Twice as Hot (53 page)

“You’ve
never looked more beautiful,” Sherridan said from behind me. In her five-inch
heels, she towered over me. She placed her hands on my shoulders.

“You,
too. But don’t get any ideas. Ear filters, remember?” Three weeks had passed
since my surgery and her night of loving with Cody. To my surprise, they were
still together and were mushier than even me and Rome. They were always holding
hands, always touching. Cody seemed to give her everything she’d been missing
in her life: love, acceptance, attention. When she became too high-maintenance,
like yesterday, crying because she thought she looked fat, he just told her how
beautiful she was, then spent a good hour pointing out all his favorite parts
of her body. I know because I’d been in the next room.

I
hadn’t been able to help myself. I’d softened toward him (after gagging). I’d
had to. He was Rome’s best man. But part of me still wanted to hate him, since
Sherridan would soon be moving out of my house and into Cody’s. Yes, Cody had
finally bought a house—a sign he must be serious about committing to Sherridan.
He’d even used her as his Realtor. Too bad I wasn’t ready to give her up.

“I
can’t believe this day has finally arrived,” I said. “Or that I was able to
book this amazing church. Or that I was able to get the invitations printed in
time. Or that I was able to secure the best caterer in town.”

“Pays
to know the right people,” she said with a smile.

Everyone
had turned me down, told me no, to get lost, they couldn’t help me. Then she’d
made a few calls for me and boom—
everyone
wanted to help. Whatever I’d
desired, I’d gotten.

John
was putting her powers to good use, too. He’d made Sherridan an official member
of my team. So I guess I wouldn’t be giving her up, really. I’d see her every
day at work.

“Are
you ready?” Elaine asked as she strolled into the room. “Oh, Belle.” She
stopped, placed a hand over her mouth. “You look radiant.”

“Thank
you, Vampyra,” I said, using the name she and Tanner had finally settled on.
They, too, were still together. Like Sherridan, they’d been talking about
moving out and getting a place of their own. I’d never seen Tanner so happy as
when he was with this girl, and that made me happy. Though I’d miss having the
little shit at my beck and call.

“Everyone
prepared for the worst?” I asked. I mean, hello. This was a wedding of two
superheroes. Every villain in the world would love to crash it. Desert Gal was
still in prison, so she wasn’t a worry. Reese was out but in rehab, so he could
be a problem. The Multiplier was already up for parole, according to John, but
as of now, he was still behind bars.

“John
swore he’d guard this place like the secrets of the universe were in the
chapel,” Sherridan reminded me. “Nothing’s going to go—”

“Don’t
say it!” Elaine and I shouted in unison.

Sherridan
pressed her lips together.

Everyone
breathed a collective sigh of relief. That kind of declaration would only cause
fate to laugh at us.

“I
just came in to tell you that they’re ready for you,” Elaine said.

Sherridan
strode to the table and lifted my bouquet. Silver roses. She handed it to me
with a smile. “Belle Masters. Can’t say I’m glad Rome finally convinced you to
take his name, but I like the girl that goes with it, so I’ll deal.”

I
laughed, hugged her close. Waved Elaine over and she joined in the hug, still
looking dazzled at being able to touch people so freely.

“All
right, ladies,” I said after a few minutes, straightening. “Let’s do this.”

“You
sound like Rome just before a mission,” Elaine said through tears. Happy tears,
though. “Nervous?”

“A
little,” I admitted. “I don’t want to trip. I don’t want anything to go wrong.
This is the first day of my new life.”

“Look
at it this way,” Sherridan said, moving in front of me toward the door. Elaine
lined up behind her. My bridesmaids, I thought with a tingle. This wedding was
really happening. “You’re the only bride in town who can relight a candle at
her wedding without going near it if it blows out.”

I
laughed as she’d intended. And then the two began marching out, into the
chapel. When it was my turn, I inhaled, held it…held the breath…and slowly
released it. Seemed like the day I’d been waiting for my entire life had
finally arrived. I was giving myself body and soul to the man I loved. The man
who loved me for exactly who I was. And afterward, we had a few weeks off and
we were going to honeymoon in the Arctic. Better snuggling there, Rome had
said.

Slowly,
I walked forward. Past the double doors. Down a corridor. I could see the back
of Sherridan as she stepped into the sanctuary. I reached the door and my dad,
my wonderful dad, and my new daughter, Sunny, joined me. He was going to escort
me, and she was acting as flower girl. Sunny took her role seriously, too. She
had flowers in her hair, glued to her dress and her shoes, and the basket she
held was overflowing.

I
gave them both a hug.

“Ready?”
my dad asked. He was tall and sort of thick, with brown hair and a kind,
teddy-bear face.

“Ready.”

He
kissed my cheek. “I’m so proud of you, Bell-Belle. Your mother would be, too.”

“I
love you, Daddy.” I bent down to Sunny. “And I love you.”

“Forever,”
she said.

“Forever.”
That was not up for negotiation. “Now go on. It’s finally your turn.”

She
was beaming as she walked forward, throwing petals in every direction.

When
she reached the front, music suddenly blasted from the church.
Here comes
the bride.
Everyone stood and turned to catch sight of me. My dad and I
started forward. Tears were already burning my eyes. Damn it, I didn’t want to
cry at my own wedding! But I saw Sunny, now standing proudly beside her own dad
and grinning happily at me, my precious dogs (who this time were clad in
matching white dresses and darling little tiaras) playing at their feet.

She
waved me over to hurry me along. The crowd chuckled.

My
gaze shifted, and I spotted Tanner as one of Rome’s groomsmen. He blew me a
kiss. Lexis, I saw next, was in the front pew. She offered me a tentative
smile. I couldn’t help myself. I returned it. This was my day, a dream come
true. I was feeling generous.

The
crowd suddenly let out a gasp. Before I could glance around to see what evil
scrim had managed to crash my wedding—and kill the bastard—Jean-Luc brushed
past me, turned and stopped directly in front of me. My dad glanced between us
as the crowd fell silent, watching.

I
patted his arm. “It’s okay,” I said.

“Sorry
I’m late. I couldn’t stay away,” Jean-Luc said. He was wearing a wrinkled and
stained T-shirt, a holey pair of jeans and flip-flops. His hair was in disarray
and he smelled like beer. “You look amazing.”

“You
look like shit.” They were the only words I could think of at the moment, but
deep down I was glad to see him—bad timing or not. His absence these past few
weeks had been the only dark spot in my life.

He
didn’t react. He just leaned into me and pressed a lingering kiss on my cheek.
“I still love you, but I wish you all the best. I wanted you to know that,” he
said, then spun on his heel, strode forward and plopped into a seat behind
Lexis.

Her
vision, I thought, looking up. Rome smiled at me to let me know he understood
what had just happened.

Lexis
gaped at Jean-Luc, but I saw the longing in her gaze. I hoped her vision about
him came true. He deserved a happily-ever-after.

“Come
on, my girl. Rome’s waiting,” my dad said, and I laced my arm through his.

My
head held high, we kicked into gear again. The closer we came to the altar, the
faster my steps grew. Eagerness rushed through me. Finally my dad handed me
over, and Rome held tight. Love glowed on his face, and damn, his body was
fine, encased in the black tux as it was.

“Belle,”
he said. “You take my breath away.”

“So
you like the dress?”

“Actually,
I can’t wait to strip you.”

The
pastor heard, and cleared his throat. We laughed.

“Let’s
get to the kissing part,” Rome told him.

And
we did.

—Get
naked.

—Make
love to Rome.

—Repeat.
Over and over again.

—Return
from honeymoon thoroughly sated and eager to show off—er, demonstrate—your
newfound control over your powers to your cohorts at PSI.

—Solve
the next case with the help of your trusty and ever-expanding team of
sidekicks—scrims, beware!

—Save
the world—or at least do your part to populate it with little Romes and Belles,
thereby making it a better place.

Dear
Supersmart Readers—you may not have powers, but everyone deserves a paranormal
nickname.

Anyway.
OMG, do I have the
best news for you! Check it. Gena Showalter has, like, a lot of books coming
out. None as good as mine, of course, but get this. In May 2010, you’ll find
all of her e-books printed in one volume,
Into the Dark,
along with all
kinds of Lords of the Underworld goodies. (I just shivered. Lords of the
Underworld = hawtness!)

And
thankfully, the news doesn’t end there. In June 2010,
The Darkest Passion,
featuring the amazingly delicious Aeron, keeper of Wrath—please don’t tell Rome
I called another man amazingly delicious. Now that his memory has been
returned, I can’t get away with anything!—hits stores. After that, in July
2010, you’ll get to read about Gideon, keeper of Lies, in
The Darkest Lie.
There goes another shiver!

And
no need to say it—the wait is going to be excruciating! Believe me, I know. But
no matter what I threaten Gena with, she won’t change those dates.
Anyway.
In the meantime, if you haven’t read
Intertwined,
an incredible book
about a boy with four human souls trapped inside his head, well, you’re missing
out. Vampires, werewolves and true love…what more could you ask for? Well,
except for me. I’m pretty awesome.

Anyway.
I should probably
get back to my new husband, the better than delicious Rome. Oh, yeah, and
saving the world.

Be
safe!

Belle
Masters

a.k.a.
“Wonder Girl”

ISBN:
978-1-4268-4768-4

TWICE
AS HOT

Copyright
© 2010 by Gena Showalter

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Enterprises Limited, 225 Duncan Mill Road, Don Mills, Ontario M3B 3K9, Canada.

This
is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the
product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any
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or locales is entirely coincidental.

This
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