Their eyes met, and Nathan could still feel the power of Josh’s orgasm thrumming through his body. Smiling, he stepped toward Josh, pressing him against the door, savoring the warm planes of his body against Nathan’s. His hands stroked the warmth of his belly while memories of his cock and the flavor of his essence made Nathan smile.
Josh ran his hand up and over Nathan’s chest, smiling a little more confidently when his hand brushed Nathan’s nipple and Nathan shuddered.
“Good spot?” Josh whispered, hand lingering, thumb flicking the sensitive nub.
If Nathan had been born with fangs, he would’ve bit him right then and there. Instead, he let out a little growl and nipped at Josh’s lower lip. “Very good spot.”
“I’ll remember that,” Josh promised. “Seeing as I owe you.”
“Just spend time with me again tomorrow and I’ll call it more than repaid.”
“Okay.”
Their eyes met and they stayed close, holding on loosely and gazing into each other’s eyes.
“I had a good time,” Josh offered.
“Me too.” And Nathan dipped his head to drink from lips that might never quench his thirst. The kiss was soft and oh-so gentle. Tenderly, Nathan swirled their tongues together, ending with a tiny peck. “Good night, Josh.”
“Good night, Nathan.”
But neither made a move to leave the other’s arms.
“Till tomorrow.” Nathan knew it sounded cheesy, like something said in a romance novel. But as he walked away from Josh backward, it was exactly how he felt.
Chapter Eight
Day Three, St. Thomas
JOSH HAD lain awake reliving last night over and over. Even with Aaron’s occasional moans and groans from his sunburn, Josh remained in the euphoric moment when Nathan had taken him deep and brought him to the best release of his life.
He still couldn’t believe any of it had happened!
Everything with Nathan was moving lightning fast, intense. Though it scared him, all morning he kept thinking about the hot hormone-crazed moment in the shower stall, and that long, sweet kiss at the door. His only regret was that he hadn’t had the chance to suck Nathan in return.
What would his cum taste like? What would his dick have felt like deep inside Josh’s ass? Would it be like…?
“Earth to Josh,” Clare said, startling Josh out of his musings.
He flinched and his face heated, as if his new secret played across his forehead for all to see.
They were standing with the group of passengers signed up for a snorkeling catamaran excursion to a coral reef off St. Thomas. Mom and Dad were going shopping, not interested in snorkeling.
“What?” Josh asked his sister.
“You’re like some kind of space cadet. I asked you twice if you put sunblock on.”
“Yes, I did. You think I want to end up being like Lobster Lucy over here?” He flipped his thumb toward Aaron.
His pink friend scowled, wearing a long-sleeve T-shirt, a brimmed hat, and zinc oxide on his nose. “Ha, ha, very funny.”
It was the first island of the cruise, and everybody was in a hurry to explore. Josh looked around the lobby, hoping to see a familiar tanned face with a stylish mop of blond hair.
He could hardly believe last night had happened. He didn’t even tell Aaron about it because he wanted to keep it to himself.
Josh spied Nathan across the room, and when their gazes caught, Nathan waved, shouldering his way through the crowds to reach them. Josh’s heart skipped. He had been nervous about facing Nathan again in the light of day after being intimate.
“Hello, Gilbert family,” he said happily. “Josh.”
For half a second, Josh thought Nathan might greet him with a kiss, but he didn’t. He wasn’t sure if he was disappointed or relieved. Maybe a little bit of both because his sisters surely would’ve squealed and caused a scene.
“I’m going on your excursion with you today,” Nathan announced.
The megawatt smile Nathan gave Josh made his insides flutter. “You are?”
“Yup.” Nathan rolled up on the balls of his feet. “It didn’t take much convincing to get Raoul to agree we needed new photos of some of our excursions.”
Clare grabbed Josh by the arm. “He did that just so he could spend the day with you.”
“Yes, I did,” Nathan said.
Josh was too happy to be annoyed at Clare.
They disembarked from the ship, and one of the crew led them down the docks to where a large white catamaran bobbed in the crystal clear waves. It had one rainbow sail, and the other sail displayed the Pride of the Caribbean logo.
“That’s us over there,” Nathan told their group.
“That boat is so gay!” Aaron sang.
They clambered down the ramp and placed their towels on an empty bench. Jimmy Buffett played from the overhead speakers, and Josh noticed a bar on the catamaran too.
“Cocktails,” Aaron announced.
“Aren’t you on painkillers for your sunburn?” Josh asked.
“Yes, and I’m going to have some rum to dull even more of the pain,” he said, going over to be the first in line for the bar.
Nathan laughed. “I don’t think it’s open until we set sail. And you’re only supposed to drink beer if you’re gonna be snorkeling.”
Aaron blew a raspberry. “I can handle my booze.”
Josh leaned and whispered to Nathan, “Like he can handle the sun.”
Nathan grinned, then gave him a kiss on the cheek. “Good morning,” he said. “You know, I don’t usually get to go snorkeling with handsome passengers.”
“And I don’t get to go snorkeling with handsome photographers very often either.”
“What an adventure we’ll have, then,” Nathan quipped. “By the way, this morning I asked Raoul about the incident with the Timbers girl, and he assured me it’s being taken care of. I have an appointment with Captain Leonides when we get back, to find out more.”
“Oh, I’m glad to hear it,” Josh said, relieved. “I was really worried.”
Nathan slipped his arm around Josh, smiling. “You’re a good guy.”
Josh eyed Nathan seriously. “Are you?”
His face softened, sadness coloring his green eyes. “I didn’t used to be, but I’m trying.”
“Honesty,” Josh said. “I like that.”
With the warm breeze in his face and the catamaran bouncing on the Caribbean waves, Josh watched Nathan dutifully taking pictures of passengers, the boat, and even taking a snapshot up at the sail. He was entrancing to watch when he was in the zone.
“You are totally crushing on him,” Clare said, elbowing him in the side, a glass of something green in her hand.
“Yeah, I am,” he said with a sigh.
“What did you guys do last night?”
Instantly his face heated.
“Oh my God, you hooked up,” Clare said knowingly.
“Just be quiet,” he hissed. He never talked about his sex life, or lack thereof, with his sister, and he wasn’t about to start now.
He wanted last night to be his own special secret.
Though he knew, for all his days, his first time with Nathan would forever be special.
“You keep my secret, I’ll keep yours,” she assured him in a high-and-mighty tone.
Josh shook his head. “I like him. A lot. But I’m worried. He works on a cruise ship, and I live in Indiana. What’s gonna happen after Sunday?”
“Oh good God,” Clare groaned. “It’s only day three, and you’re already talking about it ending. And you’re talking to a woman whose husband is never home. Why don’t you just play it day by day, and don’t get too ahead of yourself. You always do that.”
“I do not,” Josh insisted.
Clare raised her brows.
“Okay, maybe I do,” he relented. “But this is different.” So very different. “I don’t want to ruin it.”
“Then don’t worry yourself into ruining it.”
“I’ll try. But I’m not making any promises.”
“Well, you can’t help the fact that you’re a grandma.”
“Shut up,” he told her, gently pushing her arm.
“You want a drink?” she asked, downing the last of her juice. “I want some more of this June plum juice. I can’t freaking get enough of it.”
“No, I’m good, thanks,” he said, gaze drifting to Nathan laughing with one of the crew.
How did Josh get so lucky that Nathan wanted a guy like him? If only Nathan knew how special last night had really been.
Maybe I should tell him?
No, that might scare him off. Josh didn’t want to step off the ship on Sunday and never get a chance to explore all the things Nathan made him feel.
Then Nathan turned, and their eyes met. Josh’s cheeks warmed, and an instant before he turned away, embarrassed for being caught staring, Nathan raised his camera and snapped his picture. Nathan studied his screen, then flashed a tender yet somehow lustful smile at him.
He shifted and looked away at once, crossing his legs.
The things this man does to me!
“How are you holding up, bro?” Luke sat down next to him.
Josh flinched, as if his brother might know something. “What do you mean?”
“This whole boyfriend cruise thing. You’re not mad at me about it, are you? You know how those girls are. Can’t talk them out of anything.”
He let out a relieved breath. There was no way Luke could know what happened between Nathan and Josh. “No, I’m not mad, Luke. Well, I was. But actually”—he held up a warning finger—“if you tell Mom, I’ll kill you in your sleep. I really appreciate that you guys picked this ship for me. It was really cool,” Josh said, recalling what Nathan had told him about his family.
“That’s why Dad and I were on board with their scheme. It’s not fair that the whole world isn’t like the Pride, but it isn’t. And I guess we wanted for you to experience what we get to experience every day.”
Josh was glad he had on sunglasses, because his brother’s heartfelt statement almost made him cry. His throat was too tight to reply.
“So this Nathan guy,” Luke said, flicking his head at Nathan taking photographs of a seagull that decided to take a rest on the bow of the catamaran. “Are you into him?”
“How could I not be? Look at him.”
“Yeah, if I was into the dudes, I could see it. But I mean other than that, do you guys, like, talk and stuff?”
Oh, did we “and stuff” last night!
Josh cleared his throat. “Yes, we have a lot in common.”
“Besides fucking?”
“Luke,” he hissed, looking around. “Be quiet.”
“Don’t act all innocent to me. I know a blowjob is a gay handshake. Which I’m still jealous about.”
Yeah, I’m jealous about that one too. Where did his brother hear that? Not from Josh, that was for sure. Probably Aaron. Leave it to his BFF to say something like that, and to his brother to believe it was a universal gay truth.
It certainly never had been in Josh’s experience.
He glanced at Nathan, and his dick throbbed a little.
Well, I don’t have to be jealous about blowjobs anymore.
Josh had always been so shy, but he wasn’t shy with Nathan. Hell, last night had all been Josh’s idea, and he did not have a single regret. Nathan had an allure, and he left something tingling inside Josh’s body.
Sort of like magic.
“Well.” Luke slapped him on the knee. “I’m glad you’re not mad at me, and I’m glad you’re having fun. Who knows? Maybe this boyfriend cruise will work.”
Josh rolled his eyes. “I’m having fun, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves, Mom.”
Luke raised his hands in a truce. “Fair enough. If it’s not a boyfriend cruise, hope it’s at least a baby cruise.” He watched his wife at the bar with Clare, and his face softened. “I told her this is good for us. Just getting away and relaxing. Not worrying about fertility treatments and all that crap.”
“Yes, let’s hope it’s the baby cruise.”
Luke left him, and Nathan joined him by his side. “Having fun?”
“Because you’re here.” Since when am I such a flirt?
Nathan smiled. “I kinda heard some of what your brother said. I wasn’t meaning to listen in, but damn, you’re lucky.”
“Yeah, I’m lucky my family’s crazy, because otherwise I never would’ve met you.”
“I guess that makes me the lucky one.”
When the catamaran weighed anchor the instructor gave everyone the lowdown of how to use the snorkel equipment. His name was Kelly, and he had a man bun and a pouchy belly that was tan from probably doing this every single day of his life.
“Now if you’re feeling unsure or you get frightened in the open water, I want you to raise both hands in the air and say, ‘Kelly, here,’ and I’ll come help you. Everyone clear?”
When Josh noticed Aaron wasn’t getting geared up, he asked, “Aren’t you gonna snorkel?”
“I am not getting in the water,” Aaron announced, crossing his legs. “Already lost two rhinestones in the pool yesterday.”
“You’re missing out,” Luke said, smacking his wife on the butt.
“Hey, keep your hands to yourself, boy,” Ramona said, though she smiled like she enjoyed it.
Nathan stashed his camera in a safe box behind the bar. He had a cell phone in a waterproof pouch hanging around his neck. “This way I can get some underwater pictures.”
Clare fingered the plastic container. “That’s awesome. I need one of those.”
“They sell them on the ship,” Nathan told her.
Like a herd of orange floating bobbers, soon the snorkelers from the catamaran began scattering about the coral reef.
“I’ve only done this one time before, and I absolutely loved it,” Josh told Nathan as they waited for the ladder.
He smiled. “It is fun.”
“I’ve always wanted a saltwater fish tank. Weasley, my cat, would go nuts.”
“Harry Potter fan?”
Josh grinned. “Of course. You?”
“Of course,” Nathan said. “Do you like to read?”
“Love it.”
“Me too.”
One more thing checked off the boyfriend menu.
“Did you like Twilight?” Nathan asked.
He wasn’t sure how to answer, but before he could decide, Clare paused as she climbed down into the water. “Oh my God, he freaking loved Twilight. He named our family dog Bella.”
“Clare, be quiet,” Josh said, face hot.
Nathan leaned in close. “So you like the idea of falling in love with a predator?”
“Are you a predator?” he whispered, throat and balls tightening at the predatory grin Nathan wore. He needed to get underwater before anything popped up.
“Maybe, but I don’t sparkle.” Nathan stole a kiss on the cheek.
Josh followed Nathan into the clear, warm water, and they adjusted their masks.
He was more than pleased when Nathan took his hand. “Let’s go this way.”
There was something magical about snorkeling through the waves holding Nathan’s hand. He felt like they could be a photograph for a gay cruise vacation.
As if reading his mind, Nathan put the phone in front of them, and they posed for an underwater selfie.
Josh glanced over, smiling around his snorkel at the way Nathan’s blond hair swirled in the blue water like some kind of exotic merman. He chuckled at that image and got a little water in his throat. Choking, he surfaced and pushed his goggles onto his forehead.
Nathan surfaced too. He spit out his snorkel. “You okay?”
“Got a little water,” he managed around a cough, “in my throat.
“Float here for a minute,” Nathan said, inching closer until Josh was in his arms.
Josh cleared his throat a few more times until he could breathe
normally again.
Well, as normally as one could breathe in a handsome man’s arms.
“This is nice,” Josh said, their feet flicking together, the cumbersome flippers catching on each other but not deterring them from staying close. Nathan pushed his mask up too, his hair sticking straight up and totally adorable.
Nathan kissed the tip of his nose and ran a finger down Josh’s arm. “You’re kinda cute all soaking wet.”
“You’re not so bad yourself,” Josh said, boldly reaching under the water to cup Nathan’s sac through his swim trunks. It was an erotic sensation, feeling his cock and balls beneath the mesh, floating in the water.
“Hey now, hands off the merchandise. I don’t need to be getting back on the catamaran sporting a boner in front of my coworkers.”
Josh grinned and took Nathan’s hand and put it on his own groin, which was halfway hard already. “Well, if I do, then you should too.”
“Then maybe we should go back to snorkeling.”
“Or we can just take care of the growing”—he stroked Nathan’s cock—“situation.”
Grinning, Nathan pushed his hand away. “Good Lord, we can’t.”
“Why not?”
“Because.”
Josh looked around. All the swimmers were underwater, and most of them on the other side of the catamaran, so no one paid them any attention. “Nobody will see.”
Nathan’s eyes widened. “You do realize everyone is underwater with cameras and these things that make you magically see underwater.” He pointed at his mask. “Everyone would see.”
That deflated the wind in his sail. “Oh, yeah, I guess so.”
Nathan chuckled and swam a little away from Josh, kicking his feet and treading water. “This is really a workout.”
“It is.”
Reaching out with one hand, Nathan kicked to swim around Josh. “Do you want to do more snorkeling?”
“I want you to come back over here,” Josh said, his boldness surprising him.
Nathan brought it out in him.
“And do what? This?” Nathan swam up behind him and slipped his hand down the back of Josh’s swim trunks.
Josh flinched and spun around, splashing water. “Hey now,” he scolded. “What did you just say about everyone being able to see?”
The Boyfriend Cruise Page 10
