Page 110 of Sins of Innocence

Áine's face goes slack with shock, then her eyes fill with first wonder and then worry. She looks at me but her gaze skitters away before I can make eye contact.

What did Maureen say to her?

Whatever it was, it wasn't don't marry the guy because they both head toward us, the confusion on Áine's face morphing into determination.

She's going through with it.

The wedding.

Relief blasts through me and only then do I acknowledge to myself I wasn't sure she would.

"You stand here," Sadie says to Celeste, pointing at the center spot in front of the waterfall.

Looking like she's got no problem with getting instructions from a twelve-year-old, Celeste moves to stand where Sadie told her to.

"Now, mom, you stand here." She grips Áine's arms and tugs her into a position in front and to the right of the officiant.

"Are you the wedding coordinator?" Áine smiles at her daughter, no censure in her tone for Sadie's bossiness.

"Someone has to be." She grabs my arm and tugs me to stand opposite Áine. "Right there."

Áine stares up at me. "We're really doing this."

"Yes." All of it.

No way in hell is this going to be a marriage in name only. Áine's family is now mine and I am their protector. Áine is mine. In every way.

Her nostrils flare and she steps back, like she can sense my predatory intent.

I grab her hand and yank her closer, so she has to tilt her head back to see my face. When she does, I wink at my soon-to-be wife.

Áine's eyes round and then narrow. "What was that wink for?"

I shrug.

She blushes.

Leaning down, I whisper for only her to hear. "My room has a king-sized bed, but we'll only be using half of it."

And if she wants to know where all the words came from, she only has to look down instead of up.

I angle her body so our girls can't see what the thought of marrying their mom is doing to me. Willing, my erection down, I breathe in deeply and release slowly to lower my heart rate.

There are a lot of hours and Disney characters to see between now and my wedding night.

Celeste clears her throat. "It looks like this wedding can't happen fast enough for any of you."

Áine makes the cutest eep sound.

"We're ready," Sadie agrees before anyone else can say anything.

She's arranged everyone to her liking, which is all of the rest of them in a semicircle around her mom and me.

"Then let us begin," Celeste says with a wave of her hands.

"Can we go on rides after?" Joy asks in a loud whisper.

Áine's hand tenses in mine. Because she doesn't want to? Because she's worried I won't?