Page 20 of Splintered Security
Her head snaps up. “Is it okay?’
Is it okay? I move to her, crowding her space, and take her chin to lift it to me. “Annika Garver, you have always been beautiful. You are beautiful—as a teenager, in bomb debris, in my tee. But today you’re showing the world what I’ve always known and long since acknowledged, that you are incredible. I couldn’t ask for a more beautiful bride.”
A blush hits her cheeks, and my dick roars to life. I want to watch a blush like that paint her face when I make her come.
Well, at least a man can fantasize.
“You ready?” I extend a palm to my fiancée and lead her through the house to the kitchen. When we get there, I open the fridge and hand her what I ran out to get this morning—a simple bouquet of white roses. It’s not the over-the-top thing I see in movies, but I did my best with the time I had.
“Thank you, Ren.” She looks from the flowers to me as tears pool in her eyes. I use a thumb to swipe them away.
“Don’t cry, Sunshine. Not today.”
She giggles, and I pinch my brows together in confusion.
She deepens her voice to mimic me, “Don’t cry, Sunshine. There’s shit to do.”
“Pretty much.” I put a hand to her back and guide her through the garage to the SUV. We’ll need to talk about her car, but later. Now, I’m going to marry the stunning woman by my side.
The Courthouse is busy, but not overly so. It’s Colorado, so we could’ve said our own vows privately and signed the certificate and been good, but there’s something about witnesses that’s important in this ruse. There’s also something about a witness to this kind of vow that makes it harder to break. At least to someone old school like me.
When we stand before the clerk, I remove Anni’s bouquet and hand it off to one of the staffers. I take both her hands in mine and pledge my name, my life, and my love to her.
“I, Lorenzo Giani Gallo, take you, Annika Garver, to be my wife. To love and to serve. To protect and to guard. In laughter and in tears. I promise to be faithful only to you until the day I die. This is my vow.”
And I mean every word of it.
Her face is dazed, almost stunned, but her gentle smile, so unlike her, is reassuring.
“I, Annika Garver, take you, Lorenzo Gallo, as my husband. To love and to cherish. To annoy and to help. In the goodtimes and in the not-so-good. To honor with my life and with my body. Forsaking all others until I die. This is my vow to you.”
I exhale, relieved at her words.
Releasing one of her hands, I reach into my pocket to grab the rings I bought yesterday. I lift the diamond rings and slide them onto her finger, kissing the knuckle where they rest.
She stares at her hand before looking into my eyes with a sadness I can’t read. I lift the second ring and hand it to her. Her relief is palpable, so much so that I wish I’d clued her in to my plan when I bought these yesterday.
She slides the ring onto my finger and gently places her lips to the sleek black metal with yellow gold on either side. It’s heavy, its weight a reminder of my vow to her and only her. When her eyes lift to mine, my traitorous dick joins the party.
“By the power vested in me, by the State of Colorado, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss your bride.”
The last word hasn’t even left the clerk’s mouth before I slam my mouth down on my wife’s and claim it like a drowning man claims a life vest.
I plunder and take. Our tongues war, not for dominance but for more.
My arms wrap around her back, and I bend deeply at the waist, drinking deeply at her mouth.
She’s mine to protect.
She’s mine.
At least on paper.
10
the wrong page
Anni
