Chapter 5
Levi
“If you’re trying to hide the fact you just fucked in a coat closet during my wedding reception, you’re doing a really bad job at it.”
“Holy fuck!” I shout, clutching my hand to my chest as my heart nearly jumps out of my throat. Spinning around, I see my sister standing there, this glassy look in her eyes and a mischievous grin on her face. “Megan.” I blow out a breath. “You scared me.”
“Where’s your big sexy boyfriend to protect you?” She raises a brow.
“He went back into the party. I needed to use the bathroom.”
“Mhhmm.” She grins. “Like I said. You’re not fooling anyone. Not with the big hickey on your neck.” She points at my throat.
Instinctively, my hand reaches up to hide it. Damnit, Austin. Did he really have to leave a mark?
Don’t lie to yourself, Levi. Just thinking about the fact that you’re wearing his mark has your cock ready to spring back to life at any moment.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I run my hand down over my dress shirt. “We were just outside talking. Then I needed to pee.”
“Please,” she snorts. “You're a big fat liar. And not a good one. You’ve never been good at it. Dude, it’s okay. Roland and I just snuck off to the limo a half hour ago.” She wiggles her eyebrows.
“Eww, Meg, no.” I shake my head. “No one wants to hear about their sister getting laid.”
“And no one wants to hear about their brother getting their ass fucked.” She shrugs.
“No one was fucking anyone’s ass,” I deadpan.
“Sucking then?” She grins.
“Stop.” I glare at her.
“Okay, okay.” She holds up her hands. “Look, I just wanted to talk. I feel like we hardly had a moment all day.”
“I know. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. It’s my wedding day. I’m not supposed to be socializing with anyone but Roland, really. But after mom told me about you and Austin, I knew I had to get you alone.”
“Right.” My stomach churns. “Austin and me.” She’s not completely right. I might not be the best at lying, but I’m sure doing a grand job tonight about this whole fake boyfriend thing.
I still can’t believe Austin Cade got down on his knees and single-handedly gave me the best blowjob in history.
If it wasn’t for the angry hickey on my neck, I would have thought it was all a dream.
“Soooo. tell me. How did you two decide to go from friends to something more? How long have you been dating?”
“Whoa. Whoa,” I laugh. “Slow down. One question at a time.” Because I need time to think up some answers. “This thing between us is pretty new.”
“I’d assume that much, seeing how we haven’t heard about the two of you until today. And Austin is just newly in the dating world of men. And you’ve been celibate for the past two years.”
“Not anymore,” I mutter to myself.
“No, because he just fucked you in the closet,” she giggles, clearly having had too much to drink.
“No one fucked anyone in the closet,” I sigh heavily.
“I wouldn’t be too sure about that. I’m pretty sure I saw Charlie and Claire go in there earlier.”
“Ew.” I shake my head. “What is with the Darwood children and sex at this event?”
“Love is in the air, my brother,” she says dreamily.
Love? Yeah, I wouldn’t go that far. More like lust. It’s very lust-filled, for sure.
“Okay, so this is new. That's exciting. How did you two start dating?”
Fuck. I have no idea what to say. The bigger the lie, the more it’s going to show that I’m not telling the truth.
“We talked. Told each other what we wanted out of life, and it happens that we both want similar things. So, we decided who better to date than someone you already know and feel comfortable with?” It’s not exactly a lie. It’s as close to the truth I’m able to get.
“That's so sweet.” Megan pouts. “I’m so happy for the both of you. Austin is perfect for you. He’s kind, sweet, a good guy, and has a great head on his shoulders. And god.” She bites her lip. “He’s so damn dreamy,” she gushes, fanning her face.
“Really?” I raise a brow. “You know this is your wedding we’re at, right? Your new husband is around here somewhere.”
“Stop it,” she laughs. “I’m madly in love with Roland. Doesn’t mean I don’t have eyes.” She rolls hers. “You’re not the only one who had a crush on Austin Cade, you know.”
“When?” My brows furrow.
“As if you don’t remember me pretty much begging to hang out with you guys all the time.”
“I thought you just wanted to be with me.” I blink. “We did everything together.”
“Oh my sweet, sweet twin.” She places a hand on my shoulder. “I love you dearly, and loved hanging out with you, but it wasn’t you I wanted to be around when Austin was over.”
“Gee, thanks,” I huff.
“Doesn’t matter. I wasn’t the twin he was interested in.” She shrugs. “Makes a lot of sense now.”
“What does?”
“Why Austin was over all the time.”
“Because of Charlie,” I point out.
“Well, yeah, I’m sure Charlie was half of it. But were you really that blind?” she asks, shaking her head. “That man liked you, even back then.”
“He did not,” I scoff, waving her off.
“Whatever you say, little bro.”
“I’m not your little brother,” I sigh. “We’re twins.”
“I’m older by two minutes,” she says, holding two of her fingers up.
“And you never let me forget it,” I sigh.
“Never,” she chuckles, then her face falls into something soft.
“Really, Levi, I’m so happy for you.” She steps up to me, gripping both of my shoulders.
“I’ve always wanted you to be happy. To find a man who will treat you right.
After everything with Brogan, I hated seeing you so down on yourself and throwing yourself into work to try to get him off your mind.
I’m glad you have Austin now. Maybe you will slow down and just enjoy living. ”
I was starting to feel guilty about how happy she was for me, until she brought up work. “What are you talking about? I didn’t throw myself into work to forget my ex. I did it because I needed the money.”
“True. But was it just about the money?”
Huh. I’ve never thought about that. Is she right? Did I throw myself into work to forget about how wrecked I was over the breakup? Not because I lost Brogan, he was an asshole. But because of all the time I lost dating him. And not just time, but pieces of myself.
“Doesn’t matter.” I shake my head. “Brogan isn’t a factor in my life anymore.”
“No, because you have a real man. A real, fine man.” Megan fans herself.
“Again. This is your wedding, you weirdo,” I laugh.
“That you are right about.” She hooks her arm through mine. “Now, let's go find our men.”
I almost say Austin isn’t my man, but bite my tongue. Austin might not be my man, but to everyone here, he is. And the shitty part is, I wish he was my man in real life.
But that's not what Austin wants. He’s not looking for anything serious. That's why he suggested the friends-with-benefits arrangement. If he wanted more, he would have said so, right?
As soon as my eyes land on Austin, all the air leaves my lungs.
He really was too good-looking for his own good. He stands there talking to Roland, shirt untucked, a few of the buttons of his dress shirt undone.
Flashes of him on his knees, his pretty pouty lips wrapped around my cock as he swallowed me down earlier enters my mind, and my whole body flushes.
Roland looks our way, smiling when he sees us, Austin looks too. The smoldering eyes he sends my way have me wanting to drag him back into that closet for a repeat.
I didn’t get to return the favor after all. And trust me, I really, really, really want to. God, I want to know what that man tastes like, the look on his face when I choke on his cock as he spills down my throat.
“Hey, you,” he murmurs when we reach them, pulling me into his arms.
I go willingly because stupid me really loves being held by him.
“Hey.” I smile up at him, feeling a little flustered.
“Everything good?” He searches my eyes.
“Everything is perfect.” For now, it’s not a lie. Ask me again tomorrow, though.
“Alright, you two love birds. Let’s dance!” Megan shouts. “DJ, let’s get freaky!”
“Oh god,” I snort out a laugh.
“Come on, baby,” Austin pulls me out onto the dance floor. “Let’s get freaky.” He wiggles his brows, and I can’t help but burst out laughing.
I haven’t felt this happy in a long time. I can’t remember the last time I just let myself enjoy life and had fun.
Too bad this is all a lie, and when I wake up tomorrow, it’s going to poof, be gone.
***
It’s three in the morning by the time I enter my apartment. I go in quietly, careful not to wake up Cole, even though I want to charge in there like a bull and rip his head off for the stupid stunt he pulled.
Locking the door behind me, I place my keys on the counter and kick my shoes off. Snicklefritz comes bouncing over to me, meowing his head off as he starts to rub against me.
“Hey, little man.” I laugh, scooping him up in my arms. “I missed you too.”
He starts to purr up a storm, rubbing his head against my cheek. I pet him as I start to make my way into the apartment.
Needing a drink before I head to bed, I detour to the kitchen and nearly die of a heart attack when I see Cole sitting there like some sort of evil villain, the light on the stove casting an eerie shadow over him.
“What is with people trying to scare me to death today?”
“And how many people have done that?” he asks, raising a brow with an amused look on his face.
I flick on the lights and let Snicklefritz down before joining Cole in the kitchen.
“You would make two.”
“You're so dramatic,” he chuckles.
“What are you doing up?” I ask, remembering the time.
He lets out a heavy sigh. “Got into another fight with Gabe,” he mutters, taking a sip of his tea. Gabe would be Cole’s boyfriend of two years.
“What’s he doing now?”
“The same old thing. Bitching and complaining. Nothing new.”
“Now I feel bad for you and don’t have the heart to rip your head off about the whole Austin thing,” I grumble, sitting in the chair at the kitchen table across from him.
“Yes. Please. Feel bad. Don’t kill me. I’m a sad person with relationship problems."