Best Man

by Shelley Munro

  “Ah hell.” Jesse released him to grip his shoulders instead. He thrust once. Twice. Then he stilled, leaning his weight on Grayson. A harsh sound of animal enjoyment ripped from deep inside his chest. For an instant, they both leaned against the wall in silence, breathing deeply while they recovered. When Jesse moved away, a sense of loss hit him but the feeling eased when his lover touched his shoulder with a light caress.

  After removing the condom, Jesse grabbed the bar of soap, turned Grayson to face him and rubbed it over his chest. “The sex between us is friggin’ amazing.”

  “Yeah.” Grayson knew it wasn’t much in the way of replies but that was all he had right now.

  “I didn’t think you’d let me top.” Jesse brushed a lock of hair from Grayson’s eyes.

  “You let me do it to you,” Grayson said. Something in Jesse’s face made him cautious. He didn’t know what the man wanted to say and wished he’d spit it out. Mind reading wasn’t high on his list of skills.

  “You said you preferred to top.”

  “So?”

  “I wanted to know if you trusted me.”

  Grayson snorted. The shower was a weird place to have this conversation. “You know my secrets.”

  “You let me take your body. You’re not used to it but you still let me. You trusted me.”

  “Is this about the photos and my suspicions?” Grayson didn’t need to pretend confusion.

  “I didn’t do it. You’re welcome to search my bags. I don’t own a camera and I’ve got more important things to do than follow Nolan and Cassie around.”

  “I know.”

  Jesse glanced away then looked back as if he’d come to a decision. “I want more than a quick, dirty weekend. I know it won’t be easy but I want you. Have done so for a while but I wanted to know you trusted me. Nothing more important in a relationship than trust.”

  Grayson nodded. Trust was important to him as well, and it became vitally important with the All Black selections coming up. They both needed to concentrate on their games and match fitness. The next few months would be a test and neither of them could afford to split their attention between personal and rugby.

  He tugged Jesse’s head down and kissed him, letting the slow movement of his lips soothe the agitation in his lover. True trust took time. He pulled away. “I might pound you on the rugby field. That’s business. But everything else between us is private and personal. I would never do anything to impact on your rugby future, and I want the personal side too.”

  “My last boyfriend threatened to spread rumors,” Jesse said. “He didn’t in the end, but I’ve had to be careful. Cautious.”

  “We can go as slow as you want. It’s not my preference but I understand,” Grayson said. He slapped Jesse’s butt with the flat of his hand. “How about moving that sweet butt of yours? We need to catch up with Nolan and warn him.”

  “Yeah. Okay.” Jesse washed his body briskly and let the spray of the water take away the soap residue.

  Grayson did the same and grabbed two towels, handing one to Jesse after the other man flipped off the water. He eyed his lover’s body, a frisson of pleasure snapping down his spine when he recalled the urgent thrusts and the warm, wet suction of the man’s mouth at his neck. “This won’t take too long, will it?”

  “Why?” Jesse paused in the act of blotting droplets of water from his body. A gleam lightened his blue eyes without warning. “Good thinking,” he said in that husky voice of his. His gaze dropped to Grayson’s groin. “We can fool around a bit more before we go to sleep.”

  “Just a bit?”

  “I’m frightened of Cassie’s mother,” Jesse said. “Don’t say I said, but I think Nolan is too.”

  “Hell, you’re right,” Grayson said, picturing the tiny, determined whirlwind who was Cassie’s mother. “We’d better not turn up for the wedding photos with sags under our eyes. I don’t want to get on the bad side of Mrs. Pendergrast.”

  Both dressed in casual jeans and T-shirts, they left their room together.

  “Where do we check first?” Grayson asked.

  “The room where they set up dinner and go from there.”

  They walked side by side, their shoulders brushing. In the past Grayson wouldn’t have thought a thing of the casual contact. On the rugby field exuberant hugs were common after they dotted the ball down on the opposition’s try line. No one thought a thing of it, of the images broadcast to millions of viewers across the world. Now Grayson shivered inwardly. He knew the pleasure of Jesse’s touch, and he’d enjoyed every second. Heck, it just felt different now.

  Things had changed and there was no going back.

  Chapter Three

  Jesse scanned the rose gardens near the kidney-shaped swimming pool but couldn’t see either Nolan or Cassie. They weren’t in the huge ballroom or with the group of men who hid out in the billiard room.

  “There’s Michelle. She might know where they are,” Grayson said, pointing at Cassie’s best friend and his partner in the bridal party.

  Jesse nodded, quashing the sliver of jealousy that struck when Grayson mentioned Michelle. He’d watched the two chatting earlier in the day, their easy familiarity. It had brought a flash of envy and he’d wished things had been different.

  “There’s nothing between us,” Grayson said, after a quick glance at Jesse. “She has a serious boyfriend.”

  “I didn’t say a word.” Hell, he’d have to work on his poker face.

  “Yeah, right,” Grayson said. “Come on.” He grasped Jesse’s arm and dragged him in Michelle’s direction. “Hey, Michelle. Can we have a word in private?” He glanced at the two young women with her and smiled. “It’s bridal party stuff. I hope you don’t mind.”

  The two girls giggled and one fluttered her lashes at Grayson. Jesse opened his mouth to ask if she had something in her eye before he snapped it closed. Bloody hell. Control, man. If he started sniping and snarling, people would talk. Gossip was the last thing they needed.

  “Is there a problem?” Michelle asked, a frown marring her smooth brow.

  Grayson smiled in reassurance. “We need to find Nolan. Do you know where he is? It’s important.”

  Michelle glanced left and right before she leaned closer. “Nolan and Cassie are in her room. Cassie’s mother thinks she’s retired for an early night.”

  “It really is important,” Jesse said.

  “All right. I’ll show you the way to Cassie’s room.”

  Five minutes later, after climbing to the third floor and passing numerous objet d’art, they stood outside the room. Jesse tapped on the door. When there was no reply, he thumped on the white wood.

  “Just a minute,” Cassie called.

  “I wonder what they’re up to?” Grayson’s brows rose and he exchanged a knowing glance with Michelle.

  The door opened a few inches, wide enough for them to see Cassie’s flushed face. It looked as if she’d thrown on a robe before answering the door. Her blonde hair wasn’t in its normal smooth style.

  “Let us in,” Grayson said.

  “Can’t it wait?” a masculine voice demanded.

  Grayson and Jesse shared an amused glance.

  “I’ll leave you to it,” Michelle said. “I’m trying to run interference to make sure Cassie’s mother doesn’t head this way.” She hurried away, leaving them to face Nolan’s irritation at the untimely interruption.

  The door flew fully open. “What do you want?” Nolan’s face held clear impatience while Cassie stood in front of him, delightfully flushed.

  Grayson shouldered his way inside in the way of a forward and pushed Cassie gently out of the way. Jesse grinned. Once a forward, always a forward, driving to move his team toward the scoreline. He followed Grayson into the feminine bedroom and shut the door after him before he crossed the Oriental rug to stand at his side, their shoulders just touching. The proximity brought a sense of comfort and the tension he’d felt since thinking about Grayson and Michelle faded.

&nbs
p; Nolan’s eyes narrowed without warning, his bare chest rising when he sucked in a deep breath. He cocked his head and studied them so closely Jesse started to feel like a player of the match put in the spotlight by the local television station. A wide grin spread across Nolan’s face and he turned to Cassie. “Babe, you owe me a hundred dollars.”

  “No!” Cassie’s head whipped around to stare at Grayson and Jesse. “No way. They haven’t.”

  “Haven’t what?” Jesse demanded.

  “Look at how they’re standing,” Nolan said. “And there—exhibit A.” He pointed at Grayson’s neck.

  Jesse sprang away from Grayson and shot a panicked glance at his neck. Holy shit. A hickey. He vaguely remembered kissing Grayson on the neck while they were in the shower. Color flooded his face. He remembered doing quite a few things while they were in the shower. “It wasn’t me,” he blurted.

  “Give it up, Jesse.” Grayson shrugged with unconcern. “Nolan knows I’m gay.”

  But Nolan didn’t know about him. Jesse’s heart pounded and he silently cursed. The fewer people who knew about his sexual orientation the better. Dammit, he didn’t want to endanger either of their chances at making the All Blacks. He didn’t want notoriety. He wanted to keep his head down and play rugby. Coming out of the closet could happen after he retired from rugby, and he was happy with his decision. Jesse’s attention speared to Nolan.

  Fuck, he did know.

  Cassie punched Nolan’s bare chest. “That’s not fair. You had inside information.”

  “It’s about time the two of you got together,” Nolan said. “And, babe, you had the same info I did. My gut told me things were about to change before our wedding, given the right circumstances, that’s all.”

  “We didn’t come here to talk about us,” Jesse snapped.

  “Why? You ashamed of me?” Grayson demanded, folding beefy arms across his chest.

  Jesse bit back a snarl. “No I’m not ashamed of you. You’re my friend, dammit.”

  “You’re also my lover,” Grayson said bluntly.

  A pregnant silence filled the room while Grayson and Jesse stared at each other. Jesse heard a soft chuckle and turned his glare on Nolan and Cassie. “What?”

  “Oh you two are perfect for each other,” Cassie said with a wide grin. “You look so hot together.”

  “Hey, remember me? The man you’re gonna marry tomorrow?” Nolan grabbed Cassie and squeezed her gently against his side.

  “The New Zealand public might not think the same way. Rugby players are tough he-men. They aren’t gay,” Jesse said. “And believe it or not, some people think sexual orientation is contagious. Both Gray and I have a shot at the All Blacks this year. If the public learns we’re a couple, we’ll end up with publicity for the wrong reasons.”

  “Jump down off your high horse, Jesse. Neither of us will tell.” Nolan tugged Cassie over to the double bed in the center of the room and sat on the cream cover. “Since you guys look like you want to stay, do you want some whiskey? You’ll have to share a glass.”

  “It’s true,” Cassie said. “Nolan and I are good at secrets. Besides, your shirt and collar will hide the hickey tomorrow. We only saw it because you’re wearing a T-shirt.”

  Grayson slung his arm across Jesse’s shoulders, hugged him briefly before sinking to the floor and propping his back against the pink, green-and-cream-striped wallpaper.

  Jesse remained standing, tense with a knot cramping his gut. He inhaled and exhaled slowly. The damage was done. They’d made love and it was too late to go back. Besides, he realized, he didn’t think he wanted to. Slowly he dropped onto the rug, close to Grayson but not touching. “Yeah, whiskey sounds good.”

  Nolan poured the liquor into two glasses and handed one to Jesse since he sat closest and kept the other one for Cassie to share with him. “As much as I love you two guys, I was happy alone with Cassie. I’m still waiting to hear why you barged in here.”

  “To see your naked chest,” Grayson said.

  Jesse guffawed and handed the glass of whiskey to Grayson. He winked at Cassie. “It’s true. We wanted to compare it with ours. There must be some reason you’re marrying the larrikin.”

  “Because I’m hot,” Nolan said.

  Cassie nodded. “That’s true, and I like to watch his arse when he runs down the rugby field.”

  “Everyone likes to watch his arse,” Grayson said dryly. “That’s why he came out top try scorer last season and made the All Blacks. That’s why he’ll make the All Blacks again this season.”

  Jesse nodded. “Yeah, if he isn’t careful, he’ll end up headhunted by one of those underwear companies wanting him to model their goods.”

  “That would be arse-hunted,” Cassie shot back.

  “Okay. Enough,” Nolan said. “Leave my backside out of this conversation.”

  “We could talk about Jesse’s.” Distinct impish humor shone on Cassie’s face.

  “No, we couldn’t,” Nolan said firmly. “Let’s talk about the real reason they’re here.”

  “I overheard two people talking about photos of the two of you,” Grayson said. “One selling and the other a buyer. I couldn’t get close enough to see them and didn’t recognize the voices, but whoever they are, they’re staying here since it was on the grounds.”

  “Hell,” Nolan cursed. “I wish they’d leave us alone. I don’t suppose the two of you would like to make a statement? Take the pressure off us.”

  “Fuck off,” Jesse said.

  Grayson nodded and took a sip of whiskey. “What he said.”

  Cassie sighed. “I hope they didn’t get any photos of us this afternoon.”

  “When I heard the people talking, I hid. Four people passed me. Jesse, two men I didn’t know and your sister Serena,” Grayson said.

  “It wasn’t me and Serena would hardly sell photos,” Jesse said. “She’s your sister.”

  “I don’t know about Serena. She’s acted a bit weird recently,” Cassie said. “She’s so moody. Anything is possible.”

  “I wish she’d keep her hands to herself,” Jesse muttered with real feeling. “She might be your sister but if she pinches my butt again, I won’t be responsible for my actions.”

  Nolan started to chuckle. “Maybe it’s something in the air. Everyone seems to have arse fixations around here.”

  Cassie rolled her eyes but they danced with mirth.

  “Did you do something this afternoon that you wouldn’t want photographed?” Grayson asked.

  “None of your business,” Cassie said, her voice tart.

  “In other words, they did,” Jesse said.

  Grayson shifted to find a more comfortable spot and ended up closer to Jesse. “Did you see anyone following you?”

  Jesse tensed when Grayson put a hand on his leg. He winged a quick glance at Nolan and Cassie and only relaxed when they did nothing more than smile. Too worried about appearances, he’d never allowed himself to think of a future with a partner, what that could mean. Everything was happening so quickly. Heck, it terrified him yet a sense of exhilaration filled him at the same time. After a deep breath, he moved a bit closer and leaned into Grayson, savoring his scent and the sense of comfort the other man’s touch brought.

  “No, but we weren’t expecting anyone to follow us while we’re on family property either,” Nolan replied.

  “What will we do?” Cassie asked. “It’s such a violation of privacy and it pisses me off knowing someone is making money from our images.”

  “We can search for the two men Grayson saw in the morning,” Nolan said. “No doubt your mother will have plans for tomorrow that won’t include me. It will keep me busy. You didn’t see them tonight at dinner?”

  “Gray and I didn’t go to dinner.” Memories flickered through Jesse’s mind, fast and furious like rugby replays on television.

  “We didn’t either,” Cassie said with a smirk.

  “What will we do when we find them?” Grayson asked.

  Nolan
snorted out loud. “We’re big, bad rugby players. I’m sure we can think of something.”

  “We’d better go,” Jesse said. “It’s late.” He stood, holding out his hand to haul Grayson to his feet.

  A soft tap at the door brought a frown to all their faces.

  “Cassie dear. Are you still awake?”

  Cassie scowled at the door. “Bother. It’s my mother.”

  “Should we hide?” Grayson asked.

  “Where?” Nolan demanded with an impatient glance around the feminine room.

  Jesse snorted. “Yeah, rugby players take up a lot of room.”

  “Stay there and keep quiet. Maybe I can get rid of her.” Cassie stood and tightened the belt of her silky robe before marching across to the door. She cracked it open a fraction. “Mum, I was about to go to bed. I wanted to have an early night.”

  “I won’t stay long, dear. I just wanted to discuss a few final details for the ceremony tomorrow.”

  Cassie glanced over her shoulder and shrugged. She stood back to let her mother inside. Mrs. Pendergrast bowled into the bedroom but came to an abrupt halt when she saw the three men.

  “Cassie,” she shrieked in horror. “You promised me you wouldn’t sneak off with Nolan before the wedding.”

  “Don’t worry, Mrs. Pendergrast.” Jesse aimed for soothing and just a little flirtatious. “Grayson and I came along as chaperones to make sure nothing untoward happened.” Jesse smiled winningly and ignored the soft groan he heard from behind. “In fact, we were all about to leave Cassie to her beauty sleep.”

  “Yes, young man. You certainly are. Out with all of you, right now! And Nolan, you stay away from Cassie until the ceremony tomorrow. She’ll be very busy in the morning and doesn’t need distractions.” Her gaze skimmed his bare chest for an instant.

  Jesse suppressed a smirk on seeing Nolan’s unhappy face. But he didn’t laugh too hard since he didn’t want to direct Mrs. Pendergrast’s ire in his direction.

  “Yes, ma’am,” Nolan said, grabbing his shirt off a chair in the corner of the room. He yanked it on before he strode to Cassie and kissed her slowly, despite her mother’s frown. “I’ll see you tomorrow at the wedding.”