Page 21 of Shattered

With a flick of his wrist, the door swung inward, ceasing all rational thought as the neurons in my brain fired at will, unable to comprehend what they were witnessing.

Tiny white lights twinkled where they dangled on iridescent strings from the ceiling, illuminating the dimly lit room. The sweetest aroma filled the air, drawing my gaze to the dozens upon dozens of wildflowers scattered haphazardly along an honest-to-God red carpet, which ended at an archway filled with silver-and-gold balloons.

It was unbelievable. Never in my wildest fantasiescould I have dreamed up a more perfect setting for an unconventional union.

“Koen?”

“Right here, Angel.”

Our height difference was never more evident than it was right then. Tilting my head back to look at him, my eyes stung with the effort it took to retain control over my emotions.

“What did you do?”

“Not nearly enough.” He trailed a finger down my cheek. “You deserve a helluva lot more than Christmas lights and Mylar balloons.”

Gah! This man.

My vision swam as the first tear fell, followed quickly by a second.

“It’s incredible,” I choked out.

Up until a throat cleared in the distance, I could've sworn we were alone. Standing under the archway was the judge—I presumed—dressed in a long black robe, and a man who had his arm casually thrown over her shoulder.

“Sorry to rush you, Agent Banks, but my husband and I have dinner reservations.”

With a gentleness I’d never known, Koen swiped the space under my eyes with his thumb, clearing away the remnants of my sentimental breakdown.

“You ready?”

The answer wasn't a simple yes or no, not when the question defied logic. Here was this gorgeous man, wholly prepared to put his life on hold in order to protect Jett and me. Our own flesh and blood only gave a shit when there was a payday to be had. If I was smart, I’d tell him to run as fast as he could in the opposite direction; to steer clear of the disaster that was my life. Yet, there I stood, unable to doanything except smile and nod. Maybe it was because I yearned for the safety I found in his presence, or maybe it was because a part of me was already half in love with the illustrious Agent Banks. Whatever the reason, I selfishly kept my mouth shut as his hand wrapped around mine, and he led us down the makeshift aisle.

“Ma’am.” He extended a hand in greeting. “This is Jade Trumble. Jade…meet Judge Evelyn Mavis.”

Following introductions, which included the judge’s husband, Leonard, whom I learned was a state prosecutor, the intimate ceremony began. With an exchange of vows and rings—which I was grateful Koen had remembered—we were pronounced husband and wife.

Ten minutes was all it took for our fate to be sealed.

“You may kiss your bride,” the judge called out over her shoulder as she and her husband swiftly left the room.

He must have seen the question on my face because he remarked, “I asked them to leave.” Cradling my cheeks in his hands, he continued, “Our first kiss should be private…intimate.”

Then he proceeded to blow my mind and every one of my previous kisses—of which there were two—out of the water.

His lips were barely a graze, tentatively moving against mine, as if he was sipping a fine wine. Once. Twice. On the third, his tongue licked across the seam and I opened my mouth; drowning in his flavor, his tenderness…drowning in him.

On instinct, my fingers curled through the hairs at the base of his neck, drawing him closer. My body roared to life like a live wire, sizzling and popping as untamed desire threatened to explode from my pores. My panties—already damp—became saturated when he swallowed ourcollective moans. His large hands tilted my head to the side, demanding more, yet never taking what I wasn’t willing to freely give. Right then, I would have offered up the world.

What could have been hours later, but in actuality was only minutes, we reluctantly broke apart. The room gradually came back into focus, as did the man standing in front of me.

My husband.

“You tasted just how I’d imagined,” Koen tucked a fallen piece of hair behind my ear.

“Oh, yeah? And how was that?”

“Like sin and salvation.”

How was I supposed to respond to such a declaration? I couldn’t, not without embarrassing myself. Instead, I changed the subject.

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