by Lauren Runow
“What, no masks?” I tease, and they both laugh.
“Not today,” Logan says. “Follow us.”
We work our way through the gates that normally open to an empty field. To my surprise, a stage is set up in the middle of the field. People surround it on either end, waiting for whatever Sage has arranged.
Logan guides us through the swarm of bodies. Once we get to the stage, I see my guy sitting on the opposite side with a group of people. My breath catches in my throat as I drink him in. He looks so handsome and confident, so casual while he talks to the people around him like they are all his friends.
Logan whistles loudly and Sage turns, giving me the most shit-eating grin I’ve ever seen. Whatever is about to happen is big. My heart pounds with excitement.
He excuses himself from the group and walks across the stage to me. Holding out his hand, he silently asks me to join him. I turn to Jeannine who is ogling Logan. I laugh, knowing now what hottie she was talking about stopping by her house.
As Sage pulls me onto the stage, he hugs me tightly, whispering in my ear, “You ready?”
I chuckle. “Um, ready for what?”
“For change,” he says like it’s the most normal thing in the world.
I smile brightly as he pulls a microphone from his back pocket.
“Hello, Canterbury!” Sage yells into the microphone, getting everyone’s attention in a matter of seconds.
They scream their response, and he winks at me before turning back to them.
“I must say. I’m impressed you all showed up so quickly. I can’t thank you enough for coming out to support me on such short notice. You see. This had to be a bit of a surprise. I bet you’re wondering why, hmm?”
More screams fill the air, and I’m shocked to see him have such control over the large group.
“You all know that one day I’m going to be king, right?”
Everyone erupts with cheers, and he pulls the microphone to his heart, smiling at the crowd in awe.
“Well, if there’s one thing I want, it’s change. I’m sick of my family being out of touch and out of reality. I don’t want that anymore. I want to be involved and help the people of my country with more than just a photo op. And guess what?” He pauses again for dramatic effect, which he gets in waves of enthusiasm. “I’ve finally found my queen.” He holds his hand out to me, and I drop my head back in laughter at his dramatics. This man can be too much sometimes.
“There’s one issue though.” He pauses for more effect. “What you ask?” He holds up his finger like he has an idea coming. “My father doesn’t approve. Even though this beautiful, amazing woman meets all of the qualifications of this silly, royal rule we have to follow that my wife has to be born from a certain bloodline. Stupid, yes, but I guess it could be worse. I mean, guys, look at her. I can’t complain too much. But it’s not just her beauty”—he stares at me, holding out his hand to pull me closer—“she stole my heart, too.”
Hoots and hollers pierce the air and my eyes brim with tears when he leans in to kiss me tenderly before turning back to the crowd.
“So, you see, we kind of screwed up the last few weeks.” He rubs his hands through his hair before admitting, “A few times actually”—he chuckles to himself—“I’m here to say, I’m sorry. Yes, it was my fault the fire was started out at the stadium. I’m very thankful for Canterbury’s finest firefighters who were able to gain control before any real damage was done. I was trying to impress my future wife.” He stops mid-stride holding out his hand. “Gentlemen, this is your example of what not to do when trying to hook a female.” He smiles, winking at me while the crowd roars. “I will make that part right. I did the crime, I will do the time. I’m assigning myself one hundred hours of community service and will take whatever other punishment our fine judicial system works out for me. I will never hold myself above the law. I just tried to bend it here and there,” he jokes but corrects himself instantly, “Which was wrong, and I hope you all can forgive me.”
He holds his hand to his heart sincerely making all the girls swoon.
“Okay, back to the task at hand. For years, I searched for any loophole I could find in this archaic rule where I can’t marry who I choose. And not once did I think I would use all that time spent to actually help me marry within the bloodline. Yet, here I am. And I need your help.
“The law states that if I marry someone within the bloodline before my twenty-fifth birthday, I officially become king pupil”—he holds up his hands like he’s quoting what he just said—“I know, what the hell is that, right?” he quips, making everyone laugh with him.
“What that means is, I’m learning to be king, but I will hold forty percent of this land’s control. And yes, my father will hold sixty, so ultimately, he can say no to me marrying who I want, but,” he pauses for another dramatic effect holding up his hand again. “But, you all would have to agree with him and officially vote me out. And you wouldn’t do that, would you? Will you at least give me a chance and get to know me first? Would you allow me to prove my worth to be your king before you make any decisions?” He looks over the crowd, genuinely caring what everyone says.
When everyone screams, “Yes.” And, “We want change.” And, “You’ll be our king.”
He smiles brighter than I’ve ever seen and bows to them. He wants to be the people’s king, and this is his first step toward his goal.
“As my first step to win you over, I thought I would officially introduce you to my bride—hopefully your future queen—Miss Everly Stanley.”
The loud rumble coming from the crowd overtakes me. Sage wraps me in his arms, bends me backward, and kisses me for everyone to see. It’s hard to stop laughing through his lips, but this is all too much not to.
“There’s one more thing, though,” he says with a wink after he releases me and turns back to the people. “I have to marry her before my father goes to the court to banish me”—he holds his arm up to check at his watch for more dramatic effect—“which he said he would do an hour ago. But, they’re all eating right now and probably not going to meet until morning. So, how about we get married right now, with all of you as our witnesses.
“Oh, and there’s one small hurdle we still have to climb…” He gives me a shit-eating grin covering his face. “She has to say yes.”
I watch the crowd start to jump with joy, getting even louder than before. When I turn back to Sage, he’s down on one knee.
“Everly Stanley, would you make me the happiest king in training of this land by being my wife?”
I cover my mouth, wanting to cry, but I can’t stop smiling in disbelief at the spectacle he’s putting on. I nod my head, and he holds the microphone out for me to scream, “Yes!”
A clergyman approaches us as soon as the word leaves my mouth.
Sage whispers in my ear, “Thank God.” He kisses my head. “Are you okay with all of this?”
Tears well in my eyes as I kiss him and then say, “I’m more than okay. This is perfect.”
We stand, hand in hand, facing each other without a doubt in my mind that this is the best way to marry this crazy man that I’ve fallen hard for.
“Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to join this man and this woman in holy matrimony,” the priest starts.
Sage interrupts. “You can skip the next part, we all know someone does object so let’s just move along. It’s better to make this short and sweet.”
I laugh, and the people join in.
“Do you, Everly Stanley, take Sage Stevinson to be your lawfully wedded husband?”
“I do,” I say through tears running down my face.
“Do you, Sage Stevinson take Everly Stanley to be your lawfully wedded wife?”
“Hell yeah, I do,” he yells making the crowd holler again.
“By the power vested in me, by this wonderful country of Canterbury, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss your bride.”
Sage turns to me, engulfing me
in his arms and kisses me for the first time as his wife. I hear the roar of the crowd around us, but they quickly become muffled. All I feel is the love that’s grown strong for this man.
When he places me back on my feet, he touches his forehead to mine whispering, “You ready?”
I smile. What else could he possibly have up his sleeve? “Ready for what?”
“To be the change. You and me. We'll change this little country. For the better. Together.”
I can’t help myself when I kiss him again, embracing the happiest moment of my life.
21
Everly
We spent the rest of the day at The Range. Sage turned it into a party for all to celebrate our marriage together. As king, his goal is to be more for the people, and I’d say he’s doing a fine job of it so far.
Wrapped in his arms, I take in the opulent suite we stayed in and reality hits me.
I married him.
Soon-to-be King Sage Stevinson made me his wife, and without even thinking things through, I agreed.
Panic hits me, although not about marrying him, but about his dad. Am I going to be the girl who takes Sage away from his family? Can that even happen to a royal? My head hurts just thinking about it. My body tenses and my stomach turns, but before I can do anything Sage interrupts my thoughts.
“Stop worrying,” he whispers in a sleepy voice.
“How did you—”
“I can practically hear you starting to panic, and your stiff body was a dead giveaway.”
I take a slow breath, trying to calm my racing heart.
Sage rolls over me, brushing my hair out of my face. “Please don’t tell me you’re regretting marrying me?”
“Never.” I lightly kiss his lips. “But I’m worried about your dad. What happens now?”
His hand softly explores my face as he takes in his new view. He stares into my eyes, melting my insecurities away. “It doesn’t matter anymore. Marrying you was the first step toward becoming king. There’s nothing he can do now.”
“But I don’t want him to hate me.”
“He doesn’t hate you.” He touches his lips to mine.
“Don’t lie to me. I don't want to come between you and your family.”
“You won’t. Don’t worry. I won’t let anything bad happen. I married you, and I couldn’t be happier. This is what they wanted, and I got what I wanted. For. So. Damn. Long.”
He turns me over, pulling me on top of him.
“Is this why you married me?”
“So I can make love to you anytime I want? Yes.”
I laugh, and he swallows every breath as I get lost in the emotions that is King Sage Stevinson. The man I never wanted who’s now the man that will give me more than I ever need.
His fingers start to unbutton the dress shirt of his I have on, the only thing I slept in last night. Once it’s open, he moves to my shoulder where he slips it down my arm. When his lips follow his movements, shivers run down my spine. I don’t know if I’ll ever get used to the feeling of him touching me. I don’t know if I ever want to.
I drop my head back when his strong arm wraps around my waist and holds me tightly. His manly growl of desperation and lust fuel my fire even more. I do love this man, more than I ever thought I would.
I pull his pants down but he stops me short when he slips down my body, out of my reach. A frustrated sigh escapes my mouth, and I want to hit him when I hear his light chuckle as he kisses down my neck to my chest.
I plop my hands on the bed in protest. When he moves to just under my left breast, kissing the bottom and looking up at me, my nipple the only thing between our vision, I know I’m done for. I’ve never seen something as sexy as the smile on his face as he loves on my breast like it’s a treasure he’s just won.
“You’re sexy, but you know it,” I tease.
“You love me and I know it,” he bites back while leaning up to suck my nipple in his mouth.
When his tongue sweeps across the tight bud, electricity flies through my body, exploding in all the right areas. I run my fingers over his shoulders and down his arms, trying to remove his boxers again.
“You want me?” he playfully asks while switching to caress my other nipple.
“I married you didn't I? That should answer your question.”
He laughs lightly. “That you did. Mrs. Everly Stevinson.” He pulls back, staring into my eyes as he removes his boxers. “Damn that is the sexiest name I’ve ever heard.”
His lips crash into mine as he slides exactly where I want him. And he’s right, that is the sexiest name I’ve ever heard—and it’s mine.
“Time to face reality. Are you ready?” Sage asks as we enter the elevator from our suite.
“I don't really have a choice, do I?”
“You always have a choice.” Turning to me, he frames my face in his large hands and stares down into my eyes. “You need to know that. We answer to no one now. Got it?”
“Duly noted. So what’s your plan? You know your father’s pissed.”
“He’s been pissed at me my entire life. This is nothing new. The only difference is he can’t do anything about it now.”
A sharp laugh escapes my lips. “Why do I get the feeling that will make things worse?”
He chuckles under his breath. “Because it will, but that’s not our problem. First though, we talk to my mom. I want you to meet her on our terms. Without my dad around.”
The slight smile that tilts his lips when he talks about his mother melts my heart. “Your mom’s not like your dad, is she?”
“No, not at all. She goes along with him, but to me, she’s been my savior the last few years. She knew you were who I wanted to be with.”
I quirk a brow. “So I have more than just you on my side?”
“After yesterday, you have the entire country in your corner.”
He kisses the top of my head just as the elevator dings and the view of outside the hotel catches me off guard. Lining the streets and entryway are camera reporters from every news station in Canterbury.
I instantly turn my head to Sage in worry, and he stops, turning me to face him. “Don’t worry. They all just want a glimpse of their new queen.”
“I’m. No. I’m not—”
“But you will be. Someday. And I know they will love you just as much as I do. So take a deep breath and embrace it, remembering things will be different with us.”
His words calm me. He’s right. Whenever thoughts of marrying Sage crossed my mind in the past, I envisioned having to live the way they were portrayed in the media, but I don’t have to be like that.
Sage wants us to be different. He wants us to be like normal people in our community. Well, as normal as we can be, but he wants to work with the citizens of Canterbury to offer them opportunities they’ve never had.
That, I know I can do.
After taking a deep breath, I turn toward the sliding glass doors. Sage takes my hand in his, and we make our way to the waiting limo, as man and wife, future king and queen.
To my surprise, when I step into the limo, I’m briefly star-struck and flustered when I see Mya sitting there waiting for us.
“Oh, um, hi. I’m—”
Her arms reach out and embrace me in a big hug. “Of course I know who you are. Everly, it’s so nice to meet you. Sage has told me all about you. You two seem perfect for each other.”
I shift my eyes to meet his and show him a shy smile. “What can I say? He swept me off my feet.”
“Well, you can genuinely say he made sparks fly for you, too.”
I laugh out loud.
“You know that wasn’t on purpose,” Sage defends himself.
“Nothing you do is on purpose. That is, until Everly here,” she responds.
“How’s Mom?” Sage asks, more seriously.
“She’s tired of dealing with Dad after the stunt you pulled yesterday, I can tell you that. You’re lucky she loves you. If you put me through that shit I’d help
him banish your ass.”
I chuckle; both relieved and surprised to hear Mya talk this way. I can’t believe how wrong I was about this family. The stiff portrait they portray is much different than reality. Well, for Sage and his sister that is.
“When did they find out?” Sage asks.
“When breaking news came across every news station, radio station, Facebook, Twitter…you name it, they were talking about it.”
“People were talking about it that fast?” I ask in shock.
Her eyes narrow in surprise at me. “You married the country’s future king in an impromptu ceremony at The Range—in your jeans no less—of course everyone was all abuzz. What’s hilarious is there was a news station at the house because Dad was about to announce your upcoming nuptials to Marie. He didn’t think you’d actually follow through with anything and that you’d come back with your tail between your legs.”
Sage runs his hand down his face. “Was she there, too?”
“Yup. Everyone but you.” She shakes her head in disbelief. “What’s wrong with that woman? I pulled her aside and told her you didn’t love her, and she blew me off. She honestly didn’t care and said that as long as you kept your affair a secret from the media, she was fine with it.”
“She did not!” I exclaim.
“She did,” Sage says. “She told me the same thing when I tried to let her down easy.”
“Then what happened when the news broke?”
“Thankfully, the news station bailed faster than lightning, upset they were missing the big shot. Marie stormed off with her parents by her side, and Dad went on a rampage calling every person he could to try to stop it. You were smart making it happen right away.” Mya grabs my hand. “I’m sorry I missed it, but I’m really happy for you two. You nabbed an amazing man here, and I can’t wait to get to know you better.”
Sage leans over, kissing me softly and snuggling up closer.
I glance between Mya and Sage. “So what now?”
She laughs. “That’s up to him. I just wanted to meet you in peace before all hell broke loose.”
