Avery grinned as the room full of their friends and family cheered them on. He stepped up to Kane, lifted his hands, and gently took Kane's face between his palms. He angled him as he came in for the most sincere kiss of his life.
Chapter 14
The band played softly in the background as Avery danced slowly with Kane, holding him tightly in his arms. Avery led, Kane followed, resting his head on Avery's shoulder, his hair tickling Avery's nose as he breathed in his husband's spicy citrus scent. God, he loved holding him in his arms, and he especially loved all the small little nips and soft kisses he'd get between each breath.
Their wedding and reception was turning out to be a great success, at least as far as Avery was concerned. The wedding had been followed by dinner, dinner was followed by dancing, and the dancing continued for hours. Their guests seemed happy, content to stay and celebrate the union, just as Avery had hoped they might.
The oversized tent he'd rented easily fit all three hundred fifty of their guests. Flowers, large planters, and twinkling lights filled the tent. A buffet fit for a king ran along the right side, while the dance floor sat in the middle so it could be seen from any table. Mini wet bars were positioned strategically throughout the area, along with large ice sculptures, and white linen covered tables and chairs throughout all the open space. He'd spared no expense, hoping to make this a special memory for Kane. All he wanted was Kane's happiness.
It seemed like he had achieved his goal.
Avery was so eager to begin their lives in their new home he'd held the reception in their backyard. The party tent sat between the house and the St. Croix River. Valets greeted guests, parked the cars, and shuttled people from the front of the house back to the tent. This was all designed to have Kane one step closer to moving into their new home tonight. That pleased Avery far more than anything else they'd done this evening. No more separate homes or forced separation for fear of living in sin.
His usually ultra-conservative, straight-laced new husband had let his guard down and relaxed tonight. Those times were rare indeed. Kane's face was filled with joy and he seemed blissfully happy; he laughed easily and stayed close to Avery's side for the entire night. They held hands, giving each other little knowing smiles, quick pecks, and had begun ending each other's sentences, like an old married couple.
He was so in love with Kane, and had been since the day he'd first laid eyes on him. In the past, these special moments were shared in the privacy of their apartment, but tonight Kane opened up completely. It pleased Avery beyond measure to call Kane his in front of all their family and friends.
Another thing Kane had done that evening was show the political world he was a solid, competent, charming man. How he would make a perfect, well-balanced mate for any future political office Avery may consider running for. Avery saw the speculation from the few politicians attending tonight.
"I love you," Avery whispered against Kane's ear as they gently swayed back and forth to the music. He laid his cheek against the top of Kane's head and pulled Kane tighter against him as the band played. The evening was perfect.
"I loved the flowers in the church and the ones in here too. You remembered the calla lilies," Kane said, moving his head slightly forward to kiss Avery on the neck. The simple gesture sent goose bumps springing up across his neck and arms.
"I'll never forget your favorite flower. You sent me your favorite flower. I love that memory," Avery replied. "I have another confession. Actually, I planned to wrap all the paperwork with a big bow and give it to you as a wedding gift, but I can't seem to wait. I bought your investors out. La Bella Luna's now completely yours."
Kane lifted his head and the look of shock on his face brought a smile to Avery's lips. He kept Kane wrapped in one arm and urged his head back down to his shoulder. "No, I like you like this."
"Avery, that's too much," Kane said, his head barely lowering as he spoke.
"It's not too much. I love you. Paulie still has his shares, but now you hold the majority. And it makes me happy to give this to you, so please just say thank you. Don't argue with me right now," Avery said, leaning down to kiss Kane's beautiful lips. His half aroused cock grew thicker, not leaving much room in his trousers as Kane brushed against Avery. He willed himself to calm down, much like he'd done a thousand times over the last few hours. He wanted so desperately to be alone with Kane—to make love to his new husband.
"Thank you. We're married now and all I got you was a belt, but it's very nice Italian leather," Kane said, lifting his head slightly to look Avery in the eyes. The angle was perfect for a kiss, and Avery didn't hesitate to take advantage of the moment, loving how easily Kane accepted their PDAs now.
"You finally made an honest man out of me, Kane. It has to be close to midnight. Let's go home," Avery suggested, nodding his head as he spoke. Kane chuckled, hugging him tighter. Avery felt the full hard-on Kane had going on in his pants, and he grew even harder. "Let's tell Mom and Paulie goodnight and sneak out. No need to make a big to-do about it, everyone's having a good time. I don't want them to think they have to leave because we are."
"Okay," Kane agreed and kissed Avery again. They made their way off the dance floor, arm in arm, Kane tucked in tight around him. They didn't stop for any polite conversation, but Avery gave a nod here or there as they walked to the back of the tent where his mom sat with Paulie. They'd become fast friends over the last year, Paulie challenging his mom on a level she'd never experienced before. Paulie, for his part, couldn't care less that she was the CEO of a multi-million dollar empire, he treated her like he treated everyone else, and she appeared to love every minute of getting to know him.