Julian’s shining eyes looked at me with such love and appreciation, I felt like I could have walked to the moon on my own star power.
He put it on and held it out. His hand was shaking, and his other one was covering his mouth in awe.
“I feel like I can finally breathe,” I admitted, staring at my ring on his finger. “I didn’t know how much I needed you to be my husband until this week, and now…” My throat felt tight, and my voice came out wobbly. “And now I can’t help but think about how close I came to ruining everything.”
“Nothing’s ruined. We’re here. Together.” He gripped my hand but managed a teasing smile. “Your life path and my life path? They’re one and the same path.”
I laughed and sent a quick thought into the universe that I hoped Nolan was doing well, wherever he was. The dumbass had helped ruin my wedding… and inadvertently provided the “enlightenment” that enabled me to find the love of my life. I couldn’t help feeling a little grateful, even though I fervently hoped we’d never see him again.
I scraped my bottom teeth over my top lip. “What if something happens to fuck things up again?”
Julian held the front of my shirt in two fists and shook me gently. “We don’t let it. Let’s get married now. Here. Today.”
I bit my lip and offered him a sheepish grin. “I’m glad you said that because I may have already made some arrangements…”
When the resort wedding coordinator led us out to the beach several hours later, after the sensuous couple’s massage I’d booked, a flirtfest in the sauna, and a decadent seafood lunch during which we discussed the logistics of making a permanent move to Aster Valley, we were dressed in board shorts and T-shirts, my favorite casual wear, at Julian’s insistence. The sun was already slanting at an angle from behind the resort, leaving gold sparkles across the water.
Island music played from the nearby palapa restaurant, but it faded as we moved farther down the beach toward a canopy hung with tropical blossoms. Purple, pink, and white flowers lifted and lowered lazily in the breeze.
Julian squeezed my hand. “I feel a little bad that we’re doing this without our friends and family around, but I also don’t want to share you right now.”
I turned to him as we arrived at the spot where we would pledge ourselves to each other.
“I can’t think of a better way for us to do this than just the two of us. We can do another ceremony with our friends when we get home, but it’s not about the wedding with us. It’s about the marriage.” I hadn’t realized the difference until Jules. “And I don’t want to wait.”
“No cold feet, then?” he teased.
“Nope.” I wriggled my toes in the sand. “Warm and toasty.”
“Because as your best man, I could—”
“Not just my best man,” I interrupted, raising his hand to my lips. “My only man.”
“Yeah,” Julian agreed, because he was sensible that way. “I am.”
The officiant was a smiling older man dressed in rolled-up beige linen pants and a guayabera shirt with elaborate black embroidery on either side of the buttons down the front of the white shirt. He welcomed us and introduced himself before beginning the simple service.
When we said our vows to each other, each of us added the line “You and me. In love. Always.”
We exchanged rings, including a matching silicone band for me, and held hands as the officiant declared, “I now pronounce you husbands in love, in law, and in name. You may seal your vows with a kiss.”
The kiss was simple and chaste, but the gentle press of our lips carried with it years of truth and history behind us and the promise of years of love and new memories ahead of us. A vow we would never break.
When it was all over, when we’d signed the official paperwork and shared a celebratory toast of champagne, we slipped off our clothes until we were down to only the skimpy swimsuits Julian had dared me to wear under our clothes.
I chased him into the surf, tackling him bodily in the water and tangling myself in his limbs until we came up laughing and gasping for air.
And then I spent the rest of the afternoon playing in the sun and surf with my husband, my partner in crime, my Peanut, my person, and my very best friend.
He was mine, and I was his. Forever.
Want to read a free 12k-word short about BJ and Dallas? Click here to download Ski Patrol!
LETTER FROM LUCY
Dear Reader,
Thank you for reading Thick as Thieves.
I giant, pink, puffy-heart loved Parker and Julian’s story. In fact, I originally began writing this book over two years ago as the first book in my new Aster Valley series. But for some reason, it didn’t feel like book one to me, so I set it aside and waited. What an appropriate metaphor for their story!
You’ll have noticed I teased several other stories and characters in this book. I can’t help myself! Here’s what’s coming next:
First of all, grab the FREE bonus short story about BJ here: Ski Patrol.
Secondly, I’m hoping to start a series set in Knockwood, Alaska, featuring Rocco Valentine and his brothers. The first Knockwood story can be found in the current volume of the Heart2Heart Charity Anthology (only available for a limited time). Rocco’s story will probably be next in that world, but it wouldn’t release until much later this year. Grab Heart2Heart here.
So what am I working on now? Two exciting novels! The first is book two in the Licking Thicket: Horn of Glory series with May Archer. Hitched will be out this summer! When an ex-military guy has to pretend to be engaged to his casual fuck buddy in order to trap a villain during a wedding weekend, things don’t seem so casual anymore. Pre-order Hitched here.
I’ve also started a solo standalone story I’m keeping under wraps for now. I expect to release it in early September.
Finally, May Archer and I are releasing an exciting new series later this year called Honeybridge and I am already in love with it!
All Lucy Lennox novels can be read on their own so find a story that appeals to you and dive right in.
Please take a moment to write a review of this book on Amazon and Goodreads. Reviews can make all of the difference in helping a book show up in book searches.
Feel free to stop by www.LucyLennox.com and drop me a line or visit me on social media. To see inspiration photographs for all of my novels, visit my Pinterest boards.
Finally, I have a fantastic reader group on Facebook. Come join us for exclusive content, early cover reveals, hot pics, and a whole lotta fun. Lucy’s Lair can be found here.
Happy reading!
Lucy
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Lucy Lennox is a mother of three sarcastic kids. Born and raised in the southeast, she now resides outside of Atlanta finally putting good use to that English Lit degree.
Lucy enjoys naps, pizza, and procrastinating. She is married to someone who is better at math than romance but who makes her laugh every single day and is the best dancer in the history of ever.
She stays up way too late each night reading gay romance because it’s simply the best thing ever.