“Can you please stop saying that?” Cora groans.
“Why?”
“It’s embarrassing. What if I shouted out how you were a virgin?”
I shrug. “Everyone knows that I am.”
Her jaw drops, and Karin Vieth mutters Bullshit into her fist.
The priest coughs. When we turn our gazes to him, he coughs again. “I’m sorry, but I have not yet finished.”
“We’ve exchanged the rings,” I answer, annoyed. “What else is there to do?”
“I must pronounce you man and wife.”
“Then do it.”
“Ah, well, before we get to that part”—the priest turns a page in his little black notebook—“we have to say a pray—”
“Announce that we’re man and wife,” I interrupt.
“But—”
“I seriously doubt that we aren’t married because you didn’t say a few magic words.” I take Cora by the shoulders. “I’m your man. You’re my wife.” I slam my mouth down onto hers, sealing our union more thoroughly than any priest’s invocations. She moans and wraps her arms around my neck. She may be frightened and confused, but my touch turns her to liquid silk in my arms—soft, malleable, enticing. My groin tightens, and lust flares up. If I don’t put a halt to this kiss, I might take her to the floor and fuck her in front of the priest, her mother, and everyone else. I pull away reluctantly, swiping a finger across her plump lower lip. “Later,” I promise. I turn to Kailler, who has been looking at the ceiling. “The contracts.”
She whips out the paperwork, the real stuff, that will cement this marriage. “If I die, Cora Kasteros will inherit everything and by everything, I mean this empire and all that pledge their loyalty to it. Right, Kailler?”
“Yes.” Her chin nod is firm. It’s the one thing I’ve done that she’s approved of since Cora was dropped on my doorstep.
“You’re serious about this.” Karin blinks in surprise as she runs over the contract. “This is a better deal than I could’ve conceived for you,” she says to Cora.
“I don’t want this, though.” She squeezes her hands together. “I just want…” Her voice trails off so quietly that I almost don’t hear the word that comes out: peace.
“Sign it.” I press a pen into Cora’s hands. “Sign it and those things that you wish for will come.” I suppose the unstated warning is that if she doesn’t sign it, there’ll be war, but I won’t lie to her. Not now or ever.
She lets out a deep breath and then scrawls her signature across the paper. I match hers and then stamp it with my seal. Kailler takes the original and puts it in a briefcase, which she locks and sets behind her. Karin is given an unsigned copy.
“I’ll be keeping the original. Now, tell Kailler everything there is to know about Poppy and Sara while I go consummate this relationship.” I sweep Cora up in my arms. “Ready, baby?”
“Not really.”
“I guess making you ready is my job.” I grin wickedly.
Chapter 17
Cora
Aidon keeps a tight hold on me as we ride the elevator up. We pass the floor that I’ve been staying on, going all the way to the top. When the doors slide open, he scoops me up into his arms. I wrap mine around his neck. I can’t believe that he’s truly mine. There are a lot of things that happened in the last few hours that are unbelievable. But I don’t want to focus on any of those; I want to focus on my new husband.
I try to steal peeks around the living room area, which has a giant piano off to the side. The walls have floor-to-ceiling windows. He carries me through a long hallway, moving too fast for me to take everything in. He kicks open a set of double doors walking into the master bedroom. He tosses me onto the bed. I let out a small scream of surprise.
“If you like that dress, you’ll need to remove it. You don’t want me doing it for you.” He pulls his suit jacket off, tossing it onto the floor before going for the buttons of his shirt. I sit up on my knees, watching him as his chest comes into view.
The small scars that are scattered across his chest don’t go unnoticed by me. He reminds me of a warrior that just came from winning a battle and is here to claim his virgin bride. But this isn't a historical romance. This is real life.
“Dress, Cora.” I pull my eyes away from his broad chest to meet his. I suck in a breath at the hungry look I see in his eyes. Aidon doesn’t only look at me like he wants me. No, he looks at me like he needs me to survive. I scoot over closer to him, wanting to touch him.
I place my hands on his chest. His breathing is heavy, with his chest rising and falling under my touch. “You remind me of a warrior. Has anyone ever told you that?” I lean forward. “Can I kiss you here?” I ask. He lets out a strangled groan.