Shadow Rising

I looked at her, then slowly raised her finger to my lips and kissed her ring. We’d exchanged bands a few months back.

She smiled, then. “You’ll be so beautiful in that. My Menolly.”

“If you want me to, I’ll even wear my hair down for you.” I’d started taking it out of the braids now and then, but somehow, it made me feel too vulnerable and I was always uncomfortable till Camille cornrowed it back. “I know you love it that way.”

But Nerissa shook her head. “No. I’m pledging my heart to you…and Menolly, your braids are part of you. But maybe you can change the beads out for sparkling silver ones? That would be lovely. Or green?”

I snickered. “Camille will be only too happy to help.” Then, because I knew it mattered that I ask, I said, “What do you want to wear?”

Nerissa smiled through the tears. “I wanted to wait, to hear what you decided on. If you dress in violet, I’ll dress in deep plum. Long, elegant. We’d better hurry the shopping, though. We don’t have much time left. As far as venues, I’m afraid we’ve waited too long to book any place I can think of.”

I stopped her fretting with another kiss. “Shush, my sweet. The perfect place will crop up and I promise you, you’ll love it. You start looking for gowns tomorrow—I’ve told you what I want, and I trust your taste. But I do want you to promise me something else.”

“What?” She sounded eager, and I realized how much my being part of the decision-making process meant to her. It really did matter.

“I want to throw all the pledge ceremony crap out the window and just marry you. I still have to be Roman’s consort and I don’t mind if you play with the boys. But we get married.”

Nerissa gasped. Shifting in her seat, she asked, “But what about the logistics? You know…you’re a vampire, I’m a Were. We talked about future problems…what about all of that?”

“Fuck it all to hell. Let’s just stop dancing around vocabulary and you just fucking become my wife. On our terms, in our way, by our rules.”

And then, as she teared up again, I pulled her to me, my lips against hers. As I shifted, our kiss became deeper and she moaned in my mouth. She reached for my blouse, unbuttoning it from the top, and her hands sought my breasts. I didn’t wear a bra most of the time, and so her fingers grazed my nipples, teasing me as she thumbed them and then pinched, hard. My clit started to ache. I wanted her, wanted to stroke her, eat her out, watch her come.

Standing, I reached for the buttons on my jeans, but she slapped my hands away and slowly unbuttoned them one by one, then slid them down my legs, stopping at eye level with my cunt. I wasn’t wearing underwear either, and she leaned in, tongued me quickly, a long slash of moisture against my aching fire.

“Gods, do that again.” I started to kick off my jeans, but she stopped me.

“Wait.” Nerissa slowly stood and opened her coat but did not take it off. She was wearing only pink panties, a garter belt, stockings, and a push-up bra. In her heels, she looked like some wanton succubus and I found it hard to keep from tackling her right there.

But she held up one hand. “Pull up your jeans.”

“Why?” I looked around. “It’s so loud out front that no one will hear us.”

But as she shook her head, someone knocked on the door. She motioned for me to stay put and walked over to answer it.

“You can’t answer it dressed like that—” I started to say, but she opened it, peeking out. A second later, she stood back and swung the door open.

Confused, I quickly buttoned my jeans again. But then my confusion turned to understanding as Roman stepped through the door. His gaze glittered as he first looked at Nerissa, and then at me.

“My limousine is waiting, ladies.” His voice was like silk over satin, smooth and delicious.

Nerissa smiled, graciously, and tied the belt of her coat, wrapping herself up again. She slipped her arm through mine and kissed me on the lips, then the neck. “I’m ready, willing, and able,” she said.

“I can see that, most delightfully.” Roman’s nostrils flared.

Nerissa straightened her shoulders. “I warn you. Menolly is my fiancée. And no matter what relationship you have with her, that will not change. She’s going to be my wife. But she is only your mistress. Do you understand?”

Roman bowed, flourishing his hand toward the door. “Understood. And understand this…I would not change your relationship for the world. It would hurt both of you. I simply want to taste a part of it, to be a small part of it. Even if only for one night out of a thousand.”

I still hadn’t found my tongue as we walked out of my office and to the front door. I didn’t know if I couldn’t think of anything to say, or if I was afraid of what I might say. So I said nothing at all.

Chapter 11

As we headed into the night, I suddenly realized what was happening.

“Nerissa, you don’t have to do this. I won’t let him coerce you.” A slow panic was starting to rise. “I won’t let anybody use you!”

“On the contrary, my sweet. Nerissa is the one who called me.” Roman motioned to his bodyguard, who opened the door to the long stretch limo for us. He waited for us to climb in, watching me expectantly.

Nerissa stepped in and slid across the seat. She patted the place next to her and I climbed in. Roman followed and his driver shut the door. As we headed into the night, a funny feeling settled in my stomach. Butterflies? Moths to the flame? I wasn’t sure.

I turned to Nerissa, ignoring Roman. “Are you sure? Are you sure you want to do this?”

She shrugged. “The only thing I’ve ever been sure about is my love for you. Men come and go—they’re nothing to me.” Pausing, she leaned around me to smile at Roman. “No offense, Roman, but seriously, pussy’s my first love. But I think you’re right. Since we have to share Menolly, we need to come to an understanding, and this may be the way.”

Roman gave a little shrug. “No offense taken, Mistress Nerissa. As I said, I am content to watch. If you invite me to join, I’ll be more than happy to oblige, but I would never pressure either of you to participate in something uncomfortable.”

I closed my eyes and leaned back against the seat. This was so not how I’d intended to spend the evening. And I wasn’t sure how I felt about the prospect. In fact, I was quickly reaching the point where I’d rather go fight a few ghosts than get through the next few hours.

We fell into an amiable silence. Roman offered Nerissa some champagne and she shook her head without answering. Good girl, I thought. Keep your wits about you. Especially when dealing with someone as old and powerful as Roman.

As we approached his mansion, I tensed, but Nerissa laid one hand on my arm and winked at me. She seemed almost…eager. Maybe I’d misjudged her desire? But no, she’d made it clear that she wasn’t all that interested in playing with male vamps.

Roman escorted us out of the limo and his bodyguard walked us up to the door, where one of his servants met us. I handed her my coat—Roman was a stickler for decorum—and then Nerissa slipped off her coat, gaining a surprised look of delight from the maid. I moved closer to my girl, and then, pausing, I turned to Roman.

“As long as we’re in your house, where there may be other vamps, I need a ribbon for her throat.” I gave Roman a long look. “You know why.”

He nodded, turning to the maid. “Bring a guest ribbon, please. I think…pale pink suits her.”

As the maid slipped over to a sideboard and withdrew a long pink velvet ribbon, Nerissa gave me a questioning look. I took the ribbon from Roman and gently tied it around her neck with the bow to the right, making sure it wasn’t too tight.

“What’s this for?”

“Turned to the right, it means only the boys may ask permission to play with you. I’m not letting any female vamps touch you. And it will also ensure your safety. It basically means you’re my pet for the evening. I did this to Delilah once…when we raided the Fangtabula—this was before I was in love with you, Roman.” I waited for his reaction. I didn’t know if he knew about our involvement or not.

“So, you’re the one who caused such an uproar. Why am I not surprised?” He shrugged, his gaze running from Nerissa to me, then back to her. “The ribbon looks lovely and yes, every vampire under my roof will respect what it means. I guarantee with my word.”

As Nerissa stood there in her bridal-night get-up, a surge of possessiveness swept over me. I wanted to wrap her up in her coat and take her home. But she was here of her own free will, and I couldn’t play protector all the time. I had to trust that she knew what she was doing.

Roman led us to a side room I’d never before been in. While I might be his consort, I didn’t live under his roof, nor did I have leave to explore every room—and I didn’t pry. I assumed there were things I didn’t want to know about hidden behind those closed doors that protected Roman’s life.

The room was filled with Roman’s overindulgent penchant for Victoriana, to the point of being suffocating. But it was pretty, I’d have to give him that. Two fainting couches sat at right angles to an ornate coffee table, and the room was a mishmash of velvets and jacquards and brocades. In a way, he and Carter had a lot in common, but Carter was more minimalist.

Nerissa must have been reading my mind. “You certainly don’t go for a minimalist approach, do you? How can you breathe in here?”

He laughed. “I have no need to breathe. And yes, I realize that my tastes are, perhaps, from another era. But this is my home, and so…” Shrugging again, he glanced at me and I could tell that this wasn’t going quite how he’d planned.

She laughed and draped an arm around my neck. “No problem—I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable. It is lovely, it’s just not my taste at all. I feel rather claustrophobic.”

I blinked. Nerissa did her best to be diplomatic at all times. I had no clue what was getting into her, unless she was trying to turn Roman off.

She leaned down and pressed a long kiss against my lips and I returned it, sinking into her soft, beautiful body. Her skin was soft as silk sheets, and I rubbed my face against her arm, unable to do anything but respond.

Roman cleared his throat and sat back. I looked over at him. He edged into a wing chair, his gaze fastened on us, his fangs slowly lowering. I met his gaze and did not see what I expected to see. I’d expected a haughty look, superior, but instead what I saw was desire. Hunger, but not predatory. And loneliness.

Faltering, I slipped my arms around Nerissa, kissing between her breasts, then kneeling to gently press my lips to her belly button. I stayed like that for a moment, until she reached down and took my hand, motioning for me to stand. She looked over at Roman and I guess she saw what I saw, because she softened. She leaned down and kissed my forehead, then my nose, then my lips, but chastely, as she stroked my cheek.

She turned to Roman and gave him a soft smile. “This is what you want, isn’t it? You aren’t just looking to get off on a threesome. That sort of thing bored you years ago. What you’re looking for…”

He stared at her, his expression darkening. “Don’t say it, girl.”

It hit me like a ton of bricks. Roman had told me he was falling for me, and I’d warned him not to. He’d been married a number of times over the years…so many years. And he’d lost most of his wives to death—most of them hadn’t been vampires. The ones that were, got bored and moved on. He wanted someone to be with, to the end.

“Roman, please…don’t hope.” Don’t make me hurt you. Don’t make me tell you I don’t love you.

“I know,” he said, slowly. “But…the two of you…you have something that perhaps I can touch, for even a moment. A flower, both fragile and yes, stronger than steel.” He moved to stand, but then paused. “If you wish me to leave, I will excuse myself.”

I looked at Nerissa. It was her choice. She stood silent, for a moment, then walked over, slowly, to Roman.

“Come.” She held out her hand. He studied it a moment, then turned it over and brushed her wrist with a kiss. “Come with us.”

As he stood, hesitant, she leaned in and kissed him on the cheek. “We can never give you what you want most, but we can give you the next best thing.” She reached down, untying the belt of his smoking jacket and slipping it off.

I took off my boots, then pulled off my shirt and jeans. Naked, I crossed the room to the sofa where they were sitting. Nerissa lightly caressed his shoulder and he seemed at a loss for words—something that Blood Wyne’s son never had a problem with.

As I slid onto the sofa behind him, spreading my knees to press my breasts against his back, I began to kiss his neck, his back, and wrapped my arms around his waist. He moaned lightly as I tickled his abs with my fingers, and turned his head to smile at me with those icy gray eyes. He kissed me softly.

Nerissa’s eyes lit up and she knelt in front of him. She pressed her breasts against his legs as she reached for the zipper on his pants. As he reached down to run his fingers through her hair, she gently coaxed his cock to attention. He was thick, and pulsating, and Nerissa reached out and squeezed, hard enough to make him tense. As she lowered her mouth to the tip of his cock, I began to kiss his neck in earnest, not quite biting—we didn’t dare do blood sports because of Nerissa—but nipping him enough to produce a ripple through his body.

Nerissa embraced the head of his cock with her mouth. Roman groaned again. As I watched her luscious lips and tongue began to work him, the fire began to grow within me. She was gorgeous, pale and pink against the darkness of his world, and all I could think about was tasting her.