Daughter Trilogy Bundle (93 page)

“
No check, Mom.  We’ve already discussed this.  If you want to pay for something, then you can pay for the space at the inn,” I tease.

“
We get that for free,” she grumbles.

“
Even better,” I chuckle out.

“
Your parents are supposed to pay for the wedding,” she gripes.

“
Well, not when you’re marrying someone who refuses to let anyone else pay for anything,” I lie.

“
Well, I guess we’ll see you tomorrow,” she says with a grumbling tone.  “I can’t believe you’re not having a rehearsal dinner.”

“
I don’t want to ruin the buildup,” I snicker lightly, but Devin seems confused rather than seduced by my little tease.

“
I love you, dear,” she says softly.  “I’m happy for you… so happy,” she says with a choking load of emotion.

“
I love you too, Mom.  Thanks.”

I put the phone down, and Devin
’s inquisition begins instantly.

“
We’re going there tomorrow?” he says with bemusement.

“
I am, but you’re not,” I menace.

He doesn
’t look like the playful man from earlier though.  He looks saddened, and I feel like I’ve just wounded him in some baffling way.

“
Why?” he almost whines.

I smile as I walk over and pull the laptop out of my place, and then I take a seat in his lap.  My arms fold around his neck, and his curl around my waist with a somewhat needy cling.

“I need to make sure everything is set up, and the groom isn’t supposed to see bride before the wedding.”

“
I thought you weren’t superstitious,” he adds with a slight bit of anxiety fading.

“
I wasn’t, but after what happened last time, I’m not taking any chances.  So, no walking under ladders, no black cats will be allowed to cross in front of me, no mirrors shall be broken, and my incredible, sexy, wonderful husband-to-be can’t see me before I walk down the aisle,” I joke.

He finally lets a smile break free and his lips envelope mine with explosive sparks.  He pulls me tighter into his arms, and then his pout reemerges.

“When are you leaving?”

“
Tonight… after the bachelorette party,” I say softly.

“
Will you be staying at the inn?” he inquires.

“
No.  I’ll be back at my old apartment when I’m not
ironing out the details
, as you say,” I offer with a subtle touch of humor to lighten his distress.

He
’s acting as if I’m leaving him forever, and it’s really starting to tug at my gut.  Now I’m regretting having said anything, and I’m worried I’ll lose my courage.

I want him to be excited to see me at the wedding though, so I think this is a good way to add a very seductive build.

“I don’t like you being away from me for two nights,” he grumbles.  “Just leave tomorrow night, and I’ll drive you out there myself,” he offers.

“
You’re making me go to this bachelorette party - in case you’ve forgotten - and I need to go out there tonight so I don’t lose my courage by morning.  I’ll end up staying here with you until moments before the wedding, and you know it.”

He smirks a little, and his arms pull me even tighter to his sizzling body.

“I don’t see that as a problem.  It’s very unlikely we would repeat the same catastrophe as last time.  Lightning doesn’t strike in the same place twice, you know?” he adds hopefully.

“
I beg to differ.  I happen to know with great certainty that lightning
can
strike the same place twice, I’ve done it… You know?” I mock.

He laughs a little and rolls his eyes at my smug little remark.  His lips claim mine and Kry chuckles as he sits down across from us.

“So, is Gemma really coming?  I just saw her name on your seating chart.”

Devin grumbles through the kiss as he pulls back.

Oh please don’t argue with me again.

“
That was against my wishes,” my sexy fiancé gripes.

“
You
want her to come?” Kry asks pointedly at me with disbelief etched in his tone.

“
Hell no, but Ther does.  That’s the only reason she’s invited, and I’ve marked her seat to be beside his for the reception.”

“
Aw,” Kry mocks with a sardonic drag. 

I laugh a little, and Camara groans in distaste as she plops down.

“Why do you still want me in your wedding party?” she snips.

“
Because I love you and because you’ll look stunning in the bridesmaid dress I’ve picked out for you.  I don’t believe in making the wedding party look lesser than the bride for vanity’s sake.”

“
It’s not like the crowd is going to be looking anywhere but at you when the two of you are smoldering into each other’s eyes.  The roll off from you will be enough to douse a room full of seduction.  Do we have a plan to extinguish the flames?” Kry chuckles.

“
Not really,” Devin murmurs while pursing his lips.  “I hope we can suppress some of it by refraining from too much intense contact.  We’ll just have to keep it a little light.  None of Adisia’s exes are allowed anywhere near the wedding.  We don’t need anyone else who has been in love with her to get infected.”

“
I’ve already compiled a very lengthy list,” Kry rolls out with exhaustion.

I sink down from the over dramatized statement, and Devin tries not to laugh at my embarrassment.

Then Camara sighs as she grips her head.

“
I’ve also sifted through an even more extensive list of guys who potentially loved her without her knowledge - according to her friends and family.  They were very confused as to why I was doing it, so I told them it was to keep all drama to a minimum, since you’re so wealthy and because prominent people will be there,” she exasperates.

“
You guys are kind of making me feel like a tramp,” I grouse.

“
Sorry,” Kry teases with a snicker.  “It’s just an unusual sort of circumstance.  Most immortals get married after centuries of roaming free.  This is the first time I’ve known of anyone getting married while still in close contact with mortals.”

Devin kisses me with a patronizing touch. 
“I liked the way you told your mortal mother I was paying for the wedding as opposed to your immortal mother.”

“
I know,” I sigh.  “This whole thing is just weird, and I didn’t want Mom to know Persia and Kahl are paying for everything.  It’s not like I can tell her or Dad who they are.”

“
I would really like to be paying for the wedding,” he adds.

“
Get in line,” I murmur with sardonic intentions.  “Persia and Kahl paid for everything before I could even object.  They claim it’s their right, and they’re even more stubborn than you.”

“
Oh really?” he muses with a seductive touch.  “I am pretty stubborn, and I still don’t want to go two nights without you,” he smolders, and his hands tug at my sides as he pulls me astride him.

“
And this just got awkward,” Kry grumbles while flashing away.

I laugh a little, and our moment of seduction has now been a little spoiled.

“You have to.  I want a man excited at the other end of the aisle.  I think two nights away will be enough to build the suspense and anticipation.”

“
And your scent.  Don’t forget that will be building as well,” Deacon chimes in.

“
It’s just two days.  My scent won’t be too strong,” I say dismissively, but Devin completely ignores the conversation as he goes back to my previous statement.

“
There’s the real reason you’re doing this,” he says with narrowed eyes.  “I don’t need two nights alone to be excited to see you.  I swear every second with you is intoxicating enough as it is.  Don’t leave me,” he pleads.

Drat!
 
My stupid big mouth.

“
No.  I want us to have that moment of built up excitement, and I want to be that bride whose groom is thoroughly thrilled to see her,” I playfully pout.

“
I will be elated to see you regardless of any unnecessary time apart.  I love you, and I think it’s foolish for us to separate for any amount of time when we don’t need to,” he mumbles.

“
Please don’t do this.  You know I love you, but I really want this opportunity to give our wedding a little more
oomph
.”

He frowns, but he doesn
’t argue the matter any further.  I stand to my feet as I walk over to the kitchen to grab some more coffee.

“
You know, I could just skip the bachelorette party, and then I could stay here until tonight,” I murmur leadingly.

He laughs while joining me.

“Clara has been on my ass to make sure you go, and she’s very annoyingly tenacious.  I’d rather not deal with her wrath.  Just go, and I’ll sit on the edge of my seat waiting to see you.  I’ll probably call every hour and sulk the whole time, but you’ll have your big reveal,” he mutters with resentful reluctance.

“
Thank you,” I say victoriously while wrapping my arms around his neck and standing on my tiptoes.

“
I’ve got to go with the others to do some last minute work, even though now I’m wishing I didn’t have so much to do.  I wasn’t prepared for your surprise departure, but we’ll be gone for a month.  I don’t want to have to do anything but devote my full attention to you while we’re gone, so I suppose it’s a necessary evil.”

I squeal a little excitedly as I bounce up and down in his arms. 
“I can’t believe we’re going to Greece for an entire month.”

He smiles a full flashing, wondrous grin that nearly brings my knees to a wobbling buckle.

“Anything for you, baby.  I told you I’m going to make sure you enjoy our eternity together.  It starts the moment our wedding is over,” he murmurs softly as his lips graze mine.

“
It started the moment I met you,” I seductively counter.

He smirks deviously, and I feel him lifting me from the ground before flashing into the bedroom with me still firmly attached to his grip.

“I thought you had somewhere to be,” I tease.

“
They can wait,” he seduces.

His lips devour mine with an animalistic growl as he places me under him on the bed.  His strong, toned, and divine body hovers over me as he drinks me in.

His provocative lips brush against my neck until returning to their home on mine.  I moan as his body calls to mine, and the sizzling crackle of Aphrodite’s passion sparks between us. 

“
Contain it,” he cautions with a smirk.

I smile as the smoke slowly fades from the room, and his body rushes its incredible force over mine as he jerks my shirt over my head.  His gripping need is just barely shying from a painful grasp, and it
’s enough to send me into an erotic tremble. 

Two more days until I have proof I
’m his. 

I tug at the short
white dress that hugs me completely.  Each part of my body is very accentuated by the thin, formfitting fabric, and my legs glisten under the glow of the dimmed lights of the apartment.

I smile as my eyes drift over to the wall of pictures Devin has proudly displayed.  In the course of three weeks he
’s very ambitiously filled several albums full of pictures and turned his favorites into oversized pieces of arts.

The close-up of us laughing is my favorite, and he hung it in the center of the rest to show the world how happy we always are with each other.

My large, heavy curls swirl perfectly into place when I look into the mirror to offer myself one last bit of confidence.  I hate going out, and I always feel out of place in large crowds, except for when I’m with Devin.  He makes everything better though. 

I slip on the high white heels just as the elevator doors slide open, and Kry
’s jaw tries its best to slap the floor when he sees me.

Ther stumbles into the room with his wide eyes glued to me, and he almost flips over the couch.  Hale gives me a devilish grin as he starts to stalk toward me, but Devin pulls at the back of his jacket to halt his attack.

“Wow,” Kry gushes.

Devin smirks and narrows his eyes as he walks over to me.

“You shouldn’t be allowed out in something that makes you look like that,” he smolders, and his lips rush mine.

“
You’re right.  Perhaps I should cancel,” I lead.

He chuckles a little and shakes his head. 
“Not a chance.  Clara is on her way up as we speak, and I think we should all be ready to cover our ears.”