by A. D. Ellis
“Didn’t you say you were going to leave me alone pretty soon?” I deadpanned.
He laughed and gave a wave. “Glad your accident wasn’t any worse. I’ll say hi later if I get a chance. Press your button if you need anything.” Anthony turned his gaze toward Khi. “I can’t protect you from Mary forever. You better leave at the end of visiting hours.”
“Will do,” Khi said. “If she happens to get sent home or moved to a different floor, you’ll let me know?”
Anthony snorted. “Yeah, but don’t hold your breath.”
“Gotcha.”
Once we were alone, I couldn’t help the nerves and barged right into the thick of it. “So, what does this mean for us?”
Khi furrowed his brow. “What do you mean?”
“Does anything change?”
“Why would it? I mean, if something needs to change, sure. But I can’t see what would need to. Work stays the same. Home stays the same. Let’s face it, we’ve been more than fuck buddies for a while now, just hadn’t admitted it. I guess we let people know we’re together.” He smiled. “Maybe look into moving the twin beds to the basement and getting a queen in our room?”
I hummed in agreement. “That sounds like a plan.”
“Sleep for a bit, I’ll be here when you wake up.”
“Don’t want to waste your time here,” I mumbled, but sleep was fast overtaking me.
“I’ve got two hours. I’ll wake you before I leave.” Khi stood and leaned in to brush a kiss on my temple. “Sleep.”
“Love you,” I whispered.
“That’s so fucking crazy to hear,” Khi said. “Love you, too.”
He was right. It was absolutely crazy to hear the words exchanged between us—almost as crazy as the amazingly full and happy feeling that spread through my chest at the thought of loving Khi and having him love me back—but we’d spent almost a decade making our way to this point and I wasn’t going to take a single moment of it for granted.
Epilogue
Khi
Three months later
“We have just under two hours before we have to be showered, dressed, and at your sister’s wedding,” Dre whispered in my ear as I awoke from a glorious naked nap in an even more glorious hotel bed. “I suggest we make the most of our time.”
Earlier that morning, Dre had woken me up with his thick cock pressed against my ass and proceeded to fuck me into the mattress before breakfast. A wake up call I could definitely get used to.
We’d spent the day exploring the beach and little tourist shops in and around the Florida town where Dalton and Gabby had decided to have their somewhat impromptu destination wedding.
Groaning, I rolled a naked Dre to his back and fit myself between his spread legs.
He’d healed quickly after the accident and we’d returned to our regularly scheduled programming shortly after. Dalton and Gabby had announced their decision to wed and invited Dre, Cooper, and me to stand up with them. The entire Remington Place crew had made the trip to celebrate with Gabby and Dalton.
Thanks to our win in the station teamwork challenge and the two-thousand-dollar prize money, Dre and I would be flying from Gabby’s wedding in Florida to a dream vacation in Paris with side trips to London, Luxembourg, and Brussels.
Dre was as giddy as a little kid about all the amazing fashion he’d get to see. I wasn’t as thrilled with the fashion aspect, but if it meant him getting closer to seeing his dream come true, I was down for it. Ever since we’d officially moved from fuck buddies to boyfriends, I’d been shocked to realize just how much energy and effort Dre put into his designs and getting his work recognized. It wasn’t just a pastime for him, it was a true calling, and I knew he would eventually see all of his hard work pay off.
“What exactly did you have in mind?” I murmured against his mouth as I rocked my hips into him. “And don’t even think about anything involving your dick in my ass. As great as that always is, I need at least a day to recover from this morning’s invasion.”
Dre laughed. “Guess I can take one for the team.”
I reached between us and gripped both shafts in my fist. Stroking, I captured his mouth and plunged my tongue in slow and deep. Loving the way Dre groaned under me, I swiped my thumb over our slits and spread our pre-cum. “You better believe that the only thing I’ll be thinking about during the wedding is the fact that I shot my load in you right before.”
We’d gotten tested right after the accident and opted out of condoms. Sex with Dre would always be fantastic, condoms or not, but sliding into him bare—and feeling his thick uncovered cock deep in my ass—was damn amazing.
“And I’ll be thinking about the fact that you’ll be doing it again once we’re back in our room,” Dre said before devouring my mouth.
I laughed and slapped at his thigh as I rolled to grab the lube. “Greedy much?”
“Not my fault you have to recover longer than me.” Dre pulled me back on top of him and caressed his hands down my back to grip my ass.
“Not my fault your dick is so damn big,” I grumbled. In truth, Dre wasn’t that much bigger than average, I just liked to give him a hard time.
“Don’t act like you don’t love it.”
I slicked my shaft with lube before smearing the liquid around Dre’s hole. Pressing the head of my cock against his opening, I inched in a little at a time, loving the way his body opened for me. Once fully inside, I leaned forward and brought my mouth to his. “I do love your thick-ass cock. Almost as much as I love being buried in your tight hole and almost as much as I love you.”
Dre groaned into my mouth and wrapped his legs around my waist, pulling me deeper into his body. We fell into a rhythm of long, slow thrusts and deep, sensual kisses. The air around us filled with the scent of sweat and sex, the heat of our bodies, the music of skin against skin, and our panting grunts.
My thrusts became harder and faster as my orgasm grew. Every slide of my cock into Dre’s body brought him closer to the edge, I knew the signs by now, knew this man inside and out. When his hips bucked as my dick brushed his prostate, I wrapped my arms under his and held on tight. Breathless and desperate to come, I pounded into his ass until my release washed over me in waves. As my cock pulsed, spilling my load deep in his ass, Dre lost himself to his release and shot long, thick ropes of cum between us. His ass clenched around my shaft, milking every last drop from me.
After several moments of basking in the high of our orgasms and attempting to catch our breath, I slowly pulled from Dre’s body. “You really want that again tonight?”
“I want that any and every damn time you want to give it to me,” Dre said.
I rolled off of him and gathered him close. “I can’t believe my sister is getting married.”
“Does it bother you?”
“No, not at all. Dalton is a great guy, they’ve been together for like four years. They’re perfect for each other. It’s just so weird to see her as old enough to get married.” I pressed a kiss against the top of his head. “She’ll always be my little sister.”
“Getting married won’t change that. I’m glad they’re staying in Remington, even if they’re moving out of the house. I was worried they’d move closer to their jobs.” Dre ran a hand up and down my back. “I love our whole little crew, but Gabby and I have that way-back friendship and I’d be sad to lose that.”
“I appreciate how she gave us space when we were working through all our issues, but I’m glad she no longer feels like she’s in the middle.” Gabby had pulled both Dre and I aside before the wedding announcement to let us know she was getting married. She’d also told us she was glad we’d pulled our heads from our asses and put aside all the shit from the past because she was tired of feeling like she was stuck between a rock and a hard place when it came to her brother and her friend.
The three of us had thoroughly enjoyed recommitting to our relationship ever since.
After a few more moments, I ran my hand down Dre’s arm
and took his hand. “Would you ever want to get married?”
“Yeah, I think I would. Maybe not right away, but someday. And only if it’s the right guy.” He gave me a teasing smile before pressing a kiss against my lips.
“Same. Guess we better hope we find the right guys, huh?” I teased.
He chuckled. “Crazy to think maybe I found him ten years ago.”
“Maybe? Just maybe?” I moved my hand to squeeze his ass.
When our laughing and teasing died down, I caught his chin, tipping it up so he was looking right at me. “All joking aside, I never thought I’d consider marriage again after the disaster with Blaine—and let’s be honest, marrying him would have been a catastrophe. You’re the only man I’d ever consider committing the rest of my life to.”
“Same,” Dre whispered before capturing my mouth in a kiss.
“Maybe we don’t take ten years this time around?” I said against his lips.
“Ten years brought us this. I don’t mind waiting another ten as long as I get to spend them with you.”
“That’s a deal I can get behind,” I said.
“You can get behind me tonight.” Dre laughed and slapped my ass. “Right now, we have a wedding to attend.”
The simple beach wedding was gorgeous—my sister looked amazing and I could tell just how happy she and Dalton were to be pledging their lives to each other—and the reception, just a small affair under a silk awning, was so much fun.
Music, dancing, and laughing with friends was something I would forever enjoy. Doing all of it with Dre by my side made it a thousand times better. We danced with Hadley and Bev, had hilarious dance offs with Logan, Rai, and Cooper, and held each other as the slow songs played.
After the traditional first dance and cutting of the cake, it was time for our speeches. We’d convinced Cooper to let us go first because no one wanted to follow him—there was no telling what he’d say.
Dre took the microphone and gave me a wink before he began to speak. “I met Gabby over ten years ago in school. Despite how cool and amazing we are now we both had our beginnings as total theater and band geeks.”
My sister laughed and nodded.
“She’s been my friend through a lot of shit and I’m so grateful she’s still by my side. When I moved in at Remington Place and saw Gabby and Dalton together, I knew for a fact that they’d found something that most people spend their entire lives searching for.” Dre raised his glass. “To Gabby and Dalton and finding a love others only dream of.”
Everyone drank and applauded.
Right as Dre was about to hand the microphone to me, Cooper raced toward us and grabbed it. “Sorry, gentlemen, you know how it is. ADHD…gotta speak while I’ve got the words in my head.” He gave me a wicked grin and rushed to the stage. “Promise I won’t be that much better than you,” he hollered over his shoulder.
Cooper beamed at the small crowd before taking a sip of his water. “Y’all, I gotta say, this is the queerest straight wedding I’ve ever seen.”
Laughter erupted from the group.
“I mean, almost half of the people here are gay or bi, and those are just the ones I know of. Clearly, my brother and his new wife know how to party. You want a fun event, invite the gays.” He laughed along with the rest of the crowd. “In all seriousness, I knew this day would happen from the moment I first met Gabby. I’ve never in my life met two people more perfect for each other. Not that Gabby has much to improve on, but Dalton was definitely in need of someone to keep him in line.” He paused for laughter and for his brother to flip him off. “Now, I told Khi I wouldn’t outdo him with some spectacular speech, so I’m going to keep it simple—partly for Khi’s sake. Mostly because I can’t remember a damn thing I planned to say.” He winked and raised his glass toward me. “To Dalton and Gabby and finding your perfect match.”
As everyone drank and clapped, I took the mic from Cooper and told him he was an asshole.
Taking my place on the tiny stage, I sipped my water. “For a long time, my sister and I only had each other. I’ve always known she’d be a fierce independent woman, but I’ll be honest and say I worried about her on her own—it was mostly selfish, I missed having her need me.” I glanced toward Gabby and watched her wipe away a tear. “I knew I had nothing to worry about the very first time Gabby told me about Dalton. I wouldn’t meet him for a few years, but I knew from her words and tone that she’d found the person she was meant to be with.” I paused and took another sip as my eyes traveled to Dre. “Sometimes we meet our soulmate and it’s like a slap in the face with how perfect we are together.” I winked at Dre. “Sometimes we meet our soulmate and it takes nearly a decade of growing, living life, and pulling our heads from our asses to realize our happily ever after is right in front of us.” Smiling at Gabby and Dalton, I went on. “I’m grateful that Gabby—while no doubt a badass independent woman who doesn’t need a man—found Dalton. They complement each other perfectly, support each other fiercely, and love each other unconditionally.” I lifted my glass. “To Dalton and Gabby. Here’s to celebrating that epic type of love that only some of us are lucky enough to find.” As I took my drink, my eyes caught Dre’s and held.
It may have taken a painful journey to arrive at our current destination, but I planned on spending the rest of my life treasuring the gift of love Dre and I had been blessed enough to find.
The End
Read on for a Remington Place series epilogue.
Series Epilogue
Remington Place
Nine years later
“Spencer texted and said they’ll meet us by that coffee place in the food court. Said it would be less crowded than down by the luggage,” Dre said.
Khi nodded. “Rai was insistent that we didn’t have to come in to pick them up, even said they’d take the shuttle to the parking lot if we wanted.”
Dre snorted. “You’d think they’d get it by now. The crew is always happy to have them back home.”
The two men meandered toward the airport coffee shop to wait for Spencer and Rai to return from one of their three-month long trips. After Rai got his nursing license and Spencer broke away to start his own construction company, they spent a year building their dream house on some property just outside of Remington. Then they joined an organization that spent three to six months a year traveling to low-income areas of the States and overseas building safe homes and providing medical care along with food, clothing, and basic needs.
The entire Remington Place crew, while not all living in the house these days, had jumped in with enthusiasm and made it their mission to provide as much in monetary and material donations as possible.
Spencer and Rai arrived with bags in tow, looking as if they were about to crash, and hugs were exchanged all around.
“I know we have a birthday party to attend and I wouldn’t miss it,” Spencer said. “But once we’re back home, I’m going to sleep for days and no one better interrupt me.”
Rai smiled sleepily. “Same.”
“Well, you can sleep until the weekend, but then I think you’ve got plans.” Khi raised his brow. “Something to do with wearing Dre King originals as you get married in front of your closest friends and family?”
Spencer and Rai beamed.
“Oh yeah, that,” Rai said. “We wanted something easy and simple, but I am beyond excited about wearing Dre’s work.”
“We’ll definitely be the most well-dressed couple in the history of courthouse weddings,” Spencer added. “How’s the fashion world treating you?”
Dre shook his head with a smile. “Beyond my wildest imagination.”
He’d finally gotten a couple designs picked up about a year after he and Khi made it official. From that point, his name and designs grew and grew—it wasn’t an overnight thing and Dre was grateful for the slow progression—until Dre King Designs was a name anyone and everyone in the fashion world knew and respected. His dream of having lines in the most affordable stores all the wa
y up to the most high-end boutiques had become a reality and Dre was on cloud nine.
“And what about you, Deputy Chief Harris?” Spencer nudged Khi’s elbow as the four men headed toward the airport exit.
Khi chuckled. “It’s all good. Julia’s on my ass pretty much every day, but our crew is solid and strong. We had a couple years of rebuilding, but we’re in a good place now.”
Dre and Khi had continued as partners for two years after they began dating. Once Dre’s fashion dreams started to take shape, he’d opted to take fewer shifts. Khi spent most of the next year bitching about each and every partner he was placed with until Julia finally yanked him into her office. She’d let him in on the news that the chief was retiring at the end of that year, Julia was being promoted, and she wanted to name Khi to the deputy chief position, but he had to stop scaring away every partner just because they weren’t Dre.
Khi had sucked it up and dealt with the various partners he had to ride with, demanding that he got assigned Dre when the man was on a shift with him, and eventually actually built some strong relationships with the new people on the crew.
He’d been promoted to deputy chief and spent the last few years, with Julia at the helm, building the station to a glory it had never seen.
“I can’t believe Hadley is turning eighteen,” Rai said wistfully. “You know what that means?”
“We’re old as fuck?” Spencer deadpanned.
“Yep.” Rai nodded.
Dre unlocked the car and everyone piled in.
“It’s crazy to me to think that Cooper has an eighteen-year-old daughter.” Khi adjusted the vents and put on his seatbelt.
“Do you think Jesse’s going to be okay with her going off to college?” Dre asked.
Jesse still ran the most popular auto shop in town and Cooper had the most sought-after preschool in the entire county. Hadley had been working for Logan at the homeless shelter from the day she turned fourteen. While she wasn’t going away to college, she was going to move out of Jesse’s house and live on campus. But she had plans to still work at the shelter as she studied to become a Licensed Clinical Social Worker.
