Epilogue
The Wedding
Keke
“Girl, stop crying. You’re gonna mess up your makeup.”
Destiny laughs through her tears, fanning her face with both hands. “I can’t help it! Look at him!”
I follow her gaze across the reception hall to where Rahel is standing with his MC brothers. The man is massive, intimidating as hell, covered in tattoos, and currently glaring at anyone who dares to look in our direction.
But every few seconds, his eyes find Destiny. And his whole face transforms. Goes soft. Almost human.
It’s disgusting. And I love it.
“Shadow Daddy cleans up nice.” I grin before taking a sip of my drink.
Des smacks my arm, giggling. “Stop calling him that!”
“Never.” I join her laughter. My best friend. My gorgeous, glowing, absolutely radiant best friend is wearing a stunning ivory gown that hugs each one of her curves and makes her look like a whole damn empress. “You look incredible, by the way. Did I mention that?”
She rolls her eyes, smiling. “Only about fifty times.”
“Whoever helped you pick your dress has great taste.”
She laughs softly through her tears. And I hand her a napkin, shaking my head.
Finding that dress was a whole journey. I think back to three weeks ago: the two of us in a bridal boutique downtown, Destiny trying on her tenth gown while I sprawled across a velvet couch eating complimentary macaroons.
“This one makes my ass look weird.”
“Babe, your ass looks amazing in everything.”
“Keke, I’m serious!”
“So am I! Just pick one so we can go before my belly explodes,” I replied, still stuffing my face.
Then I spotted THE dress. Dropped the half-eaten baked goods on the silver platter they were offered on, pushed off the couch, and made my way to a rack off the side.
I pulled this beauty off and handed it to Des, sending her back to the dressing room with a non-negotiable look.
And when she walked out, I started crying like a baby.
Because my bestie, my sister from another mama, the woman who’d been dreaming about a faceless man for months, was about to marry her literal soulmate, and we found the perfect dress for her.
* * *
“Destiny.”
We both turn. Rahel appears like he materialized out of thin air, which, knowing the guy, he probably did. His amber eyes are locked on his wife like she’s the only person in the room. Damn, in the universe.
“Dance with me?”
He extends a hand.
Des smiles, takes his massive hand, and follows him to the dance floor. I watch them move together, her much smaller frame pressed against his huge one.
“Nauseating, aren’t they?”
I turn toward the deep, gravelly voice that just resonated at my back and watch a very tall, also overbuilt, and freaking annoyingly handsome man slide into the seat next to mine.
Ugh. It’s Dom. Rahel’s vampire MC brother.
Why me, God? Every time I see this idiot, he has a blood bag in one hand, and a shit-eating grin on his way-too-hot-to-be-true face.
“Excuse you?”
He nods toward the dance floor. “Viper and your girl. All that lovey-dovey shit. Makes me want to gag.”
“That’s my best friend you’re talking about, asshole.”
He grins and I feel that shit all over. From my hardening nipples to my tingling clit. See? Annoying!
“And that’s my brother.” He fucking winks, then turns to signal a passing server for a drink. “Doesn’t mean I want to sit around watching him make heart eyes the rest of the night.”
I narrow my eyes at him. He’s wearing a black suit that fits him way too well.
Hugging impossibly broad shoulders, thick arms, the widest chest…
Definitely custom-made. Jerk. His pale skin practically glows under the fairy lights hanging throughout the reception hall.
His jaw is sharp enough to cut glass, and then there’s that glimpse of fangs when he smiles…
the very ones I’ve been catching myself thinking about.
Wondering how they would feel on my skin… piercing through it… between my thighs…
I shake myself. “Don’t you have somewhere else to be?”
“Not really.” He takes his drink from the server. Something dark and red that’s definitely not wine. “This is the most entertainment I’ve had in ages. Watching the grumpiest bastard I know turn into a lovesick puppy? Priceless.”
Another grin, another flutter in my lady bits. Just fucking kill me now…
I frown. “He’s not a puppy. He’s an ancient and powerful incubus.”
Dom snorts. “Same difference when they’re mated.” He takes another sip of his drink, his eyes never leaving mine. “I’m Dom, by the way.”
I scoff. Really? Like we haven’t seen each other at their clubhouse, at our new store’s opening, at Des and Rahel’s, and… Oh, My God, have I been keeping track?!
I clear my throat. “I know who you are.”
He smiles smugly. I will end this bastard. “And you’re Keke, the best friend. The one who calls him Shadow Daddy,” he states with a mischievous glint in his dark almond-shaped eyes. His fucking fascinating eyes…
“How do you know about that?” I force myself to ask in a bored tone.
His grin widens, triggering a swarm of butterflies to take flight in my stomach. Great, this… supernatural being is now giving me gastric symptoms.
“Viper mentioned his mate’s friend has a smart mouth.”
I cock an eyebrow. “Is that supposed to be an insult?”
The panty-destroying smirk returns in full force. “Depends on how you wanna take it, sweetheart.”
“Do not call me sweetheart, asshole.”
We stare at each other for a long beat, something rippling in the air between us. Something annoying and hot, and absolutely unwelcome.
“You’re a jerk,” I finally say.
“Takes one to know one, sweetheart.”
“I said, don’t call me sweetheart.”
“Would you prefer, baby? Honey?” He leans close, and his scent invades my space. It’s deep, dark, spicy. Fucking intoxicating. His warm breath fans over the shell of my ear. Wait, since when are vampires warm?… Then he whispers, his full lips brushing my skin, “Sugar?”
I jump back. “Leave me alone.”
He chuckles low and rumbly. A rich sound that does something to me I refuse to acknowledge. “Now where would be the fun in that, Sugar?”
I let out a loud harrumph and resolutely turn to the dance floor, where Rahel dips Destiny low, then pulls her into a kiss that makes the entire room explode with cheers and whistles. And when they part, Mr. Grumpy Pants is smiling.
“See?” Dom comes closer again, whispering low into my ear. “Nauseating.”
“You’re just jealous,” I say without turning to him. Maybe if I don’t look at his face, he won’t be so overwhelmingly… present?
“Of what? Being tied to one person for eternity?” He scoffs. “No, thank you.”
I can’t help but turn my own smirk his way. Big mistake. Still hotter than an erupting volcano. Fuck my life. But I push through. “Aww, is the big bad vampire scared of commitment?”
His eyes flash red for a second, before settling back to dark brown. “I’m not scared of anything, little girl.”
“Little girl?” I stand, and he does the same. Fucking towering over me. I have to tip my head back to meet his dark stare, but I hold my ground. “I’ll have you know, I’m thirty years old and five foot seven, thank you very much.”
“And I’m six hundred and forty-two years old, and six foot seven. Everything about you is insignificant to me, human.”
“Really?” I bring a hand to my hip.
The word hangs between us. Heavy and loaded.
I instinctively run the tip of my tongue over my bottom lip, and his gaze drops there.
Then lower. Lower. Before taking all his time traveling back up.
And it’s like his big hands took that journey from my legs, left mostly bare by my short, fitted cocktail dress, to my waist, up my torso, to my heaving chest, the skin of my neck that feels like it’s tingling, and my definitely burning face…
“Careful,” he rumbles. “You don’t know what you’re starting, little girl.” He emphasizes the last two words.
I lean closer. What the hell are you doing, Keisha?! “Maybe I know exactly what I’m starting.”
Where the hell did that come from? I blame the heat. I blame the wedding. I blame this stupid, arrogant, infuriatingly hot vampire who’s looking at me like he wants to wring my neck and suck me dry.
“Outside,” he growls. “Now.”
“You can’t just order me around…”
But he’s already walking away from me, and my feet are following. My brain screaming: WHAT ARE YOU DOING, KEISHA brOWN?! While my body yells back: SHUT UP, WE GOING!
We make it to a side door, a hallway, a dark corner near what looks like a storage room.
Then his mouth is on mine.
THE END…