“You said black tie.”
“Mmhm.” The man was smirking.
“Well, unless you want me to wear work pants and—” Wait. “My dress?”
“Surprise.”
Claire stared past him as if she might glimpse it from here.
He said, “Why do you think I wanted you to come over early?”
“I assumed it was so we could make out.”
Laughing again, his eyes glinting with satisfaction, he led her to his study. “You can change in here and do your makeup in the hall bathroom.”
“Works for me,” she said, or began to say, because just then it came into view, its hanger hooked over the open library door. Her dress.
Claire shifted her garment and accessory bags to one arm and reached out to touch it. It was the same dress in almost every way. The folds of crepe skirt, the bunched taffeta flower on one shoulder. Only one difference—this dress was purple. Gloriously purple. Royal purple.
“This is the color it should have been in the first place,” she said.
Behind her, Tai let out a huff of breath.
Claire turned to face him. “What? Didn’t I say ‘err on the side of purple’?”
“Well, there’s that, and there’s”—he gestured to the dress—“this.”
“It’s gorgeous, Tai. It’s exactly right.”
A smile spread over his face, all the way up to crinkle around his eyes. Claire stepped in close and kissed him, her armful of dress pinned between them. After a few moments, Tai drew back.
“I’ll let you get ready.”
“I have an hour and a half to put on a dress and some makeup.”
“Well, yeah, but—”
“I’m an efficient dresser, in case you didn’t know. We can spend at least half that time doing more important things.”
The next thing she knew, her arms were empty. Tai had draped her garment bag over the back of the chair, plopped the accessory bag and shoes onto the seat, and returned to her all within the space of a human heartbeat. He wrapped his arms around her and fused his lips to hers. Claire twined her arms around his neck and reveled in their closeness. Nothing filled the space between them now. No secrets, no fears. She never wanted to let him go. He swept kisses over her jawline, and Claire gripped his sides as her knees weakened. His skin was always cooler than hers.
“Tai,” she said as his lips moved…down her neck.
She shifted in his arms to capture his mouth with hers, and the kiss intensified, became almost frantic with their mutual need to be closer. They backed into a corner of the den until his back hit the wall, and still Claire wasn’t close enough. When hislips moved from her jaw to her neck for the second time, her body began to tremble with her need…for the ultimate closeness between vampires.
“Yes,” she said before he had to ask.
“Now,” he said.
“Tai, yes. I’m ready.”
“I’m ready too.” He pressed his mouth to hers again, and the delay made her drag the pads of her fingers down his bare chest in frustration. He gave a low laugh against her mouth. “Now?”
“Do I have to sayyesagain?”
Tai turned his head into the crook of her shoulder. He pressed his lips there for a long moment, and then his lips pulled back, and he sank his teeth.
A galaxy exploded behind her eyes. She felt the light suction as he sipped from her, and her knees gave out, and Tai caught and supported her, his teeth never slipping. His heart beat once, and hers beat in the same moment. Then it happened again. He lifted his head and met her eyes, and his were shining with pure awe.
