A snort of laughter squeezed my heart. "Infinitely more. I can't wait to see you again. Tell Don you'll be unreachable for two days, sod how much he'll bellow."

I wasn't about to argue. "I'll tell Don something came up."

His chuckle was instant. "Right you are. Now, let me speak to Charles."

I handed the phone over to Spade, who had wandered by.

"Crispin, I've just had the pleasure of watching her pummel her poor crew into a state of misery these last several hours. She's just spectacular to observe. Liking your solitude?"

The reply he got in return sent Spade into delighted snickers. "Oh, you do sound out of sorts. I owe you money, by the by. It was three minutes before your potential changeling had her hand to his lips. The rest of her men might long for your swift return, but he doesn't. Bloke even seems to like it when she beats him, probably because it's the only time she touches him, wretched sod."

"Tattletale," I barked.

Spade ignored that. "Don't bother yourself over her, Crispin, I won't let her out of my sight. See you soon, mate."

"He sounds entirely too happy for my liking," Bones commented when I was handed back the phone. "Don't make it so pleasant for him, luv. Neglect your toothbrush or something."

That made me laugh, and he made a soft sound when he heard it. "Blimey, I'm getting off before I hop the next flight without retrieving what I've come for. I'll ring you again before I get on the plane to come back. I love you, Kitten."

"I love you too."

The connection severed, but I didn't let go of the phone. Absurdly, I wanted to hold it, like it was a tie to him. Then with a shake of my head, I turned back to my troops.

"Rest time's over, buddies. Who's next?"

There were no takers. I was about to pick the most weary face among them when there was a polite tap on my arm.

"If I may?" Spade said, with a gleam in his eye. "You've owed me a rematch for years."

I laughed at his reference to what had happened the first time we met. "How rough do you want to play? Knives, swords, staffs, or hand to hand?"

"All of it," was his response.

My smile widened. That's the way I liked it too.

"Back off, boys. Watch and learn," I called without taking my eyes off my new opponent. Spade removed his shoes and shirt, leaving him only in his pants so his movements would be less restricted. Since I was in flexible spandex, I didn't have that concern.

"Well, sir." I tossed a staff at him and held mine at attention. "Shall we dance?"

A little over a day later, Spade and I were at the airport, waiting for Bones to come off the plane.

"You don't have to stand here with me," I commented. "Driving me over was enough, thanks, but you know we're taking a shuttle back to the hotel from here."

Spade had been practically glued to my side for the past thirty-eight hours while I'd taken out my frustrations on my men, even calling more in from off-duty. If anyone missed Bones more than I had the past couple of days, it was my team. They had been all smiles as I left for the airport with Spade.

"You're perfect for him, you know," he said, ignoring my advice. "Checking in to the nearest hotel on the airport grounds in advance so all you have to do is run straight there instead of driving the arduous forty minutes back to the compound."

I didn't allow myself to blush. "He'll be exhausted from the flight and the time change. I'm only being considerate," I said primly.

Spade didn't comment. After a moment, his eyes narrowed. "I can feel him, he's almost here. Don't bother with a shuttle, I'll drive you to the hotel myself. See you in front."

I stood as close to the arrivals entryway as security would allow, craning my neck to see around the throngs of people. True to Spade's prediction, I soon saw Bones striding though the passengers waiting to collect their luggage. He had only one bag slung over his shoulder, and he moved with long, predatory steps that easily outdistanced those in front of him. His eyes met mine, and the rush of joy I felt at seeing him made my heart skip a beat.

Bones pulled me to him, slanting his mouth over mine before I could even smile at him. I wrapped my arms around his neck as he lifted me off my feet, running his free hand down my back.

I could feel people staring at the blatant display, but I didn't care. Only the knowledge that the hotel room beckoned gave me the incentive to push him back.

"Let's get your stuff and leave. Spade's waiting with the car."

He lifted his head but kept his eyes closed for a moment. When he opened them, they were hazel but not glowing. Blazing emerald would have attracted too much attention.

"This is all I have, we can go. Best hurry. Charles might have to pull off the road and take a walk, because I want you right now."

The flat concentration in his voice made my belly clench in anticipation. We nearly ran to the exit, his hand gripping mine.

Spade had the passenger door open. Bones threw his single suitcase across the seat and then gathered me into his embrace, slamming the door behind him. The car took off without even a hello exchanged between the two men since Bones had already returned to kissing me.

"Wait," I gasped, coming up for air. "We're almost at the hotel I checked us in to."

"Brilliant you are, Kitten." He smiled. Then to Spade, "Drive faster."

"Absolutely, mate. I can see you need your sleep." Laughter vibrated under his words. "Ah, here we are. You can ring me later about how you fared."

I'd picked a room on the top floor near the elevators. Less people to disturb if we were closer to the low-flying planes. In the elevator, I dropped my plastic room key as Bones kissed my throat and rubbed his body sensually against mine. He picked it up, glaring at the shocked elderly couple who had the misfortune to be in there with us.

"Mind your own business," he snapped.

Thankfully they didn't get off on our floor.

The hall was empty when we stepped off the elevator. I jerked my head in the direction of our door, already unzipping his pants. We stumbled into the room where a Do Not Disturb sign already hung on the knob. When I checked in, I knew we'd need it.

"Don't even think of foreplay," I said, already burning with desire. I threw off my coat and backed toward the bedroom. Bones followed, mouth locked on mine as his hands slid underneath my skirt to bunch it at the waist. The mattress was high off the ground, hitting the back of my thighs as his upper body covered me while he remained standing. Fingers ripped off the thin material of my panties. He cast them away, and I wrapped my legs around him while he thrust inside me.

"Yes, oh God, yes." I groaned, thrashing under him.

He straightened for better leverage, gripping my waist with one hand. The other untied the sweater I wore, unclipped my front bra snap and unbuttoned his shirt. His pants had fallen to the floor already.

"You're so hot inside. Like wet fire. I love to feel you, Kitten."

Each pumping motion of his body felt sharper to me. My skin was oversensitized from PMS, my breasts fuller and more tender, loins heightened to exquisite sensation. Bones didn't have to increase pace or force to feel like he was slicing through me straight to the center. Moans became shouts and shouts became screams of ecstasy. Nerve endings stretched, winding faster and tighter together until they snapped with a rush of aching heat that vibrated from the inside out. Even my fingers tingled.

"A thousand tiny hands." Bones groaned in satisfaction. He slid up the bed to where he lay fully on top of me, still pulsating within.

"What?" I could barely speak.

Pale arms held me closer. He nuzzled my neck, pushing my hair back. "That's what it feels like inside you when you come. Like a thousand miniature hands pulling me in deeper, squeezing me, burning me. It's incredible. You strip my will from me each time. Do you know what I'm going to do to you now?"

No idea I would have responded, but all that came out was a cry. He rotated his hips in an erotic twist that arched my spine and made me rake my nails down his back.

"I'm going to bite you," he whispered.

I wound my fingers in his hair and pressed him to my throat.

A low chuckle rumbled in his chest. "Not there, luv. Here."

He ran his hand between our joined bodies to rub his thumb over my clitoris. I jumped from the contact. He moved down my body, his other arm holding my legs. His tongue delved into the top of my crease before flicking in a series of licks. Then a slow glide from top to bottom, seeking. I trembled under his mouth, helpless. Somehow my skeleton had been replaced with jelly. He moaned and then swirled his tongue over my clit.

"I love you," he murmured, then bit.

The white light descended, blotting out everything in a blizzard of rapture that transcended pain while matching agony for sheer pleasurable intensity. It took reason, will, and sanity on a merry ride through the wonderland of chaos. Time blinked by, minutes fusing into microseconds. When my eyes focused again, Bones had his hand clapped over my mouth to silence the shrieks that couldn't be stopped. He shuddered repeatedly on top of me, in the throes of his own release, before relaxing with a final groan.

Shivers still rocked me. His hand left my mouth since my screams had died down to ragged panting. My throat was sore from the muffled cries. The first time he had done that to me, I'd been insensible for thirty minutes and lost my voice. Since I figured I could still talk, this must have been shorter.

"Blimey, now I can think straight again. I felt like a rabid animal before. Knew I could only hold out another ten minutes, and how is that fair to you?"

Who in the hell is he talking to? I wondered in a daze of afterglow. Chiseled arms lifted me and carried me into the bathroom.

"Still out of it, hmm? Just as well. You'd faint if you saw the bed. Broken like a bunch of twigs. No one makes anything durable anymore."

Author's additional note: If you're wondering why Bones went to Australia in this version, he went there to pick up the red-diamond engagement ring. He proposed to Cat right after this scene, and Cat's acceptance, as well as Bones calling her mother to give her the news, remained pretty much unchanged from the original version to the published one.

Chapter Nineteen.

The Dress Shop

Author's note: This deleted section shows Cat, Denise, Annette, and Justina going dress shopping for Cat's upcoming wedding. Sound like a recipe for disaster? *grins* It was. It ended up being cut because my editor thought that it was funny, but she wanted to get to the main plot faster. As you can tell, a lot of scenes were cut in an attempt to keep the pacing as tight as it could be. I understand the reasoning, but I admit that I hated cutting scenes like this. I love showing the characters doing "normal" things-or at least, attempting to-and in hindsight, I think At Grave's End could have used a few more light scenes to balance out the darker ones.

"I must be high," I mumbled as I waited at Denise's two weeks later.

She gave me a sympathetic pat on the arm. "You're right. You must be stoned, cracked, smacked, juiced, whatever. I just hope you're also armed, because you're going to need it."

Randy smiled at his wife. "Honey, I'm sure it won't be that bad. If Cat's mother agreed to go with her to pick out the material for her wedding dress, then she must have mellowed. As for the other lady, Annette, well, she'll be on her best behavior, no doubt."

"You must be high," I amended with a shake of my head. "First of all, my mother is only going so she can ruin everything. Second, the last time that other 'lady' was on her best behavior, I came this close to killing her."

Annette might be a first-class slut, but she was still the chicest woman I'd ever met. Bones had been cautiously pleased by my offer to include Annette in today's excursion. One phone call later and here I was, waiting for her and my mother to arrive. Annette had come all the way from London. My mother was pissed about driving an hour to get to Denise's.

"What does your mother know about Annette?" Denise prodded me.

"Oh, nothing much. Just that she's an old friend of Bones's who also happens to be a vampire. That guaranteed my mother's hatred."

"This is going to be one wacky wedding," Denise said with a grin.

Probably. "Annette's here," I grumbled. Two minutes later, a car pulled up in the drive.

Annette DeWitt, formerly Lady Ormsby, stepped out of the shiny silver Mercedes as gracefully as if it were a throne. Her strawberry-blond hair was arranged in a purposefully messy chignon, and she wore a navy-blue tailored jacket over matching designer pants. She went to the door and rapped once.

"Jeez," Denise whispered as she peered through the window, then looked at me in consternation. "Do I have something in my teeth?"

"That's exactly how I felt when I first met her." I sighed and went to answer the door. "Hello, Annette."

Champagne-colored eyes considered me from a lightly lined face that was smolderingly attractive. Annette had been thirty-six when Bones changed her. Times were different back in the seventeen hundreds, so she looked around forty-five, but she made it look good. Real good, damn her.

"Cat, I'm going to say this straightaway so there's no misunderstanding." Her accent was pure upper-crust Brit, each syllable perfectly pronounced. "I know it's because of you that I'm here. Crispin would never have done this on his own; he's still too cross with me. I behaved quite dreadfully when I thought there was still a chance for him and me, but then he bound himself to you and that settled it. In truth, I'm astonished you showed so such maturity as to include me in your human celebrations."

"Thank you for clearing that up, and I'm glad I impressed you with my grown-up behavior. The fact of the matter is, Bones cares for you. I love him, I trust him, so here you are. As long as you can tolerate the new standards of behavior around him, I have no issue with you."

There. Didn't that sound better than fuck off, you condescending bitch!

"This is Denise, my best friend, and her husband Randy," I added. "Guys, this is Annette."

After proper greetings were exchanged, she took a seat in the living room on the sofa. We were waiting for my mother, who was late.

"Drink, Annette?" Randy offered.

Her lips curled. "Thank you, but I had one from a flight attendant on my way over."

I closed my eyes. If she said that kind of thing in front of my mother, the shit would hit the fan. I was sure the drink she referred to hadn't been on the beverage cart.

"Oh, by the way, Cat," she went on. "I have Crispin's birthday present in the trunk. Do remind me to give it to you to take home."

"It better not have a pussy." The words flew out before my mental filter could stop them.

Denise spewed her iced tea all over Randy in a fit of laughter.

Both of Annette's perfectly shaped eyebrows rose. "I seem to remember you informing me those items were off the gift list. If they're back on, I'll have to rethink your wedding present."

Poor Denise was going to choke. Randy pounded her on the back while hiding his own smile.

"I'm sorry." I hated to apologize, especially to her, but in this case, she deserved it. "To tell you the truth, the thought of spending the day with my mother is enough to give me a Tourette's seizure, and I also have to apologize to you in advance for all the terrible things she will no doubt say."

"She's aware of my former relationship with Crispin and disapproves?" Annette didn't sound like she cared. Why would she? She'd certainly been proud of it.