Page 55 of Submitting to Daddy
“I’ve got to be in court in thirty minutes?—”
“This’ll take ten,” I cut him off. “We want to be married. Now. We have witnesses. We just need the paperwork.”
Ralston’s eyes flick between us, taking in both our appearance. With me dressed in an expensive, well-tailored suit, and Madison looking like she just rolled out of bed.Still beautiful… Even in borrowed clothes and eyes rimmed red with exhaustion.“Right,” he says slowly. “And why should I agree to this again?”
“Because if you do, you’ll have the loyalty of the Kings. For life.”
Enzo smiles, dangerously. “And that’s more valuable than any campaign donor.”
The judge sighs, tugging a drawer open and pulling out a faded marriage ledger and a handful of forms. “Fine. Sign this and repeat after me.”
The ceremony is fast. I slide the ring from my pinky and push it down her finger. It’s still too big. I’ll do right by her and get her real ring tomorrow. The judge drones on about solemn vows and legally binding unions, but all I can hear is her say, “I do.”
“I now pronounce you husband and wife.”
I don’t wait. I wrap my arms around her and crash my mouth to hers, lifting my wife off the ground. “You’re mine now,” I whisper against her lips. “No matter what, you’remine.”
She nods, breathless. “And you’re mine.”
“Thank you.” I extend my hand to shake the judge’s hand when Enzo suddenly clears his throat.
“Wait.” He turns to Eavan, tugging her forward and dropping to one knee as we all stare at him.
“Princess,” he begins, his voice unusually soft. “You’re my everything. The woman I want to spend the rest of my life with. To me, you’re already my wife… The future mother of my children… but I want the world to know it, too.”
He pulls a small velvet box out of his coat pocket and flips it open, revealing a large carat diamond ring—classic, but bold. Just like her. “Eavan O’Brien. Princess. Will you marry me?”
“Yes!Yes—oh myGod, yes!” Tears shimmer in Eavan’s eyes as she nods frantically.
Judge Ralston groans and repeats the ceremony, legally binding my sister to my best friend—to my brother. Settling back into his chair, the judge glances at Nikolai and asks, “You too?”
Nikolai folds his arms and smirks. “Absolutely the fuck not. Bachelor for life.”
Stepping from the courthouse, we’retwomarriages deep, with twenty years of favor-debt handed over to a man who I’m certain regrets having ever taken the bar exam.
This might not have been the magical fairytale wedding she grew up dreaming of, but selfishly, I don’t care.
Madison King is wearing a ring.
My ring.
She’s mine—my wife.
And no one will ever take her from me again.
The courthouse fades behind us, the echo of our hurried ceremony still ringing in my ears. But as Cillian pulls me close and spins the too-big ring around my finger, a fierce, unbreakable tether forms between us.
“Mine,” he whispers against my hair, his breath warm and rough. “You’re mine now. My wife.” The words send a shiver of excitement down my spine as Nikolai pulls up in front of the Four Seasons.
“Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do,” Nikolai calls as we both climb from the backseat.
The minute we step inside the hotel, suit-clad concierge rushes from behind the counter. “Your key, Mr. King. I trust the room will be to your satisfaction.”
The moment we are alone in the elevator, his hands and mouth are everywhere. He hoists me into his arms, and my legs wrap around him as he pins me to the icy elevator wall. The elevator dings, and he carries me down the hall toward our room, his lips not once leaving mine as he fumbles with the lock on the door.
We barrel inside when it opens, my back slamming against the wall as he claims my lips with a hunger I didn’t know existed.
“You’re beautiful, my wife,” he murmurs, his lips trailing down my neck. “And you’re all fucking mine.” I lean into him, trembling beneath the certainty in his voice. This isn’t just about the marriage. It’s aboutus.About surviving this uncertainty and being whole together.
