Making Merry (A Firsts and Forever/Castaways Series Holiday Collection)

by Alexa Land

  A sob slipped from Nana, and she exclaimed, “Aw hell, you boys made me cry! There goes my makeup! But fuck it, because that was beautiful. By the power vested in me by that website that I paid fifty bucks to, I now pronounce you married. What are you waiting for? Go ahead and kiss your husband, and make it a good one, because we’re all watching!”

  Elijah and I both laughed, and I drew him into my arms. As our lips met, our friends and family cheered. It was such a beautiful moment, and I was overcome by two things I never would have thought possible just a year ago—true love and perfect happiness.

  Book Five: Gianni

  Featuring characters from Belonging

  (The Firsts and Forever Series, Book Eight)

  Gianni: Chapter One

  I ran my fingers through my boyfriend’s hair and whispered, “I love you, Zan.”

  We were curled up together on a comfortable lounge chair in the courtyard of Seahorse Ranch, and all around us a massive celebration was in full swing with music and dancing and general merriment. Everyone had already been feeling festive because it was Christmas, but the spontaneous wedding of a couple of friends just a few hours ago had kicked the party into high gear.

  “It’s mutual, love.” Zan kissed me, and as I snuggled closer, he said, “You’ve been quiet this afternoon.”

  “That’s because I’ve been thinking. There’s something we need to talk about, and I don’t want to wait until after the holidays.”

  He sat up a bit and gave me his full attention. “Alright, I’m listening.”

  “As you know, I never wanted a big, fancy wedding with all the pomp and circumstance. None of that mattered to me, and it’s not who we are. But I’ve been thinking about it for a while now, and I really want to be your husband, Zan. I want to stand up in front of my entire family and all our friends and declare my love for you. Calling you my boyfriend doesn’t begin to cover all you are to me, or how much I absolutely adore you. So will you marry me?”

  His voice was rough with emotion as he said, “Of course I will, Gianni. Nothing would make me happier.” I smiled at him, and he took me in his arms and kissed me passionately.

  From a few feet away, Nana yelled, “What did he say?”

  My brother Dante told her, “He said yes. They’re getting married!” It was news to me that we’d had an audience for my proposal.

  “It’s about damn time!” My grandmother looked around and asked, “Where’d I put my notes? I’m going to need that shit so I can perform another wedding. Somebody needs to get the horses lined up again, and we all have to get our asses in gear! The sun’s setting in less than an hour, and that’s the perfect time for a ceremony!”

  “The horses were Cassidy and Elijah’s thing,” Dante explained. “I think they can sit out Gianni and Zan’s wedding.”

  My friend Yoshi took a shot at being the voice of reason. “Um, I’m not sure they were planning to get married today, Nana. They just got engaged.”

  “Well, why the hell not? They’ve already kept me waiting more than three years, and the family’s all here,” she huffed, as she put her hands on her skinny hips.

  I glanced at Zan, and he looked amused as he said, “You know that I’m fine with marrying you here and now. It’s not like I wanted a traditional church wedding or any of that bollocks.”

  “Isn’t your back still hurting?”

  He smiled at me and ran his fingertips over my cheek. “It’s not bad enough to get in the way of marrying the man I love today.”

  Ren Medina came up to us and shook our hands. “Congratulations, you two. If you’re serious about doing this right now, I think I might have the perfect location. It’s five minutes from here, and I promise you’re going to like it.” When Zan and I both agreed, he turned to Beck and said, “We can use the trolleys and drive everyone to the spot where my ex and I had planned to get married. It’d be nice if some good could come of it.”

  Beck immediately snapped into action. He jumped up onto a chair and addressed the crowd by cupping his hands around his mouth like a megaphone. “Everyone, take a poinsettia with you and board the trolleys. I’m going to grab a few things and join you in just a minute. Let’s do this quickly, because we don’t want to miss the sunset!”

  About thirty friends and family members took off in every direction, and they were buzzing with excitement. I got up and tapped Elijah’s shoulder, and when he and Cassidy turned to me, I said, “I’m sorry, we didn’t mean to steal your thunder. I guess I should have predicted that this would immediately snowball out of control.”

  “This is great,” Elijah said, with a big smile. “We’re so happy for you and Zan! And after your ceremony, we can all come right back here and keep celebrating.”

  They went to help load some plants and decorations onto the trolleys, and I turned to Zan and asked, “Do you want me to run to the house and bring you something special to wear? I know how much you like dressing up.”

  He was wearing a pair of faded Levis and one of his button-down shirts with the sleeves rolled back, which had a subtle vine pattern woven into it, and he said, “This is perfect. It’s what we look like every day of our lives, and you’re as gorgeous as ever. I say we roll with it.”

  I was dressed in black jeans, a royal blue polo shirt, and a black leather jacket, and I grinned and said, “From this point on, these will forever be known as our wedding outfits.”

  Zan got to his feet as Christian and Shea rushed over to us. Christian grabbed his father in a hug and exclaimed, “Congratulations! I was so sure you two were going to go on defying convention forever, but look at you!” He let go quickly and blurted, “Shit, sorry. Did that hurt your back?”

  “Don’t worry. I’d never want to pass up a hug from my son.”

  Christian embraced me next and said, “I couldn’t be happier, Gianni. You’ve always been family, but this just makes it official.”

  *****

  Minutes later, Vee pulled up in one of the larger golf carts. He’d festooned the cart with garlands of tinsel and fake pine, and his parakeet was perched on his shoulder. “Your wedding chariot awaits,” Vee called, and Zan, Christian and I climbed into the back while Shea took the passenger seat.

  We were at the head of a pretty unique caravan. Golf carts, the two trolleys loaded with my family, and a few ATVs all wound their way up the largest hill on the property. At the pinnacle, we discovered a beautiful patio with sweeping views of Avalon, the surrounding hills, and the ocean.

  Just about every member of my family was carrying a potted, red poinsettia, and they quickly clustered them around a large trellis, which framed the view. While my brothers helped Beck and Vee drape the trellis with garlands and pine boughs, Nana and her husband Ollie led the charge on a few boxes of candles in hurricane glasses. With about ten people helping her, the candles were lit and dotted all around the patio in a matter of minutes.

  I turned to Zan and said, “We can get married sitting down if you want to. There’s no rule that says we have to stand, especially if your back hurts.”

  “I’m definitely standing for this,” he told me. “We may have to follow it up with a long soak in that jetted tub in the ranch’s spa, but I’ll be fine for the ceremony.”

  Nana took her place under the trellis, and she put on her glasses and shook the papers in her hand as she yelled, “Let’s do this thing, before these two change their minds!”

  I gestured to my brothers and their husbands, and they came up to the front with us, along with Christian and Shea. The sky lit up in shades of orange as the sun began to set, and I turned to my sweet, gorgeous fiancé and took his hands in both of mine. When he smiled at me, I felt so happy.

  Zan looked into my eyes as Nana read from her notes. Then my grandmother said, “If anyone has any objections to this wedding, speak now or…no, fuck that. You can kiss my ass if you object! I’ve waited a long damn time to see my boy Johnny get hitched, and it’s happening whether you like it or not.” That got a good lau
gh from the audience, and I grinned at the old nickname. It had been with me since my brother Mike was a toddler and couldn’t pronounce my name. Nana looked around and asked, “Do you have rings? I suppose not, since this was all spur-of-the-moment.”

  As usual, Zan was wearing several. He removed his favorite, a silver band inlaid with indigo blue lapis, and slipped it onto my left hand as he repeated the vows that Nana recited. Then Christian stepped forward. Like his dad, he always wore a few rings at a time, and he took off a gorgeous band with a tiny mosaic of mother-of-pearl. He put it in my palm and said, “I’d be honored if you used this one.”

  I thanked him before turning back to Zan. As I slid the ring onto his finger, I repeated the vows that Nana read from her print-out, and then she said, “Do you want to say something to each other before I wrap this up?”

  I searched Zan’s eyes as I said, “I adore you, Alexzander Tillane. You’re the kindest, most beautiful, and most amazing man I’ve ever known. You’re forever finding ways to surprise me, and every single day, you show me how much you love me in the grandest gestures and the tiniest moments. I’m so incredibly lucky that I’ll soon get to call myself your husband.”

  “I’m the lucky one,” he said softly. “I was so lonely before I met you, but you took that away and replaced it with love, laughter, and companionship. That last word doesn’t sound very sexy, but for someone who spent over a decade in isolation, it’s an amazing gift and one I’ll never take for granted. I don’t think you realize what it means to me to wake up every day and see you there beside me. You’re home to me. You’re everything, Gianni. Thank you for loving me, and caring for me, and wanting to marry me. I adore you, and I have a lot more I could say right now but I’ll leave it at that, because Nana has waited over three years for this next bit.”

  “Damn right I have,” she said. “By the power vested in me by that fake-ass church that took my fifty bucks, I now pronounce you married. Now kiss your husband and let’s get back to the party!” Zan kissed me while our friends and family yelled and applauded so loudly, it was probably heard all across the island.

  Chance snapped a few photos, and then I put my arm around my husband and helped him back to the golf cart as I asked, “Were you in pain through all of that?”

  “I didn’t even notice.”

  “Let’s still go straight to the Jacuzzi tub in the spa. I need you to myself for at least an hour or two. After that, we can go back to celebrating with everyone.”

  Zan settled into the backseat and held out his arms, and as I settled into his embrace, he murmured, “Sounds perfect, love.”

  Gianni: Chapter Two

  Half an hour later, Zan and I were both naked in the huge, jetted tub in Seahorse Ranch’s luxurious spa. As the hot water swirled around us, he pulled me onto his lap and flashed me a huge smile as he said, “Hiya, hubby.”

  I kissed him before saying, “I just realized we have an anniversary that’ll be easy to remember.”

  “As if I’d ever forget the day I married the love of my life.” Zan kissed me again and ran his hands down my back as he asked, “So tell me, where do you want to go on our honeymoon?”

  “I feel like we already had a honeymoon by sailing around the world for three years. Now I’m just looking forward to spending some time in our new house, and breaking in our living room furniture.” He laughed at that, and I said, “I talked to Beck by the way, and he’s going to find us a team of movers to transfer that stuff to one of the bedrooms later this week.”

  “That really is a great Christmas present. Thank you.”

  I grinned and said, “I figure it’ll be the gift that keeps on giving.”

  “I haven’t given you your gift yet. I was planning to do it later tonight when we were alone, but if you can reach my phone I’ll give it to you now.”

  As I dried my hands on a towel and picked up his phone, I protested, “I didn’t need anything else. You already gave me a bunch of gifts, including that scooter, a beautiful cashmere sweater, that new leather jacket—”

  “I couldn’t help myself.” He dried his hands too and accessed his photos, and then he turned the screen to face me.

  My breath caught at the picture of a charming little Victorian, and I exclaimed, “It’s so cute! Wait, did you buy me a house?”

  “I did, yeah. It’s in San Francisco, right down the street from Nana’s house. I know how much your family means to you, and I wanted us to have a place of our own when we fly up there to visit them and my son.”

  “That’s amazing. Thank you.”

  “The good news is, it’s totally remodeled inside and doesn’t require any work. Not like our place here. I had it furnished too, so it’s all set for us whenever we want to go for a visit.”

  I said, “I thought decorating wasn’t your thing.”

  “Oh, it’s not. I’m hopeless at it. But since Dante owns a furniture store, among other things, I gave him my credit card and asked him to furnish it how he saw fit. He sent me this photo earlier today.” Zan swiped the screen and held it up, and I chuckled at the picture of an elaborate sex dungeon. “I know he’s just teasing me because of my accidental peep show yesterday, but I wouldn’t really object.”

  “Well hey, if we decide we want to trick out that house too, I know a good online store.” I kissed him before saying, “Thank you for all of the amazingly thoughtful gifts, Zan. I appreciate it so much.”

  “Why do I hear a ‘but’ coming?”

  “I don’t want to seem ungrateful. It’s fantastic that you’re so incredibly generous. But you don’t have to keep showering me with lavish gifts, Zan. Having a second home in San Francisco is going to be great. But from this point forward, please know that I don’t need more material things. All I need is you.”

  “You’re an angel, Gianni. But all I can promise is that I’ll try to reel it in a bit.”

  “Well, that’s something anyway.” I pressed the back of my hand to his cheek and told him, “You look a bit flushed. Let’s move into the massage studio, so I can work on your back.”

  He caressed my cheek and said, “Only if you let me repay the favor.”

  “Next time. Tonight, I want to make you feel good.”

  We climbed out of the tub and dried off before heading into the other room hand-in-hand. After I draped a clean sheet over one of the massage tables, Zan stretched out on his stomach. I squirted some oil onto my palm and rubbed my hands together, and when I began to rub his back, he muttered, “That feels fucking amazing, love.”

  I took my time, massaging his back thoroughly before working on his shoulders, arms and legs. When he rolled over, I grinned at his hard-on, and he said, “In my defense, you’re naked and the sexiest man alive. I’d have to be dead not to get turned on by this.”

  As I dispensed some more oil onto my palm, I told him, “This was always going to conclude with a happy ending.”

  My cock stiffened right along with his as I started jerking him off. It was just so erotic to watch all of him respond to my touch. His lips parted and his breathing sped up as a flush of color rose in his chest and cheeks. I loved the way his hair tumbled around his shoulders, and his hands gripped the sheet as he tried to steady himself.

  Pretty soon, the need to have him inside me overrode everything else. My entire body thrummed with anticipation as I climbed onto the table and straddled him. I quickly worked a little oil into myself before setting the bottle aside and wiping my hand on a towel, and then I angled his cock and eased myself onto it.

  It was always a tight fit, but I loved that sensation of his thick cock stretching me open. I kept going until I was totally impaled and sitting on his hips. I felt wonderfully full.

  Then I began to move. At first, I rode him slowly, feeling every inch of him as he slid in and out of my ass. My cock leaked precum and throbbed in time to my heartbeat, but I ignored it, concentrating instead on my husband. I grinned at that word, and Zan smiled as he watched my every reaction.

&n
bsp; He picked up the bottle of oil and squirted some into his hand before gripping my erection. He knew exactly what I liked, what I needed, and he began to pump my cock forcefully, almost demandingly. That in turn spiked my desire, and I began riding him harder, driving myself onto him as I braced myself with my hands on his shoulders. I cried out, overwhelmed by the dual sensations of his cock pounding my hole while he stroked my shaft.

  I came with a yell minutes later, shooting onto Zan’s chest while riding him hard. That set him off in turn. He blurted, “Oh fuck, Gianni,” and came inside me as he grasped my hips, thrusting up into me.

  By the time my orgasm ebbed, I was shaking. I grabbed a towel and wiped the cum from his chest, and when I started to climb off him, he pulled me into an embrace. He was so gentle as he brushed my hair from my eyes and kissed me.

  We rolled onto our sides, facing each other, and Zan covered us with a sheet. He kissed my forehead as I caught my breath, and he cradled me against him as he whispered, “I love you so much, my beautiful husband.”

  I grinned and murmured, “That word makes me happy.”

  “Me too.” He stroked my hair while I rested in his arms, and after a while he said, “I’m sorry I’ve been such a disaster these past few days.”

  “How have you been a disaster?”

  “By getting totally carried away with the decorating, throwing my back out, ruining dinner, and flashing your brothers, among other things. I’m never going to live that last one down, by the way.”

  “Why is hurting your back on that list? Not that there should be a list at all.”

  “Well, because it meant you had to take care of me,” he said.

  “We take care of each other. Zan. Look at the way you’re holding me right now, as just one example. You know how much I need this after sex.”

  He murmured, “It’s no hardship, believe me.”

  “Neither was giving you a hand when you hurt your back.” He fell silent, and I searched his face and asked, “Is something wrong?”