Page 33 of An Inevitable Marriage

Her gaze immediately snapped back to mine. “What?”

“Listen.” I slicked my tongue over my teeth, searching my brain for the correct wording. “I might not be well-versed in the emotional states of the opposite sex, but in general, when someone cries, it’s usually not a good sign.”

“All brides cry on their wedding day.”

I quirked a brow. “You’re telling me those are happy tears?”

Snow opened her mouth then slammed it shut again. Her throat worked on a swallow, and much to my dismay, her eyes lowered to her feet.

I had the strangest urge to tuck fingers beneath her chin and guide those pretty green irises back to me. Thank fuck I had enough brain cells left not to act on that particular impulse.

A good thing, too, because when her gaze finally flicked up to mine again, she looked pissed.

“Why do you care?”

She had a point, but I didn’t have an answer. I couldn’t tell her why the sight of her sadness felt like someone had plunged a knife into my chest. I couldn’t tell her why my fingers itched to wipe those tears away if they decided to fall.

I couldn’t tell her because I didn’t fucking know.

“I don’t,” I said gruffly. “I don’t want the judge to think you’re being forced into this. It’s imperative that everyone believes this marriage to be real.”

It was freaky how fast she schooled her features and pulled her shoulders back. Keeping her gaze on me, she batted her lashes and stretched her mouth into a smile.

“Better?”

It wasn’t. She still seemed sad, and I still felt…I didn’t even know how I felt about it. Not good. But what the hell was the alternative? Walk away and lose the only thing I had left of my mother?

“Much,” I lied through clenched teeth. Holding my arm out, I repeated her earlier words, “Shall we get this over with?”

Chapter nine

Liam

We’dmadeittothe judge’s chambers. Although the sadness still hadn’t left her eyes, Snow did a damn good job at convincing the judge we were a happy couple who couldn’t wait to spend the rest of our lives together.

She was so bloody convincing, I had to remind myself the way she stared at me was just for show and not because she genuinely thought I’d hung the moon and stars.

It was…unnerving.

And probably the reason I had to ask the judge to repeat what she’d just said. Thankfully, she, too, believed Snow’s little display and gave me a look of understanding before she said, “It’s time to say your vows.”

Ah, yes, the vows.

“Right.” Sucking in a deep, steadying breath, I took Snow’s hands in mine.

That first touch of my skin against hers had a new uneasiness teasing every nerve ending inside my body. My heart kicked up a few gears, and my mouth turned into a damn desert.

I swallowed and swallowed and fucking swallowed, cursing the damn universe over how long it took to shake the craziness and find my voice.

“I, Liam Theodor Maxwell, take you, Everlee Rose Sutton, to be my wife. In this moment, I promise before these witnesses to love you and care for you all of our days. I accept you with your faults and your strengths, even as I offer myself with my faults and my strengths.”

Thick, black lashes fanned her rosy cheeks when Snow closed her eyes and subtly shook her head. Behind my breastbone, my heart thudded violently. Each thump against my ribs was deliberate and painful. Something I could only describe as fear suddenly slammed into me, sinking its claws deeper and deeper with every nanosecond those green irises stayed hidden from me.

It made no sense.

What did it matter if she walked away now? If I tried, I could easily find someone else to take her place. The world was full of people who wanted nothing more than to take, take, take.

No, it has to be her.