Trent impressed himself by managing to deflect Joey’s probing questions for most of the night before the wedding. Sure, Joey had pulled out the puppy dog eyes several times and asked a few leading questions about Ashby. But Trent wasn’t Gabe. He didn’t have to give in to that sort of act to make sure he kept getting sex.

So he brushed Joey off as nicely as he could each time, usually by buying more drinks from the bar for them, Raiden and the groom-to-be, Blake. Being a fulltime dancer, Blake wasn’t used to so much booze and Trent was aware he was playing with fire the night before the big day. But at the time, it seemed better than indulging Joey and his all-knowing glances.

Trent already felt enough of a dick for not reciprocating Ashby’s feelings. He didn’t need Joey acting like they were on the verge of true love or some shit. Yeah, Trent really liked the guy. It was strange how much his thoughts were preoccupied by Ashby. But that was just because he wasn’t used to clicking with new friends.

Besides, even if he did feel like he could experiment with another guy, that guy couldn’t be Ashby. Trent would hate to abuse his trust like that. So what if he had indulged in one…or two private sessions with his cock and his hand with Ashby in mind. It was just a weird thing, it would pass.

When Trent woke up with a mild hangover the next morning he did feel a twinge of guilt that the other guys must be feeling ten times as bad. They didn’t have his stamina. But then he heard Ashby whimpering from the bed and it drew his full attention. “Heavy night?” Trent asked, sitting up and grinning over at Ashby curled up in bed.

“I can’t even blame the altitude this time,” Ashby cried, covering his face. He was cute when he got all dramatic.

Trent chuckled and threw off his blankets, heading for the phone. He realized belatedly that he was only wearing his boxer-briefs. But Ashby had seen most of it before in the sauna, and Trent had definitely seen more of Ashby at the pool. So he dismissed any inhibitions he might have had.

“Yeah,” he said once the operator picked up. “Could I order some room service?”

He felt Ashby watching him as he ordered half the menu. His pale pink mouth was hanging slightly open and he glanced away every time Trent looked in his direction. It was getting kind of tense, so the next time Trent caught his eye, he winked, hoping to turn the mood silly. As he hoped, Ashby grinned and rolled his eyes, like it was no big deal.

While they waited for their food, Trent jumped in the shower. He was going to be getting ready in Blake’s room with Joey and Raiden, so Ashby would have plenty of time to get ready once he was gone. Trent sat in a robe as they devoured pastries and fruit and pancakes, washing it all down with tea and coffee. Ashby seemed strangely touched that Trent remembered he didn’t drink coffee, but it was just manners.

Ashby chatted away about his night before, recounting several funny stories. It made Trent pleased to think of him getting along with his friends. From the sounds of it, those guys hadn’t given him the same grilling Joey had tried to give Trent. He was glad. He didn’t want Ashby feeling awkward.

“So, I’ll see you soon,” he said as he paused at their door. “You okay heading down alone?”

Ashby gave him a beaming smile. “Oh, no. I’m meeting Gabe and the others first. They’re being so kind in looking after me.”

Trent winked and touched Ashby’s elbow through his robe. “They probably just like you, man. You’re an easy guy to like.”

Ashby blinked owlishly at him and swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing.

Trent realized his words could be seen as maybe a little misleading. But only if he got awkward. So he grinned and shrugged. “Bet you I look the prettiest when we get down there,” he said.

Ashby scoffed, all tension gone. “I think not, sir,” he said, affronted. “I’ll be so pretty no one will even notice the grooms.”

“Is that so?” Trent asked, arching an eyebrow. “Okay, loser buys the other a drink.”

“Who’ll decide?” Ashby asked impishly.

“We’ll take a vote,” Trent promised.

It was the natural point at which to break off the conversation and head out the door. But a wild impulse took over Trent.

He wanted to lean over and kiss Ashby on the cheek.

Nothing ravishing. It just struck him as the obvious way to say goodbye. Instead, he cleared his throat and reached for the door, pulling it open. “I’ll, um, catch you down there, then,” he grunted.

He was out the door before he could gauge if Ashby had noticed him being so fucking weird. What the hell? He was taking advantage of Ashby’s crush and it needed to stop.

He muttered to himself the whole way to Blake’s room. He was a piece of shit friend who needed to keep his cock in check. He was too old to be a slave to his fucking hormones.

Blake’s room was a riot as soon as Trent stepped inside. Blake’s mom was already there, a slim, perfectly polished woman who was determined to inflict her beauty standards on everyone in the room. She was dressed head to toe in lavender and wore an enormous flowered hat on her blonde hair, even though the ceremony wasn’t due to start for another two hours. Wherever she moved, it became a risk to the eyes and throats of whoever was next to her.

As soon as Trent closed the door, Mrs. Jackson bustled over. Joey ducked to avoid the killer hat as he fussed with his cravat.

“TJ, there you are,” she cried breathlessly, like he was late. He was actually a few minutes early. “Quick, here’s your suit. We haven’t got much time.”

Trent met Blake’s gaze before Blake looked at the ceiling and muttered something under his breath.

As Trent moved his way further into the room, he greeted Joey and Raiden. The groomsbitches, Jodi and Devon, were getting ready in Devon’s room. Trent wouldn’t have been surprised if Jodi had locked the door on her mom so they could get some peace. Blake had no such luck. His mom was already attacking the blond hair he’d inherited from her with several different products.

“How do you feel about using straighteners, dear?” she asked.

“Mom,” he growled.

But she merely tutted. “There won’t be just our usual camera crew today, hon,” she said, like this was normal. “There are the people from Us Weekly and several blogs. You have to impress them!”

He batted her hand away but managed to accompany the action with a smile. “The only person I want to impress is Elion,” he said patiently.

His mom just hummed and started rolling a fruity-scented wax paste between her fingers.

Trent sighed and kicked off his sneakers. He’d been trying to forget that there would be camera crews capturing the whole ceremony on film. Blake had promised them they would be shooed away after the first dance, but knowing Blake’s mom, Trent wouldn’t be surprised if they stuck around until the bitter end, invited or not.

He was stuck wondering how much attention he should pay to Ashby. They were friends, and he was Trent’s plus one, so he wasn’t going to ignore him. But did he want to make it obvious to anyone watching that they were supposed to be more?

That was how Elion and Blake had gotten together, after all. Faking it for the cameras.

And now they were getting married.

No, no. Ashby was not Elion. Trent was not Blake. He would just be friendly, and if that shithead Kiefer saw and wasn’t convinced, Trent could calmly explain that Ashby was wary of public displays of affection. Not that it was any of Kiefer’s business. Ashby should just be able to say no because he wasn’t interested, not because he wasn’t available. Trent felt he wouldn’t need much prompting to explain that properly to Kiefer.

“So. How’s your not-boyfriend this morning?”

Trent looked over to see Raiden had slunk up next to him while he fiddled with his cufflinks. He looked from his wrists back over at Trent with an expression of pure innocence. He was almost as tall as Trent but about half the size. He knew full well that Trent could beat the crap out of him if he felt like it.

“If you’re talking about Ashby,” Trent said curtly, “he was a little worse for wear. He’s not a fucking ox like your partner. They could have encouraged him to drink some water.”

Raiden’s dark eyebrows rose under the black bangs that swept across his forehead. “Maybe he needed his big, bad not-boyfriend to come look after him?”

He had a devilish look in his eyes. Trent’s stomach dropped and he tried not to feel sick. He was glad there was music playing from a laptop, so at least the others couldn’t hear. “Did…did Ashby say I was his boyfriend?” he asked.

Raiden grinned, finally sorting his first cufflink, then moving to the second one. “No, the opposite apparently. Levi said he was a great guy who kept defending you and your straightness.”

Trent’s panic lessened. What had he really been worrying about? That Ashby was lying, pretending there was something more about them? Or that he was so heartbroken he had made their fake relationship sound real to indulge himself for a minute?

Trent ground his teeth. “Why are you calling him my boyfriend then?” he asked, going back to his shirt buttons.

“I said not-boyfriend,” Raiden corrected. “Wasn’t that who Joey was trying to talk to you about last night, too?”

Damn. Trent had hoped he’d kept that from the others. “We’re just friends,” he said, sick of repeating himself. “Just leave it.”

Raiden cocked an eyebrow. “Like you ‘left it’ with Levi and me?”

He had a point. Trent had sensed that eye fucking from a mile off. “That was different,” he pointed out. He had just been helping Raiden to help himself. He and Levi had already slept together a couple of time by then. It wasn’t like that with Ashby.

But Raiden’s expression turned sincere. He leaned in and looked at Trent with those beautiful dark eyes of his. “Take it from someone who knows,” he murmured. “It’s okay to take a chance. Life’s too short to live in a box.”

Before Trent could say anything, Raiden moved aside and the conversation turned to plans for the rest of the day. Elion had taken care of most of it, but Blake was starting to show signs of nerves. He had to stand up and go through with everything in front of everyone. Worse, in front of the cameras.

Trent was reminded that this day wasn’t about him and Ashby. It was about Blake and Elion.

The first chance he got, he pulled Blake to one side. “Are you okay, man?” he asked. Someone had to ask. Getting married was a big fucking deal. “You still want to go through with this?”

Blake looked startled. “Oh, sure,” he said a little breathlessly. “No, I’m not having second thoughts,” he added earnestly. “I just want this to be absolutely perfect for Elion.”

Trent smiled, relieved, then wrapped his arms around his friend. “It’s going to be fucking awesome,” he promised.

Blake nodded into his neck, then pulled back to look at him and the other guys. His mom was hovering, admiring her handiwork. “Let’s do this,” Blake said.