Heero's POV
The Wedding Planner Part 29
Having Your Cake
My faith in Duo was renewed when I saw him pointedly remove Milliardo's hand from his knee. I'd been thinking of him as a naïve, vulnerable young man being preyed upon by my future brother-in-law. But it was clear from the wry comments he'd made, and the little gestures he fended off, that he knew the game his blind date was playing.
Of course that led me to recall his comment about making his share of stupid mistakes under the influence of alcohol, and I wondered how many times he'd played the same game. It wasn't something I'd thought to ask during our casual outings. Frankly, I didn't feel it was any of my business. But at the same time, I couldn't help wondering.
And almost as if picking up on my train of thought, Duo looked over at me with a reassuring smile, silently telling me he could take care of himself. I had to fight the urge to tell him I didn't want him to. I wanted to take care of him. I wanted to grab Relena's suave, sophisticated, oversexed brother and shove him out the door of the moving limo.
Oh, God--why did I feel so possessive of a man I knew I couldn't have? And why was I suddenly sure I wanted him? I leaned back in the seat, closing my eyes and turning my head away, so I wouldn't stare at Duo and his "date."
"Are you still tired?" Relena said with an exasperated tone in her voice. "For Heaven's sake, Heero...you should keep more sensible hours. Where were you last night that you couldn't get here until almost eleven?"
"I told you," I muttered. "'Fei and I had karate. Then I got some take-out for dinner. When you called, I was just finishing eating."
"Well you should have stopped at Terrazzi's and gotten something decent to eat. You could have brought it to the estate, and we could have had a nice, quiet, intimate dinner."
I did have a nice, quiet, intimate dinner...with Duo at the beach. And who knows? It might have gotten a little more intimate if not for Relena's intrusive phone call. That thought did not endear her to me. "By the time I got it there, it would have been cold, and you'd have complained about that," I muttered sullenly, still fixated on the "what might have been" aspect of the previous night.
"You make me sound so unreasonable!" she retorted, scowling at me.
Milliardo, for all his flaws, most of which, in my estimation, centered around his loose morals and sexual appetite, and the fact that he kept trying to put a hand on Duo's knee, had the redeeming quality of loving to harass his sister.
"'Lena," he teased, "you are unreasonable. It's part of your nature, as is the case with most women. See why I prefer men?"
Yes, lots and lots of them, I wanted to say out loud.
She glared back at him. "Well that's a fine way to thank me for introducing you to Duo."
"Actually, it was Walter who introduced us," Duo pointed out, giving her a cheeky little smile.
The insistent teasing finally made Relena loosen up a bit, and fall into the mood of the friendly banter. "So I get no gratitude at all?" she lamented, tossing her head defiantly.
Well, shit...none from me! That was for sure.
"On the contrary, sis," her brother continued. "I'll have my finest bottle of sherry sent over to you as soon as I get home."
"Aw, because of me?" Duo smirked.
He glanced at me and I scowled back, resenting the fact that he was starting to relax and act like himself around Milliardo. I wanted him to stay aloof and on guard, the way he'd started out. I didn't want him to enjoy Mill's company, any more than I wanted Mill to enjoy his. And I had a feeling it was only going to get worse as the day wore on.
~*~
Sure enough, I had to watch all morning as Milliardo doted upon Duo, flirting, teasing, and making sure to touch him every chance he got, every place he could. Duo was, for his part, being polite, charming, and gracious. And I found myself gritting my teeth so hard it was a wonder I didn't crack the enamel.
Relena was completely out of line trying to play matchmaker with her hapless wedding planner. Even if I hadn't begun to realize I felt something for him, I'd have been appalled that she dared presume to try to fix him up.
But watching Milliardo put his hand on Duo's arm to usher him in the door of each quaint bakery we entered, and seeing him lean in so close to whisper private comments that the small loose hairs of Duo's braid moved with his breath, was driving me absolutely crazy with envy. I'd have given my eye teeth to be able to place a possessive arm across Duo's back the way my future brother-in-law dared. I fucking hated him!
We were at about our third stop, when yet another man approached my gorgeous wedding planner.
As we walked in, a good-looking guy wearing a white chef's apron came around the counter to throw his arms around Duo's neck. "Maxwell! Mon ami!" The French baker pushed Duo to arm's length, and then gave him a peck on each cheek. "You look divine!"
Duo grinned back at him. "Aw, you too, Jacques." He poked teasingly at the man's flat stomach. "And still so skinny, for a pastry chef!"
Jacques, who wasn't much older than we were, rubbed at his stomach. "Must keep the appearance, non?" He winked suggestively. "You interested in poor Jacques yet?"
Duo sighed dramatically. "You know your cooking would be my downfall, love. I never could resist sweets." He gave a sly smirk. "You do want me to keep my slim good looks, right?"
Jacques laughed, apparently taking the joking rejection in stride. I got the feeling he'd heard it more than once already. "For now...for now." He threw an arm around Duo's shoulders, steering him towards the glass display case, and away from Milliardo, who gave Relena and me a raised eyebrow, clearly a little nonplussed by the boisterous reception Duo had received.
I resisted the impulse to stick my tongue out at him...but only because my delight at seeing Duo ushered away from him warred with my jealousy over Jacques' intimacy with the long-haired man.
Meanwhile, Jacques had paused by the display, releasing Duo, and glancing back as if just noticing the rest of us. "Oh, but look at what you brought with you, Duo! Not one, but two gorgeous men." He held out both arms in a wide gesture.
Duo chuckled at that. "Sorry, Jacques, but Heero there is the groom," he said, nodding towards me. "Totally off limits, you letch."
"And the blonde?" asked Jacques in a stage whisper.
"Taken," Milliardo said quickly, stepping up beside Duo, and putting a possessive hand on his arm. "Or at least completely captivated."
The fucking asshole! I wanted to rip that hand off and cram it in Mill's ear. He was completely out of line, and I was certain Duo was just too polite to say so.
But our good-looking wedding planner merely blushed at the flirtatious comment, turning his attention to one of the elaborate cakes in the display. "Relena? No single cake will be large enough for all your guests...so you can pick the size and style you like best, and there'll be extra layers in the kitchen for when it comes time to serve it."
"Wonderful!" she cooed, grabbing hold of the arm Milliardo wasn't fondling, and looking up at Duo with a delighted smile.
"Heero?" Duo looked over his shoulder at me. "You promised your opinion as well. See anything you like?"
Fuck yes! I saw a chestnut braid falling across a slender back and shapely ass that I wanted to touch more than anything in the world right then. "Uh--they all look alike to me," I croaked out in a too-strained voice.
He merely smirked teasingly. "Then I guess we'll just have to taste 'em, won't we?"
The next thing I knew, we were at a little buffet table, and Jacques was setting out plates with small wedges of cake on them. He was expounding on the virtues of each flavor and variety...some with filling, some without, with glaze or frosting, mixed flavors or single. And Duo had drifted away from Millardo and was cutting tiny slivers of each wedge, and urging me to try them.
"C'mon, 'Ro," he coaxed. "You promised!"
I had, but I'd have happily done it anyway, just to have Duo's attention focused on me, instead of Milliardo. Feigning a grudging attitude, I sidled up next to the object of my desire.
We must have gone through about ten different types of cake. Not that I lost count, but I was so busy enjoying the way Duo closed his eyes and chewed thoughtfully on each piece that I lost track of the cake altogether.
God, the man could even make eating cake into an erotic experience. And I had to pull my thoughts away from that idea before they produced a reaction that my silk slacks wouldn't be able to hide.
I was distracted from my dangerous train of thought, when Duo held out a sliver of moist yellow cake. "This one's gonna impress ya for sure," he said with certainty.
I reached for the cake, and Duo shook his head. "Uh-uh. You've got to do this right. Close your eyes and open your mouth."
"What?"
"Do it," he said firmly.
"That's silly--"
"C'mon, 'Ro. Humor me. This is the way to taste cake."
I glanced over to Relena, who was happily nibbling on a sliver of a white confection, her eyes closed in bliss. "Fine." I obediently closed my eyes, and opened my mouth, and then a chunk of the yellow cake was deftly deposited.
"Keep 'em closed while you taste it," Duo said quietly, the husky nearness of his voice sending chills down my spine.
I nodded, and did exactly what he told me to. Shit, I'd have done damn near anything he told me to do right at that point. It was the first time that day I'd been able to forget Milliardo's intrusive presence in our little group. I swallowed and smiled. "That is good," I told Duo, opening my eyes to see his indigo ones just a little closer than I expected.
And I happened to glance down at his lips, where there was just the tiniest crumb of cake lingering. I actually thought of licking it off, before my brain kicked into gear and reminded me Relena was all of five feet away. So I settled for reaching up to brush the offending crumb away.
Duo flinched at the touch, and then smiled sheepishly. "I always was a messy eater," he confessed. "Remember the whipped cream?"
God, yes! How could I forget our first visit to Howard's? And if I'd been more in tune with my feelings that first time we went for ice cream, I'd have kissed that fucking whipped cream off the end of his nose instead of just handing him a napkin. Talk about your missed opportunities in life!
Duo started to turn away, but I caught his arm. "Your turn," I said firmly, picking up the other slice of yellow cake.
"But I already tried it."
"Tough. I trusted you not to smother me with cake. Now you have to trust me."
He hesitated, and then a mischievous gleam entered his eyes. "Okay, 'Ro. Want me to close my eyes?"
Never. Just keep staring at me with them. "It's up to you."
So he kept his eyes open, while I deftly stuffed a piece of the delicious yellow cake into that open mouth, trying not to focus on the parted lips or other thoughts of what that mouth might be able to do. And I thanked God he hadn't let Milliardo feed him cake, because it was way too enjoyable a pastime for my playboy of a brother-in-law to deserve.
And just as I was thinking that, Duo's lips closed, just barely catching the end of my finger in their soft grip. Gods! When Duo's lips brushed my finger, and just the faintest swipe of a tongue went across the tip, I thought I'd die. A shiver ran through my entire body, and I felt a stirring in my groin that was completely improper, not to mention embarrassing as hell. If Duo had glanced down, there was no way he could have missed my uncontrollable reaction to the erotic touch of his tongue on my fingertip. Fortunately, his eyes were locked on mine, a teasing gleam in their depths.
Then he pulled back, and suddenly those indigo eyes didn't look nearly as cocky. There was a definite question glimmering in them. He opened his mouth as if to speak, but then turned away quickly, breaking the spell, and picked up a napkin, pressing it into my hand before he walked briskly over to the next cake sample.
He cleared his throat rather gruffly. "Milliardo--how d'you feel about strawberry?" he asked, picking up the serving utensil and cutting a sliver of the pink confection.
My tall, blonde brother-in-law-to-be leaned in close to murmur a reply too quiet for me to hear, and I felt a rush of irritation. Damn him anyway! Duo was mine!
Shit...where did that thought come from? Duo wasn't mine...couldn't be mine. But I sure as hell didn't want him to be Milliardo's.
Relena was nibbling on a piece of too-sweet angel food cake, when she saw Milliardo reach up and brush a stray lock of hair out of Duo's face. "Oh, look!" she whispered in my ear. "They're getting along great!"
"Your brother is pawing him," I growled back in an undertone.
"Uh-uh," she argued, pouting at me. "They're exchanging sweet little affectionate gestures. Besides," she added, lowering her voice even more. "Duo's from L2."
I turned and stared at her blankly. "So?"
"Well, he's probably used to it. They don't exactly preach morals on that colony. If I'd known about it before, I don't think I'd have said anything to Mill anyway..."
I grabbed Relena's arm, and pulled her bodily aside, making sure we moved well out of Duo's earshot. "Relena Peacecraft, if you ever again suggest that Duo's not good enough for your letch of a brother, just because he's from L2--!"
"Mill is not a letch!" she hissed in response.
"For fuck's sake, we are not going to debate that again!" I snarled. "The point is, you didn't have a problem throwing them together based on Duo's looks and sexual preferences. Only when he mentioned his home colony did you suddenly have doubts."
"And why wouldn't I?" she demanded with a scowl. "You know what they say about L2. I can only hope Duo has managed to overcome his horrid origins."
Looking at my fiancée's clueless face, I suddenly felt sick to my stomach. She honestly didn't understand how wrong it was for her to support such a prejudiced opinion of an entire colony. I suddenly saw why Wufei had assumed she'd fire Duo just for being from L2. "I think I need to puke," I said flatly, turning away from her.
Duo apparently overheard my last comment, and turned, giving me a sympathetic look. "Too many sweets, 'Ro?" he asked teasingly. "C'mon...I'll have Jacques get you some milk. It helps. Honest."
I eagerly followed him, glad to momentarily remove him from Milliardo's slimy clutches, and myself from Relena's prejudices. We went into the kitchen, but Jacques was busy icing an extremely elaborate-looking cake, so Duo led me over to the refrigerator. He poured a glass of milk from a frosty pitcher. "Here. It doesn't take the place of real food. But it sure helps with sugar overload."
I drank a few sips, giving him a grateful smile. "Thanks."
"No problem. I should've remembered you aren't used to a lot of sweets."
I let him believe that, rather than admitting it was Relena's snobbish attitude that made me feel sick. I mean, shit. He was beautiful, inside and out. I couldn't imagine it mattering where he came from when he was such a vibrant, fascinating individual.
On the heels of that thought, came an overwhelming desire to protect him from Relena's brother, and anything else associated with her. "Listen, Duo. You've got to know about Milliardo," I said quickly, wanting to warn him about the handsome man's philandering ways.
He looked questioningly at me, and of course Relena came trotting in just in time to interrupt. "There you are!" she cooed, grabbing Duo's arm. "Milliardo was missing you." She leaned in close. "I think he's really quite taken with you, Duo. I just knew he would be!"
He gave me a look over his shoulder, apparently wondering what I'd tried to tell him about Milliardo, but there was nothing left to do except follow along as Relena dragged him back out to throw him to the suave piranha.
We finished our cake sampling by mid afternoon, and Pargan drove us back to the estate. Once again, Milliardo seemed to monopolize Duo's time, which I thought was singularly rude, considering he was supposed to be working. After all, he was our wedding planner--not Mill's latest conquest--yet. But I had no idea how to make sure he never became one, short of starting a fistfight with my future brother-in-law, which didn't seem like a viable option just yet.
TBC...
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