Page 106 of Ruthless Salvation

“Torin Byrne,” I breathed readily.

“And yours?”

“Stormy Byrne.”

“Goddamn right it is.” He surged inside me and lay claim to my body. “You’re mine. My wife. Myeverything.”

“Yes.” It was all I could say as he fucked me with mindless abandon until both of us were breathless and spent.

When we finally left that storage room, I did so on legs more wobbly than a newborn fawn.

“So much for dancing,” I murmured.

Tor didn’t respond aside from the smug grin creeping across his face.

“That make you happy?” I teased.

“Can’t say I’m disappointed. You don’t need to dance with anyone but me.”

“There you two are!” Rowan and Pippa swept toward us. “Did you want to go ahead and do the garter and bouquet tosses?”

“Sure!” It would give me time to recover. Despite Tor’s joking, I was definitely going to do more dancing at my wedding.Lotsmore dancing.

Ten minutes later, the girls had everything set up. A cluster of young and some not-so-young women, including Honey, to my utter delight, emerged when we announced the bouquet toss. I would have tossed it to her had I been able to aim backward, but as it turned out, I didn’t have to. The young woman who caught it gave the bundle of flowers to my grandmother, who was tickled pink. Everyone cheered riotously, sending my heart soaring.

Next came the garter removal.

As I sat in the chair watching Torin’s predatory approach, the room and all its occupants disappeared. My awareness narrowed to my husband and myself, both of us aware of what he’d find when he went in search of the garter. His turquoise eyes had never looked so vibrant as he approached. So inspired and alive.

To the crowd’s delight, he moved preternaturally slowly, a panther stalking its prey. His crooked smirk blossomed to a Cheshire grin when he squatted down before me.

I had to bite my lip to keep my composure.

He eased my dress up, positioning himself so I was never fully exposed. When he lowered his face to remove the garter with his teeth, I heard his robust inhale as though savoring an expensive cigar. He relished the evidence of our earlier encounter in a way only I could appreciate.

A scalding flush danced across my cheeks.

The crowd went insane with delight as Torin slid the garter down my leg with his teeth. I wasn’t sure I’d ever seen anything sexier in my life. My head swam with an overflow of joy.

So much for recovering.

I stayed seated as Torin launched the garter into a somewhat reluctant crowd of men. I wasn’t sure if it was intentional, but the silky fabric shot straight over the group and slammed into Oran’s chest as he approached from the opposite end of the room. He’d missed the ceremony—a fact that had been noticed by all—but that wasn’t the biggest shock of the night. That came in the form of the gorgeous woman at his side.

Oran reflexively caught the garter, waving it good-naturedly in the air as everyone cheered. The atmosphere dipped and swerved from giddy to awkward in a flash. His divorce hadn’t been final for long, and we all knew how jaded he’d become, especially where women were concerned.

The crowd dispersed relatively quickly, likely sensing the uncomfortable shift. We took the opportunity to greet our newly arrived guests. And it seemed we weren’t the only ones interested in knowing what was happening. Keir and Rowan also converged on the newcomers.

“Congratulations, you two,” Oran hugged Tor, then placed a gracious kiss on my cheek. “I’m so sorry I was late, but it couldn’t be helped. You see, we have some news of our own to celebrate. Everyone, I’d like to introduce Lina Schultze, my fiancée.”

I knew Oran, but not as well as the others, which helped me shake off my surprise and congratulate the two. The others all stood, eyes wide and mouths gaping.

“Oran, what a wonderful surprise.” I gave him a hug, then shook hands with the stunning blonde at his side. “Lina, I’m Stormy. It’s lovely to meet you.”

“Thank you, Stormy. I’m so sorry to hijack your day. I told Oran he needed to wait.” The derisive tension in her tone was unmistakable.

“This calls for a toast,” Keir rallied next and signaled over a server circulating nearby with a tray of champagne flutes. Torin stood stock-still at my side until I could catch his stare as I handed him a glass. A pointed look from me was all he needed to at least pretend to be civil.

Lina reached for a glass when the server approached and accidentally knocked a glass down the front of Oran’s immaculate suit. “Oh, baby! Howclumsyof me.”

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