“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.”
An excited shiver ran through me because I remembered just how good he was last year.
“Looking forward to it,” I said with a wink.
“Stop flirting with my wife, Cormac,” Luca growled.
“She’s ours for the night, Salvatore.”
“C’mon, boys,” I taunted. “No fighting over your queen.”
We stopped in front of double doors with tons of markings 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 table draped in black and red silk sheets.
I walked into the room with Luca, who led me to our thrones. Luca lifted a black robe from the back of his chair and slipped it over his head. The Knights headed to the right side, where they changed into similar black cloaks with hoods.
Luca pointed at the golden thrones. “Sit, my queen.”
I did as he instructed, and then he sat beside me with his hand rested on my thigh.
“How does this work?” I asked. “Same as last time?”
“Yes,” he confirmed. “I’ll guide you every step of the way. And after we consummate our bond with the Knights, we will crown you queen.”
I smiled.
Luca lifted an eyebrow. “Does that make you happy?”
I nodded. “Never thought I’d get a coronation.”
“You get more than a crown, baby.”
After the Knights dressed in their ceremonial robes, they stood in front of 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. And he did.
We stopped in front of the Knights. Dressed in black cloaks, they kept their faces concealed by the hoods. Though, I could have told them apart by their scents.
I knew my Knights.
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.
Luca released my hand and moved in front of me. He 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.
“My queen,” Luca said as he dropped to his knee in front of me.
He raised my hand to his lips and kissed my skin, his eyes never leaving mine. My eyes flicked to the Knights standing behind him, wondering when they would join in his praise. A burst of heat rushed down my arms 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. His eyes were so blue and intense, but dark clouds swam through them. He looked like he wanted to fuck me, then kill me.
Luca 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 Knight’s eyes on me, watching me with admiration.
Luca rubbed his thumb across my bottom lip before he turned to face the men. “Knights, I present to you, Alexandrea Wellington, your one true Queen. Do you swear an oath to protect your queen, no matter the cost, from this day forth?”
“We swear an oath to you, Alexandrea Wellington, 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?”
“Yes,” I muttered.
“As our Queen, will you aid The Devil’s Knights in carrying out the laws outlined in the Charter?”
I lowered my head to him. “Yes.”
Luca moved toward a table at the center of the room and lifted a knife. He sliced his finger, and let his blood drip into the basin. I moved to his side and grabbed the knife, repeating the process.
I passed the blade to the Knight closest to me. The robe covered his face, but I could tell by his scent that it was Marcello. He always smelled like the sea and fresh linen. Clean, perfect, nothing ever out of place.
The Knights passed around the knife.
“What binds us will destroy us,” Luca said.