Chapter Thirteen
In the same waterfall grotto as Kirkland had sat the day Fabrice had tossed him in the pool, Fabrice hid.
The guys had left. Workers scrambled, taking down decorations from the wedding.
Leftover food was boxed to drop off at a homeless shelter.
Fabrice’s mind was completely blank. He didn’t know what Atticus had planned.
His brain refused to speculate. He had shut down.
In a different grotto, completely hidden from view, Fabrice heard Beau and Kylo talking. They spoke to each other so lovingly. Beau sounded like a different person.
“Do you know what we should do?”
Beau released a low, wicked-sounding chuckle. “I have lots of ideas.”
Fabrice knew he should leave. He didn’t want to eavesdrop or get trapped listening to anything sexual.
The problem was his body refused to budge.
There wasn’t a single place he could go where there wasn’t someone looking at him with pity.
Fabrice couldn’t handle that right now. He was too scared of how Atticus would handle Kirkland.
There was only one reason for Atticus to take the entire Agafonov family with him.
Fabrice didn’t know what he would do if they harmed his husband.
Nothing good, that was for sure. They would have to kill him too.
“Well, yeah. I have a ton of ideas too, but that’s not what I meant. Do you know what we should do for Fabrice and Kirkland?”
Oh, no. Now he was officially eavesdropping.
“We should add a second kitchen and hire a second chef. That way, they can have more time together.”
“I don’t want to insult Fabrice by hiring another chef.”
Fabrice had no clue how he felt about the idea. He currently felt nothing.
“You have that guard back in Cali who’s training to become a chef. What will he do with his degree if we don’t give him a place in the kitchen? He could be Fabrice’s second in command or whatever the cooking world calls that.”
Beau was silent for a moment. When he spoke, his voice was full of laughter. “I could steal Kapra’s new chef, Phoenix. He deserves it after trying to usurp my place at Fabrice’s wedding.”
Despite his mood, a small smile tugged at Fabrice’s lips.
“I won’t do that, though. Phoenix has small children, and I wouldn’t pass over one of our guys for one of his. I’ll talk to Fabrice and let him have the final say. He’s too important to me to hurt him if he feels like he’s being replaced.”
“Good idea.”
“I have more.” Beau’s words dripped sex. Now Fabrice was uncomfortable.
“You should take me to bed and tell me all about them.”
“Have you seen Fabrice?”
The sound of Kirkland’s voice had Fabrice sitting straighter and straining to hear.
“You’re just in time. Daddy was about to carry me to bed. He’s in the other grotto at the opposite end of the pool.”
Oh no. He hoped the pair didn’t know he had heard every word. They hadn’t acted as if they knew he was there.
Fabrice didn’t get to muse over it for long. Kirkland slipped between the edge of the pool and the waterfall. Fabrice eyed him. It was too dark to make out much other than that he wore swimming trunks and nothing else. That was odd, considering he hadn’t known where to find Fabrice.
“Hey.” The sound of Kirkland’s voice startled Fabrice, and he didn’t know why. “Pierre said you were swimming. I thought I’d missed you when I came out here and you were nowhere to be seen.”
Fabrice shook his head, even though, obviously, Kirkland hadn’t missed him. “I’m here.” He didn’t know if he meant where he sat or how he intended to stick by Kirkland. Both were true.
Kirkland sat at the end of Fabrice’s lounge. He lifted Fabrice’s feet onto his lap and massaged them while his gaze never moved from holding Fabrice’s stare. “Sorry about leaving. I guess I had a bit of a meltdown.”
“Did you get everything worked out?” Why did he sound so unshaken?
Kirkland nodded. “It seems I should’ve given Atticus more credit.
He knew his father. Don’t let me fool you into thinking I’m not still shaking to my core and terrified.
He might still sleep on it and see things differently.
Atticus tells me you took up the sword for me before he found me.
He said you were quite passionate in your defense of me. ”
A small weight lifted from Fabrice’s shoulders. “I’m sorry if I betrayed your trust. My mind has been a little hazy since I found you gone. I didn’t know he didn’t know.” Fabrice couldn’t recall if he had already said that, but his chest still felt heavy.
Kirkland shifted and crawled toward Fabrice.
Fabrice made room for him. Kirkland wrapped his arms around Fabrice, holding him.
He kissed Fabrice’s forehead. “You have nothing to apologize for. I feel like an idiot for coming unglued the way I did. The entire situation just overwhelmed me. I can’t explain what went through my mind.
It was suddenly like I was drowning and couldn’t get enough oxygen to think. ”
The more Kirkland spoke, the more Fabrice came back to himself.
He was in Kirkland’s arms. They were happily married.
“You don’t have to explain, gorgeous. When it comes to traumatic experiences, sometimes there’s no rhyme or reason to being triggered.
Even if you’d been through counseling, you could’ve still panicked over such a huge slap in the face from the past. When you’re a teen, to your soul, you believe you’ll never regret the things you do.
You made the decision and you’ll still know that as an adult.
Then you become an adult, years pass, and the horror hits.
You see the reasons the events were a secret or whatever.
What you didn’t think made you a victim feels very much like you actually were.
All the disconnect you felt back then shows its real face.
You were surviving a situation too big for you. It’s time to try therapy.”
He felt Kirkland nod. “I know. Atticus suggested I join him for his sessions. I’ve agreed.
We’ll see where that goes. Right now, I want to put my past back in the box I sealed it away in and be right here.
I know this isn’t our first wedding night, but I definitely didn’t want this experience to go the way it did.
Can we focus on us? Truthfully, I’m incredibly embarrassed by my reaction. ”
Fabrice nodded. He kissed Kirkland’s chest. “You shouldn’t be, but I’m good with that.” He slid his hand down Kirkland’s torso. When he reached where he could cup Kirkland’s bulge, he massaged, enjoying the way Kirkland’s cock felt hardening beneath his touch. “Tonight is still a wedding night.”
Kirkland skimmed his fingertips down Fabrice’s cheek before lifting his chin and bringing Fabrice’s gaze to his. “I need you to tell me you know how much I love you. Nothing could tear me away from you, not really. I’d lose my mind if I couldn’t hold you.”
The sincerity in Kirkland’s expression had tears pricking his eyes. Kirkland loved him. Fabrice never questioned that. Every touch, glance, and word bled his love for Fabrice. They were solid.
“Same. You’re my husband. I meant my vows. Both times. You come before all others. No one can break that.”
“Awwww.”
Fabrice buried his face against Kirkland’s chest and smothered his laughter at Kylo’s coo. He had forgotten about the pair.
Kirkland pressed his lips against the shell of Fabrice’s ear. “We should go to bed.” The whisper had goosebumps skittering along his body. Fabrice was ready to have Kirkland beneath him. Kirkland was right. It was time for bed.
The way Kirkland shook inside nearly made him seasick.
While Fabrice had told him through text he would always be at his side, Kirkland hadn’t known what to expect when he came home.
He knew there was a possibility Fabrice had thought things over and decided he didn’t want this.
After all, he hadn’t married a man bent on running from his problems. Truthfully, Kirkland didn’t know what Fabrice saw in him.
That wasn’t a lack of confidence. The confusion was more about him not even knowing who he was.
He had been hiding for too long. Kirkland had withdrawn his heart and emotions from the chessboard.
What had Fabrice seen in his empty shell that he wanted?
Kirkland couldn’t even begin to imagine.
As always, Kirkland waited for a few minutes before moving to join Fabrice in the shower.
This time, he found Fabrice soaking in a bubble bath as if he had been waiting for Kirkland.
Kirkland didn’t hesitate to slip in behind him and tug Fabrice back against his chest. They were unusually quiet as they washed each other.
As Kirkland massaged shampoo into Fabrice’s hair, a wave of kinship hit him.
They were friends. It was almost funny how he didn’t think about that often.
No matter how brazen and determined to flirt Fabrice had been since they met, they had been friends—like truly.
In fact, Kirkland would go as far as to say Fabrice was his best friend.
He knew he could talk to Fabrice about literally anything, and Fabrice would not only listen, but he would also bring his side to the conversation with an open heart and honesty.
That was one of the reasons he never wanted to be apart again.
“Can I ask you something?”
Fabrice didn’t hesitate. “Of course.”
Kirkland rinsed Fabrice’s hair as gently as possible, showing his affection. “When you… chose me, I guess for lack of a better term, why?”
Fabrice chuckled. The sound was soft and sweet.
“I’m being serious,” Kirkland added. He needed Fabrice to know this was a sincere question. “You must’ve seen something. What did you think I have to offer? You know the real me. I don’t think I’ve ever known me.”