“Looks like we’ve got a voyeur on our hands too,” he chuckled, chest vibrating against my back. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
“Hey! Kinky fuckers!”
Fucking Raleigh.
Luke and Gabriel vanished at his cry, even though it hadn’t been directed at them.
I leaned my forehead against the tree and tried to calm myself. “What do you want, Raleigh?”
“Aw, I’m sorry. Did I ruin your orgasm?” I turned to glare at him, and he laughed. “It’s time for your grand entrance.”
James extended his hand, and best friend forgotten, I happily took it and let him lead us into the reception area.
As I’d been promised, we entered to a Luke Combs song. Shi appeared with a signature strawberry espresso martini in each hand, and James and I wound our arms together to chug the cocktails. The glasses disappeared, and James brushed a drop of espresso foam from my lips and sucked it into his mouth. Yeah, we’d made a good decision.
“If everyone could quiet down, please!” the DJ announced, the music fading into something slower. “It’s Luke Combs time.”
As “Five Leave Clover” played over the speakers, heat rushing to my cheeks, I let James pull me close. One arm wrapped around my waist, and he took my left hand in his while my right landed on his shoulder.
“It’s funny to think that you didn’t know who Luke Combs was a couple years ago.”
My vampire leaned in, brushing his nose against mine. “And I don’t know how I ever survived without him—or withoutyou.”
“I love you, James Campbell-Clark.” The words rolled off my lips before I could stop them, not that I wanted to. I couldn’t fathom the idea of not loving the man in front of me.
Audience be damned, I moved closer to James. Ineededto be closer. Attached at the hip wasn’t enough.
“Easy, Ryder,” James said.
His hand flexed on my lower back and I shuddered. “How soon can we get out of here?”
He laughed. “I never thought you’d give up being the center of attention.”
“Ah, you seem to have forgotten my favorite pastime.”
“Sex?”
I reared my head back. “You, vampire.” The cheeky grin on his face made the jab worth it. I leaned in for another kiss. “Now say it back.”
“I love you too,” he said against my lips, “Ryder Campbell-Clark.”
Our mouths met with the fading of the music, and the cheers started up once more. I groaned, remembering that we were surrounded by our closest family and friends—which meant that I couldn’t ravish James in the way I craved.
“They’re interrupting my Luke Combs time,” I mock-complained.
“Let’s get through dinner,” he said. “And I’ll get you out of here.”
Chapter 29
Jamesand I crept down the hallway, snickering like teenagers and checking over our shoulders to make sure that no one had caught onto us. I swayed, tipsy, but the cocktails that Angel and Shi had been slinging all night had nothing to do with the giddy feeling fluttering in my stomach.
With James’s hand in mine, I thumbed the ring on his finger, the one I’d replaced just hours ago. It was the same ring I’d given to him after we got engaged, but somehow this felt different.
My ring, the silver one with the thin sapphire band, sat a little easier on my hand—especially knowing that soon, it would have more than one meaning. James had explained it to me over dinner, when all eyes were on Kian and Hannah sharing their first dance.
“It’s Elizabeth’s sapphire.”
“What?”
