Kyle obeyed, because it was always so easy to listen to Jamie’s orders. He was hungry, and it didn’t take them long to finish the food on the plates. They ate mostly in silence, enjoying just being with each other. Kyle was dragging the last bite of steak through mashed potatoes when a knock came on the door.
“Please say you’re decent,” Liam’s muffled voice came through to them.
“It’s open,” Jamie called out.
The door slid open and Liam stepped inside, his nose wrinkling ever so slightly at the faint scent of sex in the air. “I see you’ve made use of your alone time. Sorry to interrupt, but Katie tells me it’s time for the first dance, and while we have the DJ, we’re missing the guests of honor.”
Kyle downed what was left of his champagne and stood. “If we mess up Katie’s schedule, she’ll kill us.”
“You do realize she’s no longer your second-in-command, yes?”
Kyle snorted. “Are you going to be the one to tell her that?”
Liam winced. “Good point. In which case, come along. Your adoring audience awaits.”
They left the room, with Liam trailing behind them, and returned to the ballroom. People applauded upon their return, and Kyle knew his smile was maybe a little too smug, but he didn’t care. Alexei gave him a knowing look from across the room before following it with a shit-eating grin and two thumbs up. Whatever his brother might’ve said would have to wait as Jamie led Kyle to the dance floor that everyone had gathered around.
Jamie didn’t let him go as he took the lead, holding Kyle close as they danced to the slow, soft strains of the song they had picked out together. Kyle closed his eyes and let Jamie guide him through the dance, knowing his husband would never lead him wrong. Despite all the eyes he knew were watching them, it felt as if they were the only two in the room. His entire world narrowed down to the man in his arms, and Kyle wouldn’t have had it any other way.
When the song finished, Kyle rose on his tiptoes to kiss Jamie. “I love you.”
Jamie’s fingers dug into him hard enough to bruise. “I love you, too.”
With the first dance finished, they both waved their mothers onto the dance floor for the mother-son dance that came next. After that, it was a free-for-all, and the music turned the wedding into a party that wouldn’t be out of place at their home during team get-togethers.
Kyle lost track of the people he danced with, of the drinks pressed into his hand, which were inevitably left on the tables around the dance floor or given to other willing recipients to finish off. He never strayed far from Jamie, though, always within arm’s reach. They gravitated toward each other like a binary star system, always circling each other.
Eventually, Jamie drew Kyle outside to the rooftop garden, and their guests joined them in the warm, late-spring night. The sun had long since set, and the sky was dark enough to be a perfect backdrop to the fireworks exploding over the National Mall and the White House in honor of their wedding.
Kyle wrapped his arm around Jamie’s waist, leaning into him and reveling in the fact that he was alive to be here, standing by his husband’s side, ready to face their future together.
“I don’t want to be anywhere else but here, with you,” Kyle said as he tore his eyes away from the bright lights exploding in the night sky to find Jamie looking right at him.
Jamie bent his head, the words he spoke for Kyle alone to hear. “You belong to me. I knew that the first night we met. I was never going to let you go.”
Kyle could do nothing but kiss him, tasting the truth of the words on his lips.
4
Strangers in the Spotlight
Liam drovepast the Wellington Arch onto Grosvenor Place, the London midday traffic not terrible for the hour. Eventually, he veered onto Spur Road and pulled into the side entrance once he reached Buckingham Palace proper. He ignored the crowd of tourists standing outside the wrought iron fencing who turned their cameras his way.
The guard on duty in front of the security gate checked Liam’s identity before allowing him to drive through. Liam guided the car through the small car park and into the center courtyard of the palace, driving toward the portico on the other side. The valet on duty took the code-keys from him once he got out, the engine still running.
Liam readjusted the navy-blue blazer he’d worn over the white shirt that lacked a tie. He’d gone casual for the afternoon tea with his grandmother, but casual didn’t necessarily mean underdressed. His tan trousers and suede, Oxford-style shoes would’ve gotten him into many fancy restaurants in London. His name and social status would’ve gained him access to the rest.
He took the stairs up into the palace one at a time. Liam hadn’t grown up in Buckingham Palace, but he’d visited often enough that he knew the way to the queen’s private office without needing any guidance. One of his grandmother’s ladies-in-waiting was leaving the office that overlooked the Palace Garden when Liam finally arrived.
“Lady Catherine,” Liam said, giving her a slight nod as the middle-aged woman finished her curtsy to him.
“Your Highness,” Lady Catherine said. “The queen is ready for you.”
“Thank you.”
Liam stepped into the office, closing the door behind him, though he refrained from locking it. The royal household staff was well-versed in privacy protocols. That didn’t stop Liam from wishing the palace had been upgraded with soundproofing over the years. It being an historical monument, raising renovation funds from the purse didn’t happen often, and work of that magnitude would cost several hundred million pounds.
The royal family was cognizant of their position in the United Kingdom, and how their popularity waxed and waned over the generations. Support for the monarchy came and went, but the crown still existed, and Liam rather thought it always would. He was just glad he’d never have to wear it.
