Grant took a closer look at Juliet, trying to figure out what Will was talking about. Behind Grant, Dex chuckled quietly.
Ah.
Juliet’s pale blond hair was up in an intricate series of interconnected braids, a work of art all its own. The way Juliet wore her hair was a running joke between Juliet and Will. His brother always insisted his slave wear her hair down, but apparently their wedding day was the perfect time to tease him by wearing it up. The woman was lucky his brother didn’t turn her over his knee and spank her right in front of the officiant and the crowd.
“Somebody’s in trouble,” Dex singsonged under her breath, sounding thrilled. Since the two women had met, Dex had encouraged Juliet’s bratty streak, to Will’s chagrin and amusement.
As Juliet neared, Grant could see tears of joy on her face. She kissed the top of Beau’s head and handed the toddler to Will, the look that passed between them so tender and intimate that, standing so close, Grant felt like an unwelcome voyeur.
The ceremony began, and Will watched Juliet with avid, sidelong glances. Such a strange match—this elegant woman madly in love with his slob of a brother. Yet despite the mismatch, they always seemed blissfully happy together.
He envied Will for the deep connection and happiness he’d found with Juliet. What were the chances that Grant would ever be so lucky? Slim to nil, considering he was completely infatuated with a woman who didn’t want him for more than his dominance and his dick.
The officiant’s voice was low and pleasant, and unfortunately didn’t command his attention enough to keep his mind off Arabella, who stood shoulder to shoulder with him—well, more like elbow-ish to shoulder.
The sight of her today, looking delicious and impish in her perfectly tailored tuxedo, was driving him to distraction.
When they’d arrived at Will’s to dress, Tak had pulled him aside and given him a good-natured lecture about being an ass on Will’s big day. The other Dominant had assumed the charged energy between Grant and Arabella was
animosity, but all he could think about was the same thing he’d been thinking about for the last two days—her sexy lips almost on his cock, hovering there, making him ache to grab her short, wild hair and thrust into her smart-ass mouth.
He stifled a groan and forced himself not to shift in discomfort in front of Will and Juliet’s guests.
Vivid flashbacks of that night in the rain had plagued him ever since. Why hadn’t he used her mouth when he’d had the chance? Forget the vow he’d made to himself not to settle for being her booty call. Ugh, that fucking mouth . . .
Now that the object of his lust was near, it was all he could do not to drag her off behind the bushes and have his nasty, sordid way with her. He could swear she was daring him to do it with every gaze she flicked his way. So close and yet so far, and it was frustrating the hell out of him.
Things would be simpler if it was just lust between them.
So much simpler.
He couldn’t do the friends with benefits thing, though—not with her.
Like he could handle having her and yet not having her? Well, she had said best friends with benefits—that should make all the difference, right? And yet, it still wasn’t good enough. He needed all or nothing.
Shaking himself inwardly, he focused on the ceremony. Today was about Will, not about him, and not about what he felt for Arabella.
Forcing his thoughts away from her, he watched his brother’s profile, not remembering any time in their lives where Will had been so happy. After everything they’d been through—getting rejected and thrown out by their family, homelessness, the stretch where they’d worked as escorts—Will had finally been able to cobble together a good life for himself. His brother’s happiness filled Grant with a quiet, satisfied warmth.
The officiant droned on, then finally got to the good part. “If any of you has a reason why these two should not be married, speak now or forever hold your peace.”
There was a moment of silence with the requisite giddiness as everyone half waited for a prank objection.
In Will’s arms, Beau shrieked with joy, kicking her feet and reaching for Juliet’s parents, whom she’d just spotted. For a split second, Grant had thought someone actually interrupted the wedding and that he’d have to drag them away. The noise drew a burst of shocked laughter from the crowd, who’d apparently thought the same thing Grant had.
“I hope she doesn’t have an actual objection,” Juliet said, grinning.
“I think she has an objection to the fact that your parents aren’t spoiling her right this second.” Will grinned back at Juliet and stepped closer, claiming her mouth in a kiss that might have been a bit too deep for in front of a crowd. Juliet’s mother snuck in and stole Beau from Will while he was distracted and everyone chuckled.
“Isn’t the kissing supposed to go at the end of the ceremony?” Arabella asked just loud enough for Grant to hear.
“He’s too in love to wait that long,” Grant replied. “We’re lucky it was only a kiss.”
As the ceremony continued, Beau stole the show. She wriggled down from her new grandmother’s arms and started to wander around the gathering, under the watchful eye of her parents, maternal adoptive grandparents, nanny, and more aunts and uncles than possibly any other child in history. Beau’s white dress was big and flouncy, and she wore a pair of diaphanous butterfly wings that trailed behind her adorably every time she toddled off at a precarious run.
The kid made his ovaries hurt, and he didn’t even have the requisite equipment for that sort of thing. He’d never thought about kids much before Beau had ended up on Will’s doorstep, but now he thought he might want one or two of his own someday.
As if on cue, Beau ran to Grant and patted a slobber-damp hand against his knee. Before he could pick her up, she went to Dex, then to her nanny, Tabitha, then down the aisle to visit Konstantin’s kids and his wife, Varushka. Older children in the audience tried to lure her to them, causing subdued pandemonium as parents struggled to hush their exuberant offspring. When it was time for the vows to be said, Will paused the wedding to reclaim his wayward kid so they could involve her in the ceremony.