by A. F. Zoelle
“But you still intended to marry her?” Ambrose asked in surprise.
“I was doing what I thought I was supposed to do,” I explained. “But I realized doing what I wanted to do was the smarter decision.”
Ambrose’s lips curved upward into a perverse grin. “And you wanted to do Lucien.”
If my hard-on and jerking off to a fantasy of Luci twice that morning was any indication, I apparently wanted that very much. While I still didn’t know if that was what I was after, at least one part of me had no reservations. I settled for wolfishly grinning as an answer.
Luci emerged from the bedroom, wearing nothing but a towel and holding his phone. My heart stuttered in my chest as I drank in the sight of his glistening skin, his rock-hard abs, and the white fabric hanging perilously low on his hips. He was dripping with sex, setting me afire with lust. My dick was in favor of throwing our friends out and seeing what was under that towel. I got further distracted by a droplet of water falling from his hair, sliding down to his collarbone. I wanted to lick it off, then kiss the tiny mole on his neck and the one above his hip.
“Rhys, is that a yes?”
At the sound of my name, my gaze snapped up to Luci’s. He was looking at me expectantly. I had clearly missed whatever it was he had asked me. “Uh…”
He repeated himself. “My parents want to move dinner up to six o’clock. Is that okay with you?”
It was hard to look away from his perfection, but I checked the time on my watch. It was almost five thirty. “Yeah, I’m okay with it.”
“Damn, Lucien. You’re putting me to shame,” Ambrose commented as he gave him a once-over. “Looks like I need to hit the gym more.”
Every ridge of Luci’s muscles beckoned me to come closer and explore them with my tongue and fingertips. How had I never noticed my best friend was walking sex on legs? And what the hell was I supposed to do with this new lust for him burning inside me?
“You’re built enough as it is.” August’s cheeks flushed as he stared at his hands in his lap. “If you get jacked any further, I bet you could bench-press me with one hand.”
“I never turn down a bet.” Ambrose chuckled, causing August’s blush to deepen. “If you’re volunteering, I’d be down to try.”
Luci’s lips curved upward with a knowing smile. “The gym’s on the fifth floor. Have fun, boys. Don’t hurt yourselves.”
“And that’s our cue to leave,” August said, standing up to go.
Ambrose grinned as he loomed over his shorter friend, getting in his personal space. “Are you that eager for me to show you how strong I am?”
Based on August’s rosy cheeks and inability to look Ambrose in the eyes, the answer to that question was a resounding “yes.” Damn, looks like Luci was right again.
August reminded Ambrose, “They have dinner at six, remember? We need to go so they can get ready.”
“Or squeeze in a quickie before they leave,” Ambrose quipped.
His words triggered a mental image of Luci pinning me down, pressing his perfect body against mine as we kissed. It sent a jolt of desire and adrenaline running through me. My cheeks were as pink as August’s from the thought. Is that what I wanted? My dick’s opinion was a very enthusiastic “hell yeah,” but the rest of me wasn’t as confident.
“Congratulations, guys. We’ll see you after the honeymoon,” August said.
Before Ambrose could say something regrettable, August ushered him out of the room, leaving me alone with Luci. I feared he might see straight through to my perverse fantasies, so I got off the couch to walk over to my suitcase.
When Luci captured my wrist to stop me, our bodies collided against each other, sending my hormones haywire. This close, the heat radiated off him from his shower. He liked them on the hottest setting. He once melted the tub sealant of his second-floor bathroom and caused a leak in the first floor’s ceiling, baffling the repair guy.
The smell of Luci’s body wash was intoxicating. It was a mixture of smoky vanilla and mahogany, with a hint of musk. I responded to it on a primal level that made me want to jump him regardless of how straight I had thought I was. Breathing became a challenge the longer he stared at me with his dark eyes that seared my soul with the desire burning in them.
Being so close was too much temptation to resist. I reached up with my free hand, running over the defined abs that I had been admiring earlier. He inhaled at the unexpected touch as my fingertips traced over the strong planes of his chest. When he didn’t reject me, I decided fuck it, why should I start worrying about consequences now? I entangled my fingers in his wet hair at the base of his neck and guided him down for an intense kiss.
Rather than jerking away, Luci pulled me closer. I yielded to his tongue with a moan, letting him take what he wanted from me. I had never been more turned on in my life as we made out. His towel didn’t hide how aroused he was as his hardness pressed against me. His grip on my wrist tightened, making me whimper. I ached for him to throw me on the bed and take control of my desires.
When we paused for air, he rested his forehead against mine, overwhelmed by the experience. I was the first to speak when I pleaded, “Tell me we can be late and keep going.”
“If we continue, we’ll miss dinner,” Luci said, his voice a dark rumble that sent shivers through me.
I looked up at him with an impish grin. “Promise?”
“I’ve waited too long to rush this.” The sentiment was simultaneously romantic, depressing, and frustrating as hell. We were so stupid for resisting the pull between us for so long. “Plus, we haven’t eaten since yesterday.”
“Is that your way of saying I need to keep up my strength for what comes after dinner?”
A shadow of doubt clouded Luci’s eyes. “Only if it’s what you want.”
I guided his hand to my answering hardness as proof. His fingers twitched as he cupped my raging erection. “Oh, I want it. I’ve wanted it since that night your sister interrupted us pleasuring each other.”
“Rhys.” I loved how Luci whispered my name like it was a sacred word.
“Please put on some damn clothes, before I make us miss dinner.”
“Only because I have to, not because I want to.” With that, he returned to the bathroom to finish getting ready.
Even though we stopped before we reached the good part, I was on cloud nine after that incredible kiss. I couldn’t wait until after dinner when we could do something about the feelings we had been dancing around since we were teenagers.
I always looked forward to meals with Luci’s family, but this was the first time that I was nervous before meeting them. The idea that we might have hurt them by eloping in secret killed me.
Outside of the restaurant, Luci told me, “I’ll follow your lead, okay?”
“You say that like I know what I’m doing.” I nervously laughed. What if I screwed everything up with his family? I’d have no one after that.
As if he could sense the road my thoughts were going down, he reassured me. “Remember, we’re in this together.”
His parents and sister were already sitting at a table waiting. My nerves reached a fevered pitch, making me feel sick. My turmoil must have shown on my face, because Luci’s mom got up from her chair.
Vera’s expression was sympathetic as she opened her arms to me. “Oh, honey, come here.”
I stepped into the hug, overcome with emotions. While I didn’t deserve her comfort, I clung to her, careful to hide my wedding ring.
“Whatever happened, it’s okay,” she promised. Her words soothed me, making believe it was true. “You’re with family now.”
Would she still say that after I told them the truth?
Like the perfect mom she was, Vera didn’t pull away. My mother hadn’t even looked at me, let alone hug me after my announcement. I hadn’t received so much as a text from either of my parents, but that wasn’t surprising after the blowout at breakfast.
As soon as I stepped out of Vera’s arms, Luci�
��s sister gathered me into a tight hug. “I swear to god, I will kick Olivia’s ass for this if you want me to.”
I appreciated that Lucretia was fiercely protective of me. Not only was she like a sister to me, but she also was one of my closest friends. I originally wanted her to be one of my groomsmen, but Olivia threw a fit at the idea and refused. “But this is all my fault.”
“Nope, it’s hers for being awful.” She pulled back and grinned at me. I realized she was wearing the emerald-green sweater and purple pants I had given her two Christmases ago. It was yet another indicator of how much Luci’s family cared about me. “Thanks for realizing it before you made the biggest mistake of your life.”
I couldn’t share her humor. “I’m sorry I’m such an idiot.”
“That doesn’t stop me from loving my brother, and it’s never stopped me from loving you,” Lucretia teased. “You know that.”
“Yeah, but—”
She shushed me. “You’re fine, Rhys.”
“Mighty, mighty fine, actually,” I retorted, causing her to laugh. It was our long-running joke.
“No argument there, hon.” She winked at me, before she hugged Luci. I heard her whisper to him, “Good job.” It was zero percent surprising that Lucretia had figured out that whatever made me call off my engagement was because of him. I was apparently the only moron who hadn’t realized that my entire life revolved around him.
Luci’s dad came over to me next. The family resemblance was strong between father and son. Luke was a preview of the handsome silver fox his son would be someday. He wore a dark blue sweater with a white shirt collar under it paired with jeans.
I admired and respected Luke more than anyone in my family. From my earliest memories, Luke and the entire St. Amour family treated me like a second son. Without question, he gave me the love and approval my dad was incapable of giving me. I could live with my asshole father hating me for the rest of my life, but not Luke. For the first time since I was fifteen and accidentally broke his car window, I stared up at him with fear of reprisal.
Luke clasped me on the shoulder with a gentle squeeze. “You look too miserable for a man who made the right decision, son.”
He always called me “son,” but the word hit me hard in my emotional state. “But everyone tried to warn me.” My throat closed up from my overwhelming emotions. “I’m so sorry, I should have—”
Luke stopped me with a hug and a reassuring pat on the back. “No apologies are necessary. The only thing we care about is that you’re happy.”
“I am.”
“That’s all that matters. Let’s get you something to eat.”
With that, we all took our seats. Luke sat at the head, with Vera and Lucretia on one side, me and Luci on the other. The normalcy of seating arrangement helped soothe my nerves, as did Luci giving my hand a reassuring squeeze under the table.
Once we placed our orders, Lucretia asked, “Am I allowed to guess why you called off the wedding?”
“Besides the obvious reason she was all wrong for him?” Vera countered, grinning. She was honest to a fault, but I loved that about her.
“Something else happened. Let me think.” Lucretia tapped her chin as she considered her options. After a moment, her smile turned mischievous. “They eloped!”
I stared at Luci in disbelief. “You told them?”
“What?” Lucretia screeched, drawing looks from other people at nearby tables. We really needed to quit making a scene in restaurants.
“No, you just did,” he said under his breath.
My eyes went wide, realizing I had inadvertently fessed up to what we had done. I froze like a deer caught in headlights, uncertain of what to do. This wasn’t the way I wanted them to find out.
To my great shock, the two women began laughing hysterically. Luke grinned as they wiped away the tears of mirth gathering in the corners of their eyes. That wasn’t the type of crying I had expected from them.
Once Lucretia regained her composure, she held her palm out to her parents. It was reminiscent of Luci demanding the honeymoon suite key card at breakfast. “Pay up, folks. You each owe me a hundred bucks.”
“You placed bets?” Luci questioned in a scandalized tone.
His sister sounded downright gleeful. “I had money on you two eloping. Mom bet on Olivia getting caught having an affair with Ambrose. Dad thought Rhys would go through with it.”
Their wagers probably should have offended me, but as I watched Vera and Luke pull out their wallets to pay their daughter, the absurdity of it struck me. It was my turn to be the one laughing. It was such a St. Amour thing to do I couldn’t help but be in awe of it.
Lucretia pocketed her windfall, then blew me a kiss with a wink. “Thanks, hon.”
“You’re not mad?” Luci asked.
With a dramatic sigh, Vera joked, “We all know I’d lose that money playing slots later. It’s fine.”
Luci frowned. “I meant about us getting married.”
“I’ll only be mad if there aren’t pictures,” Lucretia answered. “I want to see your rings!”
When he showed he was wearing Olivia’s ostentatious wedding band, she cackled again with peals of laughter. “Oh, you didn’t just steal her man, you stole her ring, too? Beautifully done, Luci!”
“And her honeymoon suite,” he added.
The information delighted Lucretia. “You’re such a petty bastard! Serves her right.”
I justified our actions. “It’s not that we didn’t want you there. It was a spur-of-the-moment idea and—”
Vera interrupted me. “We’ll forgive you if we can throw you a proper wedding later.”
“We couldn’t be prouder to have you as an official member of the St. Amour family, son,” Luke added. He smiled at me with so much fatherly pride that I could have cried again.
It was my last chance to explain there would be an annulment and not a second wedding, but I couldn’t bring myself to say it. Everything in my head was a jumbled mess, but I knew in my heart that I wasn’t ready to give up Luci.
“Please tell me there was an Elvis impersonator involved!” Lucretia begged.
“It’s Vegas. There’s always an Elvis,” I said with a laugh. “The chapel e-mailed me an online photo album earlier.”
Lucretia did a happy clap as she bounced in her chair. “I love show-and-tell!”
I hesitated before agreeing. Our open affection in the pictures was a very personal thing to share. I glanced over at Luci, who nodded at me. With his consent, I pulled up the gallery before handing over my phone.
As Lucretia and Vera cooed over the photos, I interlaced my fingers with Luci’s. The small gesture made him smile in a way that sent love blooming anew in my heart. No matter what happened, as long as I had him at my side, everything would be okay. In that regard, absolutely nothing had changed between us.
As relieved as I was that my family had taken the news of the marriage well, their enthusiastic excitement made me feel hollow. None of this was real. I waited the whole dinner for Rhys to mention the annulment, but it never happened. I told myself not to read too much into it. My foolish heart wished it was because he didn’t want it anymore, but the more likely case was he probably wanted to avoid upsetting everyone with the truth.
When we returned to our honeymoon suite, I decided it was time for answers. I stopped him in the living room, standing closer than was necessary. As I looked down into his wide stormy gray eyes, it was hard not to get lost in them.
Decades of our friendship had taught me that being blunt was the best way to handle Rhys. “Why didn’t you tell them about the annulment?”
His eyes were full of challenge as he declared, “I don’t want to.”
The rebellion was as infuriating as it was invigorating. I tipped his chin back, holding his gaze as used my height to my advantage to press closer to him. “Why don’t you want to tell me?”
“No, I don’t want to get an annulment.”
For such a simple
sentence, it baffled me. I told myself not to get my hopes up when he only meant he didn’t want one right now. Later would be a different story. “What do you mean?”
A grin tugged at the corner of Rhys’s mouth. “You’re supposed to be the smart one. If you can’t figure it out—”
“Don’t play games with me, Rhys,” I sharply interrupted him. I softened my tone when I saw him wince at my words. “Not about this.”
Defiance burned bright in his eyes, sending a twisted thrill through me. “Fine, I’ll explain since you apparently require it to be explicitly spelled out for you. I want you to kiss me until I forget how to breathe. I want you to take me into our bedroom right now and finish what we started that night as teenagers and keep going. I want to go on our honeymoon together and have you pound me into the mattress until I’m hoarse from crying out your name. Then, I want you to make love to me until your name is the only word I remember. I want to come home with you afterward and see where this goes.” Rhys reached up and caressed my cheek as I stared at him in shock. “I want to be your husband for real, Lucien.”
For once in my life, I was speechless. My emotions were a confusing jumble of being turned on by his vivid descriptions of how he wanted me to pleasure him and being overwhelmed by his unwavering certainty. It was everything I desired, but I feared the best thing that had ever happened to me would disappear. “But this morning—”
Rhys interjected, “This morning doesn’t count. I can safely say that this has been the longest and most eventful day of my damn life. What I said then doesn’t matter. I’m standing in front of you telling you what I want right now.” He pulled off his sweater, throwing it aside without a care where it landed. When he stripped off his jeans and underwear at the same time, my brain short-circuited at the sight of his glorious nudity. “What I want right now is for you to get naked so we can find out what happens when your sister can’t interrupt us.”