Midnight Vows

by J. E. Taylor

  HE BEAT ME TO THE CABIN and stood in the doorway as I skidded to a halt. The transition back to human took hold, and after a moment, I stretched upright. I was sure the grin on my face echoed his.

  “So, are you going to lick me all over?”

  The playful lilt in his voice pulled heat into my cool cheeks, and I stepped inside. “I was thinking we should wait until our wedding night,” I said and braced for his reaction.

  He stopped short and stared at me, calculating the days until we said I do in his head. The disappointment showed in every one of his muscles as they slackened in disbelief.

  “You honestly want me to keep my sex drive in check for two months?”

  “It’s a little under two months,” I said, trying to soften the blow.

  “Can we start tomorrow?” he asked, stepping closer.

  “That kind of defeats the purpose of let’s wait,” I said, planting my palm on his chest. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to rip his clothes off and take him on the floor right then and there; I just thought the agony of waiting that both of us would deal with would make us almost feral on our wedding night.

  He let out a half laugh. “Are you joking right now, or are you serious?”

  “I’m serious.”

  “Oh,” he muttered, and his hands found solace in his pockets. He looked like a little kid who dropped his ice cream cone in the street. Dejected. Almost destroyed.

  “Damian,” I started, and he met my gaze. “I love you and would like nothing more than making love to you right now, but I want our wedding night to be special.”

  “Every time I make love to you, its special,” he said, his blue eyes pleading.

  I almost caved. “That’s sweet, but I want the buildup, the anticipation. I want to be half out of my mind for you.”

  “And you’re not like that now?”

  I could tell my explanation wasn’t coming out the right way, and he was getting defensive. “I am. God knows I am, but I want to wait because I want that night to be memorable, and not like every other night we’ve ever shared.” I held my hand up when his jaw tensed. “I am not saying every night has been less than memorable. I’m saying I want our wedding night to impact both of us in ways that a normal night doesn’t. Make sense?”

  He blinked and sucked in his bottom lip, chewing on it while he mulled my words over. Instead of standing in the outer cabin, he retreated into the belly of the mountain where our luxury escape stood beneath the bedrock and away from the sunshine.

  I followed him in, hanging up my coat and ditching my boots.

  He sat on the couch staring at the blank television screen before he finally turned to me.

  “I get what you’re saying,” he said.

  I took the spot next to him. He was usually the soft and sappy one of the two of us, but even though I could be bad-ass, I was a girl. And I wanted to come as close to my wedding dream as I could. That included abstinence before the wedding.

  “Have I been moving too fast?” he asked, and worry lines painted his forehead.

  “Neither of us have ever moved slow. But with this, I need to do it right. I need our wedding to be as perfect as your proposal.”

  The slow smile that produced his deep dimples appeared, and he leaned in, planting the softest kiss on my forehead.

  “It will be,” he whispered and gave my hand a squeeze. “And if I have to keep my desire under wraps until after we wed, then so be it,” he added with a grimace meant to be a grin.

  “Thank you,” I said and pecked his cheek.

  “Just don’t be surprised if I tear through your dress on our wedding night.”

  “You might want to buy the tuxedo, because that may end up in shreds, too,” I said and retreated into the bedroom to keep my own desires in check. I did want to lick every inch of him and wasn’t sure I would be able to abide by my own rules.

  Chapter 3

  Eight weeks crawled by and we both kept our word, but I was as horny as a she-devil in heat. The fantasies of what I wanted to do to Damian when we got back to the cabin had gone into the triple X realm. I could not wait for tomorrow night to come, and just the thought of making love to him made me wet.

  I had dropped my dress off on Monday and had a courier scheduled to pick it up today and drop it off at the Crawford Hotel. Damian had booked two rooms for both tonight and tomorrow night so neither one of us would have to leave before the sun went down.

  I paced across the cabin floor, impatiently waiting for sunset. I needed to get away from Damian, from this want scratching under my skin.

  “Are you okay?” he asked from his perch on the couch.

  “I will be,” I said under my breath.

  Just under thirty hours before I could ravage him. I had resorted to being snippy to deal with the lack of activity, and it amused the hell out of him. Here I thought he would be the one to have a difficult time with abstinence, but I failed to remember he had gone decades without sex, so my meager eight-week challenge was a no brainer for the man.

  “Having second thoughts?”

  I stopped pacing and turned to him, catching the glint of worry in his eyes.

  “No, just wishing time would go faster so I can rip your clothes off and fuck you.”

  His eyebrows arched. I usually didn’t resort to crude language, but I also hadn’t gone this long without any real physical contact since we met. It was difficult and frustrating and had me on edge.

  He stood and crossed to where I stood. He flashed me his bemused smile, and I wanted to wipe it off his lips.

  “You want to know what I am going to do tomorrow night?” he purred, staring at me with such intensity, I dared not ask. He stepped closer, crowding me. “I’m going to make you come so hard you can’t breathe. I’m going to take my time with you until you are out of your mind and begging me to fuck you.” He grinned and caressed my cheek. “And then I’ll make you come again before I give you what you crave. You know why?”

  I shook my head, barely able to draw a breath at the sweet thoughts he just planted in my brain.

  “Because you made me wait this long.”

  He gave my cheek a soft pat and walked away, leaving me in the living room. My breath drew ragged in my chest, and my nipples hardened with each of his insinuations. My panties became uncomfortably wet with the vision of his tongue teasing me into oblivion.

  I realized I wasn’t the only one on edge and I smiled. One more day. All we had to do was endure one more day, and then he better make good on his promises.

  He came out from the bedroom with the bag I had packed earlier and a light carryon bag, which I assumed had his stuff packed.

  “My tuxedo is being delivered to the hotel,” he said when I met his gaze. “You sure you have everything you need?”

  I went through my list. I had a handkerchief of Damian’s that was from the early 1700’s, so old was covered. My garter was blue. My dress was new. The only thing I didn’t have was borrowed and I bit my lip.

  “Do you think the handkerchief constitutes something borrowed?”

  His lips toyed with a smile. “It is mine, so you could say you were borrowing it.”

  “Then yes. I have everything. Do you have the rings?”

  “Of course.” He glanced at his watch. “Are you ready to head into Denver?”

  I glanced over my shoulder at the clock. It wasn’t quite eight yet, so the sky would still have the streaks of color and be light enough for someone to see a giant hawk carrying a woman along with luggage.

  “Is it going to be dark enough?”

  “I got us a snowmobile last night,” he said and grinned. “So all I have to do is get us a few miles from town, and then we’ve got ourselves a ride.

  “Did you steal it?” I asked in a hushed whisper.

  “No. I bought it and have it stowed in the woods on the other side of the mountain.” He produced a key from his pocket. “It’s got a small wrack for luggage, too.”

  It seemed like a decent
idea and one that wouldn’t put us in a position to be seen flying. I just had no idea how long it would take to get to town on a snowmobile.

  “We should get to the hotel by ten at the latest,” he said, reading my thoughts correctly.

  I swear he actually heard what I was thinking, but our ability to read each other’s minds had faded since the abstinence started, and I couldn’t wait for this to be over. I couldn’t wait to be his wife.

  “Tomorrow night,” he whispered as he passed me heading for the door.

  THE HOTEL WAS AS GRAND as he promised. The shades were thick and so were the curtains, so theoretically, the sun wouldn’t breach the room, but I was still nervous. My dress hung on a special dress hanger they brought in, and I stared at it from my perch on the bed.

  Hunger wrestled in my stomach, and I glanced at the clock wondering if I could catch a quick meal before sunup. A knock came on the adjoining door, making me jump. Damian knew how adamant I was at him not seeing me on our wedding day, so his knock surprised me. Still, I crossed and cracked the door, keeping my body hidden from view.

  “I thought you might need this.” Damian’s whisper came through the crack, and then his hand appeared with a bag of blood.

  I could have kissed him and I snatched the package from his hand, and my incisors instinctively bared. I pierced the plastic and sucked the bag dry. The hot burn of human blood blazed through my system. I closed my eyes, leaning against the wall in rapture.

  “Thank you,” I whispered when my hunger abated.

  “Pass back the empty. I’ve got a little cooler I can put it in.”

  I handed it back, and his hand disappeared.

  “One more thing,” he said.

  “What’s that?” I replied with my eyes closed.

  “Make sure you bring all your stuff to the venue because we aren’t coming back here after the wedding.”

  I smile. “The walls too thin for you?”

  He laughed just before the door closed and the locks engaged. It was the kind of laugh that fueled my imagination.

  I closed my door and licked my lips, hoping for any remnants, but I had drained the bag clean. Not a drop had been spared, and I felt more alive and energetic than I had in a while.

  I picked up my phone and sent a simple text. ‘I love you!’

  ‘I know,’ came back a moment later, followed by, ‘I love you, too.’

  WAITING WAS THE WORST. We both had the Do Not Disturb signs hung on the door, but the inability to sleep sucked. At least if I could take a nap, time would pass much quicker than it did when you wanted it to. I had to refrain from opening the curtains to see if it was still daytime. The room clock showed the same time as my phone, but for some reason I thought it should be much later than three in the afternoon.

  I was sure I wore a path in the carpet and had to keep my fingers away from my mouth. Gnawing on them would ruin the manicure I had last night before we settled in our rooms.

  My phone buzzed.

  ‘Relax’

  I picked it up and dialed his number because I had no patience for texting right now. “Who says I’m not relaxed?”

  “I can hear you shuffling back and forth,” he said, and even he sounded edgy.

  “Having doubts?” I asked, stopping my incessant pacing.

  “No. I just don’t like being in hotels where I might not be able to control the situation. Besides, I have to be careful of where I step in here. My curtains don’t close all the way, and I have to keep avoiding the sliver of light traveling across the room.”

  “Oh, babe,” I said, glancing at mine securely closed and letting zero light through. “Did you pull the shade down last night?”

  He huffed. “No. I should have, but I was staring out the window wondering what you were doing most of the night, and then I opened my computer and dove into work. Before I knew it, my hand was scorched by the rising sun.” He paused and let out a breath. “I was able to get the curtain closed, so at least my exposure is minimized. But damn, I forgot just how painful the sun actually is.”

  My mind filled with all the possible what ifs and I shivered, stepping closer to the adjoining door. “I’m glad it wasn’t worse,” I said, wondering what his hand looked like.

  “I’m fine. It just looks like a sunburn now, and by tonight, it should be completely gone. The blood from last night helped. If I had been lying on the bed, it would have been much worse.”

  I thanked the stars above for our uncanny healing ability. I could just imagine the initial burn. I shivered and pulled my hand to my chest like I shared his pain. “I wish I was there with you,” I whispered.

  “We only have a few more hours, hon,” he said. “I’ve got the car scheduled to pick you up at a little after nine. I’m planning on being there at eleven. We don’t have to wait until midnight. Whenever you’re ready, we can start.”

  “What about the justice of the peace?”

  “I asked him to arrive at eleven, same with the photographer. I like the idea of a May 5th wedding instead of May 6th, so...”

  “Wishful thinking,” I laughed. “But I think they’ll be able to do my hair within an hour.” I had picked a Greek goddess hairdo that was fairly complex with part up-do and part cascading curls, so I certainly hoped they would finish in an hour, but I was skeptical, especially with makeup following the hair. Eleven thirty was probably a more accurate time. “But if you want to start waiting in the garden gazebo for me, I think I will be ready by eleven thirty at the latest.”

  “I can’t wait,” he whispered and disconnected the call.

  “Neither can I,” I said and glanced at the gorgeous dress, imagining his reaction to seeing me all decked out.

  The closest I’d come to looking stunning was trying on the cocktail dresses at the mall right after Damian turned me. His expression then was hotter than a four alarm fire, and I couldn’t wait to see him tomorrow night. If I could, I would have willed time to fly by.

  THE PHONE BUZZED AT a little after nine, telling me my car was here to pick me up. I grabbed my small suitcase with my wedding garments, making sure everything was inside from the shoes to the handkerchief along with all my toiletries from the hotel before I zipped it up. I slid the dress back into the garment bag and hauled it over my shoulder.

  The town car was big enough to hang my dress on one side while I sat on the other with my bag on the seat next to me. I fidgeted. Both my nerves and the scent of the driver had me on edge. Perhaps it hadn’t been the best thing for Damian to feed me human blood last night. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, pushing the hunger down into the depths, ignoring the pulse of a hot meal in the body in the front seat.

  I arrived at the Secret Garden and was whisked into what the owner referred to as the bridal suite. It was a small room with a bathroom off to the side. A far cry from a suite, but it would do. My hairdresser, Jamie, was already set up and waiting with a table full of hairpins and curling irons.

  “It’s just you?” she asked as the door closed behind me.

  “Yes. Why?” I thought I made it clear when we spoke that it was just me and no one else, but maybe she misunderstood.

  “I thought you might have an attendant or two with you even though they weren’t having their hair done,” she said.

  “Damian and I wanted a small private ceremony,” I said, feeling awkward. “Unfortunately, our family lives out east, and they couldn’t make the trip.” I slid into the chair. “Do you think you’ll be able to do what we discussed in an hour?”

  Jamie looked at the photo I pulled out and then took a strand of my hair between her fingers. “I think we can do that,” she said and started the transformation from everyday hair to wedding hair.

  As she dabbed gloss on my lips for the final touches of makeup, my gaze dropped to her throat. I couldn’t lick my lips, but I also knew what the shadow virus did to people. That was the only reason I didn’t bite her right there. A vampire bite is a death sentence to humans, and I was not a murderer
.

  I took a deep breath and closed my eyes.

  “There,” she said as she scrutinized her work. When she was satisfied, she swung me around so I could see her masterpiece.

  The woman in the mirror was stunning with her dark hair piled on her head and ribbon curls falling gracefully from the bun. I blinked at my reflection, and even the makeup was perfection. Understated and soft to match the hair.

  “Holy cow,” I said and grinned. “This is fantastic!”

  “Do you have anyone to help with your dress?” she asked, and I shook my head. “I can stay and help if you’d like.”

  She had done my hair a few times since we moved here, and she had always been chatty and sincere. I could use a hand and since she offered, I felt compelled to say yes.

  “I’d like that, and if you’d like to stay and watch the ceremony, you are welcome to.”

  She actually beamed and stood, rushing to get the dress. I slipped into the corset bra and my heels while she got the dress ready for me to step into. I slid on the garter the stepped into the beautiful WToo gown. She zipped me up and stepped in front of me.

  “You are absolutely beautiful,” she said and smiled.

  I leaned over and pulled the veil from the bag, smoothing it out.

  “May I?” she asked with reverence.

  I handed it to her, and she put it on for me and then pulled me to stand in front of the mirror. I hardly recognized the stunning bride in the mirror, and I hoped I had the same effect on Damian as I seemed to have on Jamie.

  “Can you tell them I’m ready?”

  She nodded and hurried out. I grabbed the handkerchief and waited at the door for Jamie to return.

  Jamie came in holding a small bouquet of roses. “Your husband-to-be said you might need these.”

  I grinned. Flowers. I had completely forgotten flowers, but he seemed to have it covered.

  The music started. I detected violins. More than one, and they played Canon in D, one of my favorites. My eyes welled up. I blinked the mist away and stepped out of the little bridal suite.