Page 38 of The New York Nighthawks, Vol. 2

SKYE

When I called Dempsey to share my decision to go through with the marriage of convenience that he’d proposed, I expected to have some time to get used to the idea before we actually said our I do’s.

Considering how quickly he’d talked me into an engagement, I shouldn’t have been surprised to find myself at the courthouse only a couple of hours after agreeing to be his wife.

“I thought we were going to have dinner and talk about everything?”

Keeping one hand on the wheel, he reached over to thread his fingers through mine and squeezed. “One of my friends was able to pull some strings for me, so there’s been a slight change of plan.”

“The kind where we can skip the line to get our marriage license?” I asked hopefully. “Waiting in government offices is the worst, so that would be awesome.”

“Then you’re going to be very happy with what I’ve set up for us,” he drawled.

His smug grin made those butterflies swirl in my belly again, but from nerves as much as attraction. “Is there a special waiting room for VIPs or something?”

“Even better than that.”

He avoided telling me what to expect when we arrived at the courthouse, and I finally understood why when we were led directly into a judge’s chambers.

Getting married right away was just about the only thing I hadn’t guessed because I didn’t think it was possible, but Dempsey had somehow managed to get the twenty-four-hour waiting period waived.

I was in a stunned stupor as he introduced me to the judge his friend had talked into marrying us today.

Glancing down at the simple cotton dress I’d thrown on for what I’d expected to be a casual dinner out, I grimaced.

“I’m sorry that I’m not exactly dressed for the occasion, your honor.

But I didn’t know that I was getting married today. ”

“Don’t worry, dear. This isn’t my first time officiating a surprise wedding for an unsuspecting bride.

And please, call me Dillon.” He quirked a brow at my very soon-to-be husband.

“Although I hadn’t realized how much you and Aiden were alike when it came to your women until he called me with your request. When you boys fall, you don’t let the grass grow beneath your feet, that’s for sure. ”

“Oh, that’s not—”

Dempsey stopped me from spilling our secret—or at least I assumed that’s what he was doing—by squeezing my hand and saying, “I’m just glad I caught you before your vacation.”

“Me, too.” Dillon beamed a grin at his assistant, Brian, as he joined us so he could serve as our witness. “I would’ve hated to miss out on helping with another of these rush weddings. They’re a lot of fun.”

“You won’t hear me complain about witnessing them either.” Brian shot a lopsided smile at Dempsey. “Even without the front row tickets at the fifty-yard line that Aiden promised me on your behalf if I finessed Dillon’s calendar so he could squeeze you in today.”

“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.”

“I’m sorry I rushed you into this, baby.” Hearing him use a pet name for me in his deep voice was something I could get used to way too easily. “But the clock is ticking on the endorsement deal, and my schedule is jam-packed since the season has already started.”

“I understand.” Although that didn’t stop me from wishing he had other, more personal reasons for wanting to rush me to the altar.

“Let’s get your things upstairs so you can get settled into my room, and then you can relax,” he suggested.

“Your room.” I bit my bottom lip. “Are you sure you want me to invade your space? Since you’re in the penthouse, there has to be at least one guest room. I’d be more than okay there.”

“Our marriage has to look real,” he reminded me, his gaze dropping to my mouth as he tugged on my lip to free it from my teeth. “And the easiest way to make sure nobody questions it is for us to act like husband and wife, twenty-four seven.”

“Like with the kiss at the end of our ceremony?” I asked.

“That one and many more,” he murmured before he tilted my head back to brush his lips against mine.

When I let out a little sigh of pleasure, he deepened the contact, and our kiss quickly heated to the point where I had to press my thighs together to ease the ache in my core when he finally pulled away.