He was leaving.
“This is stupid,” Owen repeated for the hundredth time as Jeremy handed him a towel. “Superstitious bullshit invented to stop men from running away if they didn’t think their future bride was as hot as her dowry. I already know you’re hot and we can plainly see that I’m irresistible. No one’s running anywhere, so just stay with me.”
Jeremy looked as tempted as he always did, but also just as determined. “It’s traditional. And you’ll be too distracted to notice I’m gone. Brady’s sending Rory, Noah and Wyatt here to stay with you for the duration.”
“Notice he didn’t offer,” Owen muttered. And why would he? He had a nice bed and a sexy, willing man who didn’t want to sleep anywhere else.
“He’ll be at the pub for the bachelor party. Then you’ll have a day to recover so you aren’t hung over for the wedding, and that’s it. It’ll fly by.”
Owen slammed his hand on the doorframe, blocking Jeremy’s escape. “I’ll notice that my best friend isn’t at my bachelor party. I’ll notice that my fiancé isn’t in our bed when I fall into it drunk off my ass and needing a blowjob.”
Jeremy forced a chuckle, but he was obviously frustrated. “Your best friend has to miss that after-party blowjob so he can marry you on Christmas Eve, you stubborn jackass. Don’t you think I’d rather hang out with the guys? Your sister keeps texting me with pictures of penis candy and bridal tiaras. She and Tasha have been exchanging dirty Christmas lyrics on my phone, most of them revolving around the size of my—” He shook his head. “That’s what I have to put up with for the next few days. For you. So man up and stop being difficult.”
Owen frowned. “I’m never difficult.”
“Are you kidding me?” Jeremy pushed through Owen’s barricade and headed for his dresser, letting his towel fall so he could step into his black briefs. Owen couldn’t help but admire his song-worthy semi before he covered it up. “You changed the wedding date—twice. You kept changing your mind about locations and decorations and food. If Jen’s professor hadn’t offered us the use of his…what do you call a house that big?”
“A shopping mall?” Owen muttered, though he secretly wanted to house swap for that media wall alone. “I still don’t know how he lived by himself for so long. No single person needs that much space. Our whole family could live there. Tanaka has money too, you don’t see him flaunting it.” Or having a threesome with the littlest Finn.
Jeremy rolled his eyes. “That may look like one loft, Owen, but you know Ken owns the entire building he and Brady are living in. He just has elevators instead of a grand staircase. And don’t start. You love that house. Getting married there was your call and you can’t change your mind again or I might get violent.”
Owen couldn’t argue with that. “It’s a great house and I’m not changing my mind. Everything’s settled, I promise. It all worked out in the end.”
“Not before you almost gave your mother an anxiety disorder and me a permanent migraine. But this is where I’m drawing the line. From now on we’re going traditional. Or, as traditional as we can be. That means no sleeping together or seeing each other before the wedding, bachelor parties and reception dances and every damn thing people do to celebrate the biggest day of their lives.” Jeremy paused, his lips quirking. “In deference to you, Declan has already attached the game system to his magical television wall—which will only come on after you’ve danced with me and taken a few wedding pictures for your mother’s sake.”
“And then we fuck each other’s brains out?”
“Yes, Mr. Romance. And then—till we’re parted by death—we fuck each other’s brains out.”
“You know the way to my heart.” Owen reached for the waistband of Jeremy’s briefs, letting his towel drop as he pulled him closer. “I’m sorry I’ve been off.” Jeremy raised his eyebrow. “Fine. I’ve been batshit crazy, okay? To be fair, since the proposal everyone’s been a little insane about our wedding. Mom kept trying to make it what she thought it should be, reporters started showing up at my construction sites talking about the effect our engagement was having on Stephen’s poll numbers, and you were always so busy. I was…well, I’m—”
“Spoiled rotten? Used to getting your way and having all the attention? A domineering pain in the ass?”
“Exactly.” Owen’s lips twitched. “I’m only planning on doing this once, you know. Is it wrong that I wanted to get it right?”
Jeremy wrapped his arms around him and pressed their foreheads together. “As long as you show up, it’s going to be right.”
“I’m the one who proposed, of course I’m showing up. And the only reason I’m letting you out of my sight is because Tasha is pregnant. If she weren’t still working full time on her twin project, I’d be afraid she’d slip something in your drink and drive you to Canada to have one last ménage with her and some skinny screamer who doesn’t deserve you.”