We finished with Till death do us part before kissing then turning and facing the crowd. His entire section was remarkably good-looking.
He leaned in toward my ear, laughing, and said, “Jesus forgives. It’s kind of his thing.” I wasn’t sure what he meant but figured he’d fill me in later. Lucian and I danced the night away, swept up in each other and happy to see people sharing our joy. My parents were beaming, and Brooklyn was hitting on Zack, Lucian’s best man, who I figured was not of this world either. Not nearly as good-looking as Lucian, Zack still had a glow about him. I think he was pretty flattered that Brooke was all over him, but he wasn’t exactly reciprocating. Lucian had told me once before that Zack was a rule-follower.
After the reception, a car drove us to a bed-and-breakfast near Napa. Our plan was to go wine tasting the following day. “You know I’m the best winemaker around,” Lucian said, nibbling on my ear.
I spotted the driver eyeing us in the rearview mirror and giggled. “Stop. Let’s wait until we get there.” Lucian obeyed with a mock frown. “So tell me, who were all those people at the wedding on your side?”
“Angels,” he said quietly. He grinned. “Zack really is my best friend, and Mona, the liaison, was there too. A bunch of them got their shifts covered to come and support me… support us. Although, I think it was more out of curiosity.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, you and I are a bit of a spectacle to them.” I frowned at him, but didn’t respond. He continued, “I mean they all seemed happy for us, but an angel falling for a human and marrying her doesn’t exactly happen every day.”
“That’s a bit elitist, don’t you think?”
“Angels can be obnoxiously self-righteous.”
“Don’t I know it.” I laughed.
“I’m not like that anymore, Evey, obviously. Not since you,” he said while running his hand up my thigh.
There is no doubt that Lucian’s hand on any woman’s thigh would make her fall speechless. “Mm,” was my only reply.
“I guess they all got permission from the higher-ups, one last little way of saying good-bye,” he said.
“Wait what?” My brain was back. “What do you mean good-bye?” I felt my heart begin to race.
“They are going to have to cut ties for good, I think.”
“Because you’re becoming a human?” I asked with wide, hopeful eyes.
He took my hand and squeezed it. That warm feeling coursed through me. “I don’t know yet what’s happening, but I don’t want to think about it on our wedding night.”
I felt as though Lucian was keeping something from me.
Once inside our wedding suite, he took his time undressing me until I was standing in nothing but a white slip. He shrugged his jacket from his arms and frantically kicked off his shoes.
“God, she is beautiful.”
I couldn’t tell if he was talking to me or directly to God. It didn’t matter. I loosened his tie and began unbuttoning his shirt. He kissed a path down the center of my chest and took my nipple into his mouth through the slip, sucking on the silk and skin and making me crazy.
“Lucian, come up here, let me undress you.”
“Not yet,” he mumbled.
He dropped to his knees and pushed the silk slip up my thighs and began kissing me down below. I was losing my ability to stand. Bracing the back of my legs, he kissed his way up my body.
“I want you now,” I told him.
“Patience, Evey.” He pulled the slip up over my head as he rose to his feet. Running a smooth index finger down the side of my breast, he shook his head and said, “I can’t believe I get to have you this way.”
I continued unbuttoning his shirt before undoing his belt and pushing his slacks down his thin hips. With a little finesse, I forced his boxer briefs down. We stood there, staring at each other, bold… unwavering. It wasn’t a dream anymore. We were still and naked, like winter trees. His eyes scanned me slowly, his chest pumping in and out, then instinctively, I jumped into his arms, straddling his waist. We were frantic then. He pushed me against the wall, moving inside me while his mouth was on my neck, sucking and tugging at my skin. I kept my hands tangled in his hair as our breaths got heavier and heavier.
“I can’t slow down, Evey,” he said.
“Don’t stop, Lucian.”
I could feel him trying to get a grip, so human, so uncontrolled. He moved us to the bed and took a step back, then for a moment, we were apart. He climbed up and was inside of me again, moving slower this time with his calculated grace.
“I’ve always loved you,” he said as he kissed my ear.
I could not form words. He pulled my hands above my head. I watched the flexing muscles in his abdomen as he moved inside me. I was lost in his eyes, this being who had watched over me, protected me, taught me things, cared for me, comforted me, loved me. Now he was making love to me, and he was the only one who could do it—who could make true, perfect love this way.
Closing my eyes from the tingles bursting through my body and between my legs, I arched my back as his thrusts became harder.
“Open your eyes, Evelyn. Let me look at you.”
The moment I did, I felt our release everywhere. He collapsed on me, sweating, smelling perfectly male, and breathing with such pleasure and contentment. We stayed connected for a long time.
“I want to sleep tonight, like a normal person.” Lucian had been sleeping occasionally, but not at all like a human.
“Then sleep.” I stroked his hair.
His breathing evened out, and before long, I felt myself dozing off right alongside with him.
“Lucian,” I said, just before we were about to fall asleep.
“Yes, my sweet wife.”
“What’s my last name?”
He let out a tired laugh. “I don’t know. I guess we can make one up.”
“How about we take mine?”
“Deal.”
“My parents will wonder why,” I said groggily. “But who cares?”
“Right. Who cares?”
A moment later, we were asleep.
IN THE MORNING, I woke to Lucian’s head on my chest and his hand pulling my legs around him. He stopped and sat up on his knees. He cupped and kneaded my left breast, but not in a sexual way. His eyes were open, wide and weary.
“What is it, Lucian?”
His face scrunched up. He swallowed. It looked like he was going to cry. “No, God.” He breathed hard as he looked at the ceiling.
I was already starting to cry. “What, Lucian?”
“I felt something. A lump.”
I frantically kneaded my breast until I felt it—a small lump on the side, right near the bottom. “Oh. Oh no.” I was stunned, slammed back into reality.
Lucian got up quickly and got dressed. “I’m taking you to a hospital right now.”
“I don’t have health insurance,” I mumbled.
“It doesn’t matter,” he replied irritably.
He was rushing around the room, throwing our stuff in bags. I stopped him near the door and took his beautiful face in my hands. I leaned up on my toes and kissed him slowly. When I pulled away, he was shaking his head. “Please, relax. It’s probably nothing. It’s the day after our wedding,” I told him.