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“Are you ready yet?”
Paige turned away from the mirror at her desk; the liner paused in the space where her lips had just been. She smiled at April, her best friend and sorority sister. “Give me a couple of more minutes and I’ll be done,” she said, and went back to outlining her full lips with the berry liner. Once she was satisfied, she dabbed a brush in the bright gloss, painting the space between the lines with a blood red shine.
When she finished, she rubbed her lips together and leaned back, studying the effects. A smile spread, making her teeth seem unnaturally white against the red, and she glanced at April in the mirror.
“I wish I could do that with my eyes,” April said with a sigh. Paige glanced at her reflection and the sexy upturn she had outlined at the edges of her eyes. That, along with the thick mascara, really highlighted her blue eyes and she shifted her gaze to April’s dark brown eyes devoid of make-up.
April was never big on make-up, but she really didn’t need to be. Her face could have represented the natural beauty of a mid-western farm girl and the only thing she seemed to splurge on was a dab of blush and the highlight of a clear gloss on her pouty lips.
“I can hook you up if you want me to.” Paige stood and waved her hand at the seat she just vacated.
April sent a soft smile and a shake of her head before her gaze dropped to her watch. “We’re already late. Besides, Hunter and Max are downstairs and I’m sure they’re getting antsy.”
Paige let out a little laugh. “Hunter is always impatient.” She turned and picked up the black dress, pouring herself into the Elvira costume. With a few tugs here and there, she smoothed out the front and turned toward April with her arms out and eyebrows raised.
“Damn, girl, you just might be able to turn me tonight,” April said and pressed her lips together against a smile.
Paige rolled her eyes. “Seriously?”
“Hell, yeah.” She pounded her staff on the ground to punctuate her statement and Paige laughed.
“I wish the party was here,” she said and collected her ID badge, dropping it in the little black clutch, and headed towards the door.
“Me, too,” April agreed.
“You trying to clean up your reputation?” Paige waved at the Bo-Peep outfit, a smile toying with her glossy lips.
April sent a smirk in her direction.
“Max agreed to be a sheep?” Paige asked as she stopped at the doorway to close and lock her bedroom door.
“No,” April said with a laugh. “He’s actually a wolf.”
“That makes perfect sense.”
Max always had this hungry leer whenever April was around. It was almost as bad as taking a peek at an X-rated movie. His intentions were clearly displayed on every inch of his expressive face.
They reached the stairs and paused, giving each other the nod. It was time to descend the famous Delta house stairwell. Delta was the grandest sorority house on campus with all the charm of a Georgia mansion, complete with a heart shaped stairway. Southern charm transplanted into the cool northern woods, out of place in the small New England town, but perfect for the elite girls of Dartmouth.
Hunter’s green eyes widened as they stepped onto the landing, and Paige grinned at the flash of heat that colored his cheeks under the pale makeup. The slow drizzle of fake blood cascading from his neck created a stain on his shirt that caught her attention and she followed the latest drop, licking her lips at the thought of trailing her tongue along the path of the sugary substance. He did a fantastic job with the vampire victim costume they’d discussed, especially the wound with dripping blood.
“Wow,” he mouthed, scanning her as she descended.
Paige traded a smile with April as they reached the bottom step. Max was in a full werewolf costume, complete with a wolf-head mask, so his reaction to April was hidden behind a mass of hair and teeth.
When Hunter’s gaze drifted to the display of pure innocence next to Paige, he smirked and raised an eyebrow. They all knew what a farce April’s feigned innocence was. After all, she had a legendary reputation for bedding whomever, whenever she felt the need strike. It wasn’t until Max snagged her attention that her run-around days had fizzled, and now all of her focus was on him.
Hunter had never sampled the goods, not even at the out of control frat parties she frequented. At least that’s what he professed, but Paige was never sure. Hell, if April came onto her in earnest, she was sure it would be a tempting thought, but Hunter had her heart, along with every fiber of her body.
He held out his elbow and escorted her to Max’s car, idling at the curb. Hunter’s hand was warm and inviting on the small of her back, and as always, his touch sent tingles of pleasure through her. When she slid into the car, the slit in her dress exposed her milky thigh and Hunter’s gaze locked on it. His hunger magnified, turning his eyes that bright, horny green she was accustomed to. The minute he sat in the adjoining seat, his hand found her skin and he grinned as he slid it higher than the slit allowed.
“Hunter!” Breathless, she scolded him before either April or Max stepped into the vehicle.
He gave her a squeeze and removed his hand just as Max opened the passenger door for April. Hunter flashed a playful smile in Paige’s direction with the silent promise he was going to investigate her further as soon as he got her alone. Paige’s insides turned to a slow simmer as her mind wandered to the same place. Hunter was a stunning lover, his touch was like magic, and she couldn’t wait to wrap her legs around him.
The moment the engine cut, the music from the party reached into the space of the car.
“Catch you inside?” Max said, his gaze met Hunter’s for a minute and before Paige could ask, both Max and April got out.
Hunter lingered, taking his time stepping out and then he reached his hand inside, taking hers and helping her out. As soon as she was on her feet, he closed the door and took her hand, leading her around the side of the house, instead of into the belly of the party.
“Where are you taking me?” Paige asked when they crossed the yard, heading toward the massive cemetery bordering fraternity row.
“Somewhere quiet,” he said, leading her through the broken links of the fence.
“Um, these heels aren’t suited for walking across the grass,” Paige said after a couple of slow steps with her stilettos stabbing the earth.
Hunter paused and looked down at her feet. When his eyes met hers, he smiled and scooped her up in his arms. “Better?” he asked as he continued heading toward the heart of the cemetery. His voice was soft and sensual against her ear.
A small pond sat at the very center of the cemetery, lined with cattails and mums. Benches dotted the circular path and the moonlight reflecting off the water painted the surrounding cemetery stones with an eerie glow.
It was the perfect atmosphere for a Halloween scare, but when Hunter took a knee in front of her, Paige’s heart began its frantic pump. She stared at his iridescent eyes, stunned into silence as he reached into his pocket. The refracting light caught the stone as he held out the ring.
“Paige, we’ve been together for as long as I can remember and I can’t remember a time I didn’t love you. I can’t imagine a future without you standing by my side and I figured tonight...” He paused and looked up at the full moon and around at the cemetery and back at her. “With a full moon on your favorite holiday, was the perfect night to ask. Will you marry me?”
Paige’s gaze bounced between his bright eyes, his lips and the ring, and her hand fluttered to her mouth with a gasp. The shock of the moment blew as her eyes dropped back to the shining diamond. It was as if a lightning bolt hit her and jumpstarted her heart again and Paige flew into his arms, voicing one word in a husky whisper before her lips crushed his. The ‘yes’ echoed over the pond and they hit the ground.
“Baby, the ring,” he said underneath her kiss.
Paige pulled away and steadied herself on him, letting him slide the diamond onto her left hand before his lips were back on hers. He rolled, pinning her on the damp grass and Paige squealed, arching away from the cold.
His chuckle met hers as he climbed to his feet and extended his hand to help her up. His grin was infectious and she couldn’t help matching it.
“I think I messed your lipstick up,” he said, trying to minimize the damage with his thumb, but all it did was serve to smear the lipstick on her face even more.
“I don’t care.” She pushed him onto the bench and straddled him, resuming the kiss. Each swipe of their tongues sent a line of heat right to her pussy and he knew it. His hands yanked at her skirt, hiking it up, adjusting until there was nothing between them but the thin fabric of her underwear.
When the quiet whisper of his zipper intruded on the dark, she pulled away and stared down into his bright eyes. “In a cemetery?” she asked as he moved the line of her panties aside, plunging his hard cock into her with a smile and a nod.
“That is so kinky. And to think, I didn’t even have to cast a spell for this,” she chuckled, moving with the slow cadence of his hips.
“I bet you never dreamed of fucking your fiancé on all Hallows eve in a cemetery,” he whispered against the skin of her neck. His nibbles sent shivers through her.
“Dreamed? Yes, I’ve dreamed of it, but it was never this perfect,” she said, tilting back to take a look at the moon as he buried his face between her breasts. “This is pure magic.” Her breathy exhale turned into more of a moan and the spark in his eyes lit, igniting the passion, matching their hip thrusts and yanking an eerie howl from her.
“Do you believe in magic?” he whispered, his husky voice laden with the drive controlling his hips. He winked just before his eyes rolled back and a groan surfaced.
He pulled her into a kiss, drowning out his groan of ecstasy.
Every muscle tightened and then shuddered before they both slouched from the post-release relaxation. Paige rested her forehead on his before straightening and inspecting the ring on her finger. Moonlight danced on the finely cut stone and she grinned.
“I love you,” Hunter whispered.
Paige gave him a gentle kiss. “Thank you for making this so perfect,” she said when their lips parted. “There is no other way you could have out-done this.” She waved her hand at the surroundings, however macabre they seemed to the normal soul, this was the perfect spot to claim their future.
“Max thought I was nuts when I told him I was going to ask you to marry me here.”
Her laughter rang out, and in the distance, a door opened in the back of the fraternity house, letting the music flow over the dark and quiet landscape.