Time Out of Mind (Suncoast Society #43)(90)

Doyle reached back so he could hold hands with him, lacing their fingers together. He squeezed, pleased when Mevi squeezed back.

This didn’t feel real. There were still moments when he was afraid he’d wake up and find it was just a dream and he’d still fled Chicago, and Mevi had really cheated on him.

They were spending their honeymoon in Kel’s apartment until late Sunday night. Then they’d drive up to TIA to stay at the airport hotel to make a six a.m. flight to LA.

Mevi had begged Doyle to let him pay to take him anywhere he wanted to go in the world.

There wasn’t anywhere Doyle wanted to go, except that apartment. The same place where they’d found each other and where they fit together in the world.

When they arrived at Venture, they were greeted by a room full of people cheering for them. Doyle laced fingers with Mevi and held his hand up in triumph as they walked in, feeling victorious.

Tilly’s call had been upgraded to a tablet and she now wore a fuzzy pink robe. “Gilo?” she called out over the din. “You get my e-mail?”

“Yes, ma’am,” he called out, holding up a roll of something. He walked over to the two men and, before Doyle and Mevi realized what Gilo was doing, he’d duct-taped their hands together.

With Hello Kitty duct tape.

As the others laughed, Landry and Cris watched, amused.

“Congratulations, you two,” Gilo said. “Love, Tilly.” He leaned in and whispered, “She actually asked me to tape you together face to face. I said I’d think about it. I decided to go easy on you.” He held a finger up to his lips. “Shhh.”

“Told you he’d do it,” Cris said. “That’s a twenty you owe me.”

“Dammit. I really thought he would chicken out.”

“We’re talking about Gilo, here, Lan.”

“Ah. True. I should never have taken that bet.”

“Come here, you two,” Loren called out. “Before Tilly has someone else do something.”

On the tablet screen, Tilly smirked over the top of another mug of hot tea. “Hey, Doyle made me worry. He f*cking owes me.”

“I’ll still mute you,” Loren threatened.

Tilly stuck her tongue out at her. “Don’t let ’em loose from the duct tape until they’re done.”

“They’re married. Isn’t that enough?”

“No,” she said.





Mevi smiled at having his right hand duct-taped to Doyle’s left.

He didn’t care.

All he cared about was that, legally, he was about to become Malcolm Maynard Turner. Once they filed the information. Technically, he already was.

He’d change his license when he got back to California.

He didn’t know what Doyle was planning for the collaring ceremony. He hadn’t asked, because as far as he was concerned, it was his Master’s decision. Doyle had asked him if he had any input, but he didn’t.

It was Doyle’s wedding band on his left hand. He was already a happy man, no matter what else happened today.

It was a little awkward for Mevi to kneel with their hands duct-taped together, but it worked out okay. Sitting there on his knees, he looked up at his husband—his Master—and knew today would forever stand out as the happiest day of his life.

Doyle smiled down at him as the room settled. No formal layout of chairs today, just a loose gathering of the people he’d come to know, most of them Doyle’s friends.

And he was okay with that, too. He knew they’d be his friends.

He’d finally have friends besides the band.

“So, how many people get to say I almost lost a rock star?” Doyle asked, which drew a smattering of laughter from the gathered group. “Probably less than the ones who get to say they put a ring on one.” He smiled down at Mevi. “Legally, he’s now my husband, but he’s given me so much more than that. Even when, rightfully, he has every reason not to trust me when I failed him.”

Mevi blinked back the sudden tears filling his eyes and blurring his vision.

“I promise to do better. That while I can’t promise not to f*ck up again, that I won’t f*ck up like that. That, no matter what, my trust in you will exceed your trust in me, always, the first thing I always consider in any situation. No matter what, I trust you, and I trust what you say above all. I don’t expect perfection from you, and I never have. I expect honesty. And you have always given me honesty.

“For the rest of our lives, I promise to love and protect you, to care for you, to do the best I can by you. To never abandon you. Would you please do me the honor of being my slave?”

He nodded, his vision blurring as more tears tried to break through. “Yes, Master. I want to be your slave.”

Doyle held his right hand out to Loren, who dropped something into his palm. He had to have her do something to whatever it was, but then Doyle smiled as he held up their bound hands. “Tilly, you’re lucky you didn’t mess this part up with your little revenge thing here.”

She blew him a raspberry. “Suck it, my psycho Dom buddy.”

“Psychologist.”

“Same thing.”

Mevi realized it was a red marker in Doyle’s hand.

“You’ve proven to me, above and beyond, that you love me, and that I can trust you. I don’t know if I’m worthy of your love and trust, but I will spend the rest of our lives together trying to prove that I am.”