Page 197 of Making Choices

“Fuckin’ hell, Slash.” Nadia pounds on the thick wood. “She doesn’t want to see anyone.”

“She’s right, you know.” With a shake of my head, I approach the blonde resting in the antique rocker. “I asked for some alone time before the ceremony.”

“So, the barricade was what then?”

“Insurance,” my duchess tells me with a wry, humourless laugh. “Not that I expected you to be the one to go all Neanderthal on the door... figured they’d send one of my uncles or Toker in to talk—” Cherub makes a face as she finishes her sentence. “—sense into me.”

“For better or worse, duchess.” I drop to my knees in front of her. Circling her throat with my fingers, I hold her in place when she tries to look away. “Pretty sure you meant those words when you said them to me... ’cause I know I fuckin’ did. You falter, I catch you.”

“You should go.” Rather than concede my point or lash out at me for the things I lobbed at her after our exchange of vows, Cherub changes the subject. “It’s bad luck to see me before the wedding.”

“That’s not really a problem for us, is it?” Deliberately scanning her from the top of her intricately braided hair down the form fitting, strapless upper half of her jewelled satin and lace dress to the flouncy skirt that is rucked up over her drawn-up knees, I taunt my duchess, “After all, we’re already married. I put a ring on your finger, and I sealed the deal with a hot as fuck kiss. You’re mine, wife... in every way bar one.”

“Slash.”

I tighten my grip on her throat. “Duchess.”

“I can’t do this...”

“Do what?” I ask as I revel in the way my proximity makes her pulse race beneath my fingers. “Kiss me again?” Leaning forward, I steal a taste of her mouth. Toothpaste and temptation. A tiny gasp puffs from Cherub’s lips when I touch the tip of my tongue to hers. “Promise to obey me again?” My question is borderline cruel. It matches my movements when I squeeze her neck and force her to tilt her head back. “Or is it me that you can’t do?”

“Slash, please.”

“Please what, wife?” The grace of her exposed shoulders and the elongated arch of her throat turns me into a madman. I dip low and run my tongue along the regal curve of Cherub’s neck, then I test the soft skin that covers her pulse point with my teeth. My duchess denies me the breathy moan that slowly erupts from her lips when she clamps her mouth shut and shakes her head. “Tell me... what can’t you do?”

“This!” Cherub pushes at my chest. I refuse to budge. “I can’t stand up in front of everyone and promise to have and to hold you, to love and to obey you, to forsake all others... not when... not when I still love Zeke.”

Capturing her wrists in one hand, I pull her arms above her head while I grip her chin between my fingers. Her blue eyes flash with solemnity when our gazes connect. “Remind me where I asked you to promise to forsake him? ’Cause I don’t remember that bein’ part of our vows at the compound... and I certainly didn’t ask for it to be part of the dog and pony show today.”

“But that’s what you want, though?” When I give her no response, my duchess snarls. “Don’t deny it, you keep telling me that this marriage is real to you—that I’m yours now.”

“Not now,” I retort. “You always have been mine... it’s just the rest of the world now knows it too.”

“You can’t say things like that to me.”

“Why?”

“Because it... it—”

“Confuses you.”

“No. It... it... argh! You’re impossible.” When Cherub tries to lower her arms and shake free of my grip on her jaw, I stop her. She hits me with a fiery look that makes me grin. “You’re infuriating.”

“Try bein’ in my shoes,” I tell her. “I’m married to the woman of my dreams, but she’s in love with my best friend.”

“I love you, too.”

“Exactly.” Peering down at my wife, I try to make her see the truth of our situation. “I’m content with your love. Happy as fuck to have my ring on your finger. What’s not fillin’ me with joy is your tendency to jump to conclusions instead’a askin’ for clarification outright.” When my duchess opens her mouth to argue, I pinch her chin in warning. “Not once have I demanded you forsake him. If you think about it, I’ve done the exact opposite. I’ve promised that I’ll be patient. I’ve promised to cherish you. I’ve been tryin’ my hardest to make this as easy as I can on you...” With a shake of my head, I continue. “Seems like I needa make things clearer, so you’re no longer confused.”

“Slash.”

“Call me Carter when I’m explainin’ how much I love you or I’ll spank that arse.” Before she can respond, I seize her mouth with mine, push my tongue past her lips, and devour her until she’s arching her back while a shudder runs the length of her. Pulling Cherub’s arms around my neck, I gently recline the rocker and force her to wrap her legs around my waist. When her cerulean gaze locks with mine as I loom over her, I declare as steadily as I can, “I love you. I’m in love with you. I want to be married to you. I wanna build a perfect life with you. The circumstances mightn’t be optimal, but there ain’t an ounce of doubt or regret in me about that. And I promise that I’ll never ask you to forsake Venom for me... because I’m damn certain that you’ll see how right we are for each other and make that choice on your own.” I kiss her when she tries to protest. “Alls I’m askin’ is for you to return the time and patience I give you in kind. If I’m wrong, then I’m wrong... but we’ll never know if you keep fightin’ me on it.”

My heart pounds in my ears as my wife stares up at me with tears in her eyes.

“Now, tell me what else you’re scared of?”

My duchess shakes her head. “Nothing else.”

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