Unfamiliar Waters

by Andrew Grey

  Garrett picked up one of the in-house menus and handed it to Nigel. “Pick whatever you want,” he told him.

  Phyllis and Jules returned with Jenkins, and Garrett placed the order and Jenkins said he’d deliver it when it arrived. No James Bond–type of switch with the delivery.

  “I spent the afternoon being questioned,” Phyllis told him once Nigel and Jules were settled for a while.

  “Just tell them the truth. You telling them everything only helps them in the fight with Hilliard.”

  “I know. It was hard, that’s all.” She sat down, looking more drawn than he had ever seen her.

  Once the food arrived, Jenkins brought it in and placed it at the table. They asked if he wanted to stay, but he thanked Nigel and left again.

  Dinner itself was quiet, with tired faces and half-lidded eyes meeting others. Even Jules seemed to have run down and was half asleep.

  “You should plug in your iPad so it can recharge the battery.” Garrett took a break and showed him how to do that. He never thought about such things, but everything was new for them.

  “I’m going to go to my room,” Jules said, taking his iPad and the cord, giving Phyllis a hug and then leaving the room, closing the door.

  “He’s going to play that game for hours,” Nigel explained.

  “It’s okay if it makes him happy.” Garrett could only imagine how he was feeling right now. “We can check on him later.”

  Nigel nodded, and Phyllis stood, saying good night. She left the room, and Garrett set the dishes outside in the hallway and bolted the door. Then he turned out the lights, and he and Nigel went into the bedroom. Garrett closed the door and motioned for Nigel to use the bathroom first. Then he took his turn and climbed into bed in his underwear next to him.

  It was time for that talk.

  Chapter 11

  GARRETT WAITED for Nigel to step away from the windows. He’d gotten out of bed and started pacing as they talked. Now Nigel was still, just looking. His boxers hung on his hips, and he was the definition of hot. Garrett wasn’t going to rush him, and looking kept him plenty happy.

  “I can’t ask you to stay with us,” Nigel said softly. “Though I want to.” He turned, and Garrett looked into deep, troubled eyes, as dark as though they’d seen hell. “If I could, I’d ask you to stay here with us and help us figure out what we’re going to do and how Jules and I are going to fit into this world.” He turned away again, staring out at the lights of the city while Garrett turned off the bedside lamp. “It’s prettier than I imagined it would be… and uglier too, I guess.”

  “What are you going to do?” Garrett asked, his mouth dry.

  Nigel shook his head. “I don’t know. Jules is young… well, younger, and he deserves a chance to see the world and be a kid. I can’t deny him that chance no matter how badly I want to run away.” This time when Nigel turned back to him, he looked older, little wrinkles around his eyes.

  “Nigel….” Garrett sighed. “My life in Baltimore is pretty shitty, if you want to know the truth. David and I had friends, but after he died, I let most of them go. I couldn’t face all of them. It felt wrong and… just wrong.” He hung his head. “You know I’ve been working myself to the bone just to try to forget, and it didn’t work.” He patted the edge of the bed, and Nigel joined him. “I don’t have a life there—I have a job. Big deal. I don’t even think I like it that much.” Right now, the thought of going back to his empty house and a job that pushed him to the edge of his sanity sounded about as interesting as bashing his finger with a hammer.

  “So, you want to stay and help me with this mess.” Nigel chuckled.

  Garrett leaned forward to wrap his arms around Nigel, tugging him close. “Why don’t we take care of your uncle, and then I have to get my stuff from the boat in St. Thomas. We can take things one step at a time.” He clutched Nigel to him, their heat melding together. “The thought of going back to work….” He stepped away. “When I first left on this trip, I was so wounded. You….”

  “I gave you something to do,” Nigel supplied. “I know I’m completely clueless and—”

  “That’s not what I meant,” Garrett interrupted. “You gave me a purpose and woke me out of the blackness that had become my life. I didn’t even know how bad things had gotten until I met you.” He sighed. “You saved me, you have to know that. I was existing for a long time, but not really living, and you changed that.” He tilted Nigel’s head upward with the lightest touch on his chin. “You walked onto that beach, and I didn’t know what hit me.”

  “But I didn’t do anything,” Nigel whined in exasperation.

  “Yes, you did. Do you have any idea how you swept me off my feet? You showed me your conch collection and took me camping in the cave. You were generous and kind. I used to sit on that boat, watching for you half the day, just for the chance to see you. I can’t remember the last time I looked forward to anything, let alone wanted to get up in the morning. And I did, early… every day… just in the hope that you would walk out of that greenery and make the sun shine again.” He shook his head, meeting Nigel’s intense gaze. “So don’t tell me you didn’t do anything.”

  Nigel smiled and leaned closer. “What do we do from here, then?” He looked around. “I have an apartment here, apparently, but I don’t know if this is the right place for us.”

  “Nigel, you have enough money that you can live anywhere you want. But I suppose there are a number of things you should get straightened out. So why don’t we do this? You stay here and figure things out. I’ll do what I can to help… and then in the fall, when it starts getting cold, we can fly down to the islands, get a boat, and you can go back.”

  Nigel actually smiled. “I can?”

  “Why not? We can check with Keller to find out who actually owns the island. But if it’s your uncle, we can figure out where the money came from, and if it was actually the estate, then we can petition to have it transferred.”

  Nigel’s eyes glassed over.

  “In short… yes, you can go home if that’s what you want.” He smiled, and when Nigel pressed Garrett back on the bed, Garrett laughed as Nigel squirmed on top of him. “You like that idea.”

  “Yes. I want to see if my shells are okay, and Jules can check for turtles, and we can play in the water.” Nigel’s eyes darkened even further. “You and I can go back to the cave and camp there again.”

  The temperature in the room rose by ten degrees. “Is that what you’d like?”

  “Yes. Though this time maybe we could figure out how to bring a bed or something.” Nigel rolled off and splayed himself on the mattress. “I really like this one. They’re so soft. Lots better than sleeping on the sand.” He shimmied on the duvet, and Garrett smiled. He loved seeing Nigel happy, and if he could make that happen every day, he could live a happy life.

  “You’re such a goof, you know that?” Garrett grabbed Nigel, stilling him, slid his arms around his waist, and tugged him close once again. “But you’re my goof, and I never want you to change. Not for a second.” Nigel was gentle, and Garrett hoped he stayed that way.

  Garrett brought their lips together in a kiss that made him forget everything except the man in his arms. Nigel clung to him, and Garrett relished the closeness. After days in the cramped cabin of the boat, with little privacy, he was here in a room of their own with Nigel, a huge, king-size, luxurious bed… and he was so damned tired, he could barely keep his eyes open. Garrett didn’t want to back away or bring this to an end, but when they broke their kiss, Nigel rested his head on Garrett’s shoulder, lying quietly.

  “I’m nervous about tomorrow.” He met Garrett’s gaze. “And you’re going to think me stupid and stuff, but I just want to lie here. You aren’t mad, are you?” He blinked, and Garrett rolled them over until Nigel rested on the bed once again. Without asking, he positioned Nigel’s head on the pillow and pulled back the covers so he could get in.

  “You’re not stupid. Sometimes it isn’t the time for sex.�
� Opening one’s soul and being free to admit one’s needs generated a level of trust that could be hard to match, even at the height of passion. “Get into bed, and I’m going to pull the curtains closed. It will block out the light.” He slipped off the bed and walked to the window to do so. The fabric dulled the residual sounds of the city and left them in a cocoon of their own.

  Garrett climbed back into bed, and just like the other times they were together, Nigel pressed right next to him, arms slipping around his waist.

  “Good night,” Nigel said, closing his eyes.

  Garrett wished him a good night as well. He was bone-tired, and yet he ended up staying awake for what seemed like hours, finally smiling and relaxing, letting go of the tension and loss he’d been holding on to for so damned long.

  “I think I can be happy, David,” he whispered into the darkness and closed his eyes.

  “GARRETT, NIGEL, I’m really hungry,” Jules said from the edge of Garrett’s consciousness.

  Garrett wiped the sleep out of his eyes. “You can order room service. If you bring me the menu we used last night, I can show you how to order.” He lay back down, and two seconds later, Jules was back. Garrett showed him the breakfast section, and Jules looked at it with a shrug. “We can get some of everything so you can try it if you want.”

  “Cool. I’ll order.” Jules raced away, and Garrett wondered what they were going to get. He pushed back the covers, pulled on one of the white hotel robes, and joined Jules in the living room. “Waffles and pancakes, four glasses of orange juice, coffee, and three bagels.” Jules grinned and listened, then hung up the phone. “They said half an hour.”

  “Okay. I’m going to go get dressed, and after breakfast, I have to buy some fresh clothes.”

  “Is Nigel up?” Jules asked.

  “I think so. Give me a minute and come on in.” Garrett returned to the bedroom, grabbed the clothes he had, and went into the bathroom, catching a glimpse as Jules bounded onto the bed.

  “I love that we can call on that phone thing and food arrives. It’s awesome.”

  Garrett closed the door and then got into the shower. He was lathering up when the door opened, causing him to jump. He poked his head from behind the curtain as Nigel slipped off his boxers, grinning before sliding past the frosted sliding doors behind him.

  “Where’s Jules?” Garrett was half afraid he’d bound in here as well.

  “In his room, playing that game, waiting for the food like he’s starving.” Nigel slipped his arms around Garrett’s waist, hands blazing a trail of heat that left Garrett breathless and his knees shaking. When he pressed to Garrett, cock sliding along his butt cleft, he reached for the soap dish to steady his balance. “Speaking of starving….” Nigel’s voice lowered an octave, growing rumbly and rich.

  “What did you have in mind?” Garrett managed to get the soap back in the dish, then turned around, pulled Nigel under the water, and kissed him. Nigel’s hair plastered to his head, wetness cascading over them from the rain-shower head. He kept his eyes shut as his cock throbbed between them. Garrett cupped Nigel’s butt, bringing them closer together even as Nigel slid downward. “Sweetheart, I….”

  Nigel licked and kissed down his belly, and Garrett swallowed hard. Then Nigel closed his lips around the head of Garrett’s cock, and his knees shook. He wound his fingers into Nigel’s wet hair and cupped his head, then his strong shoulders as Nigel took him deeper. He tried like hell to stop the whine that burst from him, his heart warming by the second.

  Nigel pulled away and slowly stood. Garrett tugged him nearer once again, their warmth mingling under the hot water. Garrett needed him the way he needed air, and Nigel…. God, the thought of letting him go turned Garrett cold for a second. How in the hell could he possibly, ever, not have this… him… love in his life once more? He brought their lips together again, kissing Nigel with everything he had.

  “I want you,” Nigel whispered against his lips. “I need you.”

  “I want the same, but I want you in the bed where I can make love to you properly.” Garrett cupped the most perfect butt on earth. It was made for his hands. Hell, everything about Nigel seemed made for him.

  Nigel stiffened and slowly raised his gaze. “You love me?”

  Garrett smiled with a little relief. He’d wondered if something was wrong at first. “Yes, I do.” The words came out with an ease that surprised him. He had expected that saying he loved someone other than David would be hard, but with Nigel, it was as easy as pie. “I didn’t mean to, but I did. I fell in love with you.” He turned off the water and grabbed the towels.

  “Are we done?” Nigel squeaked, standing in the middle of the shower, cock pointing upward, his hands on his hips. “What is this? In books, they tell each other that they love each other and then come the really good parts. I feel sort of cheated.”

  Garrett stepped closer. “Your brother is out there about to bring in breakfast. You know as soon as it arrives, he’s going to rush in here, and the last thing I want him to see is you and me….” Garrett swallowed. “Besides….” He slid his fingers around Nigel’s cock and stroked slowly. Nigel quivered. “Anticipation is good for the soul.” He laughed, and Nigel growled.

  But Garrett had no intention of leaving Nigel hanging. He lifted Nigel into his arms, set him on the counter, spread his legs, and swallowed his cock to the root. Nigel shook and moaned softly, cock throbbing as it slid over Garrett’s tongue, his rich, earthy flavor bursting in his mouth.

  Nigel whined, and Garrett knew things were coming to a conclusion quickly, for him as well. “Garrett…,” Nigel whimpered under his breath as he thrust forward, clinging to the edge of the counter. Garrett was already lost in the moment and pushed Nigel and himself to the point of no return, taking him deep as Nigel plunged over the edge, with Garrett right along with him.

  Garrett stilled, his pulse racing, head on cloud nine. Nigel breathed like he’d run a marathon. Garrett let Nigel slip from between his lips. Handing him his towel, he used his own to clean himself up.

  “Breakfast is here…,” Jules called in a singsong way.

  Garrett could barely move, but leaned in to kiss Nigel gently. “I do love you.”

  Nigel sniffed. “I love you too.” He turned away. “Just don’t ever leave.”

  Garrett’s thoughts came to a screeching halt. “Why would I?”

  “What if I’m not good enough?” Nigel asked, with such earnestness that it cut through the postpassion haze like a knife through butter. “Mom and Dad are gone, Aunt Phyllis isn’t…. Fairfield tried to kill us…. What if I’m not worth loving?”

  “None of that has anything to do with you. Hilliard is an ass, but that isn’t your fault, and your mom and dad dying… it was an accident….” As he said the words, a chill raced up his back. Garrett tried to will it away, but it grew colder and harsher by the second. “And none of that says anything about the person you are. And it certainly doesn’t mean that I’m going to go running for the hills. Being with you makes me happy—you make me happy.”

  “Guys, I’m gonna eat it all,” Jules teased from the other room, and they finished dressing before joining Jules. He had a huge plate of food in front of him and was downing it fast enough to make any teenager proud.

  Garrett poured himself a cup of coffee, and once Nigel had sat down to eat, he snagged a few pieces of fruit before exiting the suite. “Is Carver up?” Garrett asked the agents outside the door.

  “He’s still resting.”

  “I need to talk to him, alone.” Garrett knocked on the door and was let inside. Carver, still in a robe, his arm pressed to his chest in a sling, joined him. “I didn’t want to ask in front of Jules and Nigel, but have you looked into the circumstances of their parents’ death? Nigel said it was an accident.”

  Jenkins, who was dressed and already at his computer, said, “I looked at the file briefly. Their deaths were indeed ruled an accident. They were hit here in the city, broadsided by a huge SUV on
Fifth coming through a light. It says their car was a convertible—it ended up crushed under the other vehicle.”

  “What about the driver? Was he drunk?” Garrett asked.

  “No.” Jenkins looked up from the screen. “Why?”

  Garrett released his breath. “I wonder if Hilliard could have had them killed. He sure as hell seemed to have a plan in place once they were gone. After Jules and Nigel went to the funeral, an ‘aunt’ met them and escorted them to the island, where they lived for the decade. All he had to know was the route they were taking and have them rammed. What time of day was it?”

  “Late. They were coming home from a charity fundraiser,” Jenkins supplied. “There is an article in the file from the next day about the event.”

  “Easy enough to arrange. It was dark, there weren’t a huge number of people on the street. Hilliard was probably there—he knew what they were driving. Just a call, and greedy but so far less successful Hilliard gets access to his brother’s money.” Garrett turned to Carver.

  “That’s diabolically brilliant and worthy of a movie plot.”

  “Yes,” Jenkins interjected. “The driver had no alcohol in his system. The Montagues had a little, but were well under the limit. The incident was deemed an accident, and that was it.” Jenkins continued typing.

  “And Hilliard has everything he always wanted,” Garrett added sarcastically.

  “True. But I don’t think we’re going to be able to prove anything at this point,” Carver said.

  Garrett didn’t argue with him. He had no basis other than a feeling that wouldn’t go away. He sighed. “We’re finishing up breakfast and can be ready to go in an hour.”

  “Excellent,” Jenkins said. “We have people watching the building. Hilliard is in the penthouse. His first appointment is at noon today, and he has company… paid company.” He smirked. “Make sure the guys are ready, and we’ll take you over.”

  Garrett thanked them and left, the chill in his spine not abating. The situation with Nigel and Jules’s parents made him even more nervous. It was a distinct possibility Hilliard had killed his brother and his sister-in-law, and Garrett wondered if he should tell Nigel. The thought of adding more worry and hurt made Garrett’s heart ache, and he paused outside the door, nodding to the agent on duty before going inside.