eyes were glassy. Her lip quivered. And she was breathtaking.
He’d heard people say every bride was beautiful, but no other female could compare to his Gabrielle. Her cream dress hugged tightly around her breasts, then flared out in a shower of chiffon and lace that settled at her feet. A single tear slid down her cheek and he rubbed at his beating heart.
“ Gabrielle.”
He wanted to rush to her, take her in his arms, kiss her, love her, but his feet seemed to have fastened themselves to the floor. Her eyes met his and his heart broke.
“ Come to me,” he whispered the phrase he’d spoken many times to her, not expecting her to obey him this time either.
He was still musing in his thoughts when she launched herself into his arms and sobbed, “Oh, Nikolai.”
With tender strokes he rubbed her back, her neck, easing her further into his embrace.
“ Shh, love, it’s okay. I’m here.”
He kissed the top of her head, burying his nose in the curls and flowers piled there. He remembered that Flo had said baby’s breath meant innocence, and Gabby had never looked more innocent.
“ What’s wrong, sweet?”
She stepped out of his arms and wiped violently at her damp cheeks and red nose. Her vivid blue eyes reminded him of a tempest ocean. “Wh- what are you doing here?”
“ You invited me. I came.”
“ No Niko, why are you here ?” She waved her hand around the room. “Why are you standing in here, with me?”
The lump jumped back into his throat. “I, um, I—”
“ Niko.” She stepped toward him and took his hand. The expression on her face was … hopeful? “Why are you here?”
Taking her hand to his lips, he pressed a kiss to the knuckles. “I came to wish you all the happiness in the world.” At least the words were honest enough.
Her eyes once again filled with tears and she jerked her hand out of his as another sob broke free.
“ Oh, bebelus —”
She jerked away from him, studying his face. “Why do you call me that?”
“ It is Romanian for baby. You seem so fragile.” He led her to the couch across the room. The steady thump of his heart beat in perfect unison with hers, the only sound for long moments. She watched him closely, as if trying to see right into his soul.
“ Tell me; what’s got you so distraught?”
“ I can’t … I don’t think—” She collapsed onto the couch.
His breath caught in his throat. “What can’t you…?”
She rubbed at her cheeks again with the back of her hand, sniffed, and straightened her spine.
“ My dad,” she said softly and her eyes flashed with an emotion he couldn’t place before she concealed it, “he um, isn’t going to make the ceremony.”
“ Oh?”
“ I have no one to walk me down the aisle.”
“ Oh.” Oh, Goddess, no.
“ Would you … give me away?” Her eyes bored into his, pleading with him.
His stomach clenched as if he’d just received a sucker punch with a two-by-four. He felt sick. No, worse than sick, devastated. All the hopes he’d cultivated in the last few seconds were dashed just and Nikolai felt … Oh Goddess!
Vampires didn’t usually throw up, but he debated that as an option to rid himself of the nausea in the pit of his stomach.
He studied her innocent expression carefully.
Her tiny hand squeezed his large one gently. “Nikolai, are you okay?”
He forced himself to keep eye contact. There was a look in her eyes, one he’d never seen before. A challenge? Was that it? Or was she simply blind to his efforts? Or worse, did she just not give a damn, and was actually trying to break his heart to get her message across?
“ Yes, I’m fine,” he lied.
He scrutinized her expression, looking for some tell as to what she was really asking him. Did she see him as a father figure? Or a potential lover who would keep her from nuptials she didn’t really want?
“ Will you,” she pressed, “walk me down the aisle?” Her eyes shimmered like ocean waves kissed by the sun.
“ If
He’d heard people say every bride was beautiful, but no other female could compare to his Gabrielle. Her cream dress hugged tightly around her breasts, then flared out in a shower of chiffon and lace that settled at her feet. A single tear slid down her cheek and he rubbed at his beating heart.
“ Gabrielle.”
He wanted to rush to her, take her in his arms, kiss her, love her, but his feet seemed to have fastened themselves to the floor. Her eyes met his and his heart broke.
“ Come to me,” he whispered the phrase he’d spoken many times to her, not expecting her to obey him this time either.
He was still musing in his thoughts when she launched herself into his arms and sobbed, “Oh, Nikolai.”
With tender strokes he rubbed her back, her neck, easing her further into his embrace.
“ Shh, love, it’s okay. I’m here.”
He kissed the top of her head, burying his nose in the curls and flowers piled there. He remembered that Flo had said baby’s breath meant innocence, and Gabby had never looked more innocent.
“ What’s wrong, sweet?”
She stepped out of his arms and wiped violently at her damp cheeks and red nose. Her vivid blue eyes reminded him of a tempest ocean. “Wh- what are you doing here?”
“ You invited me. I came.”
“ No Niko, why are you here ?” She waved her hand around the room. “Why are you standing in here, with me?”
The lump jumped back into his throat. “I, um, I—”
“ Niko.” She stepped toward him and took his hand. The expression on her face was … hopeful? “Why are you here?”
Taking her hand to his lips, he pressed a kiss to the knuckles. “I came to wish you all the happiness in the world.” At least the words were honest enough.
Her eyes once again filled with tears and she jerked her hand out of his as another sob broke free.
“ Oh, bebelus —”
She jerked away from him, studying his face. “Why do you call me that?”
“ It is Romanian for baby. You seem so fragile.” He led her to the couch across the room. The steady thump of his heart beat in perfect unison with hers, the only sound for long moments. She watched him closely, as if trying to see right into his soul.
“ Tell me; what’s got you so distraught?”
“ I can’t … I don’t think—” She collapsed onto the couch.
His breath caught in his throat. “What can’t you…?”
She rubbed at her cheeks again with the back of her hand, sniffed, and straightened her spine.
“ My dad,” she said softly and her eyes flashed with an emotion he couldn’t place before she concealed it, “he um, isn’t going to make the ceremony.”
“ Oh?”
“ I have no one to walk me down the aisle.”
“ Oh.” Oh, Goddess, no.
“ Would you … give me away?” Her eyes bored into his, pleading with him.
His stomach clenched as if he’d just received a sucker punch with a two-by-four. He felt sick. No, worse than sick, devastated. All the hopes he’d cultivated in the last few seconds were dashed just and Nikolai felt … Oh Goddess!
Vampires didn’t usually throw up, but he debated that as an option to rid himself of the nausea in the pit of his stomach.
He studied her innocent expression carefully.
Her tiny hand squeezed his large one gently. “Nikolai, are you okay?”
He forced himself to keep eye contact. There was a look in her eyes, one he’d never seen before. A challenge? Was that it? Or was she simply blind to his efforts? Or worse, did she just not give a damn, and was actually trying to break his heart to get her message across?
“ Yes, I’m fine,” he lied.
He scrutinized her expression, looking for some tell as to what she was really asking him. Did she see him as a father figure? Or a potential lover who would keep her from nuptials she didn’t really want?
“ Will you,” she pressed, “walk me down the aisle?” Her eyes shimmered like ocean waves kissed by the sun.
“ If
Similar Books
