we could start our new life together without all this fuss.”
Oliver pulled back a few inches, looking at her quizzically. “What fuss?”
She made an all encompassing motion with her arm. “This. The wedding, the bridesmaids, the shopping, the flowers, everything.”
“What? But we’re doing this for you. I couldn’t care less about a big wedding. Hell, if I had a say, I’d drag you to a secluded place with a big bed and blood-bond with you right now.”
“I never wanted a big wedding either. But look at it now.” She pointed to the window, indicating the large tent that was being built out there. “I’m not sure I’m prepared for all this.”
“Then why are we doing it?” Oliver pushed a strand of her hair behind her ear, and she leaned into his palm, loving the way his touch comforted her.
“My parents. They want this. They think that if the wedding is perfect, the marriage will be perfect too.” Particularly her mother believed that. Her father could have maybe been talked into something smaller and simpler, but even he had no chance once her mother had made up her mind.
“Our marriage will be perfect. I promise you that.”
Ursula sighed. “But this wedding will be a disaster.” She pointed to the shopping bags. “Do you know how many stores my mother dragged me to so we could find matching bridesmaid’s dresses for the extra bridesmaids?”
“Extra bridesmaids? Are four not enough?”
“Four is a bad number in Chinese. It means death. So when Mom found out, she almost had a stroke! She insists that we have eight bridesmaids because eight is a lucky number.”
Oliver shook his head. “She can’t possibly believe that!”
Ursula rolled her eyes. “You don’t know my mother! She’s superstitious, controlling, a perfectionist and she drives me—”
“Don’t, Ursula,” he said softly, placing a finger on her lips. “Your mother only wants your best. She wants you to be happy and would do anything for you.”
Ursula felt her eyebrows snap together. “How would you know that? You barely know her.”
He smiled. “I just have a feeling. Trust me. She’s doing this for you. Don’t spoil it. I know you’re stressed.”
“Stressed is an understatement. I still have to get all the bridesmaids together for a fitting, and since half of them are vampires, we can’t do it during the day. I’m running out of excuses why it will have to be at night. And then there’s the cake, and Mom wants me to make wedding favors, and we still need to shop for some special table decorations. And then there are the flowers—”
“Stop, baby. I’ll take care of some of those things for you.”
“You would? Really?”
He pulled her against his chest. “Of course I will. It’s my wedding too. How about I’ll take care of the flowers and the cake? You won’t have to worry about that at all.”
Ursula threw her arms around his neck. “You’re the best!”
Oliver grinned unashamedly and winked at her. “I’m the best at a lot of things. Do you want me to remind you?”
She gasped, pulled out of his arms, and shot a panicked look toward the door. “We can’t! If my mother walks in here and sees us, she’s going to give me a lecture on premarital sex, and I’m really not in the mood for that.”
Oliver chuckled. “Your mother is busy in the kitchen. She won’t disturb us for a while.”
“You don’t know her. Besides, it doesn’t take forever to make tea. She’ll be up here any moment.” Ursula hopped off the bed and walked to the window. Below it, the tent was being built even though so far, it looked more like a scaffold used to paint a house rather than a tent. Several men still worked and floodlights had been installed to help them see in the dark. “When will the tent be up?”
She heard Oliver rise and walk to her. Then he pressed his body against her back und put his arm around her waist. “Maybe another day or two.”
“Oliver?”
“Yes?”
“Do you
Oliver pulled back a few inches, looking at her quizzically. “What fuss?”
She made an all encompassing motion with her arm. “This. The wedding, the bridesmaids, the shopping, the flowers, everything.”
“What? But we’re doing this for you. I couldn’t care less about a big wedding. Hell, if I had a say, I’d drag you to a secluded place with a big bed and blood-bond with you right now.”
“I never wanted a big wedding either. But look at it now.” She pointed to the window, indicating the large tent that was being built out there. “I’m not sure I’m prepared for all this.”
“Then why are we doing it?” Oliver pushed a strand of her hair behind her ear, and she leaned into his palm, loving the way his touch comforted her.
“My parents. They want this. They think that if the wedding is perfect, the marriage will be perfect too.” Particularly her mother believed that. Her father could have maybe been talked into something smaller and simpler, but even he had no chance once her mother had made up her mind.
“Our marriage will be perfect. I promise you that.”
Ursula sighed. “But this wedding will be a disaster.” She pointed to the shopping bags. “Do you know how many stores my mother dragged me to so we could find matching bridesmaid’s dresses for the extra bridesmaids?”
“Extra bridesmaids? Are four not enough?”
“Four is a bad number in Chinese. It means death. So when Mom found out, she almost had a stroke! She insists that we have eight bridesmaids because eight is a lucky number.”
Oliver shook his head. “She can’t possibly believe that!”
Ursula rolled her eyes. “You don’t know my mother! She’s superstitious, controlling, a perfectionist and she drives me—”
“Don’t, Ursula,” he said softly, placing a finger on her lips. “Your mother only wants your best. She wants you to be happy and would do anything for you.”
Ursula felt her eyebrows snap together. “How would you know that? You barely know her.”
He smiled. “I just have a feeling. Trust me. She’s doing this for you. Don’t spoil it. I know you’re stressed.”
“Stressed is an understatement. I still have to get all the bridesmaids together for a fitting, and since half of them are vampires, we can’t do it during the day. I’m running out of excuses why it will have to be at night. And then there’s the cake, and Mom wants me to make wedding favors, and we still need to shop for some special table decorations. And then there are the flowers—”
“Stop, baby. I’ll take care of some of those things for you.”
“You would? Really?”
He pulled her against his chest. “Of course I will. It’s my wedding too. How about I’ll take care of the flowers and the cake? You won’t have to worry about that at all.”
Ursula threw her arms around his neck. “You’re the best!”
Oliver grinned unashamedly and winked at her. “I’m the best at a lot of things. Do you want me to remind you?”
She gasped, pulled out of his arms, and shot a panicked look toward the door. “We can’t! If my mother walks in here and sees us, she’s going to give me a lecture on premarital sex, and I’m really not in the mood for that.”
Oliver chuckled. “Your mother is busy in the kitchen. She won’t disturb us for a while.”
“You don’t know her. Besides, it doesn’t take forever to make tea. She’ll be up here any moment.” Ursula hopped off the bed and walked to the window. Below it, the tent was being built even though so far, it looked more like a scaffold used to paint a house rather than a tent. Several men still worked and floodlights had been installed to help them see in the dark. “When will the tent be up?”
She heard Oliver rise and walk to her. Then he pressed his body against her back und put his arm around her waist. “Maybe another day or two.”
“Oliver?”
“Yes?”
“Do you
Similar Books
