She blew out a breath against my neck. “I’ll try not to.”
***
Jay
I startled awake when I heard a crash, then a muffled curse followed by giggling. I opened a bleary eye. Levi stood in the center of the cabin, rubbing his shoulder. “Dumb dresser,” he muttered. The room was still dark and we had no windows. I reached under my pillow and pulled my phone out to check the time. It wasn’t six a.m. yet. Good.
“Where were you all night?” I asked.
Levi jumped about a foot in the air, crashing into the dresser for what I assumed was the second time. He howled. “Dammit! What is with this thing trying to kill me?”
I sat up and rubbed my eyes. “Seriously, where were you?”
“I crashed with Paisley.”
“Why?”
He shrugged. “I felt like it. And you seemed to . . . need the room.”
I stiffened. “What?”
Levi put a hand out. “Don’t get mad, okay? But when I came to the door last night, I heard, uh, noises, and left.”
Wow. I refused to be embarrassed about it. About Quinn. “Thanks for giving us the room.”
Levi’s mouth dropped open. “Whoa-ho-ho, looks like getting laid appeases that legendary J. R. Butler temper, huh?” I threw a pillow at him, which he caught with a laugh and threw back at me. Then he sobered. “So, where is he?”
I stood up from the bed and stretched. “Back in his cabin.”
I walked into the bathroom and didn’t bother closing the door while I pissed. I’d taken a shower last night, so all I had to do was swipe on some deodorant and I could head out.
Levi stood in the door with his arms crossed. “Is that it?”
“What do you mean?” I washed my hands and dried them on the towel, then stood in front of him until he moved back so I could leave the bathroom.
“I mean, did you get him out of your system?”
I paused while shoving my legs into my shorts. Out of my system? Hell no. I craved more time with him. “No.”
“You going to see him again?”
I pulled on a T-shirt. “I plan to spend all day with him. It’s about all the time we have left.”
He eyed me as I dressed. “Now?”
“Yeah, now.”
“It’s not even six in the morning!”
“Your point? We have a breakfast date.”
“J. R . . .”
I sighed. “I know, okay?” I turned around to face him. “I know the risks, and I don’t give a shit right now.”
He chewed his lips. “I’m just concerned about you.”
“Thanks, but this is what makes me happy, so this is what I’m doing.”
He nodded. “Let me know if there’s anything I can do to help.”
“If for some reason I’m late to the beer pong tournament today, or the party tonight, can you make excuses for me to Doug?”
Levi straightened his spine and snapped his heels together. He saluted me. “Mission accomplished.”
I grabbed the back of his head and pressed a kiss to his forehead. “Smart-ass.”
I pulled on a sweatshirt, tugging up the hood to cover my face as best I could. After leaving the cabin, I made my way to the small breakfast buffet room that I knew wasn’t heavily used. Because of the early time, it was deserted. I grabbed a couple boxes of cereal, some bowls and spoons, and high-tailed it out of there before anyone saw me.
While clutching the food to my chest, I took the stairs to the deck two at a time. At the top, before I pushed open the doors, I hesitated. When Quinn left my room around midnight, we’d decided to meet at our spot on the deck in the morning. Doubt crept over me now. What if he regretted everything? What if he realized I wasn’t worth the risk, wasn’t worth betting on?
Hell, he could have blasted the news all over social media already and I wouldn’t have known.
No, I told myself. Quinn wouldn’t do that.
I squared my shoulders and pushed open the door. I had to know if he was there or not, if he’d decided that today was our day or if what happened last night was all we had.
I crept toward our spot at the front of the deck, my eyes trained straight ahead for any glimpse of Quinn’s fiery mop.
A lone figure stood in our spot, his back to me, wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt. I faltered, unsure if it was Quinn until he turned around. Red hair spilled out onto his forehead and his blue eyes speared me from beneath the hood.
He was there, right where he said he would be. I smiled.
And he grinned back.
I was in front of him in seconds, my hands still wrapped around my contraband. I leaned down and nudged his nose with mine. “Hey, you.”
“Hey,” he said.
“Sleep okay?”
“Yeah.”
I motioned for us to sit down on the deck and we did, with the railing of the ship at our backs. I unloaded my goods. Two bowls, two spoons, and four single-serve boxes of Lucky Charms.
I waited, unsure what he’d do or say. As I stared at the small boxes now, I wondered what I’d been thinking. I should have found a way to get him a real breakfast, not a stupid kids’ cereal—
“Oh my God,” he whispered, picking up a box and running a finger along the rainbow on the front with reverence, like the box was made of pure gold. “I haven’t had Lucky Charms in years.” He glanced up at me, eyes bright. “You remembered.”
“Of course I remembered. You just told me two days ago.”
He shook his head. “I know but . . . never mind.”
“What? What were you going to say?”
“It’ll sound pathetic and whiny.”
“Just tell me.”
He ripped off the top of the box and didn’t look at me as he tore open the plastic sleeve inside. “I was just going to say that most people don’t remember things about me. I’m the wallflower. The guy in the corner. The redhead, like that’s all there is about me, like that’s the only description that needs to be made. I told Alexander multiple times I didn’t like our dining hall’s chicken sandwiches, and yet every time I went to his room, he had a chicken sandwich for me. I usually just ate it anyway.” He rolled his eyes. “That’s whiny and dumb. Forget it.”
I handed him his spoon. “That’s not whiny or dumb. And I’m sorry that’s the way people have made you feel. But not me, okay? Not me.”
His gaze shifted over my shoulder, then back to me. “Sometimes I wonder if I’m being punked. Like any moment the cameras are going to come out from behind a wall and shout ‘Surprise! We made you fall for J. R. Butler!’”
“Aw.” I nudged his knee, trying to cover up how much those words had pierced me. “You’re falling for me?”
His eyes narrowed. “Now I hate you.”
I laughed, then opened up my cereal and dumped it in the bowl. I stared at it, thinking there was something I forgot . . . “Milk.”
Quinn crunched on a piece of cereal. “What?”
“I forgot the fucking milk.”
He shrugged. “Yeah, I noticed, but it doesn’t matter.”
“You sure? I can run and get some.”
He made a face. “Don’t be dumb. I’d rather sit here and eat dry cereal with you in the brief time we have. It’s not a big deal.”
“You’re not just saying that? Or is this like the chicken sandwich situation?”
He shook his head with a smile. “No, this is amazing. Lucky Charms on the deck of a cruise ship.” Quinn swirled his spoon in his cereal. “Best date I ever had.”
I tapped my chin. “My best date was probably with Andrea.”
He raised an eyebrow, his lips pressed together to suppress a grin.
“Seriously, she took me to Tahiti and we rolled around on the beach and made out in the sand while the waves crashed over u
s. It was basically a cologne commercial.”
He reached over and shoved my shoulder. “You are so full of shit.”
“Hey, I made her up! I can make her an excellent date planner.”
He crunched his cereal. “Were you glad you . . . had her?”
I shrugged. “It was nice to have an excuse not to date. My head was so messed up when I signed that contract. I was only thinking about how this was my shot to get noticed, and I didn’t take a second to step back and wait for something better.”
“I’m sure many people would have made the same choice you did.”
“Maybe.” I spooned a bit of cereal into my mouth. “So, did you tell Jess about us?”
His head shot up. “Oh my God, I have gossip for you.”
“Gossip?”
“So last night when I went back to my cabin, Casey was walking out. Shirtless.”
I sat up straighter. “What?”
“I know!” Quinn was vibrating with glee. “They hooked up! Jess looked pissed off that it happened, and Casey was looking at her like she was his queen.”
“Wow.”
“He’s not with Selena anymore, is he?”
I shook my head. “No, they both made it clear they were free to do whatever and whoever they want on the ship.”
“Okay, so you feel Casey out. What’s his story, anyway?”
“Casey is a good dude but he can be a little entitled, you know? Look at him. He’s been handed a lot of things in his life. Girls pretty much throw their panties at him.”
“Jess is giving him a hard time.”
“Yeah, he always goes for the challenge.”
“But is he an asshole?”
I shook my head. “No, but he’s human, you know?”
“Yeah.” He was thoughtful. “Jess did seem like she was still hooked on him, even though she tried to hide it.”
“I’ll talk to him.”
Quinn held up his hand for a high five. “Q and J Matchmakers. Getting spring breakers hooked up in the Atlantic Ocean since . . . uh, Sunday.”
I laughed as I smacked my palm against his. “You’re fucking cute.”
“I told you not to call me cute!”
I leaned in and pressed a kiss to his cheek. “Whatever you say, Lucky. Now eat your charms.”
Chapter Fifteen
Quinn
Jay and Casey stood at the opposite end of the beer pong table, whispering to each other, while Jess fidgeted with the red Solo cups in front of us, double-checking the beer levels. “Maybe I should go over and look at their cups. I don’t trust them not to cheat.”
“Jess, there aren’t that many ways to cheat in beer pong.”
She glared at Casey, who hadn’t taken his eyes off her the whole time he and Jay had been strategizing. Finally, Jay turned to me. “Okay, you’re up.”
It was hard not to launch myself across the table at him, but I had to keep my hands to myself. We were playing in the beer pong competition and the deck was packed. Cameras were everywhere, and drinks were flowing even though it was only a little after lunch.
Our game was almost over. Jess and I were winning with two cups left. And the guys had one cup. All we had to do was sink one shot.
Jess took a ball out of the water cup and shook it off. Standing with her feet shoulder-width apart, she bent her knees and narrowed her eyes. Casey stepped right up to the end of the table, and went with the classic distraction tactic technique of humping it.
They were playing dirty now.
I groaned, but Jess didn’t move, all her concentration on the game. She threw. The ball bounced off the front cup, then onto the table, and was then caught by Casey. “Ah baby, I’m sorry. I realize it was hard not to stare at my package. I think you have some drool there, too.” He pointed to the corner of his mouth. Jess ignored him, threw her second ball, and missed again. “Dammit,” she said. “He’s throwing me off my game!”
Casey was up next, his expression smug.
As he lined up his shot, Jess slowly removed her shirt, so she wore only a pair of tiny shorts and a string bikini. Casey swallowed, but otherwise showed no sign he was affected as he lifted his hand above the table for his throw.
Jess braced her hands on either side of the table, leaned down, and with her elbows, pressed her boobs together for maximum cleavage. Casey threw, and the ball hit her right breast, then bounced onto the floor. I scooped it up as Jess grinned, while Casey yelled, “I call foul. Foul!”
He missed his second shot, too, and then it was my turn. I smiled at Jay, preparing to be the responsible couple of the game, until he slowly removed his shirt and tucked it into the back pocket of his shorts. He stood casually, all dark glistening skin and hard muscles. He flexed a pec.
I got hard.
“Quinn.” Jess nudged me with her elbow. “Get it together!”
“But do you see him over there?” I whispered. “Do. You. See. That?”
“Yes, I see that. Those boys are playing into our weaknesses.”
I clenched my jaw and threw my first ball. I missed. But I sank my second shot. I hollered and Jess and I high-fived. But the game wasn’t over yet. The guys still had a shot at our last cup. As Jay chugged the beer, his dark eyes watching me over the rim. I wiped my forehead.
“Okay,” Jess said, as Jay got ready to throw. “Do something sexy.”
“What?”
“Do something sexy!”
“I don’t know how to do anything sexy!”
Jay threw his first ball. The ball went into one of our last two cups. “No!” Jess shouted like I’d thrown the ring into Mordor. “We can’t lose.”
She took the cup away and began drinking it. She paused long enough to hiss at me while Jay prepared for his next shot. “Do something!”
I didn’t know what was sexy. I didn’t do sexy. So I did the first thing I could think of. I turned around so my back was to Jay and Casey. Then I lowered my pants and mooned them.
Jay’s ball went flying past me as he completely missed the cup. Jess threw her hands in the air and I pulled my pants up in time to complete our victory dance. Casey drank the rest of the beer straight out of the pitcher, and Jay . . .
Jay looked like he wanted to devour me.
Anyone who looked at him right now would see how he was looking at me, and the truth would be out in a heartbeat. I whispered into Jess’s ear. “Gotta go.”
She leaned back to look into my eyes and understood what I needed to do. She smiled and kissed me on the cheek. “Have fun.”
I glanced at Jay, and with a jerk of my chin, made my way off the deck.
***
Jay
I had to ditch the cameras first. They seemed intent on following me, and I wasn’t sure why. I wasn’t doing anything other than walking back to my cabin, but apparently Doug had told them to keep an eye on me.
Asshole.
Turning down the hallway toward my room, I went to pull out my phone when I heard voices. Voices that sounded a lot like some of the camera crew.
They stood at the entrance to my cabin, talking, and I had a split second before I knew they’d look up and see me. Had they seen Quinn? Was he cornered in my cabin?
Something grabbed my shirt and tugged me to the side. Before I could protest, I was hauled into a small room and a door slammed shut behind me.
“What the—”
“Shh!” Quinn clamped his hand over my mouth. “Did they see you?”
I couldn’t talk because of his hand over my mouth, so I stuck my tongue out and licked it. He dropped his hand with a yelp. I tugged him to me, wrapping my arms around his waist. “I don’t think they saw me. Where are we?”
Quinn laid his hands on my chest, curling his fingers slightly into the muscle. “A storage closet.”
“Thinking on
your feet.”
“I wanted to be alone with you.”
I raised an eyebrow. “How do you think I feel? I got to see your ass and I couldn’t touch it.”
His body was hot, the muscles quivering under my palms. “You can touch it now.”
I wanted him laid out on my bed. I wanted to take my time, kiss every inch of skin, but this would have to do for now. As much as I hated having to hide, it was exhilarating, too, knowing we were doing something we shouldn’t, something that could have far-reaching consequences for both of us.
I cupped the back of his head and brought his lips to mine, this ginger kid who calmed me, who reminded me I was Jay, not J. R. Butler. Who was willing to bet on me.
And who turned me on like a motherfucker.
I pressed his lower back against me, so his legs straddled one of my thighs. He began to ride me slowly, rubbing his hard cock on me. He made small sounds in the back of his throat, and I swallowed them down as we kissed.
This wasn’t working, this standing thing. I broke the kiss and glanced around. We were in some sort of laundry room. There were linens and towels. I pulled a couple towels off a shelf and tossed them on the floor, then laid Quinn down on top of them. He didn’t even hesitate as I lay beside him, as I pushed down his board shorts so his hard cock sprung free. He watched my hand as I pumped him, as I rolled his tight balls in my palm. His breath hitched, and his body shook. I grabbed his head and made him face me. “Hey,” I said, as I continued to stroke him.
He seemed to have a hard time focusing on me. His eyes kept closing, his breath uneven. “Jay.”
“Fuck, Quinn, I wish you could see how you look right now.” His freckles stood out on his pale skin, and there was a small cluster of them on his left rib cage that I had never noticed before. His shirt was rucked up to his chest, his abs flexing as his hips thrust up, pushing his cock into my fist. “Hot as hell.”
I moved down his body and took his cock into my mouth.
I’d only done this one other time, and I had no idea if I was horrible at it or not, but I knew I wanted it. Quinn’s shaft was salty-sweet on my tongue as I sucked on the head. His hips jerked as I squeezed his balls gently, then moved my finger back, back, until I pressed on the tight ring of his hole.
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