By His Vow: Chapter 55

My heart is beating so fast I’m sure I’m about twenty seconds from passing out halfway down the aisle.

I guess that’s one way of defying my father’s wishes. Although, knowing the men I’m surrounded by, they’d probably bring the officiant to the hospital to continue the service there.

Lori moves to the side, allowing me to fully see the back of the man I’m being forced to marry.

Although, that feels like a bit of a joke. No one is forcing me right now. No one is holding my hand and dragging me toward this man and putting words in my mouth. I’m choosing to do this.

My grip on Miles’s arm as he guides me toward his best friend tightens. I feel him look down at me with the same concern he did when he first entered our suite. But just like I did then, I ignore it.

He doesn’t like this, I’m more than aware of that. But I’ve made my decision.

Just one year.

Twelve months.

We can endure each other for that long.

It might not be easy, but it’ll be worth it.

I hope.

Rolling my shoulders back, I stand tall as every set of eyes, but the ones I secretly want, burn into me.

Turn around, I silently beg, desperate to see his reaction to my dress.

I thought Miles was going to burst into tears when he first saw me earlier. It might be wishful thinking to believe Kingston will react so viscerally, but still, I want to see it.

His entire body is locked up tight, and not a second later, his fists clench.

I’m barely halfway down the aisle and already, I’m affecting him.

I’m not sure how I feel about that.

There is a part of me that loves it, but that’s the foolish part of me that allowed me to believe the weekend at the cabin was more than what we are. It’s the part that is going to get me hurt.

I need to focus on the other part. The logical part. The part that is going to keep me safe and ensure I come out of this business deal in one piece.

Just a business deal.

Just a business deal.

Then, as if he heard my silent mantra, he looks over his shoulder.

His expression is hard, cold even, but then his eyes lock on mine and everything changes.

His eyes widen at the same time his chin drops and something powerful crackles between us. His eyes fall from mine to take all of me in, and his expression changes again to what I can only describe as awe.

My heart pounds, slamming against my ribs as I move closer to him, my body begging for me to walk faster, to take my place by his side.

“Jesus,” Miles grunts, having also seen his best friend’s reaction. “Maybe it isn’t your heart I should be worried about.”

“W-what?” I whisper, unable to decipher his words.

“Nothing.”

In only seconds, Miles delivers me to his best friend before kissing my cheek and whispering, “I’ve got your back, Tate. Always. You need anything, I’ll be right there.”

“I love you,” I whisper. I don’t tell my big brother how much he means to me often enough. I hope he knows how important he is, though.

“Love you too, sis.”

With a supportive squeeze of my hand, he steps away.

He has so much more that he wants to say, but he knows it’s too late, and even if it weren’t, I wouldn’t listen.

I’ve made up my mind. This is happening.

Turning to Kingston, my breath catches as our eyes collide.

Memories slam into me with enough force to make me take a step back—not that anyone can see with the size of my dress.

“I didn’t think it was possible to need someone as much as I need you. I’m fucking addicted, Tate.”

“It wasn’t a dream,” I whisper, a deep frown creasing my brow and desire building beneath my waist as I remember more and more of what I thought was a dream.

“Baby,” Kingston groans, moving a step closer to me. “You look incredible.”

“You came to our suite last night, didn’t you?”

His lips don’t move to answer me, but his eyes flash with hunger and his tongue sweeps across his bottom lip as if he’s remembering having my taste there.

“Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. We are gathered here today to witness the union of Tatum Grace Warner and Kingston Michael Callahan. We’ve come together to honor and celebrate the love shared between these two people as they embark on their new life with a solemn vow, surrounded by their closest family and friends.”

I thought I’d be nervous in this moment as the farce of our relationship hits fever pitch, but as Kingston reaches for my hand and stares into my eyes, I feel as calm as I’ve ever felt.

Nothing about this feels wrong.

In fact, everything feels right.

Too right.

The officiant continues talking about the importance of marriage and the vows we’re going to give today, the promises we’re going to make to each other.

My breathing is slow, my heart pounding steadily in my chest.

Kingston stares back at me like any groom does his bride, his eyes filled with emotion.

“Tatum, could you repeat after me?”

The officiant’s voice doesn’t register; I’m too lost in a set of mesmerizing green eyes.

“Tatum?”

Kingston smirks, more than aware of what’s distracted me.

He squeezes my hand as the officiant says my name again.

I startle and turn to him.

“I’m so sorry.”

He starts again, and I repeat his words, making my promises to Kingston.

I have to keep them for a year, just one short year, but as I say the words, I can’t help but feel like they’re more than they should be, that I’m promising so much more than the contract I signed, the terms I agreed to.

“Kingston,” the officiant says, before I listen to him repeat the same words.

With each one, my heart pounds harder and my hands begin to shake more violently.

The calmness I felt earlier ebbs away as the reality of this situation finally dawns.

This is serious. We’re really doing this.

And what’s worse, I’m not hating every second.

Everything is a blur as we say our vows. Everything feels like it’s spinning out of control. It’s all I can do not to fall into a full-blown panic attack—something I haven’t experienced since my parents first shipped me off to boarding school. The only thing that calmed me was Miles’s presence.

But while he might be in the room, he’s not going to help me now.

“Ladies and gentlemen, please join me in congratulating the new Mr. and Mrs. Callahan,” the officiant says, earning a loud round of applause from our small audience. “Kingston, you may now kiss your bride.”

Without missing a beat, he closes the space between us and takes my face in his hands.

Resting his brow against mine, he stares down into my eyes.

Instantly, I’m a little calmer.

“Breathe, baby.”

“King,” I whisper, my eyes bouncing between his.

The air is charged, and despite the words we’ve just said to each other in front of our closest friends and family, there are so many more that go unspoken between us.

“Mine,” he breathes before finally pressing his lips against mine.

It starts innocent, but then his hand drops to my waist and he tugs me against him, or at least the best he can with my dress trying to keep us apart.

I gasp when his grip tightens on me. It gives him the opening he was obviously gunning for and his tongue plunges past my lips, kissing me the way I’ve been dreaming of since last Monday.

There are a couple of rumbling cheers, which I can only assume belong to Kian and Kieran, before Kingston finally lets me up for air.

“Missed you, baby,” he whispers, his eyes sparkling with a potent mixture of excitement and desire. “Can’t wait to make this official.”

“Pretty sure that’s what we just did.”

He chuckles. “For them, yeah. What I’m thinking about is a much more private affair.”

Heat pools between my thighs as my mouth opens to argue, to attempt to keep a level head.

“I know you need it as badly as I do, so don’t even try to argue.”

Before I manage to get a word out, he grabs my hand and turns me toward our smiling audience.

I knew they were there, but suddenly seeing them all staring back at me makes my stomach flip-flop.

They believe it. They actually think that what Kingston and I have is real, pure, true.

“Come on, I need a few minutes alone with my wife,” Kingston says before we embark on my second trip down the aisle, only this time, I’m not walking toward the man I’m willingly giving myself to for a year of my life. I’m walking hand in hand with my new husband.

What the hell have I done?

King swings the door open with so much fervor, it crashes back before slamming closed only two seconds later.

“Oh my god,” I cry when my back collides with the wall and King’s forearms cage me in.

“Did I already tell you how incredible you look,” he says, nothing but sincerity in his voice.

My cheeks heat as he stares at me so deeply, I swear he can see straight down to my soul.

“We’re married,” I squeak like a moron, the weight of the addition of my wedding ring heavy on my left hand.

“Fuck. You’re my wife,” he says in awe, as if he’s only just realized what happened out there. “Mrs. Tatum Callahan.”

My stomach somersaults.

Why does that sound…right?

“King, I⁠—”

Honestly, I have no idea what I was going to say—my head and my heart are too busy battling it out for supremacy over this whole situation to form any rational thoughts.

I’m not sure if it’s a good thing or not that he steals my lips in a slow, sensual, and all-consuming kiss, ensuring that all those jumbled thoughts fly right out of my head. All sense of rationality drifts away, and all I can do is give myself over to him. My husband.

He slides his hand around the back of my neck, his thumb gently directing my jaw so he can position me exactly how he wants me as his tongue sweeps into my mouth.

My hands find his waist and his muscles jump the second I connect with him, letting me know that he feels this…this intensity between us as well.

“I can’t get you out of my head, baby. These past ten days…fuck. Fucking torture,” he confesses against my lips, unable to pull away now he’s reclaimed them.

“That was the idea. You hurt me, King. Releasing those photos without so much as warning me.”

“I know. I’m sorry. Fuck. I’m so sorry. I know it’s a shitty excuse, but I’m not used to thinking about anyone but myself. I make decisions that will benefit me or the company, and I just do it. I’ll do better. I swear.”

I stare up at him, desperately wanting to believe him, but also trying to understand why it’s all so important to me.

It’s just a year. So what if he thinks about himself and his future? I know that’s what I’m doing.

I’m being a hypocrite, asking him to do one thing while focusing on something else entirely for myself.

His eyes bore into mine, the green intense and hungry as he begs me to believe him.

I want to, I do. But also, does it really matter?

I shouldn’t expect anything from him. That is not what this is.

When it becomes clear that I’m not going to respond, he leans forward and takes my lips again.

His kiss is hungry and desperate, and I make him move for more.

Dragging his lips across my jaw, I suck in deep breaths in the hope of getting my body under control. It’s burning hotter than it should, seeing as we’ve got a whole host of people on the other side of the door waiting for us.

He moves to my ear, his warm breath rushing over the exposed skin of my shoulder, causing goosebumps to erupt across every inch of my body.

He groans deeply before confessing, “I can still taste you on my tongue.”

“Oh god,” I whimper. “It was real.”

He chuckles. “Baby, no dream is that good,” he mutters arrogantly. “Just a taste of what’s to come tonight. I have every intention of ensuring you don’t regret anything about what we’ve done today.”

I blink, trying to clear the cloud of lust that’s descended over me.

“We’re going to have so much fun.” His fingers grip my jaw and he turns me to face him, his lips attacking mine once again.

I’m vaguely aware of a knock filling the room, but I’m too lost in Kingston’s kiss to pay much attention.

I’m given little choice but to focus though when my best friend’s amused voice hits my ears.

“Well, well, well, what do we have here?” she teases.