Page 30

Chapter Thirty

Storm

The elevator doors open and I step out, taking a few strides before I realize Gabriel isn’t beside me. I find him still in the elevator, the doors starting to close. I dash forward, slipping back inside.

“What’s wrong?” I ask.

“Are you sure this is okay?” He gestures down his body.

I smile, making a show of looking him up and down. “It is so okay.”

He gives me a little shove. “I mean for the wedding.”

The elevator goes up, the sixth floor button lit up.

“Gabriel, I promise you it’s fine. You look…” I give him another once over. “So good. But if you’re uncomfortable, you can change.”

When I saw him in this outfit, I knew it was the one. It’s a beige linen summer suit. Just the pants and a vest, with a white button-up underneath. It’s so him, yet for some reason, he thinks he looks awful.

“I don’t want to change, I just…”

“What?” I ask softly, putting my hands on his shoulders. “What do you want?”

He chews on his lip, closing his eyes for a few seconds before saying, “I want it to be comfortable. For me, I mean. The clothes are fine, but it’s just not me, and I want it to be.”

I don’t know what it is about the outfit he doesn’t feel suits him. He said he can’t pinpoint it. As with everything else, I didn’t want to force him to do something he didn’t want to do, but he assured me he was okay wearing it. That he trusts my judgement.

“Then stop thinking about it,” I answer with a shrug.

“That’s really difficult to—”

I kiss him, cutting his words off so abruptly it's humorous. I can’t laugh though, not when there’s a million emotions and feelings running through me. His lips send so many memories to the forefront of my mind—ones that make me want to take him back to our room. I swear I could do this all day. The elevator stops and I pull away just as the doors open. Though we’ve been holding hands all day in public, I don’t know how he feels about more. Of course I’m fine with it, but I’m out in the open and happy with who I am. I take Gabriel’s hand and move to his side, hoping it’s enough to tell him I’m just trying to be polite and not jump his bones in front of a stranger.

“Oh, are you going down?” the woman outside of the elevator asks.

“Yes,” I answer.

She smiles, stepping onto the elevator and pressing the lobby button. She gives us a look over.

“You two look very handsome,” she says with a little smile.

She’s young. About our age, if I’d have to guess. Very pretty in a classical sort of way. Her hair is dark, lips painted with bright red lipstick.

“See,” I say to Gabriel, nudging him with my elbow. “Told you.”

“Thank you,” he says, likely to her and not me.

“You never know what kind of day someone is having, so I try to pay someone a compliment as often as I can.”

“That’s pretty damn cool,” I say.

She gives a little shrug, looking at me from the side of her eye. “It’s the small things.”

The doors open once we reach the bottom floor, and this time when I walk out, Gabriel is with me.

“Have a lovely day,” the young woman calls, holding her hand up in a small wave.

“You too,” we both say as we move toward the doors that lead to the beach.

Mikah and Dominic are staying at this hotel too, in one of the suites all the way at the top. They’re probably already down at the beach because they aren’t doing anything traditional for their wedding.

The taste of salt is in the air, the breeze perfectly warm. The sun is low, setting soon. Which is exactly what they wanted. A wedding at sunset. It’ll make for beautiful photos, and I can’t wait to see them.

When we reach the beach, I spot the set up immediately. There are ten chairs lined up not too far from the walkway, just a short way down. A few are already taken up. Dominic and Mikah are standing together, champagne in their hands, while they speak to someone I don’t recognize. I lead Gabriel up to them so we can let them know we’re here.

Dominic is dressed in a light grey suit with a cornflower blue shirt and pocket square. Of course it fits him and his muscles like a glove. Mikah is wearing a cornflower blue suit, something only someone like him could pull off, with a white shirt. Neither of them has shoes on, both with grey ties. It’s adorable how they match. They did something similar at the MAIF awards last year. It’s an award ceremony for independent adult content creators. Dominic was up for nominations and won both categories. I saw photos of them, and they looked fucking hot in their coordinated suits .

“Long time no see,” Dominic says with a smirk. “You guys look hot.”

No fucking filter, that one.

“Thank you,” Gabriel says. “You both look great too.”

Dominic smirks. Mikah smiles and says, “Thanks.”

My outfit is similar to Gabriel’s. Same color scheme, but different material pants and no vest. Just a white button up. It’s very beach wedding .

“You freaking out yet?” I ask.

“Hell no. But you should ask him that.” He hooks his thumb to gesture at Mikah.

“I’m fine,” he argues with an eye roll.

“All I know is if he bails, he isn’t coming back to my house,” the stranger comments, and Dominic bursts out laughing.

“Trust me, he isn’t going anywhere ever again,” Dominic says.

Though I consider myself good friends with Dominic, we don’t talk on a regular basis and I don’t know the history of his and Mikah’s relationship. Nothing specific anyway, just that they met because Mikah asked Dom to do a photo shoot with him for work. Mikah has since quit the company he was working for and now does independent stuff with Dom.

Mikah finishes his champagne and says, “Storm, Gabriel, this is my childhood friend, Zach.”

We wave, and Gabriel says, “Nice to meet you.”

“Wait a minute… Storm ?” Zach says, eying me suspiciously. “Is this the Storm that—”

“Let’s not go there,” Mikah says with a nervous laugh, grabbing onto Zach’s upper arm and veering him away from us.

“Guy has no goddamn filter,” Dominic says under his breath, and I just laugh because I was thinking the same about him.

I know what he was going to say. Mikah must have told him about the threesome. And I have no shame about it. I won’t hide it from anyone. Not that Gabriel and I are together or anything, but he doesn’t have a right to judge me about anything that I have done in my past or anything that doesn’t have to do with him. Yeah, talking about a threesome would probably make him uncomfortable, so I’m glad Mikah cut Zach off, but that’s the only reason I would have cared.

Gabe gives me a curious look, but doesn’t ask, so I don’t tell.

“So,” I begin, turning all my attention on Dom. “You really ready for this?”

“Hell yes I am.”

“Love the enthusiasm,” I answer.

“There is no other way to be on your wedding day.”

I glance at Gabriel and find him smiling softly at Dominic, a sweet look in his eye.

“Excuse me, Mr. Blake? I need you and your fiancé in your places.” I assume this is the guy who’s marrying them. He’s carrying a little book and a manila folder. He’s dressed in light khakis and a baggy white button up.

“Sure thing,” Dom answers, and the guy moves off. “Guess it’s time.” He finishes his champagne.

“Guess so.”

He gives me a hug, patting me on the back.

“Hey, you really do look hot by the way,” he says to Gabriel, winking before walking to where the other guy went.

“You told him to say that,” Gabriel says as I take his hand.

“I did not.”

“Then why else would he say that?”

We take a seat in the second row as I chuckle. The seats toward the back are already taken, and the front row is typically reserved for people in the wedding. I don’t think they have a wedding party, but who knows? I don’t need to be up front and center anyway.

“He said it because it’s true,” I answer. “And Dominic doesn’t know how to shut up.”

Gabriel frowns, but then pulls his attention from me and toward the front.

Zach sits directly in front of us with a young woman I don’t know. There are two other guys in the row behind us, both of which I don’t know. I’m not surprised I don’t know anyone here, I’m not friends with them like that. We see each other infrequently, but Dom and I get along real well, so it feels like hardly any time has passed when we do see each other. We don’t know much about each other’s personal lives, but that’s just how we’re friends. We met by happenstance years ago, made a video together, and that was that.

The ceremony begins with both of them standing at the altar with the officiant. They aren’t going traditional at all. I kind of love that though. Neither has a best man or someone standing with them. It’s just them up there. Cute and sweet. I love non-traditional weddings because that means they’re making it about them and not what other people want.

“We want to thank you all for coming this far to celebrate with us. This will be quick, just a formality needed so he can’t get away from me again.” Dominic chuckles and so does the crowd. Mikah just rolls his eyes. “We’ll be at the bar right over there“—he gestures to the outside bar just a short distance away—“once we’re officially married.”

“Woo!” I call out and clap. Dominic points at me and grins.

They turn to face each other and the officiant says something quietly for only them to hear.

“He isn’t up there against his will, right?” Gabriel whispers to me, and I try really hard not to laugh.

“Of course not. Why would you think that?”

“Dominic keeps making jokes about Mikah not being able to leave.”

Oh, right. That makes sense.

“It’s just a joke between them. I think Mikah freaked out at one point in their relationship and took off for a few months or something. He came back though. Because he wanted to.”

Gabriel nods, bringing his attention back to the front. They weren’t joking about this being quick. Dominic is already holding the ring over Mikah’s finger and repeating vows.

“I do,” Dominic says through a wholesome smile.

Seconds later, Mikah is holding the ring over Dominic’s finger.

“And do you, Mikah Reed, take Dominic Blake to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold…”

The words trail off when I feel Gabriel take my hand, slipping his fingers between mine. It isn’t possessive, isn’t because he’s anxious. It’s sweet. From the corner of my eye, I look at him and swear I see little hearts in his eyes while watching Mikah and Dom share their love with us. Though, they do look like they’re about two seconds away from tearing each other’s clothes off and giving us a live show. I wouldn’t be against that, just saying. They’re a good time, especially in the bedroom. Adding Gabriel in? I’m not sure how that would go, but I would not hate figuring it out.

When they’re told to kiss, they kiss . We all stand and clap and whoop, even Gabriel gets in on it. I put my arm around him and pull him close, kissing his cheek.

“Thank you for bringing me here,” he says softly.

“I’m glad you came,” is my response.