“’Night,” Cassie said.
They filed from the room without another word. Once the door closed behind them, they grinned at each other.
Grayson shot a quick glance at Nolan and winked at Jesse. “You know if you want to determine how your bride will turn out you should look at the mother.”
“Don’t scare me,” Nolan said, fastening the buttons of his shirt. “You want a beer before you head back to your room?”
“Not tonight,” Grayson said, speaking for both of them. His steady gaze bore into Jesse with silent expectation. Excitement zapped through Jesse and he nodded in agreement.
“Okay,” Nolan said. “I’m pleased for you both.”
“Thanks,” Jesse said.
“I’ll meet you tomorrow morning for breakfast. Don’t be late or I’ll come and find you.” He lowered his voice. “I shock easily.”
Grayson let out a derisive snort. “Yeah, right. You’re a narrow-minded son of a bitch. That’s why we love you so much.”
“That’s why you’re my best men,” Nolan said, his good humor fading. “Friends are there for each other no matter what.”
“Thanks, man.” Jesse clapped his friend on the back. “We’ll see you in the morning.”
“At breakfast,” Nolan reminded them. On the ground floor, he waved and strode down a corridor.
Jesse and Grayson ambled outside side by side until the width of the path made it impossible to walk two abreast. Small solar lamps lit the cobblestone path leading around the back of the main house to the guest bungalows behind. The sweet scent of flowers filled the air and it was quiet, with not a single person in sight. When they passed an open window, the sultry strains of a Norah Jones ballad floated through.
Grayson stopped in the dark shadows cast by the brick wall of the building. Before Jesse knew what was happening, Grayson had him in a firm embrace and their lips pressed together. Jesse groaned, the raw sensuality in the other man’s touch firing his own desire.
A loud laugh broke them apart. Jesse’s chest heaved and the rasp of Grayson’s breathing sounded loud, as if he’d sprinted the length of a rugby field.
“Hell, sorry,” Grayson said. “I wasn’t thinking.”
And he hadn’t been much better. They had so much to lose should their relationship become public knowledge. Jesse glanced over his shoulder. No one there. “No harm done, but we’d better not try that again unless we’re sure of our privacy.”
“Agreed. Let’s go find privacy. I want you.”
Jesse grunted. He couldn’t have said it better himself.
They hustled to their bungalow, flung open the door and stepped inside.
Grayson slammed the door shut and flicked the lock. It made a sharp click when it engaged. “Right,” he said. “How about taking up right where we left off?”
Jesse didn’t have a problem with that.
Their mouths slammed together, arms clasping each other in a firm grip. Hands yanked at T-shirts and slid beneath to smooth across muscular torsos and midriffs. Their groins rubbed together, jeans-clad erections brushing with exquisite friction.
Clothes faded away, drifting to the ground unwanted. By the time they finished, a trail littered the oatmeal-colored carpet all the way to the separate bedroom. They fell onto the nearest bed, muscles flexing when they slid together. Jesse plucked at a masculine nipple, highly satisfied with the groan he wrung from his lover.
“Condom,” Grayson muttered.
Jesse leaned over to grab a foil pack and packets of lube from the side pocket of his bag. He slapped them into Grayson’s hand and experienced a shiver of pure and desperate need. Grayson rolled on the condom with quick, deft moves then opened a packet of lube, warming the gel in his hands this time before smoothing it across Jesse’s entrance and along his own swollen length.
“Lie back,” he ordered.
Jesse reclined on the mattress, legs spread while he held Grayson’s gaze.
“Perfect.” Grayson leaned over and licked a slow path from the base to the tip of his cock. He teased Jesse’s taut balls, rolling them between his fingers.
A groan squeezed past Jesse’s lips and he stirred restlessly, his cock and balls painfully tight. It had happened so quickly, the blaze of fire that ripped through his body. Luckily, Grayson seemed to understand he wanted it quick and fast again.
After minimal stretching, Grayson pushed inside, fueling the slow burn that was both pleasure and pain. Jesse bucked, forcing him deeper. He thrust in and out, nailing Jesse’s prostate. Jesse’s hips jerked, a cry of pleasure filling the air. The next thrust did the trick, propelling him into a fiery climax. Spurts of cum hit his stomach, the pleasure so intense it was almost painful. He gasped, nerves still twitching when Grayson thrust sharply then stilled, his face etched in harsh lines.
Grayson pulled slowly from his body and removed the condom before he turned back to hug him.
“I’m all sticky,” Jesse said.
“Don’t care,” Grayson said. “Just want to touch you.” He pulled Jesse close and shut his eyes.
Jesse smiled and pressed a kiss against his lover’s cheek. He felt the rapid thud of his heart and couldn’t believe he’d scored so well.
Chapter Four
Jesse found the photo pushed under the door when he woke the next morning. The accompanying note said the photo would appear in the Sunday paper.
“Fuck.” The four-letter word didn’t do justice to his feelings so he said it again. “Fuck!”
“What’s wrong?” Grayson said, appearing from the en suite with a white towel wrapped around his hips.
Jesse thrust the photo and note at him, his heart thudding and blood roaring through his head. One bloody kiss. Just one, and it was going to be the downfall of both of them. “They were pushed under the door. Someone saw us.”
Grayson studied the note then the photo. He grunted. “The picture’s grainy. Our faces aren’t clear. Don’t worry. The photo is dark and taken from so far away it’s difficult for anyone to say it’s us for sure.”
“They still have a photo,” Jesse snapped, his chest heaving hard while anger and fear swirled around inside. He clenched his hands to fists and released them when he realized he wanted to hit something.
“I’m sorry, mate. I didn’t think last night. Just wanted to touch you.” Grayson placed a hand on his shoulder, the heavy weight a comfort even though regret filled Jesse too. It was easy to blame Grayson for this but deep inside he knew the responsibility belonged to him as well. He could have said no.
“What are we going to do?”
“There’s only one thing to do. We laugh and deny everything,” Grayson said.
“Or we could tell the truth,” Jesse said, a wave of nausea tap-dancing through his stomach at the thought.
Grayson shot a sharp look at him. “No. As much as I hate hiding, I’m not keen on issuing the press with a statement either. The press won’t leave us alone if we come clean. All I want to do is concentrate on rugby and get through the Super 15 tournament without injury. I want to put my hand up for the All Blacks. Can’t do that with the press in our faces.”
“Do we tell Nolan and Cassie?”
“Nolan, at any rate. We’re meeting him for breakfast.” Grayson glanced at his watch before grinning at him. “Better hurry in the shower or else he’ll turn up here.” He grabbed Jesse and kissed him hard on the lips, his skin warm after the shower. “Don’t worry. It will turn out all right.”
Jesse sighed, his throat constricted with tension. Grayson didn’t believe that. He could see it in his lover’s eyes. No matter which way he looked at the problem, they were screwed.
* * * * *
“About time,” Nolan said. “I thought I’d have to kick your butts out of bed.”
Grayson and Jesse joined him at one of the tables set up in the ballroom to cope with the large number of guests.
“Problem?” Nolan asked after a swift look at their set faces.
Grayson glance
d at Jesse and received an imperceptible nod. He pulled the letter and photo from his jeans pocket and handed the crumpled items to their friend.
Nolan took one look and cursed. “I received the same letter with a different photo under my bedroom door this morning. Our photo is a lot clearer. There’s no doubt as to the identities of the people in the photo.”
“Cassie’s mother is gonna be pissed.” Jesse clutched at the one thing Grayson knew would lighten the tense mood.
“Understatement, mate,” Nolan said. “Her father won’t be happy either. I don’t suppose you can see either of the two men from yesterday. They’re our only suspects?”
Grayson scanned the faces in the room and shook his head. “I haven’t seen them again.”
Nolan scowled. “They have to be guests. With the security the Pendergrasts have in place this weekend, there’s no other way they could have entered the grounds. Both photos were taken on the premises.”
“So what do we do?” Jesse asked.
“As much as I hate it, we’re going to need to tell Cassie’s father.”
Grayson nodded. He’d expected that since Pendergrast would want to ask questions of his security force. “I wish I could find— Well, hell,” he drawled softly. “There’s one of the men. He’s grabbing a cup of coffee.”
“The tall, skinny guy in the blue shirt?” Nolan asked.
“Yeah. That’s the one.”
“Neal. Cassie’s cousin,” Nolan said. “Funnily enough, the other night he told me about his passion for photography. He wants to become a professional.”
Grayson caught the flash of fire in Jesse’s eyes and placed a hand on his arm. “Jesse, let Pendergrast deal with this. He’ll be able to quash it better than we can.”
The tension leached from Jesse’s body and he stood. “Fancy a coffee, Gray?” A feral grin twisted his lips. “Don’t worry. I’ll control myself. I just want a closer look at the weasel.”
“Black coffee,” Grayson said, leaning back on his chair. Outwardly, he knew he’d appear at ease, but inside his gut roiled with worry. Jesse was an adult, responsible for his own actions. He trusted him to do the right thing, or at least he prayed Jesse would hold his temper and not punch the guy. They weren’t even sure this man had taken the photos although his passion for photography combined with his presence near the bush indicated complicity in the crime.
Another man walked into the ballroom and strode over to Cassie’s cousin Neal. Grayson recognized him as the second man he’d seen. With cups of coffee in hand, they walked over to an empty table near the doors that opened into the gardens and sat down. They knew each other well. Interesting.
Jesse arrived back at the table and placed a cup of coffee in front of Grayson. “They did it. I could tell by the gleeful expressions on their faces when they saw me. They have dollar signs in front of their eyes. Bastards.”
“We’ll work something out,” Nolan said in a hard voice. “Cassie’s father won’t be impressed. He hates intrusion into his private life as much as we do.”
“We could put the fear of God into them,” Grayson said, cocking his head toward the two men at the other table. “We’re big and en mass we’re scary. I’ve changed my mind. Why don’t we confiscate their photos, if it’s not too late, and escort them from the premises?”
“It might make things worse,” Nolan said.
“The photos have probably already gone to the papers.” Jesse narrowed his eyes on the two men. “But it would make me feel better if we took some sort of action.”
The three men looked at each other.
“Let’s do it,” Grayson said.
They stood and prowled over to the two men, surrounding the table. The three of them together blocked the early morning sun and stopped the bright stream of rays coming through the open doors.
Neal glanced up, his face blanching when he saw their determined faces. “Wh-what do you want?”
“We want the photos you took of us,” Nolan said in a hard voice.
Oh yeah, Grayson thought. The expressions on their faces shouted of guilt. Neither man would meet his gaze.
“It wasn’t our idea,” Neal said. “Don’t hurt us.”
“You’re too late. We’ve already sold them,” the other man said with a sneer. “You’re a pair of powder puffs.”
“That’s Mr. Powder Puff to you.” Jesse’s hand snaked out to grab the man’s collar, his blue eyes flashing anger.
Jesse’s words surprised Grayson but a sense of pride suffused him too. He knew how much his lover valued his privacy plus his dream of making the All Blacks. Grayson snorted at the way the man’s eyes widened in alarm and a tic kicked to life in his jaw, the way his sneer faded to panic.
“Whose idea was it?” Nolan asked in lethal tone.
“Serena’s. It was Serena’s idea. She wanted us to take compromising photos of him and her together, but you brushed her off and she couldn’t get you alone,” Neal babbled.
“Serena?” Jesse asked. “This was all about Serena?” He released the man’s collar with a sound of disgust.
“Yes. Yes, it was all her idea,” Neal said. “She wants you bad.”
“So why did you take photos of me?” Nolan demanded. “Serena isn’t pissed at me.”
“I have bills.”
Nolan cursed. “How much did they pay you? How much?” he repeated when neither man answered.
“Ten thousand,” Neal blurted.
“The Starship Hospital will welcome the donation.” Jesse loomed over the man in a threatening manner.
“No! That’s my money.”
“Fine. We’ll turn you over to Cassie’s father,” Nolan said. “You guys wait here. I’ll go and get him.” He strode off and disappeared into the interior of the house.
“You can’t do this,” the unnamed man said.
“We can and we will,” Jesse gritted out.
“You’ll be sorry, powder puff.”
Jesse moved so quickly Grayson blinked. He shoved the man’s chair and seconds later Neal’s friend sprawled on the ground. Neal let out an alarmed squawk and sprang out of range, his wild-eyed expression bearing distinct alarm, as if he thought he might be next in line for Jesse’s brand of retribution.
“That was clever.” Grayson’s glance around the dining room confirmed they were the center of attention.
Jesse snarled. “I told him before it’s Mr. Powder Puff. The man has no respect.”
A snigger escaped Grayson as he noted the twitch of Jesse’s mouth. He was glad Jesse was taking it so well.
Nolan returned with Cassie’s father and two security guards. His brows rose when he saw the man on the ground.
“He fell off his chair,” Jesse said.
“I’ll take care of this, boys. I’m sorry they’ve caused a problem.” Under Mr. Pendergrast’s direction, the two security guards escorted them from the room.
“Right,” Nolan said. “Who’s hungry?”
* * * * *
The Wedding
Jesse stood beside Grayson and Nolan beneath a flower-bedecked pagoda. The marriage celebrant smiled with bright reassurance while they waited for Cassie to arrive. A low buzz of chatter came from the assembled family and guests seated in the chairs behind them. It sounded as if everyone were enjoying the sunny afternoon.
Soft romantic music started, announcing the bride’s arrival, and the chatter faded away.
“Nervous?” Jesse asked.
Nolan shook his head. “No, I can’t wait. Besides, I can sleep in Cassie’s room without having to sneak around. I’m too damn old for those shenanigans.”
A small flower girl threw rose petals while she walked toward them. The two bridesmaids followed and then Cassie appeared on her father’s arm.
“Cassie looks beautiful,” Grayson said.
“Yeah, she does,” Nolan murmured.
Jesse smiled at the awe in his friend’s voice. Cassie was good for Nolan. A moment of despair touched him when he glanced at Grayson
’s handsome face. They would never have the same acceptance of their relationship but that didn’t mean they couldn’t work things out.
The music ended with a flourish when Cassie reached Nolan’s side. Grinning, he planted a chaste kiss on her lips, causing a chorus of laughter from everyone present. A sullen Serena moved into place. Jesse intended to act civilly toward her but that didn’t mean he had to enjoy her company. He grinned at the small flower girl who hadn’t finished throwing all her petals. She’d come to a stop near him and looked a little confused. He stooped to whisper in her ear and earned himself a gap-toothed grin. When he stood, she pushed between Grayson and him so she could watch the proceedings.
The marriage celebrant smiled at them all, her face serene and full of happiness. “Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to celebrate the marriage of two wonderful people…”
Jesse smiled while he listened to the words, enjoying the presence of Grayson at his side. He tried not to laugh at the fidgety flower girl who still stood between them.
“…I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride,” the celebrant said.
“He’s already done that,” someone shouted.
Nolan’s mouth curved into a wicked grin seconds before he kissed his wife.
“Can I throw the roses now?” the flower girl asked.
“Yes.” Jesse chuckled when the small girl gleefully pelted Cassie and Nolan with the last of her rose petals.
The photos seemed endless but gradually they moved into the ballroom-cum-dining room. Speeches and toasts followed, a mood of fun and laughter filling the room. The sun crept below the horizon and darkness fell. Tables were cleared and moved and musicians set up, ready for dancing.
Jesse knew everyone expected him to dance with Serena. At least once. He didn’t want to but decided it would give him an opportunity to speak with her. Grayson asked his partner to dance and Jesse stood.
“Serena, would you like to dance?”
“No,” she spat.
Jesse grinned and sat again. “Scared I’ll bite,” he said. “Or are you sulking because I wouldn’t?”
Best Man Page 4