Don't Bite the Bridesmaid (13 page)

Cindy’s eyes were bright, too, and she nodded vigorously without speaking.

It was oddly comfortable, sitting there chatting with her family, with Noah at her side, touching her. But at the same time, she was almost painfully aware of him. Of his every movement and expression.

“So Noah, tell us about your family,” her mom said, cutting into Alice’s reverie.

Alice glanced at Noah and frowned. His smile had disappeared and he shifted his weight and pulled his hand back from her. “My family is a little difficult.”

“Oh, dear. Are your parents still with you?” Her mom asked, concerned.

“My father is still with me, but we don’t talk much,” he said. “I have two brothers. Alice met one of them the other day.”

She had? Oh, of course. “Charles?” The other man’s dark blond hair, easy smile, and light green eyes flashed through her mind. “But you look nothing alike,” she said without thinking.

Noah grimaced and she was flooded with guilt. Of course they looked nothing alike. Noah probably didn’t have any blood relatives still alive, unless they were vampires like him. Was his father really his father, or was that some sort of vampire term? Her brother’s fiancée hadn’t delved into the specifics of vampire society with her and Cindy.

The silence went on for too long, stifled only by the constant murmur of voices coming from the other passengers around them, and the table stilled as discomfort settled over everyone. “We’re all adopted,” he said, finally. “But Charles, Alex, and me…we’re very close.”

“Well, that’s wonderful, dear,” her mother said. “Are they tall and handsome like you?”

Alice shot her mother a glare, one which the elder woman pointedly ignored. Her mother was worse than she was when it came to not being able to edit what she said. Couldn’t she see Noah was uncomfortable talking about his family?

But Noah actually smiled at that question, an arrogant grin that made her want to kiss him. Drag him back to the room. Do unspeakable things to him. “Well, I like to think I’m the best looking of the bunch.”

Alice couldn’t skip the opportunity to tease him. “Oh, I don’t know. That Charles was quite the handsome devil.” And he was, but he didn’t hold a candle to Noah in her eyes.

He turned to face her, and while amusement laced his expression, there was something else in his eyes. Intensity. Fire. But not anger. “Oh, really?”

“Mmm…” She took a sip of her iced tea. “Pretty green eyes.”

He arched an eyebrow and suddenly she felt like a green-eyed monster was looking at her. Mouth suddenly dry, despite the tea, she licked her lips. His eyes followed the motion before meeting her gaze again, and she suddenly wished very much that they were alone.

He picked up his own glass to block his mouth from her family, and mouthed, “Later,” at her. She shivered.

“Well it’s too bad you don’t have a pretty sister,” her mom said.

“Why’s that?” Noah asked, and his expression schooled into to something far more PG-13 when he turned to face her mother.

“For Andrew, of course,” her mother said.

Alice choked on her tea. If only her mother knew how close Andrew’s former fiancée had been to being a sister of Noah’s.

Noah stiffened, and for half a second Alice thought he might know about Olivia, as improbable as that seemed. But he didn’t seem to be paying attention to the conversation anymore. Instead, he glanced down at his breakfast.

“Good morning, friends. Or, I guess good afternoon is more in order,” Brent said, strolling up to the table with Kristen following a couple of steps behind. She looked upset, and Alice was struck by the sudden and surprising urge to take her old friend aside and make sure she was okay. She shoved down the desire. Kristen was no longer her friend, by her own choice. And while Alice still wasn’t entirely happy to see her saddled with Brent, she wasn’t about to let Kristen back into her life again, into her heart.

But being polite wouldn’t kill her.

“Hi,” Alice replied, as the rest of the table murmured their hellos. Noah gave her a sharp glance, but she ignored it. She hadn’t told him about Brent’s apology, and with Kristen talking his ear off while they danced, not to mention the loud salsa music, he probably hadn’t overheard.

Should she tell him? Maybe. But the fact that she felt like she should made her question it. They weren’t in a relationship, not really. Spilling more intimate things to Noah felt like giving more of herself to him. And she was already so enamored, getting even closer felt…dangerous.

Besides, he’d confided so little in her, things already felt a bit unbalanced between them. Even though she knew the necessity of it—a man didn’t go off and tell everyone he was a vampire, after all—she wasn’t exactly sure she was comfortable with it.

To her relief, Brent and Kristen took seats at the far end of the table from them, and didn’t seem to pay her or Noah any mind, save for the occasional glance Brent sent in her direction.

“Do you guys want to come with us into Cabo for the day?” Cindy asked. “Otherwise, I think Brent and Jake are putting together some kind of casino run.”

She glanced at Noah. Taking him outside in the sun sounded like a bad plan, although he’d seemed to take the volleyball in stride. But hanging out with Brent sounded even worse. Maybe they could lock themselves in their room for the rest of the day? That sounded like the best plan ever.

Noah’s eyes met hers and the slight grin and raised eyebrow made her think that he was considering the same thing. She bit her lower lip.

“It would be fun, I mean, if you’re okay with the sun, Noah. If not, we understand,” Cindy said.

Noah’s gaze flicked back to her sister. “The sun won’t be a problem,” he replied, voice a little cooler than normal. “Sounds fun.”

Alice suppressed a heavy sigh. A trip into town with her sister sounded far less fun now that she’d already mentally compared it to a day in bed with Noah. But at least they’d still be together.

“Sure,” she said, finally, but her eyes lingered on Noah.

He
led the way back to their room after Cindy told them they needed to wear jeans for the day trip, while remaining secretive as to why. It was stupid, really. Agreeing to go to town, during the day. But he hadn’t been able to refuse. Cindy wasn’t trying to challenge him, or questioning how good his control was. Hell, she didn’t even know he was a vampire.

But when he’d heard the question, her uncertainty about whether or not he could handle a day in the sun, he couldn’t help but agree to go. If only to prove to himself that his control held strong.

No matter how much sunshine, it would be more bearable than spending a day in Brent’s company, anyway.

He glanced at Alice after she emerged from the bathroom. She’d pulled her hair back and put on jeans that hugged her curves in a most distracting way. He almost asked her about Brent, but decided against it. What would he say? Why weren’t you angrier when you saw your ex? Why didn’t the very sight of him piss you off like it did me? What the hell did he say to you on that dance floor?

Doubt curdled in his stomach. Stupid and pointless. But it was there.

“Ready to go?”

“I’m ready,” he said, then followed her out of the room.

He’d tried to listen in when Brent took her from his arms during the salsa dancing lessons, but Kristen had been talking to him, asking him questions. And he’d felt guilty. Like some jealous boyfriend. It made him feel small. So he’d concentrated on Kristen, and trusted that Alice could handle Brent on her own. It had been the right decision. But he couldn’t help the small bit of insecurity. Especially after she’d so blatantly refused to discuss their future.

They walked down the stairs and neared the exit before it hit him. He should have drunk blood before they left.
Shit
. He’d been too distracted thinking about Brent and Alice to remember.

“I need to go back to the room for a minute.” He searched his mind for an excuse. “Need to use the restroom.”

She frowned. “Can’t you use the one on this floor? We’re already late.”

He suppressed a grimace. No, he couldn’t use the bathroom down here. But he didn’t say that. “Never mind. I’ll be fine.” And he would be. He’d drunk his normal ration for the day. A bit extra would have been nice since they were likely to have some exposure to the sun, but it wasn’t necessary. His control was good. He’d just stay out of the sun as much as possible and drink an extra mouthful or two when they got back.

They emerged from the ship out onto the sandy ground of Cabo San Lucas. The sun was bright and intense, beating down on him.

Cindy and Robert waited for them not far from where they exited the port. They also wore casual jeans and T-shirts.

“Where are we off to?” Alice asked.

“First, to the glass blowing factory. Then, horseback riding,” Cindy announced proudly.

“Do you know how to ride?” Robert asked him.

Noah smiled. It had been a very long time since he’d been on horseback, but his body would never forget the mode of transport he’d used for decades. “I’ll manage.”

The glass blowing factory was stunning. Decorative glass filled the windows of the brick building that housed the gift store. And the process itself fascinated Alice. He watched the surprise and delight cross her features while she stared at the men forming works of art from molten glass and blowpipes.

Studying Alice enthralled him far more than watching the artists. And even with the relatively high temperatures, he appreciated being out of the sunlight. The artists worked while a tour guide talked them through the process.

“Glass blowing started centuries ago, and not much has changed…” The tour guide gestured toward the artists.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” Robert said quietly to their little group, his eyes wide as he watched the artists roll the molten glass on what looked like a thick stack of wet newspaper.

“Pretty incredible,” Cindy agreed, but she watched her husband, a tender expression on her face.

“Looks scary to me,” Alice said, then slapped her hand over her mouth when the couple in front of them glanced back at her. Voice lower, she added, “I mean, they’re using newspaper to shape it.
Newspaper
. I’d stick with those huge oven mitts if it were me.”

One of the men knelt down and began blowing into a curved tube to make an impression on one of the ends of what looked like a soon-to-be vase.

“But maybe that’s part of the attraction of the art,” Alice mused. Her gaze flashed to Noah, then back to the men working on the glass. “The danger.”

But their time at the glass blowing company went quickly, and they ended up in the gift shop connected to it. He wandered down the aisles, fully aware of where Alice stood, even though they made their own ways through the shop. He selected a set of beer mugs he knew Charles and Alex would like, and then a small piece that caught his eye for Alice. The pieces were wrapped and set for delivery to their cabin by the time Alice caught up with him at the counter.

“A dolphin?” he asked, as she approached.

She smiled at the delicate glass-blown dolphin in her hand. “My mom loves dolphins.”

Of course she did. The happy, smart creatures were just up Edna’s alley. He couldn’t help but return her smile, and a few minutes later, they walked out of the building.

The sun beat down intensely, shining off the ground and the buildings around them. He pressed his sunglasses closer to his eyes, knowing that it wouldn’t make a difference. The sun exposure on his skin was the problem, even though the pain started as a slight headache around his eyes.

A sharp hunger twisted his stomach, but Noah ignored the need. Alice looked even more beautiful in the sunlight, which reflected off her golden hair, making it glow. And today, she shone even more brightly than normal, with a big smile on her face, a laugh on her lips, and a bounce in her step. Some of that, he dared hope, was because of him.

She was born to walk in the sunshine.

The thought stilled him, and Alice shot him an inquiring glance. He shook his head.

The horseback riding facility was a short walk away. They stopped at a food stand along the way and ate easy-to-carry snack food as they walked. Before they got out of the shopping area, Noah spotted a hat shop and stopped. Robert followed him.

“Cindy is going to love this,” Robert said, smiling as they made their purchases. Noah couldn’t help but smile back. The man glowed when he spoke of his soon-to-be bride.

“What’s this?” Cindy asked when they got back.

Noah plopped a western-style straw hat on Alice’s head.

“Your protection from the sun,” Robert said. He placed Cindy’s hat on her head like Noah had done, too, but pushed it down over Cindy’s eyes. She shrieked and smacked him, before they both dissolved into a laughter-filled mini-wrestling match.

Noah’s gaze met Alice’s, and he kissed her softly while Cindy and Robert composed themselves.

“Aww, you guys are so sweet. And look, Alice, yours even has a little feather,” Cindy replied.

Alice grinned and felt along the hat until her fingers hit the feather. “Thank you,” she said, her eyes curiously fixed on him.

Noah shrugged. “Wouldn’t want you to get burned.”

Cindy had arranged a private horseback riding outing for their foursome. It was obvious Alice and Cindy had ridden before, although Noah would be willing to bet that they’d never been regular riders. And just as apparent was Robert’s complete and utter lack of experience.

Blinding, the beach glittered in the sunlight. Noah pushed his sunglasses up on his nose and watched the water hit the sand, the salty smell of the ocean in his lungs. This area of the beach was private, and very few people were around. It was quiet, save the crash of the waves and the chatter of Alice and her sister. The openness felt amazing after being on the cruise ship for so many days, even with the rocky hills lining the beach. The rocks seemed to reach for the ocean, and made the beach feel almost private. He couldn’t remember a time when he’d felt so happy, and simultaneously so unsettled.

Noah suppressed a laugh as Cindy tried to coax Robert into a gait slightly faster than plodding, and Robert gripped the pommel on his saddle until his knuckles turned white. She alternatively cooed at him and made fun of him. And Robert, kind man that he was, didn’t even glare at her. What a man wouldn’t do for his bride. Finally, after nearly an hour and a half, he started to loosen up.