“You deserve to find a man who’s going to treat you right. Someone who’s not going to hurt you. I know he’s out there.”
Oliver looked over to Ben, who had got off the ride and was waving to him. Oliver waved back.
“Oh, boy, you’re in trouble, sweetie,” Karen said. She fixed her eyes on Oliver.
“I don’t want this fake relationship to end,” Oliver said. He felt his lower lip quiver, even through his smile.
“Is he really that special to you?”
“Uh-huh. He’s given me a sense of my own worth. I don’t think I could date the type of guys I’ve dated in the past. There’s no going back after this trip.”
“I want you to find someone you love…but it’s clear you’ve already found him.”
“And once we get back home, we’re going to end this charade.” Oliver heaved a great sigh. He took two deep cleansing breaths, got to his feet and eventually found himself in front of Ben and Amanda. Grinning, they stood with their arms around each others’ shoulders.
“Who won?” Oliver asked.
This brought on a bigger grin. Triumph flared in Amanda’s eyes, and she raised her hands in the air.
“She got me this time,” Ben said. “I underestimated you, Amanda. You’re pretty good.”
“You weren’t half-bad yourself,” Amanda said. “Have you considered entering a triathlon?”
“It’s on my to-do list. I always like a challenge,” Ben said. “Next time we race, I’ll get the win.”
“I’m looking forward to it,” Amanda said. “I’ll let you go to your boyfriend now. I’m sure he’ll lick your wounds for you.”
Ben laughed.
“You ready to get back to the cabin?” Ben asked.
“Yes,” Oliver said.
They told Amanda and Karen that they’d catch them later, and then made their way back to their room.
“God, I love those two. It’s so nice to see how much in love they are,” Oliver said. “I say we invite them out for drinks at Sid’s Place.”
“Sounds like a good idea to me,” Ben said. He wore a distant look on his face.
Oliver felt Ben’s hand brush against his hand, and his fingers latched onto his hand. They held hands. Ben had something on his mind.
“A penny for your thoughts?” Oliver asked. He could almost see the wheels turning in Ben’s mind.
“I couldn’t help watching you as you slept this morning. You looked so…” He broke off, a sheepish expression overtook his features. “Anyway, what I mean to say is that as your landlord is being an ass by raising the rent, you could always move in with me until you find somewhere to live.”
“Yeah?” Oliver asked with a slight quiver to his voice. Pure joy filled him, and he couldn’t hide the excitement and bubble of joy that rose in him at the offer.
A brilliant smile broke over Ben’s face. “Sure. It’s hard to know what you’re missing if you’ve never experienced it. Bringing you breakfast this morning and just waking up with you is something I could really get used to.”
“Knowing that you’ve got my back helps me take a load off. It makes me feel a whole lot better knowing I won’t be homeless.” Oliver smiled. “I’m not even sure if there’s any downside to moving out of my apartment, really.”
“You wouldn’t be able to walk to work anymore,” Ben said. “You’d have to put up with me driving you in.”
“That’s a bad thing?” Oliver held back a chuckle. “And I’d be living with you. Can you imagine the fun we’d have?”
“Right,” Ben agreed.
They arrived back at their cabin, and Oliver went over to the bed and plopped down on it. He was feeling a lot better now that his anxiety had gone.
Ben put on his Perry the Platypus hat, and it took every ounce of self-control for Oliver not to laugh.
“Would it be all right if I opened the sliding door?” Ben asked.
“That’s cool with me.” Oliver watched Ben pull open the sliding doors, letting in a fresh breeze of salty sea air. A sheet of sunlight covered the room.
Ben slung his arm around Oliver’s shoulder. “This is what it’s all about.”
“I feel like a chicken.” Oliver pouted.
“No way. We’re here for Erica’s wedding and to have fun. You don’t need to feel the pressure.”
“That’s fair.” Oliver felt better about sitting out of the SkyBike.
A sheen of sweat gleamed off Ben’s bare chest, which, amazingly, smelled less like perspiration and more like citrus. Their bodies were so close that Oliver could hear their hearts beating.
A lingering calm rolled over them, and Oliver had the sudden urge to trail a finger over Ben’s chest.
“I could do this for the entire trip,” Ben said.
“What?” Oliver asked.
“Just this,” Ben said, gently squeezing Oliver’s shoulder.
The same guy who welcomed the adrenaline of an intense workout, who had a body like a pagan god and who gave fitness pep talks — that same man seemed to get such a thrill from cheering him up or making him smile.
The realization that he longed for Ben caused Oliver’s cheeks to burn. Anyone else couldn’t strike the right chords in him, but Ben was the perfect mix of best friend and ideal boyfriend.
This was just one more reason for Oliver to fight back his feelings. One more reason to be afraid of falling in love with the man. At some point, he had to extinguish the torch that he held in his heart for Ben.
9
Ben
“Holy…dude, come clean…you’ve been working out,” Ben said. “Your lats are way bigger than I remember.”
“Fine, I admit it. I’ve been working out. I thought it would be a good idea to try and keep up with you.”
It was late in the afternoon and they were in the adults-only area of the family pool, sharing a beach chair. Ben sat behind Oliver and rubbed sunscreen on his back. The cacophony of voices and splashes from the family pool filled the air but didn’t intrude on the tranquil adult area.
“You know, back in high school, straight guys were always weird when it came to being gentle towards each other. They had no problem with wrestling each other to the floor half-naked. The moment a guy expressed gentleness towards another guy, he was teased and taunted.”
Oliver’s voice was gauzy.
Ben could feel his friend’s back muscles tense beneath his fingers as he covered it in sunscreen. Oliver’s skin was delicate, his muscles rigid, and every now and then they twitched. Ben’s attention drifted away from his friend’s voice to focus on his gorgeous body.
He shivered at the memory of waking up in bed that morning. He could still feel how amazing it was to wake beneath the cool crisp sheets and feel the stifling heat of Oliver’s warm body as it spooned into him.
Ben hadn’t wanted to move. He didn’t know how they got into that position, only that it felt right. He had stilled and listened to Oliver’s steady breathing for a few minutes before he felt Oliver’s warm skin against him. His arm had wrapped tightly around Oliver’s waist. Their legs had entangled.
He’d wanted to fall back to sleep and relax, but he couldn’t. Instead, he had marveled at how something so new could feel so pleasant. The scent and heat that came from sleeping skin-to-skin never felt so thrilling. And, although he wouldn’t have guessed it, Ben had liked clinging to his best friend’s half-naked body.
Ben had pushed himself up and leaned over to have a look at the man sleeping in his arms. He’d looked down at his friend and took in a sharp breath. Observing the jaw, nose, and cheekbones of Oliver, he had seen it was the same man. But he’d never noticed that Oliver was so flawless. So stunning. He wasn’t sure of how long he had stared down, getting lost completely in the other man’s face. A heat had sparked in the pit of his stomach, and Ben found himself uncharacteristically nervous.
Oliver had swallowed, bobbing his Adam’s apple in the process. It drew Ben’s attention to the fluttering vein at the base of Oliver�
��s throat, causing Ben to smile despite himself. He’d wanted to stroke it lightly.
He had wanted…to kiss it.
Ben had been rock hard, and decided that it might have not been a good idea to have his morning erection pressing into the back of his best friend.
He couldn’t believe something so distinctively masculine, so manly, could be so beautiful. And yet, he could have laid there watching Oliver for days.
But unfortunately, he’d had to get up and relieve himself.
Getting up and leaving Oliver in bed had sounded about as appealing as swallowing boiled cabbage. But when the unbidden thought of bringing Oliver breakfast in bed had popped into his head, sliding out of bed was no longer a chore.
As Ben smoothed a hand down the gorgeous curve of Oliver’s back, he finished putting sunscreen on it and smiled like a proud artist.
“Are you guys ready to join us or what?” Erica said. She, Brendan and a few of Oliver’s family members were at the far side of the pool.
“We’ll be right there!” Oliver called.
They got up.
“They’re supposed to have a pretty good gym here. How about we have a workout together? We could test their equipment and maybe even spot each other. What’d you say?”
“Okay. You’re on,” Oliver said.
As they strode over to the pool, Ben slid his gaze down Oliver’s body and noticed that he was pitching a tent in his swim trunks. He never thought about seeing his best friend’s junk. But now, he didn’t know whether to laugh or gasp as fear and desire duked it out.
Ben’s groin was telling him that he needed to be open and honest, if not with Oliver, at least with himself. That he shouldn’t ignore that his friend’s body aroused him. Oliver’s swim trunks were tapered closely to his body, and his raging erection was apparent. Ben could make out the outline of it.
The thought of Oliver’s cock flashed through his mind, and Ben’s blood grew hot.
Oliver caught him staring.
“What’s up?” Oliver asked and he looked down at his own crotch before Ben had a chance to answer him. “Son of a…”
Oliver quickly adjusted his trunks, and Ben’s stomach twinged with guilt. Was he just going to let Oliver strut to the pool with a massive bulge in his trunks — what was he thinking?
“Sorry…I…” Ben said. He began a rambling explanation.
“No worries,” Oliver said, cutting him off. His cheeks colored pink. “You might need to do a little work on yourself too.”
“What do you mean?” Ben paused and looked down at where Oliver’s gaze pointed, and saw his own erection pleading to be released. “Oh great!”
“Last one in is a rotten egg!” Oliver yelled, catching Ben off guard. He darted off, not giving Ben a moment to get ready.
Ben didn’t have time to properly hide his boner. He broke into a run to catch up with Oliver, but it was too late. Oliver cannonballed into the pool, causing a huge splash, followed by a ripple of applause, cheers, and whistles from his family members.
Ben followed suit and fully submerged himself into the water as he dived into the pool. In a moment of pure exhilaration, he shot to the bottom of the pool, feeling like an arrow piercing its target. Water surrounded him, and all sounds and sights disappeared as he swam to the bottom of the pool, feeling refreshingly cocooned in water as he kicked for the bottom.
Emerging, he wiped a hand over his face and looked around to find Oliver. He wasn’t with Erica and Brendan. He wasn’t with his parents. He wasn’t among the random faces in the pool.
Ben spun. Did he get out?
Just as he figured out Oliver’s whereabouts, something brushed against his ankle, and Ben looked down, but it was too late. Oliver’s hand yanked on him, dragging him downward. However, Ben reacted quick enough to break away and swim out of Oliver’s grasp.
“Almost!” Oliver popped up out of the water, chest heaving and a wide grin on his face. He laughed. “Dude, you didn’t even know I was beneath you all this time.”
“Of course I did,” Ben said. “I was just faking it. To make you feel better.”
“Better about beating you to the pool?” Oliver teased, bobbing his eyebrows.
“You cheated,” Ben said, splashing Oliver at the same time.
“And you’re a sore loser.” Oliver returned a splash at Ben’s face in retaliation. “Just accept it!”
Ben ducked and managed to avoid the splash. “I’m still too fast for you, dude.”
“Oh yeah?”
“Yeah.”
Ben threw himself forward, launching himself at Oliver with his arms open, and even though Oliver tried to evade him, it was too late. Ben snagged Oliver in his arms, lifted him and grinned triumphantly.
“Got you!”
“Great.” Oliver huffed and shook his head.
“Are you going to admit that I’m quicker than you?”
“Fine. But…”
“But what?” Ben grew suspicious at the wide smile that stretched over Oliver’s face.
“I’m craftier.”
“Huh?! What does that—”
But before Ben could fully comprehend what Oliver meant, he felt fingers gripping his swim trunks. Oliver’s hand brushed his groin. His trunks were yanked down, which caused him to jerk back and momentarily release Oliver.
“Hey!” Ben yelled.
Oliver turned and swam away. Pulling his trunks up, Ben felt a tightness in his balls that he could only describe as lust. It appeared and disappeared, chased away in a blink. He flew toward Oliver. The thrill from when Oliver’s hand accidentally touched his cock rollicked through him.
They both ended up in the shallow end of the pool, and just as Ben was about to clasp a hand on Oliver’s shoulder, he was splashed from behind.
“Can we join?” Erica yelled. Brendan swam up to join her.
“Sure,” Ben said.
“I’d rather relax and sip Champagne,” Oliver said. He pointed to the bucket of Champagne on the edge of the pool where his parents gathered with a few family members.
“Truce?” Ben asked.
“Truce,” Oliver agreed.
“I thought you were nervous about swimming? It doesn’t look like you had anything to worry about,” Ben said.
“I’m surprised too! I guess I’m having too much fun,” Oliver said.
They all went over to Oliver’s parents and were each handed a glass of Champagne.
“A toast!” Oliver’s dad said. “To the happy couple!”
As they sipped their drinks, Ben looked over to the edge of the pool to see an elderly man giving him a disapproving glare. Leaning back against the poolside, he shook his head and pursed his lips. His gaze darted to Oliver and his lips curled upward.
Ben nudged Oliver. “What’s his deal? Is he a relative or something?”
“Oh, that’s Paul,” Oliver said. “My great uncle. He’s never been able to look me in the eye without scowling since I came out.”
Ben locked eyes with the elderly man and felt his stomach tense. He knew that coming out wasn’t easy for Oliver and that he faced a lot of judgmental assholes; it hadn’t occurred to Ben that there could someone so blatantly prejudiced in his family. It disgusted him. And at the same time, he wanted to protect Oliver from people like his great uncle Paul.
“Earth to Ben,” Oliver said. Waving a hand in front of Ben’s face and breaking his stare off with the elderly man, he continued, “Erica and Brendan are going to go over to the hot tubs. Let’s join them.”
“Good idea,” Ben said. He gave the old man a final squint before he turned his back. “I don’t know how you can stay so calm around a man like that.”
“It still hurts, but I’ve learned not to let people’s attitudes get to me,” Oliver said. “Sure, it’s not always easy, but I need to focus on my happiness.”
Ben followed Oliver and climbed out of the pool, and then it hit him. He stopped and looked back at the pool. Paul was talking to an elderly woman. He appea
red to be more relaxed now Ben and Oliver were out of the pool.
Ben swallowed, emotion pulsing inside him. “Are we leaving because of him?”
“Leave it, it’s not worth the hassle. I can’t remember a time that we’ve been able to have this much fun,” Oliver said. “We’ve got ten days to enjoy together. I’m not going to let someone like him ruin this for us.”
Ben nodded. He slid his hand down Oliver’s back until it found his waist, and he could feel him tense. When Oliver glanced at him, confusion and bewilderment pulled on his features.
“Let’s give him something to stare at,” Ben said.
Oliver’s confusion transformed into delight. He grinned broadly.
As they got into the hot tub, Ben followed Oliver and sank deeper into the water, exhaling as he fully immersed himself in the surge of warm bubbly water.
“This is what I’m talking about,” Oliver said as he sank lower, a long exhale trailing his words.
“Our timer is set for half an hour, and the temperature is a hundred Fahrenheit,” Brendan said. Erica leaned on his arm that rested on the edge of the tub. They sat opposite Ben and Oliver.
“That’s cool with me,” Oliver said.
“Me too,” Ben said. He was happy when Oliver moved closer to him.
“So, how’s the most handsome data analyst on the East Coast?” Erica asked. She sipped her drink and smiled.
“Most handsome data analyst? I’m at the bottom of that list, I’m afraid,” Oliver said. Sipping his Champagne, he lifted his glass. “But I’ll take the compliment.”
“You think she’s flattering you, but she’s being honest,” Ben interjected. “I’m a lucky guy.”
Oliver smiled, and his eyes danced. He reached down and ran his hand across Ben’s thigh.
Even though they weren’t alone, Ben still thought hot tubbing with Oliver was romantic, fun and more than wonderful. And feeling Oliver’s hand on his thigh brought all sorts of titillation.
He fought the impulse to bring his mouth down on Oliver for a big, wet kiss. A Champagne kiss. His heart was racing, and he needed it to slow down a little.
“Well, I can say the same thing about you,” Erica said. “Until my brother told me that you were his boyfriend, I wasn’t sure if he’d find a guy in D.C. who would treat him like he deserved. Imagine my shock when I learned that he was seeing you, his best friend. How long have you known that you were gay?”
Wedding Fever Page 8
