He squeezed, and my cock made a valiant attempt to rise again. I squirmed, tugging his hands free and bringing his fingers to my lips. “You have ‘one more rounded’ me three times already. I’d be surprised that I have anything left—ah, no you don’t!”
Hand in his hair, I tugged him from where that fucking tongue of his was trying to lick its way down the soft smatteringof hair over my belly. I never thought I’d see the day where I denied himsex—usuallyIwas the one who madehimlate.
Today, though, we had a special meeting… one that I’d put off forwaytoo long.
James should have met my parents long before our wedding day, but between conflicting schedules and all the vampire business, he hadn’t had the chance. Now, they were waiting downstairs for us. We said we’d meet them for brunch, and we were already late. Our chances of getting there without my mother busting our door down herself were growing slim.
“Do you really want my parents’ first impression of you to be naked, with your mouth on my—ah,you son of a bitch!”
James’s shoulders shook with laughter. “I’m not worried, love.” He sat back and finally gave me a break from his mouth, but the bastard stretched out, drawing my eyes down his cut abs and his hard cock jutting out from between his thighs. “Parents love me.”
“Then why are you stalling?”
“Why are youlettingme stall?” he countered.
Jerk. “All right. You say parents love you?” Refusing to fall into his spell—again—I took slow, backward steps toward the ensuite bathroom. “Time to prove it.”
James rose from the bed, dark eyes on me. I was his prey, and he’d stop at nothing to get it. I rushed into the bathroom, but I couldn’t out-speed a vampire. He pinned me against the counter, the marble cool against my heated skin. His hands curled around my ass, squeezing my cheeks before continuing around to my stomach and up my chest.
“What do I get if I win that bet?” he growled in my ear. The sound almost made me give in—almost.
Whatdidcrumble my resolve, however, was the look in his eyes when I glanced into the mirror. Bright red, there was no hint of the brown in his irises. He squeezed my hips again and Isighed, head dropping back to his shoulder and exposing one of my marks for him. He tongued over the bruise, sending sparks dancing across my skin.
I hadn’t stood a chance.
“Nothing you don’t already have, vampire.”
We wereanother twenty minutes late. Rushing out of the shower, we pulled on the first sets of jeans and T-shirts we could find, and with water still dripping from our hair, we made our way down to the hotel’s restaurant. Despite James’s calm and cool demeanor as he took my hand, I felt his nerves pressing through the bond. Scanning the room, I squeezed his fingers with mine.
“Easy, vampire.”
I hoped my words translated across with the simple gesture—even if I dropped his hand a second later.
“Mom!”
She’d risen from their table in the corner, beelining toward me with her arms wide open. When she wrapped them around my shoulders, every ounce of tension melted from my body. Her dark, styled curls tickled my nose, but I didn’t care. Until I’d met James, hers were the only arms—and hers the only voice—that could ease my worries. I hadn’t realized how long I’d been without it and how much Imissedit. With James’s hand on the small of my back, and Mom’s White Diamonds perfume embracing me like a cloud of comfort, every bit of stress I’d felt over the last few months just… vanished.
Letting out a breath, I inhaled deeply and squeezed my mom a little tighter. I was here, in Vegas, surrounded by those closest to us. And at the end of it all, I’d be married to the man I loved.
I could put the supernatural stuff out of my mind for a while.
Mom sniffled and pulled back, combing her hands through my wild curls. “I can’t believe my baby boy is getting married.” She had tears in her eyes.
Heat rushed to my cheeks, and I scolded her mockingly. “Mom!” But James squeezed my side.
“Oh, please. Like you’re not eating up all of this attention.”
Hands still grasping Mom’s, I leaned back into my fiancé’s touch. “Mom, this is?—”
“James,” she finished for me, an ear-to-ear grin coming over her face. “I’ve heard a lot about you.”
“It’s wonderful to meet you, Mrs. Clark.”
“Don’t you dare start that ‘Mrs.’ nonsense—that’s foroldwomen.” Mom took my hand and peered at James over her shoulder as she turned in the direction of the table. “It’s Meredith to you.”
We followed Mom toward the table, where my dad sat bent over his phone. Mom slid into the booth next to him, and James and I took the other side. On the outside, James oozed confidence as he always did. However, when he found my hand under the table and gave it a tight squeeze, I found myself squirming at the pressure. Nerves pressed against the bond, and while Mom was distracted at pulling Dad away from his phone, I whispered in a voice only a vampire could hear, “Relax, baby. They’re going to love you.”
I had my mom’s hair, and her spirit, but the ocean blue eyes that tied me to Hannah were all from my dad. He used to joke that it was the only thing that proved I was his. A retired blue-collar worker, he was all tanned skin and calloused hands—hands that worked hard so my mom never had to. I admired him—I admired both of them. As much of a hellion as I was, I don’t think I turned out too terrible with their guidance.
