this much happiness.
“I never thought I’d get so lucky.”
He held her gently, almost reverently, as he gave her a long, deep kiss. She snaked her hand down between them and cupped his balls through his pants. His groan betrayed a deep hunger. She felt it too. It invaded her chest, and she needed him naked now.
As if on cue, he said, “If you don’t take your clothes off this minute, I might tear them off.”
She giggled. “This is one of my few pairs of shorts, so I’d rather you didn’t.”
“Then get naked, woman.”
She grinned as she rolled up to a sitting position and whipped off her periwinkle jersey. Then she shimmied out of her navy blue shorts, which she considered her grape-stomping outfit. With only her black lacy underwear on, she allowed him to appreciate her womanly curves.
“You’re beautiful, Morgaine.”
“You’re not bad either,” she quipped. “But you’d look a lot better naked too.”
He chuckled and bounded off the bed. In a split second, he had geared down to his birthday suit and zoomed back to the place he’d just been lounging.
She sighed. “I can’t wait until I can do that.”
“Me too.” He held out his arms. “Come to me, darling.” Giving her a devilish grin, he said, “I’ve wanted to make love to you ever since you left my bed this morning.”
She lay next to him and threaded her fingers through his silky dark hair. “Take me, Sly.” Her lips grazed the pale column of his neck. “Make love to me as only you can.”
He covered her body with his larger one, pressing her into the mattress. His hands scooped beneath her and roamed over her flesh, exciting myriad sensations.
“I love how you touch me,” she said softly. “You know every inch of me now, yet you hold me like it’s the first time. I hope we never lose that.”
“We won’t. If anything, we’ll add more to our repertoire.” He let out a low growl, hauled himself up in one swift, fluid motion, and flipped her onto her stomach.
She squealed, then laughed at her own surprise. Sly popped open her bra and lowered his body on top of her. His hands slid beneath her to her breasts and fondled them. She moaned, then lifted her bottom and pressed it against his erection. She felt his heat right through her lacy underwear. He’d obviously had his wine recently. Soon, they’d drink
together and wind up tangled in the sheets.
His lips were on her neck. He kissed and excited her skin until it tingled in anticipation.
As if he’d heard her, he said, “Not yet.” Perhaps he had. He teased her by drawing his fangs over the spot.
“Don’t make me wait,” she murmured. “I want this.”
“Soon.” He plucked her hard nipples before his hand eased down between her sweltering hot thighs. He slipped his fingers into her panties and rubbed her clit until the exquisite sensation built to a fevered peak. She crashed over the edge, yelling out her release. Except for his name and “Oh, my Goddess,” the words were indecipherable.
Then he divested her of her bikini bottoms. He hooked an arm around her waist and hoisted her to her knees. Her bra straps fell off her shoulders and settled around her elbows. She lifted one arm, then the other, and flung the remaining garment. She braced her forearms on the pillows, and her bare bottom was completely exposed to him. A decadent thrill worked its way through her. She knew they possessed the same passionate nature, and she loved him all the more for it.
As his fingers eased inside her already wet channel, Morgaine felt the overwhelming need to have him inside her, filling her completely. He stroked her sensitive flesh, gently at first, then increased his strokes, inciting a raging inferno.
He pumped his fingers in and out of her, his thumb coming into contact with her clit each time. When she teetered on the edge of coming, he withdrew his fingers and thrust his hard cock inside her.
The moment he touched her clit with his finger, she came, letting out a series of sharp cries that filled the room. Her internal muscled clenched, and he tensed, holding on to his control.
“Oh, yes,” he hissed. “I like it when you express yourself, sweetheart.”
He let his finger slip away from her clit so she could recover. But she didn’t want to recover. She wanted to come again and again, until neither of them could take any more. “Keep going, Sly. Keep it up until we come together.”
He chuckled and didn’t break his stride. As he surged into her, the heat grew again. She knew it would. She loved the feeling of him buried inside her, filling her. The erotic sensations made her body hum with life. It was no wonder she wanted eternal life with him. Only with him.
“Come on, Sly. Fang me, baby!”
He leaned over and just as he touched her clit again, he sank his fangs into her neck. She shot to the edge of oblivion, resulting in an out-of-body experience unlike anything she could have imagined.
Eventually, she stopped bucking and felt her life slipping away. When he’d brought her to the brink of consciousness, she slumped onto the pillows. He turned her head to the side and pressed his skin against her mouth.
“Drink, Morgaine.” A tangy liquid passed her lips and hit her tongue. He must have opened a vein. A metallic smell filled her nostrils. She lapped at his life blood, lazily at first. Suddenly, a tremendous thirst hit her and demanded more. She sucked greedily at his offering until he yanked his wrist away.
“Enough.”
Her head spun and then magically cleared. Something was happening. A profound awakening took over. All her senses were growing tenfold.
“I can hear the rustle of wind through the trees outside… and footsteps on the sidewalk.” The smell of her herbal shampoo overwhelmed her.
“Remember, I’m here for you. I love you.”
She heard his thought, muffled somewhat but audible, as if in a TV dream sequence.
“Oh, my Goddess. Sly, is this what it’s like for you all the time?”
“Don’t worry. You’ll learn to moderate it.”
“I hope so. Can you hear everyone’s thoughts?”
He laughed. “Thank goodness, no.”
Chapter 25
May 1st, Beltane
The day of their handfasting had finally arrived. Morgaine, Merry, and Gwyneth had made all the preparations. A quiet ceremony in the penthouse would be followed by a celebration feast. All the building’s residents plus Konrad and Roz were invited.
To blow off some of her nervous tension, Morgaine had decided to join Gwyneth in stomping grapes in the basement. They removed their slippers and climbed into the large wooden vat.
“So, are y’all excited about tonight?” Gwyneth asked.
Morgaine giggled. “I’m beyond excited. I’m a nervous wreck.”
“Well, this here’s the best way to lose some of that nasty tension. Y’all are making what’s needed to keep the bad vampire symptoms away. I still can’t believe y’all are a vampire and a witch now.”
“Hey, if anyone can handle being different, I think I can.”
“That’s not what I meant. I’m talkin’ about the nyctophobia. It was funny enough for a witch to be that way, but a vampire afraid of the dark?” Gwyneth burst out laughing.
Morgaine rolled her eyes. “Well, at least you’ve finally learned how to pronounce it.”
The two women grinned as they stomped the grapes, creating a squishy pulp. In minutes Morgaine was relaxed and having fun.
“So, how are things with you and Nathan?” she asked.
“Great. He surprises me almost every day with some thoughtful gesture.”
“I’m so glad. You’ve really brought him out of his shell.”
“Yeah, and he’s taught me a few things too.”
“Like?”
“Like bein’ realistic and acceptin’ things. I don’t get mad so quick anymore.”
Morgaine chuckled. “I thought I noticed a more easygoing cousin. I just thought it was the great sex that relaxed you.”
“Well, that sure don’t hurt none.” Gwyneth winked.
Morgaine sensed a presence on the stairs and glanced over her shoulder. Sly stood there smiling. His eyes glowed—the soft golden glow of love.
“Is it bad luck to see the bride before the handfasting?”
She chuckled. “Not at all. What’s up?”
“I was about to move my stuff up to your apartment. I thought you’d want to be there so we could arrange our things together.”
Morgaine held up one finger. “Hang on a second. I’ll be right with you.”
Her knees pistoned so fast her legs became a blur. The grape juice drained into the smaller vat as fast as it could, but the spigot couldn’t handle that much volume so the juice backed up until she and Gwyneth were standing knee deep in purple liquid.
Gwyneth set her hands on her hips. “Show off.”
Morgaine giggled, then vaulted over the side and landed on the towel she’d spread out on the floor.
As she dried her feet, she said, “Thanks for helping, Gwyneth.”
“Like y’all needed my help.”
Morgaine enjoyed her cousin’s help even if she didn’t need it. “It was good to talk and exercise. I feel much more relaxed now.”
Gwyneth sat on the edge of the vat, swung her feet over the side, and dropped down onto the towel she’d placed on the floor near her exit point. “Well, that’s good. I’m glad. I suppose I won’t see y’all until the handfastin’ tonight.”
“Unless you want to help me with my hair.”
“What are you plannin’ to do? Some big beehive or somethin’?”
Morgaine laughed. “No, silly. I was just planning to brush it until it’s nice and shiny, then weave some flowers around the crown.”
“Sounds beautiful and perfect.”
Morgaine tipped her head slightly. “What do you mean by perfect?”
“Laurie Cabot says we’re sovereign, so y’all wearin’ a crown is perfect.”
“Oh.” Morgaine smiled. “I guess you’re right.”
Turning to her lover, she launched herself into his arms. His split-second reflexes caught her as if he had been just standing there waiting to catch a flying witch. Vampire-witch. Vampitch. Or wampire. She chuckled as she thought up her new designation.
“What’s so funny?” Sly asked.
“Oh, nothing. Let’s get you moved in.�
� She looked over her shoulder to Gwyneth. “See you tonight, Cousin.”
“With bells on.”
* * * *
The penthouse furniture had been moved aside so the group could stand in a circle in front of the fireplace. The happy couple stood on either side of Lynne, the justice of the peace, who also happened to be a witch trained in performing handfasting ceremonies.
On Morgaine’s left, Gwyneth stood with Nathan beside her. Konrad was on Sly’s right, and Roz next to Konrad. Linking the circle at the back were Jason and Merry. Merry had placed five-and-a-half-month-old Max in his playpen. He looked on, making occasional baby squeals and noises, but other than that, the room was silent. Each guest held a candle.
The JP Lynne, who wore a black robe, spoke. “Friends, let us now gather within a circle of unity to celebrate and commemorate the marital intentions of Sylvestro and Morgaine. As we appreciate the gift of sharing this special evening, we call upon the elements of the ancients to symbolize the blessings that we wish upon this union.”
Lynne stepped to the center and rotated to face the couple. Sly and Morgaine linked hands and smiled at each other. Sly had always thought her beautiful, but tonight she seemed to glow. Her green eyes reflected the soft candlelight, but it wasn’t only that. She had parted her blonde hair in the middle, and it fell in soft waves well past her shoulders. Her long, soft ivory dress and the flowers in her hair conferred an air of Mother Nature herself. How did I get so lucky?
The JP said, “Would the engaged couple please take a step forward and allow the guests to form a circle around us?” As soon as they had all taken their places, Lynne rotated about 45 degrees. Extending her hand, she said, “As we welcome the elements of the East, we call upon air, and ask that this couple be blessed with understanding and the ability to communicate freely with each other.”
Then she swiveled again and motioned toward the south. “To the elements of the South, we ask that the fire of passion and desire always burn within this couple’s hearts. May they always keep the sacred energy that brought them together.”
She turned toward and gestured to the west. “As we observe the West and its element of water, we ask that this couple’s love and commitment to one another always stays pure. May they find ways to renew the spirit and emotion of love that flows between them.”