by Nina Bangs
His laughter vibrated against her cheek. Now that was just mean. She punched him in the arm. “Don’t laugh. It isn’t funny.” Good. Anger kept the tears at bay.
“No need to pack your bags, sexy lady. I’m staying. I’ve made arrangements for the main office to be moved here. Galveston will have the only time travel agency on Earth.”
Okay, now the tears came. Angrily, she scrubbed them away. Dumb tears. “Do you know what brought me back from chasing that white light?” She blinked away the waterworks and smiled at him. “It was seriously tempting, you know. Resisting it was tough.”
His grim expression said she wouldn’t be chasing any white lights ever again. “Hey, it had to be your deep and abiding love for me. Of course, I’m worth it.
“Oh, sure. Deep and abiding whatever. But mostly it was what you owed me.”
He looked insulted. “Owed you?”
“Sure. Remember long ago, that castle where we made love on the banquet table while everyone else was out getting it on with the rose bushes?”
He grinned. “It’s seared into my memory.”
She paused to kiss the side of his neck where his pulse beat strong. He was the most “alive” person she’d ever known. How lucky was it that he was hers? “You made me a promise then. We’d do it in another castle, on another table, sometime in the future. No way would I let you cheat me out of that.”
He burned hot at the thought. “It’s definitely going to happen.”
Sparkle nodded. “Good. I hate promise-breakers.” She paused to think. “Now that the table thing is settled, maybe we should talk about our future.”
“I guess you want to settle down. Do the whole white picket fence, country cottage, and friendly-neighbors routine.” Ganymede didn’t know if he would live through that future. But for her? He’d try.
She considered it. “A picket fence would be nice. But it would have to be sparkly. With fake skulls on each point. Have to keep things interesting.”
He bit his lip to keep from laughing. “The cottage?”
“Sounds a little dreary, doesn’t it? Besides, a cottage would never be big enough for all my shoes and stuff.”
Things were looking up. “So maybe a castle. Like the Castle of Dark Dreams?”
Her face lit up. “Exactly.”
“What about the friendly neighbors? Will you be baking up batches of cookies to take to them?”
She looked horrified. “Ugh. Do I look like a suburban soccer mom to you?”
He shared her horror. “Never. Besides, you’re a terrible cook.”
Her smile returned. “There’s that, too.”
“Now for the most important part. Will we be putting away our wicked now that Zendig is gone?” He held his breath for her answer.
The silence stretched on and on and on. Finally, she sighed.
“I’d have to mess with people once in a while. I’m still the queen of sex and sin. It’s in my blood. I’m sure there’ll be loads of couples just waiting to hook up then have their hearts torn out.” She cast him a hopeful glance.
“Definitely. And you know, I can keep in shape with an earth trembler or a mini tsunami once in a while. Nothing too big. For the holidays we can vacation on some barren planet where I can destroy and destroy some more.” He got shivers just thinking about it.
“I suppose that just leaves the table.” She walked her fingers down his chest and paused to tweak his nipple.
He sucked in his breath. Right. The table. Had to make it happen soon. “Tomorrow sound good to you?”
“I’ll make sure the Castle’s cleared by the time we go down in the morning. It won’t be hard. No guests, and almost everyone else has left. You’ll find me sitting on the banquet table in the great hall.” She offered him a sly grin. “I’m only bringing my shoes. I have these fabulous heels covered with diamonds. Very special.”
“You’ll be wearing one more thing.” He reached behind him to fumble at the drawer to the bedside table. Inside he found what he searched for and drew it out. Ganymede held it up for her to see.
She gasped. “That’s the necklace Lucas…no, you gave me. How?” Sparkle reached for it.
He helped her fasten it around her neck. “Eric’s fantasies are real. You know that. Don’t ask me how he manipulates his universes. Just accept that he does. I kept this for you.”
Sparkle smoothed her finger over the word “Wicked” as tears filled her eyes. “Thank you.”
Ganymede leaned close. “I’ll meet you tomorrow. I won’t be wearing a necklace.”
She met his gaze. “I remember the first time I saw you. Naked. You were standing on the beach alone with your hair blowing and your skin gleaming from the spray. A storm was closing in behind you, and you looked like a god.” She smiled. “You still do.”
She stared at him, and he saw his forever in her eyes.
Then she laughed. “So I guess we’ll be keeping our wicked ways?”
“Always.” He lowered his head and took her in a long, drugged kiss.
Sparkle looked a little dazed when he released her. She blinked. “Oh, about the table. I’ll bring the ice cream.” She smiled. “I can do wicked things with vanilla.”
And she did.
About the Author
Nina Bangs is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than twenty-five paranormal romances. She lives under the iron paw of her cat, Abby, in a condo with a water view. When not reading or writing, she dreams of investigating old castles in hopes of meeting a few resident ghosts.
Also by Nina Bangs
The Castle of Dark Dreams series
Wicked Nights
Wicked Pleasure
Wicked Fantasy
My Wicked Vampire
Wicked Edge
Wicked Whispers
Wicked Memories
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The Mackenzie Vampire series
Master of Ecstasy
Night Bites
A Taste of Darkness
One Bite Stand
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Gods of the Night series
Eternal Pleasure
Eternal Craving
Eternal Prey
