“Oho!” Cody crowed. “So you have been on an undocked boat before!”
Aaron rolled his eyes. “A canoe on a man-made river barely a hundred feet wide and eight feet deep at most. That’s not the point.”
“Sorry.” Cody smiled. “Not sorry.”
“Yeah, okay. Anyway, the practices and races were really early in the morning, before the park opened. And since it opened at 8:00 in the summer, that meant 5:30, 6:00.”
Cody winced. “Oooh. Rough.”
Aaron shrugged. “Not really. I’m kind of a morning person. Anyway, walking through the empty park, right after dawn, when the light is pink and the streets are still wet from being washed down? It was special. How many people ever get to see that?”
Cody leaned into him, pressing their arms and shoulders together. “I get it. You were part of the family.”
“Yeah. Yeah, I guess I was.”
Another boat passed by on the river, its wake sending their boat rocking gently.
“Does this boat have a name? I hate to keep thinking about it as ‘the boat.’”
“It does. Nancy’s Fancy II.”
“Was there a Nancy’s Fancy I?”
“Yes. My aunt’s name is Nancy, and my uncle bought the first boat for their tenth anniversary, then replaced it with this one on her last birthday.”
“Is your whole family obsessed with boats?”
Cody cast him a sidelong glance as he spooned a mouthful of chowder. “Not obsessed. But when you live in a coastal town, it’s kind of a no-brainer. I mean, the water is right freaking there. Why wouldn’t you go out on it?”
“Extending the area of your ‘manageable-sized’ state?”
“Maybe.” He gestured expansively with his spoon. “Nothing like a little maritime elbow room. Although sometimes it can get a little more extensive than you plan.”
Aaron sopped up some broth with a hunk of bread. “What do you mean?”
“Since the Connecticut shoreline is all along Long Island Sound, that’s where you spend your time in the summer if you’ve got a boat. But there are no docks on the Sound. So if you’re planning to spend a summer weekend on your boat, usually you anchor it in the Sound and use a smaller craft to go back and forth from shore.” He set his empty bowl down and stretched his arm along the rail behind Aaron’s back.
“I take it Nancy’s Fancy I and II have such crafts?”
“Yep. Same one, in fact—a pretty basic plywood dinghy. I mean, it doesn’t have to be elaborate to row back and forth from shore. Anyway, Uncle John allowed Kenny and me to mess around in the dinghy when we were kids. One day while we were rowing around, we spotted a tree floating in the Sound and thought, in typical meddling boy fashion, ‘Hey, let’s go mess around with that.’”
Aaron set his own bowl aside, the excellent dinner suddenly sitting uneasily in his stomach. “How old were you?”
Cody squinted up at the starry sky. “I was probably around ten, and Kenny was thirteen, maybe fourteen. Anyway, we started rowing. And rowing. And rowing. It took way longer to reach the damn tree than we expected. What we didn’t realize was that as we were rowing toward it, it was moving away. By the time we finally got to it, we were almost out of sight of land.”
Aaron gripped his knees and tried to keep his breathing steady. “Were you in the ocean?”
“Not quite. We started rowing back, but the current was taking us sideways from where we wanted to go, so we decide to just get to land somewhere and find our way back to Madison afterward.”
“Is that what….” Aaron croaked. He cleared his throat. “Is that what you did?”
Cody chuckled. “We tried. But Dad and Uncle John had called the Coast Guard on us. We got towed back to the river dock. Kenny’s always said that the sight of my dad standing there with his arms crossed, scowling like a WWE wrestler, was more frightening than the thought of drowning.”
Cody started whistling “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald,” and Aaron’s control broke.
He leaped to his feet, fists clenched, and faced Cody, who was staring at him with his mouth agape.
“It’s not funny, Cody. It’s not something to joke about with theme music and a fucking laugh track.” Aaron’s breath sawed in and out. “You could have died.” Heat surged behind Aaron’s eyes, threatening to spill over. He turned away, striding between the dual wheels to stand at the stern, staring out at the dark river.
“Hey.” Cody’s voice was barely louder than the lap of water against the hull. “I’m sorry. I didn’t tell you that to upset you.” He rested his chin on Aaron’s shoulder. “It worked out okay. Kenny and I are both still causing our dads grief. Think of it as history that had a cheerful outcome. Well, cheerful in that we made it back to shore. Not so cheerful in terms of what our punishment was. We spent the rest of that summer—and the next one too—scraping barnacles off all our parents’ friends’ boats rather than setting foot on our own.”
Aaron whirled to face him. “You don’t get it. You could have died.”
Cody’s brow was knotted with concern. “I was there, Aaron. Of course I get it. But there’s no point in freaking out about it now. It’s past and I’m here now. I’m fine.”
Aaron traced Cody’s face with trembling fingers. “You could have died.” His voice broke, but he was done talking. He crushed his mouth to Cody’s, a desperate mashing of lips, a clash of teeth, an awkward swipe of tongue, whimpering because this wasn’t about seduction or romance or pleasure—it was about fucking proof of life.
But after a moment, Cody’s solid presence, his chest warm against Aaron’s, his scent, his stubble rasping against Aaron’s lips, and the pressure of his palms on Aaron’s back, penetrated Aaron’s fog of panic.
He pulled back, resting his forehead against Cody’s. “Sorry. I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have—”
“You absolutely should.” Cody continued to stroke Aaron’s back. “You’ve told me, Aaron. You’ve told me more than once and in more than one way that safety and security are important to you, and that you’re not comfortable with the ocean. I should have known that story would be a trigger.”
“You don’t have to make allowances for my neuroses.”
“Why not? It’s part of being a worthwhile human being, isn’t it, to be considerate of other people’s feelings? Even if the story weren’t an issue, I shouldn’t have been so flip about it.” He stroked Aaron’s hair. “Really. I’m the one who’s sorry.”
“Don’t be.” Aaron took a deep breath. “Cody, you are light and joy, and I would never want you to be any different. But the idea that all of that could have been snuffed out before I had a chance to meet you. Before the world had a chance to meet you. Before your niece had a chance to meet you. Well, that was a trigger for sure. But that’s on me, not you. For now….”
Cody’s eyes were darker than the river. “For now?”
Aaron leaned in and pressed a tender kiss to Cody’s lips, then took his courage in both hands. “For now, I would really like to make love with you.”
“THAT….” CODY swallowed, his mouth gone dry as hardtack. “That can be arranged.”
Aaron’s smile glimmered in the glow from the Village’s safety lights. “Naturally. My Mystic man thinks of everything.”
Cody took Aaron’s hand and led him to the companionway. “Watch your step—and your head. You’re a bit taller than any of our other passengers. I’ll go first.”
Below deck, Cody led him across the salon to the wide bed in the bow. His skin felt as if he’d plugged himself into the nearest outlet. Sure, he’d hoped they’d end up here when he’d planned the day, but he hadn’t expected it to be this… momentous.
This mattered. No way could he escape with zero consequences. But I’m not sure I’d want to escape anyway. “As you can see,” he said, attempting to defuse his own nerves with his best cruise director impression, “our accommodations are much more luxurious than the Morgan.”
Aaron nodded, rubbing his thumb
over the back of Cody’s hand in a very distracting manner. “Yes. Very nice. The noticeable absence of harpoons is appreciated too.”
“Well….” Cody quirked an eyebrow and let his glance stray to Aaron’s groin. “I wouldn’t say a complete absence of harpoons.”
Aaron blinked, his jaw dropping, then broke into laughter. “You are an adventure all on your own.” He crowded Cody against the storage closet door, pressing their bodies together. “An adventure I’d never have taken if I hadn’t…. If I hadn’t—”
“Leaped?”
He grinned. “Exactly.” He dipped his head and kissed Cody’s neck, then nuzzled the angle of his jaw. “You smell like the sea. Clean and salty and more than a little bit wild.”
Cody’s breath hitched, as if it couldn’t make its way up his rib cage. “Is that a bad thing?”
“No.” Aaron inhaled, long and slow. “I think I’m becoming addicted.” He looked down into Cody’s eyes. “To your scent, to your spirit. To your… feet.”
Cody gasped out a laugh. “My feet?”
“You have very sexy feet,” Aaron murmured. Then he pulled back, his expression suddenly morphing from sultry to apologetic. “Not that I have a foot fetish or anything. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, if that’s what you’re into—”
“Aaron. It’s okay. I don’t think you’re a sex maniac.”
Aaron laughed shakily. “Thank God.” He smoothed Cody’s hair back from his forehead. “However, I do need to mention that the sight of your bare chest today engendered some very… er… sex maniacal thoughts.”
“Yeah? In that case….” Cody pulled his T-shirt over his head. “I’m all over that.”
“Oh.” Aaron swallowed, his Adam’s apple sliding in a way that made Cody want to take a bite. “I haven’t done this with anyone for a while.” His fingers trembled as his hands settled on Cody’s hips, sending Cody’s heart into full-on overdrive.
“You’re doing pretty good for being out of practice, then.”
Aaron stilled, a smile blooming. “Really?” He leaned in until his lips were a breath from Cody’s own. “Tell me what’s on your mental playlist right now, and I’ll tell you whether I believe you.”
“Playlist?” Cody licked his lips, his tongue encountering the corner of Aaron’s mouth. Ungh! “Taiko drums, I think.”
Aaron pressed his hand in the center of Cody’s chest and whispered against Cody’s lips. “I think that’s your heartbeat.”
“Aaron,” Cody whispered.
“Mmmm?” His lips vibrated against Cody’s.
“If you don’t kiss me now, I’ll show you what maniacal really looks like.”
“I wouldn’t want that.”
This time Aaron’s kiss wasn’t the frantic thing it had been up on deck. It started out sweet and soft, as if he was exploring all the ways their mouths could fit together—and there seemed to be a lot more than Cody had ever encountered in the past. Thank God for librarians. They really know how to research!
Aaron’s research into all the ways he could make Cody moan with his tongue took him farther south—neck, shoulder, pec, nipple! Gah!
“This… is… nnngh… so unfair.”
“What is?” Aaron murmured against Cody’s skin, adding a little nip that caused Cody’s hips to jerk forward, seeking heat and friction.
“I’m half-naked, but you’re still wearing a damn polo and chinos.”
Aaron glanced up at him. “A fair point. Plus—” He stood up, pressing a hand to his lower back. “—my back can’t take this position for much longer.”
“I could point out that the berth is right behind you.”
Aaron glanced over his shoulder. “So it is.” He looked back at Cody. “Your noncruise has so many fascinating immersive activities that I’d forgotten.”
“We include a turn-down service, you know.” Cody tugged Aaron’s shirttail out of his pants.
“Indeed? And apparently a valet on staff as well.”
“Well, this is an all-inclusive noncruise.” Unable to wait another instant, Cody lifted Aaron’s shirt over his head, being careful not to dislodge his glasses. In the dim light from the ports and overhead hatch, Aaron’s skin glowed like cream, and Cody sucked in a breath.
Aaron glanced down at his chest and winced. “Fish-belly white.”
“And here I am….” Cody skated his fingers from Aaron’s collarbone, down his chest, and around his ribs. “Reveling.”
“Is reveling a part of this noncruise too?”
“Like I said.” He unbuckled Aaron’s belt, then stepped away, shucking his own shorts and briefs down his legs. “All-inclusive.” He climbed onto the bed and scooted back to lie down against the pillows, spreading his arms.
Aaron licked his lips. “Damn. If I’d known shipboard life was like this….” He shed his own pants, his long, cut cock standing proud in a nest of sandy curls, then crawled onto the bed, prowling forward on hands and knees until he was looming over Cody. “Permission to come aboard?”
Cody laced his fingers behind Aaron’s neck. “Granted.” He pulled Aaron down. When their lips met, Aaron sighed and lowered himself until they were touching, skin to skin, aallll the way down.
This. Him. Cody tightened his arms around Aaron, blood heating as the kiss deepened. He’s my safe harbor.
Chapter NINE
THE STUPID seagulls crying outside woke Cody at dawn. After a lifetime spent near the shore, he ought to be used to them by now, but he’d never managed to tune them out. It hadn’t been that much of an issue when he was a kid and was eager to get out on the water, or on a sail, when he was ever popular for taking the early-morning watch. Today, though? It was just criminal.
Because a warm, sleeping Aaron nestled in the pillows next to him, his pale, freckled back like a reverse star field. Cody spooned closer, nuzzling his nape, playing with the hair on Aaron’s chest.
“Mmmm.” Aaron captured Cody’s hand, lacing their fingers together. “Apparently this noncruise includes a wake-up service too.”
Cody kissed him between his shoulder blades. “We take our all-inclusivity very seriously.”
“Then allow me to lodge a request for a bigger bathroom. I banged my elbows on every available surface in there.” He patted Cody’s hand and rolled to a sitting position. “And I’m about to repeat the abuse.”
While Aaron was in the head, Cody stretched, enjoying the tiny post-sex discomforts—like beard burn on his face, throat, and inner thighs—that reminded him of what he and Aaron had done for most of the night. No doubt Aaron could catalog an identical set of sensations—in addition to his elbow bruises.
It had been… magical. Sometimes messy, occasionally awkward, but magical nonetheless.
Cody couldn’t wait to do it again.
Aaron emerged from the head, and even though he’d put his boxer briefs back on, without his glasses he somehow looked more naked. He blinked in the crepuscular light as if he couldn’t figure out why he wasn’t able to focus.
Cody snagged his glasses off the headboard and held them out. “Here. This might make it easier to navigate.”
“Thanks.” He settled them on his nose. “I didn’t think it was possible.”
“What?”
“You’re gorgeous even at the ass-crack of dawn.”
The heat spreading across Cody’s chest and up his throat meant he was in the throes of another stupid full-body blush. He could probably be mistaken for one of the lobsters at The Place. For crying out loud, when had he become self-conscious about his looks? Since it matters that someone specific finds them attractive.
Aaron ducked to peer out the port at the sunrise, scratching his jaw absently, so Cody pulled the sheet up over his chest and reveled in the sight of Aaron’s body.
Yes, Aaron’s skin was pale, and although he disparaged it as fish-belly white, to Cody, it was nothing short of mouthwatering. Then he noticed a dark pattern curling around Aaron’s ribs above his hip.
“
Hey. You have ink. How did I miss that last night?”
“Minimal ink.” Aaron flashed a grin. “And you were busy reveling in the fish-belly white, so perhaps it escaped detection.” He glanced down at himself. “This is the tattoo I got the night after I graduated with my MLS, the night I met Wayne. It gave him a false impression of my bad-boy quotient, poor man.”
“Don’t spare any sympathy for him. He’s an idiot.” Cody scooted forward, keeping the sheet over his lap, so he could examine the tattoo up close and personal. It was a rectangular frame about the size of his palm, with a scrollwork border and a Latin inscription. “Is it a bookplate?”
Aaron winced, rubbing the back of his neck. “Yeah. It was supposed to just say ‘Ex Libris,’ but I was a little drunk, so I didn’t trust myself to describe what I wanted. I gave the bookplate to the tattoo artist so he could copy the words, but apparently my instructions were a little vague. Instead, he copied the whole thing, including the border.” He smiled crookedly. “I wondered why it took so freaking long to ink.”
“Doesn’t ‘Ex Libris’ mean ‘from the library of’ somebody or other? Why is it blank?”
Aaron chuckled. “I wasn’t that drunk. Besides at the time, I guess you could say I was still in circulation. Didn’t belong to anybody.”
Cody’s throat thickened, a sudden wave of want washing over him. You do now. But that was stupid. They’d known each other less than a week. Sometimes that’s all it takes.
Eliza had met Hiran at a party that she wasn’t even supposed to be at—she’d missed her train home and got cajoled into going to the party by her college roommate. She’d always said that one look was all it took for her to know he was the one, even if it took her another year and a half to convince him. Cody’s parents had met at a wedding and six months later were married themselves.
In fact, when he thought about it, love at first sight was a tradition in his family. Who was he to fight the inevitable? But Aaron doesn’t leap. I’ll just have to exercise patience until he realizes he’s hooked, and then I’ll reel him in.
Mystic Man Page 9
