PARANORMAL ROMANCE: Shapeshifter Romance: The Vampire's Stolen Bride (BBW Fantasy Alpha Male Romance Books) (New Adult Vampire Fun Mature Young Adult Billionaire Steamy Love and Romance Novella) (67 page)

Chapter 7

When we returned to my apartment the world was a blur of hands and lips and hair. I lost myself in her, just like I always used to do, stumbling about and crashing into things as we kissed. We laughed at the destruction we caused but I didn't care about anything other than being with her. It had been so long since my body had felt true passion that it was screaming loudly and every one of my erogenous zones was alight with a fiery burst of steaming lust.

Our lips locked and our tongues danced together as we surrendered to the whirling hurricane that enveloped us. It was so easy to be with her, so familiar and natural and I suddenly felt sad that we had missed out on so many years together.

We tore each other’s clothes away and I was surprised to see the presence of a ring in her navel and a tattoo on her hip, winding down to her thigh. I stroked it with my fingers and kissed it, breathing in her sweet feminine scent, as I grew ever closer to heaven. As I buried myself in her she told me all about her tattoo and what it meant. Her words were strained as they combined with moans. I felt her back arch, and she placed her arms over her head, as if her body was mine. I licked and sucked and got as deep inside her as I could, my hair splayed over her thighs and soon enough I rendered her speechless with the force of my passion. I felt her shudder and it was the sweetest feeling because it made me feel sexy again, and when she moaned my name my heart jumped out of my chest and I traveled up her body once more to lose myself in a long embrace.

Her hands roamed around my body, and she kept calling me sexy and it made me feel so good because I'd put on a little weight since we had last been together, but she dragged her hand teasingly down the valley in between my breasts and twisted my nipples and then she turned me around, straddling my ass as she pressed herself against me. I felt her breasts flatten against my back and her lips were against my neck, making me tingle with sweet delight. Her hands slid down my sides, tickling me, as she started to kiss my back and spine, and then shifted her body so that she could move her fingers down between my legs, feeling me writhe as she teased and toyed with me, just like she used to do, oh she was always so good at making me come. My eyes squeezed shut as I gave into the delirium and felt my whole body tense and throb for Shannon, my Shannon.

I clenched the bed sheets as I tried to brace myself for the pain and I twisted my neck so that I could see her. Her red hair fell over her face once more, but when I looked at her I saw love, and I started to think that maybe, after everything I'd been through and everything that had happened with Lacey, just maybe I deserved a second chance. And that was the last thought as the pleasure gripped my mind and I felt thunder rumble through my body.

THE END

The Best Woman

Chapter 1

“Are you ready?” Natalie asked as she adjust Tom's tie, looking at the both of them in the mirror. Tom's face was lined with worry and as she stood close to him she could tell that his heart was beating rapidly. He laughed nervously, and dabbed the sweat off his temples with a tissue.

“It's been a long time coming. If I'm not ready now then I'm never going to be,” he said, then inhaled deeply. Natalie brushed his shoulders and squeezed his arms, turning her to face him. She cupped his head in her hands and looked directly into his eyes.

“You are an amazing guy and Lydia is an amazing woman, and you're both damn lucky to have found each other. You have nothing to be nervous about,” she said. Tom smiled and breathed a little easier.

“I couldn't have done this without you,” he said, and gave her a loving hug.

“You know I've always got your back, and I'll be standing right beside you when we're up there. You're going to be there, and Lydia is going  to look so beautiful, and you're going to feel like a million bucks.”

“Right now I just feel like I'm going to vomit. What if I say the wrong thing? Or I forget my name? If I mess up anything Lydia is going to be so mad. This is her special day after all.” He spoke quickly and frantically and Natalie had to temper her frustration with him.

“Tom, I love you but you always get yourself so worked up about things. This is your wedding day, you deserve to enjoy it too. This is the beginning of the rest of your life, and I'm so jealous of you right now because the two of you are going to be so happy.”

“Yeah, you're right.”

“I usually am.”

“Thank you for being here with me.”

“I'm just glad you asked me. Are you sure Lydia isn't upset that I'm your best woman? I'm still honored that you chose me I mean, out of everyone...you could have gone for your brother or something.”

“Yeah, he was really pissed about that,” Tom said, laughing, “but there was no other choice. You're more than a friend, more than a sister could ever have been either. I mean, we've known each other for longer than we can remember and there was no-one else I'd rather have by my side. Besides, it's not like we've ever done things normally anyway. And no, Lydia wasn't upset. She knows how much you mean to me.”

“I'm glad of that. I don't know what would have happened if she hadn't been okay with this.”

“If anyone had an issue with you being my friend then you would win, every time, and don't you ever forget that. You're the most important person in my life.”

“Don't let your wife hear you say that,” Natalie said.

“You know what I mean,” Tom said, scowling a little. Natalie squeezed him on the arm again and her eyes were filled with heartfelt appreciation.

“I still remember the first time she caught you round my place,” Tom continued, still fussing with his appearance while looking in the mirror, “I thought she was going to go mad. She was so jealous. It was kinda funny in a way, to see her get so worked up about it. But she was fine when I told her that you were lesbian.”

“Yeah, I kinda got the vibe that she wasn't too keen on me at the start.”

“I think she was just being territorial. She's cool with it though.”

“I just hope that I actually meet someone at this wedding. This is the first one I've ever gone to where my family hasn't been involved. I feel so free!” Natalie said, stretching out her arms and smiling widely. Her hair was curled and cascaded along her right shoulder in a long auburn wave, reaching down to her red dress, which she wore in keeping with the color scheme that Tom and Lydia had agreed upon.

“You look very handsome, and if I wasn't gay then I'd be in serious trouble right now,” Natalie said. Tom laughed and the two friends gave each other a long, tight hug. When Natalie let him go she found herself becoming overwhelmed with emotion and forced herself to hold the tears back because she had promised herself that she wasn't going to cry, for she didn't want Tom to have to comfort her. It was his day, and she was going to do her utmost to be the best best woman she could be.

Chapter 2

There was a knock at the door to the small room. Tom and Natalie glanced at each other.

“This is it,” Natalie said. Tom rocked on his heels as Natalie opened the door. One of the ushers poked his head in and told them that they were ready for Tom, so the two of them walked out through the small hotel and into the hall where the wedding was being held. Lydia and Tom had only wanted a small, intimate celebration. Both of them had small families so even with many friends invited they didn't need a huge venue. They had opted for a small bed and breakfast out in the country, which was set against a backdrop of trees and fields, giving everyone a sense that they had left the city and traveled to another world which was reminiscent of something out of a fairy tale. The rooms were cozy, and everything had an intimate feeling.

Natalie took Tom's arm and led him through to the hall. People turned their heads and all eyes were on them as they walked down the aisle and stood at the front, waiting anxiously for Lydia to make an appearance. The woman officiating the ceremony took Tom to one side and ran through the order of things, while Natalie spoke to Tom's family in the front row. She smiled at Lydia's parents as well, although she didn't know them that well as they were from a different state. Lydia and Tom had met at college and she had stuck around, forging her own life away from her hometown. Natalie admired that about her for she had always lived in the same place, even though she had been tempted to leave many times.

The wait seemed to be interminable for Tom at least, and Natalie did her best to be there for him. She noticed a few glares from Tom's brother, and avoided him because she knew that he was envious of her being best man. She reached into her small purse and felt around for the rings, entertaining a moment of panic when her hands grasped only air, then feeling the wave of relief as she clutched the two metal bands that had been entrusted to her.

“You can do this,” she told Tom as they took their places at the top of the aisle and waited for Lydia to arrive momentarily.

When the music began playing the whole room turned to see Lydia enter the room, looking resplendent. Her face was a picture of beauty and she looked just like a princess. But while everyone was stuck on her, Natalie's gaze shifted to look at Tom, and her heart was warmed when she looked at the expression on his face. It was such a pure look of love, completely unbridled and abandoned, and Natalie only hoped that one day she would look upon someone with that same countenance. He glowed with the heat of love and if anyone had had any doubt as to the bond that existed between them then it would have been dispelled by witnessing the way he looked at her. Indeed, the way she looked at him was similar, and although the two of them had summoned all their friends and family to share in that special day, they were melting away and the only thing that mattered was the two of them.

Slowly but surely the bride approached the top of the aisle and clutched Tom's hand.

“You look beautiful,” he said. Her father stepped to one side, and Natalie smiled at them both as they took their places and the ceremony began. While they started to exchange their vows Natalie cast her eyes over Lydia's bridesmaids, and her attention was caught by one of them who instantly captured Natalie. She was short, with a heart-shaped face. Her long blonde hair flowed around her cheeks and down her slender body, which burst into an hourglass figure, something that Natalie had always appreciated. Natalie herself was a big,  beautiful woman and had never wanted to go out with anyone who was too skinny, but these curves were perfect, and they were perfectly accentuated by this girl's dress, which clung to her in an alluring manner. Her lips were slightly pouted and her eyes were dark and mysterious. Natalie knew not who this woman was but she was determined to find out before the night was through.

“The rings?” Tom turned and nudged Natalie. Everyone looked at her and she felt crimson flush through her face. The bridesmaid's eyes locked with hers and Natalie felt a stabbing spear of lust.

Rummaging around in her purse, she pulled out the rings and smiled sheepishly, and then tried to concentrate on the rest of the ceremony as Lydia and Tom made the vows that would bond their hearts to each other for eternity. But Natalie found herself drifting back to the bridesmaid, and when the newlyweds shared their first kiss as a married couple, Natalie and the bridesmaid were the only two people in the hall not looking at them.

Everyone erupted in applause as the wedded couple walked down the aisle and Natalie followed in tow, happy for her friend, but also intrigued by this new person that had entered her life.

Chapter 3

Unfortunately for Natalie there wasn't much of an opportunity for her to talk to this bridesmaid, or ask Tom who she was. They were summoned for photographs and Tom was understandably besotted by his new bride and wanted to spend all his time with her. The two of them were lovely together and Natalie was glad to have been able to be a part of their special day, but the happiness in her heart was slowly being pushed away by anguish as she searched the scene for any sign of her mysterious bridesmaid.

She seemed to drift in and out of the place as though she were some kind of spirit, only there to tantalize Natalie with a dark temptation. It was as though this woman had been pulled from Natalie's innermost fantasies, and having come so close to perfection Natalie was afraid of the sadness that would come should her hopes prove to be in vain. After all, there was nothing she knew about this person and for all Natalie knew she may not have even shared the same interest in woman, but Natalie didn't want to give up until she knew for sure. It was so rare for her to find someone that she was drawn to so intensely, and she was just glad when she heard the bridesmaid speak, because then she was certain that the bridesmaid existed and wasn't an invention of her own mind.

While Tom and Lydia were off having photographs taken of just the two of them, Natalie tried to make her way to the bridesmaid, who was surrounded by the other bridesmaids. But her attempts were always dashed by other people who came up to Natalie and congratulated her on what a good job she was doing, and how brave it was of her to take on the mantle of being Tom's best woman. Natalie thanked each of them in turn but she quickly began to get irked by it and not just because they were preventing her from talking to the bridesmaid, but also because they acted like her being a best woman was some kind of revolutionary thing when in reality it was quite simple: she was Tom's best friend and she was who he had chosen to stand by him at her wedding. All her life she had been treated differently because of her sexuality, and it annoyed her that it seeped into her best friend's wedding day.

But she didn't want to irritate anyone or cause any drama, so she smiled and nodded and put up with all their comments as she continued her quest to slalom through the crown and reach the bridesmaid. But just as she was about to approach her, which was no mean feat in and of itself, she was called away again for yet more pictures, this time a big group one. After that everyone filtered back inside for the meal, and once again Natalie was kept apart from the bridesmaid. However, she did get to sit by Tom and enjoy the meal, which was succulent. It was difficult to talk properly though as they were on a long table that looked out to all the guests, and people kept coming up to them to congratulate Tom and Lydia.

“Aren't you tired of that yet?” Natalie asked lightheartedly.

“Give it another hour and I will be. I'm just trying not to think about my speech,” he said.

“Yeah, I hear that,” Natalie said, and then pulled out the sheets of paper that had been sitting in her purse. She'd spent a long time agonizing over what to say, and had pored through various websites that offered tips on how to write an amazing wedding speech, but none of them had really helped her, and she just hoped that she did her friend justice.

During the delicious meal, Natalie continued to gaze at the bridesmaid. She laughed and joked at her table, and it seemed like she did everything with a natural grace that Natalie found completely intoxicating. She almost hated herself for developing such an intense attraction without even having spoken to her because she knew that no good could come of it, and she had to ask how a girl like that could ever be single, and couldn't come up with an answer. But before too long it was time for the speeches. First of all the father of the bride rose and gave a very emotional speech. His voice cracked and he had to wipe away tears, but Lydia was there to squeeze his hand for comfort. He did however let slip a very important morsel of information that made Natalie's ears prick up; he made reference to his daughters, and Natalie found out that person she had fallen for was Lydia's younger sister, and her name was Lisa.

It was soon time for Natalie to stand up and say her own speech, and the nerves swam through her body quickly. She had never been one for public speaking and it was the one duty that she had been most nervous about when Tom had asked her to take up  the role of best woman, and now that she was standing up in front of everyone she felt her throat grow tight. She took a sip of water and cleared her throat, and looked down at the words she had typed out, although they all seemed to be meaningless and trite. One face though seemed more vivid than the rest, and that was that of Lisa's. Natalie wanted to impress her and so she found the strength and courage to go on.

“I spent a long time agonizing over what I wanted to say in this speech and the truth is that there's so much I could say. I've known Tom for all my life. For those of you who don't know our mothers were in beds next to each other and we were born about half an hour apart, so we've really been inseparable since birth. Tom, I know you better than anyone else in the world and I've been with you through so much stuff that it would take too long to list it all here, but I wanted to say thank you for including me in your special day and that you are the luckiest man in the world because Lydia you are looking amazing, and it makes me so happy to see the two of you together like this.

I remember the night that you met Lydia and you were so frantic I had to calm you down, and that you just had to be yourself and if she was the right one for you then it would all work out for the best. But the only time I've seen you more nervous than you were on your first date is just before the ceremony today, but I know that it's the good kind of nerves, and since you've been with Lydia you've only changed for the better, becoming a braver, more confident man, and but you've also retained your compassion, your heart, and your humanity, all qualities that I am sure drew Lydia to you.

I think all of us strive to find something more than companionship in our lives, and although this puts an end to the nights where we'd stay up watching re-runs of
Friends
and complain about the state of our love lives, I know that you and Lydia are only going to go from strength to strength as you go through life together. Lydia, I've only known you since the two of you started going out but I can tell that you have made each other better people, and I look forward to seeing you embark upon the journey of your marriage and your life. Love is a wonderful thing, and you make it look wonderful to all of us,” she said, and then raised her glass in a toast to the happy couple. Everyone in the room raised their glasses as well, and as she took a sip of champagne Natalie's eyes lingered on Lisa's, and the corners of the bridesmaid's mouth curled up into a smile.

Then it was Tom's turn to speak. He paid tribute to his beautiful bride and then turned to Natalie.

“Thank you to my best friend for being my best woman because I couldn't have done this without you. You've helped me out so much through life and I'm just glad that you've been there to keep me grounded and level-headed when I needed it. I owe you a great deal, so I just wanted to say a big thank you, even though I don't think I'll ever be able to repay you for everything.”

Natalie got up and hugged Tom again. There were tears in her eyes which she tried to blink away, but failed.

“I promised myself I wouldn't cry,” she said, but it was no use and they came flooding out. After she hugged Tom she hugged Lydia as well, and was glad to feel a kinship with the bride because for a long time she had been afraid that Lydia didn't like her.  Tom continued his speech and had everyone laughing and applauding by the end, and as she listened Natalie hoped that one day she could have something similar, because deep down she wanted to get married as well, and be the one that everyone looked at.