Page 17 of You Are Cordially Invited

And Colleen was right. LGBTQ tolerance wasn’t always high in a strongly church-centred community. If Reuben and I adopted Stella’s baby, there’d be more than a few unhappy family members, and Stella would catch some flack too. And that was on top of all the rugby shit we had to deal with already.

Fuck. My. Life.

“We’re gonna need some time,” I said, reaching again for Reuben’s hand. He was starting to look a bit shell shocked, and I didn’t blame him. “When do you need an answer? You realise we have our wedding in two weeks.”

“We do.” Colleen wrung her hands. “And I’m so sorry to add to your stress. Plus, I know you have Cory to consider. But Stella doesn’t want to leave it too long to talk to the other two couples if you say no, so she’s hoping you might make a decision by Sunday night if that’s not too rushed. She’s had her first scan in order to date her more accurately, but she said to tell you that if you decide you do want to be parents to her baby, then there’s another scan around twenty weeks that you could attend.”

She leaned forward and rested a hand atop Reuben’s free one. “We’ve only met once or twice at family get togethers, Reuben, but can I just say that from what I’ve seen and heard, I think you two have a lovely relationship, and I would be more than happy to put my grandchild in your hands. That said, you need to do what’s best for the both of you and for Cory, so I’m going to let you think about it and head home.” She stood and brushed off her skirt.

“How about you leave Cory with us tonight?” my mother offered. “I’ll run him by your place tomorrow for his bag and get him to school. It’ll give you guys a chance to talk. I’ve got plenty of clothes and he’s got all his favourites here.”

I glanced at Reuben who looked decidedly pale and serious.Oh, baby. I kissed his cheek and his lips turned up. Much better.

He nodded to my mother. “Thanks, Margaret.”

Colleen hugged us both, and then the two sisters walked out to Colleen’s car with their arms around each other, while Reuben and I watched through the window.

I leaned into Reuben and he threw an arm around my shoulders. “The gym would definitely have been the safer option.”

I snorted. “Come on, let’s go see Cory and then head home. I’ll call Jake and tell him that dinner’s off for tonight. Maybe I can get something out of him on the phone instead.” I slapped Reuben’s arse. “And I vote for a bit of action before any more talk. I don’t know about you, but I’ve got some serious stress to relieve. You got a problem with that?”

Reuben’s smile reached right into his eyes for the first time since he’d arrived at my parent’s house. “Not a single one.”

* * *

Reuben

Oomph.Cam slammed me back against the wall inside the front door, set his teeth to my throat, and proceeded to maul his way across to my shoulder tip. Then he lifted his head and cupped his ear.

“Can you hear that?”

Silence reigned.

“That’s the sound of an epic fuck waiting to happen.” He stared at me; our faces so close I could make out every single one of those epically long eyelashes that framed his beautiful golden eyes. “Are you ready, baby?”

Hell yeah, I was.Anything to fend off the emotional maelstrom that had taken root in my chest the minute we’d left his parents’ house.

Grabbing the hem of my jersey and T-shirt, Cam tugged both over my head and threw them aside. Then he spun me around and smooshed my cheek against the paintwork.

Fucking ninja Taekwondo skills.

“I’m not the one with the hangover, sweetheart,” I reminded him. “You sureyou’reready for this?”

He leaned in close, his breath hot on the back of my shoulders. “Pffft. Are you questioning the readiness of my cock, Mr Taylor?” He held me in place with a hand in the centre of my back as he shoved my sweats and briefs around my ankles. “My Aunt Colleen’s sponge cake is known for its restorative powers.” He dropped to a crouch and bit my arse. “It’s a goddamn miracle.”

“For the love of God, please don’tevermention your Aunt Colleen and your cock in the same sentence, ever again.”

“Lift your feet.”

I did, and he threw my sweats and briefs to the side.

“Stay where you are.”

I did. I wasn’t stupid. Those words only ever meant good things whenever my body was in Cam’s sights.

He ran his hands up the outside of my legs as he got to his feet and then fished in the table by the front door for the lube we kept stashed there.

So yes, we might’ve been in this position once or twenty times before.

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