“Because you’re becoming a human?” I asked with wide, hopeful eyes.
He took my hand and squeezed it. That warm feeling coursed through me. “I don’t know yet what’s happening, but I don’t want to think about it on our wedding night.”
I felt as though Lucian was keeping something from me.
Once inside our wedding suite, he took his time undressing me until I was standing in nothing but a white slip. He shrugged his jacket from his arms and frantically kicked off his shoes.
“God, she is beautiful.”
I couldn’t tell if he was talking to me or directly to God. It didn’t matter. I loosened his tie and began unbuttoning his shirt. He kissed a path down the center of my chest and took my nipple into his mouth through the slip, sucking on the silk and skin and making me crazy.
“Lucian, come up here, let me undress you.”
“Not yet,” he mumbled.
He dropped to his knees and pushed the silk slip up my thighs and began kissing me down below. I was losing my ability to stand. Bracing the back of my legs, he kissed his way up my body.
“I want you now,” I told him.
“Patience, Evey.” He pulled the slip up over my head as he rose to his feet. Running a smooth index finger down the side of my breast, he shook his head and said, “I can’t believe I get to have you this way.”
I continued unbuttoning his shirt before undoing his belt and pushing his slacks down his thin hips. With a little finesse, I forced his boxer briefs down. We stood there, staring at each other, bold… unwavering. It wasn’t a dream anymore. We were still and naked, like winter trees. His eyes scanned me slowly, his chest pumping in and out, then instinctively, I jumped into his arms, straddling his waist. We were frantic then. He pushed me against the wall, moving inside me while his mouth was on my neck, sucking and tugging at my skin. I kept my hands tangled in his hair as our breaths got heavier and heavier.
“I can’t slow down, Evey,” he said.
“Don’t stop, Lucian.”
I could feel him trying to get a grip, so human, so uncontrolled. He moved us to the bed and took a step back, then for a moment, we were apart. He climbed up and was inside of me again, moving slower this time with his calculated grace.
“I’ve always loved you,” he said as he kissed my ear.
I could not form words. He pulled my hands above my head. I watched the flexing muscles in his abdomen as he moved inside me. I was lost in his eyes, this being who had watched over me, protected me, taught me things, cared for me, comforted me, loved me. Now he was making love to me, and he was the only one who could do it—who could make true, perfect love this way.
Closing my eyes from the tingles bursting through my body and between my legs, I arched my back as his thrusts became harder.
“Open your eyes, Evelyn. Let me look at you.”
The moment I did, I felt our release everywhere. He collapsed on me, sweating, smelling perfectly male, and breathing with such pleasure and contentment. We stayed connected for a long time.
“I want to sleep tonight, like a normal person.” Lucian had been sleeping occasionally, but not at all like a human.
“Then sleep.” I stroked his hair.
His breathing evened out, and before long, I felt myself dozing off right alongside with him.
“Lucian,” I said, just before we were about to fall asleep.
“Yes, my sweet wife.”
“What’s my last name?”
He let out a tired laugh. “I don’t know. I guess we can make one up.”
“How about we take mine?”
“Deal.”
“My parents will wonder why,” I said groggily. “But who cares?”
