Page 61 of Resist

I bite the inside of my lip to stop the giggles from coming out, but they escape all the same. “Please don’t with the egg puns,” I manage.

Thor blushes when he catches Addison sending a pointy-knived glare in his direction. “Sorry. Couldn’t help it.” He clears his throat again like he’s starting over. “Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to witness the union of two hearts, bound together by love and shared dreams.”

I swallow down the snort tickling the back of my nose and school my face. He’s full of shit, but thankfully, our friends are playing along in our master conspiracy. Turns out, the men in Club Protocol are every bit as feminist leaning as their female partners. They all want me to fully inherit Blackwell Publishing and change the rules for the future.

I’m not sure who the company will go to when the Blackwell line ends with me, but we’ll cross that bridge when we get to it.

“Corabelle Seraphine Blackwell, do you take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband?”

I’m pretty sure Thor leans into the word husband just a little more than the rest of his sentence.

Someone coughs in the pews, and if I’m not mistaken there’s a gasp from somewhere near the front. But I don’t have time to analyze why someone’s already gasping at this point in the service.

“I do.” My confident voice echoes around the room.

“And do you Sterling Alexander Montgomery take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife?”

He grins at me. “Every day and twice on Sundays.”

There’s a ripple of laughter through our friends and family.

“I do.” He purses his lips like he’s trying to be sensible.

I’m not sure what I expected to happen. Maybe I thoughthe’d back out at the last second, maybe I thought he’d sound unsure, or his voice would crack or waver, or someone would stand up and scream that they object to my marrying Sterling.

None of that happens. And before I can blink, Foxy’s stolen my bouquet, we’ve exchanged wedding rings, and Thor announces it’s time for Sterling to kiss his wife. That’s me.

Fuck.

I forgot about this part.

The glint in Sterling’s eye is as animalistic as the fierce grin he flashes right before he grabs me, dips me back so far I’m starting to think I’ll hit the deck, and lays one right on me like no one’s watching.

CHAPTER 21

Sterling

“Let me fuck you.”I curl an arm around Corabelle’s waist as she surveys the reception room. We haven’t had food, or speeches, or done the cake-cutting thing, but she’s rigid next to me, stress and tension holding her body hostage.

She shakes her head. “Tenet number one.”

“Fuck the tenets. You’re edgy as hell, Corabelle. Let me help you relax. It’s your wedding day, let me help you enjoy it a little.”

Her lips press together in a firm line.

“We can start your tenets back up again later. Let me make you feel good. Let me take care of you. If you can’t find a way to relax, you’re going to snap like a sheet of ice across a lake. And then no one will believe we’re actually together.”

I nuzzle my nose against her cheek, plant a chaste kiss on her temple. “Think about it. I’m going to work the room, let me know if you change your mind, Wife.”

Before he can leave, the photographer ushers us together for a few pictures, and follows me across to where Thor standstalking to Austin and the girls and takes our pictures there as well.

It may be a fake wedding, well, actually it’s a real wedding, but not a real marriage... but there are few opportunities for my friends and me to get pictures taken when we’re all together. It’s rare that we all have our clothes on at the same time.

I beckon Jagger, Talia, and Phoenix to join us for a Club Protocol group picture. Maddie drags Corabelle to join us and after the photographer’s taken a few dozen photos, Tessa comes up to give me a huge hug. “I’m so proud of you, Lingy!”

Guilt swirls in my chest, and my gut drops to my feet. I didn’t miss Mom’s gasp when she heard Corabelle’s last name during the ceremony. And we’re for sure going to have a discussion about it all in the near future. Did I keep my beloved’s last name out of our mouths when she met my family yesterday? Yes.

Was it my smartest move? I’m not sure. I haven’t seen Mom since the outdoor pictures we had taken right after the ceremony.