Page 59 of Every Eligible Man

"Thirty-seven times in one ride."

Good. Let them talk. Let the whole kingdom talk. I'm marrying the three men who ruined me for everyone else, and I'm going to enjoy every second of it.

I reach the altar.

Three sets of eyes meet mine.

Ash's gaze is steady, possessive, promising. Slade's sparkles with mischief and hunger. Wreck's crinkles with barely contained chaos.

"Hi," I say.

"Hi," all three respond.

"Let's get married so we can fuck on this altar."

Father Bartholomew makes a sound like a dying animal.

"Perhaps," he manages, "we could begin with the traditional vows?"

The vows are not traditional.

"Dearly beloved," Father Bartholomew begins, voice cracking, "we are gathered here today to witness the union of Lady Cinder, First of Her Name, to... these three... men."

"We have names," Wreck says helpfully.

"I'm aware."

"Just checking."

Gerald chitters from Wreck's shoulder. Father Bartholomew flinches.

"The, ah, the couple, couples? have chosen to write their own vows." He looks at me with the expression of a man walking to his execution. "Lady Cinder, you may begin."

I turn to face my three grooms.

Gods, they're beautiful. Even in formal clothes, especially in formal clothes, they look like trouble wrapped in velvet. Three different flavors of exactly what I need.

"When I was a girl," I begin, "I was told I'd marry a prince. One prince. A boring, adequate prince who would give me boring, adequate heirs and a boring, adequate life."

I let my gaze travel from Ash to Slade to Wreck.

"Instead, I'm marrying three farmhands who crashed my ball, fucked me until I saw colors, and then fled into the night in a disintegrating carriage." I smile. "Best decision I ever made."

The congregation murmurs. I ignore them.

"Ash. You're the one who looks at me like I'm something to be conquered, and then conquers me so thoroughly I forget my own name. You're steady and strong and occasionally terrifying, and I love every massive inch of you."

Ash's jaw tightens. His eyes burn.

"Slade. You're the one who notices everything, every shiver, every gasp, every secret thing I didn't know I wanted. You're clever and wicked and entirely too pretty, and I love the way you take me apart."

Slade's smile sharpens. His fingers twitch toward me.

"Wreck. You're chaos in human form, and being with you is like riding a hurricane, terrifying and exhilarating and impossible to predict. You make me laugh, you make me scream, and you have the best ferrets I've ever met."

Gerald chitters proudly.

"I vow to love all three of you. To keep all three of you. To never choose between you because I am greedy and insatiable and you've ruined me for anyone else." I reach out and take Ash's hand, then Slade's, then Wreck's. "I vow to let you worship me and wreck me in equal measure, for the rest of our lives."