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“Don’t the Masons work with their hands? I can’t see a bunch of rich boys hanging out down here to carve symbols into the walls.”
“I take offense at that,” Sonny said with laughter in his tone.
“What?” I glanced over my shoulder at him. “When have any of you ever worked with your hands?”
“Please,” Sonny shot back. “I’ll show you just how good I am with my hands.”
“Stop flirting with my wife, Cormac,” Luca growled.
We stopped in front of double doors with tons of symbols on them. The temple was massive, with a high ceiling and decorated in lavish decor. Two thrones sat atop a dais at the far end of the room. At the center, there was a bed draped in black and red sheets.
Luca led me to our thrones and lifted a black robe from the back of his chair. The Knights headed to the right side, where they changed into similar black cloaks with hoods.
Luca pointed at the thrones. “Sit, my queen.”
I did as he instructed, and then he sat beside me with his hand on my thigh.
“How does this work?” I asked.
“I’ll guide you every step of the way.” Resting his elbow on the arm of the chair, he leaned over to speak in a hushed tone. “After we consummate our union, we will crown you queen.”
I couldn’t stop smiling.
“Does this make you happy?”
I nodded. “Never thought I’d get a coronation.”
Luca winked. “You get more than a crown, baby.”
After the Knights dressed in their ceremonial robes, they stood a few feet from the dais.
Luca tapped my thigh and whispered, “Follow my lead.”
I rose from the throne and stood at his side. His fingers brushed mine, so I took that as a sign he wanted me to hold his hand. We stopped in front of the Knights, dressed in black cloaks, their faces concealed by the hoods.
Luca had been tight-lipped about most of the ritual. He wanted me to experience everything with fresh eyes, with no expectations. But not knowing had only made me more nervous about how this night would unfold.
He moved in front of me and shoved my curls over my left shoulder, staring at me with a rare smile. He looked so handsome when he smiled. But how often did he do that? Maybe a little more now that we were officially together.
Luca dropped to one knee in front of me. “My queen.”
He raised my hand to his lips and kissed my skin, his eyes never leaving mine. A burst of heat rushed down my arm as Luca kissed my other hand.
It felt so good to be loved by him.
When he wasn’t playing games and lowered his guard, there was nothing more beautiful than this man kneeling before me. Luca rose to his full height. Then he slipped his finger beneath the thin strap over my shoulder. The left side of the dress fell to my belly button. White and nearly see-through, I felt anything but pure in this dress.
I stared at Luca with my heart hammering out of my chest. He stripped away my gown. The fabric gathered around my feet, and I kicked it aside. Even though I couldn’t see their faces, I could feel the Knights’ eyes on me, watching me with admiration.
Luca rubbed his thumb across my bottom lip before he turned to face them. “Knights, I present to you, Alexandrea Salvatore. Do you swear an oath to protect your queen, no matter the cost, from this day forth?”
“We swear an oath to you, Alexandrea Salvatore, our one true queen,” the Knights said in unison.
Luca turned to me. “And do you, Alexandrea, promise to follow the laws that govern The Devil’s Knights?”
I’d read most of the Charter the night before, but it was a thick tome. With the help of my guys, I got the basic gist of their rules, how the organization worked, and felt confident in agreeing to their terms.
“Yes,” I muttered.
