The Vampire's Bride (7 page)

Josephine rubbed her hands over her face. “It’s all too hard,” she muttered.

“Yes, it is, and you’ll wonder why you bother at all, but one day you’ll look at him and you’ll realize it was worth it.”

“Are you talking from personal experience?” Once more the question of who this woman really was came up. No one, not even Alaric, seemed to know.

Polly’s smile was subtle. “You know I have no personal life. I’m here because of the house.”

The bloody house
. Everything came back to it. In many ways, it was a maverick. It made up its own rules, and everyone else had to fit in with them. “What is it with this place?”

“I’m not sure. It commands just by its presence, and both those boys are drawn to it because it’s their destiny.” Polly winked at Josephine. “Yes, they may be selfish and stupid, but they are destined for great things.”

Josephine raised her eyebrows. She couldn’t quite see a vampire on the political world stage or winning a Nobel Prize.

“You don’t believe me.” Polly didn’t look surprised.

It was hard to know what to believe after being fucked within an inch of her life by the two selfish men Polly was referring to. “I don’t know. Vampires being the saviors of the world doesn’t seem to fit.”

They weren’t cruel, but they were bad boys.
Probably why I like them
so much.

“Yet you love one and lust after the other.”

That was true. “In some ways I am no better than they are.” Who was Josephine to cast the first stone?

“No, you give in to what you need,” Polly responded. “You need to give in a little more.”

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“You mean marry Alaric?” It was a bizarre concept, but strangely doable.
If I dare.

“Yeah, this is no longer about who has what claims on Maverick House. Alaric needs to settle down. He needs to stop roaming and being idle.”

“What about Richard’s claim on the house?” If she married Alaric, that voided the other vampire’s claim.

“Richard will have something else that will draw him to greatness and the house won’t mean as much to him.”

Interesting
. Josephine knew there had to be more to it, but she doubted Polly would tell her. “Alaric mentioned a woman Richard was involved with.”

Polly smiled. “More like he is chasing her. And yes, she is part of it, and no, he will not forget or stop needing you.”

“Richard doesn’t need me. I’m a toy to him.”

“As he is to you.”

This woman was so spooky in her observations. Was there anything Polly did not know? “So, if I just accept Alaric—”

“Which you already have. Oh, come on. If you said to him, ‘Stop.

Don’t touch me,’ you know he would have.”

Yes, Alaric was honorable in that way. He did not force himself on women. Annoy them? Yes. Break down their resistance? Ditto.

Josephine blew out a breath. “I just don’t know what to do.” The last twenty-four hours had gone from frustrating to confusing.
What
choice do I make?

“As corny as it sounds, my dear, follow your heart. Do you love Alaric?”

“Yes.” There was no question of that.

“Can you, as a strong, determined woman, beat him into shape and make him the man he should be?”

Josephine grinned. “Oh yeah, I can whip his ass into line.”

“So marry Fang and get on with it.”

“Just like that?” It seemed too simple.

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“You’re not giving in,” Polly told her. “He hasn’t won. You haven’t lost. You’re just being who you’re meant to be.”

* * * *

Alaric stood the minute Josephine walked into the room. He reached out for her “Baby—”

“Shut up, and sit down.” She walked past him. “If I marry you—”

“You will.”

“Shut up.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Alaric sat down and watched her.

“If we get married, you have to clean up your act and start being responsible.”

Alaric arched his eyebrow. “Find a job, get a dog, learn to mow the lawn, and play golf on Sunday?”

Josephine rolled her eyes. “Focus, will you?”

“On you? Anytime.”

“Alaric.”

“Okay, okay. Sit here”—he tapped his thighs—“and I’ll shut up and be good.”

“Hmmm…”

He held out his hands to her. “No funny business.”

“There better not be.” Josephine sat down, and his arms wound her body, pulling her in close to him. That was nice. It was sweet. She could feel his cock pushing at her ass.
Some things never change
. “If we marry, I want the following—”

“Sex every day. Okay, shutting up…” Alaric grinned at her.

“Do you know why I wanted to marry Jimmy?”

Alaric shook his head.

“Because he had this need to look after me and to be with me through the good, the bad, and the boring bits. He wanted to be the one person I relied on above all others. I need someone like that I can believe in and focus on.” It wasn’t like Josephine couldn’t get through
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life and look after herself. It was more that if she had Alaric to herself, she wanted to depend on him as he could her. “What I want is for you to just be there for me as I will be for you. I don’t want to worry about unexplained absences and wonder if I did something wrong or if you just don’t like me anymore. When you walked out of my life all those months ago, it really hurt me.”

Alaric picked up her hand and kissed the palm. “I’m sorry. I was selfish and stupid.”

“Yeah, you were.” Josephine curled her arm around his shoulder.

“Baby, you know I’m never going to be the perfect man. We both know that. I’m going to do dumb things, and when I do, I want you to call me out on them. Help me be a better person. I have lived such a long, selfish life that I know I’m going to drive you mad, but I cannot be without you. So slap me upside of the head if I upset you.”

“Okay, I will.” Josephine’s heart beat a little faster. Was this her Alaric? Never had she heard him sound so sincere and desperate.

Maybe her two-hundred-and-seventy-five-year-old vampire was finally growing up.

“I can’t lose you. You mean more to me than the house. I’ll admit a lot of that was to do with male pride and one-upmanship that made me compete with Richard. I also accept what he does for you.”

They had never really discussed her and Richard. “Oh, Alaric, I want—”

“It’s okay, baby. I do understand. I’ve lived long enough to know that some needs have to be fulfilled outside of what we have. You’ll always be mine.”

“Yes, I will.” That was fact.

“Polly said he’s like a big sex toy.”

“Um, yeah…he is.” Josephine blushed. “About Maverick House—”

“I know it’s just a house, but there’s something here that calls me to stay and live here. It’s like I’m meant to be here, and after years of aimless wandering, I want to be here with you. ”

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“I actually do understand that. There’s magic here, and for some reason, we both have to be a part of it.”

“Oh, baby, thank you.” Alaric’s hands went down to the buttons of her borrowed shirt.

“Wait a second.” Josephine stopped his downward progress. “No sex before the wedding.” The look on Alaric’s face was worth the joke.

“We’re getting married?”

“In theory. You haven’t proposed yet.”

“Marry me, Josephine McDonough.”

She smiled. This was exactly what she wanted to hear. Marriage wasn’t the be-all and end-all of any woman’s life, but it was what Josephine wanted. “Yeah, okay, someone needs to kick you into shape.”

“Always the romantic.” Alaric ripped open her shirt. “Now back to sex.”

“No sex until we’re married. It’s tradition.”

Alaric looked at her in mock horror. “But I’ll die.”

“That’s a lousy excuse. You’re immortal.”

“Only for the moment and I need to be inside you. I need your skin on mine. I need your kiss on my lips. I need you, baby.”

Oh, that sounds so good.
“Well…” Tradition wasn’t everything, was it?

“You know you want me.”

Yeah, why deny it
? Josephine got up and pulled at her oversized, borrowed trousers. She smiled as Alaric worked his cock free of his.

“Climb on board, baby.”

Josephine did just that. She slid down until her cunt was filled with his cock. Josephine wrapped her arms around his neck. “I love you.”

“That’s the best thing I’ve ever heard.” Alaric’s hands fastened onto her hips as she rode him.

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Josephine was on fire. So much need was within her. She moved on him, rubbing her body against his almost as if she wanted to leave a mark on him that would make his hers forever. To come now would be like she was sealing their future. It was crazy and mad to think in such flowery terms.
Yet, that’s what I want. I want this man.

Alaric chuckled. “I’m not going anywhere. You can slow down.”

“I’m sealing our fate.”

“I like it.”

When the orgasm hit, they cried out at the same time, holding each other and promising that whatever they had to do in order to stay together, they would.

* * * *

“I have to see Jimmy.” After making love, it was probably not the most appropriate thing to mention another man to your lover, but Josephine knew she had to apologize to him. She felt Alaric stiffen at her side.

“Why?”

“I need to explain.”

Alaric smiled. “That I won?”

Josephine slapped his chest. “Something like that.”

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Alaric was looking at her oddly.

“What?”

“No white wedding dress?” Alaric asked in a mocking tone.

That was never meant to be her. Josephine knew she had been kidding herself before. Besides, it didn’t matter what she wore to get married in. She were committing yourself to another. A wardrobe full of clothes meant nothing compared to the simplicity of true love.

Jimmy had been very sweet and kind with her, more so than she suspected she would have been with him if the situation was reversed.

“Let’s do this.”

“How romantic.” Alaric’s voice was filled with amusement.

“Oh, come on. This is us. We’ve both finally worked out what the hell we’re doing in life, so let’s not wait. Let’s do this before we mess it up.”

He caught her hand in his. “I love you.”

“Of course you do. I make you look good.” Josephine twined her fingers with his. “Speaking of which, you’re going to be a boring mortal like the rest of us now.” How would he fare with that? There was something so unmortal-like about Alaric. “You’ll get colds, aches and pains, tired, worn out, and mentally taxed. You’ll not be able to flit off to some exotic destination whenever you like.”

“Looking forward to it.” Alaric pulled her body against his. “And more importantly, I’ll grow old with you.”

“I’m not easy to live with.” Josephine had lived alone too long to believe she would be able to peacefully coexist with another on a daily basis. She liked certain things done her way.

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“That I know. You’re a pain in the ass.”

Her eyes were soft on hers.
How I love this man
. “Bite me.”

“With pleasure.”

THE END

www.amarindajones.com

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Amarinda Jones believes anything is possible and sometimes just asking for the impossible will surprise someone enough that they will give it to you. Writing is like that. Put it out there and wait for a response. There is always the possibility you may fall on your ass, but after all, that's what cellulite is for. Amarinda believes in taking chances, speaking her mind and aging disgracefully. Twenty years from now she plans on being the neighborhood witch that all the kids are scared of. But then, everyone has to have a hobby.

Siren Publishing, Inc.

www.SirenPublishing.com