“They can’t,” Kevin said, thunderstruck.
Nathan frowned. While he knew the majority of the crew were paranormal and they referred to everyone by their para side, Nathan had spent the greater part of his life as a human.
He put both hands on the bar and stood. “One-quarter incubus,” he told them, looking back and forth between them. “That means three-quarters human.” Then he glared at Kevin. “Are you going to work my shift or not?”
“No,” he said snottily.
“Fine,” Nathan declared. To Roxy he said, “I’m gonna get ready for the show. I’ll be here half an hour early to help set everything up.”
And with that, he turned on his heels and stormed out of the bar.
Furious, Nathan clenched his fists and ground his teeth. He could feel the demon scratching at the surface, wanting to be free, to be wild and break something or fuck something into oblivion…. Dammit, he didn’t want to do that.
He only wanted Josh.
But he was so pissed off at everyone’s assumptions, he couldn’t see straight.
In fact, he was seeing red.
It wasn’t until he plowed right into a passenger that it dawned on him his eyes were glowing.
Frantic and fearing discovery, he fumbled for the sunglasses in his pocket and slid them on.
“Whoa,” Dr. Gilbert said, raising his hands in surprise. “You’re off somewhere in a hurry.”
Nathan took a calming breath. “Hi, Dr. Gilbert,” he said with every ounce of charm he could muster. “I’m just going to get changed for my performance in a couple hours. I hope your family joins us in the Aruba Lounge. We’re taking Christmas song requests all night. Then karaoke.”
Dr. Gilbert’s brows shot up at the sudden sales pitch, but Nathan kept smiling.
“Yes, I believe Josh mentioned something about it,” Dr. Gilbert said. Then he paused and tipped his head to the side. “My son seems quite taken with you.”
Good Lord! No wonder Josh was so annoyed at his family. They were all matchmakers.
“My son is….” Dr. Gilbert paused thoughtfully, as if unsure what to say next. “Just treat him fairly.”
That statement was a punch in the gut.
First the captain, then Roxy and Kevin, and now Josh’s own father?
Maybe there was some sort of aura his demon side put off that he didn’t know about. Why did everyone assume he would hurt Josh? Just the thought of Josh in pain made Nathan want to cry and his demon scream for vengeance on anyone who might cause Josh the slightest discomfort.
Fuck, Nathan just turned down sex for Josh!
But what if Josh thought Nathan might hurt him? Hadn’t Josh said as much their first night together? Josh was the “some people” from the Billy Joel song who did not take risks for fear of being hurt or judged. But Josh was taking a risk by laying his heart the line for Nathan?
Could Nathan be trusted with it?
Nathan must’ve stood there with his mouth open for long enough, because Dr. Gilbert said, “I’m sorry, young man. That was none of my business. Forgive me.”
And then he left.
Nathan made the decision right on the spot. He needed to slow things down with Josh, get to know him and be kind. Yes, they had been physical, but Nathan would do this relationship right, proper.
To hell with what everyone else said.
Nathan was capable of being a good boyfriend.
NATHAN ENJOYED showing off his musical talents for Josh in the audience that night.
Halfway through a rendition of “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree,” Nathan noticed Ramona bringing a man up to Josh. Josh stood and smiled, shaking his hand. Nathan couldn’t hear what they said or read their lips, but he could smell the stranger’s sexual attraction to Josh a mile away.
Mine, his demon growled.
Suddenly Nathan’s teeth and fingernails itched and stretched. His hands fumbled on the guitar strings, and he forgot the lyrics.
“Eyes,” Roxy hissed, elbowing Nathan and snapping him back to attention. To cover the break in music, she threw herself into a guitar riff. “Let’s rock this Christmas tree!” She belted out the lyrics like Lzzy Hale, and the audience cheered at the sudden change in tempo.
Nathan closed his eyes and took several deep breaths, too confused by what just happened to even pretend to play his guitar. When he opened his eyes and looked down, he gasped.
His fingernails were elongated and black.
What the hell?
Roxy must’ve noticed them at the same time, because she finished her song and announced the end of their set, much to the audience’s disappointment. “No worries, karaoke is coming up next.” She flipped the switch on their mikes and gave Nathan a worried look. “You okay?”
Nathan made fists, and when he opened his hands, they were back to normal. He gaped at Roxy, too shocked to worry about her witnessing it.
I have claws?
“Maybe you should go see Darrius or the captain,” she suggested, concern in her tone. “I’ll call Carter to lead karaoke. You shouldn’t be around the passengers like this. Your aura is all kinds of angry and scared.”
Nathan nodded.
He’d never been jealous, never had to be. If Nathan wanted a guy, he had him. But the second he smelled that man’s sexual interest—and since when could he smell lust from that far away?—his demon wanted to slash the guy to pieces.
And Nathan grew the actual claws to do it!
“You were great,” Josh said, making Nathan jump.
He spun toward Josh, who stood at the edge of the stage.
“When is karaoke?” Josh asked, smiling at him.
“Um, in an hour,” Nathan managed.
“If you’re off the clock till then, care to join us? We’re going to the ballroom to watch Penelope’s dance show.”
His demon snarled. “Us? You mean that guy you were talking to?”
Josh actually flinched at the venom in Nathan’s voice.
“Dial it back,” Roxy cautioned, placing a hand on Nathan’s arm. He shot her a look, and she wisely let go.
“No, um,” Josh fumbled. “I meant my family.” He shook his head and narrowed his eyes. “Did you think I meant that guy Ramona introduced to me?”
Nathan warred with jealousy eating him up inside. He had to calm down. What if he grew claws again? He took a deep breath and disconnected the cords from his guitar.
I’m human, not just a demon, he told himself. Without looking at Josh, he answered, “Maybe. I saw you laughing with him.”
A gentle hand on his arm made Nathan jump. “Are you jealous?”
The amused note in Josh’s voice shamed Nathan. He could feel Roxy watching them and pretending not to. “Maybe. He’s cute.”
“And so are you. But I told him and Ramona that I was already taken,” Josh said, withdrawing his hand. “I mean, I thought I was….”
Before that hand escaped, Nathan snatched it up in his own, and his demon almost whimpered in hope. “You are,” he insisted. “And you did?”
Chuckling, Josh squeezed his hand. “Why are you being weird? I thought that after everything….” His voice trailed off, and he glanced at Roxy.
Unbelievably relieved and deeply embarrassed for his overreaction, Nathan brought Josh’s hand to his lips and kissed his knuckles. “Too much sun today, I think. I’m tired and grouchy.” He offered Josh his best smile. “And that apparently makes me jealous. Forgive me?”
Josh smiled. “Of course.”
“And in answer to your question, I’d love to join you guys.”
“Don’t you have an appointment with Darrius?” Roxy asked, her brows raised.
Now that Josh was here, his body and powers were totally in check. Nathan was annoyed at himself for allowing Roxy to witness whatever weird thing had just happened. “I can do that anytime. And you’re having Carter do karaoke, so looks like I’m all free for the rest of the evening.”
“That’s great,” Josh said with a
huge grin.
With a shake of her head, Roxy went back to clearing the equipment from the stage.
Nathan wouldn’t worry about what Roxy thought. For now he would take the unexpected chance to be with Josh. “Shall we?”
“Yes,” Josh said.
Though Nathan smiled at Josh, he did worry about the claw thing. But as long as Josh was by his side, his demon was content, so he didn’t fear another jealous outburst.
Tomorrow, he would talk to Darrius and find out what the claws meant.
Chapter Ten
Day Four, At Sea
“NATHAN SEEMS really into you,” Clare leaned in to whisper. The whole family was in a cooking class, learning to make a Caribbean chicken dish Josh had forgotten the name of. Aaron had gone to the singles mixer at the swim-up bar—like he needed any help finding a date.
“Maybe.” Josh couldn’t contain his grin.
“More than maybe,” Clare said, her attention once more on the instructor.
Last night, Nathan had joined his family to watch Penelope’s dance show and comedy routine—which Dad still could not stop talking about, much to Mom’s annoyance. Josh was thrilled how well Nathan fit in with the Gilberts, the way he smiled every time Mom and Dad held hands or Luke made Ramona laugh and swat at him. Josh honestly believed Nathan enjoyed being with all of them. After the sexy snorkeling romp, Josh had been looking forward to bringing Nathan back to his cabin, but halfway through the show, Aaron texted him that he already had a guest and Josh needed to bunk with Clare.
Once again, Nathan had been the picture of patience and chivalry, not minding the wait.
Though Josh was nervous about spending all night together and possibly going all the way—God, he hoped that would happen—he also felt bad that he’d come twice and Nathan hadn’t. This morning when Josh returned to his room, he warned Aaron that the room was Josh’s tonight, all night. No exceptions.
It’s finally going to happen!
Josh looked at Clare now over the butcher block workstations where they were each cutting up various peppers and onions. Josh was so busy daydreaming about Nathan, he was already two steps behind.
“Where are we?” he asked her, having missed what the chef said.
“The chutney.”
Josh frowned. “Yours looks different than mine.”
“You missed the cilantro,” a man one station over said, holding out a small bundle of green stuff.
“Oh, thanks.” He smiled and accepted it.
“You’re very welcome,” the guy said, smiling back.
Josh looked at Clare’s dish and then to his recipe card. He sniffed the cilantro, wondering if he’d like it.
Smelled like soap, so he opted to leave it out of his dish.
Across the island, Clare gave Josh a sly look. “It’s about time you stopped doubting yourself and let yourself enjoy being with Nathan. I like seeing you happy, like last night.”
Josh paused, midcut of the purple onion. “Clare, dating’s not as easy for me as it is for you.”
“What do you mean?” she said, genuinely perplexed.
“You’re beautiful, and 90 percent of the men on the planet are straight and would find you beautiful, so yeah. Mom found you a nice guy. Same with Luke. But my pickings are always gonna be more limited than you guys. I wish you’d all realize that and cut me some slack. If I’m nervous or a doubter, it’s because I have more to lose and less chances to win.”
It hurt his heart saying it out loud.
Clare shook her head with a chuckle. “Sweetie, we do realize that. The gay scene in Fort Wayne isn’t like San Francisco or New York City. Why do you think we booked this cruise? We wanted to up your odds.” She gave him a superior look. “And it seems like it’s working. I just want you to let it. That’s all.”
He couldn’t argue the point, but this whole week seemed too good to be true.
And what was even more too good to be true was the sound of Nathan’s voice announcing his arrival in the cooking class.
“Something smells delicious,” Nathan declared from the doorway.
The chef waved. “Hi, Nathan. Come on in and mingle. We got some great junior chefs here.”
Nathan took a few snapshots of the group, but his gaze kept darting toward Josh, as if he were not surprised at all to find him there.
Has he come looking for me?
“See,” Clare said, elbowing Josh. “Check out his face. He’s so into you.”
Butterflies danced in Josh’s stomach as Nathan crossed the room and headed directly toward Josh’s station. He came up behind Josh, whispering, “And the most delicious thing in here is you.”
It was all Josh could do to not lean back and press his ass against Nathan’s groin. But not in a cooking class. And not in front of his family.
Then Nathan stepped away, giving Josh some breathing room. He leaned one elbow on the workstation beside Josh’s, camera in both hands. “Whatchya cooking, good lookin’?”
Josh’s face had to be as red as the bell pepper in his hand, but he couldn’t contain his grin. “I have no idea,” he answered. “I’ve been distracted.”
Nathan raised his camera and took a snapshot of Josh. He examined the screen, then leaned very close. “You are so fucking cute when you’re embarrassed.”
Josh squirmed away from the warm tickle of his lips against his ear. “You’re going to make me cut myself.”
Nathan clicked his tongue. “Wouldn’t want anything to happen to your beautiful skin.” He ran the back of his fingers down Josh’s bare forearm.
Though he could see Clare, Ramona, and Mom watching intently while Dad and Luke chatted about how great Penelope’s show was, Josh whispered from the corner of his mouth, “I have the cabin to myself this evening.”
The disappointment that crossed Nathan’s face was like a kick in Josh’s gut.
“I mean, that is if you….” The words died on Josh’s lips. Dear God, was Nathan turned off by how quick he came yesterday? He hadn’t seemed like it at the time, and they’d had fun at the show. But maybe he’d lost interest now that he knew what a Premature Peter Josh was. Could Nathan possibly suspect?
Mortified, Josh muttered, “Um, I really am sorry.”
Still smiling, Nathan cocked his head. “About what?”
Josh knew his face was in flames, but he managed to whisper, “Yesterday, snorkeling, in the water, How fast I… you know? I’m not usually, well, I haven’t, um….”
Nathan was quick to grab his hand. “Oh no, never be sorry about that,” he insisted quietly, eyes wide. His voice lowered more, husky and raw. “That was the hottest thing that’s ever happened to me.”
“It was?”
“God, yes. I can’t stop thinking about it.”
“Oh, um… me neither.” Grinning, he focused on the ingredients on his cutting board—and not on Clare pretending she wasn’t trying to listen in—but his hands didn’t work, and he had no clue what step they were on. Relieved Nathan hadn’t been turned off, Josh tried again. “So are you sure about tonight?”
Nathan placed a hand on his shoulder. “Believe me, I want to, but I can’t. Not tonight. I have to make up for everything I didn’t do when I was with you yesterday. I kinda got in trouble that I skipped out on karaoke, and not all of my pictures were posted.”
“Oh, I’m sorry.”
“I’m not,” Nathan said, flashing a grin.
Okay, so they couldn’t have tonight, but Nathan was still into him.
Josh would take it.
“I have the entire day off tomorrow. Let me show you around Jamaica? I’ll take you to my favorite jerk chicken hut in Mo Bay. And then we’ll chill on the beach and drink banana coladas, just you and me?”
Josh chewed his lower lip and nodded. That sounded perfect.
Nathan looked at his watch and frowned. “I’ll see you on the ship off and on today, but duty calls. I gotta get back to work.”
Then to Josh’s pleasure, Nathan kissed him righ
t on the lips, lingering for a moment.
Nathan drew back, smiling. “Later, babe.”
Josh smiled and nodded like an idiot.
He kept his gaze on Nathan as he waved goodbye to the class and departed to photograph other shipboard activities.
Having no clue what the next steps of the recipe were, Josh ignored Clare as she reprimanded him for missing the pineapple in his chutney.
Ramona tsked from the table behind them. “Nathan’s cute and all, but you shouldn’t have turned down the guy from last night. He was from Chicago. That’s close to home. And he was a trial attorney. They make the big bucks.”
“Who cares what the guy’s job is?” Luke chided his wife. “Josh likes Nathan.”
She gave him a sideways glance and a ghetto head bob. “Who cares what his job is?” she repeated. “White boy, if you weren’t in line to take over the insurance office, I wouldn’t have gone on a second date with you.”
Luke returned her head bob with equal attitude. “Woman, you fell for this white boy the second we met. You woulda married me if I worked at Pizza Hut. Don’t even deny it.” Luke winked at Josh. “I don’t get a moment’s peace with her always after my white meat. Think she broke it last night.”
When he leaned in to kiss her, Ramona laughed and swatted his chest. “Get out of my face. I’m cooking.”
Clare and Luke laughed, but Josh’s gaze fell longingly on the door where Nathan had disappeared. Would he and Nathan ever share the playful banter of a long-committed couple? Or was this just a shipboard romance?
If only he knew the answer.
JOSH DRIFTED in and out of consciousness in a lounge chair beside Aaron, both of them wisely under the overhang on the pool deck. The soft chatter, laughter, and splashing sounds of the pool became white noise as he let the warmth of the tropics ease his muscles.
He was almost asleep when he heard a distant call. “Josh? Josh, wake up!”
Josh bolted upright in his chair, momentarily confused about where he was and feeling like he must be late for school with the way Mom called his name. He shielded his eyes with a hand and blinked a few times until she came into focus.
The Boyfriend Cruise Page 12
