Kristen and Edward were married now. Cole assumed as much because he was at the reception with Rhett, holding Rhett’s hand, sitting next to him, drinking champagne. Their shoulders were touching and Cole could still taste Rhett on his lips.

“I’d expect to see you two out there dancing,” his mother said, dropping down heavily into an empty chair at their table. Rhett tipped his half-empty champagne glass in her direction.

“Pacing ourselves, Mother,” Cole answered. Rhett squeezed his hand in solidarity.

“The evening is nearly over,” she countered, “Kristen has already cut the cake and now that the sun has set, she won’t like any of the pictures because they’ll come out too dark.”

“Sounds like something she would say,” Cole laughed.

“Nighttime photography is really hard,” Rhett interjected. “You have to know how to frame things without getting unnecessary shadows and you need to have a good eye for finding the light you need. You can’t use a flash because everything washes out.”

Cole’s mother raised an eyebrow in Rhett’s direction. “How do you know all that?”

The rest of her question was unspoken, but Cole heard it in his head, bouncing around in his sister’s voice. How do you know all that? Aren’t you just the towel boy? Cole despised that nickname. It was one his sister had directed at Ryan for years. Her dependence on the family wealth made her think she was far above anyone who was working class and it made Cole sick.

“I adore photography,” Rhett answered gracefully. “I took classes in college and it’s something I’ve continued to dabble in. I was out taking pictures earlier today, actually. The island is beautiful.”

“I suppose,” Cole’s mother agreed, dismissing Rhett’s answer entirely. “Anyway, have you stopped to say hello to your grandparents?”

“I’ve been trying to avoid them,” Cole admitted. He reached for his champagne flute and finished it in one swallow.

“That’s a poor play on your part, Cole.” Constance stood and smoothed the fluttery purple organza fabric in her skirt. “Have a good rest of the evening, boys.”

She stepped away from the table, leaving them again in peace.

“Should we go say hello?” Rhett asked, resting his head on Cole’s shoulder.

“It’s like the godfather,” he sighed. “This whole kiss the ring bullshit.”

“Except kissing a ring would be a lot easier than orchestrating a fake relationship,” Rhett countered with a laugh.

Cole pushed back his chair and stood, pulling Rhett with him. “That’s a terrible thing for my future fake husband to say. Come on then, let’s get it over with.”

Cole guided Rhett through the reception, skirting the edges of the dance floor. It was practically empty now, a few couples managing some jerky dance moves to the beat of whatever popular dance song the DJ was playing. The only people left were mostly family. Kristen and her friends gathered near the door as she and Edward made their exit.

“Lovely wedding, Nan,” Cole remarked, coming to a stop beside his grandmother’s chair. She looked up at him with a tight smile.

“A bit gaudy for my taste.”

Getting married in Tahiti itself was gaudy, Cole thought, but he didn’t vocalize it.

“What did you think?” she asked, directing her attention to Rhett.

“Oh, I thought it was very fitting,” he answered, slipping an arm around Cole’s waist. “And it definitely had its romantic moments.”

Cole swallowed and reached behind him, sliding his palm across the top of Rhett’s hand. His skin was so warm.

“In my day, we got married in churches,” Cole’s grandfather piped up.

“Well, in your day, women didn’t get to wear pants. Things have changed,” Cole teased.

His grandfather snorted and nodded.

“Anyway,” Rhett said with a smile, “we just wanted to come say hello. Cole has promised me a dance and I intend to collect on it before the DJ packs up.”

“A dance,” Cole said, even though he’d agreed to no such thing. Being that close to Rhett while people watched was a terrible plan for both of them.

“Very well,” Cole’s grandmother said with a nod, as though giving them permission. “I’m ready to turn in, George.”

She turned to her husband and he exhaled loudly before helping her up from the table. Cole watched them until they left and turned to Rhett, relieved.

“Did you want to take off?” Cole asked, grateful the pressure was gone.

“No,” Rhett scoffed, grabbing for Cole’s hand. “You owe me a dance.”

“We don’t need to,” Cole waved a hand behind him toward the door. “They’re gone.”

“You know this farce doesn’t end just because your family isn’t around, right?” Rhett asked, stopping on the dance floor and pulling Cole against his chest. “It needs to be convincing, like you said. Everyone thinks we’ve been seeing each other for months. Dancing at a wedding is expected.”

Rhett slid his hands around Cole’s waist and held him close. Cole could feel Rhett’s fingertips against his hips, the heat of his touch igniting his skin even through the fabric of his shirt. Reluctantly, Cole wrapped his arms around Rhett, palms flat against his back.

“I love this song,” Rhett murmured, leaning even closer and resting his head against Cole’s shoulder. Reflexively, Cole smoothed his hands up Rhett’s back and held their bodies tight against each other.

Cole hummed the opening bars of “Unforgettable”, his nose buried in Rhett’s hair. He was thankful his dick hadn’t popped up due to the forced proximity of their lower halves, but he found other feelings to be far more prominent than arousal.

His heart, for example, twisted and expanded, stuttered and skipped, all depending on what he thought about. It slammed against his ribs, aching when he reminded himself it wasn’t real.

Rhett’s heart was racing, its beat so violent and staccato Cole could feel it against his own. He was suddenly too hot, too tense, his clothes too constraining. He reached between them and fumbled for his bow tie, desperate to alleviate some of the pressure around his neck so he could breathe.

Rhett pulled back slightly, his skin bright like a star under the glow of the string lights that zig-zagged over the top of the dance floor. His eyes were somehow hazy, yet focused at the same time. He pulled his hands away from Cole’s waist and he was mournful of the loss until Rhett reached between them, stilling his hand against the silk of the tie.

“Let me help you,” he whispered, gripping the loose end of Cole’s tie and pulling the bow apart. The fabric unfolded and then Rhett’s fingers were at the top button of his shirt, popping it loose before sliding down to the next. He undid that button as well, placing his hands against Cole’s chest in a way that allowed his fingertips to glide across the naked V of Cole’s chest.

“Rhett,” Cole exhaled his name like a prayer.

“Sssh.” Rhett shook his head and didn’t move his hands, still gripping the collar of Cole’s shirt between his fingers. He looked up at Cole, their faces so close, mouths so close.

They swayed together on the dance floor, and Cole didn’t even realize the music had stopped until Rhett looked over his shoulder toward the DJ booth.

“Play that one again,” he said, turning his face back to Cole. “It’s my favorite.”

The piano introduction to “Unforgettable” started up again and Rhett smiled up at him dreamily. Cole was losing willpower by the minute, unable to deny that there was something sparking between them that was far beyond playing a role. They’d been dancing around each other for the past three days, pretending they didn’t want to wake up in each other’s arms, treating this thing between them like a show.

Cole closed his eyes, mentally replaying the kiss they’d shared before the wedding. The hot warmth of Rhett’s mouth, the soft dance of his fingers, the smoothness of his lips.

“And forevermore, that’s how you’ll stay,” Rhett whispered along to the song and Cole opened his eyes, daring a look at the man in his arms.

The smart, and talented, and handsome man in his arms.

Rhett’s fingers were still at his collar and Cole felt them dip underneath the fabric, sliding slowly, almost cautiously up his throat. Rhett traced a path of fire until he reached Cole’s chin, dragging his way up the arch of his jaw before pushing his fingers into his hair.

How was Rhett closer now? When did they get closer? Cole inhaled a sharp breath, not even sure he’d taken one in the past five minutes.

“Rhett,” he tried to say again, his voice no more than a harsh whisper. He didn’t even know what he wanted to say, but the need to let Rhett know he was here and in the moment seemed imperative.

“Cole,” Rhett answered back, his thumbs stroking across Cole’s cheeks.

God, he looked beautiful under these lights.

Rhett pulled Cole’s face toward him, less than an inch, and their lips touched. The kiss wasn’t like the one from earlier; this one was calmer, more measured. Rhett took command of him, his tongue sliding across the seam of Cole’s lips until they parted. He licked his way into Cole’s mouth, pulling back before coming close again, each kiss longer and more passionate than the last.

Rhett’s hands held Cole’s face steady while he took what he wanted, and Cole gripped Rhett’s shoulders, making sure he didn’t stop. Cole kissed him back, angling his head and slanting his mouth, his tongue dueling with Rhett’s for purchase in the space between their mouths.

Cole’s cock was hard now, pressing against Rhett’s thigh, against Rhett’s own erection, but it didn’t stop either of them. Rhett kept kissing him and Cole kept sliding his feet, leading the dance.

He didn’t know how much time had passed, but when they finally separated, the room was bright and the music was over. Cole rested his forehead against Rhett’s and raised his hands to cup Rhett’s neck.

The island air smelled like water and flowers, but in that moment all Cole smelled was the lingering hint of Rhett’s cologne mixed with sweat and the sweet champagne on his breath. He wasn’t certain, but he had a fleeting thought that this moment here, right now, was what falling in love was like.

“I don’t want to do this anymore,” Rhett whispered.

“What?” Cole croaked, his perfectly fabricated memory cracking around him in real time.

“I don’t want to pretend I don’t want you,” Rhett said, nipping at Cole’s lower lip with his teeth.

Cole sighed and kissed Rhett back, more aggressive than before, more confident, more ready. He pulled away, breathing heavily and dragging his mouth across Rhett’s swollen lips.

“Then don’t.”