by Lane Hayes
“I want you now. Please, Matty,” he whimpered.
I released my hold and smacked his ass hard enough to leave a handprint. “Bed.”
Aaron nodded and hurried across the room. He shoved the duvet aside and scrambled onto the king-sized mattress. I moved to the nightstand and reached for the lube. The bottle was almost empty. I turned it upside down, then shook and squeezed it manically. I pulled open the top drawer and swore.
“What’s wrong?”
“We’re out of lube,” I said. “I must have put the new one on my side of the bed. Stay there. Don’t move, baby.”
“No. You left it in the shower this morning when we—oh, fuck. I can’t wait. Just do it,” he pleaded as he threaded his arm between his thighs to tap his hole.
“I’ll go slow.”
“I don’t want slow. I want you to fuck me.”
I gulped and gripped my cock at the base, hoping to stave off the urge to plunge inside him. I smeared the meager bit of lube on myself and ran my fingers gently across his hole. I inched closer in a daze and pulled his cheeks apart, studying him for a moment. Damn, he was perfect. Just touching him felt amazing and knowing how incredible he tasted and—
I bent to rub my stubbled chin against his ass, then I licked his entrance and pushed my tongue inside him. Aaron cried out and clutched the sheets. He chanted my name as he lowered himself to his elbows and stroked his rigid prick. His wanton need spurred me on. I licked him over and over, running my hands down his thighs haphazardly as I flattened my tongue over his sweet hole.
“Oh Matty, I think I’m gonna come,” he grunted.
“No.” I straightened immediately and smacked his ass again. “On your back.”
Aaron flipped over and spread his legs wide so fast, it might have been funny at any other time. Not now.
I pulled him to the edge of the mattress, then set my cock at his hole and pushed my way inside my lover. I went completely still to give him a moment to adjust to my girth. When he tilted his hips, I got the message it was time to move. I held his ankles, pausing to press a kiss on his foot. I eased almost all the way out before surging forward until my balls rested against his ass. Aaron hooked his hand around the back of my neck and pulled me on top of him. He drove his tongue into my mouth and dug his heels into my ass, silently requesting me to speed it up.
“Tell me what you want, baby.”
He sucked my bottom lip as he slipped his hand between us to grip himself. “Harder.”
I licked his lips and shook my head. “Harder, what?”
Aaron whimpered. “Matty.”
“Tell me. Do you want me to pinch your nipples? Or spank you or—”
“Fuck me!”
I gathered him against me and pushed him to the middle of the mattress, then let my hips fly. I moved like thunder, losing myself in the steady push and pull as the tempo accelerated to near combustible. Aaron clasped his legs around me and held on for dear life. I could feel his hand moving between us…faster and faster. His breath quickened. His grip faltered, and his eyes took on a glassy look I recognized well.
“Come for me, baby. I’ve got you,” I whispered, pumping my hips and sinking deeper inside him with every thrust.
“I’m—oh fuck, yes.” He fell apart a moment later. He squeezed his eyes shut, then trembled like mad as cum spurted between us.
I didn’t stop moving, but I slowed instinctively. I had to watch him. He was so beautiful. Unguarded, free, and completely unfettered. When he opened his eyes again, I was overcome with a feeling I couldn’t name. Maybe that was a strange sentiment, but it was true. One second we were simply moving toward a shared orgasm and the next, I was staring at the other half of me. Separate yet whole. Connected somewhere beyond a physical state.
I brushed the hair from his forehead as I hovered above him. I breathed him in as I rocked my hips. I was utterly in awe of…us. We were so much more than we ever set out to be. My timing might not be right, but I couldn’t help thinking I should acknowledge how special this was and how fiercely I wanted to protect and nurture it.
“Are you okay?” Aaron asked, rubbing his nose against mine.
“Yeah. I just…I love you.”
He smiled. “I know. Show me, Matty. Come inside me. I want to feel you let go.”
So I did.
I roared with the force of my release, spilling everything I had deep inside him. He soothed my hair from my brow and traced his fingers along my spine while I shook in his arms.
When I thought I could speak and act normally again, I propped myself on my elbows and gazed down at him. The contrast of his dark hair against the white pillow and flecks of gold in his hazel eyes were lovely. But I couldn’t think of a single thing to say that didn’t sound like a mushy Hallmark Valentine card, so I gently disengaged and flopped gracelessly beside him. Aaron rolled sideways and laid his head on my chest.
“Does it ever freak you out that you’re going to be stuck with me forever?” he asked after a few minutes.
The wistful question and the fact that he didn’t seem particularly bothered by the mess of sweat and cum binding us together made me do a double take. I nudged his forehead until he looked up at me.
“No. We belong together. I know we do. I’m more afraid to lose you than I am to be with you forever.” I winced at my word choice. Lame, Sullivan.
“You’ll never lose me, Matty. I’ll always be here for you. I promise to be everything you need. Your friend, your conscience, your partner in crime, your lover. I promise—”
“Hey.” I held his chin, frowning at the sheen of tears in his eyes. “Why are you crying?”
“I’m not,” he said, swiping at the moisture with the back of his hand.
“What is it, then?”
Aaron pursed his lips and sighed. “I love the way you look at me. And I want always to be worthy of that look.”
“You are. You—”
“Shh. Let me finish.” He set his finger on my lips and continued. “It’s true that I like nice things, but all I want is you, Matty. I don’t really care about unicorn ice sculptures and champagne fountains. I don’t care about having a big reception and a lot of fuss. I just want us to be married. I’ll run away with you tomorrow if you want. We can get married in Vegas and—”
“No way.” I shook my head vehemently and furrowed my brow. “We’re gonna do it all, Aar. The ceremony, a kickass reception, and the honeymoon come first. And yeah, someday we’re going to buy a house in the ’burbs and fill it with kids and dogs. It has nothing to do with having things. We’ll do it because we love each other and want to share what we have. But that’s somewhere in the future. Right now, the important part is us. You and me. If we wanted the unicorn, we could have it.”
Aaron’s smile was electric. “You have a funny way of saying just the right thing sometimes. Te amo, Matty.”
“I love you too.” I cocked my head and squinted at him. “Of course, we don’t actually want the unicorn, though. Do we?”
He barked a quick laugh that turned into a chuckle. “No unicorn.”
“Good. See? This wedding planning stuff is going so well already. Come on. I have a feeling you’re gonna make me help you change the sheets. Let’s shower first.” I sat up and patted the mattress. “They’re not bad. Maybe we don’t have to—”
“Are you kidding me? This whole sheet is a wet spot.” He hopped off the bed and motioned for me to follow him to the bathroom. “Shower, sheet change, kitchen cleanup and then…let’s have a small discussion about what we’re going to accomplish when we meet with Vic. Deal?”
I snorted when he offered his hand to me. “Nope. We aren’t the ‘shaking hands’ kind of husbands-to-be.”
“Oh? What kind are we?”
I scooped him in a fireman’s hold instead and smacked his ass. “This kind. Let’s get movin’, Mr. Sullivan.”
Aaron’s melodic laughter ricocheted off the marble and glass tile in the bathroom. I caught our reflection i
n the mirror as I set him down and pulled him against me, marveling at how fucking right the platinum band looked on my finger. Aaron slipped out of my embrace and danced toward the shower. His conversation was all over the place as he turned on the water: a dog he saw on his run and a funny billboard advertising fungal cream…but his joyful air was contagious. He was happy and light and everything I wanted but couldn’t quite express with words. I simply knew he was the one I wanted to spend the rest of my life with.
Part 2-
Aaron was a serious control freak. When he initially suggested hiring someone to help keep us organized and on track, I was a little skeptical. It seemed odd that he’d want anyone else’s opinion or input about our big day. I figured he’d run the show and give me updates and budget breakdowns when I asked. He had an eye for color and proportion and a great sense of style. It seemed like asking for an outsider’s opinion would just confuse things. I didn’t get it.
“Matty, there’s nothing to get. This is Vic’s job. He cuts hours of tedious research out of the equation, so I can keep up with my actual job and ideally stay under my boss’s radar. Marsha would flip if she saw my browser history lately. I’m not sure how I’d explain ‘resorts in Puerto Rico,’ ‘cutting edge table decor,’ and ‘how to tell your mother that her priest won’t be officiating the ceremony.’ I’m up to my eyebrows in too many details as it is,” he sighed dramatically.
I reached for his left hand when I stopped at the red light and laced my fingers with his. “What did the internet have to say about dealing with parents?”
He shifted in his seat and kissed our joined hands, then gave me a lopsided smile. “The gist was…be honest and handle unrealistic expectations in a forthright manner.”
“Sounds reasonable.”
“Sure. But she’s not going to like it,” he grumbled. He slipped his hand from mine and pointed at the green light. “Turn left at the next light.”
“I don’t see the problem. We’re getting married in DC, not Maryland. It’s a no-brainer. A Catholic priest isn’t going to officiate the wedding either way. We’ve been through this and—”
“Their deacon will.”
“The creepy guy with the black wig who never smiles?”
“Yep.”
“You don’t like that guy,” I reminded him.
“I know, but my parents do. Maybe they think he has Catholic street cred or something,” he huffed.
“I don’t care what he has. He’s not marrying us.”
“I know. I just have to break the news to my folks.”
“Your parents love me. I’ll tell them,” I said, turning on to a tree-lined street with beautiful brick homes set far from the street.
“Remember, we pass two stops signs and it’s on the right. And no…I don’t want you to get in the middle of Mendez family drama. You may be tempted to call the wedding off and I love you too much, Matty. I’m not letting you go,” he said theatrically. “Oh! This is it. Turn right.”
I snickered at his dramatic tone as I pulled into the gated drive. “I’m not going anywhere. And we aren’t changing our minds to make our parents happy. We chose the minister a long time ago. We like her. End of discussion.”
Aaron leaned across the console and purred in my ear. “I love it when you take charge and get all alpha with me. It’s so hot.”
I barked a quick laugh as I veered the BMW into a parking spot in the mostly empty lot. Then I turned off the engine and faced him. “Alpha, eh?”
“Yeah, I’m a little dizzy right now,” he said, fluttering his eyelashes. He cupped the back of my neck and pulled me close, resting his forehead against mine.
I ran my fingers through his hair and kissed his nose as I adjusted my cock in my khakis. “Something must be wrong with me. I can’t believe I can get hard when you’re talking about priests and parents.”
“Ew. I was trying to help us both forget about that part.” Aaron inclined his head toward the stately manor. “Okay, let’s do this.”
I grabbed his elbow before he opened the passenger-side door. “Wait up. What are we doing exactly, and how long will it take?”
“Matty, you agreed—”
“Hey, I’m here and I’m willing to listen, but I’m kind of hoping not to spend our entire Saturday with Vic.”
“I thought you liked him.”
“He’s fine. Actually, he’s cool. But he’s so…”
“Extra?” Aaron supplied with a laugh.
“Yeah. He wears me out,” I griped.
“A lot of people say I’m ‘extra’ too, you know. Do I wear you out?”
I chuckled. “Yes, you definitely do.”
“Hey!”
“Hey, yourself. Just do me a favor and stick to the plan. What is the plan again?”
“To check out the venue on an actual wedding day to get ideas for flowers and the overall feel of the place. Vic is working this one, so I don’t think we’ll spend more than an hour with him. But we can go straight to the photographer’s studio afterward.”
I made sure he saw my glazed expression before I exhaled. “If possible, let’s keep it short and sweet.”
“Yes, sir.” Aaron shot a sassy smile at me, picked up his man bag, and opened the car door.
We walked hand in hand along the hedge-lined pathway leading to the mansion’s grand entrance. The historic landmark dated to the turn of the last century. Aaron loved the climbing ivy on the brick façade and the enormous fountain in the middle of the circular drive. His awed expression cracked me up. We’d visited the Claridge Estate a few times since we’d gotten engaged in the spring, and each time he seemed more enthralled with our choice of venue. I couldn’t blame him. The house and grounds were stunning.
Aaron paused at the bottom of the steps, let go of my hand, then pulled out his cell and snapped a dozen photos. I didn’t bother reminding him he’d already taken these pictures. He loved photography, and studying nuances in light and color was his favorite pastime. Since he was only armed with an iPhone, I figured I was getting off easy today.
I shoved my hands into my pockets and strolled to the opposite end of the staircase. I spotted a delivery truck parked along the side of the building unloading floral arrangements and was just about to call Aaron over when a lilting voice singsonged his name from the landing.
Aaron glanced up and smiled. “Hi, Vic. How are you?”
“So much better now that the Mendez-Sullivan party has arrived.”
Vic held his arms open like he was welcoming us to his home. He flew down the stairs and wrapped Aaron in a bear hug, then spent the next five minutes complimenting his hair, his shirt, shoes, and even his phone case. Okay, maybe it was two minutes. I didn’t mind. It gave me a chance to check out our flamboyant wedding planner from afar.
Vic Greene was a fireball. He had short platinum blond hair, bright-blue eyes, and golden skin. He was a little taller than Aaron and had the same lean, toned physique and a penchant for highlighting his classically handsome features with rouge, lip gloss, and eyeliner. I liked Vic but truthfully, we didn’t interact much. Aaron was his main contact, which made it easier for everyone. They shared a passion for style and design and all things fabulous. And I was…dull in comparison.
Don’t get me wrong. I knew I was considered good-looking, but I was seriously boring compared to Vic and Aaron. Today was a perfect example. We were all dressed similarly in khakis and short-sleeved button-down dress shirts in deference to the humid summer day. However, my shirt was plain blue while Aaron’s was white with some squiggly pattern on it, and Vic’s was a pink floral number that somehow matched his two-toned shoes. As Aaron said, Vic was “extra.”
I braced myself for a whirlwind greeting when Vic finally turned to me. He widened his eyes, put his fingers on his pink-glossed lips, and shook his head over and over. I glanced at Aaron for help, but he was busy taking more photos, so I swallowed hard and held out my hand.
“How’s it going, Vic?”
He bli
nked manically, then clasped my hand theatrically and grinned. “Very well indeed. Are you ready to be amazed?”
“Um…sure,” I said, pulling my fingers free. I hooked my arm over Aaron’s shoulders when he paused beside me to take another picture. “Aren’t we, babe?”
Aaron shot an amused glance at me and leaned into my side like a doting husband-to-be. “Yes! Amaze us. What do we get to see?”
“Well, we’ve started setting up for this afternoon’s wedding, so everything is a bit topsy-turvy, but you’ll get a fair idea of what this grand ol’ place looks like all dolled up. The entry alone will make you cry,” he enthused.
“Who’s getting married?” Aaron asked.
“A senator’s daughter. She wanted a fairy-tale affair with crystal chandeliers hanging from tree branches outside and orchids cascading from satin ribbons in the ballroom. There’s even a wall of white roses. I kid you not. It’s divine. Come see.” Vic clapped, turned on his heel, and led the way up the steps.
When he darted ahead of us and disappeared inside, I pulled Aaron back by his belt loop before he could follow. Then I set my hand under his chin and gave him a stern look.
“I’m the wedding bouncer, aren’t I?” I scowled.
“Wedding bouncer?” Aaron’s full lips quirked in a lopsided smile that made me want to lick him.
I kissed him instead and wagged my finger at him. “Yeah. The guy who provides a sanity check, so you don’t do anything impulsive. We’re just looking, Aar. I don’t care how divine the flowers are. We have a budget, and we’re sticking to it.”
“Definitely, Alpha. Wow, that turns me on. Note to self, don’t read shapeshifter sex scenes before a tame wedding-planning session.”
“Aar—”
He held his hand up to stop me, then bit his bottom lip and continued in a husky voice, “Yes, you’re my sanity check. I need you to keep it real for me but…I also need you to be open to new ideas too. We’re just here to browse and take notes. I can already tell you our color palette and floral selection will not mesh based on the season alone.”