by Darien Cox
“We don’t have to talk about this now, Zach. It’s not exactly the right setting.”
“I know, and the last thing I want to do is ruin the mood. But I have to say this. Corey doesn’t know me anymore. Not who I am now. So I hope whatever he said to you, you didn’t take to heart. How badly did he assassinate my character?”
“I’m here with you, aren’t I? I’m judging things with my own mind, and that’s what I told him.”
I bit my lip and stared down at the table.
“Shit,” Duncan said. “This is what I didn’t want to happen. Are you upset?”
I met his gaze. “Can I be honest?”
“Absolutely.”
“I don’t date much. I haven’t in so long. I’m excited about you. I’m growing fonder of you. And I don’t want anything to interfere. So if there’s a splinter between us, we need to dig it out. Or it’ll just keep rubbing itself deeper.”
He reached over and touched my face. “All right.” He looked moved, his eyes flicking to my lips briefly. “I’m also growing fonder of you. I wouldn’t be here otherwise.”
I took his hand in mind. “Then let’s get this over with so we can move on to the making out in the house part.”
Duncan’s head fell forward as he laughed. “Agreed.”
“All right, then. Tell me what happened.”
Duncan linked his fingers on the table and sighed. “Corey felt very betrayed.”
“Shit. By you or me or both?”
“Both, but if I had to guess, I’d say you, mostly. At first. But he’d made all sorts of inaccurate assumptions.”
“Yeah. He does that.”
Duncan huffed, then nodded. “Corey assumed I was an unwilling pawn in your diabolical seduction game. I tried not to be insulted that he assumed I’m so easily manipulated.” He winked at me. “Or that I couldn’t win your affection on my own steam. Though you are rather irresistible, so I’ll give him a pass.”
“People resist me just fine, I assure you. How did you respond to him?”
“I set him straight on that. I asked him to trust my judgement, and I assured him that you didn’t throw yourself at me. I told him I was the one who initiated it, and that you were the one advising caution.”
Relief. I supposed that was true in a way, aside from me asking him to kiss me in the bathroom. But I was tired of being perceived as the resident psycho. “What did he say to that?”
“He was surprised. Said he understood, but that it still hurt because...” Duncan glanced at me, hesitating.
“What, Duncan? What is it?”
“Corey said that despite all that had happened, you still have a big place in his heart, so this is tough for him to accept. Because it’s me, someone so close to him. He said it resurrected a lot of old emotions for him.”
I set my wine down. “I thought he hated me.”
Duncan shook his head. “Corey doesn’t hate you, he wants you to be happy. But he’s not dealing with the idea of me dating you very well at all. The gravity of his objection frankly surprised me. But I told him if he’d rather I didn’t see you anymore, I wouldn’t.”
I scowled, my chest aching. “Oh. Well, I get that I guess. He’s been in your life a lot longer than I have.”
“True, but…” Duncan shrugged. “I didn’t expect Corey to be so damn bothered by it, to be honest. As I told you before, I’d never even heard him mention your name until the night we met, and I reminded him of that. That’s when he reluctantly conceded. When I pointed out that I’d never heard a word from him about you, so how could I have known it would be a hot button issue? Why would I assume...no offense Zach…that you even mattered to him?”
“I’m impressed. It’s not easy to interject logic when he’s off on an emotional bender.”
Duncan laughed. “Not always, no. But as a sidebar, it seems your relationship and subsequent breakup with my nephew was far more intense than I realized. I know he’s had a lot of boyfriends. So in my own mind I assumed you were just one of many past flings.”
I squirmed in my seat, feeling awkward. “Yeah. It was pretty damn intense.”
“I um…” Duncan poked at a bread roll with his finger. “I didn’t know he’d been in love with you like that. So I admit, I had a bit of guilt when he told me. That’s why I said I’d break it off if he wanted. But it’s fine now. We talked it out.”
I nodded and blew a breath out. “It ended so abruptly, and Corey cut me off so completely that I guess I forgot he was hurting too. So he’s…okay with it now?”
Duncan nodded and sipped his wine. “I told him a few things. About you. How I viewed you. Conversations we’d had.”
“Would you care to share?”
“I told him how hesitant you were with me at first. How much you’ve been through, and how adamant you are that you need to be cautious and comfortable with your life choices. How you constantly police yourself.”
I felt my face flush. “You absorbed all that, huh?”
“I do pay attention when you speak.” He smiled. “Most of the time.”
“So how did the conversation end?”
“He calmed down. Softened some. Oh, and he mentioned your text. I believe he intends to apologize to you.”
My eyebrows rose. “Really.”
He grinned. “I know how to reason with my nephew, maybe better than anyone. I believe he’ll get used to the idea. Now let’s change the subject, yes?”
“Yes. Definitely.” I gave him a quick kiss. “Thank you.”
Duncan looked surprised by the thank you, but my heart was full that he’d not only defended me to Corey, but that he seemed to know my mind, and trust my sincerity.
The chef came over and we thanked him and the woman working alongside him. I asked him questions about some of his recipes, pleasantries were exchanged, then they left on the small boat tied to the dock. The boat we’d come in on was also gone, leaving us completely alone. I assumed we’d be retrieved tomorrow, but I didn’t care if we weren’t. I had no problem being stuck here on an island with Duncan. Now the awkward Corey discussion was over, I was free to enjoy this amazing date.
“Come on.” Duncan stood. “I’ll show you the cottage.”
I got up and followed him across the sandy beach to the stairs. “Do you own this place?”
“No, it’s a rental.”
“But you’ve been here before I bet.”
He opened the door. “I have.”
“Is this your exotic slut pad?”
He shot me a smirk. “One of them.”
And just like that, my old friend jealousy showed up to crash the party. Okay, so I wasn’t perfect yet. But then Duncan could have spared my feelings and lied about that.
I followed him into a neat, cozy room with wooden beams across the ceiling and unique beach house smell. We passed a cute kitchen, then moved down the hall, and he led me into a bedroom and flicked on a lamp. The room was decorated in navy blue and white with paintings of anchors and other nautical décor. There was a big bed and a hot tub in the corner. Our bags rested against the wall. “Hot tub,” Duncan said. “For if we get cold after skinny dipping in the ocean.”
I laughed. “We’re going skinny dipping?”
“At some point, obviously.”
“Obviously.” I eased him against the wall next to the bed. Duncan’s lips parted and I could see in his eyes that he liked what I was doing. “Do you know I think about you all time?” I asked softly, my fingers tangling in his hair as I nuzzled his neck. “Do you know that?”
“You do?”
“All the fucking time, Duncan. And I don’t even jerk off because I want to save it all for you.”
I had him pinned so tight I could feel his cock swell down below, and a breath hissed out of him. Okay. I’d revealed myself a little with my words, and he hadn’t recoiled. If anything, it seemed to be turning him on.
His hands slipped around and squeezed my ass as I kissed his neck and behind his ear, relishing the
taste and smell of him. “Is that true?” he asked. “That you’ve been saving yourself for me?”
“It’s true.” I maneuvered him to the bed, getting him on his back and climbing on top. I straddled him, working the buttons on his shirt. I got his shirt open and smoothed my palms over his bare chest. “You want more truth, or have I gone too far?”
He nodded, lids heavy as he quickly unbuttoned my shirt. “Yes. More truth and fewer clothes.”
I shrugged my shirt off, and he did the same with his. Then I let my hands trail down his belly and started undoing his pants. “I hate the idea of anyone else touching you,” I said.
He’d been stroking his fingers down my belly when his hands paused. He shivered and took a deep inhale. “You do?”
“I do.” I got his pants open and stroked the bulge in his briefs with my palm.
Duncan’s lips curved as he sat up with me on his lap. “Aren’t you full of surprises,” he said, tracing my lips with his finger.
I reached into his briefs and found him hard and thick. “And what is so surprising?”
“About you?” His hips flexed and his cock thrust up into my hand as his eyes locked on mine. “Everything.”
I used one hand to push him onto his back again. Then I slid down his body, kissing along his warm skin until I found what I wanted and took his cock into my mouth, sucking him deep.
Duncan’s fingers threaded through my hair and he whispered, “My God.”
If he was invoking deities just from being in my mouth, he was in for a treat, because I knew my way around a cock, and I intended to show him my skills. He smelled clean down there, and he was thick and heavy in my mouth. When I drew back, dragging my tongue along his length, his fingers tightened in my hair.
I could hear his breathing grow heavy, but he remained silent while I licked all sides of him and applied gentle pressure to the head of his cock with my fingers. I alternated that—tonguing him in all the places I knew felt good—and sucking him so deep he grunted. Sliding one hand underneath him, I squeezed his ass cheek and let my fingers drift close to that magic spot while I sucked his cock with gentle enthusiasm.
My finger applied gentle pressure to his entrance while my lips and tongue gave more attention to the dome of his thick length. I was surprised when he tugged my head off him, dragging me up by my hair. I looked up the length of his body, and Duncan appeared rapt, his eyes glassy, cheeks flushed, but he shook his head and smiled. “No way,” he said. “I’m not coming yet.”
“Why not? Let me do this for you. We’ve got all night.”
“We do have all night.” He tugged me up and rolled me onto my back, then made quick work of my fly, tugging my pants open. “But I want to taste you first.”
He slid down the mattress and got my pants and briefs off. I laughed. “How is this fair? I wanted to experiment on you.”
His eyes were dark as he looked up at me, his mouth hovering over my erection. “You’ve been saving it up for me, you said.”
I nodded, my cock stretching tighter at his words. Seemed he’d liked that little detail. “Yes. Saving it all for you.”
“Then it’s time I relieve you of that burden.” He licked me from base to head, never taking his eyes off me. “So give me what’s mine,” he said and his head dropped, sucking me so hard I hit the back of his throat.
“Ah fuck,” I hissed, my eyes closing. “Definitely not fair.”
Duncan pressed his hand down on my belly like he was afraid I’d try to get away, then his mouth began to pulse as it bobbed on my cock. Unlike my slow approach to pleasuring him, Duncan took me with a quick rhythm and suctioned pressure that left me helpless to slow my arousal, the pleasure sharp and building way too fast.
“Oh God, what are you doing to me?” I gasped, squirming on the mattress as frissons rolled down my spine and through my belly.
My cock slipped out of his mouth and he blew on it. “I want to see how fast I can make you come,” he said, and started again.
I groaned, trying not to ponder how many cocks he’d sucked in his life to get this good at it. It was like he knew exactly what pressure points to hit, when to go hard and when to soften his tongue, and soon I was stampeding toward the edge. The first jolt of impending climax threatened way before I was ready for it.
Damn, I’d been too cocky, because Duncan was better than I was at this. He’d said he wanted to taste my orgasm first, and he was about to, so I warned, “Too fast, too fast, Duncan…”
But Duncan’s mouth was relentless, and soon I exploded into that suctioning heat, unable to hold back my howl of ecstasy any more than I could hold back the gushing of my cock. I’d never exactly been a quiet person in bed, but this was the first time I’d ever full-on screamed during climax, and my dick was like a malfunctioning shaving foam can, just kept shooting and shooting until I thought I’d pass out.
It was so much I worried I was going to choke Duncan with my fluids, but he took most of it, only easing back when my body twisted and I rolled onto my side as the orgasm finally ebbed and his ministrations became too much for my sensitive dick.
I fell back and lay there panting and boneless, my limbs akimbo. I was hanging half off the bed, one of my legs twisted at an odd angle beneath me. I must have looked like some primordial twitching squid because my muscle control seemed to have fled with the climax, and I couldn’t move. And my brain and mouth weren’t working too well either, because when Duncan jumped out of bed and said, “Let’s go to the beach!” I scowled up at him and mumbled something that sounded like ‘Blarch?’
“Yes, beach time.” He kicked off the pants still hanging around his ankles, then stood there completely naked, his cock still erect. “Come on. Get up.”
“It’s not beach time. It’s dark out.”
“That’s the best time to go to the beach.”
I groaned and sat up with effort. Duncan stood with hands on his hips, thick cock still pointing at me. “Duncan, you didn’t get off yet. Let me do something for you.”
“Don’t worry.” He grinned and gave his cock a tug with his hand. “I’ll make you come with this later. I enjoyed making you scream, that’s enough for now.”
“I did scream, didn’t I?”
“Oh yes. I’ll hear that sound in my dreams.”
“But Duncan, you’re still hard.”
“This?” He swiveled his hips and I howled with laughter as his erection slapped back and forth against his thighs. “This will rise again later, trust me.”
I managed to stand then watched as he went to a closet and opened the doors. He handed me a pair of thick beach towels, then he dug a bottle of rum out of his bag. I laughed. “You’re serious about this beach thing, huh?”
He started out of the room and paused, turning back. “We’re going swimming, come on. And bring the towels.”
Stark naked with his bottle of rum and lingering erection, Duncan left the bedroom. With towels in hand, I followed after him. Suddenly, music with a heavy bass blasted through the house, so loud I jumped. A gravelly blues voice sang as I made my way out the door to the descending stairs.
‘I love the way you walk…’
I could still hear the music when I stepped across the sand and found Duncan on the moonlit beach, taking a slug of rum. I glanced out at the dark, rippling water and set down the towels. “Do you always play John Lee Hooker at this volume while you’re running around naked?”
He handed me the bottle and smiled. “No neighbors. We can do whatever we want! Come on, let’s go swim.” Duncan ran toward the water.
“This is how Jaws started!” I shouted after him. Taking a pull off the bottle, I winced and looked at the label. This was some strong Jamaican shit.
I watched Duncan’s nude body disappear, a flash of his white ass as he dove into the waves. Chuckling, I dropped the bottle and started after him.
I was right. Dating the fuck out of Duncan Stengel was turning out to be a wild ride.
Chapter Fifteen
I hadn’t gone skinny dipping since I was a teenager, and back then it was mostly in swimming pools. Floating around in the gentle ocean waves now as I stared up at the star-speckled sky was something else. I felt small and insignificant, but also like part of it all, the sea, the earth, the sky. I thought of that Kennedy quote, something about us being connected to the ocean, going back from whence we came or some bullshit. But I went with it, feeling cleansed and refreshed, letting the salt water have the last traces of semen stuck to my skin that hadn’t quite made it down Duncan’s throat. Those little spermies would never create new life, so I gave them willingly back to the sea.
Duncan swam over and caught me in an embrace, and I smoothed my hands over his wet hair as we bobbed in the water. “Okay,” I said. “You were right. Swimming was a great idea.”
“I told you.” He kissed me with salty lips. “You getting cold?”
“Not yet. Now that I’m used to it the water feels perfect.”
“You feel perfect,” he said and kissed me again, letting it linger this time.
Kissing Duncan while we were both wet and naked in this setting was divine, and as his tongue tangled with mine and he held me against his body, I knew perfect happiness. I tried to fight the blissful contentment, to at least partially shackle my emotions, but right now that wasn’t working, and I let the truth breach the surface for the first time—that I was starting to think I belonged with this man.
I could see myself being happy with someone like Duncan for a long, long time. He was ambitious but whimsical, smart but goofy sometimes, sexy and carefree but serious and caring when it mattered. And though I was grateful to be here at this exotic retreat, I truly didn’t give a fuck about his money. It wasn’t his cash that made my heart flutter. He made my body feel more awake than it had in years. I’d been feeling dead inside, and this older man in my arms had resuscitated me. And it wasn’t just because he was the first man I’d allowed myself to date in a dog’s age. Duncan was the first man I’d wanted to date after that long, depressing isolation I’d put myself into.
So many times in the past I thought I knew what I wanted, only to discover I was fooling myself. I’d tried to force things that weren’t working because I’d convinced myself it was right, when in hindsight, it was so obviously wrong. But when Duncan came into my life, I wasn’t searching for anything. I’d had no preconceptions. My apathy had put me in the unique position of being open to anything, of being my true self without pretense. Open to this surprise passion I had for a man I’d never have even considered back when my expectations were limited to the narrow worldview I’d crafted around myself.
