Epilogue
Sawyer stood along the outer wall, watching as people walked around the large, open banquet room. As it turned out, the conference area at Alluring Indulgence Resort doubled as a reception hall quite nicely. Just like he’d told Zane it would.
Ethan and Beau hadn’t wasted any time once they made the decision to formalize their relationship, not even giving Zane and V a chance to get married before they decided to do the deed. It had been rather amusing to watch Zane get huffy over the fact that another one bit the dust before he managed to. His words exactly. Then again, Zane had no one to blame but Beau, who had beaten Ethan to the punch and proposed first, insisting that the wedding be prompt. He was proud of that fact, too.
Now that the official (yet unofficial) ceremony was over, everyone had gathered to celebrate the union between Ethan and Beau. The ceremony had been touching, even Sawyer could admit that much. As he had stood beside Ethan as his best man, and Zane beside Beau, the two men had pronounced their love and lifetime commitment to one another. Sawyer had heard sobs from the women in the audience, the loudest of which had probably been their mother. Rightfully so.
Sawyer noticed Travis and Kaleb talking to the groom—or rather to both grooms as was the case—and he moved over to eavesdrop without actually eavesdropping. Stepping up beside Ethan, he clapped him on the back as Travis explained something about the information on a piece of paper they were signing.
“It’s binding,” Travis added.
“I hope so,” Beau said with a grin, glancing over at Ethan.
Sawyer laughed and then stepped away, grabbing a flute of champagne from the tray of a passing waiter. He noticed his father and his mother on the dance floor, moving slowly as they looked at one another.
One day , Sawyer thought.
Yep, one day he might just find what the two of them found all those years ago. Or hell, he’d be content with finding what Kaleb and Zoey; Zane and V; Travis, Kylie, and Gage; as well as Ethan and Beau had found. He just wasn’t sure it was in his cards.
Ethan and Beau passed in front of him, laughing at something Zane had said, and Sawyer watched them for a second.
Those two were certainly made for one another, and Sawyer didn’t have a single doubt in his mind that they would share the rest of their lives together. There may not be any guarantees in life, but Sawyer could sense that those two were meant to be.
Hell, just a short while ago, he’d watched while Ethan had held Kaleb’s son in his arms, Beau by his side, and it was easy to imagine the two of them with one of their own in the future. Sawyer wasn’t quite sure what their plans were, but no matter what they decided, he’d be right there rooting for them all the way.
Another couple that caught Sawyer’s attention was his cousin Tessa and her husband, Cooper. Not long ago, they’d all attended their wedding, and being that Cooper was a country music superstar, Zane had thought it only fitting to invite them.
Thankfully, Travis had informed Cooper that he didn’t have to perform. Instead, Travis had invited a friend of his, Cheyenne Montgomery, to be the night’s entertainment. Sawyer wasn’t sure when it had happened, but somewhere along the way, Brendon must’ve become a country music fan because when the woman wasn’t singing, she was talking to him.
Speaking of Brendon... Sawyer’s attention was drawn to Braydon and Jessie as they leaned against one another, their feet barely moving while they swayed to the slow tune. Sawyer wasn’t so sure about those two. Or rather, three. Although tonight it was clear Brendon had other things on his mind. Not that Braydon or Jessie seemed to notice, or care, that he was missing. And maybe that was the issue. For what was supposed to be a threesome, lately it seemed there was always at least one missing—and not the same one every time.
He caught sight of Sheriff Endsley moving over to talk to Curtis as Sawyer’s father exited the dance floor, and Sawyer immediately began searching the room. He had no idea whether the man’s daughter would’ve come, but he was certainly one to hope. It didn’t take long to spot her. He merely had to search for the most beautiful woman in the place.
And there she was.
Kennedy Endsley was stunning. That was the case no matter what she was wearing, but as she moved so gracefully across the room in that silky emerald-green dress that clung to her lithe body, his mouth literally watered. He downed what was left of the champagne in his glass and set it on an empty table before moving across the room with purpose.
She might not want to have anything to do with him, but at least here she couldn’t make a scene. Or at least he hoped she wouldn’t.
“Hey,” he greeted her when he snuck up beside her.
For a brief moment, he thought he saw the hint of a smile, but then it was gone. The woman enjoyed the hell out of messing with him—that was obvious.
“Care to dance?” he asked, not willing to give her a chance to say no.
“Sure,” she said sweetly, surprising him with her quick response.
“With me?” he asked incredulously, not quite believing that she’d agreed.
Kennedy laughed, and the warm, raspy chuckle had his blood making a detour. South.
Get it together, Walker.
When Kennedy actually took his hand, leading him to the dance floor, Sawyer had to wonder what the fuck was going on. Was he dreaming? This couldn’t be happening. The same woman who made it her mission in life to avoid him was dragging him along behind her?
When he pulled her up against him a moment later, he kept his eyes locked with hers as he slid one hand around to her slender back. “What gives?”
Kennedy smiled brightly. Perfect white teeth, smooth pink lips.
“It’s just a dance, Walker,” she assured him. “Don’t get your hopes up.”
Staring into gorgeous gray eyes, Sawyer couldn’t believe the words that came out of his mouth. “Darlin’, it’s way too late for that.”
Later that night . . .
ETHAN PULLED OFF his boots and his socks as he watched Beau move across the room slowly. “What are you doing?”
“Nothing,” Beau answered way too quickly.
“Nothing, huh?”
“Nope.”
Ethan leaned into the soft leather cushions, getting himself comfortable. It had been a long night, one that he would never forget for as long as he lived.
Tomorrow was going to be an even longer day due to the traveling, but he was looking forward to it. They were leaving for their honeymoon. One solid week at a private villa on a secluded beach in Hawaii, thanks to some help from Travis, who apparently had contacts for just about anything and everything.
When asked, Ethan had informed Travis that he wasn’t looking to interact with locals or go sightseeing, but he was looking forward to being cut off from the rest of the world, completely alone with Beau. That’s when Travis said he had just the thing and that option had suited them both just fine.
But right now, Ethan was looking forward to passing the time tonight.
Naked.
With his husband.
God, he loved the sound of that.
“Come here,” Ethan instructed Beau, still watching as he moved around their living room as though he were a man on a mission.
“I can’t.”
“Why?”
“I just can’t.”
Ethan pushed to his feet although he wanted nothing more than to sink into the cushions of his couch with Beau’s gorgeous body on top of him.
“Is something wrong?” he asked when he approached, realizing that Beau’s eyes looked a little wild.
“No. Yes. No.”
“What’s going on?”
Beau stopped abruptly, staring back at him. Ethan took a tentative step closer and put his hand on Beau’s broad chest, slowly unhooking the buttons of his shirt as he did.
“We’re married,” Beau said, sounding surprised.
Ethan grinned back at him, pushing his hands flat against Beau’s now exposed chest. “We are.”
Technically, the state of Texas didn’t recognize same sex marriage; however, Ethan and Beau had agreed ahead of time that they didn’t give a shit what the state thought. It was what they felt for one another that mattered, not what a sheet of paper showed. Not to mention, Travis had helped them to get official, legal documents drawn up to formalize their arrangement and protect them where it mattered.
As far as Ethan was concerned, they were married.
“You married me,” Beau whispered.
“I did,” Ethan confirmed, pushing Beau’s shirt off his shoulders and then unhooking the cuff links so that he could get him naked faster.
“I love you,” Beau said.
“And I love you,” Ethan replied with a smirk. He’d never seen Beau like this. For the entire day, Beau had been right there by his side, greeting guests, laughing, smiling. Proud, handsome, sexy, and even slightly aggressive.
“Are you all right?” Ethan asked as he slipped the button of Beau’s pants from the loop and eased the zipper down.
“We’re married.”
Ethan laughed, sliding his hand inside of Beau’s boxers and fisting his cock firmly. “We are,” he murmured against Beau’s lips. “And I fully intend to make love to my husband for the very first time tonight.”
Beau shivered, and Ethan continued to stroke him. “So, you’d be doing me a favor if you got out of these clothes,” he encouraged.
“What if I wanted to make love to you ?”
“Do you?” Ethan was game for anything, just as long as he could get this man naked.
“Maybe,” Beau said and a wicked grin formed on his lips, sending a tremor through Ethan.
“Well, first one naked gets to decide,” Ethan dared.
Beau pulled away abruptly, toeing off his boots in a rush before sliding his pants down his legs and stepping out of them.
Ethan glanced down. “Socks?”
“Shit.”
He watched as Beau hopped on one leg, then the other, removing his socks before standing upright once more.
“You’re still dressed,” Beau said smoothly, although slightly confused.
“Looks like you get to choose,” Ethan told him with an answering smile. He really didn’t care who won because, as far as he was concerned, as long as he could have Beau, naked or otherwise, he was the winner.
When Beau linked their fingers together and began leading him toward the stairs, Ethan’s heart picked up a rapid tattoo in his chest. He wondered if that’s how Beau had felt moments ago when it finally sank in that they were actually married.
Before he could ask him, they were at the top of the stairs, and Ethan stopped suddenly.
The room was lit with candles of all shapes and sizes, casting a soft golden glow across everything, including the bed, which had been turned back as though they were at a hotel for the evening.
“Who did this?” Ethan asked, releasing Beau’s hand and going to work on removing his own shirt.
“If I had to guess, I’d say Kylie and Zoey.”
That would’ve been Ethan’s first guess, too. His sisters-in-law were sneaky like that. They were also thoughtful because as Ethan stared around the room, he couldn’t imagine a more perfect scene for tonight.
Taking Beau’s hand again, he moved closer to the bed.
“What the fuck is that?” Beau exclaimed.
Ethan glanced back at Beau to see what he was looking at. That’s when his attention was drawn to the headboard. He let out a resounding laugh as he noticed the ropes tied perfectly to the sides.
“Looks like I get to tie you up tonight,” Ethan said as he forced his pants down his legs and then stepped out of them.
Now that they were equally naked, Ethan was suddenly tired of wasting time.
“Bed,” Ethan directed Beau, and to his utter surprise, Beau moved swiftly.
Ethan admired Beau’s tight ass as he crawled on all fours to the center of the bed. “Don’t move,” he said quickly.
Without trying to be overly aggressive, Ethan climbed up behind him on the bed, sliding his hands up the inside of Beau’s spread thighs. He moved slowly, teasing more than fondling until he reached the heavy sac that hung between Beau’s thick legs. Gently kneading his balls, Ethan leaned forward and pressed kisses to Beau’s perfectly sculpted ass.
“I like this position,” Ethan told him as he reached around Beau with one hand, gripping his cock softly and brushing up and down the length with featherlight strokes. He continued until Beau was moaning and trying to push into his hands.
Ethan was just about to give in when he found himself flat on his back in a move that happened so fast, his head was spinning from it.
Laughing, Beau stared down at him. “If I remember correctly, I’m the one who was naked first; therefore, I get to decide what happens.”
Ethan was game for that. Hell, Ethan was up for anything this man had to offer him. He watched as Beau leaned over and grabbed the rope that was attached to the headboard.
Okay, wait. Maybe he wasn’t up for anything .
“WAIT, WHAT ARE you doing?” Ethan asked as Beau began strapping the wrist cuff attached to the end of the rope to Ethan’s arm.
“I’m going to have my wicked way with you.” Beau briefly glanced at Ethan’s face, but realized he wasn’t fighting him, so he had to assume his statement was for show.
Once the man learned what Beau had in mind for him, he knew Ethan wouldn’t be complaining. He might be begging though, because Beau had every intention of tormenting him the same way Ethan had done to him.
It didn’t take long to get his arms secured in place, and that’s when Beau moved down to kneel between Ethan’s legs, his eyes riveted to Ethan’s rigid cock lying on his belly.
Making sure he kept his hands off him, Beau leaned forward and ran his tongue over the taut sac between Ethan’s thighs and then up the stiff length of his erection. He repeated the motion several times until Ethan was writhing beneath him.
“Fuck!” Ethan growled.
“What’s wrong?” he asked with mock concern.
“You’re killing me.”
“No, I’m pleasuring you,” he assured him. “There’s a difference.”
On the next trip up the length of Ethan’s cock, Beau continued, trailing his tongue over Ethan’s stomach and making a path to his nipple. Once there, he laved the brown disc with his tongue before nipping it with his teeth, causing Ethan to arch beneath him. He did the same to the opposite side before kissing a trail further up to Ethan’s mouth.
Staring down at Ethan, Beau smiled. Hell, his entire body smiled from just looking at him. “I love you,” he whispered.
Ethan’s slow grin made Beau’s heart do a somersault.
“I love you.”
“And I love torturing you,” Beau tacked on, laughing as Ethan pulled at his restraints.
Beau reached down between them, wrapping his fist around both of their cocks and stroking slowly as they brushed against one another.
“Oh, fuck,” Ethan moaned. “That feels good.”
Damn right it did. Too good actually. So much so, Beau had to stop, or he risked turning their wedding night into a sprint, rather than a marathon.
Pressing his lips to Ethan’s once more, Beau inhaled him before pulling back slightly and staring down into dazed blue-gray eyes.
“I want to taste you,” Ethan said softly.
Beau wasn’t sure whether that was a good idea or not because he was hanging by a thread as it was, but he couldn’t say no. Moving around to Ethan’s side, Beau knelt on the right side of his head before bending his knee and planting his foot on the other side of him.
Ethan took him entirely by surprise when he lifted his head and sucked Beau’s balls right into his mouth. He actually cried out from the pleasure of it. For brutally long seconds, Ethan didn’t let up, and Beau prayed he’d have the willpower to hang on.
Forcing Ethan to release him, he gripped his cock and fed it into Ethan’s mouth, watching as soft lips wrapped around his shaft. Okay, this wasn’t any better because Ethan was slowly driving him insane with need.
Tightening his grip on the base of his cock, Beau fought back the urge, enjoying the glorious suction, the wet heat. When he was driving his cock into Ethan’s mouth faster, Beau knew he had to stop.
Ethan’s feigned look of disappointment when Beau pulled his cock free of his mouth made Beau laugh. Realigning their bodies, he pressed his chest against Ethan’s and then crushed his mouth down on his. The kiss escalated to mind-blowing levels within seconds, but Beau didn’t let up. He loved kissing this man. He could spend hours just kissing him, drawing in the sensual moans, reveling in the strong thrust of Ethan’s tongue. It was so much more than just a mere kiss.
When they finally came up for air long minutes later, Beau reached for the lube sitting on the nightstand. He filled his palm as he stared down at Ethan, admiring him, savoring just how appealing Ethan looked restrained to their bed, laid out for Beau’s pleasure.
“Need you,” Ethan groaned, his hips bucking up off the bed.
“You’ve got me,” Beau assured him, getting into position between Ethan’s legs, forcing them farther apart.
Beau coated two fingers with lube and then trailed them down Ethan’s thick shaft, over his balls and then lower before easing them slowly into Ethan’s ass. He wasn’t being gentle for the sake of being gentle. No, Beau was purposely teasing Ethan, wanting to have him hovering on the edge for as long as possible.
Once his fingers were deep inside of him, Beau twisted them, pulled them out, pressed them back in, and then aimed for Ethan’s prostate.
“Oh, fuck,” Ethan yelled, his hips pumping up off the bed.
“Do you like that?” Beau asked wickedly.
“So fucking much,” Ethan said, his eyes closed, his neck flexed as he arched into the mattress.
Beau continued the sensual torture while he stroked his own cock, lubing himself so he could easily slide inside of Ethan.
“Oh, fuck!” Ethan growled, and Beau stilled his fingers.
Okay, enough with the teasing, it was time to get down to business.
Beau guided his throbbing cock to the snug entrance of Ethan’s body and pushed inside, breaching the tight ring of muscles easily and then sliding in deep. Placing his hands behind Ethan’s knees, he forced his legs back as he watched where their bodies were joined.
It wasn’t long before Beau was sweating, the incredible friction, the tenacious pull of Ethan’s body driving him higher, forcing him closer and closer to the edge until he was nearly blinded by the pleasure. Dropping one of Ethan’s legs, Beau gripped Ethan’s cock, stroking firmly as he continued to thrust in deeper, harder, faster, watching Ethan’s face closely. Their eyes met, locked, and it was that instant connection, the love he saw in Ethan’s eyes that sent him right over the edge.
“Come for me,” Beau pleaded as his orgasm leveled him, stroking Ethan faster until his cock was pulsing, his cum spewing into Beau’s hand, over Ethan’s stomach.
“Let me loose,” Ethan pleaded, his voice but a mere whisper.
Beau pulled out of Ethan and then went to work releasing the flimsy Velcro on the restraints. Once Ethan was free, he grabbed Beau, pulling him down on top of him, pressing his scorching hot lips against his in a kiss that was powerful enough to make Beau crazy with lust once again.
When their mouths separated, Ethan pushed him onto his back, smiling down at him as he rested on his side.
“You know, I could totally get used to that.”
“Yeah?” Beau questioned, still trying to catch his breath.
“Definitely.”
“Good, we’ll have to try... What are you doing?” Beau tried to pull away, but before he knew it, Ethan had one of his arms strapped firmly in the cuff attached to the bed, his other arm pinned to the bed so he couldn’t release himself.
“Oh, didn’t I tell you? It’s my turn.”
Beau noticed the wicked gleam in Ethan’s eyes and wondered for a brief second what exactly Ethan had in store for him.
“And, baby, I’ve got a lot to pay you back for.”
Beau definitely liked the sound of that. “Bring it on,” he told his husband with a smirk.