by HJ Welch
Raiden woke up naturally an hour or so later. Levi had already showered and said he had a surprise waiting, so Raiden hurriedly made his way through the bathroom as well. Once dressed in board shorts and shirts, Levi lead him by the hand out onto the beach. Palm trees flanked them on either side, reaching towards the waters of the Pacific Ocean.
Raiden blinked. There was a small table set up on the sand, a white tablecloth fluttering in the gentle breeze. Two chairs stood on opposite ends of the square table, and in between sat as many bowls and plates of food as could possibly fit on the tabletop. Fingers of sticky fruit and iced pastries and crispy bacon were nestled among hot coffee and fresh juice. In the sand next to the table was a silver bucket on a stand, a Champagne bottle sticking out from the ice, glistening with condensation.
Raiden’s heart rate picked up, just a fraction. “What’s this?” he asked. He squeezed Levi’s hand as he looked over at him.
Levi smiled and kissed his cheek. “Breakfast, dummy,” he said affectionately.
Raiden allowed him to pull his seat out for him. He sat and nibbled on a strawberry as Levi popped the Champagne cork and made them mimosas with the orange juice. “It’s a very nice breakfast, Kevin,” Raiden said, deliberately using the old nickname to get a rise out of him. They normally went to the main complex to have breakfast there or strolled into town.
Levi remained unrattled, though. “I think you meant ‘thank you, Levi.’”
“Thank you, Kevin,” Raiden said. He grinned around another strawberry and squirmed in his seat. Levi would know that made his ass ache.
But he simply arched an eyebrow and handed Raiden his drink.
Raiden let the matter drop, but he couldn’t deny his suspicions were raised. They hadn’t explicitly talked about a certain something since that night at Joey and Gabe’s wedding. How Raiden wasn’t averse to the idea of eloping if they were to ever get married themselves. In fact, that had become his dream.
But, although they had booked the vacation to Hawaii as planned, neither of them had brought up marriage again. So Raiden simply sipped his drink and ate himself silly of all the delicious food Levi had organized for them.
“I thought we could go out today,” Levi said casually. “Walk out to the botanical garden, maybe hike up the mountain a bit?”
To be fair, they had spent most of their first week on the island lounging on the beach, reading, drinking and fucking. So much fucking. So Raiden was quite keen to do some exploring. He tried to keep his curiosity low. This was just a nice day out, spent with his partner.
Levi assured him that the dishes would be taken care of, so they walked back to the villa and put some sandals on to go exploring.
The botanical gardens were stunning. Raiden had never been much of a fan of the great outdoors, but he could certainly appreciate its beauty when he got the chance. They traversed the wooden paths and bridges through the gorgeous scenery. Small waterfalls spilled into lily ponds, and peacocks strutted around, flashing the visitors their enormous, colorful tailfeathers.
“Bit of a show-off, isn’t he?” Raiden said playfully as they passed one of the birds.
Levi leaned into him. “I know someone like that,” he murmured. He brushed his hand subtly over the top of Raiden’s ass, making him blush.
They wandered happily for a few hours before Levi lead them to a little place along the shore that specialized in traditional pork laulau. The meat was so tender and juicy it practically melted in Raiden’s mouth.
The third time Levi touched his pocket, Raiden decided he was justified in the butterflies that had come to life in his stomach. Levi was definitely up to something, but Raiden promised himself he would be patient and not jump to any conclusions. Instead, he made a spectacle of licking pineapple juice from his fingers, enjoying the faint blush that rose on Levi’s cheeks.
Once the bill was paid, Levi checked his watch. Again. “Do you feel like a bit of a hike?” he asked. Raiden didn’t miss the hopeful note to his words. “We could work off some of that food?”
Ordinarily, Raiden would tease him by suggesting they go back to their villa and work off their lunch in other ways. But today he just took Levi’s hand and told him that was a great idea.
They were on the biggest island in Hawaii. The lush, green mountain rose in the backdrop wherever they went, so it was exciting to finally venture inland and explore some more. They took a taxi to the start of the trail where Raiden held Levi’s hand the whole way. That stopped Levi checking his watch and touching his shorts pocket every three seconds, so Raiden didn’t have to pretend he didn’t notice.
Excitement bubbled in his belly like a bottle of champagne waiting to explode.
The walk was tranquil. They passed other people as they navigated the twists and turns around the trees and boulders. But as far as Raiden was concerned, they were the only two people there.
When they reached the falls, Raiden gasped.
Where they stood overlooked a lagoon, twenty feet below. The waterfall dropped over on the opposite side to them, cascading in front of a cavern. All around the lagoon lush flora spilled over the edge, a riot of colorful flowers and bright green plants. But that wasn’t what had stunned Raiden so completely.
Across the water, a large rainbow stretched from one side of the bay to the other. Its colors were vibrant and clearly defined. Raiden wasn’t sure he’d ever seen anything more beautiful.
“It’s called Rainbow Falls,” Levi murmured into his ear from behind him. He slipped his arms around Raiden, hugging his back to his chest. Raiden traced his fingers along Levi’s thick arms, his skin warm from the sunshine. “There isn’t always a rainbow, but I hoped there would be today.”
“It’s amazing,” Raiden agreed. It wasn’t just beautiful. It filled his heart with hope. Like anything was possible.
“You’re amazing,” Levi told him.
Then he let go with one hand, reached into the pocket he had been fussing with all morning, and produced a box that he held in front of Raiden.
A ring box.
Raiden stared for a moment, but Levi continued to simply offer it to him. So he took it between his trembling fingers and pried the lid open. Nestled inside were two matching platinum bands.
“It’s just an idea,” Levi said. “I can easily put them away, and we can go back and get drunk, then go swimming with sharks tomorrow.”
“And what if you don’t put them away?” Raiden asked, heart in his throat.
He heard Levi chuckle. “I’ve got another surprise waiting for you on the beach. Then we get drunk and go swimming with sharks tomorrow.”
This was it. Levi wasn’t so much proposing as he was asking Raiden if he felt like getting married right now. As always, Levi offered him the choice. It was up to Raiden what they did next.
He knew in his heart what he wanted. What he had wanted for some time now. Levi was his other half. Together they were complete. He didn’t yearn for all the traditions that came with a regular wedding because there was nothing traditional or regular about Levi Patterson.
People would be disappointed. His mom in particular would struggle to understand if they did this. She would want to fuss over him and invite everyone he had ever met and have people make speeches about how great they both were. That was too much. Raiden just wanted to make official what he knew in his heart to be true.
That Levi was the man he wanted to spend the rest of his life with.
They could celebrate when they returned. He’d let his mom plan whatever she wanted for a big party. But this moment was just about Raiden and Levi. The two of them standing untied against the rest of the world, forever.
Raiden took one of Levi’s hands in his own, guiding him so they both wrapped their fingers around the duel ring box, closing the lid. He turned to look into Levi’s anxious eyes. He grinned.
“Let’s go get married.”
Raiden walked back down from Rainbow Falls in a daze. Levi held his hand firmly the whole way,
which was good as Raiden would probably have slipped several times otherwise. They didn’t speak, but every minute or two Raiden would lean into Levi’s body, or Levi would kiss his cheek.
“Do I need to, um, do anything?” Raiden finally thought to ask when they were back in another taxi.
Levi shrugged. “A couple of things to sign,” he said. He smiled, lifting Raiden’s hand to kiss the knuckles. “No big deal.”
“No big deal,” Raiden repeated faintly. “You did all this?”
“Yes,” said Levi. The look in his eyes told Raiden what he already knew. That Levi would do anything for him.
The taxi took them back to their villa. Raiden didn’t really pay attention as Levi led him through the building, only pausing to place a Hawaiian lei over both their heads. “You dork,” Raiden said, his nerves making him laugh. He fiddled with the flowers around his neck.
Levi just grinned and kissed him on the mouth. “You love it.”
“I do,” said Raiden without hesitation.
Levi rolled his eyes. “Not yet,” he chided playfully. “You have to wait to say that.”
To his surprise, Levi took Raiden’s hand and led him out onto the beach where they had eaten breakfast that morning. The sun was beginning to set. The last traces of gold, orange, purple and blue were fading to black in the sky above them. The stars were starting to peak out, and farther along the beach people were lighting torches. Like the last embers of a fire, burning just for Raiden and Levi.
There was a minister waiting for them on the sand, standing between two more blazing torches in anticipation of their arrival.
“Um. Don’t we need witnesses or something?” Raiden asked.
“It’s funny you should mention that,” Levi replied. He nudged Raiden with his elbow and looked to their right. By the palm trees, the table and chairs had been set up with more food and Champagne. But waiting in the seats were two familiar faces.
“Joey?” Raiden spluttered. “Gabe?”
He struggled to reconcile them being there as the two men jumped to their feet. They looked smart for the tropical climate. Dark cream chinos and white short-sleeve shirts. Almost like they were going to a wedding.
Joey, Raiden’s former bandmate and one of his closest friends in the world, came bounding over the sand. “Ray!” he cried, throwing his arms around Raiden’s neck. “I take it you said yes?”
“Looks that way,” Raiden replied. He looked back over at the minister. She smiled and waved, apparently in no hurry.
Joey’s husband, Gabe, came and joined them. He and Levi shook hands.
“What are you doing here?” Raiden asked, not quite believing it.
Gabe shrugged and gave Raiden a wink. “A little bird told us Hawaii might be a nice vacation spot this time of year.”
Raiden shook his head at Levi. “No big deal,” he grumbled, blinking back the tears from his eyes. As much as Raiden didn’t want the fuss of a big white wedding, Levi had still known that sharing the simple ceremony with one of his best friends would be the thing to make it absolutely perfect. “Thank you,” he whispered.
Joey danced from foot to foot. “Come on, then,” he said, more giddy than either groom. “I can’t believe you’re really doing this!”
Raiden took Levi’s hand, beaming at his soon-to-be husband. “I can.”
The ceremony was simple, over and done within ten minutes. Raiden said ‘I do’ in the right place and the rings Levi had picked slipped easily onto both their fingers. Joey and Gabe held hands as they watched the happy couple kiss to make it official, then doused them in flower petals they’d had hidden away in their pockets. The minister shook all their hands as she offered them congratulations, then left them alone to celebrate.
Raiden couldn’t stop staring at the ring on his left hand. He was sitting on Levi’s lap, Joey on Gabe’s, as they toasted around the small table with more Champagne and ate traditional Hawaiian poke. The sun was almost fully set above them, leaving red and orange trails in the inky black sky. Waves rolled onto the beach behind them, splashing against the sand to create the perfect soundtrack to their night.
“How do you feel, Mr. Patterson-Jones?” Levi asked, pulling Raiden’s attention back from his swirling thoughts.
Raiden grinned and pecked a kiss on the tip of Levi’s nose. “Perfect, Mr. Patterson-Jones.”
“I think that might be our cue to leave,” said Gabe with an arched eyebrow.
Joey’s face dropped, pausing with a cube of marinated fish halfway to his mouth. “Already?”
“I think the happy couple might need some alone time.” Raiden blushed as Gabe chuckled. “But how about we take you guys out to dinner tomorrow night?”
“That would be lovely,” Levi said, stroking Raiden’s back.
Joey insisted on another piece of fish before he downed the last of his bubbly. Gabe managed to bribe him away with the promise of pizza for dinner and, if the look in his eye was anything to go by, some alone time of their own.
Raiden and Levi waved them off from the table. Raiden felt like he was overflowing with love, for his friends who had traveled all this way to be with them, for the ones they would surprise back home, for his family who he hoped would be so happy for him. But most of all, for the man currently feeding him slivers of poke with chopsticks.
Despite there now being a free chair, Raiden stayed on Levi’s lap, cradled to his chest. It was like he was a hundred feet high. “Thank you,” he said again. He offered up a scrap of deep-fried malasadas to Levi’s lips with his fingers. Levi took it, licking the sugar from Raiden’s fingertips.
“For what?” he asked once he had chewed and swallowed.
Raiden kissed his neck. “For being you.”
Levi tickled his side and grinned devilishly. “Even when I’m a Grumpy McGrumpypants?”
“Especially then,” Raiden told him.
Without warning, Levi stood up, taking Raiden with him. Letting loose a squeak, Raiden hastily wrapped his long legs around Levi’s waist and his arms around his neck, crushing the flowers on the lei.
“Just what do you think you’re doing?” he asked with a laugh.
Levi kissed him possessively on the mouth. “I’m carrying you over the threshold, husband.”
Raiden shook his head. “Do you really think I want our first married fuck to be in a bed?” He tutted disapprovingly. “There’s a perfectly good ocean behind us. And a private beach. I’m sure you can think of something a little more creative.”
The warm night air stirred around them in the dark. Levi cradled the back of Raiden’s head, his powerful body carrying him towards the waves. “Anything for you, my love,” he said, wicked intent clear in his words.
“Anything,” Raiden agreed.
Steam
Homecoming Hearts #4
Sneak Peek
Ashby
Ashby Wilcott was acutely aware that he was now alone with Trent Charles. And something had changed.
The air between them was charged, like a wildfire waiting to burst into life. The near-dark hotel room seemed smaller than it had that morning. The voice in the back of Ashby’s head reminding him that Trent was straight was quiet for the first time in a week.
Ashby could barely breathe.
As Trent hung up his suit jacket, Ashby attempted to distract himself by looking in the mirror to release his elaborate tulip tie knot. It had seemed a clever idea this morning before Blake and Elion’s wedding. A talking point while in the company of strangers. Now he was at a very real risk of strangling himself.
“Here,” Trent murmured.
He came up beside Ashby, urging him to turn. Ashby certainly wasn’t short, but Trent was so tall and broad Ashby couldn’t help but feel delicate in comparison as he stood in front of him. He swallowed, trying not to gulp too noticeably.
“Thank you,” he replied quietly.
Trent’s fingers were large yet surprisingly nimble as they worked the length of silk free. Ashby focused on t
hem rather than Trent’s gorgeous brown eyes.
Once the tie was undone, Trent allowed it to flutter silently to the carpet. But then he rested his hands back against Ashby’s chest, his thumbs and forefingers rubbing the stiff material of Ashby’s collar points between them.
“Thank you for today,” he said in his usual low rumble that made Ashby’s knees weak at the best of times. “It meant a lot.”
“Of course,” Ashby replied, trying not to let his voice squeak. “That’s what friends do for each other, right? They help them out when they get in a pickle. We couldn’t have you flying solo. ‘Going stag,’ as you Yanks say.”
He laughed nervously then clamped his jaw shut. He was going to start rambling if he wasn’t careful. But, damn it, Trent was still caressing his shirt and his fingers were dangerously close to the skin of Ashby’s throat. Trent had to know what he was doing to him. Ashby had been honest enough in his open admiration of Trent. How many times had he not-so-jokingly complained about Trent being straight?
Was Trent teasing him? Mocking him?
Ashby wanted to believe Trent wouldn’t do that. But Ashby had suffered through enough games to last a lifetime. He couldn’t stand it if Trent was just like the other guys he’d had the misfortune of dating before. Even though his bad boy reputation preceded him, Ashby had been so hopeful that Trent really was a teddy bear under that tough exterior.
So why would Trent touch him like this now? Touch him like he was thinking about kissing him? It didn’t make sense. Ashby pulled away feeling ashamed, like he’d been duped.
Trent frowned. “Ashby,” he whispered. Ashby had only moved an inch or two away and Trent laid his hands flat on his chest. They were so warm, Ashby could feel the heat through the cotton. “I…I’ve been thinking.”
Ashby cursed his traitorous heart as it leaped inside his ribcage. “Oh?” he replied, licking his lips. “That sounds like the sort of thing that requires a stiff drink to accompany it. Thinking, I mean. Always a tricky one. I think that thinking – yes – um – stiff – sorry – would you like one as well?”
