Don't Bite the Bridesmaid

by Allee, Tiffany

  He grinned and held out his arm. “Is that so?”

  “Oh yes.” She took his arm and he led her into the room. Sitting heavily on the bed, she watched Noah as he went to close the heavy drapes. His secret still on the tip of her tongue, she swallowed the words. A new subject—a non-vampire subject—that’s what she needed.

  “Tell me about your wife,” she said, then clapped her hand over her mouth. Why did she keep asking about her? Maybe that wasn’t the best thing to ask about. Not if she wanted to have sex tonight anyway. And she so did.

  Noah winced, but nodded. “You have a right to ask.”

  She didn’t argue. If he thought she had a right to know about his ex-wife, that meant something, didn’t it?

  “We met when we were young—too young, really.” He paused, searching his thoughts. Probably deciding what was safe to tell her and what verged too close to the truth. Because she had no doubt that his vampire nature had something to do with why he was no longer with his wife.

  “So you married too young?” she pressed.

  “Yes. And there were things she didn’t like about me, about my life. Things she didn’t really find out about until after we were married.” He let out a short laugh and then sat down on the bed, a couple of feet between them. “Shit, that sounded ominous. I guess—it’s hard to explain. We were just very different people.”

  She bit her lip, wanting to push for more information, but knowing she shouldn’t.

  But Noah didn’t give her a chance to push. “Why have you been acting different around Brent?”

  She smiled to herself. Apparently she wasn’t the only one who wondered about things. “He apologized for his behavior when we danced.”

  “That’s it? An apology?”

  She grimaced. “What’s the subtext here, Noah? That I’m naive to forgive him after an apology?”

  “Honestly? Fuck yeah.”

  She chuckled. She should have been angry—or at least irritated—at his words, but somehow, she wasn’t. His worries were too ridiculous. “I’m not running back to Brent. I’ll never go back to him. And even though Kristen betrayed me, and I might never completely forgive her, I won’t ever think he’s good enough for her. But hating him for being an asshole isn’t something I care to spend the energy on.” Elation rushed through her as she realized how true that was. “I don’t care,” she repeated. “I really couldn’t give two figs what Brent thinks now.”

  Noah gave her a doubtful glance, but she didn’t bother to push the issue. She knew how she felt, and Noah would either figure it out or he wouldn’t. But he was a pretty smart guy, so she had faith that he’d get it eventually. Besides, insisting on her point would probably only make her look defensive, like she was trying to convince herself.

  “I was never married to Brent.” She felt compelled to point that out. And Noah knew far more about Brent than she did about his wife. “What was her name?”

  “Anna.”

  “You must have a thing for A-named women.”

  He grinned at that. “I must.” His smile faded and his brows drew together. “But I wasn’t honest with her about something, not soon enough. Not until after we were married.”

  “Sounds like a learning moment,” she said, keeping her voice light.

  His eyes were dark and rolling with emotion when they met hers, like the ocean during a storm. “I need to tell you something.”

  She tried to smile, but faltered, her mind reeling. If he told her, what would she say? Should she try to pretend it was a shock to her? That she had no idea vampires existed, let alone that Noah was one of them?

  That was probably the route Olivia would choose for her, and the smart thing to do. He would wonder why she hadn’t told him before if she confessed the truth. And he would wonder how she knew. She’d promised Olivia that she would keep her secret.

  “This is going to be hard to believe.”

  She schooled her expression, thoughts still reeling.

  “I’m a vampire.”

  And she knew, with his worried expression and hopeful eyes, she could trust him. In a way she’d never been able to trust anyone. And she didn’t want to keep any secrets from Noah.

  He took her hands in his, his eyes entreating her to believe him. “Look, I know this is sort of impossible to believe, but let me show you—”

  “I know,” she said, simply.

  He gaped at her. “You…what?”

  She forced a small smile to her face and hoped she looked more reassuring than she felt. “I know you’re a vampire. I’ve known for a while.”

  He released her hands and leaned away from her, looking at her as if he’d never seen her before. “Again, what? How?” His eyes narrowed.

  “No need to look so suspicious. I knew a vampire, once. She’s not around anymore—I mean she’s around, but not around us.” Alice shook her head. “This is coming out all muddled.”

  “We’ll come back to that.” He gave her a pointed look, but the suspicion had faded from his expression, so she counted that as a win. “How did you know—” He cleared his throat. “How did you figure out I was one?”

  “Well, you were either a vampire, or a total psycho.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “The shampoo. You were either a vampire or a man kooky enough to drink shampoo.” She shuddered. “And I’d much rather date someone who drinks blood. Shampoo is disgusting.”

  He stared at her, unblinking, until she snickered under her breath.

  “What’s so funny?”

  “I never thought I’d get to see such a totally shocked expression on your face. It’s very cute.”

  His shock shifted to a glare, and her snicker blossomed into an outright laugh.

  He ignored her humor. “Why didn’t you say anything?”

  “It was tempting to mess with you—ask about your family. Pretend to want to look up them for my genealogy hobby. But, I figured it was your secret to tell.” And that was the truth—a decision she still believed right. Her amusement faded. “I still stand by that.”

  He stared at her for a painfully long moment, his gaze searching her face. “Do you have any idea how fucking amazing you are?”

  She looked down at her hands, uncomfortable. Her mind searched for an appropriate answer to that. Flippant or denial? Finally she settled on deflection. “You’re pretty amazing yourself.”

  She forced her gaze up to meet his, ignoring her own discomfort. Wide eyes, lacking any guile or walls, met hers.

  And then they were kissing.

  As if Noah were both a vampire and a magician, their clothes disappeared so quickly that she suspected wizardry. There was at least some sleight of hand involved. Noah kissed her so carefully, it was as if he worried she might break in his hands.

  That wasn’t good enough.

  She kissed him back forcefully, her hands roaming over his body, drawing a low growl from his lips when she found his erection. She stroked him and he moaned into her mouth.

  She liked the sound of that.

  She pushed against his chest, and he rolled over onto his back for her, his eyes questioning. But the look on his face changed when she started licking her way down his chest, confusion replaced by anticipation.

  When she licked his cock, he jumped, muttering an expletive under his breath. She grinned, then took him in her mouth.

  She explored him with her tongue, loving the salty taste, the pure, manly scent of him. Clean and strong. Noah gasped when she started to move faster, take him deeper. His hand threaded through her hair, not directing her, but desperately gripping it, holding it out of her face. The noises he made spurred her on, and she relished in being able to make him lose control in such a way.

  He gasped loudly, and then his grip on her her hair turned almost painful. He tugged her back up, his face a picture of need. He was close.

  High on that knowledge, she went to take him back in her mouth, but he rolled her over onto her back and kissed her with a ferocity that made h
er gasp in need. His hands seemed to be everywhere at once, touching and stroking, making her feel as desperate as he had just looked.

  He positioned himself at her entrance and she pulled him close, her mouth against his ear. Did Noah want a future with her? Surely he wouldn’t have told her about his vampire heritage if he didn’t. And she trusted him—actually trusted him. She needed to show him how much.

  “You can bite me, if you want to,” she murmured.

  His head pulled back and she expected to see shock on his face. Instead, his mouth was wide, in a snarl that revealed his fangs. God, his fangs. Long and sharp, they looked every bit the weapon. Her stomach twisted as desire mixed with a healthy dose of fear.

  His face was laced with wanting so fierce she wasn’t surprised when he didn’t ask if she was certain. Instead, he lowered his face to her neck and took a deep breath, taking in her scent. Then he pushed his cock into her with a long, swift stroke. She moaned at the sudden fullness, but her voice cut off when she felt a sharp pain at her neck.

  The warring sensations overwhelmed her senses, but before she could wrap her shocked mind around it all, a strange heat spread from her neck, and euphoria hit her. The world went surreal.

  Intense pleasure crashed into her, swirling and mixing, familiar yet strange. Noah pumped into her fiercely while his mouth sucked at her neck. Her head grew light, and there was nothing but him and the sensations he wrought through her. The pull on her neck. The thrust of his thickness into her. The weight of his hard body on top of her. And then the orgasm hit.

  It started the normal way, rolling from her core and sending her muscles shuddering, but the euphoria from the bite intensified it, and her whole body shook from the sensation. Her mind couldn’t grasp the feelings, as wave after wave hit her, extending far past when a normal orgasm would have ended.

  Everything went black for a moment. Then Noah was shouting his own pleasure above her, and rocking into her body so hard she was certain she would feel it the next day.

  Finally, he stilled, and then lowered his face back to her neck. He licked her long and hard where he’d bit her, and she felt a twinge of pain. They stayed that way for a few minutes, her mind unable to form real thoughts, and Noah huddled into her neck. He held her so tightly it was as if he feared she would go running from the room if he let her go. Her hands were tangled in his hair. There had never been such a perfect moment.

  “If you let me go, I promise I won’t run away,” she said, amused despite the awe-inspiring thing that had just happened.

  He laughed softly against her hair before rolling over to lie beside her. “Am I that obvious?”

  “Yep. But that’s part of your charm.” A sudden thought hit her. “I’m not going to wake up a vampire, right?”

  He laughed, low and throaty. “No. It takes a good deal of sharing blood for that to happen.”

  They didn’t talk then, they just lay next to each other until her eyelids grew heavy. She didn’t realize she’d fallen asleep until she woke with a start. She stared at the drapes, still slightly open to the dark ocean beyond, they flitted with the breeze. Noah was no longer next to her. She sat up in the bed and glanced around. No edge of light indicated he was in the bathroom. Had he gone out? The murmur of a voice drew her to the balcony.

  The sliding glass door stood a couple of inches open and she heard Noah on the other side. She turned away, but her name caught her attention.

  “—Alice. Yes…I’m aware of that Charles, but if I parade Alice in front of The Council and tell them my intentions, they’ll let me out of the bonding. You know that.” Noah paused for a few moments, and she took a careful step closer to the door, her form hidden by the drapes, and the muted sound of her steps on the carpeting no doubt muffled by the ocean and the man on the other end of the phone call.

  “I know it hasn’t been long, but that doesn’t matter, does it? The intent to bond another is enough to get out of this fucking arranged marriage,” Noah said.

  Her stomach dropped and the room spun. But she didn’t walk away, she couldn’t. She had to hear the rest. Maybe she’d misheard.

  “Yes, Charles. Yes. I’m sure she’ll agree.” He chuckled, a low and sexy sound that suddenly made her sick instead of turned on. “If not, I’ll convince her.”

  She stepped away and doubled over, pain spiking from her stomach and chest. She lay down on the bed and forced back the tears burning her throat. She’d believed him, really believed. Trusted him.

  And he was just like Brent.

  Using her. Using her to get out of some vampire arranged marriage. Using her to get something for himself. Had he cared for her, even a little bit?

  Misery filled her, and she wanted to scream to find a release for all of the tension, all of the pain. She couldn’t act normal, not if he came back. But she had to, didn’t she? Talking to him about this would only make her humiliation that much worse. She couldn’t let him know she’d overheard.

  The bed moved under his weight, and her lungs constricted. She struggled to keep her breathing even. When his arm wrapped around her and his body melded to her back, it took every bit of willpower she had to bite her lip and not cry out in anger. Her eyes watered, but she ignored the sensation. It was all she could do to breathe.

  Finally, he slept. And Alice stared into the night.

  Chapter Ten

  Noah woke with light heart, in an empty bed. Alice wasn’t next to him, and he glanced around the room, looking for her. But the water running in the bathroom caught his ear, and he grinned. Maybe she’d want company?

  What a perfect night. Their conversation hadn’t gone at all how he’d planned—it had gone better. Not only had Alice already known he was a vampire, but she accepted him for it, without fear. And she had tasted just as sweet as he knew she would. That she trusted him enough to let him bite her, made him feel like a goddamned giant.

  Sure, suspicion had hit him when she’d first confessed to already knowing what he was. He’d immediately wondered if she worked for The Council somehow, had been planted by them to get close to him. But the idea was ridiculous, and he’d dismissed it at once. The Council would have no way of knowing Alice might be able to get close to him where others could not. And they were an honorable lot, unlikely to try to play with his feelings in that kind of manner.

  Besides, they had no need for subterfuge, they could simply force their hand if they wanted.

  Noah stretched, and glanced down at the messy state of the bed. The comforter stretched across the bed at a haphazard angle, and the top sheet was missing. He grinned.

  The conversation with Charles hadn’t gone exactly as he hoped, but it had been about what he’d expected. He’d confessed he had feelings for Alice, and that she knew what he was. What they were. And after Charles got over his shock, Noah told him the plan.

  The Council could be harsh in enforcing their will, but they weren’t unreasonable. If anything, they were logical to a fault. And if Noah approached them with an offer to bond Alice, to make her one of them, they would give them the time to build the relationship before he would have to turn her and make her his. He would be permitted to be with Alice rather than be forced into a marriage with a stranger.

  Sun shone through the corners of the drapes, lighting the room and filling the shadows. Alice had opened them just enough for him to catch a glimpse of the blue sky beyond. It was going to be a beautiful day.

  Despite his earlier enthusiasm for Alice, Charles hadn’t been totally behind the plan, even with Noah’s reassurance it would work. He’d had to force some confidence with Charles, but he couldn’t risk the other man thinking the plan could fail. Noah needed his support.

  That Alice already knew about vampires had thrown Charles. But Noah made his feeling clear, and then he seemed to understand. In fact, he’d been positively annoying about his understanding. As if he’d known the whole time that Noah felt something far beyond neighborly for Alice.

  Now, he just had to convince her
.

  In the dark of night, after they’d made love, he’d been certain he could get her to agree. And he’d been forced to sound even more certain than he felt on the phone to Charles. He couldn’t give his friend any reason to doubt the plan with Alice would work.

  Noah sat up in the bed, but the water shut off before he could get any farther. He grimaced, but a quick glance at the clock revealed it was probably for the best. They didn’t want to miss the morning gathering two days in a row. Or, he assumed, Alice probably wouldn’t.

  Not that he’d mind spending all day in bed with her, several days, in fact. But, he couldn’t ask her to abandon her family right now, not right before the wedding. If he took a quick shower, they wouldn’t be all that late to brunch.

  The bathroom door opened to reveal Alice, fully dressed and styling her damp hair back in a conservative clip.

  “I’m going to head down there. I have to help Cindy with some wedding stuff,” she said, and he tensed. It wasn’t her words, but the way she stood. She dropped her arms from her hair and crossed them. Her side faced him instead of her whole body. The stance was almost defensive. And her tone held no intimacy, like she spoke to a stranger.

  “Are you all right?” he asked. She’d seemed fine the night before, happy even. Had she experienced some sort of delayed regret? Had fear hit her when she’d seen his marks in her neck? But with his saliva, there should be only small marks left, and they were surely not enough to shock her.

  “I’m fine,” she snapped, and his head whipped back, her tone like a slap to the face.

  “Alice—”

  “Look, Noah. I’m sorry if I led you on, but this was never a long-term thing. I think we both knew that going in. And even though I knew about the vampire thing, knowing and experiencing are two very different things.” She kept her gaze firmly affixed to her hands, refusing to look at him, even when he stood.

  He couldn’t seem to find breath, let alone form words. Instead, he gaped at her and tried to wrap his mind around her words.

  “I’m heading down for breakfast. I’ll see you there.” And with those final words, she turned on her heel and left. The door clicked shut behind her, and Noah dropped back down to the bed.