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"Why wouldn't I want it?"

Bones slid off the couch to kneel in front of et it Only when I saw the small black velvet box in his other hand did it hit me

"Catherine" If I hadn't already guessed, his one and only use of my real name would have clued me in "Catherine Kathleen Crawfield, will you marry me?"

It didn't hit ht then how much I'd wanted Bones to askBones cut his hand, slap it over mine, and declarefantasies I'd had as a little girl Plus, Bones had done it to prevent an all out brawl between his people and his sire Ian's people over the issue of who had dibs on me

Looking at Bones now ness, however True, Bones was a for prince, but no fairy tale heroine could have felt the way I did, with theme on bended knee to be his wife My throat closed off with eotten so lucky?

Bones made a noise of amused exasperation "Of all the times for you to be speechless If you don't mind, choose one response or the other The suspense is torturing me"

"Yes"

Tears cah at the sheer joy bubbling up inside me

Soer I could barely see it, since ht a flash of red

"I had this cut and fashioned into a ring alo," Bones said "I know you think I was pressured into binding myself with you before, but that's not true I'd always intended to marry you, Kitten"

For about the thousandth tiht I'd been protecting hi both of us needlessly

"How could you be nervous about asking me to marry you, Bones? I'd die for you Why wouldn't I want to live for you as well?"

He gaveonto my lips only when I pulled away out of breathlessness

"I know it's what I intend to do"

Later, I was stretched out in his ar for dahich wasn't far off

"Do you want to elope, or do you want to do the whole big wedding thing?" I asked sleepily

Bones smiled "You know vampires, pet Always like a fancy shoe do Also, I know our va to you, so I want you to have so that does"

I gave an a We'll have a hell of a ti the menu to a potential caterer Choice of entree: beef or seafood for the hu of hot fresh blood at the bar for the vampires God, I can just picture my mother's face"

Bones's smile turned devilish and he leapt up I watched him, curious, as he went to the other side of the room and dialed his cell phone

"Justina"

I vaulted after him as soon as I heardback his laughter and continuing to speak

"Yes, it's Bones Now really, that's such a foul name to call meum hmm, same to you, I'm sure"

"Give me that phone," I demanded

He ignoredout of my reach Ever since ical passion She'd even tried to have Bones killed before-thich hy he was taking such delight in giving her a little payback now

"Actually, Justina, I didn't just ring you to chat about what an undead enerate whore as well Did I ever tell youline of whores, in fact"

I sucked in a breath as Bones divulged yet another tidbit about his past toat the mouth by now

"called to give you the good news I asked your daughter to ratulations, I will officially be your son-in-la, do you want htaway, or wait until after the wedding?"

I flew through the air in a dive that finally tackled hi so hard, he had to breathe to get it all out

"Mom? Are you there? Mom?"

"You ive her a moment, Kitten I believe she fainted"

There were soret that I'd never be a h that he'd nate my mother, but as a rule, vaenetic abnormalities to a child by erous lifestyle by adopting one

Right noever, I was glad I wasn't a houls, but hordes of children hyped-up on sugar, squealing as they ran froame to the next, while I knew there was no escape for

Bones was outside the Chuck E Cheese, lucky bastard It was because of his power level Other vampires felt him when he was near, like inside, so Bones usually watched the preet knew he or she was being hunted I lacked the typical undead aura that felt like anything fro on the strength of the va heart and I breathed, which made me look harmless-to those who didn't knohat else to look for, anyway

Toward that end, I had al bait, so I didn't need to wear ear Belinda was the one in a low-cut top with hip-hugging jeans that revealed several inches of her belly She'd curled her hair and wore makeup, which was a rarity, since as Don's captive, she didn't get out much

Looking at Belinda, with her blond hair, pouty suess she was a vaht believe in vaht thewith the whole sleeping in coffins, being repelled by religious sy

The little boy next to ry," he announced

I was confused "But you just ate"

He rolled his eyes "Lady, that was an hour ago"

"Call ht smile on my face while I fished out est job ever Where Don had gotten a ten-year-old boy to act as a prop, I'll never know But he had arranged for Ethan to co at a Chuck E Cheese without a child, we'd be suspected of either being pedophiles or-duh-being vaet

Ethan snatched atfor me to peel the bills off

"Thanks!" he said, and scampered off toward the pizza counter

Okay,that looked authentic-I'd seen kids do the sa to their parents all day today, plus all day yesterday Good God, between the food and the endless tokens for gah more money in two days here than I norin and tonics At least this was on Uncle Sam's dime, not mine