Strange Neighbors (38 page)

   Everyone echoed his sentiments, clinked glasses, and Matt said, "Hey, what about me?"

   "You'll have to be content with sparkling cider, Matt." Merry disappeared into the kitchen to get him a glass.

   Jason suspected it was because Matt was on Ritalin, not just because he was only seventeen. When she returned with his glass of cider, he clinked everyone's glass again and said, "To season tickets!"

Merry arrived at the Old North Church in a stretch limo with her father and Roz. The same limo would whisk her and Jason back home to change and then away to Logan Airport and St. John's Island in the Caribbean. Two receptions would be held later in the year. One in Minnesota and one in Rhode Island.

   Her heart fluttered with excitement.

   A gentle snow had fallen earlier in the day, but now that evening had arrived, the dusting served to whiten the dirty snow banks without the bride needing a pair of white boots to wade to the church steps. The sidewalk had been scraped clean.

   Her father jumped out of the limo's passenger side and opened Merry's door. He looked so handsome in his tux, and he beamed as he extended a hand to help her out. Her shoulder-length veil, winter white velvet gown, and long white gloves showed off her dark hair and glowing tan skin to their best advantage. A string of white pearls had been a gift from Jason earlier that week and she wore them proudly.

   Roz had hugged her and told her how happy she was for her about a hundred times that day. She looked almost as radiant as Merry felt. Her gown was midnight blue velvet and highlighted her blue eyes. She wore her medium brown hair in an up-do and her pearl drop earrings reminded Merry of those in the famous painting Girl With A Pearl Earring by Johannes Vermeer, sometimes called the Dutch Mona Lisa.

   "You look beautiful, sweetheart," her father said.

   "Thanks, Dad. I feel beautiful."

   "Are you nervous?"

   "No. Happy, excited, but amazingly calm."

   "Good. Me too."

   It's about time!

   He jogged around to the other side of the car and helped Roz out while Merry waited on the sidewalk. Her breath created fog in the chilly January air and amused her for the few seconds she had to spend in it.

   She hoped everyone would be cozy and warm inside. The old church could get drafty on cold winter nights. Jason had pulled some strings and landed the historic site for their wedding with permission for Merry's family pastor to perform the ceremony. She glanced up at the tower where the Revolutionary War soldiers watched for the famous signal "One if by land; two if by sea" and imagined two lanterns hung there to herald the approach of British ships.

   "Ladies, are you ready?"

   "Ready when you are, Mac," Roz said.

   Merry smiled. "Lead the way."

   At the top of the few steps, he held open the outer door. Inside the vestibule, two larger white doors faced them. They were closed to keep out the chill. Beyond that, her anxious groom would be waiting beside her brother. Matt was so ecstatic when asked to be Jason's best man, he had to sit down before he passed out.

   Jason's own brother hadn't been sure if he could make it or not. Eventually he committed to attending, but by then the arrangements had been made. Merry couldn't imagine things working out more perfectly since she knew the brothers weren't close, and Matt would walk around with a permanent grin for the rest of his life.

   Mr. MacKenzie escorted the ladies to the side and slipped through the door. He returned with Merry's older brother, Rob, while her other brother, James, threw open the doors and wedged them with a door stop.

   Merry took a deep breath. Any second now. She started toward the door, but her father held her back.

   "Not yet, honey."

   The wedding march resounded from an old organ. Rob extended his arm to Roz and the two of them walked through the doors and down the aisle. Merry had checked out the church with Jason and knew it was filled with enclosed booths. These booths had been purchased by families for their exclusive use in generations past and still wore brass name plates claiming them.

   The guest list had been so limited, she imagined only a few of the booths at the front of the church would be filled. She had confessed to Roz that even though Jason had wanted a small wedding, she had thought the sight of only a couple of rows filled would be sort of sad.

   "It's time, honey," her father said, and smiled.

   Merry nodded. As they approached the open doors from the side, she heard a loud rustling. She imagined the guests standing and turning to get a glimpse of her walking down the aisle, but it sounded like more than a handful of people.

   Please, Lord, don't let me trip.

   To her amazement, the church was filled. Some guests she knew and some she didn't. Scanning the room of smiling faces, she realized that in her surprise, she had almost forgotten to smile herself. Then she caught sight of Jason at the front and beamed. Damn, he looks gorgeous. How did I get so lucky?

   She glided, dreamlike, toward him. The closer she came to the front pews, the more people she recognized. Aunts, uncles, and cousins. Old neighbors from Rhode Island. Baseball players from pictures Jason had on his walls. And right up front stood Jason's parents, Ralph and Dottie, and his brother's family.

   Pleased beyond reason, Merry saw that on either side of them were all of her strange new neighbors. Morgaine, Gwyneth, and Joe Murphy on one side. Sly, Konrad, and Nathan on the other. Sly's shiny black hair had been cut and styled. It was swept back from the sides and widow's peak and he looked quite handsome—in a dangerous, vampiric way. She wondered for a fleeting moment if Chad was around. The place was packed.

   Someone had sold her out. She glanced over at Roz. Her maid of honor winked at her. Ah ha. Her best friend had been in cahoots with her husband-to-be and planned a surprise—the big wedding she had always wanted.

   Merry kissed her dad, and took her place beside her happy groom. When she linked her arm through his, she gazed up at him through the tears shimmering in her eyes. He grinned at her and kissed her forehead. At that moment, Merry knew for sure her ultimate dreams were coming true.

IT WAS ALMOST TIME FOR JASON TO RETURN FROM practice, and Merry had just arrived home from her shift at the local children's hospital. She opened a bedroom window and let the warm Florida air inside.

   As soon as Jason flew over the windowsill and landed on the bed, she started to peel off her clothes. When he appeared in falcon form in front of her, carrying a piece of something in his beak, it could only mean one thing. The last step of their bonding was about to take place, and Merry's panties dampened. She didn't even look to see what he'd brought.

   "How was the game, lover?"

   He shifted and folded his hands behind his head. "Fantastic. I just wish it had happened in the regular season. You're good for my batting average."

   She gulped when glancing at his erection. How could a man become so unbelievably hard so fast? When it came to her man, there didn't seem to be any occasion he couldn't rise to. She chuckled to herself as that thought ran through her brain.

   "What's so funny?"

   "Nothing. Have I told you how proud I am of how well you've learned to control your shifts?"

   He smiled and held his arms out to her. "Maybe, but you can tell me again."

   "Well, I am. You must have worked hard."

   "I did. Nathan put me through the paces so many times, I thought I was learning a whole new professional sport."

   As soon as she was naked, she dove into his arms where all rational thoughts vanished. Jason could melt her mind in seconds. Heat rushed to her nipples as their lips fused. His strong hips braced hers and she grabbed his smooth buttocks as they rolled together.

   His scent seemed to intensify, swirling around her in clouds of rugged, primitive man. His tongue swept her mouth in deep swirls as his hand found her breast and massaged it. Waves of hot, wanton need undulated through her.

   As he broke the kiss, his body slid downward. Merry shivered, unable to tear her gaze from him, knowing he was about to consume her bare breasts. As joyfully anticipated, he latched on and sucked. Immediately her womb clenched and she arched further into his mouth. He suckled her thoroughly, then gave her other breast the same attention, creating shivers of sweet sensation.

   "Oh, God. What you do…" Coherent words went the way of coherent thoughts.

   "Are you ready for this? I mean, this is the final step in our bonding."

   "Bring it on, stud."

   Jason ran his hand over her pussy and inserted a finger into her aching passage. She moaned as her cream lubricated his path. He pulled back, inserted two fingers, thrust in and out of her core, and returned to sucking her puckered nipples.

   "I love… I want…"

   Jason let her breast pop out of his mouth and asked, "What do you want, darling?" He slid downward again and without stopping his fingers he added his tongue to the onslaught.

   She gasped. "You… I want… you!"

   He stopped licking long enough to say, "You have me, baby. I'm yours."

   Her breathing grew ragged as she rolled her hips to keep him flush to her lower body. He continued his skillful strokes, making love to her most intimate parts. Decadent sounds reached her ears. That was all it took to launch the rippling sensations that signaled her impending orgasm.

   Suddenly bolts of electricity shot through every nerve ending. Her thighs tensed and her body spasmed. She screamed her release with complete abandon. She crested and came again and again, generating white heat. Beads of sweat popped out on her brow.

   Jason rode the wave of her climax until her body weakened. When he finally stilled, she melted into the mattress. Even though she was spent, her legs continued to tremble.

   "I love how hard you come," he said, smiling.

   Between heavy panting, she managed to say, "It's all you, lover."

   She placed her hands on either side of him and pulled until he walked up on his knees and positioned his lower torso over her face. She took his erection in her hand and guided it into her mouth.

   Jason reared back and moaned. She knew he loved fucking her mouth, and she loved giving him pleasure almost as much as receiving it. She held onto his hips as he pumped them. Before long he pulled out and panted.

"Can't handle any more of that?"

   He chuckled. "Not today." He slid down until they were face to face. "I couldn't stop thinking about you— about getting home to you."

   "How did you know today would be our final bonding?"

   "Instinct. Pure, primitive, driving need."

   While he kissed her, she spread her legs and he positioned himself at her opening. In one long thrust, he drove into her. Both of them moaned and sighed. The feeling of his cock filling her warm center made her dizzy. She lifted her hips and locked her ankles behind him in wicked invitation.

   She clung to him as he rocked her world. Her breath shuddered with each withdrawal, and with every thrust she almost sobbed her joy.

   Her legs fell away to allow him deeper penetration. Jason ground his pelvis into hers, creating the perfect amount of friction against her clit. His strokes grew bolder, faster, yet their bodies stayed together like they were secured with elastic bands.

   Lost in sensation, her nipples tingled. His balls slapped against her ass. The building tension in her pussy promised another mind-blowing orgasm was on its way.

   "God, I love you, Merry," Jason said, and gasped.

   His motions became erratic and signaled his orgasm. She tipped over the edge and let go of her own, crying out her pleasure. She rode her climax to the end, and savored every aftershock.

   As they lay together, boneless and motionless, she sighed.

   "Is everything okay?" he asked.

   "Everything's perfect," she said with a smile. "You're perfect."

   He laughed. "No, I'm not."

   "I love you anyway."

   "And I love you—always have, always will."

   "I almost forgot. What did you bring me?"

   "Take a look."

   Merry rolled onto her side and picked up the smooth pebble from where it fell. "It's blue, almost like the Caribbean sky."

   "That's because I brought it back from our honeymoon in the Caribbean. It's a piece of Larimar—and it's only found there."

   "Oh!" Merry cradled it in her hand. She couldn't have been any more thrilled if it was the rarest diamond on the planet. "I love it. Can I have it made into a necklace or a brooch?"

   "You can make it into anything you want."

   "This will make a perfect reminder of how and where we began our marriage, and because you gave it to me here, it'll always symbolize our final bonding." She ran her thumb over the smooth stone. "It's beautiful."

   Jason kissed her neck. "I can't imagine anything more beautiful than to spend my life with you."

A million thanks to Rose Knox, bookstore owner, brainstormer, beta reader, and friend. Rose steers me toward the nutty, hot, romance novels I devour while keeping me away from the ones that would give me indigestion. She's largely responsible for my addiction to romance.

   Major thanks to Emily Bryan—a wonderful author who critiqued my scenes and laughed in all the right places!