Suddenly Yours

by Jacob Z. Flores

  The diligence with which he searched for his belongings indicated Cody was ready to bring their sham of a marriage to an end.

  “Have you seen my underwear?” Cody scanned the area around him. “I know I wore a pair last night. I distinctly remember you pulling them off me with your teeth.”

  Julian recalled that too. Quite vividly.

  “Here they are!” Cody held up a red pair of Andrew Christian briefs as if they were buried treasure. “A walk of shame is bad enough without having to do it commando.”

  “I don’t think leaving your husband’s hotel room constitutes a walk of shame.”

  Cody eyed him for several moments, clearly trying to decide if this was yet another joke, but it wasn’t. Julian allowed the word husband to dance upon his lips like the taste of a new dish he was sampling, and he had to admit it didn’t taste as bitter as it had this morning.

  “Yeah, you’re probably right.” Suddenly modest, Cody slid his underwear on beneath the folds of his robe. “But since I seduced you into marriage for your political rival, I’d say there’s probably many walks of shame in my immediate future.”

  “You don’t have to do this. There’s another way.”

  “Like what?” Cody eyed him before taking off the robe and standing before him in just his briefs.

  Julian had trouble finding the concentration he needed to answer the question. He could only focus on the trim, muscled body exposed before him. He swept his gaze over every dip of flesh and around the prominent bulge in Cody’s shorts. Even hidden behind the swell of fabric, Bruce Boner was still a sight to behold.

  Cody snapped his fingers. “Um, my eyes are up here.”

  When Julian switched his gaze back to Cody’s, Julian noticed a coy smile stretched across Cody’s lips, as if he both enjoyed and was embarrassed by the attention. What had happened to the cocky guy who had pranced around bare-ass naked a few hours ago? “Sorry about that.”

  Cody waved off the comment, trying to recapture his previous carefree demeanor. “If you can’t gawk at your husband, who can you gawk at, right?”

  Julian swallowed hard. It was now or never. “I’d like to talk to you about that.”

  “About gawking at me?” After putting on his shirt and jeans, Cody put his hoodie on and zipped it up.

  “No. About our options. We can talk about it over brunch.”

  “Nothing to talk about. We’ve got it all figured out. Just tell me what you want me to say and when.” Cody glanced at his watch. Why did it suddenly seem as if Cody would do anything to get the hell out of here? “Besides, I’ve got to jet. My best friend is getting married today. Remember? I’ve got an actual planned wedding to attend.”

  Julian grimaced. That comment hurt more than it should have, but it also gave him an idea. He recalled how much of a ribbing Cody had received last night thanks to his college buddies. If Julian played his cards right, he might be able to use that to earn him a few more moments alone with Cody. “I understand. Besides, I’m sure your friends are just dying to give you hell.”

  Cody fell back on the bed and sighed. “Shit. I hadn’t thought about that.”

  “I’m sure your friends have.” He moved to stand in front of Cody. He scanned the beige carpet as if he could see the future humiliation woven into the threads. “What kind of fraternity rituals do you guys have for walks of shame?”

  If Cody’s flinch was any indication, it was pretty bad.

  “What about for accidental marriages?”

  “Okay, okay. You win,” he said with an absentminded nod. “Let’s talk about options.”

  Julian did his best to hold back his victorious grin. “Great. I’ll call room service.”

  When he got off the phone, Cody had moved over to the chair opposite the bed and was studying him carefully, as if he could tell that Julian was about to throw him a curveball. “So what other options did you have in mind?”

  “Well, just one, really.”

  Cody sat back. “And that would be?”

  “We stay married.”

  CODY hadn’t been able to speak after Julian dropped his little bombshell. He hadn’t realized how long they sat there in silence until Julian answered a knock on the door. It was room service.

  Julian paid the bill and tipped the hotel employee before shutting the door and placing the tray of food on the desk next to where Cody had been turned mute. Julian got to work uncovering the dishes and setting out the napkins and cutlery. He was acting as if nothing unusual had happened, as if they were two lovers—no, husbands—who were getting ready to enjoy a yummy meal of ham and cheese omelets, toast, bacon, and hash browns.

  “Will you please just stop?” Cody finally managed to force out of his constricted throat.

  “Why? Do you not like what I’ve ordered? I can order something else.”

  Cody couldn’t stop the high arch of his eyebrows. “I’m not talking about the food.”

  “I know,” he said as he continued to butter the toast.

  “You’re joking, right?” Cody sputtered after a few moments of Julian applying butter, then grape jelly to the bread. There was no way Julian was serious. He couldn’t be. Ever since they woke up, he had reminded Cody of a snared animal trying to chew his foot off so he could escape this marriage trap and run away. Now he was casually suggesting they stay married? No. This had to be a joke, and it wasn’t a particularly funny one. Considering who was telling it, that didn’t surprise Cody at all. “I’m really concerned about your sense of humor. You should probably seek professional help.”

  “You said that to me last night after I dared you to marry me.” Julian sat on the other side of the desk and snagged a triangle of toast off the plate. “Do you remember that?”

  Cody had forgotten. “I guess I did. But what does that have to do with what you’re suggesting?”

  “Even though you thought I was crazy when I proposed, you still went through with it.” Julian held up his ring finger as evidence. “I’m hoping you might be willing to do so again.”

  Cody cast a sideways glance at him before running his fingers through his thick hair. “Last night we were both drunk. We had more alcohol than sense in our bodies for most of the evening. I get why you dared me to marry you and why I accepted, but we’re not drunk anymore.” He looked Julian square in the eyes. “Wait. Are you still buzzing?”

  Julian shook his head and cut into the omelet. “Other than a headache, I’m in complete control of my faculties.”

  “Then what the hell?” Cody’s tone came out sharp. He didn’t like speaking in that tone of voice.

  “Because we got married for a reason.”

  “Yeah, because of a dumbass game of Truth or Dare.” Cody tapped his index finger once on the desk between them. “There was no other reason besides that.”

  “But there was.” He scooped some bacon, eggs, and toast onto a plate and handed it to Cody. “I’ll explain while you eat.”

  “Are you kidding me?” He snatched the plate from Julian’s grasp and placed it on the desk. “I can’t eat right now. I can’t believe you can.”

  Julian picked the plate back up and offered it to Cody again, this time with that damned smile of his that had made Cody agree to be his husband. “It’ll help. I promise.”

  Cody placed it in his lap instead of back on the desk. “I still don’t see how eating will help.”

  “It’ll give you focus, help you find the logic in my argument regarding our marriage.”

  “Logic, huh? I didn’t realize you were such a romantic,” he replied before crunching on a piece of bacon.

  “I’m not.” There went that damn smile again. How could someone show so many teeth and still look so freaking adorable? “But then again, neither are you. That’s what makes us so perfect for each other.”

  Cody recalled hearing that last night too, before they took their vows and then later, when Julian had his legs wrapped around Cody’s waist. Fuck. He really needed to stop picturing all the sweaty,
hot fun they’d had on their “honeymoon.” It made it difficult to think, especially since the Incredible Bulk was making a sudden reappearance.

  “I think you’ve lost your mind.”

  Julian shook his head. “Nope. I’m seeing things crystal clear.”

  “Really?” Cody snatched another slice of bacon off his plate and popped it in his mouth. This time he immediately groaned in pleasure. It was the perfect blend of salt, smoke, and applewood and tasted better than sex. Okay, maybe it wasn’t that good, but it was pretty damn close. He also did feel a bit better. He wasn’t going to admit that to Julian, though. His chin was jutting out smugly enough already. “You want to stay married to a man you don’t even really know?”

  “I may not know everything about your life, but I know you want a marriage unburdened by love. I know you enjoy the commitment of marriage, the trust two people can build together and forge a future on. You don’t believe in fairy-tale happy endings any more than I do. What you want is someone to lean on, someone to depend on, someone who will stand by your side no matter what, and someone you won’t have to worry about breaking your heart.”

  Okay, so Julian knew him a little bit, but that didn’t mean they should stay married.

  “Let me tell you some things about me now,” Julian continued after sipping his orange juice. “I’ve been interested in settling down and making a life with someone for quite some time. Not only is it good for my professional goals, but I’ve always wanted to have a family of my own, one that was strong in ways my parents could never provide. I never really thought that was possible for me because for most people, marriage means love. To me, love undermines marriage. It takes away the security of a bond made when two people logically, not emotionally, decide to live together for the rest of their lives. That’s what’s wrong with marriage these days. When marriages were arranged, when they were settled by families to make families stronger, those marriages stood the test of time because they were two people who were willing to work together and do whatever it took to make their lives happy.

  “They may not have been in love when they married, but over years and with enough time, they developed a deep and enduring affection for each other. It gave them the strength to make it past the difficult patches in life, to raise children, and to survive whims that are too often destroyed by fickle hearts.”

  Cody had trouble processing everything Julian had just spouted. He wanted to ask him about his parents, about what happened in his childhood that shaped his view of marriage, but Cody couldn’t bring forth the breath to ask. If Julian’s childhood was anything like Cody’s, it had to be too painful to discuss. Plus, he still couldn’t quite wrap his mind around the fact someone else defined a functioning relationship the way he had for the past few years. It made Julian’s words too good to be true, which meant they most likely were. “And you think I’m the one to give you this type of marriage?”

  “I do, because we both know it’s not about love.”

  Cody leaned back in his chair, running Julian’s words over and over in his mind. They made sense, but the pieces still didn’t fit together right. It was like they were both missing some piece of the puzzle, something that lived in the memories from last night and still hid behind the veil of alcohol.

  He caught glimpses of it every now and then in the way Julian’s smile or lingering gaze made him suddenly feel self-conscious, which wasn’t like him at all. Cody had never been the type to hold back. He put everything on display, and he did so without regret.

  However, something needled him in the back of his brain, trying to come forward and make itself known, but it couldn’t find the strength to break through.

  “I still don’t see how this is going to work,” he finally said.

  Julian sat forward and reached across the desk. He took Cody’s hand and held it. The warmth of his touch spread over Cody’s flesh like a roaring fire in the middle of winter. “I haven’t figured out all the details either, but the fact is that you and I like each other and we have a major life belief in common. We can build on that, nurture it to grow into something we both want our lives to be. Look at how far we’ve come already.”

  That was true. Julian had hated him almost on sight, but after getting to know Cody, Julian let his guard down and cut loose. Two things he hadn’t done in quite some time, based on the stories Julian had shared last night. And Cody? Well, he’d changed too. Instead of cutting bait and running for the nearest exit as he typically did, he had stuck around and was even prepared to bear the consequences by going along with Adria’s scheme.

  He’d been willing to do that because, as crazy as it might sound, he did like Julian. They’d shared more than a good time together last night. They’d made a connection, and it was the strength of that connection that Julian was asking him to take a chance on.

  “But why me? Surely there have to be scores of men who’d love to be married to you.”

  “It doesn’t matter,” Julian answered with a shrug. “They aren’t you.”

  That sounded a bit too romantic and flew in the face of the words Julian had just spoken. “What makes me so special?”

  Julian sat back, pondering the question, and Cody was glad for that. An immediate response would have felt too glib. The fact Julian had to stop and think meant that whatever words he finally did speak would be as truthful as Julian could make them. “Because you’re so different from all the other men I’ve encountered in my life. From the moment we met, you challenged me to be more than what I am. I need that in my partner. I need someone who is not just going to sit there and tell me what I want to hear. I don’t have time for those types of people. Why do you think I keep Adria as my campaign manager?”

  “Because she’s a snarling pit bull who’d do anything to get you elected?”

  “Well, there is that.” Julian chuckled, and the lightness of his laugh spread to his dark eyes. It made him even more glaringly handsome than he already was. “But it’s because she tells it to me like it is. That’s what you did from the moment we met, and unlike anyone else before you, I actually let you talk me into playing Truth or Dare.”

  It was Cody’s turn to grin. “Well, I am pretty darn persuasive. It’s probably because I’m so adorable.”

  “You won’t hear me argue with you about that.”

  Cody jerked his head back, unprepared for that comment. He had been ready for Julian to roll his eyes or to toss out some barb. It took him a few deep breaths before he recovered. “Okay, so I’m special. Not like I didn’t already know that, but what makes you so special? Why should I even entertain the idea of being married to you?”

  “You mean besides the fact you find me adorable?”

  He shot Julian a blank stare. “That’s my line. Find your own.”

  “Okay, fine,” he replied with a nod. “How’s this for an answer? I can give you the life you’ve always wanted.”

  Cody sat up straight, pressing his lips into a thin line. “I don’t need anyone to give me shit.”

  “I know.” Julian held up his hands in surrender. “You pride yourself on your independence. It’s why you work as a waiter and worry about your rent because you strive to be the published author you’ve always wanted to be. You want it to be on your terms. I get that.”

  “Good.”

  “What I meant to say is that you won’t have to work as a waiter anymore. You can focus on your writing full-time, without fear of when your next paycheck is going to come in.”

  “Oh. I see. You want me to be a kept man.” Cody rose from his seat. “No, thanks.”

  Julian shot out of his chair and blocked his path. “That’s not what I meant at all. If you want to continue working, you can. I’m not saying you shouldn’t. I’m saying you won’t have to. I’m saying you’ll be free to write all day if you want. Hell, you can do anything you want to. That’ll be what’s so great being married to each other. Don’t you see? Without love mucking things up, you won’t have to worry about how muc
h time you’re spending with me, if your work is getting in the way, if you’re bringing in enough money. All you’d have to do, all we’d have to do, is fulfill the few expectations the other has about being married.”

  There was the other shoe Cody had been waiting to drop. There were always expectations. “And those would be?”

  “Well, you’d have to accompany me on my election campaign. You’d have to appear with me at fundraisers and other political events. You’d have to be okay with hosting gatherings at our house, with traveling wherever my job might take us, and eventually with the children we’d want to raise together.”

  “Are you seriously talking about children with me right now?”

  “We wouldn’t have them right away,” Julian replied. “But I’d like to think we’d have them eventually. Or do you not want kids?”

  Of course he wanted kids. He always imagined carting around a little girl, seeing his smile in hers. He’d teach her to be strong, to find her own way in life, and he’d give her the stability he never had growing up. She would be his gift to the future, the one thing that he would ever do in life that truly mattered. Instead of saying all that, he only replied, “Having a child has always been something I wanted to do.”

  “Great.” Julian’s smile spread wide across his lips. “There’s just one more thing I’d expect from my husband and that my husband should expect from me.”

  Cody crossed his arms and stared down at Julian. “And that would be?”

  “That we would be 100 percent faithful to each other. I can’t stomach cheaters. They’re the lowest of the low to me.”

  Cody couldn’t argue with Julian on that point. He’d seen the devastating effects of cheating. It had happened to his mother in more than one of her marriages. It had scarred her emotionally, made her feel as if she was never enough for the man she loved. She put the blame on herself, and she let it change her into a woman he no longer recognized.

  Cody never understood why she let that happen until it had happened to him.