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Listening to the waves, they sat together, taking what few moments they had left before the sun started to rise.

Chapter Sixteen

Gideon

The week leading up to the 24th of October flew by as they spent their days turning the house into the Haunted Vampire Pirate’s Secret Lair. On opening night, he would play the Vampire Pirate, and Aerin his haunting bride, searching for her lost lover. In the downstairs bathroom mirror, he finished tying his collar. The wooden frame warped, and moss sprouted from the cracks, but it did the job. Despite wearing a costume for the masquerade, he felt more like himself wearing clothes from his own time. Modern clothes were more comfortable, but he didn’t feel properly dressed.

“Almost ready?” he called up the stairs to Aerin, who refused to let him see her costume before tonight.

“Patience is a virtue. I’m not used to so many damn ribbons and buttons.”

“I can help. I thought you didn’t want to be late.” He started up the stairs, trying to get the laughs out before helping her.

“Don’t even think about it! I don’t want to spoil the surprise,” she said, and he didn’t dare get between her and the buttons.

Gideon waited in the dining room, careful not to disturb the elaborate feast, which was set to look as if it were rotting without the horrid smell, and checked the auction website; no bids had come in on his signet ring or plaque since the listing went live.

“We’re only running fashionably late,” Aerin said, hearing her coming down the stairs.

Gideon closed the laptop, his jaw dropping as she stood in the doorway. Seeing her in a floor-length cream gown, embellished with gold thread and sparkling beads, with a lilac silk ribbon around her waist, left him speechless. Stunning, beautiful, mine. He swallowed his possessive thoughts; seeing her like this made him want to take her upstairs to bed and forget about the museum.

“The pearls?” Was the only thought he managed to gather.

“Salvaged them myself.” She beamed.

“So that’s why you’ve been getting up so early,” he wondered, as he kept finding their bed empty in the middle of the night.

“What do you think?” she asked, touching the glistening pearls in her pinned-up dark hair. “Do I look like one of your fine ladies?” She wiggled her fingers in her cream gloves. Her scales around her eyes served as the perfect mask. Her dark eyes, heavily shadowed, would have stopped his heart if it had still been beating.

“Breathtaking.” Gideon crossed the room, closing the gap between them. He ran his hand over her bare shoulders as the gown slipped from them, a frilled trim along the edge of the cap sleeves. “If only we could’ve met before I went into the water,” he said, desperate to hold her and never let her go.

“I don’t think we’d made a very good pair; a siren and a sailor, we’d probably end up as some tragic tale.” She smirked, sliding her hands over the lapels.

“But what a love story it would’ve been.” Gideon sighed, pressing his lips to hers.

“Save that charm for the other guests this evening.” She pressed her hand against his chest, staring up at him.

“After you, my lady.” He bowed deeply.

Aerin smirked and headed for the door.

“Do you not have a shawl? I wouldn’t want you to be cold?” he asked, stopping her at the door. Her breath caught as he ran his fingers down her spine and tugged at the ribbon trailing down her back. “You’re shivering.”

“I’m shivering because you keep teasing me.” She winked. “The cold doesn’t bother me. I’m technically naked beneath the waves.”

“Forgive me. I shall keep my hands to myself.” He held his hands up. “I didn’t mean to tease you. The sky looks ready to split, and I wouldn’t want you to catch your death.” Gideon looked out the door and gestured toward the cloudy night sky. “Maybe we should stay home, where it’s warm.”

“Are you worried about me or trying to seduce me?” She said, batting her eyelashes at him. Gideon wrapped his jacket around her shoulders, feeling her pulse quicken as his fingertips brushed her neck.

“Seduce? A gentleman would never. Besides, who else will bring me my blood bags if you perish?” he asked, focusing on the heavy, dark clouds rolling in over the cove.

“Nice try, but we’ve answers to find.” Aerin opened the door to a small cloakroom and pulled out a long coat to make his costume. “One for you.” She pressed it to his chest. “And one for me.” She took a long velvet cloak. Her eyes widened as he helped her slip it on and tied the ribbon to secure the cloak.

“Besides, I expect a shower at most. I can sense when a storm is coming, so we’ve got nothing to worry about.”

“The sooner we go, the sooner we can come back,” he bargained, putting on the long coat. He offered her his arm, failing to conceal his joy as she accepted. They walked arm-in-arm down the porch steps toward the path of jack-o’-lanterns set up to guide the visitors to the Haunted House opening tomorrow night.

Walking up to the museum, Gideon admired the other guests and elaborate maritime costumes, from officers to pirates, from sea hags to goddesses, but what stopped him in his tracks was the large mural of the Tempest on the side of the building facing the street.