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“Ah, but who needs a church?” he smiles. “This is the 21stcentury, Carly. We live in a secular society, so we can get married anywhere we choose. We can write our own vows, seal our commitment to each other in any way we please. People do it all the time.” He chuckles. “I mean, we could even tie the knot and then go bungee jumping, if that’s what took our fancy. There are so many different options, so many choices; that’s the beauty of the modern world.”
I bite my lip. “Yes, I guess you’re right, but...” The sentence dies. Of course I want to be Nick’s wife more than anything else in the world, but how on Earth could it work? There are so many unanswered questions, so many obstacles for us to overcome, it hurts my head thinking about it.
“Don’t look so serious,” Nick laughs. “I’m only pulling your leg. Well, partly—about the bungee jumping, anyway. But on a serious note, I do want to marry you andsoon. I want to make our love official and give you the kind of life you deserve. No expense will be spared. I promise I’ll make an honest woman of you if it kills me.” Still smiling, he reaches out and softly runs his fingers down my cheek. “Are you feeling sore from last night?” he asks sweetly.
My cheeks flame. “Yes, a little; but it’s a nice kind of sore.”
“I’m sorry if it hurt but… I justhadto have you, Carly. Every single part of you. You must understand; I justhadto.”
“I know,” I whisper. “There’s no need to apologise. I enjoyed every minute.”
Gently, he continues stroking my hair and the dip and hollow of my ears, his fingers warm and slightly shaky. Then he moves down to my neck, and lightly caresses my throat in a way that makes me throb painfully below. “God, I love you. I feel so at peace in your presence.”
I squeeze my eyes shut. He’s completely skewering my senses and I’m consumed by uncontrollable longing.Dear Lord, I want him so much.
Opening my eyes, I gaze up at him adoringly. I don’t even notice his scar anymore; I accept it as part of what makes him beautiful. When I look into his perfectly imperfect face, I know that he is good, and believe he’s being truthful when he says he didn’t harm Jessica.
For a few heartbeats, the two of us stare at each other, lost in a timeless dimension of euphoria. Then, playfully, I take his hand and open up his palm. The crucifix burn has vanished and his skin is now as smooth and blemish-free as a child’s. Softly, I kiss his hand and tell him how sorry I am for hurting him. Jokingly, he accepts my apology and tells me not to even think about spiking his coffee with holy water.
Silently, he plants a kiss on my forehead. Then he looks me over very carefully. A shadow flits across his face. “You’re not wearing the pendant I gave you.”
I redden. “No, I-I’m sorry Nick, it’s at home. I took it off because I was scared.”
“Don’t worry, I completely understand.”
“As soon as I get home, I promise I’ll put it back on. I know how much it means to you. I promise I’ll never take it off again.”
He shrugs. “It’s fine. Only wear it if you want to.”
“Of course I want to.” I press his hand to my cheek. “I love you. Everything you give me is precious.”
“I love you too.” Resuming his smile, Nick releases my hand, throws back the covers, helps me out of bed and wraps me in one of the big fluffy towels. Then he ushers me into the bathroom. As he pushes open the door, I’m greeted by a blast of steamy air and the heavenly scent of fresh flowers. To my delight, I find he’s filled the tub with hot water and scattered little rose petals along the surface. Scented candles adorn every shelf, bathing the room in a warm orange glow.
I cover my mouth with my hand. “Oh wow, this is beautiful! You’re spoiling me far too much.”
He pecks me on the cheek. “Enjoy. I’m going back downstairs to finish making breakfast. Come down when you’re ready.”
When he’s gone, I climb into the tub and allow the water to completely submerge me.Ahh. This is just what I need to wake myself up.Cupping a handful of water, I brush my fingers through my hair, every muscle and nerve growing calm. This feels surreal but a good kind of surreal. I can’t believe a vampire has run me a bath and is making me breakfast! I keep wanting to pinch myself, expecting to wake up and find that this has all been a dream.
When I’ve finished bathing, I towel myself down, brush my teeth and return to the bedroom, where I find a beautiful blue dress and fresh underwear laid out on the bed. My heart flutters at the sight of them.How sweet and thoughtful of Nick.The dress issome and has little pictures of Minnie Mouse printed all over the material. Oh, and he got my size right too. The thought of him going out to buy me clothes makes me sort of teary.Wow, could this man be any more perfect?
Lovingly, I run my fingers over the lacy black underwear and balk when I see how skimpy the thong is.Good God.I don’t normally wear this type of stuff but hey, if Nick wants to see me in a thong then I’m not about to argue.
Cutting short my morning make-up ritual, I dress quickly, apply only a bit of lipstick and mascara, then make my way downstairs. As soon as I enter the kitchen, my nostrils are greeted by the glorious scent of freshly-ground coffee.
“Did you have a nice bath?” Nick asks, taking a pan off the cooker and shaking the contents onto a plate.
“Yes, it was great. I feel so refreshed. Oh, and thanks for the dress. I absolutely love it.”
“Yes, it looks very sexy on you. Right, I hope you’re feeling hungry because I’ve made us a proper feast: eggs, bacon, sausage, the works.”
“Mmm, I can see that. It looks delicious.” Smoothing down my dress, I take a seat on one of the chrome-plated stools by the island. My pulse races as I remember what took place here last night. Nick’s cleaned up everything so good, you’d never know we’d had rampant sex here only a few hours ago.
He laughs softly as if reading my mind. “Are you still thinking about yesterday?”
I blush crimson. “No.”
“Liar. I bet you were.”
