Shameless

In times of weakness

"For whom is the silver medal set?"

As Faustino grinned and put his strong hand on Cristian's shoulder, he could only hear Ashly and Lizella in the dining room across the hall. Cristian would be delighted to name him his father-in-law. He secretly hoped that today had been the wedding instead of the engagement party. He and Ashly would get married at this point. Calling each other wife and husband. We will be together forever.

The two will become one.

He felt compelled to marry. He craved that tie, that connection with Ashly. Every second of every day, the ring on his finger reminded him how much he loved her and desired to be with her. Only she—and no one else.

"I simply wanted you to know, Cristian," Faustino said as he affectionately squeezed his shoulder. "I believe you are a nice man. And I don't think Ashly could have chosen a better decision if she had scoured the entire world." His hand pulled away from me. "She is an extremely fortunate woman."

Cristian forced a faint smile, attempting to be genuine. "I consider myself to be a lucky man." Even though his grin wasn't genuine, his words were. He was a fortunate man. Ashly Penelope was a lovely lady. She had fascinated him from the first time they met. He'd gone head over heels for her almost immediately. I had a feeling she was the one. So, what is the problem now? Why had everything appeared to shift in an instant?

"Am I running late?"

Cristian's heart stopped abruptly, as though it had hit a stone wall. Isaac's voice pricked his ears and impaled his mind. Isaac, according to Ashly, had left.

Faustino's face lit up with a brilliant grin. "You're right on time, son." Cristian made no move to turn around. He couldn't bring himself to stare into Isaac's penetrating, violet eyes, which seemed to rip apart his soul and scatter his crimes for all to see.

He didn't want to look at Isaac, but Faustino's arm slid over his shoulder, softly gripped him, and turned him against his will. "At the party, you met my future son-to-be." Faustino addressed his son.

Cristian carefully averted Isaac's look, unable to respond as the events of the cellar rushed through his mind in vivid detail. When recent memories caused his crotch to quiver and throb gently, he felt a wave of dread and loathing wash over him.

"Yes," Isaac remarked, then extended his hand to Cristian once again. "Was it not Cristian? Cristian Lloyd Goodson? "

Cristian was irritated by his casual tone of speaking. The jerk was going to stand there and pretend as if he hadn't driven Cristian to the brink of hell and left him there, the heat scorching his skin till it burned. Cristian had to fight the temptation to attack him rather than shake his hand. Still, his hand was offered, and Cristian had no option but to receive it without being impolite.

As he stroked his palm across Isaac's flesh, the heat from the other man's skin ignited his senses. An uncontrollable shiver ran through him, and he was convinced Isaac felt it through their joined hands.

"Nice to see you again, Cristian.

Isaac whispered quietly, his voice as enticing as it had been the first time he talked to Cristian.

Cristian just allowed his attention to rising to the man's throat. "You, too," he said, his gaze fixed on the man's neck and collar bone. His suit shirt's top few buttons were undone, and his necktie was undone and hanging loose around his neck. The small bulge of his peck muscles strained against the white cloth, revealing his tough body beneath.

Cristian noticed he was holding Isaac's hand too tightly when an uneven breath lodged in his throat. When Isaac's fingers tightened slightly, keeping him in place, he instantly released them and began to move back. Cristian's gaze was drawn unintentionally to Isaac's face, and he was trapped in the snare of the man's focused look. Cristian could only stand and look at the man, transfixed, like a deer caught in the headlights of an oncoming truck. His heartbeat against his ribs and breathing became an exercise of will.

"Welcome to the clan." Isaac grinned, his penetrating gaze pinning Cristian down. "We're delighted..." His glance darted down Cristian's body and back again. "... Have you."

Cristian's jaw tightened as he yanked against Isaac's grasp. What on earth was he attempting to prove? Cristian was irritated by whatever he was doing. His eyes tightened and his face tense. Isaac was freed with a slight, imperceptible twitch of his hand.

Faustino was clueless about the two young men's quiet discussion. He gave Cristian a fatherly pat on the back. "This guy, Cristian, is an artist. Did he say that to you? "

The side of Isaac's mouth twisted and tugged, drawing Cristian's gaze to the man's lips like a flint to a strong magnet.

"No," Isaac muttered something. "No, he didn't."

Cristian saw the corner of his lips extending a bit farther. The sensation in his groin started to burn a little.

Please kiss me already.

He had pleaded with the man to kiss him. It couldn't be undone. Isaac would always have that advantage over him. Why had he pleaded with him? He didn't want to kiss a man. He didn't want it any longer. He couldn't possibly desire it.

"Perhaps we should hook up."

Cristian almost gasped as Isaac's comments jolted him out of his reverie. Cristian's brow furrowed slightly as he realized Isaac was gazing at him so intently that he was certain he could hear his thoughts clearly. Isaac grinned as a flush suffused his cheeks.

 “Excuse me?”

Faustino laughed. "Isaac is the owner of an art gallery in upstate New York."

"I'd be happy to check your work at some point." Isaac's lips twitched with that detested hidden grin, since now... there was a certain secret between them.

Cristian gulped hard and shook his head. "Thank you, but no." He murmured something. "It isn't that great. It's simply a pastime. I'm not seeking to sell anything. "

"Don't be duped by him." Faustino's fingers tightened around Cristian's shoulder, surprising him. "He does stunning stuff. He's only trying to be modest."

Modest. Cristian was the farthest thing from modesty right now.

 "Don't be duped by him." Faustino's fingers tightened around Cristian's shoulder, surprising him. "He does stunning stuff. He's only trying to be modest."

Modest. Cristian was the farthest thing from modesty right now. "I'm certain he is." Isaac grinned and carefully observed Cristian until it appeared like every nerve in his body emerged and sizzled his skin. That strange, unwanted tickling in his gut returned, and he had to physically restrain himself from shivering.

Faustino was speaking to Isaac about Cristian's talent, but the ring in his ears distorted his words. A chill grabbed him, and he longed to pull the neck of his dress shirt open. But he merely stayed still alongside Faustino, as if Isaac wasn't having a negative impact on him.

"Will your parents be present at the wedding?"

It took a few moments for the words to reach Cristian or for him to understand that Isaac was speaking to him. Isaac locked his gaze on him, a hidden sparkle in his transfixing eyes.

"Uh... yes." Cristian swallowed and forced himself to turn away from Isaac's face. It bothered him how hard it was to take his attention away from the man.

"I was shocked they didn't show up for the engagement party," Isaac stated.

 "They cannot make it." Cristian worked hard to maintain his voice steady and smooth. Not letting the man know what he was doing to him. But the twinkle in Isaac's eyes indicated that he was fully aware of his impact on Cristian.

How could he not have known? Dumber ass, you begged the dude to kiss you! You may be deceiving everyone else, but you are not deceiving him. And now you're screwed since he's got your phone number!

"My father." Cristian proceeded, a little hurriedly, he realized. "He was on business. He was unable to leave. "

Isaac gave a small nod of his head, and his gaze fell too readily on Cristian's face. "I do understand well that they support your impending...union?" Cristian's body shivered as a faint giggle from his lips. "Of course they support it. Who couldn't fall in love with Ashly?"

Cristian was taken aback by Isaac's honesty. There was no sarcasm where he had anticipated to find it.

"Uh…yes," Cristian murmured something. "They are clearly in favor."

"Have you had the opportunity to meet them?" Faustino was the subject of Isaac's query.

Faustino grinned and nodded. "Of course, a couple of times." He stated. "Wonderful people."

Wonderful folks. Cristian was at least half confident Faustino was simply doing it for his sake, and because the guy was kind and sought to see the best in people. However, Cristian would not characterize his parents as wonderful. Norman and Teressa Goodman were hardly the easiest parents with whom to grow up. They weren't the kind of people a befuddled adolescent would go to with his...issue. They were completely unaware of what was going on. Nobody did.

Isaac's gaze was heavy, but he hesitated to look at the man in the eyes.

Almost nobody.

"Well, it appears like we'll all be one big happy family." When Ashly's low voice changed across the hall, Isaac's smile faded immediately.

"Why is he here, Mom?" I didn't want him to be here. It's supposed to be my day today. "

Isaac gazed at the ground and massaged his lips with his palm.

Cristian felt a glimmer of pity, which he immediately suppressed. The last thing he needed was to pity the man. Isaac was the sort to take advantage of such a situation.

Isaac turned to face his father. "I'm free. It's not an issue. Ashly is correct, this is her day. And she doesn't want me to be here... I don't want to sabotage it for her."

"You are not obliged to go." Thus, according to Faustino, "I'll give it to Ashly."

"No." Isaac made a shaky motion with his head. "Don't worry, dad." However, Faustino had already exited the room.