living covenant 03 - eternal covenant

by Amanda M. Lee

  Aric flicked the spot between her eyebrows and shot her a warning look. “This is serious,” he said. “Zoe needs to be kept hidden when at all possible. Pemberley looks like the kind of guy who never met a secret he didn’t want to spill.”

  “I’ve got it,” Kelsey said, jerking away from him and ruefully rubbing the tender bit of skin above her nose. “I kept Zoe’s secret for a long time – including some of the time when you were gone.”

  Aric frowned. He hated being reminded of our year apart. “I know that,” he said. “You should know that I won’t risk her for anything, though. Just … it was a stray dog. Everyone got it?”

  “We’re not idiots,” Paris said. “We’ve got it.”

  “We’ll see,” Aric muttered, grabbing my hand and dragging me back toward the house. “Don’t worry about it,” he called out. “It was just a dog. I think it belongs to our neighbors down the way. It got scared and took off.”

  Helen and Mom didn’t believe Aric for a second, but they wisely kept their worry – and questions – to themselves for the time being.

  “I hope the poor thing finds his way home,” Helen said. “I hate it when people don’t take care of their animals.”

  “I hate it, too,” Aric said, pushing me up the stairs. “It’s fine, though. No one was bitten.”

  Pemberley didn’t look convinced when we joined him on the deck. “That was not a dog,” he huffed. “That was a wolf.”

  “It was a dog,” Aric said, keeping his temper in check. “Not all dogs are tiny and can be carried around in purses. This was just a big dog, plain and simple.”

  “Are you insinuating that I carry a little dog around in a purse?” Pemberley asked, narrowing his eyes. “That’s very judgmental.”

  “I’m sorry,” Aric said, his face slackening. “I … .” Aric doesn’t go out of his way to hurt people’s feelings – that’s my job – so I knew he felt bad about embracing a stereotype.

  “My chihuahua happens to be big for her size and she has a leather carrying case, not a purse,” Pemberley said, crossing his arms over his chest. “Princess Diana is not a stereotype.”

  I pressed my lips together to keep from laughing as Aric glanced at me for help.

  “I’m sorry,” Aric said finally. “That was a horrible thing to say. I guess I’m still … worked up … about the stray dog.”

  “I understand that,” Pemberley said, instantly forgiving Aric. I had a feeling Aric’s muscles and chiseled good looks had something to do with that. “Let’s go inside. The food is here and I’m dying to put something in that handsome mouth of yours.”

  Aric took an involuntary step back, slamming into me as he looked for the closest exit.

  “Don’t even think about it,” I warned, swallowing the gales of hysterical laughter that threatened to escape. “This is our wedding and we have to pick this stuff out together.”

  “I think I’m going to find my father and your father and take them golfing,” Aric said, his tone even as his eyes darted in eight different directions. “I trust you to make food decisions.”

  “I will place a moratorium on sex if you abandon me,” I threatened.

  For a moment Aric looked as if that was something he was willing to accept in order to guarantee his escape.

  “Aric,” I hissed. “You can’t leave me here to do this without you.” I locked gazes with Pemberley as he stood next to the sliding glass doors. “I will do something awful to you if you leave me.”

  “You heard him,” Aric argued. “He wants to put something in my mouth.”

  “I don’t think it’s what you think it is.”

  “Really?” Aric cocked a dubious eyebrow. “Are you saying that man does not have a crush on me?”

  “Someone is feeling pretty good about himself,” I said, licking my lips. “You have to stay. Your mother is half of the reason everything is getting away from us. If you leave me here … .”

  “No sex, I’ve got it,” Aric muttered. “Have you considered maybe we should go on an abstinence kick so the wedding night will be really great?”

  I narrowed my eyes. “No. Have you considered that I need you to stay with me?”

  Aric shifted from one foot to the other, his eyes serious as they scanned the assembled faces. “Why do you need me? Are you afraid of the wolf coming back?”

  “Of course not,” I scoffed. “I can handle a wolf. I can handle ten wolves. I cannot handle two mothers, though. We both know I can’t handle one.”

  “Zoe, I don’t want Pemberley to put something in my mouth,” Aric whined. “If you make me do this, I’m going to be really upset.”

  “If you don’t do this, I’m going to be really upset,” I countered. “We’re supposed to be doing things as a couple. That’s what marriage is about, right? If you abandon me you’re basically saying you’re not ready for marriage.”

  “That is cheap and low,” Aric said, extending a finger and wagging it in my face. “You’ll say anything to get me to stay. Admit it.”

  “I will admit it,” I said. “I need you to stay. I need you.”

  Aric blew out a frustrated sigh and ran a hand through his hair. “You know exactly where to go to get me to do what you want,” he complained. “It’s beyond annoying.”

  “I love you, too.”

  “If he tries to stick something in my mouth … .”

  I cut him off. “I’ll stick my foot up his ass,” I finished. “Will that make you happy?”

  “There’s very little about this afternoon that’s going to make me happy,” Aric said. “Watching you beat Pemberley might do it, though.”

  “I’m happy to be of assistance.”

  “We’ll see if you’re still saying that tonight when I punish you,” Aric muttered, although he fell into step next to me. “If he touches me, I’m going to punch him and run.”

  “That sounds fun, too.”

  “OKAY, this is a wonderful salmon dish,” Pemberley said, dishing the pink meat onto my plate. “This is simple yet classy.”

  I wrinkled my nose. “I don’t like fish.”

  “Your mothers told me that seafood was to be considered,” Pemberley instructed, waving the plate in my face. “Try it. You might find you like something new if you give it a chance.”

  “I don’t like fish,” I repeated. “I love seafood – like crab legs, lobster, scallops and shrimp – but I hate fish. Let’s serve a shrimp dish and crab legs instead.”

  Pemberley dropped his shoulders to signify his contempt for my suggestion. “Do you know how messy crab legs are, young lady?”

  I mocked his stance. “Do you know how much I don’t care?”

  Pemberley decided to change tactic. “Think about all of your guests in their very expensive dresses and tuxedos,” he said. “Now think about the buttery sauce you dip crab legs in and tell me how that’s going to end.”

  “I think it’s going to end with people enjoying crab legs,” I said, my mouth watering at the mention of buttery sauce.

  “Try the salmon,” Pemberley ordered.

  I opened my mouth to tell him exactly where he could shove his salmon, but I didn’t get a chance because Aric picked that moment to grab a chunk of the fish from my plate and pop it in my mouth. I made a face as the flavor hit my tongue.

  “Chew that up and swallow it,” Aric ordered, conveniently avoiding his own plate as he watched me chew. He’d stuck close to me since the tasting began, forcing me to remain at his side and using my body as a shield whenever Pemberley moved in our direction. “How does it taste?”

  I swallowed the salmon and scorched Aric with the darkest look I could muster. “I want shrimp and crab legs.”

  “She wants shrimp and crab legs,” Aric said, tossing his plate into the nearby trash can. “She doesn’t like salmon, and I can’t say I’m a big fan either. We want the crab legs and shrimp. If people don’t like it, they don’t have to eat it.”

  “We can put those plastic bibs at every table so people ca
n cover their clothing,” I suggested.

  The exasperated look on Pemberley’s face was beyond humorous. “You want to dole out plastic bibs to your guests?”

  “Yes.”

  “Fine,” Pemberley said, rolling his eyes until they landed on Helen. “Are you okay with this?”

  Helen shrugged. “It’s not as though everyone has to eat the crab legs,” she said. “We’ve already picked out one vegetarian entrée, one beef entrée and one chicken entrée. We have twenty different sides. I don’t see why we can’t add the crab legs and shrimp in place of the salmon if that makes Zoe happy.”

  I know when I’m being played. Helen hadn’t agreed with me since she showed up. She was up to something.

  “I guess we can give Zoe what she wants,” Pemberley said. “She is the bride, after all.”

  I rolled my eyes and found Aric smirking at me. “I blame you for all of this,” I said. “If we’d eloped like I wanted, we could’ve gone to Red Lobster and eaten all the crab legs we wanted and no one would’ve cared about the bibs.”

  Aric plucked a stuffed mushroom cap from one of the plates and shoved it in my mouth. “Put that in your mouth and stop talking.”

  He was getting a little too full of himself, but the mushrooms were really good. I swallowed the first and reached for a second. “I want the mushrooms, too.”

  “That’s a fine choice,” Pemberley said, frowning as I dropped another mushroom into my mouth and immediately reached for a third. “Breathe, my dear. At this rate you’re not going to fit into your wedding dress.”

  “Leave her alone,” Aric instructed, grinning as I bit into the third mushroom. “I’ve found that it’s easiest to give her what she wants when she finds something she likes. Make sure you order a double round of the mushrooms.”

  “I’m guessing that goes double for your relationship,” Pemberley said dryly.

  “What goes double for our relationship?” Aric asked, clearly confused.

  “The ‘giving her what she wants’ thing,” Pemberley replied.

  “Oh.” Realization dawned on Aric. “I enjoy giving her what she wants whether it revolves around food … or television time … or naps.”

  “You’re very cute,” Pemberley said, wiggling his bottom like an excited chihuahua. “I think your bride-to-be is very lucky.”

  “I think we’re both lucky,” Aric corrected, reaching for a breadstick and biting into it. He waved it in my face. “These are good. Do you want me to put this in your mouth?”

  The double meaning wasn’t lost on anyone in the room.

  “That will be enough of that,” Helen commanded, making a face. “There’s no reason to be coarse when we have company.”

  “I agree with that,” Kelsey tossed out from the living room. She’d grown tired of sampling food five minutes into the event.

  “Where is Paris?” I asked, glancing around. She got out of sampling everything by saying she was afraid of other people’s germs accidentally getting on her food during a joint tasting. I had to give her credit, it was an inspired lie.

  “She’s in the hot tub,” Kelsey answered. “She wanted to take advantage of it being empty.”

  “I think she’s having more fun than us,” I groused.

  “I don’t know,” Aric said, grabbing the last mushroom from the tray and shoving it in my mouth. “I’m having a great time using food to get you to be quiet.”

  I smacked his arm. I knew he was joking, but it still bothered me. “That’s not a very nice thing to say to the woman you’re going to spend the rest of your life with.”

  “Since when do we say nice things to each other?”

  “Since … .” I didn’t get a chance to answer because my stomach picked that moment to flip – and not in a good way.

  “I believe your first words to me were mean,” Aric pointed out. “You set the tone of our relationship. This is all on you. Now open your mouth and try the shrimp.”

  I slammed my lips shut and shook my head, sidestepping Aric’s attempts to put more food in my mouth. Instead I braced my hands on the counter as my stomach lurched.

  Aric gave up all pretense of playing games. “What’s wrong?”

  “I don’t know,” I rasped, nausea washing over me. “I think … um … .”

  “Are you going to be sick?” Helen asked, horrified. “I forbid you to be sick in front of people. That’s terribly unbecoming.”

  “I need to go to the bathroom,” I said, moving away from everyone.

  Aric followed close on my heels, concern etched on his features. “Maybe the mushrooms aren’t a good idea after all.”

  The mentions of mushrooms caused my gag reflex to kick in and I covered my mouth. “I’m definitely going to be sick.”

  “Hurry up,” Aric prompted, putting his hand on my back and prodding me toward the bedroom. “It’s going to be okay.”

  I barely made it to the master bathroom before losing the entire contents of the tasting into the toilet bowl. I lowered myself to my knees and vomited a second time as Aric struggled to pull my hair from my face.

  “Zoe, are you okay?”

  I couldn’t answer. Instead I vomited again … and again … and again.

  I could guarantee I’d never eat salmon again. And, yes, I blamed the whole fiasco on the salmon. There was something comforting about the bitterness.

  8

  Eight

  “I think I’m dying.”

  Aric rubbed my back as I rested my face against the bowl rim. He looked as miserable as I felt. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have shoved all that food in your mouth. After the big breakfast you had, that was a mistake.”

  “I didn’t have to chew it and swallow it.”

  “You’re you,” Aric replied. “You wouldn’t be you if you didn’t like to eat.”

  “I think there’s an insult in there, but I’m too weak to notice,” I muttered, reaching for the washcloth on the counter to wipe my face. “You don’t have to sit here with me. I’m not leaving, but we have guests in the other room. You should make sure they’re okay.”

  “They’re not guests,” Aric corrected. “My parents, your parents, Paris and Kelsey can all fend for themselves. I’m taking care of you.”

  “I love you dearly, but I prefer puking in private.”

  Aric sighed. After tying my hair back and resting a cold facecloth against the back of my neck, he was at a loss for how to help. Instead he watched me vomit – several times – and didn’t once flinch. “I don’t want to leave you.”

  “You’re not really leaving me,” I pointed out. “You’re going into another room so I can stretch out on the bathroom floor without embarrassment.”

  “Isn’t that whole ‘in sickness and in health’ thing part of getting married?” Aric wasn’t ready to give up and abandon me.

  “It is,” I confirmed. “You can’t make this better, though. I just have to go through it.” My stomach rolled again and I readied myself for another bout. “Go, Aric. Please. I don’t want you to watch this. It’s gross and you’ll never want to touch me again if you sit there pretending this isn’t nasty.”

  “I’ll always want to touch you, baby,” Aric said, pressing a kiss to my forehead as he got to his feet. “I’ll be in the living room if you need me. I won’t be far.”

  “You never are.”

  I WAS DREAMING.

  Actually it was more of a memory wrapped in a dream. Whatever it was, though, it made the sickness dissipate.

  “Sorry,” I sputtered trying to take a step back and banging my head against the refrigerator.

  The chest belonged to an extremely tall man – like six-feet, three-inches tall – who took a step back to give me a chance to recover. As I regained my senses I realized – even though he’d moved back slightly – he was still a little too close for my comfort.

  “Are you all right?” The voice that came from the behemoth couldn’t possibly be human – or normal. It sounded as if it belonged to a giant or someth
ing – like Fezzik in “The Princess Bride” without that weird lisp thing he had.

  “I’m fine,” I grumbled. I didn’t like feeling penned in.

  “Here, let me see.” The guy reached his extremely large hands toward my head.

  Without thinking, I slapped them away. “I said I was fine.”

  I finally got a glimpse of the head attached to the wall of chest and sucked in a quick breath. It was pretty impressive – well, as far as heads go. No dimples and dark skin, but a full head of wavy black hair and some really intense brown eyes.

  Did Covenant grow these guys on trees or something? This is just ridiculous.

  “I’m not going to hurt you,” the giant rumbled.

  I felt a little ridiculous for overreacting – especially after I realized he was hot – so I tried to offer him a friendly smile as an apology.

  “No, you just took me by surprise,” I said quietly. Internally, I added that he also almost knocked me senseless – but I doubted that would be a good topic to open conversation.

  The wall of muscles with the great hair smiled down at me. I couldn’t help but notice that, even though he didn’t have dimples, his eyes crinkled at the corner when he smiled, making him all the more appealing. Cripes, I must be in heat or something.

  “I’m Aric, with an A,” he said, pushing his hand out to me in greeting.

  What is it with people shaking hands? That whole process annoys me. Still, I didn’t want to offend him. I placed my hand – which seemed Lilliputian by comparison – into his and couldn’t help but smile back. I felt a little goofy for some reason.

  “I’m Zoe.”

  “Nice to meet you, Zoe.”

  “What was that?” Aric bolted to a sitting position, causing me to follow suit.

  It was dark, the light filtering in through the bathroom window when I fell asleep long since dissipating. The last thing I remembered was vomiting – and then passing out on the bathroom floor. I couldn’t be sure, but the lack of light seemed to suggest that was hours ago. “I … what was what?”

  “That,” Aric said, gesturing in the muted light. I realized there was a pillow and blanket next to him on the floor, which seemed to indicate he’d been sleeping next to me. That was kind of sweet. It was also kind of weird.