Page 17 of Night Wedding
He cracked his knuckles. “She invited me to go with her to a vampire ball with blood donors.”
I winced and tried to mask my reaction by scratching at an imaginary itch on my face. They couldfeedtogether, something Diego and I could never do. How many times since I’d lived here had Sebastian waxed poetic about the power of food bringing people together. People broke bread to settle differences. They courted each other with nice dinners. They celebrated special occasions with banquets. They mourned with comfort food.
By drinking blood together, Diana and Diego could share an experience that I never could with him. When Diego dined with us, he pecked at the meal, only able to tolerate small bites. What would happen if he could feast on his favorite meal with her?
I’d seen how wild he’d gotten when he drank my blood. That was when he was at his most savage, and hell yes, it excited me. What was vampire sex like with their shared proclivity for blood? Did they drink from each other in an endless orgy? An unfamiliar twist of jealousy speared me, one that might not have popped up had we not had the recent strange distance.
Wicked bats and flying monkeys.I rubbed my fingers along the seam of the suede sofa cushion. I’d never felt jealousy like this. Why now?
I groaned inside. Because a woman Diego had once been madly in love with had returned. Awesome.
With Diana back, could his feelings for her return? After all, there was a fine line between love and hate, passion exploding on either side of a tug of war.
“Are you okay, Nova?” Gianna asked.
“Fine,” I lied. Turning to face Diego, I asked, “What did you tell her?”
His eyes widened with surprise. “I told her no, of course.”
Right, I shouldn’t have had to ask. If I was more secure in our relationship, I wouldn’t have. But once that thread of uncertainty had started to unravel, I couldn’t help but pull at it. If I couldn’t stop myself from tugging at these strings, I might destroy something beautiful. It would be like unraveling a hand-knitted blanket until it turned back into a tangle of yarn. In that ruined state, it would no longer provide comfort or warmth.
Worrying about what may happen with Diana now in town wouldn’t change anything. I had to be proactive. The wheels in my noggin started turning for my next plan.
After Diego went to work,and Gianna said she was going to the club, I said, “Let me walk you out.”
Sebastian frowned at me, clearly wanting that role, but I ignored him.
Once Gianna and I were outside near her car in the driveway, I asked, “See what I mean?”
“Yup, Diego was definitely acting peculiar.” She chuckled. “More so than his usual broody style.”
“Now I know why.” I crossed my arms. “His former immortal beloved is here. If I want to keep him from straying back to her, I need to up my game—or lack thereof. She’s probably some wild tigress in bed.” I frowned. “I need to compete with a stunning vamp.”
Gianna furrowed her brows. “How?”
The strip tease hadn’t worked as planned, but there were other options. “Are you still up for a shopping trip?”
“For what?” she prodded.
I rolled one shoulder. “Some naughty props, perhaps. I’m ready to be more adventurous with experimenting.”
She blinked her wide eyes at me before a smile spread across her face. “Hell yes. I wouldn’t miss this shopping excursion—not even for all the Ben & Jerry’s I can carry. Let’s go!”
Chapter 5
Diego
Nova and I held hands as we walked along the harbor shore on my night off from work. It was quiet and peaceful. Most of the buzzing activity was along the commercial venues on the wharf or along the main roads.
She glanced up. “It’s a beautiful night. The moon is almost full.”
My gaze followed. Along with the moon shining above, a spattering of stars twinkled overhead. “I love Salem in the summer.”
I’d been nervous to tell Nova about Diana. Since Nova didn’t bring it up after I’d revealed the unpleasant news last night, it didn’t bother her as much as it rankled me.
We stopped by a pub and then returned home. Up in Nova’s bedroom, she crossed her arms. A worry line appeared between her brows. When I reached for her, she stepped back.
“Is something wrong?” I asked her.
