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“I love you, Cameron Ellis-Hayes.”

“And I love you, Rylan Ellis-Hayes.”

With a quick thank you toward the smiling minister, their friends led them to a secluded outdoor restaurant on the beach for the reception.

Rylan understood, on some level, that days like their wedding day were spectacularly rare, but the happiness and the memories would be with him for a lifetime.

Pulled from his thoughts when Cameron tightened his arms around Rylan’s back, he snuggled his cheek against Cameron’s chest as he sat in his husband’s lap, all of them awed by the gorgeous sunset.

The food arrived and Cameron barreled his way in and made Rylan a plate before the trio hoarded the food. Cameron gave him a pointed look and Rylan ate, pulling apart the grilled fish with his fingers and devouring it, not realizing until that moment how hungry he was. As they finished eating, Rylan remembered who hadn’t been at their wedding.

“Why didn’t your parents come?”

“Dad scheduled a conference he couldn’t cancel, and you know mom, always by his side. Although now I understand why after all these years. Mom said she wants to take us out to dinner to celebrate when we get home. They also bought us something, as mom put it, hugely extravagant. Oh, mom said they’ll be there for the fashion show and she can’t wait.”

Rylan felt a little guilty and crawled back onto Cameron’s lap. “Should we have waited for them before we got married?”

Cameron shook his head. “I don’t thinkIcould have waited. With you, well, you’re my one absolute certainty and I love you’re my husband.”

“I know, I feel the same way. And now we have three months of no school.”

Shaking his head, Cameron said, “You have to sketch your designs and I have to create your website.”

“It would be nice to have control over my work and if the fashion show succeeds…”

“You will. Soon, we’ll expand your studio and maybe hire an assistant for you.”

Rylan looked at him, stunned. “You mean the one in the house?”

Cameron nodded. “I was thinking abut moving our bedroom downstairs and using our room now as a closet of sorts for your creations and expand the two bedrooms, your studio and the smaller room next to it, into a larger space.”

“How long have you been thinking about this?”

Rylan understood Cameron was a man who did nothing half-heartedly, but Rylan hadn’t thought about expanding. He took things one day at a time and hoped they worked out for the best.

“Right after your appointment with Sophia and she asked you to create for the fashion show.” Cameron paused and reached for Rylan’s hand. When Rylan looked up and caught Cameron’s gaze, he continued. “All I want to do for the rest of our lives is to make you happy.”

Rylan wrapped his arms around Cameron’s shoulders. Never having been in love before Cameron and knowing how much he loved his new husband, he took a moment to get his overwhelming emotions under control. And to distract himself from bursting into tears at Cameron’s thoughtfulness, he leaned in until his mouth brushed against his husband’s ear.

“The only thing that would make me happy would be for you to take me back to our bungalow and love me. I want you inside me, Cameron.”

Rylan squeaked as Cameron stood, his arms holding Rylan close to his body.

“We’re… yeah… we’re turning in for the night. Thanks for being here and everything you’ve done for us. We love you guys.”

Cameron glanced at everyone, including Issa and Suzy, who smiled wide in return.

“We love you, too, man. We’ll see you two tomorrow afternoon,” Aaron said.

The rest of them nodded and without hesitation, Cameron walked toward the exit and handed the valet their parking ticket.

Within a minute, their rental pulled up and Cameron belted Rylan into the front passenger seat and hurried around to drive them back to their secluded paradise.

Rylan laced their fingers together and when Cameron looked over, he could see Cameron’s dilated pupils and noticed his chest was heaving up and down. With a smile of promise, Cameron pulled away from the hotel.

It was going to be one hell of a night.