9. Ares
A res~
Money really did make things happen, and a healthy donation to Saint Peter’s Church had even gotten us some subtle decorations at the altar. At any rate, it was only me, Perry, and Father Daughtery in the church, and we were waiting for my reluctant bride to arrive.
After leaving Capri’s office yesterday, I’d got back to work to finish out my day, then had called Perry to tell him that I was getting married.
Once the shock had worn off, he had demanded that I stop at his place to explain myself- his words, not mine -and he and his wife, Lauren, had been all ears as I’d told them about acquiring Martha Holdings and asking Capri Cohen to marry me.
Luckily for me, neither had judged me enough to disown me, and while Lauren had predicted my downfall, Perry had volunteered to be my witness for today’s nuptials.
“A hundred bucks says that she doesn’t show up,” Perry murmured low enough for Father Daughtery not to hear. After all, gambling was a sin.
“She’ll be here,” I assured him. “She has too much of a conscience not to.”
Just then, the church doors opened, and Perry let out a low chuckle as Capri made her way down the aisle.
Her hair was thrown up again, and she was wearing a white blouse, black slacks, and white heels.
While she didn’t look anything like a bride, I was just grateful that she wasn’t wearing all black, possibly giving the priest a moment of doubt.
Leaving Perry and Father Daughtery at the altar, I met Capri halfway down the aisle, and while I was certain that she wanted to get this over with as soon as possible, we needed to have a little chat before we exchanged vows.
When she was finally standing in front of me, I said, “I’m going to ask you this only once, Capri. Are you certain that you know what you’re doing?”
Her head reared back in surprise. “Grew a conscience overnight, did you?”
“No,” I answered brutally. “I just want to make sure that you’re very aware of what you’re getting into. I gave you plenty of time to think it through, and if you’re here, I want it to be absolutely clear on why you’re here.”
Her blue eyes widened. “Plenty of time?” she echoed. “Are you serious?”
“Are you certain that you know what you’re doing?” I repeated, ignoring her incredulousness. “I will be married only once in this lifetime, Capri. So, I need you to be unequivocally sure when you go up there to say your vows.”
Though this wasn’t exactly a love match, my grandfather’s words about honor were ingrained in me just as familiarly as my own name.
I’d seen my father break his wedding vows plenty of times over the years, and I was determined not to be that man.
Yeah, love wasn’t in the picture right now, but I could promise Capri everything else.
I could promise to be true to her in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health, for better or worse, for richer or for poorer, and I could promise her that all the days of my life.
I could promise to honor her in a way that my parents had never honored one another, and all I needed was for her to give me back the same. Love could come later.
“I know what I’m doing,” she finally answered.
“I mean it, Capri,” I warned her. “I will be married only once. Understand that before you walk up there with me.”
Her brows furrowed in confusion. “Are you trying to talk me out of this?”
I immediately shook my head. “No. I just don’t want you, later on, acting like you weren’t aware of the rules.”
“What rules?”
“Divorce isn’t happening, Capri,” I told her. “Ever.”
Her blue eyes started to dart around with doubt, and while I wasn’t trying to push her away, I also wasn’t going to play this game with her later. If she was going to marry me, then she was going to do it while knowing exactly what she was getting into.
Finally, she said, “I know what I’m doing, Ares.”
I gave her a terse nod before reaching for her hand, linking her fingers in mine.
She didn’t say anything as we made our way towards the altar, and the priest had a kind smile on his face as Perry just smirked at me.
He was getting a really big kick out of this, and I could hardly blame him.
All in a matter of days, I’d gone from a confirmed bachelor to extorting a woman that couldn’t stand me into marrying me, and if the media only knew the truth.
Once we reached the altar, I made the introductions. “Capri, this is Father Daughtery, and this is my best friend and our witness, Perry Henderson.”
“I’m his only friend,” Perry quipped as he reached out to shake hands with Capri. “Once the shock wears off, my wife and I would love to have you both over for dinner.”
“Uhm, yeah...that...that sounds lovely,” she stammered, probably genuinely surprised that I really did have a close enough friend to be my witness.
“Are we ready, then?” Father Daughtery asked, his kind smile still in place.
Getting serious, Capri and I both turned to face the priest while Perry took a step back, standing where he’d been designated.
Since we weren’t doing this for show, I had instructed Father Daughtery to issue the traditional vows, and after a small piece on love, honor, and the sanctity of marriage, he finally got to the part where Capri would be binding her life to mine forever and vice versa.
I said my vows first, and when it was my bride’s turn, I thought that she was going to slit my throat when they got to the part about obeying me, which no one would fault her, especially in this day and age.
However, instead of spilling my blood on the church’s altar, she simply repeated the words, ready to break that vow the first chance that she got.
I fell in love with her just a little bit in that moment.
The exchanging of the rings had been uneventful, except for Perry’s theatrics at presenting the rings, playing both Best Man and ring bearer, and I really should have just paid some stranger off the street to do it.
Instead, Perry had handed over the rings like he’d been presenting Simba from The Lion King.
Nonetheless, my ring was secured on my finger now, and Capri’s rings were also safely secured on hers.
Grinning at both of us, Father Daughtery made the announcement that I’d been waiting to hear ever since the idea of marrying Capri Cohen had entered my mind. “I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss your bride.”
Taking Capri’s face in my hands, I leaned down, then finally fucking kissed her, and since she was going to be the only woman that I was ever going to kiss from now on, I deepened the kiss to make sure that she got the message.
She was my wife now, and archaic or not, she belonged to me, and I was going to worship her sweet body every fucking night for the rest of my life.
Her hands latched onto my arms as Perry cleared his throat behind us, reminding me that we were in a church, before a priest no less.
Pulling back, she looked a bit stunned, but she had also let my tongue inside her mouth, so I was taking that as another win, no matter the truth. However, before she could say or do anything, Father Daughtery was saving the day again.
“Miss, it seems as if you’ve forgotten to sign some documents,” he said. “Mr. Cormac explained how you’d been just too excited to think straight, so if you will follow me to the church’s offices, we can have everything signed right away.”
“Of course,” she replied evenly, even though she was probably furious as hell.
“Very well,” Father Daughtery remarked kindly before turning for us to follow.
“Is this legal?” Capri whispered as we trailed behind the priest.
“I donated enough to the church to make whatever we did here today legal,” I whispered back.
When we finally reached the church’s offices, Perry grinned as Father Daughtery instructed Capri on what to sign, and you’d never believe that she was a staunch businesswoman with the way that she was signing the paperwork without even looking at it.
Granted, she probably didn’t see the point, but it still surprised me.
Little did my wife know, there was no prenup in those documents that she was signing, so it was lucky for the both of us that she understood the assignment as she’d claimed.
I’d meant every word that I’d said to her before taking our vows, and she was in for a big surprise if she hadn’t taken me seriously.
“You’re a lucky man, Ares,” Perry said quietly as Capri and Father Daughtery made small talk. “The worst thing that a man can ever do is marry a stupid woman.”
He wasn’t wrong.
“How long do you think we’ll be able to keep this a secret?” I asked, already knowing the truth.
“I give it a couple of hours,” he replied honestly. “You’re too famous for it not to get out.”
I leaned my head back, then turned it, cracking the tension resting at the base. “That’s what I figured.”
“Congratulations,” he laughed, slapping me on the back just a little bit harder than necessary.