“Please tell my sister that she’s worrying for nothing.” Everleigh cast an imploring look at her husband. “She’s thinking about changing dresses because this one isn’t fancy enough.”
Marshall took in the white peasant bodice and full taffeta skirt of my dress. “I don’t see any reason for you to change. Your outfit has a Renaissance flair to it, which daywalkers will appreciate since many of us were alive during the sixteenth century.”
I glanced down at my dress, looking at it in a different light since my brother-in-law made an excellent point that I hadn’t considered. “Do you really think so?”
“Definitely.” Everleigh moved to his side, and he flung his arm around her shoulders. “You look beautiful.”
“Thank you.” I beamed a smile at him before my gaze darted toward the window at the end of the hallway. There wasn’t any snow on the ground yet, but the forecast earlier today had called for some, and the night looked crisp in the moonlight. “I think I’ll dress my outfit up a little more by using one of my more formal wraps since it looks cold out there.”
“Great idea,” Everleigh agreed with a nod.
Marshall brushed a kiss against her temple before suggesting, “You should bring a wrap, too. I don’t want you to get chilled.”
My sister shivered, but it had nothing to do with being cold. Her eyes darkened to a deep purple as she looked up at her husband and murmured, “I’m sure you can come up with some creative and satisfying ways to keep me warm.”
“Mmm, you know damn well I will.” He lowered his head to capture her lips in a deep kiss.
Taking that as my cue to make myself scarce before they were lost to their passion and forgot I was in the hallway with them—something that had happened more times than I wanted to count over the past two years—I twirled around and headed back to my room to grab a wrap. When I made it to my doorway, my sister whispered, “Oops,” before calling out, “Sorry.”
“No worries,” I reassured her as I flashed her a smile over my shoulder. “But if you two are going to disappear into your bedroom, you better be quick, or else we’re going to be late for the party. I don’t want to miss the spread they put out, and they’re serving dinner at five.”
Marshall pulled a timepiece out of his pocket and glanced down at it. “Sadly, your sister is right. We don’t have much time before the party begins.”
“Fine, I guess I’ll take a rain check for later,” Everleigh huffed as she stepped out of his embrace. “I’ll go grab a wrap, and then we can head over there. Do you want to drive or teleport?”
This was another big change in my life since I’d found out about vampires. Although Marshall owned a fleet of cars and a private jet, he usually traveled using teleportation. I preferred to drive since teleporting left me feeling dizzy, but my sister assured me that would change after I was claimed and made the change into a daywalker myself.
Everleigh quirked a brow at me instead of answering. “It’s your call.”
The Bancrofts lived one town over from us, so it was only a ten-minute drive to Stephan and Bronwyn’s house. Driving over was the logical choice, but for some reason, I found myself saying, “Let’s teleport tonight.”
“Yay, we’ll be there in no time,” my sister cheered as she did an adorable little dance and grinned.
Marshall nudged her toward their room. “Now that we have an extra ten minutes, I think I should help you pick out the perfect stole to use tonight.”
I laughed softly and shook my head as I headed toward my closet to retrieve a champagne-colored satin wrap that would look great with my outfit and dress it up a little. Then I wandered over to my vanity to touch up my makeup and hair since I had extra time with my brother-in-law “helping” my sister in the bedroom.
It wasn’t until I was dabbing a bit of gloss over my lipstick that I heard their voices in the hall again. Closing my eyes for a moment as I let out a deep breath, I whispered, “Three years isn’t long compared to how long daywalkers wait to find their consort, but a Christmas miracle would be much appreciated.”
2
Liam
“For fuck’s sake, Liam,” my younger brother by three years, Braeden, grunted. “It’s just family. I think you can remove the gloves.”
Jareth, who was ten years older than me, smacked Braeden on the back of the head. “Leave him alone. Or we’re going to start in on you and the rooms in your house that are growing old and dusty because you refuse to let anyone go in there.”
“Low blow, brother,” Braeden mumbled.
“Seriously, though,” Jareth said, turning to me. “They do make you look like a bit of a dandy.”
“With all that reading you do in that big publishing company you own,” I drawled, “I would think you’d have modernized your insults.”
Our youngest brother, who was seven years younger than Braeden, rolled his eyes. “How am I the youngest yet the most mature?”
“How are you the youngest and the most uptight?” Braeden gibed, but his attention was stolen when a bell rang, announcing dinner. He was gone before I could finish a blink. Ren followed at a measured pace, ever the studious, respectable gentleman.
I took a step to follow but paused when I felt Jareth’s hand on my arm. “You know we tease because we love you,” he said with a grin.
“Yeah. I know that. Until you decide to pour an entire shaker of salt in my blood before it was delivered. I question your brotherly love a little at those times.” I started walking toward the dining room again.
Jareth laughed. “Eternity is a long time, brother. What kind of life would that be without a little fun?”
“Payback’s a bitch.”
“Liam.” His voice went serious, and it brought me to a quick halt, worried something was wrong with him.
“What is it?”
“It’s been over five hundred years. Don’t you think it might be time to at least question whether she really was your consort?”
“No,” I stated emphatically before striding into an opulent room with several round tables that were quickly filling up with guests.
I spotted Marshall, my old friend from university, and assumed the pretty brunette he was making eyes at was his relatively new consort I hadn’t yet met. He saw me and lifted his chin in greeting, then gestured to one of the two empty seats at his table.
Nodding, I headed that way, but as I passed my cousin Athan and his wife, Selene, I scowled playfully. “I don’t recall Marshall joining the family.”
Selene looked a little guilty while Athan and his brother Stephan, who had just walked up in time to hear my complaint, both grinned and shrugged.
“Liam,” Marshall called out jovially when I arrived. He jumped up, and we gave each other a man-hug before he turned and gestured to the petite, violet-eyed daywalker sitting next to him. “This is my Everleigh. My love, this is my old chum, Liam.”
“Nice to meet you,” she said with a sweet smile.
“You as well. And congratulations,” I told both of them. “I’m sorry I haven’t had a chance to meet you and celebrate your mating before now. My work keeps me busy.”
“I understand.” Marshall sat back down, and I started to sit on Everleigh’s other side since the only two open chairs were there.
“Oh, would you mind scooting down one? My sister is with us. She just ran to use the restroom.”
“Shouldn’t you be saving this seat for her husband?” I asked, concerned that some jealous, possessive daywalker was going to go for my throat when he saw me sitting next to his consort.
Marshall and Everleigh laughed, then he shook his head. “Amaia isn’t mated. Though she is destined to be a consort.”
Everleigh’s face brightened, and she sat up straighter. “Maybe you and—”
“No, my love, leave it alone,” Marshall requested softly. He was well aware of my history, and I appreciated him stepping in. However, my cousins...those men I was going to beat the shit out of.
Learning about
this Amaia’s presence had me glancing around the room and spotting a whole lot of faces I didn’t recognize who all bore the mark of an unmated consort. Oh, yes. Definitely going to kill my cousins.
“Oh, hello.”
A beautiful voice tinkled in my ear like a bell, and I turned my head to discover the source of the enchanting sound. I was completely stunned by the beauty taking the seat next to me.
A man didn’t have to have working sex organs or a libido to appreciate the breathtaking woman beside me. She reminded me of the paintings in museums that you could stare at for hours.
She was average height, with long, silky brown hair that fell over bare shoulders and onto the pretty white peasant blouse she wore with a long taffeta skirt. It was a lovely ensemble, especially because it was unique, like her. And it enhanced her very curvy assets.
Her face was oval-shaped with a delicate mouth, a slightly upturned nose, and the most incredible violet eyes I’d ever seen in my entire lifetime.
“You’re exquisite,” I blurted.
The beauty blushed and smiled at me. “Thank you.” Her eyes roamed my face, then dropped to my hands resting on the table, and they lost a little bit of their sparkle.
I was used to this reaction, of course, but it bothered me a little more than usual this time.
Marshall introduced her as his sister-in-law, Amaia. I nodded in greeting and went back to looking around the room, avoiding the woman seated next to me.
When dinner was served, my manners kicked in because you couldn’t be as old as I was, living through the eras I did, without having them carved into your brain. So I removed my gloves and set them next to my plate.
“How’s business?” Marshall asked.
“Great. We developed two new recipes to roll out this year, and I’m confident they’re going to be bestsellers.”
“Recipes?” The question came from Amaia and—again, manners—I looked at her to answer her question.
“I own a company that develops, produces, and distributes high-end whiskey.”
“Really?” Her face lit up, and I was taken aback by the genuine interest I saw in her expression. “I’m a bartender at The Old Haunt, and they’ve converted me to a whiskey fan. The owner is brilliant, and he’s been teaching me all about the process and how to choose the best ones. It’s fascinating. I missed their event last year, but I made sure I’ll be able to come this year. I heard the winning bottle was unbelievable.”
I didn’t know if she realized she was rambling, but I thought it was enchanting, so I just kept listening. Also, I’d never met a woman so passionate about what I did for a living.
“It was a single malt. I’m trying to remember the name of the company. You’d probably recognize it.” She turned to her brother-in-law, who was grinning, his eyes dancing with mirth. “Do you remember?”
“Bancroft Barrels and Tap,” he answered before shoving a bite of food in his mouth to keep from laughing.
“Right! Bancroft—oh…” Recognition slowly dawned on her face, and I couldn’t help it. I burst into laughter.
“You must think I’m such an idiot.” She sighed, her cheeks flushing bright crimson.
“Enchanting,” I responded through my chuckles.
She gave me a half-smile and reached for her drink but accidentally knocked it over, spilling the dark liquid on her skirt. “Oh, good heavens!” she exclaimed as she shoved away from the table.
“Are you alright?” I asked as she stood up and used a napkin to dab at the wet spots.
“Yes, thank you. I think I’ll go to the ladies’ room and see if I can keep it from staining.” She chuckled and shook her head. “And maybe wash off my mortification while I’m at it.”
Standing, I pulled her seat back to give her more room to move since her skirt was so voluminous. She smiled and started to scoot out, but I must have accidentally stepped on the hem of her dress because as she took her next step, she lost her balance and began to fall backward toward me. I quickly put my hands on her shoulders to help steady her and…
The world exploded in shades of purple while white-hot streaks of desire raced through me, down to my cock, which had instantly hardened.
Amaia turned her head, her violet eyes wide with shock. “Mine,” I growled before I sealed my lips over hers, groaning at the amazing flavor that burst on my tongue. She tasted like sugar and sunshine, and I vowed to figure out a way to bottle it into a whiskey someday.
But definitely not today.
Right now, I was going to bury myself in my enchanting consort and thank fate profusely for not only giving me a mate to spend my eternity with but also one so lovely and amazing as Amaia.
Without breaking our kiss, I rotated her body to face mine, then I swept her up into my arms, and we were gone in a heartbeat.
3
Amaia
Liam brought us to a luxurious bedroom, presumably in his home. I wasn’t sure if my dizziness was due to teleporting or being in his arms, but I wasn’t as bothered by it as I usually would be. A little lightheadedness was a small price to pay for finally finding the daywalker who was meant to be mine.
And what a man Liam was. I’d known he was a Bancroft before Marshall introduced us. The brown hair, bright blue eyes, and pale skin were a dead giveaway, although he was much more attractive than his cousins. While we’d been waiting for dinner to be served, his body language had made it painfully clear that he wasn’t interested in small talk with me. I tried to honor his wishes, but it had been difficult to keep my focus off him while speaking with Everleigh and Marshall. My gaze kept straying in his direction as I took in his strong jawline, masculine features, and broad shoulders.
I’d never felt desire for a man, but I had felt drawn to Liam from the moment I approached the table. The pull between destined consorts was stronger than I expected...and so was the passion.
Twining my arms around his neck, I felt my heart race in my chest as he strode toward the king-sized bed. I didn’t let go when he laid me on the navy-blue duvet, pulling him down with me. His body crashed on top of mine, and he stared down at me, his lips curving into a smug grin. “I take it that it’s safe to assume you’re feeling as impatient as I am?”
“Impatient doesn’t even begin to cover how I’m feeling.” I shifted my hands to cup his cheeks with my palms. “How is it possible that I’ve been going to events hosted by your cousins for three years, and tonight is the first time we met?”
A pained expression crossed his face but was quickly replaced by determination. “You have no idea how much I regret skipping parties where you were in attendance. I’m sorry I made you wait so long, my darling. I’ll spend every day for the rest of our very long lives making it up to you.”
“It isn’t your fault, silly.” I lifted up to brush my lips against his in a gesture of comfort. “Especially when you had to wait much longer than me. A few years is nothing compared to the decades or centuries you must have spent wondering if you’d ever find me.”
I could’ve sworn I saw a hint of guilt in his eyes before he squeezed them shut and dropped his forehead against mine. I assumed he still felt bad about the missed opportunities, but he captured my mouth in a deep kiss before I could convince him there was no reason to feel guilty. Instead, I lost myself to the feel of his lips moving over mine. When his tongue swept inside, I let out a little gasp and pressed my body closer to his. By the time he lifted his head, I was breathless and writhing in need.
“Wow,” I panted, pressing my thighs together to relieve the unfamiliar ache between my legs.
Liam’s blue eyes burned with desire as he murmured, “Incredible.”
I wiggled beneath him and whispered, “Just think, we’ve barely gotten started.”
“Thank fuck you wore this dress.” His hand drifted down my side to fist in the taffeta of my skirt. “If you hadn’t tripped over the material, I never would have gotten to experience this.”
“Impossible.” I shook my head and smiled up at h
im. “Fate would have found another way to bring us together. I have no doubt that we would’ve met at another party or maybe even at The Old Haunt’s whiskey event this year.”
My cheeks filled with heat as I remembered how I’d babbled about that bottle my boss had given away as the prize last year. Liam had made me so nervous, and I’d been embarrassed to discover the whiskey I’d been raving about was one he’d provided. But now I took comfort in the knowledge that our shared appreciation of whiskey might have been the thing to unite us if we hadn’t met tonight. I couldn’t help but think that my job at The Old Haunt was destiny giving us a nudge in the right direction.
“Hmm, maybe.” Liam lifted the hem of my dress until I felt the cool air against my thighs. Goose bumps popped up as his thumb stroked against my skin. “But I’m still tempted to frame this skirt and get you several exactly like it so you can wear them to celebrate each of our anniversaries.”
“You won’t get any arguments from me. This is one of my favorite outfits.” Even as I agreed, my flush deepened. His suggestion made me think about a historical romance I’d read where the hero had hung the sheets from the rafters of his castle so everyone could see the proof of his wife’s innocence. If my skirt stayed beneath me, framing it would basically end up being the same thing.
“Then I better do my best not to rip the material as I strip the clothes off your gorgeous body,” Liam rasped as his fingers inched up my thigh.
I dug my nails into his shoulders and shook my head. “I would happily sacrifice every single piece of clothing I own for just one more kiss from you.”
“You don’t need to give anything up for me. You can have as many kisses as you want. They’re all yours,” he offered as his lips crashed against mine again.
My need for him grew, and I whimpered into his mouth. The chemistry between us exploded, and I tugged at Liam’s tuxedo jacket. “Take this off. Please. I need to be skin to skin.”
“Fuck, yeah,” he growled, rising to his knees to shuck off his jacket, bow tie, and shirt. While he worked on his belt, I sat up and tugged my sleeves down my arms to allow the bodice of my dress to fall to my waist. His gaze stayed glued on my breasts, encased in a lacy white bra, as he shoved his pants down his legs, leaving him in only his boxer briefs. His hard length pressed against the dark fabric, and I licked my lips when I saw the damp spot at the tip.
A Touch of Moonlight Page 2
