The CEO Above My Desk (Mckenzie Shinabery) novel Chapter 139

Chapter 139

Violet

The room is smaller than I expected.

No aisle. No flowers. No music.

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Just a rectangular space with pale walls, a single desk, a couple of chairs, and a woman behind that desk flipping through paperwork like she’s done this a thousand times-because she probably has.

There’s a faint hum from the fluorescent lights above us, the kind that makes everything feel a little too sharp, a little too real.

This isn’t romantic.

This isn’t magical.

This is… official.

Final.

Rowan’s hand stays at the small of my back the entire time.

Firm.

Grounding.

Unmoving.

Like if I try to step away, he’ll feel it immediately.

Devin steps forward first, already handling the logistics. His voice is low, efficient, as he slides documents across the desk,

answers questions before they’re fully asked. Theo stands off to the side, arms crossed, scanning the room like he expects something to go wrong. Camille lingers closer to me, her presence softer, quieter-but I can feel her watching me.

Checking.

Making sure I’m still here

“Names?” the clerk asks, barely glancing up.

“Rowan Ashcroft.”

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Chapter 139

That gets her attention.

Her pen pauses mid-stroke.

She looks up slowly, really looking at him now, recognition flickering across her face before she masks it.

“And the bride?”

My throat tightens.

“Violet Pierce.”

She writes it down, slower this time.

More deliberate.

There’s a pause as she flips the paperwork around, tapping the page lightly. “You’ll both sign here first. Witnesses will sign after.”

Devin steps in immediately, handing Rowan a pen.

Of course he does.

Rowan doesn’t hesitate. He signs like he signs everything-clean, controlled, final.

No second thoughts.

No pause.

Then the pen is in my hand.

It feels heavier than it should.

I stare at the line for a second longer than necessary.

Violet Pierce.

That name is about to change.

That thought hits harder than anything else so far.

Rowan’s thumb brushes lightly against my lower back.

A silent push.

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No ceremony.

Just this.

She looks at Rowan first.

“Rowan Ashcroft, do you take Violet Pierce to be your lawfully wedded wife?”

“Yes.”

Immediate.

Certain.

Then her gaze shifts to me.

“Violet Pierce, do you take Rowan Ashcroft to be your lawfully wedded husband?”

My heart pounds so hard it feels like it might give me away.

I look at him.

At the man who brought me here.

Who pulled me into this.

Who stands in front of me like there’s no other outcome.

And somehow-

That steadiness pulls me in.

“Yes.”

She nods once.

“Do you wish to exchange personal vows?” she asks.

Rowan speaks before I can even process the question.

“Yes.”

Of course he does.

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Chapter 139

Something tightens in my chest.

“Not because it’s easy. Not because it fixes things.” His jaw flexes slightly. “But because you can stand in the middle of everything that follows me… and not break.”

His hand lifts slowly.

Carefully.

Like even now, he’s aware of how much space he takes up.

His fingers brush against mine.

“You don’t run,” he says quieter now. “You don’t fold. You don’t pretend.”

His thumb presses lightly against my knuckle.

Grounding.

Claiming.

“And I want that,” he finishes. “I want you.”

Silence fills the room.

Heavy.

Thick.

The officiant clears her throat slightly. “Miss Pierce?”

My turn.

I swallow.

Because how do you respond to that?

To him?

“I don’t believe in this either,” I admit softly.

The corner of his mouth twitches slightly.

Of course I don’t.

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Chapter 139

“This isn’t how I imagined it,” I continue, my voice steadier than I feel. “This isn’t what I wanted.”

His gaze sharpens slightly.

Not offended.

Just… listening.

“But…”

I take a breath.

“I’m still here.”

Something shifts in his expression.

“I could’ve walked away,” I say. “I could’ve left. I could’ve said no.”

My fingers tighten slightly in his.

“But I didn’t.”

My voice lowers.

“I’m choosing you too.”

That lands.

Hard.

“Not because this is perfect,” I add. “But because for some reason… you make sense in all of this chaos.”

My throat tightens slightly.

“And I don’t know what that says about me.”

A flicker of something dangerous passes through his eyes.

Approval.

Possession.

“But I’m not going anywhere,” I finish quietly.

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The clerk nods once.

“That’s sufficient.”

She stamps the paperwork with a firm, final sound that echoes louder than it should in the quiet room.

“By the authority vested in me, you are now legally married.”

A pause.

Then, almost as an afterthought-

“You may kiss.”

Rowan doesn’t wait.

His hand comes up immediately, fingers wrapping around my jaw-not rough, but firm enough that I don’t mistake it for

anything gentle.

He tilts my face toward his, forcing my attention fully onto him.

On nothing else.

And then his mouth is on mine.

It’s not soft.

Not careful.

Not for show.

It’s possession.

His lips press against mine with controlled force, deliberate, claiming-not rushed, but not hesitant either. Like he’s taking

his time, but there’s nothing uncertain about it.

My breath catches instantly.

My hand lifts without thinking, pressing against his chest, feeling the solid heat of him beneath the suit.

He angles his head slightly, deepening the kiss just enough to make my knees weaken, his grip on my jaw tightening for a

fraction of a second before easing-like he’s reminding me exactly who he is, and then choosing not to overwhelm me with

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It’s grounding.

Overpowering.

Consuming.

There’s no audience in his mind.

No room.

No witnesses.

Just me.

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The CEO Above My Desk