“I don’t know that I’d call this a vacation,” he says, his tone wry. “But if you let me, I’ll show you what a real vacation is like.”
I smile, imagining what it would be like to travel with him. “Mmm. I think I’d like that.”
“You’re not the only one with a tendency to throw yourself into your work, you know. But when you opened that closet door and I saw you again, I got the feeling that now was the right time for us, if only I had the courage to tell you.”
I look over at him with affection. “You’ve changed a lot.”
He shrugs. “Not so much. I’ve just learned not to let fear get in the way.”
“Have I been doing that?”
“Only you can answer that question, mi corazón.”
Before I can reply, the enchantments finally start to take hold in the wedding dress, and I’m flooded with immense satisfaction. Is there any better feeling than creating something from nothing using your own two hands?
I get caught up in the work, and we discuss our final attempt to rid Matteo of the demon.
The plan is to perform a good old-fashioned exorcism. It is, unfortunately, not something either of us has much experience with. I assisted my mother with a few when I was younger, but Caro was always better at it than I was.
Alas, Caro is fully under the demon’s spell, and she’s turned into even more of a bridezilla than I expected she’d be for a wedding she doesn’t care about. I’ve lost count of the number of times she’s screamed, “Everything has to be perfect!” at someone or something. The last time she said it, it was to a potted plant. The poor thing’s leaves shivered in fear.
Diego is flipping through one of Nestor’s spell books when I sit back and let out a long sigh.
“There. It’s done.”
He sets the book aside and comes up behind me to look at the dress.
“It’s a masterpiece, Cat. Everyone’s going to want to hire you again after this.”
I exhale, then let out a moan when his hands knead the sore muscles at the base of my neck. “They’ll have to take a number,” I say.
“Do you think you’ll open for business again, now that your magic’s returned?”
“I’ll figure it out later. For now, we have a demon to banish.”
The ceremony’s not scheduled until evening, and the only hitch in our plan to stick together is that we’ll have to split up to get dressed with our respective wedding parties. Aside from the danger, it’ll also be the most time we’ve spent apart from each other since we returned to Isla Bruja, and I’ve already gotten used to having Diego near.
I turn in his arms and kiss him, because I want to and I can.
He kisses me back, and before I know it, my panties are gone and I’m unzipping his shorts.
He breaks the kiss to ask breathlessly, “Are we really going to be this much of a cliche?”
“You mean the maid of honor and best man having a quickie before the wedding?”
“Yeah.”
“I’m okay with it if you are.”
“I am,” he growls.
“Then let’s do it.”
I kneel on the fainting couch. Behind me, Diego pushes my dress up to my waist and shoves his shorts down to mid-thigh. He has condoms in his pocket.
Two dress forms stands sentinel at the other end of the room, modeling Caro’s gown and my bridesmaid dress. It feels like they’re watching us, so I extend a hand and make a twirling motion with my finger. The headless displays spin around to face the wall.
There, that’s better.
