“Wallace, I want a promise from you first.”
His dark brow rises, but he nods. “What do ye want,Luaith Bheag?”
“I want…” I squeeze his hands, so nice and warm against my chilly ones. “Promise me you’ll find the proof that they killed my father. Promise me.”
“I could just kill them in half the time,” he says.
This time, the assistant actually whimpers.
“I want proof,” I say stubbornly. “I stayed in that hell for two and a half years, trying to find out how they did it. Promise me.”
“Of course,” he says, as if it requires a mere snap of his fingers.
“Okay. Good. Okay… we’re doing this.” Squaring my shoulders, I turn back to Malcolm, whose expression has traveled from despondency to despair. “I do.”
“Thank the Lord. Now the exchange of rings.”
Wallace, ever prepared, pulls out two ring boxes, flipping open one to show an enormous round diamond surrounded by brilliant rubies and slips it on my ring finger, then lifts my hand to kiss it. It’s a perfect fit.
Of course.
“What does yours look like?” I ask.
He smiles sardonically, “It’s one I can wear to work.”
It’s black as night, a rugged looking band with Celtic symbols. He hands it to me. It’s heavy. I can sense Malcolm’s impatience as I slide it onto Wallace’s finger.
“BythepowersvestedinmeIdeclareyehusbandandwifeyemaynowkiss.”The Registrar slams the book shut with a sigh of relief.
Kiss? Somehow, this part feels like a surprise. Wallace hasn’t touched me in a way that ever felt sexual. He cups my face in his big, warm hands, thumbs lightly stroking over my cheekbones.
“My wife,” he whispers before his lips are on mine and it is…
Men always seemed to kiss me as simply a prelude to the “next step.”
Wallace, though. This is the destination.
His full lips fit against mine, his tongue stroking, searching along the seam of my lips and oh… His hands tilt my head and he kisses me deeper, a groan rumbling from his chest. He toys with my tongue, sucking it into his mouth.
He’s so warm, he smells like peppermint and smoke.
I didn’t know every nerve ending in my body could spark to life from a simple press of his lips against mine but this is so good. He finishes the kiss by lightly biting my lower lip, then soothes it with a swipe of his tongue.
“Ye alright?” He looks down at me with a slight smile. I realize I’m staring up at him, looking remarkably simple-minded, I’m sure.
“Yeah. Yes.” I nod. “We’re good and married.”
He looks like he’s holding back a laugh, and turns to the assistant, who eagerly proffers the paperwork and a fountain pen.
“Come sit with me, wife.” Wallace seats himself on the couch, pulling me down to perch on his knee. He signs in all the right places with swift, decisive strokes and hands the pen to me. I don’t hesitate to sign. I thought I would, that the paperwork would make it official and too real.
The kiss did that. Thorough and claiming and leaving no doubt that Wallace wanted me. He kisses my hand when I finish and helps me up.
“I’ll have the papers couriered to your home tomorrow,” Malcolm says. “Good night.” His mouth stays open, like he wanted to add something but thought better of it.
“Come with me,Luaith Bheag.My wife.”
Chapter Fifteen
