Total pages in book: 27
Estimated words: 25031 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 125(@200wpm)___ 100(@250wpm)___ 83(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 25031 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 125(@200wpm)___ 100(@250wpm)___ 83(@300wpm)
“Let me know which game you want to attend, and I’ll hook you up. It’s a small price to pay for your help.”
The judge chuckled. “Well played, Brian. You made out better than me, and I’m the one marrying them.”
“I’ll get you a damn box for the Super Bowl if we can get this done,” Dempsey grumbled.
“Well, in that case, I suppose we should get started.”
Dempsey and I moved to stand in front of the judge, facing each other. Dillon didn’t waste any time moving through the ceremony, which felt like a whirlwind up until the moment when he asked us about rings.
I was just about to explain that we could skip this part when Dempsey pulled a ring box out of his pocket. He had been full of surprises since we met, but the solitaire engagement ring and platinum band he slid onto my finger when we got to that point of the ceremony were the biggest shocks of them all. There was no way anybody could miss them since the diamond was big enough to be seen from outer space. “Where in the world did you get these?”
He winked at me before teasing, “The jewelry store, of course.”
I rolled my eyes at his reply. “When did you have the chance to go there?”
“I bought them yesterday,” he admitted softly.
I shook my head, my eyes going wide. “How is that possible? I hadn’t even agreed to marry you until today.”
The judge let out a coughing laugh, and Dempsey glared at him before returning his attention back to me. “I’m a big believer in being prepared to take advantage of an opportunity when it comes my way, so I wanted to be ready for when I convinced you to be my wife.”
That was an understatement if I’d ever heard one, considering how he’d made the most of me crashing into him at the coffee shop. “How did you know my ring size?”
“I have the jeweler to thank for that.” He brushed his thumb against my skin, right above where his rings now encircled my finger. “I was going to buy a six since that’s the most common size for women from what I found when I looked it up online, but he suggested a four when I told him how tiny you are.”
This time, Brian was the one who tried to choke back his laughter. He didn’t do as well as his boss, and I huffed in annoyance as I glared at him. Not that it did any good. He just shrugged and murmured, “You have to admit that you’re an interesting pair. Dempsey is big, even for a professional football player, and you’re just an itty-bitty thing.”
My almost-husband really didn’t like his explanation. A deep growl rumbled up his broad chest, and he took a step toward the judge’s assistant. I wrapped my hands around his biceps to hold him back as Dillon said, “Relax, big guy. I’d hate to toss you in jail for fighting in my chambers on your wedding day. Brian didn’t mean anything by stating the obvious. He’s no threat to you, let alone when you’ve already gotten the girl to agree to marry you.”
I wiggled my fingers, the light sparking of the huge diamond Dempsey had picked out. “I don’t think you have to worry about anyone hitting on me when we’re married. You’ve already marked your territory with this thing.”
“I definitely wasn’t trying to make a pass at the bride in the middle of the ceremony. I don’t have a death wish, man.” Brian’s eyes widened as he held his hands up in a gesture of surrender. “It’s just that you make a cute couple with the whole super big and tiny combination. That’s all.”
The tension seeped from Dempsey’s body, and I flashed him a reassuring smile as the judge pronounced us man and wife. Before Dillon had the chance to announce that it was time to kiss the bride, my husband’s mouth crashed against mine, his tongue sweeping inside when I gasped. The kiss he planted on me was quick, but it still left my head spinning.
The next half hour was a blur as we signed the paperwork, then said our goodbyes before Dempsey hustled me back to his SUV. I was so focused on the possibility of him kissing me again so that we could sell the story in public about us being married that I missed the drive to his building. It wasn’t until he leaned over the console to cup my cheek and turn my head so I was staring into his eyes that I realized we’d made it all the way to his parking garage.
There was a concerned gleam in his deep blue eyes as he asked, “Are you okay?”
I nodded. “Yeah, sorry. I guess I’m a little overwhelmed by everything that’s happened today. New home. New husband. It’s a lot to wrap my head around.”