Page 84 of Strut

“Quite.” Kip beamed. “It’s just that Rhys and I will need plenty of warning about the wedding date since I’ll obviously be planning it and Rhys will have a wardrobe to design foreveryone.”

I sprayed my mouthful of beer down the front of my shirt and across the laptop keyboard and began wiping it with my sleeve while Hunter turned an intriguing shade of heart-stopping purple and slapped my back.

Tim merely laughed his fucking head off.

I was taking names... in vivid marker.

Rhys was almost doubled over in laughter as he clapped his hand on Kip’s back in congratulations.

“You’re both arseholes.” I glared at the screen. Then I noticed even Hunter was laughing and I pinched his side. “Don’t encourage them.”

He shrugged, wiping at his eyes. “They don’t need encouragement. They’ve been arseholes all their lives and that’s not likely to change.”

“I notice neither of you is denying anything.” Kip studied us with a curious expression. “Oh. My. God. You two are really serious about each other. This is too fucking adorable for words.”

Hunter groaned and I shot him a smug smile. Payback was a bitch.

Kip punched Rhys on the arm. “Why the hell didn’t you tell me?”

Rhys shrugged. “Because they needed a bit of space to get their shit together before the hound of hell was set loose on them.”

Kip’s hand covered his heart. “I hope you’re not talking about me, honey, because I’d only ever have their best interests at heart.”

“That’s it.” Hunter waved at the screen. “We’re done here. Talk tomorrow.”

“Thanks for everything. It means a lot knowing you guys are there for me.”

Rhys held my gaze, then pressed his hand against his screen. I stared at it for a moment then did the same, covering his. He smiled at me. “We’ll always have your back, Alec.”

CHAPTERTWENTY

Hunter

When the call ended,Tim took one look at Alec’s wan face and was quick to hug his friend and gather his things. I walked him to the door while Alec prepared himself to call Tui.

“Will he be okay?” Tim said quietly with a glance to Alec who was heading to the bedroom with his phone in his hand.

“I’ll do everything I can to make sure he is,” I reassured him.

Tim studied me for a minute. “Make sure that you do. He’s one of the good guys, Hunter.”

“He is.” I saw Tim out the door and then stuck my head into the bedroom to check on Alec. He waved me in and I crawled onto the bed to lie next to him as he spoke to Tui. He lifted his arm for me to settle close, and I slid my hand under his shirt to comfort him. He covered it with his, held it there. After he’d told his story and they’d talked a bit, Alec checked with Tui and then put the call on speaker.

I’d met Tui once before, at Flare, and he was quick to thank me for everything I was doing for Alec, although the falling in love thing was going to cost me a dozen beers and a free photoshoot of his prize milking cows when I got back to New Zealand.

I laughed but made the promise. “Can’t see it being too much different from some of the fashion shoots I’ve done, to be honest.”

Tui snorted and the line grew quiet. “But if you screw my best friend around like you did before, I’ll hunt you down and pen you up with my best bull who’ll use you like a glory hole.”

Okay, then. Message received. I should’ve known Tui would know about my cock-up.“Um, okay? For the sake of my mental health, I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear that, just so you know.”

Tui chuckled, then went quiet. “I can’t fucking believe this, Hunter. We have to do something about this arsehole.”

“Rhys and Kip are working on a social media idea.”

“Kip?” Tui snorted. “The smiling shark himself. I’ll give him a call and see if I can help. I’m up for a subversive international social media campaign as much as the next farm boy.”

Alec barked out a laugh and something warm settled in my heart. He wasn’t alone in this, not by a long shot, and I hoped he was beginning to see that.

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