Read Dana Marie Bell - Heart'sDesire01 Online
Authors: T L
“Hmm?” He smiled at her, wondering at the happy expression on her face.
“I could grow to love mornings too.” Before he could reply, she shut the door, leaving him standing in the bedroom with what he was certain was the stupidest grin ever to grace a man’s face.
She was his.
* * * *
“That’s what you said five minutes ago.” Kelly started to bite at her nail, looked at her manicure, and dropped her hand. “Dennis is here, right?”
Kerry sighed. “Yes, Dennis is here. He even looks vaguely humanoid.”
Lana rolled her eyes and discreetly stepped on Kerry’s foot.
Kerry moved her foot with a strained smile. “Your flowers look great.”
The organ music started up behind the closed church doors. Kelly jumped, the panic back on her face. “Oh God. I’m going to throw up, I just know it.”
Lana grabbed Kelly’s face. This last minute hysteria was typical Kelly. “Look at me. He loves you.
You love him. You’ve dreamed about this day, and that man, your whole life. You’ve had a crush on him since grade school! So get your ass in there and get married.”
Kelly nodded, the fear fading from her face. “Right.” She took a deep breath and blew it out. “I can do this.”
The doors swung open, and Lana took her place in line. “Yes you can.” She threw Kelly a kiss and a wink. “Here we go!”
She started down the aisle, smiling at the man standing at the altar. Dennis looked ready to puke himself, his handsome face slightly green, his eyes glued to the doors of the vestry. Beside him his best man was fidgeting, totally ignoring Dennis and the bridal procession.
Lana looked to the left, seeking out Kelly’s mom, but before she could find her, she saw Chris. He was seated at the edge of the aisle, close enough to touch her. She walked past with a smile just for him. His expression was full of pride and a wistful longing that damn near brought tears to her eyes.
She bit her lip, desperately holding them back. She took her place next to the altar, behind Kerry, and looked towards the doors.
The organ music changed to the wedding march, and Kelly stepped into the doorway on the arm of her father. Lana smiled at her friend. The traditional princess-style wedding dress was stunning on her. Lana looked out of the corner of her eye to see Dennis’s reaction.
Dennis, old stick in the mud Dennis, was smiling, tears in his eyes. He watched his bride walk down the aisle, so obviously in love the tears Lana had been trying to hold back slipped from her grasp. Visibly trembling, he took Kelly’s hand in his, mouthing the words I love you. They turned back to the priest, Kelly relaxing, her body leaning towards her future husband’s. Dennis bent his head towards his future wife protectively. Lana hoped Kerry finally understood what it was that drew Kelly and Dennis, two such opposites, together. The love between the couple was so strong she doubted anything could dim it.
Blinking the tears away, she looked over at Chris, only to find him watching her instead of the wedding. His expression held the same look she’d seen so often on Dennis’s face when he looked at Kelly. Protective, possessive, it was full of some indescribable sense of awe that left her feeling bubbly and vaguely lightheaded. The butterflies were back in force, but this time they were practically rioting in the pit of her stomach.
Lana reached up and fingered the small golden wolf’s head he’d slipped around her neck that morning. The delicate tingle of magic danced under her fingertips. She’d known it for a protection amulet the moment it had touched her skin. She’d been stunned to find out it was his own personal amulet, leaving him without some of his protections against Cole.
But she hadn’t argued with him. The look in his eyes had been stark. “You wear this. We don’t think he has anything personal of yours, but he managed to get to you anyway. If he tries again, I need to know you’re protected to the best of my ability, especially while we’re out in the open.” He’d stroked the wolf’s head, his expression fierce. “We’ll both keep you safe.”
She’d known he’d been talking about his wolf. The intensity he’d shown would have scared her if it had come from anyone other than Chris. She stroked his cheek, smiling when he nuzzled her. “We don’t have to go. I could call Kelly, tell her I’m at death’s door or something. Maybe it is too dangerous, even with all the precautions.” She’d been up late the night before, working with Grammy and a curiously helpful Zach to create some protection spells they’d be able to pepper around the wedding party, church and reception. She’d already dropped some of Annabelle’s sachets in the limo. The reception area was being seeded with some of the sachets and Lana’s “protection water”
by Zach. Chris, Daniel and Gareth had also done their part, creating amulets for everyone to either wear or carry on them. Grammy had also done something for Gareth and Chris, but by the time she’d started it, Lana had been so tired she’d been sent to bed, exhausted from all the spellcasting.
Chris had shaken his head. “No. Besides, the boys will pout if they don’t get to use the toys we came up with last night. We’ve done everything we can think of to make this outing safe. Enjoy it.
It might be the last one for a while.”
She’d followed him out to his car, waving goodbye to the Beckett brothers already driving away.
“You really think Cole will try something?”
The look he’d shot her as they got into the car said that Chris wouldn’t put it past the other man.
Frankly, neither would she. Daniel and Zachary had agreed to watch the church from the outside, one seated in his car, the other “reading” on a bench across from the steps. Gareth was driving around the neighborhood, a crystal dangling from his windshield that Grammy had spelled. Used for divining over maps, she’d fixed it so the crystal would point to the greatest personal threat towards Chris. Gareth was supposedly following whichever way that crystal swayed, keeping watch for Cole. Grammy was in the back of the church on the groom’s side, both she and Christopher ready to act if Cole should try anything within the church itself. They’d agreed to repeat the pattern once they were at the reception. The only time they’d be truly vulnerable would be in transit to the reception. Chris would be driving Lana, the protections wrapped around the car the strongest they could manage, but Kelly and the rest of the wedding party would be vulnerable despite the sachets.
She hadn’t had time to do a thorough protection spell on the limo itself. They just had to hope that they’d be able to keep up with it and stop anything that might try to harm the innocent mundanes riding inside.
It was all they could do in the short amount of time they had, and their best hope of catching Cole out in the open. He’d proven elusive to all of their other methods so far. All enquiries over the last two days had turned up zilch. Until they could either neutralize the threat he represented or the king officially declared someone his heir, their lives would continue to be in danger.
Chris frowned, possibly picking up on her mood, possibly for some obscure wolf reason. She watched him for a moment longer, making sure it wasn’t Cole related. Relieved when he shook his head slightly, she tuned back in time to hear Dennis reciting his vows. The bride and groom kissed, to the laughter and applause of their families. She took the arm of her escort and followed the newly married couple out of the church.
* * * *
Of course, he hoped Lana would pick a different dress than the one the current bride wore. While the poufy skirt and beaded top suited the pale blonde to a T, Lana’s dark looks and lush figure called for a more simple dress. He wondered if she’d let him go shopping with her to pick it out.
Of course, that would depend on whether or not she agreed to get married. He couldn’t plan a wedding with a reluctant bride, no matter how much he might wish to do so. He just hoped he’d be able to talk her into it. Marrying the woman he loved, putting that symbol on her finger that even a human could see and know that she was taken, was a dream he found himself indulging now in ways he’d never thought possible.
He wanted that final bond with her, wanted her name changed to his. Wanted the joint checking account, the mortgage, the two car garage. The children, the laughter, the fights, everything that would declare to the world that this was his mate, his wife, his family.
He watched her sway to the music, her escort keeping a respectful distance between their bodies.
The lavender, high waist dress brought out the dark depths of her eyes, the material flowing around her legs. He caught a glimpse of her toes through her shoes, the nails painted a bright red.
“If you drool any more you’ll be panting.”
Chris tore his eyes away from Lana long enough to glare at Gareth. “What are you doing in here?”
“Eating. Nice spread. Remind me to kiss the bride later.” Gareth popped one of the canapés into his mouth. “Damn crystal hung straight down. It didn’t even move when I took corners. If he’s here then he’s blocking even that simple a divination.”
“Either that or he’s not a threat to me right now.”
Gareth paused, another canapé halfway to his lips. “Well. Fuck.”
“Here.” He took a second crystal, this one made of chocolate quartz, and handed it to his brother.
He’d asked Grammy to make it after Lana had gone to bed, tired from her own spellcasting. “Do another check. This one’s tuned to Lana.”
“On it.” Gareth left, but not before swiping one more canapé off of Chris’s plate.
He turned his attention back towards Lana. She was laughing up at her escort, her head thrown back, her amazing breasts threatening to spill out of the top of her dress.
Chris was in front of the other man before he’d even realized he’d moved. “Mind if I cut in?”
The man backed away, a look of amusement on his face, his hands in the air. “She’s all yours. Later, Lana.”
Chris turned and pulled Lana into his arms, his eyes roaming to where he knew his shadow mark now rested on her neck. The knowledge that she’d finally acknowledged their mating raced through him, filling him with happiness beyond any he’d ever known.
He pulled Lana into his arms, much tighter than the other man had held her, and began dancing.
“Have I told you how beautiful you look tonight?”
“Not yet.” She cupped her ear and tilted her head to the side, her expression waiting.
“You look beautiful tonight.”
Her arm went around her neck. “Thank you. You don’t look half bad yourself.”
“I wore the Armani just for you.”
Her stunned expression quickly turned to horrified laughter. “Oh no you didn’t.”
“What, you didn’t recognize it?”
“Chris!”
“I smell your skin every time I move.” She gulped, her cheeks heating. He placed a soft kiss on her neck, loving the way her head moved just enough to accommodate him. “I might never have it cleaned again.”
“You are so bad.” She leaned back, her smile soft and sultry and just a tad indulgent.
It was a look that had his heart soaring. He loved her so much he could barely breathe. “But you like me that way.”
“Mmm. True.” She didn’t protest when his hand slid down her back to rest at the curve of her ass.
“What am I going to do with you?”
Love me. Please love me. “What would you like to do with me?”
“Could I do anything I wanted?”
He blinked. “Anything is such a broad term.”
She giggled. “Could I … convince you to get a tattoo?”
One eyebrow rose. “A tattoo.”
Her head tilted. “Yup. A tattoo.”
“How many champagnes have you had?”
“Not that many. C’mon. Could I?”
“Like tattoos, do you?”
“Maybe,” she drawled, drawing her finger up and down his shoulder.
He narrowed his eyes thoughtfully. If the thought of a tattoo on him brought that kind of a flush to her cheeks, he’d definitely have to get inked. “I suppose I could accommodate you. What would you like to see?”
“Wow. You gave in easily for a man with no ink on him.”
He waited for the answer to his question.
She threw her head back. “Fine. A witch would be nice. Maybe Wendy from Casper?”
No fucking way. “A witch, yes. Wendy, no.” No way was he walking around with a cartoon witch on his … anything. “If I get a witch tattooed on me, you bet your sweet ass it will be the real deal.”
He already had an idea, something that would please them both and mark him unmistakably as hers.
She studied him thoughtfully. “Why do I get the feeling you might have something in mind already?”
“Because you’re a very smart woman who is beginning to know me too well?”
“Good answer.” Her expression turned serious. “How’s the search for Cole going?”
“Nothing so far. Gareth’s trying a different tack. I don’t know whether to hope we actually find the bastard or go home empty-handed.”
She patted the hand that had a firm hold on her butt. “Not completely empty-handed.”
He threw his head back and laughed, squeezing her ass cheek a little tighter. “Nope, not empty-handed at all.”
*