“How medium-sized are we talking?”
Oakley drew a slow breath through his nose. “Um. Maybe a third of Rocky’s ceremony. Would it speed things up if I said the vow exchange will be private and live streamed so your focus will mostly be on the reception?”
Eric pulled some move with his tongue that had Oakley violently swallowing a moan.
“If you’re fine with a very basic decorative style—like plain white plates and tablecloths, and simple flower arrangements—I could pull something together in a matter of days. Of course, that depends heavily on the location. If you want a popular venue, those can book out years in advance.”
Oakley moved the phone away for a second so he could breathe through a pant. He desperately fought to keep talking. Oakleywent back to his call. “We’re not picky about any of that. If you have some ideas and would like to set up something to go over all the options, that would be amazing.”
“Sure. I have an appointment open tomorrow around two. Will that work?”
“That’s perfect.” He ran his fingers through Eric’s hair. He was so close to being free to punish him.
“Would you like me to list my fees before you feel like I wasted your time?”
“Nope.” Oakley struggled hard. “Money doesn’t matter when it comes to Eric.”
Eric’s head shot up.
Their gazes met.
Baylor said something about true love being adorable.
Oakley somehow managed a goodbye. Then his tongue battled with Eric’s. He had Eric’s pants down just enough to get what he wanted. Eric’s huge body covered his and Eric held their dicks together as he stroked. There was a massive amount of need driving him insane. He knew he was moving with Eric at lightning speed. Oakley needed Eric tied to him before Eric came to his senses. He had always been the type to know what he wanted and go after it with everything he had. It was more thanthat, though. There was a lot Eric didn’t know about him. He knew—if and when Eric realized those things—he would leave Oakley in the dust.
Pressure climbed Oakley’s shaft. He dug his fingertips into Eric’s skin as he fought to fly. Oakley bit Eric’s lip, turning frantic beneath him. He was so close to what Eric’s touch offered. When the first burst of ecstasy stole the air from his lungs, the biggest reason for his rush looked clearer than ever. Baylor wasn’t wrong. Somewhere along the line in the past year, Oakley had fallen in love with Eric, and it was adorable. He couldn’t lose him. Oakley couldn’t go back to being alone. He needed this too much.
Chapter Five
Wedding planning moved blessedlyquick. The options Baylor had for fast and simple weddings were still gorgeous. Plus, there was a huge wedding chapel one town over that stayed put together and had an open day just two weeks out. The place was a combination wedding venue and reception hall. Since they recorded every wedding as part of their package, live streaming was a breeze. Baylor impressed the hell out of Oakley with how fast he threw everything together without stressing them at all. Everything went on behind the scenes with very little input needed from them. Of course, his fee matched his worth. Oakley never stressed about that. However, he had fully expected a hate-filled call from Rocky when he received the wedding invitation. To his surprise, all he got was radio silence.If he RSVP’d, Oakley wouldn’t know. Baylor kept watch over the numbers.
Then he stood facing Eric, with a camera recording every moment, and everything suddenly felt very, very real. He was hyper aware of everyone watching one room over until Eric smiled. Oakley forgot everything except the man who had agreed to do this absolutely insane thing with him.
“You’re completely crazy. You know that, right?”
Eric laughed. “So are you.”
Oakley shook his head. “Nah. I know exactly what I’m doing and I’ve never been happier.”
The way Eric turned dewy-eyed at the confession made it worthwhile.
“Let’s begin.”
Oakley focused on the officiator. The bald man was elaborately dressed in silky robes. Oakley had never subscribed to religion. Honestly, he never even thought much about it. People were born and then they died. It all seemed cut and dry to him. He supposed people were scared of dying and needed a storybook afterlife. Oakley didn’t understand that. He imagined death was like falling asleep. It seemed crazy to fear sleeping. Truthfully, they wouldn’t be scared if someone hadn’t taught them they would burn for eternity if they weren’t perfect in everyone else’s eyes. It felt a little like they caused their own anxiety. He knewhe focused on random thoughts to avoid being scared shitless. Eric could still say no. Then what? He would be humiliated, but worse than that, he would be completely heartbroken.
Oakley blinked, and he was repeating his vows. Eric looked every bit as scared as Oakley until they both said “I do.” Then he looked at Oakley in a way Oakley had been begging the universe for—like he loved him.
“I now pronounce you bound for life. You may kiss to seal your love for eternity.”
Now they were at the good part. Oakley overcame Eric and kissed him like he couldn’t wait to find the nearest flat surface. He heard the cheer ring out from the reception hall. Eric smiled against his lips. They burst out laughing. Oakley had never been so happy. Hand in hand, they headed to join the party. As they cleared the door, everyone came to their feet and clapped. Whistles filled the air. They had chosen not to do assigned seating. The only reserved table was theirs. Oakley spotted Rocky and Jakk as they passed. They were deep in conversation with Chipper, so Oakley couldn’t get a read on their thoughts. But they had shown, and that was something.
Eric followed his line of sight and squeezed his hand. “Are you worried he won’t want to stay friends?”
Oakley focused on his new husband. “No. You’re worth more to me than that.” He truly was, but Oakley was still slightly worried. Rocky was more than his friend. He was his agent. Rocky should have dropped him after Oakley retired. There was no reason forRocky to keep finding ways to keep Oakley relevant, especially now. The guy wasn’t making any money off Oakley’s little conventions. Oakley worried over it while trying to focus on their night. When they stood to mingle after dinner, he was more than a little relieved when Rocky and Jakk immediately headed their way. Jakk had a middle-aged woman on his arm. She was all smiles, walking between Jakk and Eric’s aunt.
Eric froze.
Oakley glanced over. There were tears in his eyes.