Resisting Double Trouble (North Bay Pursuits Book 8)

by Kenzi Bond

  Dean gave his father a serene smile. “Papa, you’re not losing us. We aren’t going anywhere. You’ve helped us become who we are today, but it is time for us to start our lives with the men we love.”

  Another deep breath and Jackson straightened his shoulders. “Yeah, yeah, I know. God, I’m so damn proud of you both.”

  Warmth spread through Beau. “We love you, Papa. Can you help us with our wedding outfits?” He turned and indicated two garment bags hanging on a hook. Pulling the zip down, he unveiled a Salle Privée off-white suit. The slim-cut suit was finished with elegant shawl lapels and covered buttons. The bow tie was made from silk twill which looked great against the crisp white shirt. “What do you think?” he asked.

  Taking the fine wool fabric between his fingers, Lucas took in the exquisite quality. “It’s perfect. This is really happening, isn’t it?”

  “Yep, and we’re running out of time.”

  Hearing a knock at the door, Dean smiled. “That should be Tom. We met him on Ally Tonight, and he’s agreed to do our makeup and hair.”

  Tom rushed in, full of energy and excitement. “This is such an honor. To think, plain old Tom Allen is doing the makeup for the Xavier twins’ wedding. I can hardly contain my joy.” He spun in a circle. “This is the biggest secret I have ever kept in my life. I thought I would literally die from holding it in.” He took a deep breath and looked at Lucas and Jackson. “Oh my, I had such a crush on you at one time.”

  Jackson blushed. “Well, thank you, but you’re making me feel old.”

  Tom tinkled out a laugh. “Oh, sweetheart, you’re a doll, but I wasn’t speaking about you. I was talking to the tall drink of water beside you. You have the looks, but I’m all for the brains. Let me tell you, honey, I saw Lucas speak at a conference once, and I shivered every time he got technical. I was dating a psychologist at the time, and he let me tag along.” He gave an exaggerated shiver at the memory. “Damn, he was delightful, up there on the stage.”

  Lucas laughed before kissing Jackson’s cheek. “Don’t worry, my love. You totally do it for me.”

  Tom spun around, his white skirt flaring. “Well, let’s get started!” He dragged his makeup cart into the room.

  Before they knew it, the twins were dressed. Their hair had been twisted into a triple braid with gold thread. With the hair pulled back from their faces, their exotic features were on full display. Tom had gone for a subtle look, with bronzes and golds for the eyelids. Beau stared at the results in the mirror, pleased with the outcome. Tom had outdone himself (yet again). Beside him, Dean glowed with happiness.

  “It’s perfect,” Dean whispered.

  Standing, Beau reached for the box containing matching boutonnieres and attached them to his parents’ suits, Dean, and then himself. Finally, they were ready.

  “I’m so proud of you both,” Jackson said, his eyes bright with emotion. “Look at you. My babies are all grown up.”

  Tears filled Beau’s eyes. He couldn’t get emotional yet. He didn’t want to spoil his makeup. “Love you, Papa. Love you, Dad. Now let’s get this show on the road.”

  Taking a deep breath, Beau reached out for his brother’s hand. Their eyes locked. They had been through so much, but it had brought them to this day. “Ready?”

  “I was ready when I was sixteen,” Dean responded with confidence.

  As directed, Beth stepped in to lead the procession, followed by Kasey and then Joel. Still holding hands, Beau and Dean got into position. Lucas threaded his arm through Beau’s, and Jackson threaded his through Dean’s.

  Tom pushed the doors that led back to the main room open, almost bouncing on his feet with excitement. “I’ll run ahead and get a seat.”

  Light music played as they entered. While they had been getting ready, the nightclub had been transformed. Cream roses had been added to the end chairs with gold ribbon, and deep purple carpet created a path for them to follow. Beau looked up and froze. His eyes focused on Drake and Malcolm standing with the officiant. Beau’s breath hitched. They wore black Ralph Lauren tuxedos, their vests in the same fabric as Beau and Dean’s silk bows. They looked a million dollars. His heart filled with love at the sight of Malcolm, his future husband.

  The guests, who had been ushered to their seats, stared at them in shock—everyone but Kaden. Beau suspected that Kaden knew about the wedding. At least he hadn’t said anything to anyone. Then again, Jason didn’t look very surprised beside him. Jason looked distinguished in his dark gray button-up and jeans. He looked relaxed, his usual air of danger toned down.

  Beau scanned the room. These people were the ones who mattered. He spotted Brandon and Shane and couldn’t contain his laughter. Brandon was wearing one of his trademark tight shirts, with “Gay AF” spelled out in rainbow-colored letters. Well, that’s what they got for not telling their friends about the wedding. Brandon pointed at his shirt and gave a thumbs-up, grinning like a madman. Beside him, smartly dressed in a white button-up, Shane dropped his head, as if ashamed of his husband. But the smile he gave him was pure love.

  He spotted Lincoln at the back, furiously writing in his folder, and briefly wondered what he was writing. They hadn’t caught up with him before the wedding, so they still didn’t know who he was marrying. Beau made a mental note to speak with him later.

  Luther Vandross’s “Here and Now” started to play, indicating it was time. He glanced at Dean and followed Joel toward their future.

  32

  Malcolm

  “

  Gentlemen, you may now kiss your husbands.”

  With deep satisfaction, Malcolm pulled Beau in tight and settled his lips on Beau’s. He had every intention on keeping the kiss chaste, but Beau made such a needy groan that Malcolm devoured Beau, forcing his head back with a fist in the braids.

  A clearing of Joel’s throat beside him shocked him back to reality.

  The officiant had given the mic to Joel. Like a pro, he turned to the audience. “I present to you, Mr. and Mr. Malcolm and Beau Tallon, and Mr. and Mr. Drake and Dean Tallon.”

  Malcolm’s heart swelled as he heard his married name for the first time. There had been much debate about their married name. They considered Xavier-Tallon, Tallon-Xavier, and just Xavier, but the twins want to have the surname Tallon.

  He was glad he did, as Beau gave him a heated look. It seemed his new husband liked the new name.

  The room erupted with cheers and applause as they stood. Suddenly, they were rushed by people wanting to wish them well.

  Brandon and Shane approached. Shane had a hand on the back of Brandon’s neck in a secure grip. Malcolm noticed that Brandon was often hyper, and the action seem to ground him. “A little heads-up would have been nice,” Shane remarked. “I would have at least ensured Brandon was dressed more acceptably.”

  Beau gave a carefree laugh. “Brandon looks perfect. I wouldn’t want him to change a thing.” Malcolm released his grip on Beau’s hand as Beau wrapped his arms around Brandon’s broad shoulders. “I’m so glad you’re here,” Malcolm heard him whisper.

  Beau released Brandon and hugged Shane. “Hey there, sexy man. You keeping your husband out of trouble?”

  Shane laughed. “Never. As you said, I wouldn’t change a thing when it comes to Brandon.”

  They exchanged small talk for a few minutes before stepping aside and letting the next group move forward.

  Jason stood in front of them, his hand clamped down on Kaden’s mouth. He was grinning ruefully. “Yeah, I know. He’s an invasive little shit sometimes. I truly don’t think he can help himself. The good news is he didn’t tell anyone. Even me,” Jason said, giving Kaden a fond look. “If I let you go, do you promise to behave?”

  Kaden nodded enthusiastically. He attempted to give them an innocent look, but Malcolm knew he was far from innocent.

  Jason suddenly let go of Kaden’s mouth. Giving Kaden a disgruntled look, he wiped his hands on his pants. “Infant,” he muttered.

  “That’s
not what you said the last time I licked your hand,” Kaden responded with a cheeky grin.

  A young man standing slightly behind them let out a groan. “Dad, must you?”

  He stepped forward and held out his hand. “Hi, I’m Matt. We haven’t had a chance to meet yet. You’ll have to excuse my father. He never grew up.” He rolled his eyes at Kaden.

  Malcolm took Matt’s hand in his. He noticed Matt’s fingers were stained with paint.

  “Oops, sorry about that. I like to paint, and it’s not always easy to get the color off.”

  Matt looked young. Malcolm put his age around fourteen. He had sandy-blond hair and large blue eyes, framed by long eyelashes. Freckles scattered across his pale face.

  Jason put his hand around Matt’s shoulders. “We’re very proud of him. He’s a talented artist. He’s actually been away at a junior artist retreat. It’s good to have him home.”

  “It’s been hard on Kaden having him away for so long. I’m surprised he hasn’t turned up to find out who Matt’s been hanging around. I’m sure he’s even contemplating investigating the artists in residence.”

  In a flash Matt, swung around to Kaden. “Don’t you dare. We had an agreement,” he said, pointing his finger at his father. “You promised not to investigate anyone in my life.”

  “I would never!” Kaden protested.

  Malcolm laughed as Jason took Kaden’s chin in a tight grip. “You better not be breaking your word to our son,” he warned, his voice deep and menacing.

  Kaden’s eyes widened, as if he was shocked someone would accuse him of such a thing. “Honest, I’ve kept my word. No spying on our son.”

  “Dad!” Matt dragged the word out on a long groan.

  Ignoring him, Kaden turned his attention to Malcolm and Beau. “Congratulations, guys. It was a beautiful wedding. I don’t know how you managed to keep it a secret from everyone. Well, everyone but me. How did Jax take it? I wish I could have been there to see his face. I’m surprised he didn’t try to insist on a church wedding.” Kaden barely breathed between sentences.

  Dean gave Kaden a small shove. “Don’t be mean. Papa was happy for us. He may have had a little panic attack, but we did spring this on them.”

  As they chatted, Malcolm noticed that Jason let Kaden do most of the talking. He seemed content standing back, only adding comments here and there. Finally, they said their goodbyes and agreed to catch up after the honeymoon.

  Slowly, the guests continued to move forward. Malcolm hadn’t met many of them face-to-face, but Dean and Beau had told them stories, and Malcolm was enjoying putting the face to the person. He met Devon and his partner, Zane, who was not much taller than the twins. With fine, delicate features, Malcolm could easily imagine he drew men to him. His skin was a pale ivory, with striking butterfly tattoos visible on his neck. Standing beside them, their daughter was equally beautiful. Tall and statuesque, she stood over a foot taller than Zane. Her thick, lustrous hair hung down to her slim waist. She had the same ivory skin as her father and deep blue eyes. Beau had mentioned she was an international model. It wasn’t hard to see why. She was stunning. With people waiting, they didn’t get to chat for long but agreed to make time to meet.

  Malcolm identified a tall, buff man with blond hair as Noah, based on the description Beau had given him. Beside him was his partner, Quinn. The couple were polar opposites, dark and light. He enjoyed Noah’s easy banter as they spoke briefly.

  While he liked meeting everyone, he needed a break. Most of all, he needed some time alone with his husband. There was that word again—husband. The striking, confident man beside him was now his husband.

  Excusing themselves, he dragged Beau from the room, heading straight for his office. He closed and locked the door behind them.

  “What?” Beau asked before Malcolm kissed him. He moaned long and deep. “Husband,” he whispered between kisses.

  A desperate need overcame Malcolm. “Yes, husband. And I want you right now.” Frantically, he lowered Beau’s trousers and freed his cock.

  Beau’s sure fingers made quick work on the zipper of Malcolm’s trousers.

  Beau took him in a firm hand. “Husband,” he moaned.

  Forcing himself to slow down, Malcolm managed to get them undressed. He turned placing his hands to the top of the desk, spreading his legs leaning forward.

  Malcolm took a packet from his pocket and handed it to Beau, who tore it open, drizzling the cool lube down Malcolm’s crack.

  “You look so hot,” Beau groaned as he worked his fingers into Malcolm’s hole. His need grew and he pushed back onto the fingers.

  Beau kept growling and moaning the word “husband” in a deep, needy voice. In one forceful thrust, he pushed into Malcolm, stretching him wide with a slight burn.

  Malcolm was overwhelmed with emotion. This was his husband. They had committed to a life together in front of everyone. “Move, Beau. I need you so much.”

  What little control Beau had left snapped, and he thrust in and out of Malcolm’s channel.

  It was embarrassingly fast how quick Malcolm reached his peak. His balls pulled up tight as his body released a wave of sensation unlike anything he had ever experienced. His legs gave, and he all but collapsed on the desk. “I love you so much,” he panted.

  Beau let out a high keen as he, too, reached his peak. He slumped forward onto Malcolm’s back. “I love you, too, husband.”

  It took a while for Beau to tidy his hair and look presentable. “How do I look?”

  “Perfect.” Malcolm couldn’t stop staring at Beau. His face was flushed, and his dark eyes were filled with love. “You’re absolutely perfect.”

  Beau took his hand. “Come on. It’s almost time to cut the cake.”

  As they exited the room, they heard another door open down the corridor. A satisfied Drake and Dean stumbled out, laughing. It seemed they had the same thought. The four of them looked at each other and laughed. Drake’s expression was relaxed and happy as he stared adoringly at his husband. Malcolm knew he was wearing the same look.

  33

  Drake

  S

  itting beside his brother, Drake watched the twins dance with their friends. Once again, he was mesmerized by the sensual way the boys moved. Their controlled strength, combined with graceful moves, reminded Drake of ballet dancers. It had been a long night, and he was counting down the minutes until he could get his husband all to himself.

  Across from them, a man wrote in a large folder. Occasionally, he looked up and watched someone for a while before going back to his writing.

  There was nothing special about the man. If it weren’t for the way he watched the people around him, Drake would never have noticed him. He was casually dressed in jeans and a purple T-shirt, and Drake couldn’t recall being introduced to him.

  As if aware he was being watched, the man looked up, catching his eye. A smile spread across his face as he stood, making his way over.

  “Greetings, gentlemen. Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Lincoln Adams. It’s such a pleasure to meet you.”

  Ah, the mysterious Lincoln Adams. Drake didn’t know what he was expecting, given how larger-than-life the boys described their friend. This man was average. Hair that was too dark to be blond but too light to be brown. Not tall but not short, either. The boys had mentioned Lincoln did a lot of undercover work, and Drake assumed he would fit in anywhere without anyone taking notice of him.

  Drake shook Lincoln’s hand. “Nice to meet you. The boys have told us a lot about you.”

  Lincoln gave a small smile. “They’re delightful men. The pleasure of knowing them is all mine, I assure you.” He pulled a chair over and sat down. “Hope you don’t mind me being impertinent, but I was wondering if I might ask you some questions.”

  Drake shrugged. The boys had explained that Lincoln often presented different personas. The mannerisms of the man in front of him were very refined. From his hand movements to his language, he held himself with e
legant poise. It was like talking to an aristocrat.

  Curiosity got the better of him. “Sure, what would you like to know?”

  Lincoln opened the folder and flipped to a page that was covered in writing and drawings. His shoulders dropped as he crossed his legs and supported the folder on his knee. Leaning forward, he tilted his head, and the smile that appeared on Lincoln’s face made Drake nervous.

  “Well, my first question is a bit naughty.” He licked his lips, drawing Drake’s gaze to the full bottom one. “Can you tell me if it was lust or love at first sight?”

  The voice that came out of Lincoln’s mouth was pure honey. The tone dropped into a smooth baritone that had husky, breathy quality. His hands became softer in their movements. The change had been so swift that Drake was having trouble catching up.

  “Well, as you know, we met the boys when they were young. Yes, they were attractive. But for me, it wasn’t lust or love I felt. My driving force was an overwhelming need to protect. I had to make sure they were safe. When it came to Dean, I wanted to wrap my arms around him and make sure he was never hurt again. I also found them intriguing—they fascinated me, and not just because they are famous, rather it was a desire to know who they were behind all the assumptions people made.”

  Drake had forgotten Malcolm was beside him until he sat forward and spoke. “I agree. Beau drew me in with just a look and a few choice words. We knew they were too young, yet we were unable to look away. Even when we had no contact, I still wondered if they were safe and happy.”

  “Oh, you gave me shivers just then. What I wouldn’t give to have a man fall for me as hard as you did.” Lincoln wrote something down on the page. “So it was more than their alluring looks; they drew out your protective feelings. Was it a kink of some kind? Did you see them as your boys? Do they call you Daddy?”

  Drake bristled at the thought. “No way. I never saw Dean as my ‘boy.’ I think of him as my equal. To each their own, but it’s not my thing.”