He clears his throat. “C’mon, I don’t want to be late for our appointment.”
“Don’t we need a witness or something?” I ask, even though it’s a pointless attempt at stalling. No matter how many times I’ve turned it over in my head, I can’t find a way out of this.
Andrei’s right, marrying him will keep me alive. I don’t have a choice.
“Not in Illinois.”
My heart stutters in my chest with panic, looking around for something that will get me out of this. Some way that means I won’t have to be tied to another man who doesn’t want to be with me for any reason other than his own sense of duty.
In the back of my mind, there’s a younger, more idealistic version of myself that wants to weep at the injustice of it all. I like to think that I’m a practical, grounded person, but it’s hard to let go of the romantic ideas I clung to as a child.
I get out of the car and look at Andrei. His hands are shoved into his pockets, a deep frown creasing his brow. The past five years have run me ragged, but they’ve been nothing but kind to him. The faint lines around the corners of his eyes are a little deeper, but his shoulders are just as broad. When he turns his head, the sun catches the stray gray hairs just starting to peek out along his temples.
His suit looks like it was made just for him, showing off his powerful, muscular frame. Even his tie brings out the cold color of his eyes. I brush my thumb over a wrinkle in my dress, doing my best to force it into submission.
When I let my mind wander, I still linger over hesitant fantasies of what would have happened if he ever looked twice at me. I’ve never allowed those thoughts to take root, not even in my imagination.
They’re too far from reality to waste energy on them. It’d be just as worthwhile to wonder what would happen if I stumbled upon a unicorn.
My cheeks heat when he catches me looking at him.
It’s not fair,I think for the hundredth time.
Andrei deserves to be happy, too.He hates me, and he shouldn’t have to tie himself to me. Even if it’s just on paper.
With that, my mind goes on autopilot, not kicking on again until we’re standing in front of the judge, repeating everything he says.
Before I know what’s happening, Andrei slips two rings onto my finger. I look at them, a brilliant pink stone sparkling back at me under the fluorescent lights, complemented by a simpler band right below it.
An engagement ring and a wedding ring in one fell swoop.
“You may now kiss the bride,” the judge says, and a flash of dread hits me, freezing my whole body.
I should have pushed Andrei harder last night and insisted we hammer out some of the finer details about this arrangement. Because I’m surehedoesn’t want to kissme, and I don’t know if I can stomach the humiliation of having him explain that to some judge I’ve never met before. Even if we’ll probably never see him again, I don’t—
All thoughts come to a sudden stop when Andrei grips my waist, pulling me against him while he tugs gently on the end of my braid until I’m looking up at him. In fact, my mind goes wonderfully, blissfully blank as his lips cover mine, warm and unyielding.
My cheeks heat and I feel like I’m caught in a freefall. All I can do is brace myself against him while his lips make the butterflies in my stomach take off, fluttering under my skin.
My hands find his chest, my whole body swaying into his to keep my balance as my knees go weak. I don’t know what I thought kissing Andrei would be like, but I wasn’t expecting it to set my blood on fire as his tongue prods gently against the seam of my lips, controlling the kiss as easily as he breathes.
Not in my wildest dreams did I think kissing Andrei would feel like this.
When he pulls away, it takes a moment before I can open my eyes, feeling drugged as I look at his pleased smirk, stunned by the thick erection pressing against me while my stomach swoops.
“Oh,” I breathe. He chuckles, the sound rumbling against my chest. It takes another moment before I’m able to find my footing again, pulling back as I try to ignore the way he’s looking at me.
“That wasn’t so bad, was it?” he murmurs.
I can’t tell if he’s asking me, or himself. My hands are still shaking when I press my fingers against my lips. They’re sparking with electricity, buzzing in his absence.
The judge clears his throat, slamming me back down to earth. “Congratulations, you two.”
What the hell just happened?
I take a step back, but Andrei’s arm is still wrapped around my waist, keeping me against him. He nods and shifts his grip to my hand long enough for us to sign the papers before he pulls me toward the exit.
I squeak out a quick thanks before the door slams shut. If the judge responds, I don’t get a chance to hear it.