Page 7 of Bound in Matrimony
"What was that for?" she asks when I finally release her, her cheeks flushed and eyes bright.
"For being mine." I brush my thumb across her bottom lip, feeling the soft give of flesh that yields to me so sweetly. "We're getting married on Saturday."
She blinks, the statement taking a moment to register. "This Saturday? As in, three days from now?"
"Yes."
She searches my face, looking for signs of a joke or uncertainty. She finds neither.
"Knox, we can't plan a wedding in three days." Her hands rest on my chest, fingers curling slightly into the fabric of my shirt.
"It's already being planned." I cover her hands with mine, feeling the absence of a ring—a temporary condition I intend to remedy tomorrow. "Elise is handling the details. Designers will be here tomorrow with dress options. The garden is secured."
"The garden? What garden?" She pulls back slightly, her brows drawing together. "Knox, we haven't even discussed whether we want to get married."
"Haven't we?" I raise an eyebrow. "You're carrying my child. You live in my home. You sleep in my bed. You've given yourself to me in every way that matters. Marriage is simply the legal recognition of what already exists between us."
"That's not how most people approach marriage," she says, but there's a wavering in her voice that tells me she's not entirely opposed to the idea. Just the timeline.
"I'm not most people." I guide her to the window seat, sitting beside her, our bodies angled toward each other. "Seraphina, I've built my empire by recognizing opportunities and seizing them without hesitation. I knew the moment I saw you that you were mine, just as I knew the moment you told me about our child that you would be the mother of my legacy."
"So I'm an opportunity?" A smile plays at the corner of her mouth, telling me she's not truly offended.
"You're a certainty." I take her hands again, rubbing my thumb over the bare ring finger that won't be naked much longer. "There's no scenario in my future that doesn't include you as my wife. Waiting serves no purpose."
She looks down at our joined hands, silent for a moment. I can almost see the thoughts racing behind those expressive green eyes—the pros and cons, the romantic notions shemight have harbored about wedding planning, the practical considerations of our situation.
"Three days isn't enough time to plan a proper wedding," she finally says, but it's not a refusal. It's a negotiation.
"It is when money and influence remove all obstacles." I tuck a strand of hair behind her ear, letting my fingers linger against the soft skin of her neck. "What do you need to make it 'proper'? Tell me, and it's yours."
She laughs, a sound that still catches me off guard with its genuine delight. "You can't just throw money at a wedding and expect it to be perfect."
"Watch me."
She shakes her head, but I see the capitulation in her eyes before she speaks. "My parents?—"
"Will be flown in first class tomorrow. Already arranged."
"A dress?—"
"Designers arriving at noon with their finest options."
"Flowers—"
"The botanical garden has an in-house florist who's being handsomely compensated for her expertise and discretion."
Seraphina narrows her eyes at me. "You really planned this all out in, what, an hour?"
"Forty-seven minutes." I can't help the satisfaction that colors my tone. Efficiency has always been my hallmark.
"What about my input? My choices?" Her voice carries a hint of challenge, the spark that first drew me to her—the woman who wouldn't be intimidated by my reputation or wealth.
"Every detail will be presented for your approval." I lift her hand to my lips, pressing a kiss to her palm. "But the date is non-negotiable, Seraphina."
"Why the rush?" Her eyes search mine. "Is it because of the baby? Because we don't need to get married just because I'm pregnant, Knox. This isn't the 1950s."
"The rush," I say, my voice dropping to the intimate tone I reserve only for her, "is because I've claimed you in every other way, and I want the world to know you're mine legally as well. I want our child born into a union recognized by law. I want the protection that marriage affords both of you."
