Suddenly Yours

by Jacob Z. Flores

  “Is that a deal breaker for you?”

  Julian’s question brought Cody out of his painful past and back into his stressful present. “Not at all. As far as I’m concerned, cheaters should be castrated.”

  “Great!” Another beaming smile lit up Julian’s face.

  Cody could definitely get used to seeing that expression every morning and every night. He shook the thought from his brain. If he went there, the Incredible Bulk would take possession of his blood supply and logic, making it impossible for Cody to think.

  “I know this is a lot to take in.” Julian tossed his napkin over his empty plate. When had he eaten his entire breakfast? “And I know this isn’t a traditional relationship I’m offering you. Even though we aren’t traditional men, it’s still hard to move forward in a new and uncharted situation. The important thing to remember is that we’d be doing it together, figuring it all out as we go. If something’s not working, we discuss it logically and work to change it. There won’t be heated arguments because someone’s feelings have gotten hurt. This is a partnership, a deal, and all deals have to be renegotiated from time to time. So even though it’s frightening, I’m asking you to throw the dice with me one more time and give my proposal and our marriage a shot.”

  It made sense. All Julian was asking for was a chance. The odds against this venture bearing any kind of fruit weren’t the best, but Julian was right. If any two men could make this work, it was them. They had so much in common in such a short period of time. What more could develop between them if given the opportunity?

  That was the part that worried Cody—the what-if.

  What if this worked? What if this relationship, this marriage partnership, turned out to be the best thing in Cody’s life? What would Cody do if it ended up not working for Julian? He’d gone all-in once before, and he had lost it all. He doubted he would be able to climb back out from under another devastating loss.

  Except if this didn’t work, it wouldn’t destroy him. This wasn’t about love, and it was his love for Phillip that had turned his world upside down.

  All he had to do was not fall in love, and since he’d been living his life love-free for the past few years, he saw no reason that would change now.

  “You really think we can do this?”

  Julian nodded. “I know we can.”

  Cody took a deep breath. When he finally exhaled, his answer escaped his lips. “All right. Let’s give it a try.”

  Julian dashed around the desk and pulled Cody into an embrace. “I promise you won’t be sorry.”

  Cody returned the hug, resting his chin on top of Julian’s head and inhaling the scent of sweat and musk. He filled his lungs with the intoxicating blend and sighed.

  He hoped he wouldn’t end up regretting this too.

  Chapter Six

  ALTHOUGH Julian believed Cody would agree, he found himself completely exhilarated by the fact he had. Not only had he found a solution to the political scandal, but he had a husband who held all the same values as he did.

  Something like this only ever happened once in a lifetime, and he wasn’t going to waste it.

  When he pried himself out of Cody’s embrace, he sprinted for the phone and called Adria.

  “Are you fucking kidding me?” Her patience had obviously worn paper-thin. “This is your solution?”

  “It’s better than yours. Now there won’t be any lies or mud-slinging.”

  “So you’re going to tell the media you and Cody got drunk, got married, and then decided to live as husbands because neither of you believes in love? Yeah, that’s real Norman Rockwell of you. The public will eat it up.”

  Adria was being intentionally dense. “There’s no reason for me to admit to those things. I will simply confirm that I have gotten married.”

  “And when the media asks why?”

  She should really have more faith in him. “I’ve got it covered.” Cody stood in front of the hotel window, looking out at the Strip. He was a gorgeous man, and no one in their right mind would ever question their marriage after seeing Cody at his side and after hearing what he planned to say. “Believe me.”

  “Fine. I’ll arrange for a press conference, but you better be on your A game, Julian. The press is out for blood.”

  When weren’t they? “Just set it up and I’ll take care of the rest.”

  After Julian ended the call, Cody glanced over his shoulder, a tentative smile spread across his face. Julian hadn’t known him long, but something was clearly wrong.

  “She didn’t sound happy.”

  “Adria rarely does.” He leaned against the glass and stared at the deep lines etched across Cody’s features. “What I’m worried about right now is that you don’t look happy.”

  Cody pursed his lips and turned to stare back out the window. His shoulders were tense and his jaw was set. “I’m just being cautious, I guess. We’re taking a huge risk here, one that will play out in the public eye. I don’t even know how my friends are dealing with this, much less what the rest of the country is going to think about our marriage.”

  “The public will take care of themselves. You’ll see.” Julian grabbed Cody’s hand and led him to the sofa that sat to the right of the bed. He lowered himself onto the couch, pulling Cody down into the seat next to him. “We have to think about ourselves, and right now, what we need to do is spend some time getting to know each other. I think that might make you feel a bit better about all this and make me seem less like a stranger.”

  Cody tucked his right foot under him and sat on his side, regarding Julian with a surprised twinkle in his eyes. “How’d you know that’s what I was thinking?”

  “I’m just that great of a husband.”

  Cody’s eyes narrowed as he playfully gave Julian’s shoulder a shove. “I think I liked you better before you started thinking you were a comedian.”

  “What?” Julian grabbed Cody’s hand and held it. “Are you the only one allowed to tell jokes in this marriage?”

  Cody didn’t pull his hand out of Julian’s grasp. Instead, he laced their fingers together. “Of course. Because my jokes are actually funny.”

  “You should really let other people tell you that.”

  “Oh, but they do. All the time.”

  “And who are these alleged people?”

  “Well, there’s my mother.” He held up one finger. “She thinks I’m a riot.”

  Julian shook his head. “Mothers don’t count. They usually think their kindergartener’s drawings rate up there with Rembrandt. Next.”

  “Well, there’s—” Cody scrunched his lips in thought before a scowl curled across his expression. “I don’t have to defend myself to you.”

  Julian chuckled. “Just as I thought. No one else thinks you’re funny either.”

  “That’s it.” Cody tugged his hand free and faced forward. “I’ve changed my mind. I want a divorce now.”

  “No, you don’t. You want to get to know me, see if we have as much in common as we both think we do.”

  Cody shook his head. “Nope. Divorce. Now.”

  “If you were miserable and the only way to make you happy would be to give you a divorce, I would.”

  “Really?”

  “Yeah.” Julian had seen what staying in an unhappy marriage had done to his mother. He wouldn’t subject anyone to that particular brand of hell. “Too many people stay married even when they shouldn’t, even when being apart is what they both need to be happy.”

  “I couldn’t agree more.” He squeezed Julian’s knee and sat cross-legged on the cushion, staring deep into Julian’s eyes. “Okay. No more serious crap. Let’s talk about the things in life that really matter.”

  “Quick-fire truths like last night?”

  “Exactly.”

  Julian mimicked Cody’s sitting position and met his gaze. “Okay. Shoot.”

  “Do you replace the toilet paper or do you just put the new one on top of the empty roll?”

  A grin tugged
its way across Julian’s lips. How did Cody always manage to make him feel like a kid instead of the adult he always preferred to be? “I replace it. Every time.”

  Cody held up his hands to the heavens. “Thank you, Jesus!”

  “Here’s one for you. Fast food or home-cooked meals?”

  “Home-cooked meals, of course,” Cody answered with an exaggerated eye roll. “They’re the best. There’s just one problem, though.”

  “You can’t cook?”

  “How’d you know?”

  “Lucky guess. Thankfully, I love to cook.”

  “You do? Are you good?”

  Julian wasn’t just good. He was damn good. He rarely had the opportunity to do it, and he never really had anyone to cook for before. Blane lived on takeout, and his family had a kitchen staff. “I’m the best. I’ll have to make you one of my famous dishes.”

  Cody’s blue eyes practically danced off his face. “Yes, please! I haven’t had a home-cooked meal in a long time.”

  “How are you at cleaning up the kitchen afterward?” Julian didn’t mind cooking, but he hated washing dishes. Whenever he cooked, he always left the kitchen looking like a crime scene. Used utensils littered the countertop, and spatters of whatever sauce he happened to be making dotted the floor and the stove.

  “I do a pretty thorough kitchen cleaning,” Cody admitted with a grin. “My mother used to say how she could never get the kitchen as clean as I could.”

  That was promising. For as prim and proper as Blane was, the man was also a complete slob.

  “What’s your favorite movie?” Cody leaned forward. “And just so you’re aware, I’m a complete movie whore. If you hate films, let me know so we can cut our losses now.”

  “I do enjoy movies, but I don’t get to watch them that often.”

  Cody gasped as if he’d been slapped. “That’s absurd. There’s always time for a good movie.”

  “Tell that to Adria. She’s got my schedule booked tight until my reelection. Plus, my duties in DC keep me pretty busy.”

  Cody waved off his answer as if it was no big deal. “I’ll take care of it. Don’t worry about that.” Julian had no doubt that he would. “So what’s your favorite movie of all time?”

  How did he know this question was next? He’d never admitted this to a single soul, mostly because the people he hung out with preferred foreign films or intellectual indie flicks. But like Cody would say, if he couldn’t open up about this to his husband, who could he talk about this with? “Miss Congeniality.”

  Cody’s mouth flew open like a barn door in a tornado. “Shut. The. Fuck. Up.”

  “What?” Julian immediately went on the defensive. “It’s funny.”

  “Yeah, it is!” Cody scooted closer on the couch until his knees brushed against Julian’s. “It’s not my absolute fave, but it’s up there. My favorite part is when Sandra Bullock has just been made over and she comes out of that warehouse looking all hot and shit—”

  “—and she falls on her ass.” Julian barked in laughter. “That’s my favorite too.”

  After their amusement subsided, Cody cleared his throat and sat up straight. A serious expression fell across his chiseled features. “Okay, there’s something I need to admit to you. I don’t know how you’ll take it, but as my husband, you should know there’s something I love even more than movies.”

  The more Julian heard the word husband, the more he found he liked it. It was funny how quickly things changed. “What’s that?”

  “I’m addicted to soap operas. Days of Our Lives, to be exact.”

  And there was their first snag. Julian had never understood the appeal of daytime serials. The acting could never be categorized as stellar, and their plots were typically unrealistic. “Well, I suppose nobody’s perfect.”

  Cody groaned and fell backward onto the couch. “You’re not a soap fan?”

  “Afraid not.”

  “How can this be? How can you not love soap operas? You’re a gay man, for Christ’s sake!”

  “So as a gay man I should automatically be pulled in by the melodrama?”

  Cody sat straight up and glared at him as if the answer was an obvious yes.

  “Sorry, but I’m not. I prefer plots that make sense in the real world.”

  “What are you talking about?” Cody poked him in the chest. “Days deals with situations we can all relate to. They have good guys and bad guys.”

  “They also have evil twins that suddenly pop up out of nowhere. Seriously, how many evil twins could possibly exist in the world? That’s as ridiculous as—”

  “Waking up married?”

  Okay. Cody had him there. There was a certain soap-opera element to their current situation. “I’ll give you that one.”

  Cody basked in his victory. “Just you wait. I’ll make you a Days fan yet.”

  “I’d say that is going to be next to impossible.”

  “I made you play Truth or Dare, didn’t I?” Cody asked with a smug jut of his chin that made Julian want to run his tongue along his stubbled jawline.

  What could he say? Cody had him there too.

  THE way Julian stared at him made Cody slightly uncomfortable. It was like Julian was ready to jump his bones, and the Incredible Bulk was clearly ready for that. There was just one problem: Cody wasn’t.

  Well, that wasn’t completely true. He could definitely go for round ten. When wasn’t he up for sex? Julian was extremely handsome, and he had a body Cody wouldn’t mind sampling again. But there was more to Julian than just his physical qualities.

  That unsettled Cody the most, but why?

  He didn’t have an answer. All he had to go on was his gut, and his instincts had kept him safe from harm for so long that he knew he had to listen to them.

  “What’s wrong?” Julian’s seductive grin that stretched wide across his face retreated a few steps.

  “I know I agreed to go along with this, but I think we need to set up some ground rules.”

  Julian flinched slightly. “What kind of rules?”

  “For one, I think we should try, I don’t know, a trial period or something.”

  “We’re married, Cody, not leasing a car.”

  “I know.” He scooted back a few inches. The grazing of his knees against Julian’s was making it hard to concentrate. “But there’s usually a courtship of some kind prior to any marriage, whether it’s based on love or not. We need to get to know each other, see if our personalities and our lives will truly fit with one another.”

  Julian frowned. “Like a getting-to-know-you period?”

  “Exactly. We jumped into this marriage without really thinking things through, and if we are going to make a lifetime commitment, we owe it to ourselves to make sure we can truly make the promises the other wants to live by.”

  Julian broke eye contact and stared off into the room, clearly running the argument through his logical brain. Although his scrunched lips told Cody he wasn’t pleased with the suggestion, Cody was certain Julian would see the logic behind it. “I suppose you’re right, but I want you to know I’m going to make you a believer in this marriage if it’s the last thing I do.” He returned his chocolaty gaze to Cody’s, and his seductive grin once again lounged across his lips.

  Cody didn’t need to be told how Julian planned to be convincing. “Which brings me to my second rule.”

  Julian inched forward on the couch, his gaze no longer focused on Cody’s but on Cody’s lips. “And what’s that?” His voice came out low and throaty, causing Bruce Boner to once again start his metamorphosis.

  Cody took several deep breaths before he was able to force the words out of his constricted throat. “No sex.”

  The Incredible Bulk took the news as well as Julian. Julian sat up straight, his eyes wide, while the monster in Cody’s shorts threatened to leap out of his jeans and beat him as if he were Loki.

  “Are you serious?”

  Cody nodded.

  “Why?”

 
“Sex complicates things. We both know that.” He stared long and hard into Julian’s narrowed eyes. Julian knew Cody was right, but he clearly wasn’t going to say it. “Like you said earlier, we have to be logical and base our decisions on a critical evaluation of our personalities, our expectations for this marriage, and our lives. We didn’t have time to get to know each other before our trip down the aisle. If we had, we would have taken the time to see if we were truly a good fit before we got married, and it would have been based on more than just one night in Vegas playing Truth or Dare. You realize that, right?”

  What could Julian say? They both knew Cody was right, so he wasn’t surprised when Julian begrudgingly nodded. “So how long do you envision this trial period?”

  “I figure six months would be about right.”

  Julian blinked several times as if the idea of six months without sex was something that simply refused to register, but why?

  “Six months will get you through the election. After that time, we can reevaluate our agreement.” After a few moments of more painful silence, he poked Julian in the chest. “Well?”

  “You’re trying to kill me with this, aren’t you?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “That’s six months without sex!”

  Why was Julian having a problem with this? From what Julian had shared about his life last night, he’d practically behaved like a monk the past few years. Cody was the one who hadn’t gone more than a couple of weeks without at least some type of naked fun. “You’ve gone longer. We both know that.”

  “Well, yeah. But that was before I had sex with—” Julian bit his lower lip and his cheeks turned a deep scarlet.

  Cody understood completely. More than anything, he longed to feel his naked flesh against Julian’s, to feel Julian’s body part underneath him and the tightness of his ass while Cody slowly nudged himself inside. “That only proves why we need to keep our relationship platonic. We need to make logical decisions, not emotional ones.”

  Julian took a deep breath as if that would release his pent-up sexual tension. They clearly were going to be taking a lot of cold showers and hitting the gym regularly. “Okay. Your reasoning makes sense.”