Page 34 of Rock Giant

“Normal when you’re nervous.”Her giant slung an enormous, tattooed arm around her shoulders.The action crushed her to his side and swaddled her in warmth and that gorgeous earthy scent of his.It was almost impossible not to feel fine when he cuddled her in this way, so warm and… happy.She was happy.This man, he always protected her.Protected her with his big giant body and made her feel good with his rock-hard cock.

**

The standing stones came into view.Grey stooped pillars in a ring like a dozen cowled figures.Why were they here?That’s right, she was meeting Nash.She loved Nash.Where was Nash?Had he come and left already?She slipped free of Paul’s hold to dart around the circle of stones in search of her betrothed, in case he was concealed behind them, but a full loop of the circumference failed to locate him.

“I can’t find him,” she said, taking hold of both of Rock Giant’s hands.He had a ring on his thumb, that she ran her thumb tip against.It wasn’t cold like metal usually was.“I guess I just wait, right?”

“It’s one option.”

**

“You’re the last pair,” the man said.He had a crabby face and funny forked beard and a moustache like a man out of a fantasy movie, only taller.Everyone seemed to have grown really tall today.Her neck got a crick in it each time she looked up, so she looked down instead.The grass was pretty, and very green.

“If you’re going ahead, it needs to be now.”Fantasy man looked pointedly at his watch as he spoke.

Jodi couldn’t quite recall what the delay had been about, but sure if he needed them to get on with it now, that was okay.

What was it they were doing?

Vows.That was it.

She’d been having trouble fathoming out what to say.The guy went first though, right?So, she could wing it based on what he said to her.That’s what she’d do.“I’m ready,” she told moustache man.

Damn, she wished she could focus properly.Time kept jumping around and there were colours swarming around the standing stones like tiny luminescent insects.They were very distracting.Not as distracting as the sounds though.Whenever anyone spoke, she could taste their words like they were putting them right on her tongue.She kept trying to wipe them off, but ribbons held her wrist in place, and whatever she was tied to was as immovable as one of those standing stones.

“Your turn,” someone prompted.

Turn tasted of oranges.All zesty and sharp.She figured that was what sunshine probably tasted of, too.It was night right now.She wasn’t sure what night tasted of.Someone was talking a great deal about hands and that kept overwhelming the taste of night.

“Jodi…”

“Yes,” she said.

“Jodi…”

“Yes.”Maybe he hadn’t heard her over the taste of hands.“Yes.”

Hands tasted of Armagnac.

“May this knot remain tied for as long as love shall last.May the vows you have spoken never grow bitter in your mouths.Hold tight to one another through good times and bad and watch as your strength grows.In the joining of hands and the fashioning of a knot, so are your lives now bound.

CHAPTER 10

Jodi Castle

Present

Paul, rightly or wrongly, insisted everything would seem better after breakfast—unlikely—thus he waltzed her onto the Black Halo tour bus, when what she really wanted to do was crawl into her tent alongside the cats and sob into a pillow.At least on his bus, she could tidy herself up a little before she faced Nash, and maybe…maybe, she wouldn’t have to make a big deal out of it, if, once he had some food inside him, Rock Giant became more amenable to the notion of sweeping the whole nonsense under a bush.They had, after all, both been off their heads.Plus, all they’d actually done was agreed to some shit she couldn’t even remember.Well, except for the forever part.She distinctly recalled that part.In fact, it kept echoing around her head in a particularly nettlesome way.She must have been looking him in the eyes during that part, too, because the memory came complete with a vision of his pretty hazel eyes and blissful grin.

A kitchenette occupied the space directly behind the driver’s berth, complete with a diner-style table and padded bench seats.

“Who’s this?”A guy with floppy brown hair looked up and asked.

“My wife, so keep your sticky mitts off.”

“Your what?”The guy continued to scratch at his morning stubble.

“Wife,” Paul replied.“I got married.Oops, sorry, forgot to invite you.”