Marry Me Read online

  food?”

  “Hub’s got it.” She nodded. “Okay, one more email to deal

  with…and you two better not be playing with each other while

  mama’s on the phone.”

  Fabian cracked up and Braxton spotted his blush.

  “We’re not. Our dicks are recuperating from their workout.”

  As he said it Braxton remembered his. He checked the time.

  “Remind me to call Tyson at the gym and cancel.”

  “You sure?”

  “Yes.”

  “Uh hum?” Brianna looked impatient.

  “We’re listening.” Braxton gave her back his attention.

  “Drew Persely is relentless. He offered you twenty percent

  more than what you usually charged in order to ‘acquire’ our

  firm’s services.”

  “No.”

  Fabian looked at him.

  Braxton looked back.

  “Twenty percent more?” Fabian asked. “He just wants our

  representation, right?”

  “No. He wants me to suck his dick.” He addressed Brianna,

  “No.”

  “You sure, Braxton? I mean, he’s got Mark Richfield. I

  wouldn’t mind having that car company on our client list.”

  “Christ.” Braxton rubbed his face in annoyance.

  “I can handle him.” Fabian touched Braxton’s leg under the

  blankets.

  Thinking of Fabian’s experience as a youth, he said, “Not

  going to happen. He’s a fucking bully-pervo.”

  “Guys?” Brianna said impatiently, “Think about it? Okay?

  It’s a ton of money and great for our firm’s resume.”

  Braxton knew his answer.

  Brianna said, “Okay. Let me call the LAPD for an off duty

  cop.”

  “Get two,” Braxton replied.

  “Got it. Bye. Oh, and do some work, will ya?” She stuck out

  her tongue and her picture vanished.

  Braxton checked the emails again and when he spotted one

  from Drew he held up the phone so both he and Fabian could

  read it, their heads leaning on each other as they did. After

  Braxton read it he said, “He’s an ass.”

  “So? You know how much he’s worth? PR for his car

  company?”

  “Let me think about it.” Braxton pushed buttons on his phone

  and put it to his ear. “Gotta get out of this training session. Now I have to get us a limo and tuxes for tonight.”

  Fabian rolled closer and kissed his neck while massaging

  Braxton’s chest.

  “Braxton Todd!” Tyson obviously read his number on his

  caller ID. “Don’t whine about how sore you are.”

  “I am. You beast.” Braxton heard Fabian chuckle. “I need to

  cancel our session today. Sorry.”

  “Okay. No biggie. You’re still coming for your usual

  punishment during the week, right?”

  “Yes.”

  “Oh, hey, did you have a date from a charity auction with a

  woman named Virginia Steinman?”

  “Yes. How do you know?”

  “Her brother Howard and I are partners.”

  Braxton immediately recalled Virginia mentioning her gay

  brother. “Huh. Small world.”

  “She talk your ear off and get drunk?”

  “She got drunk, yes, but she was okay. Not too overly

  chatty.”

  “She bragged about you and said you wanted her to set you

  up with a three-way with one of her straight college-preppy-

  studs.”

  Fabian, appearing to overhear, cracked up again.

  “I never asked for that.” Braxton felt his cheeks warm in

  embarrassment, hoping Fabian would believe he had not.

  “Oh, honey, she does it all the time. She fixes up boys who

  love boys, with boys who love girls. It’s her full time obsession

  to convert every straight boy she knows.”

  Fabian roared with hilarity and Braxton put his pillow on his

  face to shut him up playfully.

  “She’s insane.” Braxton shook his head.

  “No. She gets off on men together. What can I say? Some of

  her scientific experiments go for it. Ya know? Bi-curious?

  Straight until the lights go out…gay for—”

  “I got it.” Braxton caught Fabian’s impish grin.

  “Okay, honey. Gotcha down for six-fucking-a.m. Monday.”

  “Thanks, Tyson. Have a good weekend.”

  “You too, sweets!”

  Braxton disconnected and asked Fabian, “Do you have a

  tux?”

  “Nope.”

  “Okay. Time to get up and get you fitted.” Braxton scanned

  his phone apps for a local shop.

  “Get up? You mean stop playing with you?” Fabian cupped

  Braxton’s soft cock.

  “Temporarily.” He dialed the tuxedo shop. “Hello, yes, I need

  to make an appointment to get someone fitted for a tuxedo for

  tonight.”

  “Okay. Can you come in now?” the woman asked.

  “We can.” Braxton sat up and gave her his name and number.

  When he glanced back, Fabian was smiling adoringly at him. He

  winked and continued his conversation.

  Chapter 16

  Was he used to this kind of insanity? No!

  After Fabian was fitted for a tuxedo, he was sitting in

  Braxton’s Porsche as Braxton spoke on his Bluetooth and drove

  them to his home. Slouched in the leather seat beside Braxton,

  who had just given him a company iPad from out of his trunk,

  Fabian answered emails while they did their errands. With the

  electronic pad on his lap, Fabian tapped keys while he listened to

  the master work.

  “When did they mention no gluten?” Braxton drove them to

  the coast and Fabian was curious to see this man’s condo. “Well,

  make a gluten-free selection.” Braxton shifted into fifth gear on

  the highway, speeding passed slower cars. “You’re the caterer,

  why are you asking me?” Braxton blew out a loud exhale. “Yes.

  That’s fine. Of course. Just label it or have the server tell people what it is before he serves.”

  Fabian smiled, looking over his shoulder at the plastic

  wrapped black formalwear hanging on a hook over the

  passenger’s door. A red carpet affair. My oh my.

  Naomi had screamed when he invited her, going crazy as she

  tried to figure out what to wear and how to get into a salon last

  minute, not to mention, whom to bring!

  He loved making her happy.

  “Fine. Yes, eggplant is good, quinoa is fine…” Braxton

  slowed down to cross back to the right side of the freeway as

  they came close to the Santa Monica exit. “Gotta go. Just do

  your best. I know it’s last minute.” He disconnected the call with

  a tap to his ear and looked over at Fabian. “Some people get car

  sick when they type and drive.”

  “I’m fine.” Fabian answered the emails marked urgent by

  Brianna. She was great at screening.

  “Almost home.” Braxton shook Fabian’s knee.

  Home. Hmm. You had me pack an overnight bag. How about

  that?

  Fabian looked to where they were headed. “Do you have a

  view?”

  “On the deck. If you get on your toes and use binoculars.”

  Fabian laughed. “What should I expect from this red carpet

  thing tonight?”

  “Chaos. Paparazzi. A luna
tic who has it out for the EP. Police

  presence.”

  “Is that normal?”

  “Yeah. Pretty much. Most celebs hire security and the theater

  does as well. No one wants trouble.”

  “Jeez. I like a quiet life.”

  “Then don’t come.”

  Fabian shut down the computer on his lap. “I wouldn’t miss it

  for the world.” He grinned wickedly.

  After shifting gears, Braxton reached for Fabian’s hand,

  holding it. Fabian brought it to his lips to kiss.

  ~

  Braxton parked under the condo complex in his garage and

  the two of them gathered their belongings and walked to the door

  of the lobby. Holding Fabian’s tux over his shoulder, Braxton

  used his key and glanced at the spot on the cement wall he had

  punched. It embarrassed him he could lose his temper to such an

  extent and hoped he never did in front of Fabian.

  He stood by the elevator and noticed Fabian either

  preoccupied or daydreaming beside him. Braxton nudged him

  playfully with his elbow, making Fabian wake up.

  Fabian laughed shyly and they entered the elevator together.

  “I’m assuming my home is clean. I have a service that comes

  once a week.”

  “I don’t care.”

  “Sure you don’t. And if I lived like a hoarder you wouldn’t

  run for the hills.” Braxton exited the elevator at his floor and

  held the correct key in his hand to open his unit door.

  Once inside the condo, Fabian placed Braxton’s computer

  down on a coffee table. Braxton watched as Fabian had a look

  around the light airy open-planned layout, like all the new units

  built after the 1990s were constructed.

  Braxton walked directly down the hall and heard Fabian

  following him. He laid Fabian’s tuxedo on his bed and said,

  “You can put your bag in here.” Braxton stripped off his suit

  from the day before and hung it up to take to the cleaners. “I

  need a shower and shave.”

  “A shower. Grr.”

  At the sensual response, Braxton spun around to see Fabian.

  In his domain. His bedroom. A place where he’d never invited

  another soul previously.

  Once Braxton was down to his briefs, he crossed the room to

  Fabian and touched his arm. “I must really like you.”

  “Why?” Fabian appeared amused.

  “No one’s ever come over before.”

  “No one.” Fabian tilted his head. “Ever?”

  “Ever.” Braxton headed to the dresser and tossed clean socks

  and briefs on the bed, then had a look at his tuxedo which had

  come back from the cleaners and was still in its plastic wrap.

  “Not even…” Fabian stopped himself mid-sentence.

  Braxton looked over his shoulder at him. “Not even?”

  “Never mind.”

  Curious what he was going to say, Braxton approached him.

  “No. Go ahead.”

  “I was going to say, not even family, but then I realized how

  inappropriate that was.”

  “No. No family. Just repairmen and my cleaning lady.”

  Braxton headed to the bathroom where he stripped off his briefs

  and started the shower, getting his shaving gel and razor out of

  the medicine cabinet.

  “Braxton.”

  He turned to see Fabian leaning on the doorframe, a look of

  sorrow on his handsome face. “I don’t need pity.” Braxton

  snarled in reflex, and stood over his sink to lather his jaw.

  In the mirror’s reflection he watched Fabian vanish, then

  reappear naked, holding his toiletry bag.

  “We’ll clean up, get into our tuxes and I’ll have the chauffeur

  pick us up. There’s a pre-party gala near the premiere where we

  can eat and get a drink.”

  “Great. Naomi said she’d try to find us at the actual

  premiere.”

  “That won’t be easy. But we can try.”

  The steam began to fill the room as Braxton shaved quickly,

  torn between his instinct to keep everyone away from him and

  his desire for a good man in his life.

  He nicked his chin and swore, then rinsed the razor under the

  tap and entered the shower, washing off the foam from his jaw

  and neck and reaching for the shampoo.

  ~

  Fabian removed his razor and used Braxton’s shaving gel, all

  the while trying not to analyze everything Braxton said and did.

  He finished shaving before the mirror was completely steamed

  up and moved the shower door back, seeing Braxton rinsing his

  hair. “May I join you?”

  “You may.” Braxton made room for Fabian and allowed him

  to wet down.

  After Fabian soaked his hair he looked for the shampoo and

  caught Braxton staring at him, a tiny trail of blood was running

  from a spot on his chin. Fabian touched it gently. “Cut

  yourself?”

  “I usually do when I rush. I’m the master of self-inflicted

  injury.”

  At the sadness in Braxton’s eyes, Fabian went for him,

  walking him backwards so Braxton’s back was against the far

  wall of the tub. They touched lips lightly and then Fabian was

  able to urge Braxton into a more sensuous kiss. Knowing they

  didn’t have a lot of time, Fabian used soap, which smelled of

  herbs and musk, and lathered up his hands and groin, then he

  reached for Braxton and made sure his cock and balls were

  coated with the slippery suds as well.

  As Braxton watched, Fabian held both their cocks together

  and began fisting them. Braxton moaned and rested his head

  back on the tile wall, spreading his legs.

  Fabian stared down at the sight and with both hands he

  gripped their cocks together tightly, jerking hard and fast for a

  quick release.

  Another deep growling moan came from Braxton and he held

  onto Fabian’s arms and allowed Fabian to service them both.

  “Come, you gorgeous fucker!” Fabian was close and wanted

  Braxton to come with him.

  Just as he said it, Braxton’s cock pulsated and his cum

  sprayed out onto Fabian’s soaked skin and down his knuckles.

  Fabian’s knees felt weak at the sight and he too came, pulling

  hard on them both to prolong the pleasure.

  Braxton collapsed against Fabian and held him tight, pressing

  his face against Fabian’s neck. “What would I do without you?”

  Fabian knew how hard this emotional ‘coming out’ of

  Braxton’s feelings was. Probably just as difficult for Braxton as

  coming out of the closet had been for other men.

  “You’ll never have to find that out. I signed a coaster.”

  Braxton looked at Fabian and they both laughed.

  ~

  Standing in front of the mirror, Braxton straightened his

  bowtie and frowned at the tiny grazing he gave his chin. It had

  stopped bleeding but he didn’t like seeing a mark on his face.

  Warmth engulfed him from behind.

  Braxton looked into the reflection at his handsome man in a

  black formal tuxedo.

  “We look like the top off a gay wedding cake.”

  Braxton smiled shyly. “Oh, before I forget. I want to give you

  a heads up about our chauffeur.”


  “Oh? One of your one dates?”

  “Yes. He’s a worse whore than I am.”

  “Was.”

  “Was.” Braxton turned to face Fabian and fussed with his

  bowtie and lapels, then kissed him and continued getting ready,

  checking his phone and making sure he had everything he

  needed. “He’ll try for a three-way. He’s notorious for getting

  men in bed.”

  “You want to?”

  Braxton spun around, sinking inside. “No.”

  “Good.” Fabian appeared relieved and so was Braxton. He

  approached Fabian and held his waist. “Look, I know it’s only

  been a week, but…is this it?”

  “Is this what?” Fabian again seemed slightly upset at

  Braxton’s terrible lack of communication skills.

  “You? Me? Am I off the market? Are you?”

  Fabian appeared stunned. “Do you want to be off the

  market?”

  “Fuck yes!” Braxton startled Fabian with his volume, so he

  rubbed his face and sighed. “I seriously need a shrink and some

  meds.”

  “No. Come here.” Fabian touched Braxton’s shoulder and

  drew him close again. “I want nothing more than to give this

  partnership with you a try.”

  “Really? Me? I’m so fucked up.”

  “No. You’re not. But your self-criticism is unbelievable.”

  “I need a drink.” In humiliation at the truth in that, Braxton

  turned away from Fabian and left the bedroom, headed to the

  kitchen and his booze selection.

  The phone rang, which was actually the condo intercom. It

  had a slightly different ringtone that Braxton recognized. As he

  poured a shot of vodka, Braxton called to Fabian, “That’s Scott. I

  don’t want him up here. Tell him we’ll be right down.”

  “Okay.” Fabian entered the kitchen where a landline phone

  was located.

  “You want a drink?”

  “Sure.” Fabian picked up the phone and said, “Hello? Scott?”

  Braxton poured all natural acacia berry juice into the glasses

  with the vodka and put away both the booze and juice bottles so

  nothing was left on the counter. He held Fabian’s glass and

  sipped his.

  “We’ll be right down.” Fabian met Braxton’s eyes. “Okay.

  Thanks.” He hung up the phone and took the glass from Braxton.

  “He’s gorgeous, isn’t he?”

  “Yes. You can tell from his voice?”

  Fabian tossed the entire glass of vodka and juice down his

  throat and raised one eyebrow at Braxton in reply.

  Since Scott was waiting, Braxton did the same, taking the