Chapter 81 81
“I… I want you, b–but…” she stammered, her voice barely steady.
Fernando went completely still.
The rush of elation that tore through him was wild, uncontrollable. For a second, he could hardly breathe.
“I… I believe in, um…” She squeezed her eyes shut, her cheeks burning a deep crimson. “After marriage.”
The words tumbled out of her in one embarrassed breath.
He turned fully toward her. The sight of her head bowed, ears flushed scarlet, fingers twisting nervously struck him silent. She looked impossibly innocent, impossibly sincere.
Étienne. I need a pastor. You have thirty minutes.
He sent the command through the mind-link and cut the connection before Étienne could respond.
“Get ready, babe,” he said casually, as though discussing dinner plans. “You have one hour to prepare for your wedding.”
The words detonated between them.
Sofía, still dazed from his touch, blinked up at him with hazy eyes. “Huh?”
“We’re getting married in an hour,” he repeated slowly, deliberately, making sure every word sank in.
“W–What?” she gasped.
That was too fast.
Way too fast.
His knuckles brushed her cheek tenderly before trailing down to the mark on her neck, stroking it with deliberate softness.
She trembled beneath his touch.
“I granted your wish, doll.”
He stepped back, his heated gaze sweeping over her body. Adjusting himself unapologetically, he left the room, while she stood frozen in place like a startled dove.
Oh God.
She was getting married.
To her professor.
One hour later, they stood inside Fernando’s office as the pastor began the ceremony. Étienne, Ricardo, and Corinne were the only witnesses.
When it came time for vows, panic fluttered in Sofía’s chest but Fernando spoke first.
“I, Fernando Ruiz, will protect you and honor you as my queen. In your joy and in your sorrow, I will be your strength. I will cherish you for as long as I live.”
Silence followed.
Sofía stared at him, stunned.
Ricardo and Étienne exchanged disbelieving looks, their jaws nearly hitting the floor.
Since when did this ruthless beast turn into a man speaking like that?
When it was her turn, she drew in a steadying breath.
“I, Sofía Ana Rodríguez, promise to love you through hardship and through peace. I will respect you and stand beside you. I will be your comfort… and your calm.”
She meant every word. And from the way he watched her, she knew he did too.
Corinne and Ricardo handed them the rings. Sofía was still reeling at the fact that they had managed to find a pastor at two in the morning one willing to conduct a wedding on such short notice. What she didn’t know was the amount of persuasion, bribery, and outright intimidation Étienne had used to drag the poor man from his bed.
The rings were beautiful. Fernando slid the diamond band onto her finger with steady hands. She placed his ring on him in return.
“You may kiss the bride,” the pastor announced.
Fernando didn’t need to be told twice.
He seized her by the waist and crushed his lips to hers in a fierce, breath-stealing kiss that left her dizzy.
Corinne squealed in delight before Ricardo ushered her out. The pastor shot Étienne a murderous glare as he was escorted away his pockets noticeably heavier than before.
When the kiss finally ended, Fernando lifted Sofía effortlessly into his arms.
She realized they were alone.
He carried her out of the office and into his bedroom. Her heart pounded wildly with every step.
Inside, he kicked the door shut behind them.
“Lock it,” he ordered, his voice thick.
She swallowed and slid from his arms just enough to twist the lock with trembling fingers.
A slow smirk curved his lips.
Without warning, he bounced her slightly in his arms, earning a startled shriek before he caught her securely again.
She clung to his neck, wide-eyed, as a deep chuckle rumbled from his chest.
“I’m just having fun,” he murmured, settling onto the bed and pulling her onto his lap.
Of course he was having fun. For once, he wouldn’t be walking away for a cold shower.
She avoided his gaze, nerves twisting in her stomach. The reality of it all the wedding, what was about to happen made her pulse race in anxious spirals.
His fingers tipped her chin upward until their eyes met.
The hunger in his gaze stole her breath.
“I waited so damn long for this,” he whispered roughly before claiming her mouth again.
She melted into the kiss, sighing softly. Their first kiss as husband and wife. Or second, if she counted the ceremony.
Suddenly, he shifted her, guiding her to straddle him, her legs on either side. The intimate closeness made her gasp as she felt the firm evidence of his desire beneath her.
Her breath turned shaky. Her fingers gripped his shoulders. His large hands settled possessively at her hips.
“Look at me,” he commanded.
She did and gasped when he pulled her down more firmly against him.
In one fluid motion, he tugged her shirt over her head. She raised her arms obediently, heart hammering.
She felt exposed, vulnerable. The last time she’d been nearly naked before him, she had fainted.
His gaze roamed over her chest with unmasked intensity.
Slowly, deliberately, he unclasped her bra and discarded it somewhere behind him.
Instinctively, she crossed her arms over herself.
A low growl vibrated from his throat.
“Don’t hide from me.”
Gently but firmly, he caught her wrists and lowered her arms.
He stared at her as if committing every detail to memory.
His expression softened into something almost reverent.
“You’re breathtaking,” he murmured, pressing a featherlight kiss to her throat.
With deliberate hands, he continued undressing her, removing the remaining barriers between them.
Her breath hitched sharply, her body trembling under the weight of his gaze and the intensity of the moment.