Sherrilyn Kenyon: Seize The Night

He held his hand out to Zarek, who looked at it suspiciously. Tabitha half-expected him to turn away.

He didn't.

Taking Valerius's hand, he clapped him on the back, then released him. "Your woman loves you more than you know. She's a hell of a fire-cat. I probably should have given you something in Kevlar."

Valerius laughed at that. "I hope you two will stay for the reception."

"We'd love to," Astrid said before Zarek could answer.

The two of them took a seat at the table with Selena and Bill while Valerius came back to her.

"Bon appetit," Tabitha said as she held the ambrosia out to him.

He ate it, then kissed her.

"Mmm," Tabitha breathed, inhaling the scent of her husband. "Pedicabo ego vos et irrumabo."

I intend to have my way with you upstairs and down.

Valerius smiled. "And I intend to let you." His face turned serious as he stared at her and his love for her consumed him. "Amo, Tabitha. Amo."

One year later

"Look at the poor bastard," Kyrian said as he sat inside the Café Pontalba with Amanda, Grace, Julian, Bill, and Selena having dinner. "I should have been kind and killed him when I had the chance."

Through the doorway on their right, they could see Tabitha and Valerius walking toward the St. Louis Cathedral.

The women frowned as they watched them.

"What?" Amanda asked.

"He's so screwed," Bill said before taking a drink of his beer. "I wonder what he did wrong this time."

"What are you two talking about?" Selena asked.

"I know that Devereaux walk," Kyrian said, shaking his head. "It's the 'You're not going to get any tonight, pal, so don't even ask' walk."

"Oh, hell yeah," Bill agreed. "Be glad you married the only one of the sisters who won't rack you in a fit of anger, Kyrian. You seriously lucked out."

"I beg your pardon?" Selena glared at her husband.

Kyrian laughed.

"I wouldn't laugh if I were you," Amanda said, her voice tense as they saw Tabitha tell Valerius to "talk to the hand."

Then she continued to walk in front of him as Valerius followed and made placating gestures.

"I really hate that walk," Bill muttered.

"I think you're both going to see that walk up close and personal tonight," Julian said before he pulled out his Nextel phone. He scrolled through the names before he clicked the talk button. "Hey, Otto? Where are you?"

"Café Du Monde. Why?"

"Can you see Valerius and Tabitha? They look like they're heading down the Pedestrian Mall toward you."

Otto made a sound of disgust. "Yeah, the two of them need to go get a room."

"Pardon?" Julian asked.

"They're lip-locked like two horny teenagers."

Amanda and Selena gave their husbands indignant glares.

"No way." Kyrian got up and dashed out the doorway with Bill one step behind him.

He walked the block over to see Tabitha and Valerius stopped in front of Selena's store.

Sure enough, the two of them were necking.

"Excuse me?" Bill said. "You know, there are public decency laws here?"

Tabitha scoffed at Bill. "Do you remember what happened to you the last time you tried to tell a Devereaux what the city laws were?"

Bill went pale.

Tabitha laughed, then returned to what she'd been doing before Bill so rudely interrupted her.