A/N: So, Sex, Lies and Vampires was my first ever paranormal romance, so you can imagine I'm quite fond of it. This is my tribute to Nell and Adrian and Mrs. Katie MacAlister.

"Beloved, I do not think that this will fit." Adrian held up the shameful, gray 3X sweater. His ice-blue eyes held only a hint of the distaste that she knew he felt for it.

And a bit of injured male pride, Nell realized with surprise as her bond allowed her a glimpse of his thoughts. She shook her head. Who knew that men could be just as self-conscious about their bodies as women? She thought. She wondered briefly if her husband had heard that last thought, but shielded her mind so that he would not hear the rest of them just in case. "I think that sweater is what you'll need." She gave him her lopsided smile and twirled right back into the dressing room.

She'd been trying out outfits for him all afternoon, coming out of the dressing room to model for him after she'd donned each piece. He hadn't liked that last one, the mid-length red skirt, so Nell decided not to get it. She'd developed a habit. If his eyes didn't darken at least a shade then the outfit wasn't worth it.

Adrian grit his teeth. She'd dragged him to this wretched place, the mall, they called it, and she'd been shopping all day. And to make matters worse, she'd picked out this wretched bedsheet of a sweater for him to wear.

"Ah, tis true, tis true, that my dearest plumpy-pigeoned Charmer 'as chosen a man of—" Nell's irritating medieval ghost threw Adrian a distasteful glance "—regrettable stature."

Adrian growled.

The ghost patted his much smaller, insubstantial form and preened. "I myself am of a much more pleasing caliber."

"Begone." Adrian stated and swiped a hand through the air the ghost was currently drifting through.

"Is that Antonio?" Nell asked as she peeked her head out of the dressing room door. She was just in time to see Adrian banish the ghost with a wave of his arm. She faked a pout. "Too bad, I was going to ask his opinion." Nell said as she stepped out from the small room.

Adrian gasped and Nell smirked when she saw his eyes darken. The little sheer, lacy black teddy did wonders for her, it seemed.

"Change," he ordered. "We are buying that and then we are leaving."

Nell retreated and closed the flimsy door. "So bossy." She complained. But it wasn't really a complaint.

"Hurry." He said grumpily.

"Anything you say, my scrumptious sparkle-butt." Nell replied in a sing-song fashion. His irritation was palpable as he snarled. She let him hear her mind fill with laughter.

She walked out of the room soon after, ready to check out, and found him stony-faced and silent. She patted him on the cheek and walked over to the chair where she'd left her purse and purchases. She didn't miss the way the grey sweater had been discarded and thrown off to the side. Discreetly, she picked up the sweater and gathered up the mountain of clothes that were in her must-haves pile, leaving nothing left for him to do but carry the bags of already purchased clothing like an obedient puppy.

What was that, Hasi?

Nell swallowed at the dangerous tone of his thoughts. He must have heard the puppy thing. "A really sexy puppy," she clarified, looking back. At his dark look, she hastily looked away.

They got to the counter and Nell pulled out her wallet, but Adrian already had a credit card ready and handed it to the cashier. She gave a long-suffering sigh and put it back. She had to try, after all. There was a time when Adrian hardly had money to spend on necessities, but now that he did, he insisted that she pay for nothing. Which was ridiculous, of course, as they were married. What's hers was theirs.

She narrowed her eyes at him and he narrowed his right back. Still, she couldn't be too mad. It was only because of Adrian that she felt confident enough to even buy sexy clothes. For the longest time after her accident, she thought that she was an unsightly and hopeless wretch, but he made her feel confident and loved. She let him feel that love and leaned into him.

He kissed her as if he couldn't resist her and that made Nell smile. It also, conveniently, distracted him from seeing that grotesquely ill-fitting attire from being packed into the oversize plastic shopping bag.

Later that evening.

"Oh, Adrian, this was a great idea." Nell said happily as she came back from changing in the bedroom and tended to the fire. It was one of her favorite things about the quaint little cabin. Mainly because it kept them from freezing to death from the blistering cold that surrounded them.

His eyes were closed and his head rested back on the loveseat. He didn't acknowledge her.

She glared at him mentally and stood in front of him. "I'm really happy you decided to take me to the mountains." She said. She didn't sound happy.

"Do you see now, Hasi?" Adrian said as he plucked the loose gray material and let it fall, still not opening his eyes as if it pained him too much to do so.

"I think it's just perfect." Nell purred.

Adrian's eyes snapped open at the unmistakably erotic tone of her voice. They were instantly a dark blue. His eyes lingered over her body, lit from behind by the fire. "You changed," he said, his voice gruff. His hands itched to hold her and destroy that tempting lacy fabric.

She put her hands on his knees and slowly slid up his thighs to where the edge of the sweater lay limply. "I did." She agreed, just letting her lips whisper against his.

Nell pulled up the sweater slowly as she eased onto his lap on the big loveseat. She let her hands slide over his bare skin underneath the garment.

"You see, Beloved, that it does not fit?" He asked, his eyes distracted by her body.

Instead of answering him, Nell ducked into the sweater. Her head popped out of the neck hole close to his. She could feel his shock and it made her giggle. "Hello, vampire." She said with a smile.

He was too distracted by the feel of her body and his desire to protest at being called a vampire.

Nell didn't know how such dark, indigo eyes could shine so brightly in the firelight, but it took her breath away and made her stomach drop. She wiggled around against him in the confines of the sweater. "Hmm, maybe you're right. You're more of a medium, or maybe a large with those broad shoulders, aren't you?"

Adrian wrapped his arms around her. "No, I think this works just fine." He said, his voice catching.

Nell grinned as they kissed.