Page 14 of A Queen and HER Bad Boy
Glancing over at Chises Mnon, the man scowled in denial.
Achilles had a ring, a very problematic and incriminating ring. He slipped it out, seeing how huge it was. He brought it to her much smaller hand and hesitated. She chuckled softly and stole it. “That’ll be yours,” she breathed and slipped it over his ring finger instead.
She began to tug at the pearl ring she wore, the same one that had dug into his flesh during the ceremony. Before she could wrench it off, he took over. “I’ve got it.” Achilles slipped the elegant pearl from her index and switched it to her ring finger.
That would have to do for now.
“You may kiss the bride, Your Royal Highness.”
Royal Highness? He hesitated as the full force of what they were doing hit him like a sledgehammer. He’d just been elevated to the title for marrying Bris—nothing made him feel more like a scum than that did.
And that was hardly the thing consuming his mind at the moment, because for all the times that he’d imagined those soft, expressive lips on his, he’d never kissed Bris. Her pulse fluttered in the small of her delicate neck as he found her waist. His fingers slipped over the silk of her dress. The feel of his wedding ring against her back felt strange, hypnotic.
Why did it feel like he’d never touched a woman before? He’d played the field, more than he should, but this was Bris! Her brilliant hazel eyes closed expectantly. That was immensely helpful—they’d been giving him stage fright.
He brought her close, his lips brushing against hers in a spark that burst into an explosion of uncontrollable fire…
He was in trouble! So much trouble! He was no stranger to kisses, but hers were unlike any he’d ever felt. He’d suspected as much. She’d always been one step from igniting like a seismic eruption, but now she slammed into him like a lava flow. His arm tightened around her waist, drawing her flush against him as he captured her mouth more fully. She responded with a breathless intensity that made his pulse thunder, her hands fisting in his shirt as if anchoring herself to him. Everything about her touch burned him through from his toes to his ears, and he only wanted more.
A soft noise escaped her lips. His hands gripped her fiercely, even as he tore away, breathing heavily, avoiding her father’s eyes, the priest’s, Deedee’s.
Oh, that stupid camera!
Everyone would know exactly what he thought of his bride now!
“… you love my daughter…”
Curse Chises Mnon’s eyes. Meanwhile Bris caught at her breath, and he felt like an untamed monster, especially since he wanted to throw her over his shoulder and carry her away so he could take his time with his wife, away from this audience. He’d kiss her the way she should be kissed. And she was shaking. He felt her body shuddering against his.
Yeah, monster! Every part of him melted with pity. He wrapped his arms around her and brought her into a comforting embrace that had nothing to do with his racing heart. Lowering his mouth to her ear, so that only she could hear, he whispered, “I’ve got your back, Prissy.”
She sniffed. Wait, that hadn’t made her cry, had it? That had the opposite reaction than he wanted. She lifted her eyes to his, and he saw one hateful tear escape, followed by another. “Oh Achilles.” She buried her head into his chest. “Thank you!”
This was a good thing, right? He hadn’t completely overstepped his bounds then? He ran his hands over her back, hating himself for loving the feel of her and wanting this to be more than a cold contract, but a loving, breathing marriage to his fiery, tempestuous girl.
With difficulty, he stopped himself from kissing her cheek, her ear, any part of her that was left exposed to him. He’d never stop! That would have to wait. Already the priest watched them with uncertainty. The man already suspected shady dealings afoot.
Deedee ran up to them with a shriek. “I’ll be the first to say, ‘I knew it!’ Ha! And you were playing so coy earlier, Bris! Oh girly, I suspected you liked the guy, but you never had me guessing that you were planning on wrapping this hot mess up in a bow and putting a ring on it tonight!Congratulations! You absolutely had me shook!”
Achilles turned to her, doing his best to act natural, which was hard when he had his arm around Bris, who just happened to be his bride. “Are you saying ‘congratulations that we fooled you or congratulations that we got married?’”
“Both!” She hugged them both at the same time. “Your Royal Highness? Is that what we call you now? You know, Venice’s wedding to Livvy was fantastic, but this! Yeah, I nearly cried… I mean, I’m crying now because you just boosted my follower count to double. We’ve got a viral video on my hands.” She swiped at her misty eyes. “Anyway, be sure to invite me to the next event. I want front row seats again.”
That was a negative.
Deedee took a sudden interest in the priest. “Is this the first midnight wedding that you’ve officiated?”
“I’ve had the pleasure of officiating only one like this before, but since Chises Mnon seemed so desperate to get them out of the country… I made an exception to my usual rules.” His soft answer only invited more questions from the intrepid reporter as she followed him out the back door with her camera phone.
“Why did we invite her again?” Achilles asked.
Bris waited for the door to close behind her. “My father said that Venice’s life was in danger if we didn’t marry, so I thought that the world should know just in case—just in case, you know. Why? Do you think it was a bad idea?”
Venice’s life was in danger?He didn’t believe it for a second. Achilles was so blinded in fury at the manipulation her father had used against Bris that he couldn’t immediately answer.He glowered at Chises Mnon. “Why would Venice’s life be in danger?” he hissed.
“That is confidential information,” her father said with a dismissive wave.
“The High Consortium,” Bris said. “They said there was a target on his back.”
