wobbly from being shagged so intently by the two vampires.
“Here’s the thing. You’re here now. Alaric knows he’s done the wrong thing. The next move is yours. What are you going to do? Go home and forget about him?”
As if I could . “No, but I just can’t accept this as normal.”
“Hell, girl, it’s not normal. It’s strange and odd. They’re vampires and naturally weird.”
That made Josephine laugh. “Yes.” Vampires were truly in a world of their own.
“They’re never going to be normal.”
“Alaric told me he will lose his immortality if we marry.”
Josephine wasn’t sure how she felt about that. Could she ask him to give up an important part of his life for her?
The Vampire’s Bride
53
“Yes, that’s true, but he will always be a vampire, and they’re selfish men who need to have sense beaten into them by a strong woman.”
Josephine rubbed her hands over her face. “It’s all too hard,” she muttered.
“Yes, it is, and you’ll wonder why you bother at all, but one day you’ll look at him and you’ll realize it was worth it.”
“Are you talking from personal experience?” Once more the question of who this woman really was came up. No one, not even Alaric, seemed to know.
Polly’s smile was subtle. “You know I have no personal life. I’m here because of the house.”
The bloody house . Everything came back to it. In many ways, it was a maverick. It made up its own rules, and everyone else had to fit in with them. “What is it with this place?”
“I’m not sure. It commands just by its presence, and both those boys are drawn to it because it’s their destiny.” Polly winked at Josephine. “Yes, they may be selfish and stupid, but they are destined for great things.”
Josephine raised her eyebrows. She couldn’t quite see a vampire on the political world stage or winning a Nobel Prize.
“You don’t believe me.” Polly didn’t look surprised.
It was hard to know what to believe after being fucked within an inch of her life by the two selfish men Polly was referring to. “I don’t know. Vampires being the saviors of the world doesn’t seem to fit.”
They weren’t cruel, but they were bad boys. Probably why I like them so much.
“Yet you love one and lust after the other.”
That was true. “In some ways I am no better than they are.” Who was Josephine to cast the first stone?
“No, you give in to what you need,” Polly responded. “You need to give in a little more.”
54
Amarinda Jones
“You mean marry Alaric?” It was a bizarre concept, but strangely doable. If I dare.
“Yeah, this is no longer about who has what claims on Maverick House. Alaric needs to settle down. He needs to stop roaming and being idle.”
“What about Richard’s claim on the house?” If she married Alaric, that voided the other vampire’s claim.
“Richard will have something else that will draw him to greatness and the house won’t mean as much to him.”
Interesting . Josephine knew there had to be more to it, but she doubted Polly would tell her. “Alaric mentioned a woman Richard was involved with.”
Polly smiled. “More like he is chasing her. And yes, she is part of it, and no, he will not forget or stop needing you.”
“Richard doesn’t need me. I’m a toy to him.”
“As he is to you.”
This woman was so spooky in her observations. Was there anything Polly did not know? “So, if I just accept Alaric—”
“Which you already have. Oh, come on. If you said to him, ‘Stop.
Don’t touch me,’ you know he would have.”
Yes, Alaric was honorable in that way. He did not force himself on women. Annoy them? Yes. Break down their resistance? Ditto.
Josephine blew out a breath. “I just don’t know what to do.” The last twenty-four hours had gone from frustrating to confusing. What choice do I make?
“As corny as it sounds, my dear, follow your heart. Do you love Alaric?”
“Yes.” There was no question of
“Here’s the thing. You’re here now. Alaric knows he’s done the wrong thing. The next move is yours. What are you going to do? Go home and forget about him?”
As if I could . “No, but I just can’t accept this as normal.”
“Hell, girl, it’s not normal. It’s strange and odd. They’re vampires and naturally weird.”
That made Josephine laugh. “Yes.” Vampires were truly in a world of their own.
“They’re never going to be normal.”
“Alaric told me he will lose his immortality if we marry.”
Josephine wasn’t sure how she felt about that. Could she ask him to give up an important part of his life for her?
The Vampire’s Bride
53
“Yes, that’s true, but he will always be a vampire, and they’re selfish men who need to have sense beaten into them by a strong woman.”
Josephine rubbed her hands over her face. “It’s all too hard,” she muttered.
“Yes, it is, and you’ll wonder why you bother at all, but one day you’ll look at him and you’ll realize it was worth it.”
“Are you talking from personal experience?” Once more the question of who this woman really was came up. No one, not even Alaric, seemed to know.
Polly’s smile was subtle. “You know I have no personal life. I’m here because of the house.”
The bloody house . Everything came back to it. In many ways, it was a maverick. It made up its own rules, and everyone else had to fit in with them. “What is it with this place?”
“I’m not sure. It commands just by its presence, and both those boys are drawn to it because it’s their destiny.” Polly winked at Josephine. “Yes, they may be selfish and stupid, but they are destined for great things.”
Josephine raised her eyebrows. She couldn’t quite see a vampire on the political world stage or winning a Nobel Prize.
“You don’t believe me.” Polly didn’t look surprised.
It was hard to know what to believe after being fucked within an inch of her life by the two selfish men Polly was referring to. “I don’t know. Vampires being the saviors of the world doesn’t seem to fit.”
They weren’t cruel, but they were bad boys. Probably why I like them so much.
“Yet you love one and lust after the other.”
That was true. “In some ways I am no better than they are.” Who was Josephine to cast the first stone?
“No, you give in to what you need,” Polly responded. “You need to give in a little more.”
54
Amarinda Jones
“You mean marry Alaric?” It was a bizarre concept, but strangely doable. If I dare.
“Yeah, this is no longer about who has what claims on Maverick House. Alaric needs to settle down. He needs to stop roaming and being idle.”
“What about Richard’s claim on the house?” If she married Alaric, that voided the other vampire’s claim.
“Richard will have something else that will draw him to greatness and the house won’t mean as much to him.”
Interesting . Josephine knew there had to be more to it, but she doubted Polly would tell her. “Alaric mentioned a woman Richard was involved with.”
Polly smiled. “More like he is chasing her. And yes, she is part of it, and no, he will not forget or stop needing you.”
“Richard doesn’t need me. I’m a toy to him.”
“As he is to you.”
This woman was so spooky in her observations. Was there anything Polly did not know? “So, if I just accept Alaric—”
“Which you already have. Oh, come on. If you said to him, ‘Stop.
Don’t touch me,’ you know he would have.”
Yes, Alaric was honorable in that way. He did not force himself on women. Annoy them? Yes. Break down their resistance? Ditto.
Josephine blew out a breath. “I just don’t know what to do.” The last twenty-four hours had gone from frustrating to confusing. What choice do I make?
“As corny as it sounds, my dear, follow your heart. Do you love Alaric?”
“Yes.” There was no question of
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