Page 195 of Taken By the Fae

He offers her his hand. “Lovely to meet you,” he murmurs in a silky voice.

She blushes, shaking his hand.

“Hey, Al?” I cut in.

“Huh?” she mumbles.

“Where’s Oliver?” They came together; I’m hoping she didn’t ditch him.

“Hmm? Oh!” She pulls her hand back and finally looks at me. “He’s with Skylar at the bar. I think they’re having some sort of drinking contest.”

“That’s my cue,” Jae says with a smirk, turning to Tristan and me. “Congratulations. May you enjoy your life together.”

“Thank you,” I smile. “Maybe we’ll see you again?”

“If you happen to be so lucky.” He winks before walking away, and even that looks catlike and graceful.

Allison whistles under her breath before following him.

* * *

We spend the rest of the night and into the early morning celebrating the best day of our lives with the people we love.

I share a dance with my father, making half the guests cry, and Tristan guides my mom around the dance floor, the two of them smiling and laughing as they talk and dance.

Nikolai steps away from manning the music and offers me a dance. “How does it feel to be a married woman?” he asks, spinning me around with a wicked grin. He pulls me back in, and I wrap my arms around his neck.

“Pretty epic,” I say.

“Have you decided where you’ll go on your honeymoon? Tristan told me he’s waiting for you to decide.”

I press my lips together. “It sounds weird, but I kind of want to stay here.”

“You just married probably the richest man in the city and you want to have a local honeymoon? How drunk are you?”

I slap his shoulder. “Shut up, I’m not drunk.” I glance away and see Tristan dancing and chatting with Skylar. I smile and face Nikolai again. “It doesn’t matter where we go.”

“Let me guess,as long as you’re together?”

“Yeah, pretty much.” I laugh when he rolls his eyes. “Oh, quit being so bitter. You could have the happiness I feel right now.” I nod toward Skylar and Tristan. “You know it, too.”

He laughs. “Yeah, I don’t think happiness like what you and Tristan have is in the cards for her and I. Sex,definitely. But romance? I don’t think so.”

I frown. “She’d want you to be happy,” I whisper. “Layla would want you to love again.”

His eyes widen, flicking back and forth between mine, and a small smile touches his lips. “Thanks, Aurora.”

The song ends, and Tristan steals me away. We say goodbye to our friends and family and head upstairs. Once we’re alone in the penthouse, Tristan wraps his arms around me and breathes deeply.

“Have you decided where you want to go?”

“We’re already here.”

He raises a brow. “Here, as in the hotel?”

I nod. “It’s where we met. I think it’s fitting we spend our first night as husband and wife here.”

“You will never cease to amaze me.”

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