Page 46

He may have been ready to party, but drinking wasn’t on the menu for Finn, or at least not enough to get drunk. I think we’d both hoped that we’d be able to wrap this party up early enough to be able to go have a private celebration in his room, but it wasn’t to be.

We may not have been interested in drinking, but that doesn’t mean that the rest of them weren’t. They have made the absolute most of the occasion in their usual way.

But it’s getting quiet now; this time of the morning is getting too late for most of the being guests and the vamps are all drifting off to wherever they want to finish their night. Dawn is close enough that baby vamps like Finn are already starting to feel the first tugs of its magic.

Even our crew has started to fade. I’m surprised they lasted this long.

They just truly wanted to celebrate with Finn.

If someone didn’t have to, you know, run the club, the staff from Bloody Temptations would have been here too.

They have something planned for him next time he comes in.

It was Lifo’s suggestion. Belinda has him totally whipped now.

Mostly, it involves me dancing on the bar and blood apple martinis. I cannot wait .

At one point in the night, we commandeered some sofas to add to our tables, and I’m currently nestled on one, with Finn nestled in my arms.

“You have a good party?” I whisper in his ear. I think it’s about to wrap up. Willan and Nikki are trying to round up the others, but it’s a little like trying to herd drunk cats. In heat. Jax and Lusce have disappeared and Jesminda and Bedeer are pawing at each other on the other couch.

The back of Finn’s head rubs against my chest as he nods lazily. My baby’s tired. I’ll have to get him up to bed soon. Make sure he has his blood and tuck him in tight. And then, in the evening, he can rail me to the ends of the earth and back.

I want to spend every day like this. For the rest of my extremely long life.

I fidget with the length of Finn’s tie, flipping it over and over.

The feeling swells within me. I can feel the tingle of knowledge at the base of my skull. My heart thuds a little harder, my mouth running dry. Three little words. We haven’t said them yet. We’ve purposely waited, I think, even though we both knew the truth of it, not wanting to rush this.

We do have an awfully long time ahead of us.

But right now, with the perfume of the night garden at its peak and the stars still sparkling brightly in the sky, it feels right .

“I love you, Finn,” I whisper, brushing a kiss to the shell of his ear.

He tenses, then latches onto my hand with speed that belies his sleepy state.

Finn twists in my arms, his face now beaming up at me in a sleepy smile. He cups my face so tenderly, his thumb brushing my lip.

“I love you too, Kai. Forever.”

His lips replace his thumb in a tender kiss. The seal on a promise .

Forever is a long time for a being. Longer still for a vamp.

Finn turns back to settle back in my arms, humming happily. He tucks his arms over mine, hugging me to him.

Forever might be a long time, but with Finn I don’t think it’ll ever be enough.

But I’ll take it. Whatever I can get.

‘Til the end of our days.

The end.

***

Thank you so much for reading Bloody Temptations!