I was hugely relieved.  I'd been expecting the worst.

"Thank you," I told her sincerely.

"Don't mention it," she said with a smile, shocking the hell out of me, and went back to work.

CHAPTER THIRTY

MY SIN AND MY TEMPLE

Stephan's speech at our wedding reception seemed tailor made to make me embarrass myself.  It was short, but packed a hell of a punch, one aimed right at me.

"I think everyone here knows that I'd do just about anything for Bianca," he began, giving her a soft smile.

"And it's no secret that I can be a little overprotective where she's concerned.  I don't think anyone will call bullshit on me when I say she's someone I'd be happy to take a bullet for."

Several laughs for that.  Their story was well known among our friends.

"It's also no secret that I think she's the most wonderful woman on earth.  Best girl in the world, as far as I'm concerned."

He turned to face me.  "I never thought I'd find someone that was worthy of her.  I always figured, if she finally found a guy she liked, I'd have to put up with it, but I just assumed I wouldn't like him.  Who could ever love her as much as she deserved to be loved, as much as I loved her?  Who could live up to that?  Who on earth could possibly be good enough for my Bianca?  And then she met James.  A man so perfect for her, so good for her."

That got to me, and I found myself blinking rapidly.

"That I never could have seen it coming," he continued.  "I'll admit it wasn't all that smooth right from the start.  We had some hurdles to overcome."  He grinned.  "I might have tried to choke him out."

Laughs broke out.

"But it was only the one time."

More laughs.  He waited for them to quiet, smiling all the while.

"Bianca and I have a friendship that not everyone can understand, steeped in years of history that make it incapable for us to be apart from each other for any length of time.

"And something that always worried me, even more than worrying I'd hate the guy she ended up with, was the idea, the near certainty that he wouldn't understand or tolerate what Bianca and I mean to each other."

He spoke directly to me, his eyes bright.  "But I needn't have worried.  You are just the person that she needed in her life, for so many reasons.  Thank you for seeing the same thing in me.  Thank you for never trying to diminish what she and I are to each other.  Thank you so much for never questioning, never complaining about this package deal you got."

I nodded at him, eyes suspiciously moist.

He raised his glass to me.  "Welcome to the family, brother."

I tucked Bianca's body into mine, kissing her temple, then nuzzling my face into her soft, white blonde hair as we danced.  I'd intended to behave myself for a few more hours, or a few more songs, at least.  Really, I had.  But it was useless.

I spoke into her ear, "Are you wet?"

Her step faltered.  I'd clearly caught her off guard.

"I'm going to take you into the woods and ravish you.  I'm going to bind you, claim you, brand every inch of you as mine.  Mine."

I heard her breath stutter in and out unsteadily, waited a beat for it to steady, still dancing with her, a slow sway to the music.

"I have the perfect spot," I added.  "It's a bit of a walk, but we need some distance."

I let her process that before I added, "This won't be quiet."

I could feel her trembling.

I smiled into her hair.

I didn't make our excuses to anyone.  It was our wedding, and we'd be back because one thing was certain, we wouldn't be sleeping tonight.

I simply walked off the dance floor, slipped away from the party, and pulled her into the woods.

I'd set a lantern out for us in a spot on the trail that led from the reception tents to the house.  There was enough moonlight for me to see the trail, but not much else.  I'd be finding the lantern by memory, since I'd hidden it here unlit.

We were nearly to it when I heard a noise that had me stopping in my tracks.

I pressed Bianca to me, putting my hand over her mouth.

"Shh," I breathed in her ear.

There it was again, a soft voice in the dark, one that I recognized.

"Tristan," Danika said softly.

A short ways up the path, I could make out the shadow of a couple embracing.

A few beats later, the sounds of lips clashing drifted to us, followed by some unmistakably passionate moans.

"Holy shit," I whispered in Bianca's ear.

She didn't answer.  She couldn't.  I still had my hand over her mouth.

I started inching toward the spot with my lantern, figuring at this rate, if we didn't leave, we'd soon be hearing them having sex.

Danika started whimpering loudly, and it wasn't from pain.

Tristan moaned almost as loudly.

More, louder whimpers, another deep-throated, desperate moan.

I inched a little closer to the lantern.

One of their shadows seemed to climb the other, and they began to move away.

Tristan had picked her up and carried her off.  Like a f**king caveman.  I covered my mouth with my free hand to stifle a laugh.

Bianca started struggling against my hold, and I took my hand from her mouth.

"Was that Danika . . . with Tristan?  Were they . . . ?"  Bianca paused for a long moment, clearly at a loss.  "What on earth was that?"