16
Payne looked around the dining area of the restaurant, pleased by the extra touches the owner had provided to make the venue more romantic. The additional candles and deep red roses on the tables were a nice addition that Payne appreciated. He’d rented out the entire restaurant — one of his and Hunter’s favorites that served Cuban cuisine — for a private party to celebrate their one-year anniversary.
One year ago, he’d walked in the Hercules Security gym to meet his new partner, a man who was surly and withdrawn and so obviously hurting that Payne had wanted to hop on the back of his white steed and charge to the rescue right away. He didn’t know if Hunter remembered the significance of the date because he’d avoided discussing it. He had plans for tonight involving more than just celebrating an anniversary, and he’d enlisted help from their friends to make everything come together.
For the past several months, he and Hunter had both been working at the Hercules Security training facility, which had necessitated a move from North Carolina to Virginia. Payne didn’t mind because Raleigh was still close enough they could drive back and spend the weekend visiting Jen and Jake and having a playdate at Club Twist whenever they liked.
Payne had set up an extended weekend under the pretense they’d earned a mini vacation after the stressful year they’d had, especially Hunter. Herc had helped out by inventing a reason why Payne needed to go to Raleigh a day early, and Ezra Levin, Payne’s former mentor who was in charge of the facility, had helped by inventing a reason why Hunter needed to stay behind that day instead of going with Payne.
Most of his plans for the party had been made long distance, such as booking the venue, choosing the menu, and inviting the guests. Jen was invited, of course, and Payne had even offered to cover the cost of babysitting to make sure she could make it since the party would run a little too late and be a little too adult for Jake, considering it was semi-formal. He’d indulged in his first tailor-made suit for the occasion — black with a crisp white dress shirt and a paisley silk vest.
He’d also invited James and their friends from Hercules Security and the training facility, and he’d invited Hunter’s friends from Lawson and Greer. All the guests had arrived and were enjoying appetizers and drinks, and Payne tried to distract himself from his nervousness by visiting the different tables and standing clusters of people to chat while he waited for Hunter to arrive.
Right on time Hunter entered the dining room. He was talking to the restaurant owner, so at first, he didn’t seem to realize anything out of the ordinary was going on, and Payne had a moment to admire the sight of Hunter in a suit, the dark fabric of his jacket emphasizing the breadth of his shoulders. At Payne’s request, Hunter had decided to keep his hair long, and tonight, it was pulled back in a neat ponytail.
Hunter’s eyes grew wide when he recognized the people filling the dining room. “Payne? Did everyone decide they couldn’t live without black bean soup?”
“Surprise!” Payne rushed across the room to greet Hunter, arms outstretched. “Happy anniversary,” he said as he slid his arms around Hunter’s shoulders and pushed himself up on his toes for a kiss.
Hunter’s strong arms engulfed him, holding him tightly as Hunter returned the kiss. Then he pulled back, his dark eyes full of warmth as he smiled at Payne. “I figured you would remember, and that’s what dinner was about.” He placed his lips close to Payne’s ear, dropping his voice so it wouldn’t be heard by anyone else, though there seemed little danger of it among the clapping, cheers, and catcalls. “Happy anniversary, sir.”
“How could I forget the day I knocked the man I love on his ass?” Payne said with a mischievous grin as he drew back.
“I certainly haven’t forgotten,” Hunter said with a playful smile of his own. Payne hadn’t seen the bitter, withdrawn man Hunter had once been in a long time. Not that Hunter’s PTSD was gone. He might suffer flashbacks for a long time to come, but the frequency and severity had lessened over the last year. He’d had a few bad days, like the anniversary of Mark’s death, but he was on the road to recovery. “You aren’t planning to knock me on my ass today, are you? Is that why you invited everyone we know?”
“I thought it might be nice to celebrate two things with the people we care about,” Payne said, his heart beating faster as he slid his hand into his jacket pocket. “The first being our anniversary, of course.”
“That makes sense,” Hunter said, tilting his head to one side, his eyes bright with curiosity. “What’s the second?”
Payne drew in a deep, steadying breath as anxiety coiled and tightened around his stomach. He didn’t think this would end badly, but there was always a small chance.
“Our engagement,” he said, dropping to one knee. He drew the black ring box out of his pocket, opened it, and held it out to Hunter, hoping he didn’t notice how much Payne’s palms were sweating. “If you say yes, that is.”
Hunter’s eyes grew wide in surprise, and he drew in a breath, easily heard since the entire room had fallen silent in anticipation. He looked down at the simple white gold band, and for a moment, Payne thought there was a suspicious glitter in Hunter’s eyes. “Considering the fact I’m nottotallystupid, the answer is… yes, of course!”
Laughing with relief, Payne stood up and removed the ring from its box. “Let’s make it official, then.” He clasped Hunter’s left hand and slid the ring onto his fourth finger, and then he brought it to his lips for a lingering kiss.
Hunter’s grin was wicked, and then Payne found himself being spun in place and dipped back over Hunter’s strong arm, with Hunter’s lips on his in a firm, demanding kiss. The kiss stifled Payne’s startled laughter, and he parted his lips eagerly and clung to Hunter’s broad shoulders.
After a time — and even more whistles and catcalls — Hunter pulled Payne back to his feet but kept an arm around his shoulders. “I love you,” he murmured, his voice pitched low. “More than anything in the world.”
“I love you too,” Payne said, cupping Hunter’s cheek in his palm. “I’m ready to start our forever together.”
“Me, too. Sir.” Hunter leaned into the touch. “You know, I have my collar on under my shirt…”
A little frisson of arousal rippled through Payne, and he had to remind himself this was their party and they couldn’t duck out early. But he loved knowing when Hunter was wearing the collar. He’d asked months ago if Hunter was interested in having one, and when Hunter said yes, they had picked one out together, opting for a titanium eternity style collar that would look like a necklace to the unsuspecting eye.
“Keep it on for our private celebration later,” he said, giving Hunter a heated smile.
“Yes, sir.” Hunter leaned in to steal another quick, hard kiss, then looked at their guests. “Well, thank you all for coming to help us celebrate our anniversary.” He looked at Cade Thornton, who was standing with his arm around his husband, Jude. “A special thanks to Herc for taking me on and matching me up with Payne. And to Matthew Greer and John Lawson for doing their best to get me the help I needed but sure as hell didn’t want.”
There was laughter, and then Hunter glanced at Jen. “And to Jen for being my friend and loving me despite everything. And finally, to Payne…” He looked at Payne, and his feelings were plain for everyone to see. “You saved me. I didn’t realize it, but I was yours from the moment you kicked my ass and laid me out on the mat. Thank you for that, and for picking me up afterward and putting me back together again.”
Tears stung Payne’s eyes, and his lips quivered as he mustered a watery smile. “I’m glad I could help. You were worth saving.”
Hunter eyes were suspiciously bright, too. “You believed in me even when I didn’t. I’m yours forever.”
“And I’m yours,” Payne said, drawing Hunter down for a lingering kiss.
