Audrina
The bridal party was waiting in the lobby. Bianca and her seven gorgeous attendants were all clutching flutes of champagne and chattering at each other.
“Audrina!” She pulled me in for another hug and then handed me some champagne. She raised her flute in a toast. “To Audrina!”
“To Audrina, woo hoof!” The bridesmaids shouted, clinking their glasses and whooping it up.
The knot of young, gorgeous women in the lobby was generating all sorts of interest. The other guests stole glances at them, probably wondering if they were celebrities. Each bridesmaid was beautiful-they all had long hair, long legs, and tiny dresses. They were vampires, of course. I hadn’t been around many, but I had the sense that all vampires were ridiculously attractive.
A server brought over another bottle of champagne and popped it, much to the bridesmaids’ delight; they boisterously cheered. I wondered if they’d already had quite a bit to drink.
Bianca stood next to me, a doting expression on her face as she watched her attendants. “They’re so excited to be in the wedding,” she confided. “Some of them have never been to Vegas before. They’re freaking out.”
“I’m in the same boat.” I felt the champagne going straight to my head. “It’s so much fun to be here-I’ve never seen anything like it. This hotel is incredible.”
“Isn’t it?” Bianca linked her arm through mine. “Wait until dinner and the parties tonight. It’s so exciting to see the city lit up!”
“I can’t wait.” I smiled as we headed toward the spa. The attendants led the charge, hair swishing as they strode across the lobby, being ogled by everyone we passed.
“So you are getting the works today, Audrina. Not that you need it-you’re perfect.” Bianca beamed at me. “But I booked you for a facial, a detox wrap, a blowout, a mani-pedi, you name it. Ooh, and Brazilian bikini wax.”
“A what?” I blinked at her.
“You’ll see and you’ll thank me later, after you finish cursing me for how bad it hurts. It’s worth it. Sex feels ah-mazing after.” She grinned at me and tossed her hair.
“S-Sex?” I almost choked.
“Listen.” Bianca pulled me closer as we entered the spa, which was another stunning space with diffuse, soothing lighting and seaweed-green accents everywhere.” I know you and Gabriel haven’t taken that step yet. And maybe you’ll decide that he’s not for you. But do you know what I think?”
I shook my head. I liked Bianca, but I didn’t know what she was thinking.
“I think it would be a mistake to let someone like him go. Not only because he’s a king, but because he’s a Dalca—and Dalca men are good men. I asked you last night if you would give him a chance, didn’t I?”
I nodded.
“And I know you two had fun at the party, but I heard about what happened after, with Leonora.” She looked around quickly to make sure no one was listening. “So here you are today, still a virgin. But that’s a good thing. I’m glad.”
“It is?”
Bianca waved away a spa attendant and stayed focused on me. “He can still claim you—there’s still time, ” she said earnestly. “That’s your best move, Audrina. You won’t ever regret it. You’ll be a queen. And he will worship you, body and soul. The fact that he brought you here today, and you’re still a virgin?” Her eyes got huge on her face. “You have no idea what a big deal that is. His brothers are never going to let him live it down, and he’s immortal, so that’s saying something.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Let me think of a way to explain it.” She bit her lip. “The king was pretty vocal last night about his intentions toward you. He told everyone he was going to claim you. You know what that means now, right?”
I nodded, cheeks flushing.
“So you understand that if you guys had consummated it, you wouldn’t still smell like a double virgin today.”
My brow furrowed. “A double virgin?”
“Yeah-you know, no one’s ever bitten you, and you haven’t had sex,” she explained matter-of-factly. “Vampires can smell that-it’s like an aphrodisiac for us. So when you showed up for the flight today, Julian and the other guys freaked. No one saw that coming. Only the King could spend the night with a double virgin and have the willpower not to bite or try to talk you into…you know.”
“Speaking of…you know.” I cleared my throat. “It’s possible that we could do it and skip the whole claiming thing, right?”
“Of course.” Bianca frowned. “But you shouldn’t do that.”
“Why not?” I felt another pout coming on. I was getting a whatever wax and there was a freaking plunge pool.
“Because it’s not the same,” Bianca explained. “When we have sex with humans, it’s for sport. It’s for pleasure. And there’s not anything wrong with that, but it’s not the same thing as taking a mate.”
I felt a pull deep in my belly-so annoying! What was it with the word “mate”? It just seemed so primal. It made me think of Gabriel dragging me by the hair somewhere…preferably into the plunge pool…
I shook my head to clear it. “But what’s the difference exactly?”
She looked thoughtful for a moment. “Sex is sex. And sex is fabulous, but…” She shrugged. “At the end of the day, an orgasm is an orgasm, you know?”
“N-No. I don’t know.”
Bianca laughed. “Right, I forgot, sorry. Let me put it to you this way. I have had many experiences with pleasure. But when I am with Julian, it’s incredible. When he touches me, it’s the touch that lights my soul up. Nothing can compare to it.”
I nodded, waiting for her to continue.
“It is said that the claiming process is like true love-like Julian and I have together-but it’s even more intense because of the supernatural bond. Our Maker made it so. When a double virgin is taken by a vampire, especially one as powerful as the king, and mated to him, the connection is explosive. It would have to be that’s the only way a vampire would be monogamous for all eternity.” She laughed.
“Ooh, and you can get pregnant. Most humans can’t carry the offspring of vampires, but a Mate can. It’s a different sort of relationship. Not for playing-it’s for keeps.”
“So why don’t all the vampires do it? If it’s so amazing?”
Bianca sucked in a deep breath. “Ooh, it’s not for everyone.
Taking a mate is an enormous commitment. Different from marriage in that the bond is so strong, you’re completely obsessed. And for me, I’ve never met a human virgin who’s called to me that strongly. I believe there’s an element of fate to it.”
“Fate.” I swallowed hard. “Huh.”
“I’m sure this must seem very strange to you, and it’s happened all at once.” Bianca nodded, her blue eyes wide. “My advice? Just get waxed within an inch of your life, drink some champagne, and enjoy Vegas. Enjoy the King. Follow your gut, Audrina. It’s brought you this far.” She winked at me and was gone, swallowed up by the squealing group of bridesmaids.
“Ms. Hawthorne?” A spa attendant appeared by my side. “I’m Milena. Are you ready to begin your services?”
“I think so.” But I frowned. Hadn’t Bianca said the wax was going to hurt?
“I’ll be very gentle.” Milena had a knowing look and a sparkle in her eye. “Trust me.”
Milena sent me to a private locker room, where I changed into the plushest robe I’d ever touched and pulled my hair back. When I returned, she had our room set up with about a million candles and soothing music.
“Let’s start with the facial, shall we?” Milena went to town on me, steaming my face, exfoliating, massaging inside my mouth. Holy cow! I was a quivering ball of Jell-O by the time she wrapped me in some sort of seaweed and mud combination. I sat there, in total Zen mode, as she played her Enya. Afterward, she directed me to a private steam shower where I scrubbed everything off; my skin felt as soft as a baby’s.
“Now,” she said when I returned, “we do the wax. Lie down here and lift your leg straight up.”
I did as I was told, but I looked at her funny. “Why do you need my leg up like this?”
Milena’s face softened. “Oh, honey. Is this your first Brazilian?”
“Y-Yep.”
She patted my shoulder. “This will only hurt a little.”
Turns out, Milena might’ve had the best poker face in Vegas-l believed that bitch-but oh my God, mother-f-inn ow!
*********
“She waxed my ass!” I glared at Bianca. “She had me lift my leg, and she waxed my ass. What the hell?”
Bianca’s shoulders shook with silent laughter. “I’m sorry I didn’t warn you, but I figured you’d freak.”
“You think?”
“Ha.” She snorted. “Well, your hair looks great!”
“On my head,” I fumed. “I don’t have any hair anywhere else anymore! So don’t change the subject!”
“How does it feel now?”
“Freezing. Drafty.”
“Ha!” Bianca couldn’t stop laughing. When she finally got control of herself, she said, “We have to hurry-cocktails are in an hour. Listen, I had a dress delivered to your room. I saw it earlier and it just screamed Audrina. Wear it tonight, okay? I’m pretty sure the King will love it.”
“Fine.” It was hard to stay mad at her. “Thank you again for today mostly.”
“You’re mostly welcome,” she said sweetly.
I hustled to one elevator, then to the other. The evening had come to Vegas. Even though I was still pissed about getting waxed within an inch of my life, I couldn’t help but smile as I rode the glass elevator to the penthouse, the city spilling out below me like a precious collection of glittering jewels.
I checked my phone; I was running late. I didn’t have much time to get ready for that night’s festivities. Gabriel was nowhere to be seen when the doors opened up. I headed for my room, hearing the shower running as I padded down the hallway. Steam billowed out of the bathroom, the door to which was ajar.
I peered inside as I passed. There, in the mirror, was the reflection of Gabriel in the shower.
Holy fuck. I almost tripped over myself.
The steam somewhat obstructed my view, but I saw enough to make my insides quiver. His naked body was magnificent. The powerful chest I’d seen straining against his dress shirts was indeed chiseled and broad; his shoulders and biceps were bulging, huge.
They weren’t the only things.
My jaw went slack as I allowed my gaze to travel down past his incredible six-pack, his sexy, sinful hips, to the extraordinarily large, ultra-thick cock that jutted, proudly erect, from his magnificent body.
I had nothing to compare it to, but all I could think was holy freaking anaconda! Where exactly was that thing supposed to fit?
“See something you like?”
“Uh,” I said stupidly. I looked up to find Gabriel’s eyes trained on me in the mirror. “H-Hi.”
“Hi yourself.” Grinning and completely unabashed, he turned and soaped himself some more, all the better for me to see the anaconda in profile.
“I-I need to get ready.” My whole body was shaking. “B-Bye.”
His only answer was dark laughter. Smug bastard.
I fled the scene-but it didn’t matter, anyway. The image of Gabriel Dalca’s naked body was forever burned into my brain.
Now what the hell was I going to do about it?