Beach Balls

by Tara Lain

  Did he? The guy was all the things Adam usually liked, to say nothing of the best blowjob master he’d ever met. Well, with one notable exception. “Actually, I, uh, got a text, and I have to go back early to take care of some business. So I’ll be leaving right after I finish this. Sorry. It was really great meeting you.”

  Gary looked disappointed before his gaze began to roam over the men at the other tables. “No, I understand. Business before pleasure and all that. Great to meet you too.” He stood and headed for another group of men.

  Carly bit into his toast and chewed, giving Adam a funny look. “So you’re leaving?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Business?”

  “You know I’m all about the job.”

  Carly started to laugh and kept on laughing until a few of the guests looked over. Oh hell. Adam laughed too. They both knew his business was a phone call to a tall, skinny diver.

  AFTER ADAM got home, he stashed the swim trunks in the proper drawer and then pulled the pants and shirt he’d worn last night out of his suitcase. He took a quick sniff. Did they smell a little like Sky? Probably just his imagination. Those clothes had been off pretty fast after they’d gotten to the suite. He tossed them in the dry-cleaning hamper.

  Okay, he was officially home. He put his bag in the closet and slipped on his flip-flops. Something cold sounded good. But first he took the wallet from his pocket and carefully removed the note. You’re great. You’re great. You’re great. He let that rhythm carry him out of the bedroom, down the hall, through the great room, and into the kitchen.

  A quick survey of his fridge showed some bottled ice teas, and he grabbed one. He should do some grocery shopping. He could use some grapefruit juice. Maybe he could make dinner for Sky. Adam opened the bottle and took a swig. It was cold and just a tiny bit tart. Kind of like when he’d first met Sky, but the guy had warmed up considerably.

  Adam stopped. I’m obsessing. But why? Why the hell was he focused on this man like some besotted teenager? They barely knew each other. They’d had a terrific hookup, but it was nothing more.

  He went into the great room with his tea and sat on the big leather sectional. He liked being home, but this room wasn’t all that homey. He’d worked so hard to make it aggressively masculine with all the leather and oak that he’d failed to reflect himself. He wanted to feature one of Roman’s big nudes in here, but a client would crack a joke, and Adam would be tempted to deck the guy. Better to just not risk it.

  He stared at the piece of paper in his hand. What would Sky’s place look like? A comfy cottage with pictures of fish. Maybe he had a dog or something. He seemed like an animal lover.

  He really wanted to see Sky again, and he’d left his phone number. It must be mutual. But calling today? That was a little over-the-top. Not cool. Not the laid back, take-it-or-leave-it guy he usually played.

  Who cares? He reached for the landline.

  His heart was actually beating fast. He dialed. Would Sky answer? Adam had the privacy set so his number or name wouldn’t show on caller ID, so Sky wouldn’t know who was calling.

  “This is Sky.”

  Adam exhaled. “Hi. Uh, it’s—”

  “Hi, James-call-me-Adam.”

  Oh shit. That’s right. He’d told Sky his name. He was out of control. “Yeah, my friends call me Adam. Like from the last name, you know.”

  “Then I’ll call you Adam.”

  “Thanks.” Silence. Adam cleared his throat. “Have you got a dog?”

  “What?”

  Adam laughed. “I was just wondering what your place looked like and thought you might have a dog or something.”

  “Want to find out what my place looks like and meet Gore and Cousteau?”

  Adam smiled. “You’re kidding with the names.”

  “Nope.”

  “Meeting them’s kind of what I had in mind.”

  “I think that can be arranged. How about Friday night?”

  The words broke out. “It seems like a long time.”

  “Yeah, it does. But I have to work. What about you?”

  Jesus, what was he thinking? He had to convince a city council that a benzene-soaked plot of land could be remediated. “Yeah. Just kidding. I mean, it does seem like a long time, but I have a ton of shit to do before then. So Friday it is.” He couldn’t believe himself. He’d just forgotten the whole city council, the architect, and the entire gazillion-dollar project because of one great fuck. He really was crazy.

  “So you want to come here and meet my dog.”

  “Yeah. I’ll bring dinner, okay?”

  He paused. “Okay. But you know, this man-in-the-closet routine may be tough on our acquaintance.”

  “Yeah. I know.”

  “Give me your e-mail. I’ll send you my address.”

  “Uh, sure.” The closet had turned into a minefield. He rattled off the e-mail he kept for his alternate life. It started adamson@.

  “I’ll see you Friday, and you’ll bring food. I’ve got a little wine but if you want more, bring it along.”

  “Sure.”

  Silence.

  Sky spoke first. “Okay, great, then. I’ll see you Friday.”

  “Okay. ’Bye.” He hung up and stared at the phone. Shit. That was not what he expected and not what he wanted. Not what he wanted at all.

  He had a giant knot in his stomach. He tried to take a big breath, but he just couldn’t—his chest was too tight.

  Dammit. Friday was five fucking days away. An eternity of stress lay between now and then.

  No.

  He grabbed the phone and dialed.

  Sky answered on half a ring. “Yeah.”

  “I hated that conversation. I don’t want to wait until Friday. I want to see you tonight. Now. I really want to see you.”

  After a pause, the soft voice said, “Me too.”

  “Can you come here?”

  “Where’s there?”

  “Newport Beach.”

  “Can’t. I was serious about the work thing. I have a meeting tonight. But I can meet you for a little while.”

  “That’s not exactly going to get your cock in my ass.”

  “True. If that’s your single goal, then it’s not gonna happen today.”

  Decision time. Getting together “for a while” meant conversation, and that meant revelation, and he still wasn’t sure how much he wanted to share with anyone.

  Sky chuckled. “You’re quiet. Is that my answer?”

  “No. Sorry. I was just thinking about a place we could meet.”

  “How about Crystal Cove? It’s probably halfway between us, so I can get to my meeting. I’ll bet a high-roller like you doesn’t have a single friend who even knows how to get there, so you won’t have to dive behind rocks every five minutes.”

  Adam laughed. “That’s true, because even I don’t know how to get there.”

  Sky described a parking lot on one side of the Coast Highway and a walk to the other side and down a hill.

  “Are you sure we have enough time to find this place?” Adam asked.

  “It’s not as complicated as it sounds. There’s an outdoor restaurant there. It’s really popular so we may not be able to get in, but I’ll meet you beside it. Whoever gets there first can put our names in. We can have a late lunch, and that’ll keep me going tonight.”

  “Okay. How soon?”

  “How about an hour?”

  “See ya.” He’d done it. He’d just violated all of his sexual-liaison principles. Thou shalt not get close enough for any gay guy to know who you are and blackmail you when he finds out he can. Between Carly’s parties, if Adam got so desperate that no amount of masturbation would do the job, he went way out of town to a gay bar, picked up a guy, and had some quick sex.

  Now he’d just made a fucking date with an ostentatious man who lived in Laguna to meet in the open at some beach where anyone he knew could hang out. He’d go as James Adamson, but still, this was not a good idea. All the eviden
ce said he had lost his fucking mind.

  He really looked forward to it.

  SKY SAT on the low stonewall and sucked in the smell of eucalyptus. In front of him, the ocean rolled onto a wide, curved beach.

  I’ve got shit to do. Why am I here? He’d left one pissed-off dog, who strongly felt Sky should be staying home for at least an hour, in favor of arriving at Crystal Cover early in order to stare at the sea and moon over James Adamson. Bizarre. Yes, the sex was legendary, but purposefully pursuing human contact? Not his thing. Especially when the human smelled of big business, expense accounts, and corporate profits that didn’t get shared.

  Like the knell of some mythical bell, his phone rang, and he grabbed it. Adam canceling? He glanced. No.

  “Hello, Mother.”

  “Sky, how are you?” Her voice sounded far, far away, not that the distance was unusual.

  “Well.” They never had much to say to each other.

  “I wanted to let you know that your father and I have extended the Africa trip an extra month, so we won’t be coming through California on our way home after all.”

  “Oh. Sorry to miss seeing you.” Sorry but not surprised.

  “Yes, well, the issues relating to the survival of the habitat here are excruciating. We simply can’t leave with the job half-done.”

  “I understand.”

  “How is your project going?”

  “I think we have an excellent case.”

  “Good. Send us details of the results.”

  “I will.”

  “Perhaps we’ll get by next year, or you can fly to Denmark.”

  “Perhaps. My work keeps me here also.”

  “I know. We’re proud of you.”

  “Thank you, Mother. Tell Father I said hello.”

  “I will. Good-bye, Sky.”

  “’Bye.”

  He stared at the phone. When had his folks transitioned from being parents to being colleagues? He half smiled. Never. They’d always been colleagues. They’d taken him underwater before he could walk. As soon as he took his first steps, they had him marching in his first protest parade. They led him to a life dedicated to service. Inspiring.

  But here he sat, not working. Not serving. Waiting—for a guy. But what a guy. James—uh, Adam—was funny, charming, smart and inquisitive, fucking amazing in bed, easy on the eyes, and the only guy who’d done it for Sky in a long time.

  What am I thinking? Answer—I’m not. But the fact was, a life of service might be inspiring, but it wasn’t always loving—or fun.

  Fuck, he’d earned a few stupid fantasies, right? A guy couldn’t be serious all the time. If he didn’t get too close, he could enjoy the romance novel before he threw it in the trash.

  ADAM DESCENDED a long, sloping path that started winding through bushes and ended between towering eucalyptus trees. A few little beach cottages served as art galleries and souvenir shops, but the place seemed miles from anywhere, though it was tucked away on the north end of Laguna Beach.

  Stairs led to a large wooden building with a big open porch from which voices and music flowed. This place might be miles from anywhere but not from anyone. The porch was crowded with people eating and talking.

  “Adam.” Sky stood at the edge of the building. He waved.

  Adam went to Sky, trying to control his smile. “Hi.”

  “Hi. I put our names in, but it will be a while. Want to see the cove?”

  “Sure.” He’d worn cargo shorts figuring the place Sky described was pretty primitive, and he’d been right.

  Sky led the way out onto the sand. At least he didn’t try the hand-holding this time, but shoot, that didn’t make Adam happy. One of these days he’d decide what he wanted.

  The cove was gorgeous. Framed by high cliffs, a long curving shell of sand met the surf. A glance in the other direction showed flatter beach with a row of tiny, brightly colored cottages. He strode to catch up with Sky. “It’s really beautiful. I wish I could paint. This would be the perfect spot.” At low tide the waves were pretty far out, and they walked on damp, packed sand.

  “Yeah, a lot of painters come here. You see them set up with their easels on the beach.” Sky ambled along the waterline.

  “You ever hear of a painter named Roman? I really love his stuff. He does those beautiful nudes.”

  Sky looked sideways at him. “I actually know him. Nice guy. He’s a friend of a friend.”

  “No kidding. You probably didn’t have time to notice.” Adam grinned. “But Carly has quite a few of his pieces.”

  “Yeah, I did notice. I gave him some extra points for taste.”

  “What are the little cottages for?”

  “People stay in them. I hear they’re a favorite spot for assignations.”

  Adam laughed. “And you said I wouldn’t know anybody at this cove. Hell, it seems like half the guys I work with cheat on their wives. But they call gay guys promiscuous.”

  Still walking, Sky pointed at some boulders at the base of the cliff. “Want to sit for a while?”

  “Okay.”

  Sky sank down on the sand beside the biggest rock. He scooted to the far side, which would make him invisible to anyone down the beach by the restaurant. He patted the sand beside him.

  Adam sat, and Sky put an arm around him, pulling him close. Man, this was new territory. Adam took a deep breath.

  “Is this uncomfortable for you?”

  “No, just different.”

  “Because you don’t go with guys in public?”

  “Yeah. And when I am with them I usually top, so I take the lead.”

  “Oh, sorry.” Sky started to withdraw.

  Adam grabbed his hand. “No, I wasn’t complaining. Just explaining.”

  Sky tightened his arm. “You like this?”

  “Yeah. I do.” Adam wasn’t lying. Sky was angel-faced and almost girlie with his halo of curls, but he sure knew how to be a man.

  “Good.”

  The roar of the ocean and yammering of the seagulls almost overpowered the sound of his heart in his ears. This is so nice. Adam pressed closer and fit his head into the hollow below Sky’s collarbone. It was odd feeling almost… cared for. That wasn’t an experience he ever got. No one took care of Adam but Adam. Still, Sky felt good—warm and even a little safe, which was bizarre since he was threatening Adam’s carefully manufactured identity.

  Sky palmed Adam’s cheek, then coaxed his face up. Adam looked into the blue eyes as Sky’s lips gently touched his. He nuzzled, then nipped, followed by a broad tongue lick full on the mouth. Adam laughed, but he had to admit it sounded a lot like a giggle. He buried a hand in Sky’s curls and pulled his head tight, tasting minty toothpaste and pure goodness.

  Adam twisted so they faced each other and wrapped his other arm tightly around Sky’s waist, pulling him close. Sky’s tongue was deep and marauding, hot and wet. Adam’s cock sprang to attention like a marine on parade. Years seemed to have passed since they’d last fucked. Sky was a heady drug, and Adam was rapidly becoming an addict.

  Somebody moaned. Adam wasn’t sure who, but he wanted more. He rose up on his knees and threw one leg across Sky’s lap, settled his butt, and leaned forward so their cocks pressed hard. Sweet Jesus, that feels good. He rode against Sky’s cock, and every thrust sent fire shooting through his balls.

  Sky threw his head back. “Holy crap.”

  What am I doing? Adam looked over his shoulder. No one was coming. Still, he should stop, but he couldn’t make his hips quit grinding against Sky’s cock.

  Sky’s arms came around him. “You didn’t tell me you got rich doing lap dances, buddy.” His breath came so hard he could barely talk, and his hips pushed up rhythmically. “Hell, I’d pay a million bucks for you.”

  Adam couldn’t quit. He reached in his back pocket for the cloth he used to clean his sunglasses. Leaning back a little, he opened Sky’s fly button and pushed a hand down the front of his board shorts. Sky’s cock was an iron rod leaking from th
e tip. Wrapping his hand around it, Adam began to pump. “I want you to be nice and relaxed for your meeting.” He pulled the zipper down farther, and then used both hands to circle and stroke that big dick.

  Voices. They were coming from a ways off. Shit. Stop or go?

  Go! He cranked that hard-on like a madman.

  Sky’s head flopped, eyes squeezed shut, and his mouth opened. “Oh God, oh God.”

  Harder. More.

  “Oh God!”

  Sticky cum flooded Adam’s hand, and he quickly covered the head of Sky’s cock with the cloth to catch the rest.

  The voices got closer. Adam pulled his hand out of Sky’s shorts, scooted back off his lap, and sat on the sand in front of him like two guys having an earnest discussion. Sky slowly opened his eyes. Adam raised the cloth to his mouth, and just before the couple strolling along the waterline got beside them, he licked the cum with his tongue, soft and slow.

  Sky chuckled. “Thanks, I needed that.”

  “Anytime.”

  “I’d like to return the favor.”

  Adam looked over his shoulder again. A runner and a dog walker came around the bluff. “Our luck may have run out on the privacy. How about we rain check that until Friday night?”

  “Deal.” He flopped back against the rock. “I may never move again.”

  Adam laughed.

  Sky took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “But I guess I have to. Want to get some food?”

  “I just had my hors d’oeuvres.” Adam grinned.

  “You are ridiculously sexy. How about a sandwich minus the body fluids?”

  “Sure.” It was hard to walk away. Hard. Yes, that was the operative word. Adam shifted his package to get some more room in his shorts, but Sky had been so amazing to him last night. All night. He’d wanted to give some back.

  After a short walk up the sand, they entered the outdoor restaurant. Nothing fancy, just a country front porch facing the beach. Adam glanced around. Thank God, he didn’t see anyone he recognized. Of course, if someone knew him, they wouldn’t necessarily assume anything about two guys having a bite to eat.

  Sky glanced at his watch. “I just have time for a quick sandwich. Our walk took a little longer than I expected.” He grinned.