by DJ Jamison
Julien leaned forward eagerly. “It’s such a relief that legislation was killed. It really scared me, the idea we might not get this chance.”
“Is that why you’re doing this now?” Rory’s brow creased with concern. “I thought you guys wanted to wait.”
“That was the original plan,” Caleb said, “but that bill made us realize just how much we both really want this, and well, life is short. We want to be young enough to raise our child and enjoy our grandchildren.”
Rory felt his chest tighten at the thought. Caleb and Julien would make such great parents. Caleb was responsible, hard-working, but good-natured. Julien was more of a free spirit, bringing color and creativity into the world, along with a soft nurturing touch.
“I’m so happy for you guys,” he said, standing again to hug them both. “Let me know if you need anything at all.”
“Maybe a loan,” Julien joked. “Can you hook us up with a bank rep?”
Rory chuckled. “It could be that I know someone at Kinkaid Banking.”
“Where is Avery?” Caleb said when Rory had retaken his seat.
Rory shook his head, a ripple of worry going through him. “I texted him about lunch, but he said he had a meeting. It was kind of last-minute.”
“Yeah, sorry about that,” Caleb said.
“How are things going?” Julien waggled his eyebrows. “Clearly, your devious plot worked to save our opportunity to adopt children. But what about the sparks we saw between the two of you?”
“Julien,” Caleb started, shaking his head.
Rory smirked. “Nosy much?”
“Oh, very,” Julien said without an ounce of shame. “I want allllllll the details.”
Caleb continued to shake his head, but he was smiling. “Not everyone is as open as you are.”
“Open?” Rory teased. “So, are you going to share with me all your details?”
Caleb reddened. “God, no. He isn’t.”
Julien laughed as he picked up the pitcher to pour them all waters while they waited to be served. “He’s so cute when he blushes. But seriously, Rory, what’s going on there? I sensed some real chemistry.”
“Can’t believe you noticed with all the chemistry you two were throwing around,” Rory joked. “I thought you were going to rip off Caleb’s clothes right there and give us a show.”
Julien laughed as Caleb turned even redder. “Yeah, I don’t think Caleb would have been okay with that.”
“But you would have?”
“Can we please change the subject?” Caleb muttered. He really was charmingly embarrassed. Rory decided to throw him a bone and shift the focus off him.
“Avery and I are together,” he said. “We hit a few bumps along the way, but things are going really well now. I never knew him as well as I thought I did, back when we were teenagers.”
“Together, as in dating, or something more?” Julien asked, his eyes sparkling. “You could always turn that fake engagement into a real one.”
Rory glanced around. “Ixnay on the ake-fay,” he said in the childish pig latin language.
“Oops, sorry.”
“As for your question…I guess I don’t know,” Rory admitted. “We love each other, but we haven’t really discussed how we’re going to handle the end game on all of this. I guess that’s a talk we need to have.” He shrugged. “I don’t necessarily want to say vows just because it’s the convenient thing to do. I want to be asked, or do the asking, because it’s the right time. Know what I mean?”
Julien nodded. “I admit, that moment when Caleb came to Miami for me and dropped to his knee.” He placed both hands over his chest. “Priceless.”
Caleb smiled at Julien, his expression full of love. “I was terrified that day that you’d turn me away. I don’t know how I would have survived that.”
“Thankfully, neither of us have to.” Julien kissed Caleb softly.
A few of the other restaurant patrons cast glances their way, but overall, no one made a fuss about two men kissing in the dining room. Rory was grateful. Portland could be decently liberal, but Bell Harbor was full of the wealthy, conservative voters who kept guys like Avery’s dad in office.
The server arrived with a tray full of small tapas plates. “Hope you don’t mind we ordered without you,” Caleb said as the waiter slid six plates of savory morsels onto the table.
“I hoped you ordered enough for me,” Rory said.
“More than enough,” Caleb confirmed. “But if you want anything we missed, go ahead.”
Rory surveyed the offering, spotting most of his favorites, and shook his head. “Looks great. I’ll take a glass of sangria too,” he told the server, who nodded.
Once they were alone again, they each served themselves a few bites to get started.
“Tell me about your adoption plans,” Rory urged. “How long is this supposed to take?”
“A long time,” Caleb said as he scooped up goat cheese to spread on toasted bread. “Which means it’s good we didn’t wait to start down this road.”
“Yeah, by the time our child arrives, we’ll be ready,” Julien said confidently. “And until then, I can have some fun designing a child’s nursery.”
“Rainbows everywhere,” Rory joked.
“You know it,” Julien said with a wink. “We’re going to raise an accepting, loving child who can take over the legacy of Bliss Island as a queer-friendly wedding destination.”
Caleb snorted. “Because, of course, he won’t have any dreams of his own.”
Julien waved it away. “Yeah, yeah, only if he or she or they want it.” He leaned forward, speaking conspiratorially. “But, of course, they will. Because Bliss is amazing.”
“No argument here,” Rory said. “I have very fond memories of my last visit there.”
“Oooh, do tell.”
Rory laughed, feeling content in a way he never had before Avery came into his life. Settled. He only wished they were past the pretense of it all and could be together openly and honestly as boyfriends, with no more deception. With the news out and the legislation dead in its tracks, he supposed they could put an end to the farce.
It was time to talk about what their future should look like. Rory hoped that Avery felt, as he did, that they had a bright one together, even once their engagement officially ended.
22
After work, Avery drove to Gil’s apartment in Portland. He didn’t call. He didn’t want to give Gil any opportunities to avoid him or to make excuses for what he’d done. He was filled with impotent fury, and he had no other place to direct it. His best friend, whom he’d trusted, had stabbed him in the back. That seemed like as good a place as any to relieve some of his rage.
Avery had spent most of the day in some kind of fugue state. His father had left after dismantling Avery’s ideas that he could ever truly outmaneuver a master manipulator. He’d gone to a couple of meetings, but he couldn’t remember a word that was said. He’d done some paperwork on autopilot. All day, his mind churned and churned with his father’s demands. He tried like hell to think of a way out of it, but he came up short.
When Rory texted about lunch with Caleb and Julien, Avery had to decline. He knew he couldn’t hide his turmoil, and Rory would want to know what had happened. He hadn’t been ready to face the music. Not yet.
Rory had a lunch to enjoy with his best friends, and Avery had a traitor of a best friend to confront.
He stormed up the steps to Gil’s apartment and banged on the door. Gil’s car was in the parking lot, so he knew he was home. But he didn’t let up the pounding, wielding some of his fury on the thick wooden door, banging until his hands ached and Gil yanked open the door with wide eyes.
“Avery, I’m sorry—”
Avery grabbed his shirt and threw him back into the living room. Gil stumbled a few steps but caught his balance against the wall.
“I didn’t know, Avery!” His eyes were bright, shining with moisture, red-rimmed. Had he been crying? It figured
that Gil would betray him and then cry about it. The fucking bastard.
“I trusted you!”
“I know,” Gil cried. “I didn’t know he would do that! I didn’t know that it was all a lie.” He clapped his hand over his mouth as a sob broke out.
Avery’s judgment was clouded by anger, but something wasn’t adding up. He shut the door behind him and advanced on Gil, who looked wary but didn’t back away.
“You’re not making any sense. You gave my father the ammunition to ruin me.”
Gil shook his head. “No. No, I didn’t. It was Alec. I thought he loved me. But your dad, he—” His voice broke, and suddenly Avery knew with horrifying clarity that Gil was just as much a victim in this as he was. Maybe even more so, considering that Avery had gone into this scheme with eyes wide open.
“What happened?”
“Your dad hired him to spy on me. He asked about you after you visited, but I thought it was normal curiosity. I didn’t tell him anything about the plan with Rory, I swear. But at some point, he must have taken my cell phone…or installed malware. I don’t know.” Gil shook his head. “Alec dumped me without a word, and then today, your dad showed me the texts and fired me. I should have called, but…he said he’d already shown you and you were furious with me, and that I should stay away, so…”
Avery pulled Gil into a tight hug. “I’m so sorry.”
“It’s my fault. I should’ve known a guy like that was too good to be real.”
Avery pulled back. “Fuck that. You’re worth more than that guy will ever be.” He turned away, raking his hands through his hair. “That fucking bastard! I don’t want to go back to being his puppet. How can I do that, after everything?”
“I don’t know,” Gil said, sounding miserable. “I’m just sorry I ever sent those texts. Sorry for being such a gullible idiot.”
“I’m the one who should be sorry,” Avery said grimly. “It’s because of me that you work for him.”
“Used to work for him,” Gil said, with an uncharacteristic bitter tone.
“Shit!” Avery fell into a nearby armchair. Gil, who’d been pressed against a wall looking as if he might take a beating, hesitantly stepped forward.
“I need a drink,” he said. “You want one?”
“Yeah,” Avery croaked. “And keep them coming.”
Rory had shot right past concerned to pissed and then right on to gut-wrenching fear by the time Avery came in the door close to ten at night. Avery’s dinner sat congealed on the counter. Rory’s too because he’d barely picked at it, his stomach too knotted with worry to eat much. Avery hadn’t answered his phone calls or texts. That was unlike him. They always had dinner together, and when they had other plans, they let each other know.
He leapt up from the futon where he’d collapsed when he got tired of pacing. “Where have you been? I’ve been waiting for hours!”
He cringed a little as the words leapt from his mouth. Could he sound more like an angry parent after their teen came home past curfew?
“I was worried,” he added in a softer tone. That wasn’t much better. True, though.
Avery dragged a hand down his face. “Sorry,” he muttered. He sounded exhausted. “Been a shit day.”
“What happened?” Rory asked.
“My father.”
Rory’s heart skipped with worry. Avery shrugged out of his jacket, letting it fall to the floor, and yanked at his tie. Ordinarily he’d have been out of these clothes and into something more casual hours ago. Where had he been all this time? With his dad? Or at a bar getting hammered? If he’d just called, Rory could have been there for him.
“What did he do? Avery—”
Avery whirled suddenly, clasping Rory’s face and kissing him hard. He could taste vodka on Avery’s tongue. He was a little more forceful than usual. “I’m sorry,” he whispered, pulling back. “I’m sorry, Ror.”
“Avery, what happened? Talk to me.”
“I will. Promise. Just not now, okay?”
“Avery—”
Avery kissed him again, pulling him tight against his body. He pushed his hands under the back of Rory’s shirt, clutching at his back, pulling him tighter, and tighter, as if he couldn’t get close enough.
Something had happened to devastate Avery. Rory wanted to know the details, but the desperation in Avery’s kisses made him relent. Whatever happened, Rory would get it out of him eventually. He’d be there for Avery. He’d help him fight against his father’s toxic influence, again.
But right now, he couldn’t bring himself to resist Avery’s pleas. His sweet murmurs of how much he needed Rory, how much he loved him. Rory pulled away only long enough to say, “Let’s go to bed.”
Avery and Rory had always been good together in bed, but tonight it was little more than flailing need. His mind kept drifting toward the inevitable—that this might be their last night together—and he grew more frantic to have Rory inside him. If only he could keep him there, carry him with him wherever he went.
They parted long enough to strip off their clothes, and Rory shoved him onto the bed. Avery’s desperation seemed to be contagious as Rory pressed kiss after kiss to his lips. He took possession of his mouth, seeming to promise Avery anything—everything—with the force of his passion. But of course, Rory couldn’t save him from the world. He couldn’t keep playing the white knight.
Avery would have to save himself.
Rory pulled away to open the drawer in the bedside table. He pulled out lube, then hesitated. “Do you still want to go bare?”
Avery’s heart lodged in his throat. He shouldn’t say yes, not knowing what tomorrow would bring, but he couldn’t give up Rory yet. He needed to have him fully in every way that he could. He nodded wordlessly.
Rory prepped him, pressing kisses to his stomach as he breached him with first fingers, then his slick cock. It felt amazing, knowing that Rory’s body was inside him without any barriers. Physically, it didn’t feel that different. A little more slippery, a smoother glide as Rory pressed Avery’s legs back, nearly folding him in half—or as close to it as Avery’s body would allow—and fucked him.
He watched Rory, trying to memorize how he looked even as sensation threatened to drown his focus. His wavy hair was down, fluttering around his shoulders. His brown eyes were cast down, eyelashes brushing sharp-cut cheekbones as he watched his cock thrust in and out of Avery’s hole. Avery’s stomach squirmed a little. He felt exposed, but at the same time, he felt safe—because it was Rory.
No matter what happened now, he knew that Rory would always be his safe place in his heart. That Rory would be the only man he ever really loved. If Avery’s father had it his way, he’d take this away from Avery. Ask him to return to a discreet, nearly celibate life, even if he was out of the closet. There would always be his political image to worry about, his plans for Avery’s future.
His eyes burned as he watched Rory’s lips part, heard the low groan rise from his chest. Rory tipped his head back, exposing his strong throat. His chest heaved with hard breaths, and his flat stomach rippled with each roll of his hips.
Avery’s core melted under the onslaught, pleasure lit him up, only serving to highlight the agony he felt at the idea of giving this up. He shook as pressure wound him tight, one hand going to his cock to stroke frantically as words fell from his lips, “Love you. So fucking much. Always.”
Rory bent over him to kiss him gently, their eyes locking. “Love you too,” he said. “Always.”
It felt like a lie, saying always when he knew this was their last night together. It also felt like the biggest truth in the room. He’d always love Rory. He’d always treasure him. And if there was a way to come back to him, without endangering Rory’s life with his father’s vindictive spirit, he would.
He knew now that he’d never beat his father at his own game. His father was a master manipulator, and Avery would never measure up—thank fuck. He didn’t want to win if it meant sinking as low as his father. Thr
eatening someone’s livelihood, asking his own son to live a lie, controlling him through any means necessary. No. Avery couldn’t win that game. He’d have to find another way.
Even if it meant waiting until the old bastard retired or died.
Just like the men on Bliss Island, who’d had to spend years pining before they could be together, Avery wouldn’t give up.
Rory sat back, shifting Avery’s body and thrusting hard into him. It drove all the thoughts out of his mind. Pleasure flooded him, and he arched his back as he came with a cry. Rory gasped as Avery’s ass tightened around him, and then Avery felt it: the flood of Rory’s cum inside his body.
He wanted to keep it inside, but inevitably, it trickled out when Rory pulled free of his body. Avery clenched tight anyway, holding onto the idea that he’d have some small part of Rory inside him in the difficult days ahead.
23
Rory woke to find Avery packing. He lurched into a sitting position, his heart missing a beat. “Going somewhere?”
Avery looked up, and Rory could see the decision there in his eyes. He was leaving. Leaving Rory.
“No,” Rory growled, throwing back the blankets. He was naked, but he was ready to jump up and bodily stop Avery if that’s what it took.
Avery closed the suitcase he’d balanced on an ottoman in the corner of the room. He returned to the opposite side of the bed, perching on the edge. He was already dressed for work. “I have to go. I’m sorry, Rory. So fucking sorry for all of this.”
Rory scooted across the bed, grabbing one of Avery’s hands. “You can’t just leave! What the fuck happened yesterday?”
Avery looked away, but not before Rory saw the shine in his eyes. “My father found evidence of our arrangement.”
“Evidence? What evidence?” Rory said. “It’s an engagement. It’s not like there’s a paper trail, Avery. Maybe—”
