by HJ Welch
Gabe smiled sympathetically at Ashby. “Sorry,” he said, his gaze flicking to the other two on the bed. “It’s just, well, Joey and I must have mistaken your body language earlier. You seemed very coupley.”
“I’ve known TJ for almost three years now,” Elion said. He still had his arm around Ashby’s back. It was comforting. “And Levi’s right. He doesn’t really make new guy friends. Not one he would bring to a wedding if there wasn’t something romantic lurking there. I’m sure of it.”
“He’d just fly solo and force everyone to drink tequila until they couldn’t feel their legs anymore,” Levi said dryly, then sipped his Champagne. “Ask me how I know.”
“Yeah, we were putting pressure on him to bring a date to this wedding,” Gabe explained. “But that was because we thought he was hiding someone special from us.”
Elion squeezed Ashby’s arm again and wiggled his eyebrows at him.
But Ashby shook his head. “We only met this week,” he said again. “And if it weren’t for the whole Kiefer business, he would have just come alone. Like you said.” He toyed with the hem of his T-shirt. “I’m not special.” He tried to laugh, but it came out a little sad.
Elion scoffed and looked Ashby dead in the eye. “You seem absolutely charming to me.”
Gabe smiled and even blushed a little. “That accent,” he said, shaking his head.
“You’re a regular James Bond,” Levi agreed.
It was Ashby’s turn to scoff. “More like Miss Moneypenny,” he said. He figured a joke might make Trent’s friends less intense. And they did all laugh. But Elion still had his arm around Ashby.
“Maybe Miss Moneypenny is his type,” he said gently. “TJ is helpless to a beautiful face. But…well, it’s unusual for him to introduce someone to his best friends. Practically unheard of.”
“Just think about it, Moneypenny,” Gabe added with a wink.
A knock at the door brought the conversation to a close. Ashby didn’t mind. He had a lot to think about.
He was introduced to the two bridesmaids. Blake’s younger sister Jodi, who was on a baseball scholarship at university, and Devon, who used to work with Elion. Technically, Jodi was Blake’s bridesmaid (or ‘groomsbitch’ as Jodi had dubbed them) but she didn’t fancy hanging with her brother. “You know what those guys are like when they get the band back together,” she said with an eyeroll.
They had returned with enough Champagne to keep all of them entertained until the early hours of the morning. They laughed and drank and listened to music while making Elion answer all sorts of invasive questions about his and Blake’s sex life. Jodi stuck her fingers in her ears and squealed at some of the more salacious details.
By the time Ashby headed back to his room, his stomach and face ached from so much laughing. But he had successfully distracted himself from overthinking everything the guys had said to him. Until now.
Could he really have a shot with Trent?
He eased the door open into their darkened room as quietly as he could. But he was immediately disappointed to see that Trent had made a bed on the sofa, just like he had said he would. He was also fast asleep. So much for a mutual drunken fumble like Ashby had fantasized many times about, inhibitions thrown to the wind.
Ashby shook his head. It was probably for the best. He was dreaming if he let those guys convince him there was anything romantic going on between them. Better not to raise his hopes up again.
It was a while before he got to sleep, knowing Trent was so close by.
18
Trent
Trent impressed himself by managing to deflect Joey’s probing questions for most of the night before the wedding. Sure, Joey had pulled out the puppy dog eyes several times and asked a few leading questions about Ashby. But Trent wasn’t Gabe. He didn’t have to give in to that sort of act to make sure he kept getting sex.
So he brushed Joey off as nicely as he could each time, usually by buying more drinks from the bar for them, Raiden and the groom-to-be, Blake. Being a fulltime dancer, Blake wasn’t used to so much booze and Trent was aware he was playing with fire the night before the big day. But at the time, it seemed better than indulging Joey and his all-knowing glances.
Trent already felt enough of a dick for not reciprocating Ashby’s feelings. He didn’t need Joey acting like they were on the verge of true love or some shit. Yeah, Trent really liked the guy. It was strange how much his thoughts were preoccupied by Ashby. But that was just because he wasn’t used to clicking with new friends.
Besides, even if he did feel like he could experiment with another guy, that guy couldn’t be Ashby. Trent would hate to abuse his trust like that. So what if he had indulged in one…or two private sessions with his cock and his hand with Ashby in mind. It was just a weird thing, it would pass.
When Trent woke up with a mild hangover the next morning he did feel a twinge of guilt that the other guys must be feeling ten times as bad. They didn’t have his stamina. But then he heard Ashby whimpering from the bed and it drew his full attention. “Heavy night?” Trent asked, sitting up and grinning over at Ashby curled up in bed.
“I can’t even blame the altitude this time,” Ashby cried, covering his face. He was cute when he got all dramatic.
Trent chuckled and threw off his blankets, heading for the phone. He realized belatedly that he was only wearing his boxer-briefs. But Ashby had seen most of it before in the sauna, and Trent had definitely seen more of Ashby at the pool. So he dismissed any inhibitions he might have had.
“Yeah,” he said once the operator picked up. “Could I order some room service?”
He felt Ashby watching him as he ordered half the menu. His pale pink mouth was hanging slightly open and he glanced away every time Trent looked in his direction. It was getting kind of tense, so the next time Trent caught his eye, he winked, hoping to turn the mood silly. As he hoped, Ashby grinned and rolled his eyes, like it was no big deal.
While they waited for their food, Trent jumped in the shower. He was going to be getting ready in Blake’s room with Joey and Raiden, so Ashby would have plenty of time to get ready once he was gone. Trent sat in a robe as they devoured pastries and fruit and pancakes, washing it all down with tea and coffee. Ashby seemed strangely touched that Trent remembered he didn’t drink coffee, but it was just manners.
Ashby chatted away about his night before, recounting several funny stories. It made Trent pleased to think of him getting along with his friends. From the sounds of it, those guys hadn’t given him the same grilling Joey had tried to give Trent. He was glad. He didn’t want Ashby feeling awkward.
“So, I’ll see you soon,” he said as he paused at their door. “You okay heading down alone?”
Ashby gave him a beaming smile. “Oh, no. I’m meeting Gabe and the others first. They’re being so kind in looking after me.”
Trent winked and touched Ashby’s elbow through his robe. “They probably just like you, man. You’re an easy guy to like.”
Ashby blinked owlishly at him and swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing.
Trent realized his words could be seen as maybe a little misleading. But only if he got awkward. So he grinned and shrugged. “Bet you I look the prettiest when we get down there,” he said.
Ashby scoffed, all tension gone. “I think not, sir,” he said, affronted. “I’ll be so pretty no one will even notice the grooms.”
“Is that so?” Trent asked, arching an eyebrow. “Okay, loser buys the other a drink.”
“Who’ll decide?” Ashby asked impishly.
“We’ll take a vote,” Trent promised.
It was the natural point at which to break off the conversation and head out the door. But a wild impulse took over Trent.
He wanted to lean over and kiss Ashby on the cheek.
Nothing ravishing. It just struck him as the obvious way to say goodbye. Instead, he cleared his throat and reached for the door, pulling it open. “I’ll, um, catch you down there, then,” he grunted
.
He was out the door before he could gauge if Ashby had noticed him being so fucking weird. What the hell? He was taking advantage of Ashby’s crush and it needed to stop.
He muttered to himself the whole way to Blake’s room. He was a piece of shit friend who needed to keep his cock in check. He was too old to be a slave to his fucking hormones.
Blake’s room was a riot as soon as Trent stepped inside. Blake’s mom was already there, a slim, perfectly polished woman who was determined to inflict her beauty standards on everyone in the room. She was dressed head to toe in lavender and wore an enormous flowered hat on her blonde hair, even though the ceremony wasn’t due to start for another two hours. Wherever she moved, it became a risk to the eyes and throats of whoever was next to her.
As soon as Trent closed the door, Mrs. Jackson bustled over. Joey ducked to avoid the killer hat as he fussed with his cravat.
“TJ, there you are,” she cried breathlessly, like he was late. He was actually a few minutes early. “Quick, here’s your suit. We haven’t got much time.”
Trent met Blake’s gaze before Blake looked at the ceiling and muttered something under his breath.
As Trent moved his way further into the room, he greeted Joey and Raiden. The groomsbitches, Jodi and Devon, were getting ready in Devon’s room. Trent wouldn’t have been surprised if Jodi had locked the door on her mom so they could get some peace. Blake had no such luck. His mom was already attacking the blond hair he’d inherited from her with several different products.
“How do you feel about using straighteners, dear?” she asked.
“Mom,” he growled.
But she merely tutted. “There won’t be just our usual camera crew today, hon,” she said, like this was normal. “There are the people from Us Weekly and several blogs. You have to impress them!”
He batted her hand away but managed to accompany the action with a smile. “The only person I want to impress is Elion,” he said patiently.
His mom just hummed and started rolling a fruity-scented wax paste between her fingers.
Trent sighed and kicked off his sneakers. He’d been trying to forget that there would be camera crews capturing the whole ceremony on film. Blake had promised them they would be shooed away after the first dance, but knowing Blake’s mom, Trent wouldn’t be surprised if they stuck around until the bitter end, invited or not.
He was stuck wondering how much attention he should pay to Ashby. They were friends, and he was Trent’s plus one, so he wasn’t going to ignore him. But did he want to make it obvious to anyone watching that they were supposed to be more?
That was how Elion and Blake had gotten together, after all. Faking it for the cameras.
And now they were getting married.
No, no. Ashby was not Elion. Trent was not Blake. He would just be friendly, and if that shithead Kiefer saw and wasn’t convinced, Trent could calmly explain that Ashby was wary of public displays of affection. Not that it was any of Kiefer’s business. Ashby should just be able to say no because he wasn’t interested, not because he wasn’t available. Trent felt he wouldn’t need much prompting to explain that properly to Kiefer.
“So. How’s your not-boyfriend this morning?”
Trent looked over to see Raiden had slunk up next to him while he fiddled with his cufflinks. He looked from his wrists back over at Trent with an expression of pure innocence. He was almost as tall as Trent but about half the size. He knew full well that Trent could beat the crap out of him if he felt like it.
“If you’re talking about Ashby,” Trent said curtly, “he was a little worse for wear. He’s not a fucking ox like your partner. They could have encouraged him to drink some water.”
Raiden’s dark eyebrows rose under the black bangs that swept across his forehead. “Maybe he needed his big, bad not-boyfriend to come look after him?”
He had a devilish look in his eyes. Trent’s stomach dropped and he tried not to feel sick. He was glad there was music playing from a laptop, so at least the others couldn’t hear. “Did…did Ashby say I was his boyfriend?” he asked.
Raiden grinned, finally sorting his first cufflink, then moving to the second one. “No, the opposite apparently. Levi said he was a great guy who kept defending you and your straightness.”
Trent’s panic lessened. What had he really been worrying about? That Ashby was lying, pretending there was something more about them? Or that he was so heartbroken he had made their fake relationship sound real to indulge himself for a minute?
Trent ground his teeth. “Why are you calling him my boyfriend then?” he asked, going back to his shirt buttons.
“I said not-boyfriend,” Raiden corrected. “Wasn’t that who Joey was trying to talk to you about last night, too?”
Damn. Trent had hoped he’d kept that from the others. “We’re just friends,” he said, sick of repeating himself. “Just leave it.”
Raiden cocked an eyebrow. “Like you ‘left it’ with Levi and me?”
He had a point. Trent had sensed that eye fucking from a mile off. “That was different,” he pointed out. He had just been helping Raiden to help himself. He and Levi had already slept together a couple of time by then. It wasn’t like that with Ashby.
But Raiden’s expression turned sincere. He leaned in and looked at Trent with those beautiful dark eyes of his. “Take it from someone who knows,” he murmured. “It’s okay to take a chance. Life’s too short to live in a box.”
Before Trent could say anything, Raiden moved aside and the conversation turned to plans for the rest of the day. Elion had taken care of most of it, but Blake was starting to show signs of nerves. He had to stand up and go through with everything in front of everyone. Worse, in front of the cameras.
Trent was reminded that this day wasn’t about him and Ashby. It was about Blake and Elion.
The first chance he got, he pulled Blake to one side. “Are you okay, man?” he asked. Someone had to ask. Getting married was a big fucking deal. “You still want to go through with this?”
Blake looked startled. “Oh, sure,” he said a little breathlessly. “No, I’m not having second thoughts,” he added earnestly. “I just want this to be absolutely perfect for Elion.”
Trent smiled, relieved, then wrapped his arms around his friend. “It’s going to be fucking awesome,” he promised.
Blake nodded into his neck, then pulled back to look at him and the other guys. His mom was hovering, admiring her handiwork. “Let’s do this,” Blake said.
19
Trent
Trent lost the bet.
As soon as he looked out into the crowd of people and saw Ashby seated with Gabe and Levi, he had no doubt.
Ashby looked fucking gorgeous.
His suit was a shade of grey that suited his teal eyes and blond hair perfectly. Even more striking was the perfect shade of pink on his tie that he’d picked to match the wedding’s color scheme immaculately. Even from where they were standing by the gazebo, Trent could see he had done some kind of clever, elaborate knot on the tie. His thick hair was tousled just right and he was smiling and chatting with whoever turned his way. He was like a people magnet, charming men and women alike.
Trent’s chest tightened. If he wanted, Ashby could go back to the room of anyone who was interested. He didn’t owe Trent anything. He was beautiful and single and any one of these guys here today would be lucky to get to know him better.
Trent tried telling himself that would be a bad idea on camera, just in case their little ruse was blown open. But who was he kidding? He just didn’t like the idea of someone taking Ashby away from him.
What kind of asshole was he? He didn’t want Ashby, but no one else could have him?
It’s okay to take a chance.
Raiden’s words rolled around in his head all throughout the ceremony. But Trent wasn’t just taking a chance for himself. He would be playing with Ashby’s heart. He couldn’t do that to him.
Like Blake hadn’t
wanted to hurt Elion? How did Trent know this wasn’t the start of a real relationship that he was too afraid to take the first step with? What if he liked being with Ashby? They were already friends despite the odds. What if the physical intimacy was just as good? Not for the first time Trent reminded himself that he had done almost everything he could imagine with the various women he had been with. Why wouldn’t he find pleasure from Ashby’s touch?
He shivered and turned back to Blake and Elion taking their vows. Elion was a grinning, weeping mess who kept making the audience laugh with his comedic timing on the vows. When the time came to ask if anyone objected to the union, he glowered to the audience earning his biggest laugh yet. Trent noticed Blake’s homophobic dad was the only one scowling.
Trent bit his lip. Was he so afraid of his sexuality he was going to let an amazing guy like Ashby pass him by? Did that make him just as bad as Mr. Jackson?
The remainder of the ceremony passed in something of a blur, as did the rest of the afternoon. Everyone cheered as Blake and Elion were declared husbands. The photographer took a million pictures of the wedding party under Mrs. Jackson’s strict supervision and with the reporters roaming like buzzards. Trent eyed them suspiciously. He was rather proud of himself for not punching a single one of them.
Elion’s mom, Mrs. Rodriguez, spent the entire shoot moving effortlessly between all the guests making sure none of them went a single minute without a full glass or tray of canapés within reach. “My beautiful boy,” she kept declaring, wiping her eyes and drinking her own fair share of Champagne.
The food was very good, served to half a dozen tables standing on the grass by the colonial house. The weather was just right. Warm but not so hot or sunny as to make them uncomfortable. Trent was very aware of sitting next to Ashby the whole time. But where Trent became tongue-tied, as was usual when he had too much on his mind, Ashby held court, regaling the other guests they were seated alongside with tales of growing up in Singapore and England. Everyone commented on how lovely his accent was. Trent felt proud of him.