"It's not really what you want, though, is it?" I murmured.
"No. I've already made it clear to my uncle my involvement is temporary. He's going to have to either sell his business or find someone else to take over when he's ready to hang up his hat for good."
"What is it you'd rather do long-term? After medical school?"
He gave a self-deprecating laugh. "Well . . . I know this may sound a little farfetched for a creature who has to restrict himself to working after dusk, but I'm toying with the idea of opening and operating my own surgical center."
"I think it's a marvelous idea and not farfetched at all!" I exclaimed. "Come on. People under general anesthesia could care less if it's day or night. Only that their surgeon's hands are skilled and he gets the job done."
"Well, there's a bit more to it than that, but I appreciate your enthusiasm for one of my biggest aspirations."
There was a remarkable change in him when he discussed his dream of opening a surgical center. He seemed much happier
"You could turn down your uncle, you know," I suggested gently. "You don't really have to do this for him if you don't want to. Surely, he could find someone else to fill in for him short term."
He gave a short, mirthless laugh. "It's a family business."
A business I still knew very little about. I knew he and his uncle were involved in shipping, but I had no idea what they shipped or where or to whom. "You say that like you have no choice."
"It's complicated."
Heart twisting in my chest, I hugged him and brushed my lips against his. "Family affairs always are." I sought for something encouraging to say. "Your uncle obviously has a lot of confidence in you to place his organization in your hands during his absence."
"He knows I can handle it," Stellan replied bleakly. "He trained me himself."
"Bax would have a stroke," I admitted ruefully, "if I tried to follow in his footsteps."
"No military service for you, eh?"
"He doesn't want me involved in anything remotely connected to his career. Period. Says intelligence work is far too dangerous."
"Intelligence?" Stellan stiffened. "I believe this is the first time we've discussed your father's actual line of work."
"You never asked." I smiled sadly. "You only wanted to know if I was old enough to drink beer and kiss."
He muttered something under his breath that sounded like a curse.
That night, he purchased an Irish caged heart ring with our two birthstones embedded in it. Emerald for mine and turquoise for his. He placed it on my ring finger.
"It's a promise ring. Think you could wear this for me until I return, love?"
"I'll wear it every day," I assured breathlessly. "It's beautiful." I held up my hand to admire the twist of Celtic symbols around the band. The emerald and turquoise gems winked at me in the candlelight. I could hardly believe it. Stellan had actually given me a promise ring. What a perfect souvenir to take home from my birthday trip!
"I'd like to ask you a very different question when I get back." He picked me up and deposited me on the wide stone windowsill of our third story castle suite.
My heart pounded at his reference to his coming marriage proposal. Bax would probably freak when he found out I was engaged at such a young age, but it would make no difference in my decision. My love for Stellan was the forever kind. Maybe it would mollify my father's concerns if we held off getting married until after I graduated from college.
Normally I was terrified of heights, but because Stellan's hands were resting on my waist, I dared to lean out and gaze down at the courtyard below.
His grip tightened on me. "Forgive me if I seem like I'm rushing things, but I waited more than a hundred years to fall in love. Sometimes I have to remind myself you're only eighteen."
"You want to marry me." I turned to him and placed my ring hand over his heart.
"Yes." He covered my hand with his. "Does that scare you?"
"You know me better than anyone," I reminded quietly. "All my secrets, all my fears, all my dreams. So tell me. Do I look scared to you?" I held nothing back when our gazes met. If such a thing is truly possible, my heart was in my eyes, bared to my very soul — all of which belonged to him.
"Grace!" He crushed his mouth to mine. He carried me to bed afterwards. He had no need for sleep, so he had given me the bed every night of our trip so far. Not tonight. He rolled me in a blanket so his cool skin wouldn't chill me and kissed and nuzzled his way over my lips, nose, cheeks, ears, and neck for hours.
The next morning, I slept in and woke to the scent of bacon. A tray of bacon, eggs, hash browns, and toast was perched on a tray table next to me.
"Wow! What a feast!" I was famished after staying up so late. Though blushing madly at the rumpled sheets and blankets surrounding me, I rolled to my tummy to accept the first bite of eggs and bacon Stellan fed me.
He lounged in an old lion claw chair next to the large four-poster bed. His dark hair was tousled and dripping from his shower. My mouth went dry at the sight of his unsnapped jeans, and I hastily elevated my gaze.
"Strawberry," he announced, kissing the berry and popping it in my mouth. It tasted tantalizingly sweet and tangy.
I smiled my appreciation. "It's very good."
"I don't ever want this to end, Grace." He leaned forward suddenly in his chair, a stormy expression clouding his eyes.
I reached for his hand. "Me neither. This has been the most amazing trip. I'll never forget it."
He pulled my hand to his lips. "Last night while you slept, I couldn't tear my eyes away from you. I'm having difficulty imagining going more than a few days without seeing you, much less the weeks my uncle's business will require."
"It's not the only thing we'll have to work around in order to keep seeing each other," I pointed out gently. "Don't forget I'll be heading to college in the states soon."
His gaze grew darker. "All too true. As I mentioned before, sometimes I have to be reminded I have an eighteen-year-old girlfriend."
"I could postpone starting college until next semester and sail with you." The suggestion burst from me, surprising me as much as it surprised him.
"You would really do that?" He sounded shocked.
"I would do anything for you," I informed him dreamily.
"Well, I won't let you. College is too important," he returned bluntly to my intense disappointment. "Besides, my uncle's business is plagued with problems. We've had to deal with pirates, terrorists, and even vandalism recently. I don't want to expose you to those sorts of things."
"You never mentioned what you do for your uncle is dangerous!" I lurched up and yanked one of the blankets around me.
"Hey! I'm a vampire, remember?" Stellan rose from his chair and joined me on the bed. "Most creatures are afraid of me, not the other way around."
I blinked away the start of a few anxious tears on his behalf. "The other day in the gift shop you said fire could destroy you. Last time I checked, terrorists are sort of fond of blowing things up."
"I should have never brought up such a dismal subject. Please forgive me."
"I won't. Not if any harm comes to you while you're gone." My voice trembled. I was growing genuinely distraught.
"What can I do to make you feel better? To assure you I will come back to you?" He tipped my chin up with one finger.
He'd already admitted he wanted to marry me. The only reason he wasn't rushing things was because of my age.
I met his gaze, sure it was what I wanted, what we both wanted. "Make me yours — totally yours — before you leave."
He reached for my shoulders and gripped them. "What are you saying, Grace?"
"Let's elope. Today."
Astonishment chased wariness across his features in a game of tag. "Think about what you would be giving up, love. I've been around long enough to understand how important a wedding ceremony is. It's a day you'll remember and cherish the rest of your life."
"I don't require any s
ort of fanfare to start a life with you."
"Maybe not, but don't you want Antjie to serve as your Maid of Honor and your father to walk you down the aisle? I don't want to deprive you of these things. Yes, I want to marry you. More than I want anything. But there's no reason to rush into it so quickly we skip a lot of important steps."
"We don't have to tell anyone. It'll be our secret until I graduate from college." None of this was premeditated, but already I was working out the wrinkles in my head. "Afterwards, we can throw the big church wedding, invite everyone we know, and have my father walk me down the aisle."
"If I were to even consider something so ludicrous and inadvisable — and I'm not saying that I am," he answered slowly. "My uncle has powerful contacts in Denmark. I could check with them about the possibilities of securing a marriage license. That is, if Antjie can cover for you another day or two."
"Our student council dubbed her Vice President Antjie Make-It-Happen Graf."
"Are you sure you're sure about this, love?" Cautious hope dawned across Stellan's pale features.
"Yes, my best wing lady will cover for us, and yes, I want to marry you. As soon as possible."
I still had no idea what kind of shipping Stellan's uncle was involved in, but apparently his nephew hadn't exaggerated their contacts in Denmark. Even though we were short some documents, Stellan managed to get the requirements waived. We said our vows before a foreign magistrate, and I became Mrs. Stellan Romolov.
Grace
Copenhagen, Denmark
Stellan secured us a suite for the night at a bed and breakfast in Copenhagen. I'm not sure how he pulled it off on such short notice, but our bedroom was alight with candles when he carried me over the threshold. The dresser was drenched in dozens of roses of all colors. A bucket of wine chilled on the table next to the bed, and a balcony overlooking the beach had the window sashes thrown wide to let in the night breezes and starlight.
"It's perfect!" I couldn't resist giving a twirl in the middle of the room. I was holding a spray of fresh flowers and wearing my white graduation dress, a simple sleeveless sheath that rested above the knees. I'm not sure why I packed it in the first place, but I was thrilled to have something white to wear to our hastily arranged wedding ceremony.
Stellan was wearing a white dress shirt and gray slacks. The moment he set me on my feet, he started untucking and unbuttoning them. He tossed his shirt to the floor first, and his sleeveless undershirt followed.
The sight of his bare chest riveted me. I'm not sure what I'd expected due to his vampire condition, but he was still very much a man. A well-sculpted, mouth-watering version of a man right down to the light sprinkling of dark hair that trailed down his torso. He took my breath away.
He shut the window and pulled the curtains closed. "Copenhagen isn't the most secluded getaway in the world." His tone was apologetic.
"It's perfect,' I repeated, stepping into his waiting arms. I rested my head against his cool chest, more shaken than usual to not be able to hear a beating heart beneath my ear. Maybe it underscored the fact I'd married a man who was less than human. Or more than human, depending on how you looked at it.
Bridal nerves, I told myself. That's all it is.
"Is it possible for us to be together as husband and wife tonight?" I asked softly. I still had so many questions about what he was and what his condition would mean for us, for our future.
"As human and vampire, you mean?" He slowly drew the zipper of my dress down my spine.
"Yes." I couldn't suppress a shiver. He and I had never gotten around to discussing certain things, to include the fact I was a virgin.
His hand froze on my zipper. "Having second thoughts, love?"
"No." I pivoted to face him. "I just need you to tell me what to expect. You know . . ." I blushed. "What's safe for us to do as opposed to what's not safe for us to do."
He stared down at me with a bemused and tender expression, while tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. "My body was designed to be a killing machine, love. Every moment you spend with me, you're in danger."
"You're being ridiculous." I cupped his cheek. "Don't forget I was with you when you vamped out over my blood."
His jaw clenched. "The risks you took that night still strike terror in me."
"You would never hurt me."
"I don't want to hurt you," he corrected fiercely. "Don't ever confuse that with the fact I remain very, very capable of it."
"So spell out the ground rules for me."
A ghost of a smile wafted across his lips. "We'll have to be very careful. Always." He resumed peeling my dress down my shoulders to reveal my lacy white lingerie. "You. Are. So. Beautiful, Mrs. Romolov." His touch was cherishing, his voice reverent, as he nipped a cool damp trail down my neck and throat and across my collarbone.
Careful sounded good to me. I was far too inexperienced for anything overly rambunctious.
"About those ground rules." He sounded slightly embarrassed. "I probably should have asked before now. Are you on any sort of birth control?"
I nodded. I'd been on birth control pills for more than a year to control some irregular bleeding following my mother's death.
"Good. It's safer that way. External measures like condoms are ah . . . less reliable on vampires."
I think my whole body blushed.
He chuckled knowingly and unclasped the front of my bra. "You're shy. You don't need to be, Grace. Not with me."
Easy for him to say. He had more than a hundred years of experience under his belt. I had none. I let him take the lead in undressing me and carrying me to bed. He said we needed to be careful and seemed to know what that meant. I waited for him to show me.
He took his time, treating me with the same gentle deference he always had, except this time there were no bunched up sheets or blankets between us. And this time, he didn't limit his kissing to the area above my neck.
When his cool lips ventured below my neck for the first time, I though I would come off the bed with pleasure. When his mouth grazed the tops of my breasts, I did.
I gasped and fisted my hands in his hair. He tipped his head back, groaning softly. I heard the soft clicking sound of his fangs extending.
"This is the part where we need to be very careful," he warned in a voice rough with need. "Are you sure you're ready for this, Grace? I can limit our lovemaking to holding and kissing tonight if you'd rather. Even though we're married, there's no reason to rush anything. We have the rest of our lives to enjoy each other."
Unless something bad happened to him while he ran his uncle's dangerous shipping firm over the next several weeks. I forced the thought out of my mind. "Are you worried about biting me?" I wanted to understand the extent of his fears.
"Of hurting you," he corrected. "I can bite you without hurting you. I can even drink small amounts of your blood without hurting you."
"Does that mean you can bite me without turning me?" I'll admit the very notion excited me. I wanted to know what it was like to be with Stellan, my husband the vampire, in every sense.
"Yes, so long as I don't inject you with my poison. The concept is similar to only inhaling, not exhaling."
"Then I want to try it." I arched my back to expose my neck to him. "I want to explore everything that's possible between us."
"You have no idea what you're offering, love. One wrong move, and . . ." He shuddered.
"Then we better get it right." I trailed my fingers down his cool chest. Until this point, he'd been resting on his forearms, protecting me from the bulk of his weight.
He peered anxiously down at me. "This is your last chance to push me away."
I trailed my fingers further down his torso. His face contorted with pleasure in the candlelight. Or pain. I think it was pleasure, though.
"Your touch," he rasped. "Your heat. It's almost more than I can bear."
"Then stop holding back," I whispered. "Make me yours, Stellan. All yours."
"Okay, love. Try no
t to make any sudden moves." He grazed my neck a few times with his fangs before allowing them to penetrate. At the exact same time, he settled himself between my thighs and thrust.
I couldn't help lurching beneath him and crying out.
"Dear God, Grace!" He raised his head. "You've never—"
"You're my first," I confirmed shakily. "My only." A few overwrought tears leaked from my eyes. So much was happening so quickly.
He rested his forehead against mine. "Oh, love! I had no idea. I should have, though. It makes sense. It's exactly the kind of person you are." He gave a strangled chuckle. "Best wedding gift ever."
I could hear his fangs retract and hoped it didn't mean he was stopping.
"You're welcome." As soon as it was safe, I pressed my mouth to his in what turned out to be a drugging kiss for both of us.
While we kissed, he reached between us and his hands were like magic, stirring the most incredible storm of sensations I'd ever experienced.
An overwhelming pressure coiled and built. I dug my fingers in his shoulders, no longer able to bear it. He muffled my scream with a kiss as wave after wave of euphoric pleasure crested and burst over me.
His hand continued to work its magic, making it go on and on. Afterwards, I collapsed limply on the sheets. He gave one last heaving thrust and groaned into the pillow next to my head. What I didn't realize was that was just the beginning for him.
At one point, he reached wildly for the headboard and squeezed until I heard the wood crack. Next, the lamp went crashing off the nightstand. His fangs ripped through the pillow and then the mattress.
My name tore from his lips again and again until at last he was spent. Then he rolled to his side and cradled me tenderly against him.
"Please assure me you're okay, love," he begged anxiously.
I was too dazed to form many coherent thoughts. I was pretty sore, too, and utterly exhausted, as if I'd run a thousand marathons back-to-back. All I could do was nod against his chest. I was already drifting away into much-needed sleep.
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