“Do you have the rings?”she asked.
He’d offered to buy her a different one, but she’d said hers was perfect.And after fifty years, the cost per wear would be less than a dollar a day.
The elevator stopped at the twelfth floor to let off another passenger.When the doors closed and he was alone with her, he took the opportunity to place a hand on her rear.He felt the faint outline of straps from a garter belt.“You could have worn pantyhose.”
“But then I wouldn’t have the pleasure of knowing you were going crazy picturing me with a bare ass.”
“Which means you aren’t wearing underwear?”
She tossed him a heart-attack-causing smile.“Brilliant, Mr.Donovan.”
The elevator dinged as it reached the ground floor and she walked ahead of him.Yeah, he couldn’t wait for later, a little marriage-night treat.If he survived that long.
April drove them to the courthouse, and they made their way to his friend’s office.
They were shown in, and Connor performed the introductions.
“Good afternoon, Your Honor,” she said.“Thanks for doing this.”
“Call me Joshua,” he replied.“Unless we meet in the courtroom.”
“Or Sir,” Connor added.
She looked between them.“You’re a Dom, too?How many of you are there?”
“It’s not like we’re werewolves or something,” Connor protested.
“Werewolves only get randy around the full moon.”
Joshua coughed and picked up the manila envelope containing their marriage certificate.“Do y’all have your own vows, or would you like to go with something informal that I normally suggest?”
“I have vows,” Lara said.
Connor raised his eyebrows.“Other than what we’ve discussed, I’m not prepared,” he admitted.
“No problem,” Joshua said.“We’ll work with it.”He stepped into the hallway and invited in the two employees who had agreed to serve as witnesses.
Connor and Lara said hello and thanked them for taking time out of their schedules.
“It’s my pleasure,” one of the ladies assured them.“Makes me remember when Murph and I got married thirty-seven years ago.”
Joshua registered their names and ensured everything on the license was in order before asking Connor to face Lara.
They turned toward one another.Even though she’d been relaxed on the way over, he now saw tension in the way she held her shoulders.If they had been in private, he would massage her until her head lolled and he’d eased away all the knots.
“Take Lara’s right hand in yours,” Joshua said.
Connor did, and it felt warm, reassuring.Not only was he offering his hand, she was holding his.
“Repeat after me.”
Connor nodded.
“I, Connor, take you, Lara, to be my wife.To have and to hold, for better, for worse, for richer or poorer, to cherish and protect, to honor and to love.”
As he repeated the words, he squeezed her hand tight, conveying the emotion of his promise.
She pressed her lips together and momentarily looked away.
