Mending the Rift (18 page)

Marcus slid upward and tugged Luca close. “I haven’t said it often, but I want you to know that I love you.”

“Love you too,” Luca whispered.

LUCA AND
Marcus dozed for an hour, when Marcus roused and tousled Luca’s hair. “Do you still want to get married today?”

“Absolutely.”

“Then come on, lazy pants, or we’ll be late.” Marcus extricated himself from their embrace and swung his legs over the edge of the bed.

“Did you just call me lazy pants?” Luca flung an arm over his eyes and said in a gratingly whining tone, “I’m not sure marrying you is such a good idea after all.”

The bed dipped, and a moment later, Marcus’s strong arms slid under Luca’s neck and the hollows of his knees. Marcus lifted him up, causing Luca to grab for Marcus’s neck to anchor himself. “Marcus, let me down, I really don’t need to be carried.”

Marcus ignored his protests and carried him to the bathroom, where he put him on his feet before he ushered him into the shower stall. “It just occurred to me that I really can’t call you lazy pants, since you’re pregnant and all.”

Luca snatched Marcus’s hand to tow him into the shower stall as well. He flicked the tap open, making sure the first jets of cold water would hit Marcus square in the chest. Marcus shouted in surprise, and Luca cast him a smug grin. That didn’t last long once Marcus yanked him against his chilled body. Luca squealed and sputtered, but Marcus allowed him no leeway. When the water turned from cold to tepid to comfortably warm, Luca nestled against Marcus’s naked form.

“Sorry about the cold water?” Luca ventured.

“Are you asking me whether you should be sorry for your assault?”

“I wasn’t assaulting you. I merely made a point.”

Marcus shivered theatrically. “You did, and I definitely got your point, okay? Want me to wash your hair?”

Hot tears prickled Luca’s eyes, and he hastened to hide his face against Marcus’s wet chest, ignoring the way water ran into his eyes and threatened to fill his nose.

“Kitten? What’s going on? What did I say?”

“I’m sorry,” Luca mumbled. “It’s just… you and I….” How could he describe his current emotional state? That he was too doped up from their recent lovemaking, and Marcus kindly offering to wash his hair brought home how much he loved him? How much he’d missed him during his captivity? How he’d almost given up? How he couldn’t believe he’d be legally married today to the man he loved?

Marcus stroked along Luca’s spine, setting off a light shivering fit, and the need to be even closer to him. Marcus said, “Lots of emotions welling up, kitten?”

Luca gave a curt nod, not trusting himself to be able to speak coherently.

“You’ve been through a lot. You’ve got every right to cry.” Marcus dropped a kiss on the top of Luca’s head.

For a while they stood in the shower stall, with Luca clinging to Marcus while he did his best to rein in his emotions. Marcus petted him as if he was a valuable gem that needed polishing, then he squirted some shampoo in his hand and gently lathered Luca’s hair. He turned Luca around, so Luca’s back was against Marcus’s chest, and massaged Luca’s scalp. Suds sluiced down Luca’s body as Marcus took the bar of soap, briskly brought it to a lather, and washed Luca’s body. He took special care of Luca’s swollen abdomen, stroking around his belly button in soothing circles. Luca stared at him, dumbfounded and his heart leaping into his throat.

Marcus’s muscles roped in and out as he moved efficiently but also with great care. After rinsing the soap off, he said, “Close your eyes.”

Luca did as he was told. Marcus took the shower sprayer and rinsed his hair, shielding Luca’s eyes with one hand, just like Luca’s dad had when he was little and hated getting water in his eyes. As soon as Marcus declared Luca clean and ready, Luca snuggled up. “I’m so glad everything worked out between us.”

“Wasn’t such a bad idea for your parents to hire me as your new bodyguard, huh?” Marcus smiled before he stepped under the spray, washing himself in less than two minutes.

Together, they stepped out of the shower stall and toweled off. “No, it really wasn’t a bad idea. Not at all.”

“Even though you thought you wanted me gone, right?”

Luca shrugged and inspected himself in the mirror. “Do I need another shave?”

“No, you don’t. There’s not even a hint of stubble on your very pretty face,” Marcus replied. “But I guess I better give it a go.”

Luca turned around and laid a hand against Marcus’s cheek, smiling as the bristles poked his palm. “I like you just fine, but go ahead and pretty yourself up for our wedding.”

Marcus’s cheek moved into a broad grin. “I’ll do my very best for you.”

“I’d better leave you to it now and find some suitable clothing, or else I’ll jump you and we’ll never get that marriage license.” Luca withdrew his hand, slung a towel around his hips, which revealed the bump even more, and hurried toward the bathroom door.

“That looks awfully nice on you,” Marcus remarked as Luca’s hand lay on the doorknob.

“What?”

“The way you’re wearing nothing more than a towel and how it accentuates your fine baby bump. It’s a look I’m growing to like more and more every day.”

Luca gazed down at himself, studying the stretched skin of his abdomen. If he stood straight, he couldn’t see his genitals anymore, a somewhat unsettling change, but all in all he liked his new appearance. Startled at his own train of thoughts, he lifted his head and looked at Marcus, who was leaning with his hip against the sink, razor in his left hand.

“This is odd, but… I do like my new look, even if I’ll probably scream in frustration in a few minutes when I have trouble finding clothes that fit.”

“We could get you some new clothes and go to the office tomorrow,” Marcus suggested.

“I can’t shake the feeling that you’re trying to postpone our marriage with whatever flimsy excuse you can come up with. Why is that?”

Marcus sighed and padded toward Luca, not bothering to get dressed. “Kitten, I really don’t want you to have any regrets later that this day wasn’t at all what you imagined it to be.”

“I’m not regretting anything right now, why should I regret something later? The only thing I regret is the time we were apart because of Smith and the Southern Union. That can’t be changed, though, so….”

Marcus cupped Luca’s face in his hands, gently stroking his thumbs along Luca’s cheekbones. Luca soaked up the caress, his eyelids drooping of their own accord as he nuzzled Marcus’s hands. A tender kiss on the tip of his nose ended the loving touch.

“If you’re sure, then go ahead and find some clothes, and I’ll do my best to stop with the worrywart attitude.”

Laughing, Luca stepped out of the bathroom, shutting the door with a soft click before he ambled over to his closet with a bounce in his step.

DRESSED IN
black pants, polished black shoes, and white button-downs, Luca and Marcus left Luca’s room. Luca’s shirt wasn’t his own, since he’d almost popped some buttons while trying one on, but at least he was dressed appropriate to the occasion.

They took the stairs to Luca’s parents’ bedroom and knocked. After a while, Gregory opened, tying the belt around his blue silk robe and looking disheveled.

“We’re not interrupting anything, are we?” Luca asked.

Gregory raised an eyebrow. “Do you honestly expect me to answer that?”

Luca shook his head, heat creeping into his cheeks. He cast a nervous glance at Marcus, who in return squeezed his hands, then said, “Marcus and I want to go to the registrar now and get our marriage license. I… I’d like you and Dad to come with us. We’ll have to pick up Kyle from the hospital first, though.”

Gregory squinted at them and cleared his throat. “Excuse me, what did you just say?”

Nicholas appeared behind Gregory, struggling with his own robe and looking suspiciously red-eyed. “You’re getting married? Today? What… what about your siblings and the party and….” Nicholas trailed off, his eyes narrowing. “You’re going to do it your way, aren’t you? No fancy big wedding day, just a simple ceremony at the office. Of course, we’ll accompany you.”

“We what?” Gregory whirled around, his voice rising in disbelief. “This is unheard of! He can’t just marry Marcus.”

“I don’t see why not,” Nicholas replied.

“Because… because it’s not done that way.”

Nicholas snorted and grabbed the lapels of his husband’s robe. He grinned at Luca, appearing more like himself than he’d done all day. “Give us a few minutes to get presentable.”

“Nicky! We can’t always go along with Luca’s shenanigans,” Gregory protested.

“Shenanigans?” Nicholas’s voice dropped to an icy tone. Luca blinked at his dad, taken aback by the fierce concentration on his dad’s face. “Getting married to the man he loves is what you call
shenanigans
? I guess we interpret that word differently. I think it’s awesome, and I’m sure Luca will consider having a party later, right, sweetheart?”

Luca shifted his weight from foot to foot. Marcus slipped an arm around his waist and pulled him against his side, anchoring him. Luca gave him a grateful smile before he answered, “We’ll do the whole celebration stuff—just later. There’s still a chance for anyone to claim me, and I need the security of the license. It’ll give me—us—legal power in case anything happens to me. The Southern Union’s government would already be kissing your feet if I’d been officially married to Marcus. There’s a death sentence on anyone kidnapping a married breeder. As it is, they can still brush the whole incident off.”

“They’d have done so even if you’d already been married,” Gregory said, his eyes darkening.

“Yes, but your hands are bound now. If I’d been married before, you could officially declare war, and they’d do anything to prevent that,” Luca argued. “Father, I don’t want to get married to… to defy you or make trouble, I swear. I just want to feel more secure. And besides, I don’t want to look fat in my wedding pictures.”

Gregory gaped at him as Nicholas burst into peals of laughter. Marcus’s chuckle reverberated through Luca’s body, and Luca congratulated himself on easing the tension. Nicholas laced his fingers through Gregory’s to tow him farther into the bedroom.

Still laughing, Nicholas said, “We’ll get dressed.”

They closed the door, listening to Nicholas laugh and Gregory grumble something unintelligible at him.

Luca expelled a sigh and leaned against Marcus, weariness washing through him. “I was afraid he’d put his foot down and forbid us.”

“You’re an adult. He can’t forbid our marriage.”

“I’m just a breeder, don’t forget that. As long as I’m not officially married, he’s got the last say in everything.”

“Oh.” Marcus’s smile broadened. “Does that mean as of tonight I can tell you what to do and you have to obey me? Sweet.”

“Jerk.”

“Not so sweet anymore.” Marcus gave Luca another hug, then gave him a proper kiss. “I’m just kidding. I hope you know that.”

“Technically, it’s as you said,” Luca murmured.

“That’s something that pisses you off, isn’t it?”

“It’s very… old-fashioned that one of the couple has the final say in everything, and yes, that knowledge chafes. But I guess that goes with the whole being a breeder and not having the same rights as anyone else.” Luca fixed his gaze on the wall behind Marcus, not daring to look into his soon-to-be-husband’s eyes. Of course, Marcus realized how Luca felt about this. They’d had lots of heated arguments about politics in the time they’d known each other, but saying it so bluntly on the day they were supposed to marry… maybe not Luca’s smartest move.

Marcus laid a finger underneath Luca’s chin and moved his head tenderly until their gazes locked. “I’ll never see you as anything but my equal, Luca. I’ll never put my foot down for anything—except when it’s for security reasons, and then I simply expect you to trust my expertise—and I’ll always want your honest opinion. Look at your parents—your father never puts your dad into his place.”

“If he doesn’t want Dad to do something, he orders him around.”

“Have you ever seen him go through with something your dad really didn’t want?”

Luca opened his mouth, sure of the answer, but doubts clouded his certainty. “I’m not sure. It’s just… I thought that’s how they work. Dad always complies when Father demands something.”

Marcus shook his head. “Only when he knows your father is right. They’re both excellent at presenting a certain image to everyone else. There’s no inequality between your parents. They’re both strong men who complement each other. I hope that’s what we’ll do as well.”

The door opened with a bang, causing Luca to jump. His heart stumbled a beat as he looked over at his smiling dad. In the background, Gregory muttered, “One of these days we’ll have to do something about that door-slamming.”

Nicholas rolled his eyes. “I don’t
slam
doors. I just swing them open with my powerful arms.”

“Get your powerful arms into that coat. You’re not going anywhere without being dressed for the weather.” Gregory held out a navy-colored long coat, shaking it in invitation when Nicholas scowled at it. “I don’t want to hear it, Nicky. It’s the coat or we’re not going.”

“I swear your father is worse than your grandmother ever was.” He slipped into the coat, kissing Gregory soundly when he was done.

“Have you arranged for your brother to be brought to the registrar?” Gregory asked as he slid into his own jacket, raising an inquiring eyebrow at Luca.

“Yes, before we came here. And before you cause Luca any more distress, yes, we’ll be getting his coat as well. It’s in the hall closet, if I recall correctly,” Marcus said.

“I’m causing Luca distress?” Gregory sounded almost scandalized.

Nicholas just shook his head and snickered, whereas Luca stepped out of Marcus’s embrace to hug his father. He absorbed the power combined with gentleness his father exuded.

Luca put all his heart into his next words. “Thank you for going with us.”

“Wouldn’t want to miss it,” Gregory replied in a gruff voice.