Don't Bite the Bridesmaid (11 page)

The bit of light in the room revealed her bra, now wet and translucent, with her dark nipples stark against her pale skin.

“So fucking sexy,” he growled.

He met her eyes, and something behind the passion startled him enough to form real thoughts. Fear. Or uncertainty, at least.

“Are you all right?” he asked. “We don’t have to, I mean—”

She shook her head and chuckled. “Oh, we’re doing this. We are
so
doing this.”

“You just looked—” he started. She unclasped her bra and let it fall, and he lost his train of thought. While he gaped at her, she dropped her skirt as well.

And there was not one bit of material beneath it.

Magnificent. That was the only word he could think of as he raked his gaze over her body. Perky breasts and smooth hips, she was the most perfect picture of a woman he could imagine. He met her gaze and quirked an eyebrow at her.

She shrugged, a hesitant grin on her face. “Didn’t want a panty line.” When he couldn’t seem to move, she closed the gap between them. Slipping her hands inside his shirt, she slid them up and over his chest, exploring his body as he ached to explore hers. She pulled his mouth down against hers and kissed him. Soft, testing.

Then, quite insistently, she tugged his shirt off. Her soft touches all over his skin were laced in fire. And when her lips nipped down his neck, it was all he could do not to toss her on the bed and take her like an animal.

“Minx,” he said, instead. He traced his way down her body, caressing her softly, exploring. As he slid his hand down her stomach and teasingly touched her thighs, she gasped.

And the second he touched her soft wetness, the urge to toss her down and have his way with her surged again. She was so ready. So hot and wet and perfect.

Shit
. He had to move slowly. Had to make this as good for her as he knew it would be for him. He nudged her toward the bed and helped her lie down.

“Not fair,” she muttered, tugging at his pants.

“All’s fair in war,” he said, then his mouth found her breast again.

She chuckled, low and sexy. “Is that what this is? War?”

He didn’t reply with words. Instead, he kissed her, then slipped his hand down to touch her again. She bucked against him, but he touched her slowly, languidly. Exploring her. Learning how she needed to be touched.

When she moved against him, seeking her pleasure, he palmed her. Only when she relaxed did he continue his exploration.

She moaned and writhed beneath him. “Fuck, Noah. Please.”

He nuzzled her neck, enjoying that he’d pulled such a naughty word from the mostly proper Miss Shepard. She smelled so fucking sweet. The urge to bite her overwhelmed him. Her fruity shampoo, the wine on her tongue, the smell of her arousal. He pushed away from her and took a haggard breath. Air. He needed air. Air that didn’t smell so fucking tempting.

“Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” he managed. His teeth ached for her. His dick ached for her. One need he had to ignore, but the other—

He got up from the bed and yanked his pants off. Alice watched him silently from the bed, her expression hidden in the darkness. He reached into the side pocket of his bag. She didn’t know he was a vampire. Didn’t know he couldn’t give her a disease or impregnate her. Thank God he had left that package of condoms in his bag after his last vacation.

She pulled him to her as soon as he leaned over her on the bed. Her tongue slid against his. Her hand found his cock, and the urge to bite receded, replaced by an urge just as great. She stroked him and kissed him, and all he could think of was burying himself in her heat.

The desire to thrust into her, take her with abandon, overwhelmed him. But he forced himself to slide in slowly, working to ease himself into her. Giving her body a chance to adjust. But she was so fucking warm and wet and—he rocked forward, pushing most of his length into her.

Her body wrapped around him, and she thrust her hips forward, pulling even more of him into her body. She cried out his name, and her fingernails dug into his ass.

He pushed himself the rest of the way into her tightness, and then forced himself to stop moving. She writhed against him. He held her still with his weight. Her scent enveloped him, and the urge to bite her hit again.

He nuzzled her neck.
So close.
He sucked on her neck. His teeth slid against her skin.

No
. He yanked his face away from her neck.
No
. He wasn’t going to bite her. Her hips pushed against him and brought back the other hunger.
Yes
. That was a hunger he could sate.

He moved, thrusting in and out slowly.

“Oh, Noah,” she said, voice barely above a whisper. She pulled his face back to hers, and she kissed him. Her body welcoming him. So tight, warm, and wet. He thrust harder. Her tongue slipped between his teeth, scraping against his extended canines.

Blood. The taste filled his mouth as he shoved himself into her harder. Had to be careful. Could hurt her. Why was there blood on his lips?

And then he couldn’t think. He could only feel her. Smell her. Hear his name calling from her lips. Feel her moaning against his mouth.

He slipped a hand between them. He was so close. But couldn’t go there. Not without her.

“Come for me,” he said, voice harsh and low.

He touched her, stroked her. Pumped in and out of her. So fast. Had to slow down.

Then she yelled. Something. His name maybe. He couldn’t hear because the blood rushed through his ears as her body contracted around him, shaking with her orgasm. She shuddered and cried out again. Her blood was on his tongue.

He thrust into her again. Then the world exploded.

Alice stared into the relative darkness of the room, so warm and comfortable, her back snuggled into Noah’s arms. But she couldn’t sleep. Despite the comfort. Despite the perfection of the moment. Despite the mind-blowing orgasm.

Her thoughts raced.

She’d slept with Noah. And it had been terrifyingly wonderful. Despite every logical part of her brain insisting it had been a mistake, she couldn’t regret it.

It had just been too darn good.

Not that she hadn’t had good sex before. She had. She’d thought she had. But sex had never been so…mind-blowing. She took a deep breath and Noah’s arms tightened ever so slightly around her.

“So you were married before?” she said, then immediately regretted the words. His body stiffened against hers as humiliation flooded her and she glanced away from him. Had she really brought up his marriage?

She’d needed to say something. To make sure this wasn’t all some sort of amazingly wonderful dream. And she wasn’t ready to discuss what had just happened. Not yet. Not in the dark, where it was too easy to be far too honest.

“I was. But not for long. And it was,” he hesitated, “a long time ago.”

She almost asked how long ago it could have been. Noah didn’t look a day over thirty. But she stopped herself before the moronic question passed her lips, continuing this inappropriate conversation. He was a vampire. It could have been decades, if not centuries, before. Alice inhaled and parted her lips to speak. Now that she’d already opened this door, she might as well see what was behind it.

“What was she like?”

Hesitation again, longer this time. “I don’t really think this is the best time—I mean, it’s kind of uncomfortable to talk about this right now.”

God, he was right. Why was she even asking about his ex right now? Her timing sucked. But after being with him in such an amazing way, it was hard not to wonder about the kind of woman who was able to make Noah Thorpe fall in love.

Her chest tightened. She must have been amazing, whoever she was.

“Sorry,” she murmured.

“It’s fine. We can talk about it some other time maybe.” He relaxed against her, but his tone left her little doubt of the chances of that happening. The ex was a sensitive subject. How could it not be? She hadn’t even married Brent and she was touchy talking about him.

But the silence was deafening. She had to say something. “I wish Andrew was here.”

Again he tensed. “Andrew?”

She grinned in the darkness. “My brother. And not here, here. That would be the awkwardest thing ever. At the wedding, on the cruise ship, here.”

“Oh,” he said, voice full of relief.

She chuckled. “What did you think I was talking about? Some dude I’d wished I’d called in for a threesome?”

He shifted his weight, and she could feel his smile against her scalp. “I never know what to expect from you. You’re constantly surprising me.”

“And you’re not used to people surprising you.” It wasn’t a question. She pushed down the urge to ask if that’s why he liked her, if that’s why he was attracted to her.

“No. I’m not.” He took a deep breath, face still buried in her hair. “So why isn’t Andrew coming to the wedding?”

The laughter died in her throat. She couldn’t explain all of it, even if Noah had confided his vampire heritage in her. Olivia warned them it would be her head—literally—if anyone found out she’d shared what she was with humans. “He was left at the altar.”

He squeezed her more tightly in his arms. “That’s terrible. How long ago?”

“About six months. Not long enough for him to be ready to come to a wedding yet, I guess. She—”
Edited version, Alice. Edited.
“I don’t know all of the details. But I guess the gist of it is she decided her lifestyle wasn’t something she wanted to drag him into. It hurt him. Badly.”

“I can imagine,” he said. Something in his voice made her want to ask about his ex again, but she suppressed the urge. “I’m sorry that happened to your brother.”

“Thanks,” she replied automatically. The mood was dimming, she could feel it slipping away, out of her grasp. This might be their only night together, and she’d decided to mention her brother? And ask about his
ex-wife
? She was practically shooting herself in the foot here, but couldn’t seem to help it. Talk about bringing the night to an abrupt end. Her throat was suddenly dry at the realization. She didn’t want it to end yet. Not like this.

“Since we’re broaching awkward subjects tonight, Brent said something I’ve been wondering about,” Noah said.

Great
. Now they’d added her ex to the conversation. But fair was fair, she supposed. “What’s that?”

“He seemed to find it unlikely that you were moving into my house.”

Oh
. “Well, you know I’m living in my grandma’s old house, right?”

“Yes.”

“Did you ever meet her?”

“We exchanged waves. But, I never spoke with her.”

“Mister Sociable,” she said, and he chuckled. “Well, I wish you’d had the chance to meet her. She was quite a lady.” Her grandmother’s warm smile and sturdy hugs flashed in her mind, and familiar sadness wormed its way into her heart. “I spent a lot of time in that house when I was growing up. We had a bond, you know?” She cleared her throat.

He didn’t speak, but his fingers slid along her arm, comforting her. “Anyway, she left me the house when she passed away. And I swore I’d never leave it after I moved in when I finished college. That was something Brent and I fought over.”

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay. I just didn’t get a lot of time with her the last couple of years,” she said. And that was the crux of it, her regret. She’d been young, too obsessed with her own life.

“I’m sure she knew how you felt.” Noah hugged her more tightly against him.

Alice knew she had, but that didn’t lessen her regret. And life was too short for regret.

She’d taken the giant leap to sleep with Noah. Maybe it wouldn’t last beyond the night. Their relationship certainly wouldn’t last beyond the cruise. She wasn’t ready to trust a man again for something long term, and Noah had shown every indication that he wasn’t looking for a relationship.

So she would be damned if she didn’t at least enjoy the night.

She squirmed around in his arms until they were face to face. The night, with the moonlight at his back, hid his expression. But she could feel his body react to her motion.

She kissed him and rubbed her body slowly against his. His erection pressed against her, fully interested. “I’m feeling grubby,” she announced when she broke the kiss. “And you’re definitely dirty.”

“Am I?” he asked mildly.

“Very. And I’m pretty sure that shower is big enough for two. In fact, I’m certain it was
designed
for two.”

“Well. It would be very rude of us to ignore the design of such a nice shower, wouldn’t it? That would be an insult to whoever crafted it.”

“Mmm,” she said as he kissed her. His tongue slipped between her lips, and she pulled her head back. “Catch me if you can.” The notion was silly, especially since she was still in his arms when she said it, but he allowed her to wriggle away and run for it.

He caught her as her hand touched the bathroom doorknob.

She squealed and he pulled her close for a kiss. They made their way into the bathroom, alternatively kissing and wrestling until they hit the shower. Then, under the water, steam swirling around them, she insisted on washing his back.

She ran her soap-slicked hands over his back. Muscles she’d only seen hints of beneath his clothing tensed under her hands. She’d known he was tall. The top of her head hit his shoulders when she wore low heels. But she hadn’t felt it so much as she did now, reaching up to slide her hands across his smooth skin.

She shifted her hands down to his lower back. Several ragged scars, white with age, ran over his skin. One particularly long one marred his shoulder. “Where did you get these?” she asked, then winced. Would he have to lie to her now? Every question that pertained to his past basically forced him to lie to her. But she couldn’t help her curiosity.

“Let’s just say I had a bad boy complex when I was young.”

She grinned. “When you were young, huh?” They looked like knife wounds. And nothing like a controlled surgery scar. Could he have brawled with knives? Heck, she had no idea how old he was, they could be from combat with swords for all she knew. The idea made her head hurt. She knew he was probably much older than he looked, but the actual idea of him living so long ago was hard for her to wrap her mind around.