“Having second thoughts?” Landon shot back, an exchange they had had many times over the last week.
“Absolutely not. Not ever.” Robert’s words held strength, and the tears cleared as he nodded his affirmation.
“Me neither.” He said those words with such force and certainty that laughter from their families reminded him they weren’t alone. Like normal, Robert wrecked Landon’s concentration. He’d momentarily forgotten they had an audience. He glanced toward the pastor who smiled indulgently. “We’re ready.”
“Good.” The pastor slid a finger over the pad in his hand as Landon squared his shoulders, standing to his full height, and turned back to Robert. Robert’s bright smile made his confidence bloom. Everything right in his world was staring back at him.
Chapter 30
After pushing the top floor button on the elevator board, Robert turned back to his new husband who stood with his butt against the back wall, looking disgruntled as hell. For their plane ride to Minnesota, Landon had allowed Robert to pick his travel attire. Robert had chosen black jeans that clung to Landon’s body in all the right places, a tight-fitting sheer dark T-shirt, black boots, and a black leather jacket. Landon looked gorgeous in his dark good looks.
Robert found he had a new attitude—his lighthearted teasing was all because their signatures sat side by side at the bottom of their wedding license. He should investigate becoming a paid negotiator, because somehow, he’d managed to talk his husband into marrying him. Now Landon was obligated to legally stand by Robert’s side no matter the pursed lips and narrowed brows staring back at him right now.
“It’s our wedding day. Stop trying to count every penny I’ve spent.”
Landon arched an eyebrow as Robert slid between his parted thighs. Robert counted it a win when Landon placed both palms on Robert’s hips, drawing him closer. He tilted his head back to look Robert in his eyes, a move Robert loved. Even with the frustration on Landon’s face, Robert bent in to place a chaste kiss on those pouty, upturned lips.
“I like the sound of ‘we’re married,’ and ‘you’re my husband’. Thank you for marrying me and making all my dreams come true,” Robert said and leaned in again. This time, Landon rested a firm hand on his chest, keeping him at a distance.
At the same time, Landon said, “Why do I feel like this elevator is going to open into your apartment?”
“It’s not an apartment,” Robert countered, looking back over his shoulder as the doors slid apart to the entry of the penthouse Robert had purchased almost a year ago, right before he’d gone back to DC to woo Landon into his life. The lights were on, soft music played throughout the house, and even from inside the elevator, Robert could see one of the many floral arrangements he’d requested from the building’s concierge. If they’d followed all his directions, there should be a light dinner warming in the oven with ice-filled buckets chilling champagne, wine, and Landon’s choice of IPA.
“Come see,” Robert said excitedly, taking Landon’s hand and stepping out from between his parted legs. He tried to tug Landon with him as he stepped off, but Landon’s superior strength kept him in place, their hand hold breaking apart instead. Robert stood about a foot from the open doors, putting his hands at his waist. “The elevator doesn’t close and descend automatically. You can’t escape.”
Landon still didn’t move.
“They can’t bring our luggage up until I send the elevator back down.”
Landon crossed his beefy arms, drawing a line in the sand. Robert just shook his head. He was starving. The brief lunch they had shared at his grandmother’s house had held little interest for him with his husband sitting next to him. Now, at eight thirty in the evening, he was hungry and needed sustenance to help get him through the next several hours of the sexual quest he’d planned for their wedding night.
Reasonably sure Landon couldn’t figure out how to work the elevator to leave, Robert headed for the kitchen. A trip he had only taken a few times when he had stayed there when Kylie had been born. After a couple of wrong turns, he found his way to the right room.
The property management hadn’t skimped on his requests. The dinner looked enough to feed a party of eight. Robert took a few bites of the veggie fajitas before pouring himself a glass of wine and grabbing Landon a beer. He headed back to the elevator.
“It’s my wedding night and my new husband won’t leave the—” The sight of Landon off the elevator and shrugging out of his jacket froze Robert’s words as he rounded the corner. Landon’s enormous biceps flexed as he crossed his arms again. “That’s a start, but you can see our place better if you come more fully inside.”
“It’s the whole floor?” Landon’s dark brow lifted again.
“No. Just half. It’s got an incredible view of downtown Minneapolis.” Robert handed him the beer, and of course, he didn’t readily accept it. “You can’t be mad at me tonight. It’s our wedding night.”
“You’ve been hiding this from me.” The tone of the grumble closely resembled the frustrating boom Tony might give his grandchildren.
“Not hiding, just omitting, so I’ll go ahead and throw in the Audi R8 Coupe. Which was a purchase I made to make myself feel better because I thought you didn’t want me.” Robert left the beer bottle perched precariously on Landon’s crossed arms before going to the elevator and sending it back downstairs to have their luggage brought up. “You know, you’re a reverse snob. I think we’re going to have to get you some therapy to help you get past your hang-ups.”
“I haven’t known you a full year—” Landon started his terrible line of thinking, and Robert came back to
