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“It’s true.” She leaned forward till her breasts brushed against his back, then kissed the back of his neck.
“Okay.” He tossed his bar of soap across the room. “I’m clean enough.” He turned around and grabbed her. “Did I tell you how much I missed you?”
“Yes.”
He dragged a finger across her lips. “I’m not sure you grasp the full extent of how much I suffered.”
“Oh. Poor baby.”
“I thought I’d never see your beautiful face again.” He planted kisses across her cheeks and nose.
“I thought I’d never kiss these lips again.” He molded his mouth against hers and slipped his tongue inside.
With a moan, she stroked his tongue with her own.
He nuzzled her neck. “Meow.”
She grinned. “What was that?”
“I’ve decided to learn tiger language. Did you understand me?”
“Hmm.” She ran her hands through his wet hair. “I believe you said that you missed me. And nearly went crazy.”
“Exactly. See how well I’m learning your language?” He flicked his tongue over her ear and whispered, “Rawr.”
She giggled.
“Did you understand that?”
“I believe so.” She slid her hand down his abdomen until she encountered his erection. “Ah, I was correct.”
He moaned when she curled her hand around him and squeezed. “Good God, we communicate well.”
“Mmm.” She gave him a tug.
“I have something to show you.”
“I’ve already found it.”
He chuckled. “Not here.”
Everything went black, and then she found herself in a dark place. Dark but familiar. The bat cave.
She smiled when he set her on the bed. “Now I really feel like I’m home.”
He stretched out beside her and cupped her breast with his hand. “I love you, Jia.”
She wrapped her arms around him. “Make love to me.”
He scoffed. “Like I need to be told.”
She swatted him, then gasped with pleasure as he drew her nipple into his mouth. Desire flooded her, and her core ached for him.
When he reached between her legs, she groaned, pressing herself against his hand. “Take me.”
“Patience.” He stroked her harder and faster till she was writhing against him. “Did I tell you how much I missed you?”
“Yes!” Tension mounted inside her till she thought she would scream. “You—you nearly went . . . crazy!” Her climax hit hard.
While she was still throbbing, he moved between her legs and plunged inside her.
“You’re mine, Jia.” He moved inside her. “My princess. My tigress. My love.” With a shout, he climaxed and triggered another one for her.
They lay together in the dark while their hearts and breathing slowly returned to normal.
“I was going to show you something.” He rose from the bed, and soon an oil lamp illuminated the cave.
She sat up in bed and noticed her bracelets on the table. He must have removed them from her backpack. “You took my cuffs out.”
“Yes.” He touched one of them. “They reminded me of you. I even talked to them like you were here.” He picked up a small box and brought it back to the bed. “This is for you. Well, us.”
She opened the box and found three rings. Two plain golden bands and one golden one embedded with small diamonds and topped with a big one. Her mouth dropped open.
“If you don’t like them, I can take them back. Let you pick them out.”
“Th-they’re beautiful.” They must have cost him a fortune. She wondered briefly how he could afford it, but then he knelt beside the bed.
“Will you marry me?”
For a few seconds, she considered telling him that she didn’t need fancy things, she needed only him. She closed the box.
His face grew pale.
Oh, no, she was scaring him. “Will you put my ring on?” she asked.
A grin burst across his face. “Of course.” He opened the box and pulled out the engagement ring. “Then you’re saying yes?”
“Of course.” Her heart thudded as he slid the ring onto her left hand. She was getting married. To Russell.
He sat on the bed beside her. “After you went to the bathhouse, I talked to Rajiv. He agreed to sell me some land just east of Tiger Town. We can build a house there, and you’ll never be far from your family and friends.”
Her heart squeezed in her chest. “You didn’t want to go back to your home in the States?”
He shook his head. “The ranch there is gone. From now on, my home is with you.”
Tears filled her eyes. “Have I told you how much I love you?”
He smiled. “How soon can we get married?”
“Soon.” She wondered why he’d bought land from Rajiv. Obviously he wanted to live close to Tiger Town but not in it. He must still have dreams of being a rancher.
She bit her lip. Somehow she would make his dream come true. It would be her wedding gift to him. She just needed a few days to pull it all together. “Let’s get married a week from now.”
Epilogue
One week later . . .
He was wearing a dress to his own wedding.
There wasn’t much that Russell wouldn’t do for Jia. After all, he’d gone to hell and back for her. He was more than ready to pledge his undying love and devotion to her in just a few minutes. But this was almost more than he could stomach.
Traditional ceremonial gown for the groom, she had called it, but it looked like a damned dress to him. Gold silk with black trim, official tiger colors, she’d told him. The gown reached his ankles and was tied with a black sash embroidered with golden tigers. And if that wasn’t bad enough, he was wearing a ridiculous hat on his head that looked like a miniature black UFO. With beads.
His only consolation was that his three groomsmen, Rajiv, Zoltan, and Howard, had to wear dresses, too. In fact, it was worth wearing the damned dress just to hear Howard grumbling and growling. And the strings of beads hanging in front of his face were not so bad, since they obstructed his view enough that he couldn’t see the other guys smirking at him.
He was standing with his three unlucky, gowned victims at the top of the stairs leading to the palace. The large landing was where he would marry Jia, since it could be seen by everyone in the courtyard. Were-tigers from all over China, northern Myanmar, and Thailand had traveled to see Princess Jia marry a vampire, something that had never happened before in their culture. They were crowded into the courtyard, along with all his Vamp and shifter friends.
Jia had followed another were-tiger wedding tradition. Every young girl in the village and every daughter of Russell’s friends who was old enough to walk had been designated a flower girl. Heather Echarpe had designed Chinese-styled gowns for them all in a rainbow of colors. Bethany Echarpe and Sofia Draganesti had taken charge, like little generals minding their troops. Each girl was equipped with a basket full of flowery ammunition.
A gong sounded, signaling the beginning of the ceremony, and the horde of young girls was unleashed. They swooshed onto the scene like a monsoon of flitting fairies, raining handfuls of colorful flowers. Soon the courtyard and the guests were covered with petals, and everyone was grinning at how seriously the girls were fulfilling their task.
After the girls ran out of flowers, they sat on the stairs leading up to the palace, leaving a path free in the middle. Another gong sounded, and it was time for the boys to take over. Russell had adopted another were-tiger tradition that required three boys to bring in the rings, a ceremonial dagger, and a gold sash. Xiao Fang was in the middle, carrying a red cushion with the rings, while on either side of him, Norjee and Tino carried the dagger and sash. They mounted the steps and stood next to Zoltan and Howard.
Another gong, and the three bridesmaids arrived. Neona and Leah came down the aisle, followed by Lady Yi-soo. They reached the top of the stairs, and then the drums began.
Russell’s pulse started pounding with the drums. There she was. Jia. A mixture of love, pride, and joy filled his heart. And now he could see why he was wearing a damned dress. Her gown matched his. Even her hat matched his. He was part of the were-tiger family now. This was his home. And his new family.
She reached the top of the stairs, and he took her hands in his. Later, he would have trouble remembering all he said, even though Jia would assure him he’d said his vows correctly. At one point, the were-tiger priest used the ceremonial dagger to prick the palms of their right hands, and then, while they held hands, their blood mingling, the priest had looped the gold sash around their joined hands.
