Corinne watched his face as she moved with him. Loving him. Loving what he did to her. What she did to him. All the time the fire built and now she could hear his music, the wild, unrestrained notes dancing with flames inside him. His soul. Or hers.
Ours! The word slipped into her mind and they fragmented together, crashing into the stormy seas and shooting upward to the glittering stars. They clung to one another while the earth rocked and the wildness in them subsided.
Dayan’s dark gaze never left her face. He bent to kiss her, to taste her again, wanting more but knowing they were out of time. “Our soul, Corinne. The music comes from both of us. Without you, I would never find it in me.” He kissed her again. “Why are you just lying there? Aren’t you the matron of honor in this wedding? I know I’m the best man. We were supposed to be there five minutes ago. Lisa will be panicking.”
“I forgot! Darn you, Dayan, you always do that. Wipe that satisfied smirk off your face.” She loved that look on his face. She sat up and caught his face in her hands because she had to kiss him, she was so happy.
“I was just showing you this is reality, not a dream. You should be grateful,” he teased.
A loud thump on the door of the trailer had them breaking guiltily apart. Corinne burst out laughing, she couldn’t help it. She found herself fully dressed while Dayan was sitting completely naked on the edge of the bed.
“Get over it, you two,” Darius ordered from outside their motor home. “Everyone is waiting. You are holding up the show here.”
“Thanks for the clothes,” Corinne whispered to Dayan with a straight face. “That was very thoughtful of you.”
He glared at her. “Darius has excellent hearing,” he pointed out.
She shrugged, still secretly laughing at him. “Then let’s hope he’s very discreet.” She glanced at her clingy gown in the mirror. She looked sexy, feminine, elegant. Different. She was different. She was whole. Corinne smiled at her reflection as Dayan, fully clothed and looking extraordinarily handsome in a suit, came up behind her to encircle her waist with his arms. He bent his head to kiss her temple, and she could see his love for her shining in his eyes.
“I’ll get Jennifer,” she said softly, basking in his warmth. Her world was more perfect than she had ever imagined. “We can talk about those leopards the lot of you keep for pets on the way to the chapel. Lisa thinks you’re all crazy too, although the little traitor petted one this morning with Syndil.”
Dayan watched her pick up Jennifer. He stared at them for a long moment – his beautiful wife so filled with laughter and warmth – his tiny daughter, such a miracle to all of his people. The melody of his life had been dark for so long, such an endless eternity, yet it was gone in an instant, to be replaced for all time by the melody of love.