34. They Were a Pair

CHAPTER 34

They Were a Pair

T he party was still underway when Ryker and his wife danced one last time. Hours had passed since the servers cleared the last plate, and many of the older fae and other party guests had already departed.

It amused Ryker to no end that his vampire had two left feet. He'd never danced with anyone as clumsy as his wife. She'd stepped on him multiple times, but he didn't care. The flush of her cheeks was adorable, and he'd stolen dozens of kisses throughout the night.

Now, it was over. Thank the Obsidian Sands, they could leave without causing a scene.

Ryker pulled his bride off the dance floor as the music switched to a more upbeat tune. A guard stood against a column nearby, failing at blending in with the party guests. He averted his eyes as Ryker led his wife away from the dance floor.

Brynleigh was always beautiful, but tonight, she was something else entirely. Ryker hadn't thought it was possible to fall even more in love with her, but he was certain he loved her more tonight than he had yesterday. Her pale cheeks were flushed, several golden locks of hair framed her face, and her black eyes created a stunning contrast to the white gown. She was exquisite, this wife of his.

Ryker bracketed his arms above Brynleigh's head, boxing her in against the wall. He leaned over, using his body to hide her from view, and brushed his lips over hers. "How are you feeling, Mrs. Waterborn?"

Gods, those words caused his stomach to jump and a grin to stretch across his face. She was finally his.

"I don't know." Brynleigh's black eyes twinkled, and he sensed she knew what he was saying. "Are you asking whether I'm tired?"

He chuckled, kissing her jaw, then nibbled on her earlobe. "Maybe."

She sighed dramatically. "Alas, I regret to inform you that I'm not the tiniest bit tired."

"Pity," he murmured before kissing her neck. She gasped, arching her head back to give him more room. He asked, "Could I convince you to be tired?"

She clutched at the front of his jacket, holding him there as he kissed her. "I'm fairly certain you could convince me to do anything, Ry."

That name. It snapped the last bit of his restraint—not that there was much of it left.

"Good, then we're leaving." With one final brush of Ryker's mouth against his wife's throat, he straightened and scooped her into his arms in a bridal hold. She laughed, her heels kicking in the air as she settled into his hold.

"I can walk," was her weak protest.

"I know." He slanted his lips over hers. "I want to carry you."

She didn't argue after that.

Leaving was a quick, painless affair. First, Ryker said goodbye to Nikhail and Atlas. The two men were flirting with a trio of brunette fae he didn't recognize. Then he searched for his sister. River sat alone at a table, nursing a glass of wine. She met his gaze and waved.

Ryker was grateful he'd had the foresight to book a room for him and Brynleigh in the hotel where the reception was taking place. Marlowe was staying in a kennel, so they didn't need to rush home. The five minutes it took for them to pass the giggling couples in the hallway and wait for the elevator felt like a lifetime.

The ride up wasn't much better since Brynleigh had taken it upon herself to start kissing his neck the moment he stepped into the steel box, much like he'd done to hers earlier. Every time her lips met his skin, his vision clouded, and his legs trembled.

Gods above, he needed her.

Finally, the elevator dinged, and the doors opened on the penthouse floor. The honeymoon suite, one of two on this floor, was a wedding gift from his parents, as was the month-long trip to the Northern Region he and his wife would depart on after attending Therian and Hallie's wedding.

"We're here," he said gruffly.

In response, Brynleigh ran her fangs over his neck. Good gods. Tremors ran through him. Shifting her in his arms, Ryker reached into his pocket and felt around for the small key card he'd been given earlier.

"Keep that up, and we won't make it inside the room," he warned her hoarsely.

"Is this… bothering you?" She nibbled on his neck again.

He groaned, stumbling down the hallway and fumbling with the card. "It's… not bad," he managed to force out the words in a somewhat respectable voice.

Laughing to herself, his vampire continued her pleasant torture until he finally got the key to work. The door beeped, and then it unlocked.

Ryker carried Brynleigh over the threshold and kicked the door shut behind them. He listened for the tell-tale click of the lock before he set her on her feet. "One moment, sweetheart. I need to look around."

Even now, his military training remained with him.

Brynleigh watched him with an amused look in her eyes as he inspected every inch of the hotel suite, guided by the light of the moon shining in through the open window. He looked under the king-sized bed with its mountain of pillows, red comforter, and scattered rose petals. Then, he checked the closets and the balcony. Once he'd ensured those were empty, he went through the bathroom. There was a massive tub and a shower big enough for two, which he fully planned on taking advantage of later. The room was empty.

He strode to the door and flipped the deadbolt. "All clear."

He was about to turn around when a delicate hand trailed down his back .

"You are aware that I'm a vampire, right?" Brynleigh kissed the other side of his neck, and he shivered as her fangs scraped his skin. What would it be like if she bit him? "I'm capable of taking care of myself if there's a threat."

Something primal inside him roared at the thought of her being in a dangerous situation.

Ryker captured her hand with his, turning her around to face him. "I know you're strong." He met her dark gaze, loving how she caught her bottom lip between her teeth as she studied him. "But I want to take care of you. It's part of my nature. Will you let me do that?"

Looking after those he loved wasn't burdensome for Ryker. It was how he showed affection. He'd done it for River her entire life and planned to do the same for Brynleigh.

A long moment passed as she studied him. His vampire was strong—he had Chosen her in part because of that—but it didn't mean he would stop needing to protect her.

"You can take care of me. It's not… I'm not great at letting other people in, let alone letting them help take care of me. But for you, I'll try." A shy smile crept on Brynleigh's face. "I'll do just about anything for you."

"Thank you, sweetheart." He kissed her softly. "How can I help you tonight?"

"There actually is something." Tugging his hand, she led him to the middle of the room before releasing him and turning around so her back was to him. Tiny pearl buttons, half the size of a fingernail, ran up her spine.

She looked over her shoulder. "Care to help me out of this?"

"With pleasure," Ryker practically growled.

He'd wanted to get this dress off her from the moment he first saw it. The garment was beautiful, but she could have been wearing a paper bag, and he would not have cared. It was not what she wore or the way she styled her hair that he loved, but the woman beneath it all.

"Thank you." Brynleigh crossed her arms in front of her. "It took River half an hour to do up the buttons. They're fiddly."

Ryker snorted, accepting the unspoken challenge. "I assure you I will get this dress for you in less time than that. "

He'd rip it off if he had to. He wouldn't resort to such measures yet, though. Working steadfastly and swiftly, he undid the buttons one by one. Excitement bubbled in his veins, and he felt like a youngling on Winter Solstice morning, ripping open his presents.

The buttons slowly fell away, revealing Brynleigh's skin.

Flawless. Every inch, every freckle, every part of her was gods-damned perfection.

She chuckled, glancing at him over her shoulder. "Thank you, Ryker."

He hadn't realized he'd spoken out loud. Smiling sheepishly, he continued. When he was halfway down the row of pearls, he sat on the edge of the bed. Brynleigh shifted with him, remaining silent as he worked.

Anticipation thickened the air, growing stronger with each flick of a button. Soon , his every heartbeat seemed to say. Soon, soon, soon .

Eagerness made his fingers move even faster until, finally, the last button fell away. The dress yawned, exposing Brynleigh's back from her neck to the swell of her ass.

Ryker didn't have time to appreciate the beauty before him because Brynleigh lifted her arms. The dress fell to the floor like snow falling from a tree.

Ryker's jaw dropped open, and he breathed, "Fuck."

His wife was completely bare, her beautiful body on display for him to see.

Ryker had been with his fair share of women, and he appreciated beauty as much as the next person, but he'd never seen anyone as incredible as Brynleigh. Her figure was curvy, her body superbly proportioned as if it were made for him.

He groaned at the striking sight of her, unable to believe this was real.

His vampire wasn't shy. She barely gave him a minute to adjust to the sight of her before she glanced over her shoulder and raised a knowing brow. "Oh no," she said coyly. "Did I forget to mention that I wasn't wearing anything underneath my dress?"

Ryker scrubbed a hand over his face. No, he would've remembered if she told him that. He wouldn't have been able to concentrate on anything else.

"All day?" he asked, apparently incapable of uttering anything but the simplest words. His brain was short-circuiting.

"All day." She studied him for a moment longer over her shoulder. "Will you pass out if I turn around?"

Possibly. At this point, he wasn't entirely sure he could feel his fingers. All his blood was rushing to his center.

"I'll try not to." He didn't want to miss a single moment of their first night together.

Brynleigh stepped out of the dress. Shadows slipped from her hands, lifting the garment and placing it over the back of the armchair in the corner.

"Nice trick," he said, still struggling to find his words.

"It's not my only one." Even with her back to him, he heard the smile in her voice. She deftly pulled pins from her hair, one by one, until her golden locks tumbled down her back. She raked her fingers through them, shaking her hair out.

Then, Brynleigh slowly turned around.

Ryker couldn't help it—he stared at his wife. For one thing, her breasts were level with his face because he was sitting on the bed. It wasn't like he was actively trying to look at them. They were inviting his gaze. For another, he didn't want to stop.

His fingers curled around the comforter as he drank in the beautiful sight before him. She was captivatingly alluring in a way that was meant solely for him. He wouldn't change a single part of her.

After a few minutes passed in silence, Brynleigh whispered, "Say something."

He pushed himself to his feet, cutting the distance between them in half. Taking her hands in his, he lowered his mouth until it hovered above hers.

"You're utterly fucking perfect," Ryker growled.

Brynleigh hitched a breath, her gaze searching his. "Really?"

Maybe his vampire was a bit shy. Interesting. That wouldn't do at all. The woman Ryker had come to love over the past two months was anything but timid. He wanted to draw her out to play with him .

"Really." Ryker's breath skated over Brynleigh's mouth teasingly. "Can I kiss you?"

She murmured her assent, and then, his mouth was on hers. Like the earlier kiss in the temple, this one was claiming, powerful, and filled with intense longing. Unlike that kiss, Ryker had no intention of stopping.

He poured everything he'd felt since he first heard Brynleigh's voice into this embrace, letting her know precisely how much he wanted her. One of his hands tangled in her hair, and he pulled her close. The tips of her breasts brushed against his still-clothed chest and hardened.

Fuck, she was so responsive. Continuing to kiss her, he slipped his other hand between them and gently rolled her nipple through his fingers.

She gasped.

"Beautiful." He broke their kiss long enough to murmur the word over her mouth before claiming her lips again. The next time he took a breath, he added, "Fucking incredible."

She loosened in his arms, but he wasn't done with her yet. She moaned. He swept his tongue into her mouth.

Their mouths fused together.

Emboldened by the way Brynleigh melted against him, Ryker brushed his tongue against the sharp tip of a fang.

She shivered.

Oh, he wanted her to do that while he was inside her.

Brynleigh tugged on his shirt. She lifted her lips from his long enough to demand, "Take this off."

There she was.

"Gladly." Ryker stepped away, his body instantly mourning the distance between them, as he slipped off his suit jacket. "Anything else?"

Brynleigh took his place on the edge of the bed. "The pants, too."

He happily divested himself of those, as well. Within minutes, he wore nothing but black boxers.

His fingers were in the waistband when she said, "Wait."

Ryker stilled instantly, his gaze returning to hers. "Yes?"

She stood and reached for him. "May I?"

He swallowed, suddenly feeling like he was fifteen again. "Of course," he rasped. "You can touch me however you want."

It would be the sweetest torture, and he would willingly submit to her. For now.

Brynleigh smiled and hooked two fingers in the elastic. Her black eyes smoldered as she tugged down his undergarments.

He stood there, letting her see all of him.

"Oh, gods." She licked her lips and stared at his hardened length.

The sight of that alone was enough to bring Ryker close to the edge. He stepped out of the clothes, kicking them at the wall as he approached his vampire. "Brynleigh, I want you."

This wasn't the time for coyness. They had spent more than enough time waiting. His heart drummed, and need to be coursed through his veins.

She murmured, "I want you, too. More than I ever thought I would."

Warmth sparked in his chest as he kissed her. They became a tangle of tongues, teeth, and wandering hands as they explored what had so long been hidden.

She groaned.

He moaned.

She nibbled on his lips, her fangs grazing him teasingly but never biting.

He palmed her breast, rolling her nipple between his fingers.

Her hand slipped between them. Her fingers grazed his cock, and any blood that he had left in his brain officially departed.

Ryker broke away from the kiss as he stared at Brynleigh through hooded eyes.

"Do you like this?" she asked softly.

Did he require air to breathe? Did water run through his veins? Was he completely in love with this woman?

"Fucking yes," he groaned, both wanting her to continue forever and needing her to stop before he made an utter fool of himself.

She chuckled as if she knew where his mind had gone.

"Enough." Ryker couldn't take it anymore. He grabbed her hips and, with a swift maneuver, landed them both in the middle of the bed.

Brynleigh blinked innocently as if she hadn't just had his cock in her hands. "What's wrong? "

This vampire would be the death of him. He could feel it now. But he would gladly die a happy man if it meant he got to be with her.

She reached across the bed as if to touch him again, and he growled. Capturing both her wrists with one hand, he lifted them above her head and held them there. She looked positively beddable, stretched out before him.

He wanted to lick and suck and taste every single part of her.

"If you keep touching me like that, this will be over before it starts," he warned.

"Oh?" A brow rose, and Ryker could've sworn a glint of amusement entered Brynleigh's eyes. "Is that so?"

He nipped her lip for her impish reply. Settling his hips against hers, he pinned her to the mattress. "It is, and it's not how I intend this evening to go."

She wiggled, bringing her core dangerously close to him. "Oh? How did you think it would go?"

His wife was such a tease. Did she think she was in control here? That was not the case.

Keeping Brynleigh's wrists up high, Ryker slipped his hand between them, finding her clit and pressing gently. She gasped, arching her back into his touch.

"Something like this." There was no hiding the masculine pride in his voice.

She moaned beneath him, her words a mess of gibberish as he circled his thumb. Every soft moan, every gasp, sent a thrill through him. Yes, this was what he'd imagined. He'd dreamed about how she'd come on his fingers since their stolen moments in the car.

He wouldn't stop there tonight, though.

Ryker bent his head and kissed his bride as he slid a finger into her heat. She was so wet and tight. He groaned, moving his hand slowly. She gasped. He added another finger, loving how she cried out against his lips as he curled them just so.

Brynleigh moaned his name, and his cock became almost unbearably hard. Had his name ever sounded as perfect as it did at that very moment? He thought not.

He added more pressure on her clit and sucked her bottom lip .

She panted, "So close."

"That's it, love. Come for me. Scream. Let them all hear how I make you feel." He punctuated each word with a kiss as she writhed beneath him, desperately seeking her release.

Brynleigh's words were a steady stream of nearly incoherent babble as he drew her closer and closer to the edge.

More.

Please.

Don't stop.

Fuck me.

Ry.

That last one was his favorite. And when she yelled his name as she came, her tight walls clenching around his fingers, he knew there was nowhere else he'd rather be.

Lifting his fingers from her soaking core, he licked them clean as she watched with wide eyes. "You taste incredible," he told her smugly.

In response, she arched her hips and spread her legs. "I want you."

That was all she had to say. He released her wrists, settling between her like he belonged there because he did. His tip brushed her core, and he nearly lost himself there.

Her fingers found his shoulders, and she clung to him as he brought his hips forward. Dipping his head, he kissed her. "I love you," he murmured.

He lowered himself into her, one inch at a time, as she stretched to accommodate him. He moved as slowly as he could, letting her get used to him.

Gods, it took every ounce of patience Ryker possessed.

A vampiric purr rumbled through Brynleigh's chest as he filled her to the hilt. Shadows slipped from her hands, and she moaned beneath him, rolling her hips. "You feel so good, Ryker."

His forehead fell on hers, and he panted, "You feel better than all my dreams."

He allowed her to take the lead at first, to move slowly while she got used to him. To them.

That's what they were now. A pair. Partners in every way. Brought together by the Choosing and forever bound to each other in love .

Nothing could ever tear them apart. No one could break them. He wouldn't allow it.

Eventually, Brynleigh's nails raked down his back. "More, Ry," she demanded. "Harder."

She didn't need to ask him twice. Withdrawing almost all the way, he thrust into her with all his strength. He wasn't worried about breaking this vampire of his. She was even stronger than him and could take anything he gave her.

Brynleigh moaned, her legs wrapping around him. She met each of his movements with her own. Their sweat-slicked skin moved together as they each climbed towards their release. Her nails dug into his back. He slammed into her. She cried out. He groaned.

They drew closer, closer, closer to oblivion.

"I want you to come on my cock, Brynleigh." His hand slid between them and found her clit. "Now."

She obeyed beautifully, shattering with a scream that he would never forget. She broke apart beneath him, and his own release quickly followed. He came so hard that stars appeared behind his eyes.

Later, after they'd tested out the shower—it did indeed have enough room for the two of them, especially when he pinned Brynleigh against the wall and took her standing up—they cleaned up. He locked the balcony doors and shut the curtains before climbing into bed behind his wife. The only light came from the dim glow of the alarm clock on the nightstand.

Brynleigh's head rested on his chest, and her eyes were closed as she drew circles on his skin. "I'm glad I entered the Choosing," she murmured. "This is… far more than I could've ever imagined."

He kissed her. "Me too, Mrs. Waterborn. Me, too."

Ryker couldn't imagine having Chosen anyone else.

Brynleigh was his.

Forever.