The Boyfriend Cruise

by Deanna Wadsworth

  The man took the seat. “Thanks. I need a margarita, and Roxy makes the best.”

  “Oh, okay,” Josh said, feeling dumb for assuming the man was hitting on him.

  “Hey, Phil, back again?” Roxy said, placing a margarita in front of him as if out of thin air.

  “Yeah, gotta get away from the wife and kid.”

  Josh sipped his drink, wondering if the man had a wife or called his husband that because he was a queen.

  “What is it this year?” Roxy asked. “She planning to buy jewelry already? I know Janet likes her bling.”

  So… straight.

  Josh liked assuming everyone was gay first, then being surprised they were straight. The novelty wouldn’t get old anytime soon.

  “No.” Phil chuckled after a long sip. “Janet was trying to convince Alice to get mani-pedis. I want no part of that argument.”

  Roxy gave a knowing laugh, and now Josh was more than intrigued. Who was Alice? Their daughter? Was she gay?

  “I got a mani-pedi this afternoon,” Josh offered. “It was fun.”

  “Yeah, but you’re gay,” Roxy said bluntly. “Alice is a dyke like me. We don’t get into that nonsense.”

  “Oh.”

  Phil chuckled. “The son I never had.” He laughed, and Roxy toasted his margarita with her water bottle.

  They obviously knew each other. Had Phil been on this cruise before?

  “Can I ask you a question?” Josh ventured, the alcohol emboldening him.

  “Shoot,” Phil said.

  “Your daughter is a lesbian, and you and your wife brought her on this cruise?”

  “Yeah,” he drawled out the word. “What’s the question?”

  Josh shook his head and finished his martini. “Oh, nothing, I guess. That’s cool. My family—they’re all straight—brought me on this cruise as a surprise.”

  “That’s real nice.” Roxy smiled, though it didn’t travel to her eyes.

  Her road might not have been as easy as Josh’s.

  “This is our third trip on the Pride,” Phil explained. “When Alice came out, it wasn’t really a surprise, but then again it was. We didn’t handle it as well as we should have. So we brought her on this cruise to prove to her we loved and supported her, no matter what. My wife still tries to talk her into girly stuff, but Alice knows we love her. This ship is great. It shows that people can coexist.”

  “Yeah,” Josh agreed.

  A sound near the entrance drew Josh’s attention, his heart skipping when he saw Nathan.

  “Oh, here comes Mr. Personality,” Roxy drawled. She arched a brow at Josh. “Look out for that one.”

  Confused, Josh glanced back to Nathan.

  Click.

  “Hey, gorgeous,” Nathan said, lowering his camera to check the display.

  “Hey, I wasn’t ready,” Josh protested, smoothing back his hair.

  “You look great.” Nathan showed him the display.

  Josh’s eyes were wide and his mouth gaped. “I look terrible.”

  “No, you don’t,” Nathan insisted. “But if you don’t like it, I won’t post it.”

  “Thanks.”

  “I was hoping you were still here,” Nathan said.

  Phil looked at Nathan and Josh. “You need this stool?” he offered.

  “No, we’ll get a table,” Nathan said at once. He nodded at Josh’s empty martini glass, then addressed Roxy. “Two gingerbread martinis, please?”

  “Coming right up,” she said, snickering to herself.

  Josh wondered what that was all about, but quickly dismissed Roxy when Nathan jerked his head toward a private alcove in the corner with an empty table. With a confident swagger, Nathan headed over there.

  His heart pounded, and he only hesitated a moment before he followed Nathan. He couldn’t recall being this nervous and excited before. Maybe the alcohol had gone to his head… or the overexcitement was because Nathan was so damn hot!

  Nathan pulled out a chair and gestured for Josh to sit.

  Trying not to giggle, Josh sat, more than enjoying the chivalry and the way Nathan scooted his chair in for him. Then Nathan bent to whisper, his lips tickling Josh’s ear, “You look very handsome.”

  A tremble worked its way from his ear, down his spine, and settled low in his belly. Josh fought down another nervous chuckle. “Um, thanks, you do too.”

  Smiling, Nathan slid into the chair beside him and scooted closer, placed his elbows on the table, and leaned toward Josh. Josh found himself moving in too, hoping for the promised kiss.

  “So,” Nathan began, sitting back. Josh tried not to pout. “Have you been on a cruise before?”

  “Yeah, once, in college. But it wasn’t anything like this.”

  “It’s cool, huh? Like a Pride parade every day, no looking over your shoulder if you wanna hold a guy’s hand or anything.”

  “I know,” Josh gushed. “That guy sitting next to me? I assumed he was gay, but he was straight. It’s like totally another world. You’re lucky to work here.”

  “Yeah, it has its perks,” Nathan said, his smile fading and something akin to desire replacing it.

  A thought occurred to Josh then. Did Nathan get a new guy every week? Was Josh just this cruise’s conquest of some sort?

  Does it matter?

  Nathan was attractive and funny. Out of Josh’s league, yet miraculously into him. Though it might just be a hookup, Josh would have to be careful with this guy and those hypnotic green eyes.

  Josh had a history of falling a little too hard and a little too fast. He wanted a boyfriend so damn bad he saw wedding bells every time a guy bought him a drink—a surefire way to scare men away and get his heart broken. His family was always on him to find a man, but they had no idea how desperately he’d been searching.

  Perhaps too desperately, he’d come to realize of late.

  So tonight, he cautioned himself not to expect anything more than a fling. Mom called this the boyfriend cruise, but Josh wouldn’t get his hopes up. If Josh came away with a fun vacation fling, then the vacation would be a hit.

  “Two gingerbread martinis,” Roxy said, startling Josh from his thoughts.

  “Thanks, Rox,” Nathan said, picking up his.

  Roxy gave Josh a brows-up, which spoke volumes.

  Confirmed, Nathan’s a player. Good to know.

  But it wouldn’t stop Josh from having fun. Aaron was right. Josh needed to loosen up and live it up.

  Didn’t he deserve that after all this time alone?

  Nathan held up his glass in toast. “To new friends and new experiences.”

  Smiling, Josh clinked glasses. “These things are so good,” he said before taking a sip.

  “Yeah, but be careful. They’re pretty strong, even if they taste like cookies.”

  “I know. This is, like, my third one. I think.” Josh felt the alcohol working through his body, warming him up. Or was that just the way Nathan watched him?

  “Tell me about yourself,” Nathan began. “You obviously have an awesome family. Where are you guys from?”

  “Awesome, yes, but nosey,” Josh countered. “I’m so sorry about Mom and the mistletoe thing. I can’t believe she did that.”

  “I’m not sorry at all,” Nathan said, reaching over and caressing the back of Josh’s hand.

  “Oh, well… um.”

  Nathan stopped touching his hand, and Josh missed the warmth of it immediately.

  “So where are you from?” Nathan asked again.

  “Indiana,” Josh managed. “Fort Wayne.”

  “Ah, down here escaping the winter.” Nathan took another sip of his martini, licking his lips slowly and nearly distracting Josh.

  Oh, to have those lips on my body….

  He cleared his throat and took another sip. “Yeah, I guess. This was a big surprise. Even bigger when I found out it was a gay cruise.”

  “Gay-friendly,” Nathan corrected. “The captain likes to make the distinction because he doesn’t want a b
unch of naked dudes hanging by the pool. He likes to keep everything PG, ya know? Family-friendly. His dad is a real libertine, and the captain doesn’t want to follow in his footsteps.”

  “Oh, I see. The guy at the bar brought his family because his daughter is gay. That’s cool to have a safe space like this.”

  “It is. I never really had that.”

  “Oh?”

  “Dad died long ago. Mom and sister, well….” Nathan hesitated for a moment. “They’re distant and good at pretending.”

  Nathan spoke flippantly, but Josh could see the pain behind those green eyes. He placed a hand on Nathan’s. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t complain about my family. Aaron always tells me how lucky I am.”

  “You are.”

  “If you want, you can hang out with us when you have free time,” Josh offered. “See what it’s like having a meddling family firsthand. Might not think it’s so great after a day or two.”

  Nathan tipped his head to the side, half smiling. “Thanks, I’d like that.”

  Josh’s cheeks warmed. “You’re welcome.”

  “I’d like to hang out with just you even more.”

  “Um, yeah, okay.” He almost giggled, but thankfully he didn’t.

  The holiday music piped into the lounge changed, and Billy Joel’s “Innocent Man” began to play. “Oh my God, this is my favorite song,” Josh declared.

  “It is?”

  “Yeah, do you like Billy Joel?”

  “I love him,” Nathan said. “Actually I love eighties music.”

  “You do?” Josh said, more than a little surprised.

  “Oh yeah.” Nathan let out a noise that sounded so sexual Josh’s dick inched down his leg a bit. He had to give his lap an adjustment.

  If Nathan noticed, he didn’t say.

  Josh cleared his throat. “Innocent Man is one of the best albums ever recorded. Easily top five.”

  “Album?” Nathan questioned. “You’ve listened to all the tracks, not just downloaded the good ones?”

  Josh put his glass down. “First of all, every track on Innocent Man is a good one, as you say. And secondly, yes, I’ve listened to the whole album. Have it on vinyl.”

  “Vinyl?” Nathan laughed and sipped his drink. “Big music fan?”

  “Love it, especially eighties stuff. My parents played music a lot, especially Mom. When I was in college, she was going to sell her old Audio-Technica turntable, and I confiscated it and all her records. I listened to this particular album all the time.” He pointed up to the air, where Billy sang about taking a lover to bed, then cleared his throat when Nathan stared at him with that hungry expression again, perhaps hearing the lyrics at the same time Josh did.

  Did Nathan want to take Josh to bed?

  Though nervous because he’d just met Nathan, Josh knew the alcohol would make him do it.

  And he would let it.

  Josh spun his glass by the stem. “Music is important, and I hate it when you try to play a song for someone and they talk through the whole thing.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Pretend you’ve never heard ‘Innocent Man’ and I wanted to play it for you,” Josh explained. “I was sharing that song because it meant something to me. The lyrics spoke to me, and I wanted to share what they said. But if all you did was talk through the song, you obviously didn’t want to learn the part of me I was trying to share with you.”

  “And does this song have meaning to you?” Nathan asked softly.

  Josh nodded. The singer was pleading with a reluctant lover to trust him, but Josh felt that way inside himself. His heart telling him to take a risk, but his mind the reluctant lover, not wanting to risk being hurt.

  Well, I’m not gonna be a martyr tonight, he thought boldly, sipping his sweet cocktail.

  When Nathan sat back, closed his eyes, and lifted his face toward the music, nothing could’ve wiped the smile off Josh’s face.

  Nathan understood. Would he hear what Josh did?

  While not musically talented, Josh did consider himself a music appreciator, someone who dissected the nuance of the band, the sound, and the meaning of the lyrics. Josh had long since stopped sharing songs with his siblings because they were too busy talking to stop and listen. Aaron always listened, probably one of the reasons he was so close to the flamboyant man-whore.

  The song came to an end, and Nathan opened his eyes, singing the last line. When it was over, he smiled. “You surprise me, Josh Gilbert.” With that, Nathan clasped his hand.

  Grinning, Josh savored the feel of Nathan’s hand holding his. Giddy excitement flooded all of his senses. Maybe the martinis gave him courage, or the wine with dinner, but boldness took ahold of him. And Nathan had a sex appeal that drew him in like a siren’s song.

  Just go for it, a wicked voice whispered in his mind.

  “Wanna come back to my room? Aaron’s at the costume party… and, well….” He left it hanging, terrified but tired of always being an innocent man.

  Are you really doing this?

  Squeezing his hand, Nathan grinned. “I’d love to.”

  Chapter Five

  INNOCENT MAN, indeed.

  Nathan hadn’t expected Josh to be so bold, especially without Nathan’s incubus lure in play. But he held his demon in check. Might cause an unfixable scandal if Nathan followed through with the scene playing out in his mind right there in the bar…. Nathan dropping to his knees to drink the delicious nectar from Josh’s cock, milking him with his tongue and mouth until the heady power of the man’s orgasm fueled Nathan’s demon soul.

  Nothing better than the high of draining orgasm after orgasm from a man. The high he’d get from Josh’s orgasm would be sweet, because willing orgasms had a power unlike any other.

  Anxious and ready to feed, Nathan set down his empty glass. “Ready to go?”

  The scent of Josh’s hunger spiked, and Nathan caught his breath.

  “Yup.” Josh nodded, and they left the lounge, hand in hand.

  Josh had him so off-kilter, Nathan hoped he could contain his energy and keep himself from coming when they had sex. The power might frighten Josh, but it would also turn all the fairies on board and anybody nearby into sex-crazed fiends.

  No, Nathan would have to make sure Josh came first. The power from Josh’s orgasm would give Nathan the strength to think clearly—an ability he seemed to have lost in Josh’s presence.

  “I’ve never done this before,” Josh said. “Invite a stranger back to my room.”

  Nathan gave Josh’s hand a gentle, reassuring squeeze. “We don’t have to,” he heard himself say, and his demon side screamed in protest.

  Why am I giving the guy an out?

  Josh faced him, wide-eyed and cheeks flushed. “I want to. If you do?”

  Relieved, Nathan stepped closer, their chests all but touching. He kissed Josh on the lips. Though a tiny kiss, something electric and shimmering went throughout Nathan’s entire body. His power thrummed in want, and for the first time in all his life, he had a sudden desire to bite.

  Not like a blood thing, but he wanted Josh so much, his predatory instincts were on high alert. He wanted to make this man his. To mark him with love bites, taste his release, come deep inside him….

  Josh closed his eyes and held very still, as if poised for another kiss.

  “Does that answer your question?” Nathan whispered.

  “Uh-huh,” he said, nodding, then slowly opening his eyes.

  Still holding his hand, Nathan cinched his other arm around Josh’s waist and pulled him close. His warm body pressed to Nathan’s was sheer nirvana.

  Josh placed his free hand on Nathan’s chest. “I’ve never done this before.”

  Nathan dipped his head close to his ear. “Then let’s make it special,” he whispered, leaving a tiny kiss below his lobe and delighting in the full-body shiver he got out of Josh. Nathan could taste Josh’s desire, like the rich, mouthwatering aroma of fresh-baked cookies. His stomach all but growled
for Josh’s orgasm. Josh’s wanting gave Nathan a renewed strength.

  If Nathan felt stronger just from Josh’s desire, how much would Josh’s essence strengthen him?

  When Nathan kissed Josh, the man’s pheromones intensified even more. Eager, Nathan kissed him deeper, drawing on the power of Josh’s unchecked desire. While he had not inherited demon immortality or the need to drink blood, his need to bring others to orgasm was a vital part of his being.

  If it just so happened to be pleasurable for both parties, all the better.

  After all, what was the whole point of being on this rock if you didn’t want to enjoy it? Traveling and soaking up the riches of life had been one of the driving reasons for Nathan to leave home on his eighteenth birthday.

  That and all the tension his demon had caused within his family.

  Nathan withdrew, catching his breath. Not wanting his past to cloud his future tonight, he ran the back of his hand across Josh’s cheek. He needed to slow down before he took Josh right in the hallway.

  “Oh my,” Josh whispered, his eyes fluttering open.

  Then he hiccupped.

  “Oh, I’m sorry,” Josh said in a rush. Then he hiccupped again.

  Nathan chuckled. “Are you drunk?”

  Josh’s eyes were wide. “Um, maybe a little. I’m not much of a drinker, and there was wine with dinner, and those gingerbread thingies….” He hiccupped again.

  Dammit. No sex tonight.

  The demon growled its discontent.

  While Nathan had no compunction about soaking up the power of Josh’s willing orgasms—oh, there would have been so, so many—he would not take them from a man not fully in control of his faculties. While alcohol didn’t compare to the power of incubus magic, Nathan had made a solemn vow to himself that he’d never have sex with another man who wasn’t 100 percent willing and able to have a choice. If it weren’t for Captain Leonides and Darrius, Nathan would still be that lost, angry demon, misinterpreting sex for affection, using others’ bodies and orgasms as a pale imitation of real happiness.

  Though it was nearly impossible, Nathan stepped back. “All right,” he announced, not releasing Josh’s hand. “I’m making an executive decision. No going back to your room.”