The next morning...

"Justin, are you alright?" Jennifer questioned as she peered over at her son.

It was ten o'clock on Saturday morning. They were having breakfast in the resort's restaurant, and Justin thought that he was going to murder Brian. The man was currently laughing silently, sitting across the table next to his oblivious mother, just staring at him, as if expecting him to be sick any moment. Well, it wasn't so unlikely, considering that every time he got a whiff of the food on the table, he felt like throwing up.

Jennifer then turned to look at Brian, who assumed his best ‘I'm so concerned about my lover' face. She was about to interrogate her son, when Brian intervened, gazing at his pretend boyfriend and declaring, "Your mom is right, Justin. You're a little pale. You should eat more to feel better! Those pancakes look delicious." Justin felt his mother's stare return to him, and he would have sworn that Brian was grinning.

Traitor... Justin couldn't help but think. "Where is Molly, anyway?"

"She's at the pool with Lily, Dorian's friend. Some of us didn't get up so late," his mother answered knowingly before directing a look at Brian, probably assuming that they'd enjoyed their private time last night after going to Dorian's bachelor party.

"Well, you're right. I don't feel very well. I must have eaten something that just didn't agree with me," Justin opted to lie, and this time, Brian actually chuckled, earning a questioning look from Jennifer.

"That must be it," Brian stated innocently, faking a serious mien, "You obviously swallowed something that didn't agree with your stomach."

Justin pressed down on his foot underneath the table but, instead of Brian wincing, his mother actually yelled, "Ouch! Justin! That is my foot you're crushing!"

Brian's lips turned upward once more as Jennifer bent over to remove her shoe and massage her foot.

"Sorry, Mom. I thought it was the table leg," Justin apologized, glaring at Brian even though his dark glasses probably prevented the brunet from seeing the laser beams he was aiming at him. Then, Justin felt his mom glancing back at him, probably frowning; he wasn't sure if she believed him or not, but she didn't comment any further. He decided to move the conversation toward a safer topic. "So what's the schedule for today?"

"The wedding is at five. I'm meeting with Diane for lunch, but I'm available in the afternoon if you want," Jennifer proposed.

"Who is Diane?" Brian inquired.

"She is my sister, Dorian's mother," Jennifer answered. "We will have an early, light lunch, so I should be available by one thirty p.m."

"Do you think Diane needs assistance with anything?" Justin inquired, wanting to be as helpful as he could.

"No. I think everything is under control," Jennifer declined. "You, on the other hand, could maybe use my help getting ready for the wedding?" she proposed excitedly, before turning to put her hand on Brian's forearm. "No offense, Brian, but I'm just so pleased to have Justin here with me; I'd love to spend a little time with him."

"Of course, Jennifer, I understand perfectly," Brian replied, his voice entirely too sugary to be sincere, although Jennifer apparently lacked the ability to detect bullshit where her son's boyfriend was concerned. "Why don't the two of you spend the afternoon together? I'll accompany Justin to your room by two p.m. with everything he needs to get ready and will return at four thirty p.m.? Justin?" Brian proposed, waiting for his boyfriend's approval.

Justin wanted to murder Brian more painfully with each passing second. "Sure," he nonetheless agreed with a fake smile. The prospect of spending a couple of hours in his mother's presence while she bombarded him with questions regarding his ‘relationship' with Brian was so appealing.

"Okay, then! I'm so happy, Justin." Jennifer beamed at her son as she stood up from her chair. "I will see you both later. Behave, boys!" she teased, and Justin turned red at his mother's innuendo.

He heard her walking away, and he waited until he was sure she was far enough away so that she wouldn't hear him before barking at his so-called partner, "What was that?"

"Your mother is so much fun to be around, and she is so eager to please you. How could I stand in the way?" Brian responded playfully.

"Brian, seriously, can't you just shut up and be pretty?" Justin retorted, astounded that Brian would deliver him to his mother like he just had. He didn't really mind spending time with her, but it was obvious Brian was taking way too much satisfaction from his predicament.

"No. It's such a joy for me to tease you after the way you acted last night," Brian drawled, the smugness evident in his voice. The blond had to admit that he didn't recall a lot from the previous night, and the few images that crossed his mind didn't make much sense. Except, he had obviously acted pretty carelessly in regard to how much he'd drunk, but he wasn't ready to admit it just yet.

So he retorted, "I acted just fine."

"You were wasted out of your mind," Brian immediately countered.

"I was not," Justin denied vehemently, even if he knew he was full of shit. He unfortunately did recall sitting by the toilet and throwing up half of the night, with Brian staying by his side. Now that his mind had cleared, he was amazed by the brunet's kindness but he would be damned before he admitted it.

Brian chuckled. "You tried to dance on the bar top at the club."

It couldn't be true. "You're lying."

"You think? I had to bodily catch you and drag you back to our room to stop you from dancing naked in front of a room full of straight guys. Then you stupidly tripped and fell down the stairs before starting a strip-tease while standing on the bed, completely wasted."

"I'm..." Oh fuck. That bad?

"You even kissed me," Brian revealed as he rolled his lips in.

Justin felt his heartbeat increasing. He had kissed Brian. He really had. "Okay. I must have been totally wasted." He wasn't sure why he felt obligated to lie to Brian, pretending that it had meant absolutely nothing, when the truth was that he remembered the kiss. It was blurry, of course, but it was one of the few things he hadn't forgotten. Because, seriously, how could he forget how amazing it had been to feel Brian's lips on his?

Brian didn't respond, and Justin cursed his disability. He wanted so much to see the brunet's expression right now. Moreover, what was he thinking? He didn't want to hurt his companion's feelings, and even if he was convinced that Brian didn't care, he was still acting like an asshole by dismissing their kiss.

"Brian..." Justin tried, the tone of his voice sounding like an apology. Brian had been nothing but amazing since they arrived at the resort, while he had acted like a brat, getting drunk and now rejecting whatever had happened between them. Sure, Brian was an escort and was getting paid to stay at his side, but that didn't mean Justin had to keep him at arm's length all the time, just because he was scared shitless of the desire he felt for the man.

"You should take a nap." Brian didn't let him continue, touching Justin's arm to indicate that he was waiting for the blond to get up.

"Okay," Justin agreed with a sigh. He stood up from his chair and reached for Brian's hand. Brian was about to guide him when Justin squeezed his hand, silently preventing them from moving. He felt Brian pause and stare questioningly at him. "I didn't thank you. You've been amazing to me and I didn't even thank you. I don't know what is wrong with me."

"You mean, apart from the fact that you're hungover for the first time in your life?" Brian responded.

Justin felt relief wash over him when he realized Brian wasn't angry. "It's not the first time I've been drunk, but yeah, I've never been so wasted before. I don't know what I was thinking."

"You were celebrating your first night out since your... attack. Seems like a good enough reason to me," Brian reassured him before placing his arm at his waist. "Come on. You need to rest if you want to survive the whole day." He leaned closer to Justin's ear as he insisted, "I will join you. Somebody kept me awake half of the night, so I won't take no for an answer."

Justin smiled. "I wouldn't have it any other way," he responded, realizing that it was true. He wanted Brian by his side.

"Good boy," Brian drawled before leading him to their room.

Once inside, they went straight to the bed to lie down, and Brian took Justin into his arms. The blond didn't resist and placed his head on Brian's chest. He nodded off within seconds, his hand resting over Brian's heart. He therefore didn't see Brian smile when he realized his companion had already fallen asleep, as he placed his free hand on top of Justin's. Brian joined him in slumber a few minutes later, listening to the soothing sound of Justin breathing, and ignoring his hard-on.

A few hours later...

After Brian dropped off Justin at his mother's room, he went back to his suite and called Lindsay. He spoke to his son briefly - having a conversation with a twenty-month-old toddler was quite a challenge - but ever since his son's disease had been diagnosed, Brian tried to be as present as possible for him, either in person or on the phone. He didn't know if he would have been so invested if not for Gus' sickness, but he was happy to be there and never questioned his place in his son's life anymore.  

After his phone call, he enjoyed the private pool for a while before deciding to take a leisurely shower, letting the water massage his shoulders as he rolled his neck, his head down. He couldn't help but think about his client, wondering once again why just the taste of his lips had felt so fucking good. Brian chose to believe that the knowledge of what had happened to Justin, combined with awareness of what the blond was living through every day, was awakening his protective instincts. And of course, he had made a deal with Justin, and acting the perfect boyfriend was part of it. He was being well-compensated, and truthfully, he was having a good time so far.

If only he weren't feeling so protective of Justin, he probably would have fucked him by now. A kiss was definitely not enough to satisfy his needs, instead only increasing his desire to dive into the blond's ass. The real question, then, was why he hadn't acted on it until now, especially since he suspected that Justin wouldn't resist him anymore. They'd taken a nap together - a nap, for fuck's sake. Brian shrugged off his uncharacteristic behavior, blaming their exhaustion for his moment of weakness.

Rather than thinking about it any longer, Brian took his hard cock in his fist and squeezed it, imagining himself entering the blond, while pleasure covered his companion's face. A moan escaped his lips at the vision, and he had to take deep, slow breaths to pace himself. He was so fucking horny. As he listened to Justin's voice in his head, urgently begging Brian to take him and fuck him hard, his hand started to move on its own, his cock appearing and disappearing as he jerked off furiously.

He felt sparks as his orgasm built, the tingling in his balls unmistakable, and slowed down to delay the inevitable. Just the feeling of his hand on his cock as his mind feasted on Justin's blissed-out expression made him feel so good that he didn't want it to end. He wanted this feeling to last for as long as possible.

His hand was now moving oh so slowly on his dick, and yet, Brian felt like he was in heaven. He imagined Justin begging him over and over, imploring him to fuck him harder, to make him come, using his hands on Brian's body to urge him on, licking his skin, panting, moaning in his ear. The vision he'd conjured was too much. As Brian increased his pace, he felt his cock go rigid in his hand before coming so hard he couldn't help but whimper, his face transforming into a picture of overwhelming pleasure.

The water washed away any proof of Brian's fantasy. However, Brian's breathing stayed labored for a long time, his hands on the tile keeping him from falling.

When he opened his eyes again, coming back to reality, he breathed out, "Fuck..." before stepping out of the shower. He dried himself and walked into the bedroom naked to retrieve his suit. He dressed, refusing to question the strange feeling that his fantasy had evoked, and checked himself in the mirror. The reflection looking back at him was the same. So why did he feel different somehow?

He shook his head, checked the time, and grabbed his tie. He knotted it as his eyes swept around the suite, before exiting the room. Two minutes later, he knocked on Jennifer's door.

Molly opened the door, obviously relieved to see him. "Not a moment too soon. Mom is going to smother Justin to death with her maternal love," she announced matter-of-factly before stepping back to let him enter.

"That bad, huh?" Brian responded, smirking at Molly, who was attired in a beautiful green dress, her hair now slightly curled, a little flower holding back two strawberry-blonde locks. "You look lovely, Molly," Brian complimented her, causing her to blush at his praise. She averted her gaze and went back to her room, making Brian chuckle quietly; it must be an adorable trait that ran in the family. However, he immediately frowned at his own qualification - adorable? Where the hell had that come from?

"Brian! You're here! Wow, you look great!" Jennifer's voice reached his ears. He turned and watched her cross the room to him. She'd dressed up in soft, silky, cream-colored pants, a matching jacket, and a pale grey top, a strand of pink pearls complementing her outfit.

"Jennifer, you look pretty good yourself. If I weren't dating your son, I think I would ask you out right now," Brian playfully declared, and Jennifer gave him a tentative smile as she blushed slightly.

Brian's inner self was grinning smugly over his accomplishment. Three blushing Taylors: check.

Jennifer recovered quickly, though, and announced, "Your partner is ready too. Justin, come here, sweetheart!" she called out, and Brian briefly wondered what was going on; Jennifer seemed overly enthusiastic all of a sudden.

However, Brian understood immediately why Justin's mother seemed to be so excited, as he stared in shock at his client walking hesitantly out of the bathroom.

"Brian?" Justin bashfully asked, standing in the doorway awkwardly, obviously waiting for Brian's comment on his outfit.

Brian just stared some more, feeling like a cartoon character with their mouth dropping to the floor, before pursing his lips. "Turn around," he requested, as he took a step forward.

Justin obeyed and Brian's gaze immediately lowered to his ass, which was perfectly highlighted by his tailored pants.

The brunet approached more closely and finally bent down to place a chaste kiss on Justin's cheek, while murmuring huskily in his ear, "Not bad. Not bad at all." The tone of his voice left little doubt of his complete approval. As he leaned back, he noticed that Justin had turned crimson again - he unfortunately couldn't see his eyes, which as usual were hidden by his sunglasses - and he grinned, pleased by the blond's reaction.

Jennifer cleared her throat behind them, but Brian just smiled and placed his arm around Justin's shoulders. Turning to look at his ‘mother-in-law,' he jested, "You've done a marvelous job, Jennifer. Remind me to engage you the next time I need one of my friends dressed for a special occasion."

"I must say, I'm quite proud of myself," Jennifer happily replied as they made their way to where she was standing. "Even if I have a wonderful model," she added as she caressed Justin's cheek.

"Mom!" he chastised her, leaning back to avoid her touch, embarrassed by her display of affection.

"Okay then." Brian decided to save his supposed boyfriend from his loving mother. "We should probably get going. The wedding starts in about twenty minutes."

"You're right. Molly? We're going!" Jennifer called out.

They all left the suite and headed toward the elevators, Justin and Brian moving ahead, with Jennifer and Molly following them.

Brian wrapped an arm around Justin's shoulders, bringing him closer. "You look hot," he purposely whispered into his ear.

Justin emitted an embarrassed sound, squirming uncomfortably, but didn't reply.

"It's true," Brian insisted.

"I bet you say that to all your dates," Justin whispered hotly.

"Only the ones who live up to that compliment. And believe me, there are just a few." Brian had no clue why he wanted to reassure Justin, but he didn't want the blond to think that he was just like all his other clients.

They arrived at the elevator and entered as soon as the doors opened. Brian kept his eyes on Jennifer, who was trying to watch her son and his partner discreetly in the mirror, but failing. Thinking it was his duty to give her something to observe, Brian leaned in closer to Justin, witnessing the startled expression on his client's face, while his breath caressed the blond's skin. Emboldened, he cupped his cheek, nudging Justin's nose with his own, before softly brushing his lips over the blond's.

A low moan escaped Justin, which would have made Brian chuckle if it weren't for the sliver of tongue he felt on his lips.

Suddenly, the elevator dinged, announcing they'd reached the ground floor and unfortunately preventing Brian from exploring Justin's mouth any further.

"What... Brian!" Justin swatted at Brian's arm, as they stepped out of the elevator.

"Don't be embarrassed honey," Jennifer intervened, giggling. "I know what it's like to be young and in love."

Brian interlaced his fingers with Justin's, rolling in his lips as he added, "Yes, Justin. Moreover, that's nothing compared to last night."

"I don't want to know!" Molly exclaimed, tugging at her mother's hand to escape Justin and Brian. Jennifer laughed but followed her daughter, leaving the two men on their own.

"Awesome job, Brian," Justin muttered as they ended up alone in the reception area. He couldn't prevent himself from enjoying Brian's playful behavior, but he didn't want the man to know how much his actions were affecting him. He preferred to feign annoyance.

"Come on, it's all in fun! Stop being a drama princess," Brian retorted.

"Well, could you refrain? That was uncalled for!" Justin scowled.

Brian stared at Justin, an indecipherable mask in place. "You mean, you don't like kissing me anymore? That's really funny because I distinctly recall that it was you who attacked me last night. I can assure you, you couldn't get enough," he pointed out, one eyebrow raised sardonically.

Justin remained silent after Brian's diatribe, averting his gaze. Brian stared at him for a few more seconds and sighed, deciding to drop the subject for now. Instead, he guided Justin to the beach, where the ceremony was about to take place.

In front of the seats, a gazebo had been erected, with soft white voile fabric undulating in the breeze. Strings of lights decorated the canopy and helped secure the drapes. Flowers adorned the columns, their scent drifting on the breeze and mingling with the ozone from the ocean.  

Usually, Brian would have commented on how lame it was and how much he hated those stupid, hetero attempts to play happy couple until death do us part, but right now, he couldn't. Sure, he wanted to gag at such a display of romanticism, but he was here for Justin, so he refrained. When he spotted two free chairs in the front row, he walked over there with Justin, knowing that spot would provide the best opportunity for the blond to distinguish anything during the ceremony.

Sadly, as soon as they took their seats, the cad from the night before arrived and claimed the chair next to Brian.

"Hello there! We meet again!" Stephen smiled cunningly.

Brian didn't even acknowledge him, turning toward Justin and describing the decorations and the layout. Five minutes later, Dorian arrived and Brian couldn't hold back an amused comment, "Your cousin looks like he is going to puke any moment now."

Justin chuckled. "Has Mary arrived yet?"

"No," Brian informed him before checking again. "Correction. Here she comes," he announced.

"What's she wearing?" Justin questioned, needing Brian to help him imagine the scene.

"A simple, frilly white dress and Roman-style sandals," Brian described. "I guess heels are overrated in the sand. She has a pretty white flower in her hair, which is gathered in a loose bun. She and her dad have nearly reached Dorian."

"How does Dorian look now?" Justin inquired.

Brian peered at Justin, then back at the scene in front of them. "He's... nervous. He's getting married after all. He should be," Brian joked, "Actually, he looks like he is going to shit his pants. But hey, Mary's father looks like Schwarzenegger with a mustache."

Justin giggled, shifting closer to Brian, and Brian rubbed his hand with his thumb as the ceremony began.

"We are gathered here today to celebrate the holy union of Mary Anderson and Dorian Parson..."

Brian tuned out the minister, focusing on his companion, who seemed to relish every word spoken. The smile on Justin's face was brighter than ever.

As Dorian and Mary made their vows, Justin rested his head on Brian's shoulder, surprising the brunet.

"Okay?" Brian asked softly, squeezing Justin's hand, wondering why Justin seemed overwhelmed all of a sudden.

"This is absolutely beautiful," Justin shared before playfully disclosing, "I'm no longer mad at Dorian for stealing my idea of a dreamy wedding on the beach."

Brian snorted. "You want to get married on the beach?"

"I've always dreamed of a small, cozy wedding on the beach, ever since I was, like, four years old. I'm just happy that this dream came true for him. And you know, considering I'm gay and that marriage is not even legal for us, it's not like I could actually get married anyway."

Brian sighed but didn't comment. Even if he hated the notion of marriage, he hated Justin's conviction that he couldn't get married even more. Why, because some stupid politicians thought queers didn't deserve the same rights as straight people? So what if it wasn't fucking legal? If Justin found the right man, he should marry him. Lindsay and Melanie had exchanged their vows a few months earlier, and even though Brian hadn't been there and despised everything that marriage represented, he supported their choice to say fuck you to the bigoted society they all lived in.

Yes. Justin should be able to have his dream marriage on the beach.

Shaking his head, Brian realized that the minister was about to finish the ceremony, and he instinctively pulled Justin closer.

A bright smile appeared on Justin's face as the minister declared Dorian and Mary husband and wife. When the gathering erupted in loud applause, Justin asked curiously, "What are Dorian and Mary doing?"

Brian couldn't help himself. He raised his hand to caress Justin's face and placed his palm on his cheek, causing his companion to gaze up at him. He paused, and when he felt no resistance from Justin, he leaned closer, his hand moving down to grab the blond's chin. His lips touched Justin's, their taste as well as the small, startled sound the blond made becoming so addictive. Justin started to kiss him back, apparently feeling the same electric spark as Brian, but he suddenly pulled back as if he'd done something wrong.

"What was that?" Justin whispered, once he had recovered sufficiently to form a coherent sentence.

"Just a demonstration. You asked what your cousin and his wife were doing, remember?" Brian teased, brushing his lips across the blond's temple, feeling a shiver course through Justin's body as a result. "Come on," he drawled. "Let's congratulate the happy couple!"

Justin smiled bashfully in response, and Brian helped him stand up before leading him to greet Dorian and Mary.

"Justin!" Dorian exclaimed as he saw them approaching. He took his cousin into a tight hug, clapping him on the back, before stating happily as he released him, "I'm married, man!"

"Congratulations, Dorian! Mary..." Justin smiled, turning to hug her briefly. Brian witnessed the whole scene, satisfied that Justin seemed more at ease with the touching than before. Reassured, he offered the customary words to Dorian, but before he could move to do the same with Mary, Dorian grabbed his arm.

"You make Justin happy, Brian. It's so obvious he is completely in love with you," Dorian stated sincerely. "Don't hurt him, okay? He's been through enough shit to last a lifetime."

"I won't," Brian responded softly, but he felt his throat close up at Dorian's words. What did he mean by saying Justin was in love with him? Justin couldn't be in love with him. It was supposed to be a prank, with benefits. Surely Dorian was mistaken, right?

Peering at Justin, who was laughing with his mother a few feet away - Jennifer must have joined them while Brian was talking with Dorian - Brian felt that foreign sensation again. At that moment, he wondered for the first time since he'd met Justin Taylor if accompanying him wasn't a huge mistake. Their relationship was supposed to be a farce, with Brian just doing a job.

So why did he feel overwhelming uneasiness now?

"Brian?" A man's voice interrupted his thoughts. Turning around, he noticed Stephen standing nearby, an inviting look on his face. The man nodded imperceptibly towards the restrooms, which were situated not far from the beach.

Brian blinked and looked over at his client to make sure he wasn't alone before walking over to Stephen.