One night in dallas, p.9
One Night in Dallas, page 9
He could be. He could also be incredibly thoughtless. Avery was a fine balance of many things, and Paul was realizing those things had shifted and the equation was different now than it had been when they’d dated.
“Go do your thing. I’m going to arrange a charcuterie board for them so all they have to do is take it out of the fridge when they get hungry.”
Paul left him slicing cheese and salami and dug Bran’s suitcase out of the closet. Ellie’s had been placed next to it, thankfully. One less thing for Paul to worry about. He held his breath as he opened the plastic bag that Bran had told him had everything he needed to decorate, relieved beyond measure when it had a bag of flower petals, a bottle of bubble bath, a lighter, and candles. He’d let Avery get into his head. No weird sex toys or flavored lube, thank God.
Paul took his time laying the flower petals out on the bed in the shape of a heart. Trite but time-tested. There was a claw-foot tub in the attached bathroom, and he scattered a few more petals on the floor and counter in there before adding candles and placing the bubble bath near the faucet. He moved a stack of towels from the counter to the small table near the tub and laid out the bath mat that was folded neatly over the edge.
Avery was still in the kitchenette when he finished. The cheese board he’d made looked amazing. He’d had no idea Avery could make something that looked so fancy.
“Do you think we could get room service to bring them a bucket of champagne on ice? There isn’t anything but beer here.”
Both Bran and Ellie hated champagne. Ellie favored sweet wines, and Bran stuck to beer and the occasional mixer, but Paul bet he’d make an exception so he could share a glass of wine with his wife tonight.
“I’ll stop by the front desk when we go back over and have them send something,” Paul said.
A nice riesling or even a moscato if they had it. Ellie wasn’t ashamed to admit her taste in wines leaned toward the basic part of the spectrum, and thanks to her, Paul had learned he liked them too. He’d been firmly in the anti-wine category before her.
“You’re sure all your things got over to your cabin earlier?”
No point in making Avery come back here, especially since it was the honeymoon suite. He doubted Bran would appreciate his brother third-wheeling it as he and Ellie started their first evening as husband and wife.
“Kevin took the stuff over. I don’t think my suitcases will be here until tomorrow at the earliest, but I really did appreciate you picking things up for me when you went into town today. I hadn’t even gotten far enough to think about toiletries and pajamas.”
“I bought some track pants too. I’m sure you can bum anything else you need off Bran or Kevin.”
The jeans and sweater he’d been wearing yesterday had looked great on him, especially paired with the oh-so-stereotypical tweed blazer he’d had on, but they hadn’t looked like something Avery would be comfortable hiking and skiing in. He’d have to rent a ski suit, but he’d still need something to go under it.
He wasn’t prepared for Avery to lean in and kiss him. The contact was over almost as quickly as it had begun, but the peck made Paul’s lips tingle and his cheeks heat.
“I really appreciate it. Truly, Paul. It’s been a long time since I had someone look out for me, and it means a lot.”
Paul knew from Bran that Avery had dated over the years but never lived with anyone again after Paul. Not that Paul was any better. He’d shied away whenever his relationships started down a more serious road.
It should have felt weird to buy Avery underwear and other things, but it hadn’t. He hadn’t given it a second thought. And that was what was scary. Paul hadn’t specifically set out to buy those things; he’d absentmindedly grabbed them because Avery was on his mind and he knew he’d need them. It was a completely unwarranted level of intimacy, and Paul needed to get his head back on straight before he made a complete ass of himself.
“Let’s head back, shall we? Can’t keep the happy couple waiting.”
He waited until Avery cleaned up the last of the mess in the kitchen and followed him back out to the golf cart. Paul needed to get through the rest of the reception and he’d be fine. All the activities they had planned for the week were group outings, so it wasn’t like he was going to keep being thrust into situations like this with Avery. It would be a totally different dynamic with the rest of the bridal party there, and he’d have Bran to use as a human shield. He owed Paul that after the corsage and first dance thing Ellie had pulled.
He stumbled when he realized Avery was sitting in the driver’s seat.
“Did you want to drive?”
Avery did a double take and laughed. “Old habits. Sorry. This is the passenger side for me. I guess I was zoned out and not paying attention.”
“You can drive us back if you want, as long as you promise to stay on the correct side of the road,” Paul joked.
Avery scowled at him but slid across the bench seat. “That’s one of my big worries about moving back. I have to retrain my brain, and it’s going to be hard.”
Paul made a dismissive sound. “It’ll come back to you. It’s all muscle memory, and you learned to drive here. If anything, I’d think your natural instincts would be toward our side of things. I bet you’ll be surprised how quickly you fall back into old habits.”
Avery studied him for a moment before answering. “Already am,” he said, and Paul got the distinct feeling he wasn’t talking about driving anymore.
Chapter EIGHT
AVERY WANTED to get out of this bloody tux and sleep for two days. The reception had wrapped up an hour ago, but he and Paul had stuck around to gather the wedding presents and help Marnie box all the decorations and various things that needed to be shipped back to Chicago. They could deal with the logistics of that later—his priority was getting the reception hall cleared so he could go to bed.
His parents and sister had disappeared about twenty minutes ago, since they’d been dead on their feet. He was too, but tired seemed to be his new normal, so he could soldier through. Besides, if Paul was staying, he was staying. Both out of solidarity and because he intended to stick as close to Paul as he could over the next week. He wasn’t going to waste this golden opportunity. They’d be in the same city afterward, but Chicago was a big place, and Paul had a life there. It would be much easier for him to avoid Avery there than it was here, when they were pushed together every day for meals and outings.
He’d thought the itinerary Paul and Marnie had put together was ridiculous at first, but now he was looking forward to everything on the overpacked list. They were all opportunities to get close to Paul and convince him not to ignore the chemistry they shared.
“Do you think we should trash the flowers? Or bring them back for the cabins?”
Avery looked at the vase in Marnie’s hands. There were dozens of them throughout the room.
“Do the vases belong to the florist, or are they ours?”
They wouldn’t be worth shipping back to Chicago, unless Ellie wanted them for sentimental reasons. There wasn’t anything special about them aside from what they’d been used for.
“I paid a deposit on them that I’ll lose if they don’t get returned. So ditch the flowers?”
Paul walked up with a stack of boxes in his arms. He’d taken off his tuxedo coat later in the evening, and his shirtsleeves were rolled up, exposing his forearms. How he could look so effortlessly gorgeous while also looking exhausted was a mystery. Avery was torn between wanting to kiss him and wanting to take a nap with him. Both sounded amazing. And unlikely, going by the wide berth Paul had given him as soon as they’d made it back to the reception.
“I’m sure Ellie would like to have them at brunch tomorrow. She can decide what she wants to do with them after that.”
Why was Paul being so logical and thoughtful a turn-on? It made Avery want to tackle him right there.
“Good point,” Marnie told him. “What should we put them in tonight?”
Paul set the boxes on the nearest table. “I saw some empty buckets in the kitchen. I’ll ask if we can borrow a few.”
He turned to Avery, making eye contact for the first time in hours. “Could you take the boxes to the front desk? They’re letting us keep them in the storage room until we can get them to FedEx to send them home.”
“Will do.”
“And you can head out after that. I still need to settle up the bar tab.”
Avery shot him a questioning look, and Paul shrugged. “It’s my wedding gift to them. I took care of the bar, Marnie paid the florist. Your parents paid the catering bill, and I think Ellie’s parents paid for the venue rental. That way Bran and Ellie could afford their dream honeymoon.”
Avery raised his eyebrows and whistled, and Paul frowned.
“What? Should I have gotten them a blender they’d never use? This was practical.”
Practical and several thousand dollars more than a blender. But Avery kept his mouth shut.
“I didn’t say anything. It was a very generous gift.”
“He’s one to talk,” Marnie scoffed. “Ellie told me you paid for the photographer, Avery, so don’t pretend like you got them a toaster.”
He grinned and mimicked Paul’s modest shrug. “They already had a toaster.”
Paul huffed out a laugh, a smile teasing at the corners of his mouth. “Right. So now that we’ve all compared gifts like the Magi, can we get a move on? They can’t finish closing up the room till we’re out, and I’m sure the staff want to go home. Marnie, you gather up the vases so you have them set aside for the florist, and I’ll go get those buckets. Avery, when you take the boxes to reception, make sure they give you a receipt for each box. You can give me the tags tomorrow at brunch.”
In-charge Paul was very attractive. Avery resisted the urge to give him a military salute and settled for nodding as he took the boxes and added them to the cart near the door. They’d need tape and labels, but they were fine for now. And he’d bet just about anything that Paul already had those tucked away somewhere in his luggage.
He and Marnie made a scarily efficient team. Avery watched them move around the room in sync for a minute before another wave of exhaustion hit and he turned his attention to navigating the cart toward the lobby. A bellman rushed over to help as soon as he reached the main wing of the hotel, and Avery happily gave the job over to him.
It didn’t take long for the front desk to tag the boxes and give him the receipts, but the ballroom was empty when he wandered back toward it afterward. He’d hoped he could catch them and share a golf cart back to the cabins, but his luck had finally run out tonight.
Avery drove himself over, parking in the little lot that led to the cluster of cabins the bridal party was in. He hadn’t been to his, but it had to be close. Bran had pointed it out earlier when he’d given Avery his key. His was at the end, another neat little A-frame. He hoped it had the same wall of windows looking out into the forest that Bran’s did. It would be a nice backdrop to work against. Avery had things to finish up this week since he’d left London in a hurry and hadn’t submitted his grades for the semester. He had everything he needed with him. Thank goodness all coursework and exams were digital these days. He actually preferred paper assignments and blue-book exams, but that was the academic traditionalist in him. And he had to admit it was much easier to mark essays you could actually read, instead of having to decipher the panicked chicken scratch of first-year university students.
There weren’t any lights on in the cabin, which didn’t surprise him. Kevin had left with the rest of the guests an hour ago. He’d likely fallen straight into bed, just like Avery wanted to.
He loosened his bow tie and pressed his key card to the door, opening it as quietly as he could. Bran’s cabin had a sitting room, a small kitchen, and a separate bedroom, but this cabin was smaller. He’d been right about the wall of windows, and there was enough moonlight to illuminate the outlines of the furniture in the room so he wasn’t stumbling around completely blind.
He still stubbed his toe on an end table and bit back a curse. The room had the same kitchenette as Bran’s, but the sitting room area was little more than an alcove. The main features in the room were two queen-sized beds, neither of which was occupied.
There was a suitcase and a garment bag on one bed, so Avery claimed the empty one. He kicked off his shoes and left them by the door, out of the way in case Kevin came home later. He must have picked up one of the bridesmaids. Avery was impressed. He hadn’t seemed like that much of a player when they’d met earlier.
Since he was alone, Avery flipped on the light and continued getting undressed. His own garment bag was hanging in the open closet, with his satchel and the bags Paul had given him on the floor underneath it. He hung up the tuxedo before digging in the bags to come up with a toothbrush and a fresh pair of boxers. There was a pair of pajamas in there too, but Avery didn’t think Kevin would swoon if he saw him in his underwear. He usually slept naked, but concessions had to be made when one had a roommate.
Besides, it was strangely comforting, knowing Paul had been the one to pick out the boxers, especially after teasing him last night about not traveling with a spare pair. Avery laughed when he noticed they were decorated with a colorful taco print. A nice reminder of their dinner last night. He hoped he wasn’t reading too much into it. For all he knew, these were the only ones the store had in his size. But Avery preferred to believe that Paul had stood in front of the display and picked them out because they made him think of Avery and the time they’d spent together. They’d gone out for tacos a lot when they’d been dating. More because the taco truck on campus had a buy one/get one free special on Tuesdays than because they both loved tacos, but it was still a fond memory.
He heard the cabin door open while he was brushing his teeth. There weren’t any toiletries out on the bathroom counter, so he assumed Kevin would need to get in there now that he was back. Avery hurried through finishing and gathered up his socks and underwear, giving his new taco boxers one final check in the mirror to make sure he was decent before opening the bathroom door.
“Wasn’t sure you’d make it back tonight. Who was the lucky girl?”
Avery ducked into the closet to throw his things in his satchel. He’d just stood up and started to turn around when he heard Paul’s voice instead of the one he was expecting.
“Marnie,” Paul said, looking shocked to see him. “I mean, that’s who I was with. I helped Marnie take the flowers and presents back to her room. She’d been sharing with Ellie, so she had the most space to store them since she’s alone tonight.”
Avery stumbled and fell backward, his head rapping hard against the mirrored closet door. The glass cracked, sending spiderwebs through it and knocking the door off its sliding track.
Avery sat back on his heels, pressing his hand to his head. Paul looked from him to the splintered mirror, eyes widening.
“Oh my God, Avery. Are you all right?” He rushed over and knelt down in front of Avery, moved Avery’s hand aside to look at the injury. “Did you crack that mirror with your head?”
Avery made a feeble attempt at a laugh. “Looks like.”
“Jesus Christ, you’re a menace. Get up. I want to get a better look at it under the light.”
Paul led him into the bathroom, and Avery leaned against the counter as Paul probed the back of his head with gentle fingers.
He continued his exploration, running his fingertips through Avery’s hair and soothing his temples with his thumbs.
“You’re not cut. How does it feel? Do you need a doctor?”
Now that the shock and adrenaline of the accident had worn off, Avery realized his head was throbbing.
“It’s nothing some paracetamol won’t fix,” Avery said. Paul looked confused, so Avery clarified. “We call it Tylenol over here.”
“Ah. I have some ibuprofen in my bag. Will that work?”
Avery nodded, then winced. That had been dumb.
Paul had obviously noticed the wince, but he snapped his mouth shut like he’d wanted to say something and thought better of it.
He left Avery in the bathroom and came back a minute later with a bottle of water from the kitchenette and two tablets.
“Do you think you hit it hard enough to worry about a concussion?”
Avery hadn’t had a concussion since Jimmy Peak had sidelined him during lacrosse practice in ninth grade. All he remembered about that was a blinding headache, some unfortunate vomiting in front of the team, and missing three games before the coach would let him play again.
He rubbed the back of his head. There wasn’t even a goose egg. “I think most of the damage is to my pride. That wasn’t my most graceful moment.”
Paul laughed like Avery had hoped he would.
“I took you by surprise. It was my fault.”
“You didn’t make me fall. That was all me. I was expecting Kevin. He was supposed to be my roommate.”
Paul made a face. “Bran checked me in this morning to save time. Now I’m thinking there was an ulterior motive.”
Shit.
“I didn’t—”
Paul cut Avery off before he could defend himself. “I know. If you’d orchestrated this, you’d have been waiting for me splayed out on the bed, not falling through a glass door. Your seduction game is much stronger than that.”
Avery grinned. “So you think I have game?”
Paul gave him a flat look. “I know you have game, Avery. That’s never been the problem.”
He sighed and rubbed a hand over his face. He was still in his rumpled tuxedo.
“You should get ready for bed,” Avery said.
Paul’s mouth dropped open. “Avery, you have a head wound! We’re not—”
Avery held his hands up. “I am not implying we should have sex. I’m saying we’re both exhausted, you’re still in your tux, and the sooner we turn that light out the better, because it’s making my headache worse.”
“Right,” Paul said sheepishly. “Sorry. I just—you’ve been on my mind all day. And I don’t know that I have it in me to fight it anymore. Not when every time I turn the corner, you’re there.”
