Page 229 of The Fire We Make

He didn’t wait for the pastor's prompting before scooping her into his arms, dipping her, and claiming her lips.

Ace held Joy close, breathing in her scent and savoring the feel of her against him.

He was sure God wasn’t listening to a man like him but he sent up a prayer of thanks anyway, feeling like the luckiest motherfucker alive that this woman was his for an eternity.

“I love you,” he whispered into her curls as they swayed. He’d told her a thousand times that day alone but he couldn’t seem to stop. Each time the feeling welled in him, the feeling he thought he’d never experienced, he let the words flow freely.

In addition to the vows they’d said at the altar, Ace vowed to tell Joy he loved her as many times as he could. He vowed to never let a day or moment pass without ensuring she knew just how much.

She lifted her head from where it rested on his shoulder and smiled. “I love you too.”

Ace grinned, then leaned down. Joy met him halfway, lifting to seal their lips in their hundredth kiss that day.

“I can’t wait to get you out of this dress,” he growled against her lips, his hands tracing her curves over the ivory fabric.

“Neither can I,” Joy whispered.

“Them panties soaked for me, huh?”

A mischievous grin spread across her face and a wicked glint lit her eyes. “They would be… If I was wearing any.”

A hungry growl rumbled in Ace’s chest and he was three seconds from dragging her to the nearest room to see for himself when a throat cleared beside them.

“Excuse me.”

Ace dropped his forehead to Joy’s. “Go away,” he grunted without looking up to put a face to the voice. “Don’t you see me dancing with my wife?”

Joy giggled in his arms, gripping onto him tighter.

“I hate to interrupt, but you’re gonna want to hear what I have to say. This is important. Very important,” the voice stressed.

Ace huffed and stood up straight. “It damn well better be,” he said, finally turning to the man.

Vincent Price stood before them in a suit that was too nice to have been paid for with his government salary alone.

“What is it?” Ace asked.

“Is there somewhere we can speak privately?” Vincent asked, looking around the crowded ballroom.

“My bridal suite should be empty,” Joy answered, unwinding herself from Ace and standing at attention.

Vincent flicked his eyes to Joy then Ace, a silent question in his eyes.

“Whatever you need to say can be said in front of her,” Ace assured him. They’d stuck to their vow of no secrets. Joy was as much his partner as she was his wife now—the queen of two kingdoms.

Vincent nodded with a grin. Joy took Ace’s hand as they slipped out of the reception and into the hallway with Vincent following closely behind.

Once the door to the bridal suite shut behind them, engulfing them in a concoction of sweet smelling perfumes and hair spray, Vincent faced them.

He eyed Ace and Joy with a small grin, his eyes falling to their interlocked hands.

Ace huffed but couldn't help but grin too. “Get on with it, Price.”

Vincent chuckled before he sobered. “You have a problem with law enforcement,” he said.

“We handled that,” Ace said, putting his hands in his pockets.

“No, not local law enforcement. The issues you had last year put a target on your backs. Well, a bigger one. DA Elliot Young wasn’t happy about the way you slipped through the cracks. He’s been petitioning lawmakers on the state level and even up in DC to get involved. He’s heavily backing new legislation that would put your family and all of the Council families at risk.”