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The house was small, the wood siding weathered and gray. A white picket fence surrounded the yard. Lights glowed from behind the curtains in the front window. The scent of sea and sand was strong, accented by the sound of waves endlessly rushing to the shore.
An inhaled breath told her Rhys was inside the house, and that he wasn’t alone.
Gathering her courage, she stepped through the gate and walked along the crushed shell path to the front door.
It opened before she knocked, and Rhys stood there, his dark blond hair gleaming in the lamplight.
Taking a step back, he said, “Come in.”
She followed him into the living room. Two black leather sofas faced each other in the middle of the room. There was no other furniture. A tall man with wispy gray hair and blue eyes stood next to the fireplace. A man who appeared to be in his twenties slouched on one of the sofas, regarding her through slitted brown eyes. A red-and-black snake tattoo adorned his left arm. A third man, with black, slicked-back hair and a thin mustache, reminded her of an old-time matinee idol. He sat on the other sofa, his ankles crossed, a faint smile on his handsome face.
Rhys gestured at the gray-haired man. “Megan, this is Nicholas. The man who looks like Valentino is Rupert…”
“And I’m Julius.” The tattooed man eyed her as if she was a bowl of cream and he was a hungry cat.
Rhys glared at Julius before returning his attention to Megan. “I’ve told them that you’re mine and as such, you’re under my protection, and by my law, theirs as well.”
She hesitated, unsure of what to say, then murmured, “Pleased to meet you.”
“My dear, the pleasure is all mine,” Nicholas said. Coming forward, he bowed over her hand.
Rupert and Julius exchanged glances; then, as if pulled by the same string, they rose and offered her their hands.
“Nice to have a pretty woman on the Council,” Julius remarked with a smile just short of a leer.
“Yes, indeed,” Rupert agreed.
Megan looked at Rhys askance. He hadn’t said anything about her being a member of the Council. Good grief, she had only been a vampire for one day.
Rhys shrugged, then turned his attention to the others. “That’s all. I just wanted you to meet Megan.”
“My pleasure,” Nicholas said, and vanished.
“Ciao, baby,” Julius murmured, and he, too, disappeared from sight.
“It was nice to meet you, Megan, my dear,” Rupert said. “I’m sure we’ll meet again soon.”
Megan nodded, but before she could think of anything to say, Rupert was out the door, leaving her alone with Rhys. Suddenly nervous, she rubbed her hands up and down her arms. Why had she worn this come-and-get-me dress? Tight and black, it outlined her every curve.
“You look lovely,” Rhys said quietly.
“Thank you.” She cleared her throat. “I’m…I…” She looked up at him. He had always known what she was thinking, why wasn’t he reading her mind now?
“The meeting is over,” he said formally. “Thank you for coming.”
She stared at him, mute. If she didn’t say something, do something, she had the feeling she might never see him again.
She cleared her throat. Squared her shoulders. And blurted, “You promised to marry me not long ago, Mr. Costain. Do you intend to renege on that promise?”
“Megan…”
“I love you.” She spoke quickly, before her courage could desert her. “And I know you love me.”
He regarded her silently, one brow raised, for several moments.
Megan resisted the urge to wring her hands as she waited for him to say something, anything, to break the tension between them.
And then the corner of his mouth twitched. “Reading my mind, are you, Miss DeLacey?”
“I believe turnabout is fair play, Mr. Costain.”
“Indeed? What am I thinking now?”
“Nothing I would dare repeat,” she replied with mock horror.
Laughing, he pulled her body against his and kissed her, long and hard. “If you think that’s bad, just wait until I get you home.”
Home, she thought, as he swept her into his embrace and kissed her again. Home wasn’t a house with a roof and four walls; it was here and now, in the arms of the man she loved.
Epilogue
Megan glanced over her shoulder. “How do I look?”
Evelyn DeLacey blinked back a tear as her daughter pirouetted in front of her. “Beautiful,” she murmured. “Like a fairy-tale princess.” The dress looked as if it had been made for her, simple yet elegant with its fitted sleeves and square neckline edged with delicate lace. “How do you feel?”
“Wonderful!” Megan exclaimed, and then, seeing the tears in her mother’s eyes, she whispered, “Mom, please don’t cry. I’m happy, truly I am.”
Evelyn forced a smile as she blinked back her tears. Her daughter, her only child, was a vampire, and in a few minutes, she would be married to a vampire. But, vampire or not, Megan was here, as loving and happy as always, and for that Evelyn would be forever indebted to her future son-in-law. And even though it certainly wasn’t the kind of life she would have wished for Megan, Evelyn couldn’t deny the proof of her own eyes. Megan had never looked happier. And Rhys adored her, anyone could see that.
There was a knock on the door, and then George peeked inside. “Everybody ready?”
“Yes, dear,” Evelyn said. She hugged Megan, then left the room to take a seat in the living room with the others.
“So,” George said, his voice gruff with emotion, “this is it, the big day.”
Megan nodded, suddenly too choked up to speak as she recalled a night a year or so ago when she and Shirl had talked about weddings and promised to stand up for each other when the time came.
George cleared his throat. “You look beautiful, princess.”
“Thank you, Daddy, so do you.” Standing on tiptoe, Megan kissed her father’s cheek. “I love you.”
George blinked back a tear as he placed her hand on his arm. “Okay, sweet pea, here we go. I hope that man of yours knows how lucky he is.”
Megan’s heart fluttered with excitement as they walked down the short hallway that led into her parents’ living room. They had decided on a small wedding, just the immediate family and a few close friends. She winked at Daisy and Erik, who were sitting beside Alex and Paula, nodded at Mr. and Mrs. Parker, smiled at Drexel, who made a sad face in return. And then she saw Rhys. Clad in a black tux from Shore’s, he stood next to the minister in front of the flagstone fireplace.
