I paced back and forth in the bathroom, feeling like a fucking asshole for charging out of the room like I had. I reached down and squeezed my cock, trying to calm it the fuck down and maybe… well, maybe then my heart rate would slow down too.

Shit. I mean, what the fuck was wrong with me? First I’d been practically groping Laurie’s legs and then—holy shit—Laurie had a hard on! And seeing Laurie excited got me excited… Or did it?

Maybe I was already hard? Oh, fuck me… Chicken… Egg… Which came first? Shit—maybe I shouldn’t be using words like came when my cock was already this hard. I turned on the cold water at the sink, then yanked down my pajama pants.

I leaned over the basin, hanging my cock over the edge of the sink as I splashed cold water over it… and some on my face… then more on my cock…

Hell, I even splashed some on my chest—I was trying anything I could think of to calm the fuck down. I even pinched the head, but that only made it pulse even more. I thought about squeezing my balls, but that seemed a little extreme.

The cold water wasn’t helping for shit, my cock was just as hard as it had been when I came in here. I splashed more water on the head, wondering if it would be weird if I got into a cold shower—but not really wanting Laurie to know that I was taking a shower.

Fuck. Did I maybe find Laurie attractive and didn’t realize it? Or, was this maybe a byproduct of the whole fake-marriage thing? I mean, sure, I’d found guys objectively attractive before—in that, I could see why other alphas would want to date a male omega.

I just hadn’t ever connected with one enough to want to date them personally. Although, that wasn’t anything to go on—since I’d never really connected with any females either, had I?

Wasn’t that the biggest reason they’d always cheated on me and moved on with the next guy? It was obvious that I didn’t feel anything for them too, especially when I was never heartbroken after they left.

But Laurie? Fuck, there was a lifetime of connection there. And not only because we grew up together or because I felt bad for the shit he’d been through, or even because I’d connected with his kids. No, the thing with Laurie was that it was cool how he and I had always been able to talk, and he’d actually listen.

I gave up on the cold water from the sink getting my dick to go down, and turned off the water. If I jacked off that would probably solve my problem, but there was no way in hell I was jerking off with Laurie on the other side of this door.

After I dried off my hands, I raked my fingers through my hair distractedly as I leaned back against the door. I blew out a breath and slowly slid down the wooden surface until I was sitting on the floor. I needed to get my shit together and figure out what to say to Laurie. Fuck, I’d definitely have to say something, wouldn’t I?

I was sitting there, lightly stroking my cock when I about jumped out of my skin as Laurie suddenly tapped on the door. His voice was muffled by the solid wood separating us as he spoke.

“Hey, Dean. Listen, I know you’re in their freaking out about whatever just happened, but I… I wanted to apologize for what you saw and say that wood happens to the best of us. Now, if you don’t mind, I’m pregnant and I really need to piss something fierce. So can we maybe agree to move past this—whatever this is—before I make a puddle on these nice people’s carpet out here?”

Biting back a laugh, I hopped up and tucked my cock against my waistband to hopefully help camouflage it before I opened the door to let him in. I tilted my hips slightly away as he moved past me, to further help keep him from seeing my predicament.

Laurie smiled shyly as he rushed by, his tongue sweeping across his lower lip nervously. The sight of that pink tongue sweeping across his soft lips reminded me of how nice that kiss had been earlier. I stood there frozen, ignoring the fact that my cock had gotten even harder while I tried to process that thought.

“Listen, Dean. We’re cool and all, but… I’m not sure that I want to whip my dick out and take a piss front of you just yet.”

I looked back at Laurie in confusion. “What? Why would you do that?”

Laurie rolled his eyes and motioned toward the toilet. “Because I wanted to use the facility? Remember? Me needing to pee and not wanting to soil the floors of this nice room?

“Oh, shit. I’m sorry—I’ll just see myself out,” I muttered as I hustled out of the room and carefully closed the door behind me. I grinned when I heard Laurie’s strong stream hitting the water, he hadn’t been lying about needing to go.

I moved over to the bed and climbed in, settling down on my pillow after turning off the lamp on my nightstand. My cock was finally starting to calm down and realize that Laurie was not the droid we were looking for, thank fuck.

Although, I still couldn’t help but think that it was crazy that I’d even reacted like that to him in the first place. I guess there was a first time for everything, huh?

Shaking my head at this whole weird day, I rolled over on my stomach and closed my eyes. I heard the toilet flush and the water run for a few minutes before the bathroom door opened and Laurie came back out.

I couldn’t see him in the dark room, but I could hear him and feel the bed move as he climbed into bed and firmly put the pillow buttress back into place before he finally laid down himself.

* * *

Sunlight was streaming in when I woke up to find Laurie wrapped around me like a baby koala. The pillow fort was long gone, and I could feel his baby bump pushing against my back. I’d wanted to touch that bump last night, and tell him how cute it was—but hadn’t dared.

Laurie’s arms were wrapped firmly around my chest, and that was fine. It was the leg thrown over my hip that I wasn’t completely sure about. Not because I minded it so much, but mostly because it felt a little too couple-ish.

The intimate moment ended a few minutes later when Laurie woke up and jerked away. He rolled off the bed and rushed over to his suitcase to grab a change of clothes before he dashed into the bathroom, firmly closing the door behind him.

I bit back a sigh as I got up to get my own clothes. I sure hoped it wasn’t going to be awkward like this between us forever. I mean, eventually we’d figure out how to handle this whole fake-marriage thing, right?

The tense atmosphere didn’t change all the way through us checking out of the room and going downstairs to breakfast. We exchanged polite small talk, but that was about it. It wasn’t until I loaded the suitcases in the trunk of the car that it dawned on me that maybe the tension in the air wasn’t all about me today.

As we drove down the block to the courthouse, I glanced over at Laurie. “I’m such a fucking asshole, and I’m sorry. I was thinking the weird tension between us was because of last night or how we were laying when we woke up. I wasn’t… I mean I completely… Shit!”

I slapped a hand on the steering wheel and shook my head as I found my words. “What I was trying and failing to say, is that you’re probably nervous as hell about the hearing, right? I’m sorry that I was too stupid to clue into that.”

Laurie laughed, immediately breaking the tension between us. “Honestly? I was feeling weird about waking up wrapped around you like that, but you’re probably right—the truth of the matter is that I’m probably freaking out about this whole custody thing and was using you as an excuse to take my mind off of it. Or maybe I just felt awkward because my best friend saw me with my pants tented last night? I mean, any and all of the above could explain our tension over breakfast.”

I grinned as I reached over and clasped hands with my best friend. “Listen, let’s agree right now to try not to let things get weird again, okay? Like you so aptly put it last night—wood happens. As long as we can be honest with each other and not let things get awkward, we’ll be fine. After all, we have a lifetime of friendship on our side. So what do you say we go kick ass in court, and then go off on our bromantic honeymoon?”

“As long as you never say the word bromantic again? You’ve got yourself a deal, Dean MacIntosh.”

Laurie and I entered the courtroom together a few minutes later, nervously holding hands. His outlaws were already there as they sat with their attorney and completely ignored us as we took our own seats next to my brother and his partner from work.

The guy must be new in town, because this was my first time meeting him. Not that it mattered whether he was from here or not—the only thing I cared about as far as Alec Santiago was concerned was whether or not he could win our case. Other than that, I doubted I’d ever notice if I saw him again or not.

Judge Anderson came in a few minutes later, and motioned for us all to take our seats after we’d stood for his entrance. Once we were settled, he put on a pair of glasses and glanced over the papers in front of him before setting them aside with a slight frown and shaking his head.

Peering over the rim of his glasses, he looked sternly at Mr. and Mrs. Adams. “As you witnessed yesterday, I personally performed the ceremony marrying your former son-in-law to his new husband. I see no reason to remove the Adams children from their father’s care at this time. Laurie has made it clear in his own statement that he has no problem with you nice people visiting your grandchildren as you see fit, but he is and will remain, their parent and sole legal guardian.”

Turning his attention to us, he continued. “Now mind you, I’m making my ruling that Laurie will retain custody unless any new things come to light. So I’d suggest that you boys get out of here and get busy enjoying your honeymoon—which Miss Libby has assured me will be quite the romantic holiday. I’d better not see hide nor hair of you boys in town before next weekend, you hear? I want you both to enjoy every minute of that honeymoon—you boys deserve it after all you’ve been through lately.”

After that, he pounded his gavel and closed the hearing. He winked at Laurie and me as he flashed us an almost conspiratorial grin on his way out of the courtroom. Yeah, he may not know that our marriage was fake, but Judge Anderson clearly agreed that the outlaws were assholes.

We were saying our goodbyes to Zeke and thanking Alec out in the main hallway, when Mr. and Mrs. Adams came walking out. Helen stalked over to Laurie, her heels clicking on the marble floor of the courthouse. She stopped right in front of him, her lip curled in a derisive sneer as she spoke.

“This isn’t over, Laurence. We are well aware that this marriage of yours is a fraud, and we’ll be waiting patiently for the truth to come to light. We aren’t walking away from our son’s sole heir. It isn’t right that he’s being pushed into servitude and being made to feed animals and care for his halfwit sibling and that bratty sister of his.”

Laurie didn’t even flinch as he stepped a half-inch closer and breathed into her face. “Matthew is not Tristan’s sole heir. And Christopher is not a halfwit, he’s hearing impaired, you stupid bitch. And Kimberley isn’t less than Matthew because she’s a girl. I’d better never hear you speak about Christopher or Kimberly like that again in my presence, or I’ll be rethinking my generous offer of visitation. An offer that we both know you’ll never take me up on, right?”

Alec and Zeke stood there impassively, as Laurie spoke his piece before stepping back against my side. Helen sniffed, and wagged a finger in our direction. “Say what you want, Laurence. I know that you two are not really married—and another thing I know is that the truth always will out in the end. And when it does, I’ll be waiting to collect my son’s heir.”

With that, she walked off to catch up to her husband who had kept going and wisely distanced himself from this little scene.

I turned to Laurie in disbelief. “What’s up with her and that sole heir shit? Sole as in one? Does she seriously not consider Chris or Kiki to be Matty’s equal? I mean, I knew that—but hearing her say it so coldly just makes my stomach turn. And what was all that shit about servitude?”

Laurie clenched his jaw, his lips turning white he had them pinched so tightly before he blew out a breath and answered.

“To them, chores are for servants, not well-bred young gentlemen. I’m not joking when I say that they only want Matty. Chris’ hearing impairment makes him defective to them, and as you heard, Kiki is just a girl—which therefore makes her inconsequential as well. As for their preference for Matthew? He shows signs of being a strong alpha already, which is what they want. One strong alpha heir. As for the other kids? Going for custody of them is camouflage for the sake of their image in their goal to get Matty in their clutches. And if it hurts me in the process, then that’s icing on the cake for Helen.”

I reached out for his hand, and gave it a squeeze without thinking twice. “It’ll be okay, Laurie. We’ll stay married forever, if that’s what it takes. But seriously… How the hell do they know so much about our lives? How would they even know what chores Matty does or doesn’t do?”

Zeke cleared his throat and leaned closer to speak softly into my ear. “Can we cut the talk about how long you’ll stay married while you’re standing in the courthouse? Let’s not give those assholes any more ammunition, hmm? Now you two get out of here—you have a honeymoon retreat with your names on it.”

Zeke’s eyes flashed with amusement when he mentioned the honeymoon part. Laurie and I said our goodbyes, and thanked Alec one last time before making our way back out to the car.

It wasn’t until I released Laurie’s hand to help him into the car, that I even realized that I’d still been holding it all that time.