Forty years. An eternity. Cole tried to tune out the old man’s reminiscences. Dreams were all he had, dreams of sharing and loving the right person, dreams that would never come true. He couldn’t allow them to come true or the wrong people would get hurt.

Quickly he scanned the rings displayed in front of them. One caught his eye, and he plucked it from the black velvet. The setting was old, ornate, with a small diamond nestled in the fine scrolling. It reminded Cole of lasting love, of deep abiding faith in one’s mate. The fact that the ring was in a pawn shop mocked him, but he shoved the idea aside.

“We’ll take this one if that’s okay with you, honey.”

Darci looked up at him with shining eyes. “It’s beautiful… perfect.”

The clerk took Cole’s check, then beamed at them. “Take her outside and put it on her finger. Then you can kiss her properly to seal the deal.” He winked at them. “Enjoy your wedding night, folks.” Discreetly, he turned away to dust another counter.

Cole led Darci outside, then stopped and took her left hand into his. Slowly, he slipped the ring on and wasn’t overly surprised when it fit perfectly. He had known the ring belonged on Darci’s hand the moment he’d seen it.

With the proof of his vows safely on her finger, he pulled her into his arms for another kiss. He knew better, knew he was tempting fate, playing with a fire that could easily burn out of his control, but he needed to drink from her vitality just once more.

Desire went through him like a flash fire, burning away his common sense. He deepened the kiss, needing to feel her pressed against him, wanting to torment himself with a desire that would go unfulfilled. Their tongues met, melded, and he had a sudden sense of coming home.

When he finally pulled away, she sighed and nestled her head against his chest. “Cole?”

“Yes?” His fingers tangled in her hair, clutching at something he knew he couldn’t have, while he struggled to slow his breathing.

“How long do we stay married? How long does it last?” Her voice was a bare thread of sound.

He closed his eyes as the despair washed over him again. He had no choice; all roads had been blocked except this one. The only option was to take it and see where it led while trying not to hurt Darci. “As long as we need to, honey. Trust me, we’ll work it out.”

The words seemed to echo around him. He’d said them over and over, to her and to himself. But deep down he wasn’t certain he could be trusted. He no longer understood his own motives.