Love In Contract | Taekook

Chapter 25

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TAEHYUNG'S POV

"Would you quit it?"
Namjoon's shoulders droop. "I'm just trying to lighten the mood here."
Jungkook pats him on the shoulder. "Read the room, dude."
He's been singing, "Chapel of Love," by The Dixie Cups, "Let's GetMarried," by Jagged Edge, and Prince's, "Let's Pretend We're Married" since we got to the courthouse. But this isn't a happy moment. We aren't two lovers about to pledge our lifelong love to each other.

A beautiful man wearing my mother's ring sits beside me, yet everything about this moment is all wrong. This day is only a reminder of the piece of shit my grandfather is, forcing me to make an insane decision to marry someone in order to keep my parents' villa. I don't mean to take out my frustration on Namjoon. He's doing me a favor by being our witness today. Still, I can't shake this awful mood I'm in. It doesn't help that people are snapping pictures and asking for autographs, no doubt posting the news of our marriage for all the world to see.

Anxiety sits heavy on my chest, constricting my throat, and the tremor in my hands has me pushing out of the chair. "I'll be right back."
I head to the bathroom and splash some cold water on my face. I brace
my hands on the counter, and let my head hang down between my shoulders as I breathe in.
One, two, three, four.
Out through my lips.
One, two, three, four, five, six, seven.

I jump at a gentle touch along my back. "You're okay, Tiger. Just keep breathing." I lift my head to meet Jungkook's concerned gaze in the mirror. "I'm sorry I-"
"Don't apologize." His palm makes small circles between my shoulder
blades. "I know this is a weird day, but remind yourself why we're doing this. We're taking control. You hold the power, and you hold the key to your parents' villa."
He's right. I'm in control. Not my grandfather.

I turn around to face him, and brush my knuckles against his cheek.
"You look beautiful, by the way."
He glances down at his cream-colored sweater dress. "I had to buy something for the occasion. I didn't realize how many black clothes I
owned until I had to find something white to wear."

"You look stunning in any color." I drop my hand from his face,
resisting the urge to pull him in for a kiss. Something I've been having a difficult time doing since we got back
from Greece. I knew he was going to sneak off and look for that video I posted on Kourtney's website. But I didn't expect to walk in on him touching himself while he watched it. Catching him with his fingers in his panties, the heated flush on his cheeks, the look of lust in his eyes..my restraint snapped. We crossed a line that night, yet I can't find it in myself to regret it.

The image of his completely naked in front of me with his ankles on my
shoulders while he rubbed my cum on his pussy-how could I ever regret that? It's like the rational part of my brain shut down, and now that I've
gotten a taste of him, I only want more. I shake the memory from my mind so I don't give myself a raging hard- on before we stand before the judge.

"I was thinking, since it's not too cold
out today, maybe I can take you riding before I have to get Harin from
school."

He waggles his eyebrows. "And I was thinking we could consummate our marriage."

I huff out a laugh and shake my head. "You're relentless."

"But it made you laugh." He grins. "Sure, I'd love to take a ride-on
the bike, but to be clear, I'm down to ride you as well."

My shoulders shake with my laughter. "Come on, spitfire." I swat him on the ass. "Let's go make an honest man out of you." When it's our turn in the courtroom, we face each other, hold hands, and recite the vows to make this arrangement legal.
To have and to hold.
From this day forward.
For better or worse.
For richer, for poorer.
In sickness and in health.
To love and to cherish.
Until death do us part.
They're generic vows, yet they wrap around my heart when I say them
as I look into Jungkook's big brown eyes. What's more is the earnest way he looks at me when it's his turn to repeat after the judge. I know this is fake for him, a means to getting one-hundred-thousand-dollars deposited in his bank account. But for the mere seconds he holds my gaze and promises to love and cherish me, I let myself believe that he means it.