by Max Walker
“Tell your brother to show you the handsome gentleman to his left. Go, go.”
“Mom, everyone can hear you.” I could feel embers burning underneath my cheeks. “Including the handsome gentleman.”
“Well, now you’re gonna have to show me,” my brother said, brow arched.
I sighed. Fox already seemed way too ready, sitting there and finding his light and angle as I turned the camera.
“Holy shit.”
“I know, right!” my mom chimed in.
I turned the phone back to me before they could even have introductions. “There, all right? It’s been fun, you guys—talk to you all in a few years!” I pressed the red button and ended the call, cutting off the protests coming from them.
“I am… so sorry.” I put the phone back in my pocket, feeling sufficiently embarrassed.
And then I heard a laugh, “Are you kidding me?” Fox said, his voice filling the small space of his car. “I want to meet them now. Like in real life, not through the phone.”
“Oh.” That was a surprise. I adjusted in the leather seat, looked out the window, and hid the massive smile on my face. I didn’t know why I couldn’t control it, or why I was feeling shy about it. “All right, I’m sure they’d like to meet you, too.”
“They seem like fun people.”
“They are. My dad, too. He works more, so he’s not around as often, but he’s as kooky as these two.”
“What does he do?”
“My dad? He’s a cardiothoracic surgeon.”
“Wow, a heart surgeon?”
I nodded, looking back to Fox. My eyes dropped down to his lips, pink and still a little shiny from the kiss we had shared only minutes earlier. “That’s probably where my brother got his love for science. He wants to be a vet, so slightly different than what our dad does, but still really awesome. I’m proud of him, we all are.”
“You two have a lot to be proud of.”
“Yeah, I guess we do…”
My mind whirled. I tried thinking about the case, about the fact that we were just attacked by knife-wielding thugs, but all I could focus on was the ghost touch of Fox’s lips on mine.
“Let’s, uh, let’s go somewhere,” I practically spat out. I glanced at my watch, as if the time mattered. “Do you mind? I usually go to Pebble Beach when I have a lot to think about. Barely anyone ever goes there for some reason, so the beach is usually really quiet.”
“I’m down,” he said, putting the car into drive. “You’ve got a lot on your mind?” The way Fox asked made it clear that he was referencing the kiss.
But I couldn’t go there right now. “This case. I feel like there’s something that we’re missing, and it’s right there at the tip of my fingers.” I closed my fingers into a fist in the air. “Clearing my head usually helps me see things I couldn’t before.”
Fox seemed okay with that answer. “I agree.”
We drove in silence for a while; even the radio was turned off. I had lowered the window, the fresh air filling the car while thoughts of Fox naked and on top of me filled my head.
I couldn’t stop. After last night, after our kisses… damn it, Fox was quickly becoming my strange addiction. I couldn’t pinpoint it. Why was I so fucking attracted to him? He was a guy; he had a cock.
One that I want to play with twenty-four seven.
“—gay?”
“What? Huh?” I almost lurched out of my seat. I only caught the tail of whatever Fox had asked over the sound of the wind whooshing past as we drove.
He lifted the windows slightly. “When did your brother come out as gay?”
Oooh, okay, that’s what he said.
“Like eight years ago,” I said, grateful I wasn’t sitting next to a mind reader. “He had a difficult time with a couple of close-minded cousins, but other than that, he was thankfully okay. Well, and besides a couple of those kids from school I had to talk to. Other than that, he was good. Which was great, considering it wasn’t as easy back then. Crazy what a difference a couple of years makes, huh?”
“It really is. Things still are far from perfect, but at least we’ve gotten a lot closer.”
Fox pulled into a sandy parking lot, empty of any cars. Like I had guessed, people were too focused on South Beach to give Pebble Beach a shot. That meant we’d have a little slice of paradise all to ourselves. I wasn’t sure if that made me more excited or more scared. There were definitely nerves rising up inside me that I couldn’t explain, and they didn’t quiet themselves as we got out of the car and walked over to the start of the beach.
We took off our shoes and socks and walked barefoot across the hot sand. I felt a couple of shells and rocks poke at my soles. The water ahead was serene, with a whitish-blue sheen that made the ocean seem as though it were painted into the horizon in vibrant watercolors. The rhythmic sound of the waves breaking on the shore, mixed with the sweet scent of the ocean and the distant cries of seagulls, helped calm those raging nerves a bit. My thoughts stopped swirling around Fox and trying to figure out what it was about him that drove me crazy.
Wild. He drove me wild. How? Why?
I’ve felt attracted toward men before, but never this kind of magnetism…
This was exploding and I had no idea how to handle it. Was I actually feeling something for Fox? A deeper pull than a glancing physical attraction would suggest, which was confusing enough to deal with.
Plus, we’d only just met… but since when did that ever stop anybody?
It was only when Fox and I reached the wet sand, when we turned to each other, when his hazel eyes landed on mine, that those nerves came rocketing back into the limelight. They reacted the second Fox and I made eye contact. It was an immediate and overwhelming reaction.
“We going in?” he asked, that cocky smile growing.
“We’re going in.”
We turned to the water and stripped down to our briefs, chuckling like kids as we walked into the warmth of the Atlantic Ocean, leaving behind more than our clothes on the shoreline. When we got up to our chests in the water, I felt like everything else had been lifted from me. I felt weightless. All of my problems and worries and anxieties, the fact that we were just in a fight for our lives, all of it, everything was put on pause for a brief moment, left back on land.
Now, all there was to focus on was myself and Fox, a man who dipped under the water and rose up like some kind of sea god, water falling down his hair and face, dripping off his lips in thick, heavy drops.
Who was I kidding—whether on land or in the sea, all I could seem to focus on lately was Fox.
18 Gabriel “Fox” Morrison
Jonah’s body was a piece of modern art, more so when it was beaded with ocean water. He was a sight to behold, with a narrow, lithe frame that showed off a well-taken-care-of six-pack and a chest I didn’t want to ever take my hands off. The water was so crystal clear that I could even see down to Jonah’s feet, making me wonder how it would feel if those legs were wrapped around my waist.
“The water’s great, huh?” Jonah said, leaning back so that he dropped his head into the water, the rest of his body floating up.
“It’s perfect. This was a great idea.”
“Yeah, well, I figured it would be a good spot to relax after we almost got stabbed to death.” Jonah gave a disbelieving laugh and came back up onto his feet. Waves gently lifted and dropped us as they made the journey to shore.
“That went real bad, real fucking fast.” I wiped at some of the salt water on my forehead that threatened to fall down into my eyes. “I’m sorry you had to be put through that.”
“Hey, it’s part of the job. I’m glad I was there and not moaning about some headache.”
“I’m glad you were there, too. Shit, I don’t know how it would have gone if you weren’t.”
“You would have been fine. You’re G.I. Fox. You can handle a couple of drugged-up thugs.”
I cocked my head, smiled. “I’m still glad you had my back. We work damn w
ell together.”
“Can’t deny that.”
No. No, there was no denying that.
“Sorry about blowing our cover there at the end, man.” Jonah’s head dropped. I reached a wet hand over and tilted his head up, two fingers under his chin.
“We got what we needed and we left with our lives, that’s all that matters. We can always do something better the next time around.”
“Yeah, but…”
“No buts.”
“Got it. No buts.”
I smirked, my immature middle-school side rearing its pimple-streaked forehead. “Well, maybe one butt. A very sexy butt.”
“Uh-huh. I think I know which butt you’re alluding to…” Jonah laughed, the sound a song I wanted to keep playing on repeat. It was a great sign that his humor was on the same level as mine, where butt jokes seemed to be all the rage.
I licked my lips, tasting salt on my tongue. “You did good today, Jonah. I’m happy you were by my side today.”
“Same.” Jonah’s smile was wide, genuine, relieved. “Fox, what was that dealer talking about when he said there was a condition to sell? Why would there be a demand to sell on Club Trinity’s property?”
The mid-afternoon sun beat down on my shoulders. It felt good. This all felt good. Too good to be true. Maybe it was the aftereffects of the fight, but everything had a little bit more brightness to it. There was a stronger glow to everything, even the sun bouncing on my shoulders. “You’re right, it is an odd thing to do. It’s common for drug dealers to stick to their own territories, but to a specific club? I hadn’t heard that one before.”
“It makes me think… I mean, who would have the most advantage in that situation?” Jonah’s ocean-blue eyes looked right at home surrounded by the endless sea and sky.
“Someone who has a stake in the club… You think it’s an inside job? Someone at Club Trinity is behind this?”
Jonah’s lips quirked. He ran a wet hand through his still-dripping wet hair. “It’s a theory… But maybe it is someone at the club. Weren’t they having a tough time filling up most nights? And now there’s a line across the block to get in. Club Trinity is on the map.”
“Because of a drug? That’s risky as fuck. The DEA’s only keeping them open because Dylan’s got a connection and this hasn’t blown up through the media yet. But give it a month or so.”
“You’re right, it’s not the smartest idea. It’s risky. But big risk brings big rewards. Maybe the club’s success is only a piece of their plan? Maybe their ultimate goal is to turn into the next Pablo Escobar?”
“That… makes sense.”
“They can use the club as a testing ground and grow from there.”
“Jesus. Do you think it’s one of the guys?”
Jonah chewed his lip. “I honestly don’t know. It’s an early theory, I could be wrong. I don’t know. I just always like looking to see who’s the party that gains the most out of something, and usually, that’s the person you want to look into.”
“It makes complete sense. We know it’s not the North Tarantinos for sure, and with the selling restriction those guys had, it makes sense that someone in the club is involved.” A particularly tall wave lapped over us then, breaking over my chest and lifting us up. “We’ll see what my hacker friend finds on the phone. That should lead us to, at the very least, the next person in this fucked-up food chain.”
“We’ve got this,” Jonah said. “Hopefully we don’t have to prove our black-belt skills again, though.” He cocked his head. “Although I guess it worked out since I don’t think you believed me.”
I laughed at that. “I did believe you!”
“Mhmm.” Jonah crossed his arms. “Well, I didn’t believe you, so…”
“Oh, you didn’t?”
“No. No, I didn’t.” Jonah was holding back a laugh. “Yeah, right, of course I believed you. Look at you. You look like you can take someone out with a pinky finger alone.”
I lifted my pinky finger and wiggled it menacingly. “Don’t try me.”
“I won’t.” Jonah raised his hand. “Pinky promise.” His smile cracked, laughs coming from the both of us.
We joked a little longer, enjoying the warmth of the water mixed with the warmth of the moment. I didn’t think I’d felt this relaxed around anyone in a long-ass time, which was weird considering that a couple of hours ago I was pistol-whipping two thugs in a warehouse graveyard.
But that was what happened with Jonah. Being around him transported me; it lifted me out of all the other bullshit going on in life and put me in a different mindset.
“You know,” I said, after a moment of comfortable quiet between us, the hypnotizing song of the ocean playing in the background, “I keep forgetting you and I met literally the other day. It’s crazy.”
Jonah was floating on his back, his eyes shut, his smile lazy. “It is crazy. I don’t think I’ve ever met someone like you, Fox. And the fact that we met when we did. I don’t know. Like you said: crazy.”
He looked so relaxed, hands out at his sides, his legs open, and his toes bobbing up and down. Jonah’s black briefs weren’t see-through, but they were still tight and clung to every part of him.
I tried not to stare. I swear. I tried.
“Sorry about taking over your bed by the way.” His eyes were still shut, but I could see the genuine feeling of apology in his wrinkled brow.
“Are you kidding? I sleep like a rock on any kind of surface. You can sleep on my bed for however long it takes you to find a new place.”
“No, no. Seriously, I’ll stay at a hotel until I do.”
“Don’t spend money on a shitty hotel when you can crash at mine. Trust me, it’s fine. Actually, you know what, this gives me a good excuse to clean up the guest room. I should have done it a while ago. Just never needed that room except to hold a workout machine and a couple of boxes of old books.”
Jonah stopped floating and stood up, blue eyes open and set on mine. “Again, I’m not making you go out of your way to host my wreck of a self. It’s fine. I’ll find a hotel.”
I didn’t respond, just kept our stares locked together.
“Or… I mean, I guess I can help clean the guest room out… I… you sure?”
“A hundred percent.” I’d never been more sure of anything in my life. “Trust me.”
“All right,” Jonah said. He looked apprehensive, but that quickly gave way to relief, made clear in his growing grin and glowing eyes. “All right.”
I dug my toes into the sand. It felt good, being reminded that I was still on earth and not floating off somewhere in space.
What was I doing? Anyone else and I would have been fine with them posting up at a hotel for a week or so until they got their feet back under them. But with Jonah, I didn’t want him going through any kind of bullshit. And if that meant undergoing a full-on room-makeover situation, then so be it.
“I have to stop by my old place sometime today. I’ve got to pack up all my shit. Chibby, my iguana, needs rescuing, too. You don’t mind…”
“Hosting a scaly little reptile? Absolutely not.”
“Thanks, and you’ll take my iguana, too?”
That got me laughing. “You’re definitely not comparable to a lizard. I’d peg you more as a majestic, eh, let’s see… a majestic phoenix. You rise up from the ashes, looking fucking fierce as you do it.”
It was Jonah’s turn to laugh. “Yeah, okay… I was talking about Wendy, but…”
My jaw dropped. “Gah! Of course, that’s what I—“
Jonah was laughing harder now, causing me to join in. “It’s ok,” he said, still laughing. “I get what you mean, Fox, it was a dumb joke on my part… although I don’t think I’m all that ‘majestic,’ but I’ll take it, I guess. Sometimes I feel more like phoenix poop on someone’s windshield, instead of the actual bird.”
His shoulders slumped, eyes drooped with them, the laughter gone. Jonah’s self-confidence was lacking, that was obvious, and I hat
ed it. How could he not see what I saw? Whatever everyone else must have seen when they looked into those riveting blue eyes of his?
“First off, I pity whoever has to clean phoenix shit off of their car. I imagine that has to be a mission and a half. Second, you’re in no way similar to bird crap. Like I’ve said before, we don’t exactly have years of history between us, but I still feel like I know you really well. And I know you’re one hell of a guy.”
“Thanks, Fox.” He didn’t seem to believe me, but that just meant I’d have to try harder next time. “How do you do it? Keep your head so high even when life’s yelling at you to bury it.”
I shrugged. “You just gotta ignore it. And the whole ‘fake it till you make it’ thing? That shit’s the truth. I had zero confidence, especially before I joined the army. And then I was thrown into a situation where I needed to at least pretend I was confident or I’d get chewed up and spit out. Then it stuck.”
“Makes sense…” The waves had pushed us closer. Our toes almost touched under the crystalline water. Did he notice? “Were you gay in the army? Not that you weren’t gay outside of it… I know you… just… you get what I mean, right?”
I couldn’t hold back the laugh. “Yes, I get what you mean.”
His cheeks were blushing a gentle pink, matching the sun-kissed flush the rest of his body was taking on. The sunblock lotion I had brought with me from the car would keep that skin flawless, perfect to lay down a trail of kisses on.
Fuck, I’ve got to stop thinking about kissing him.
“I was out in the army,” I said, trying to hold on to the reins of my wild thoughts before Jonah thought there was a swordfish hiding in my briefs.
“How’d everyone handle it?”
I kept a smile on even though the memories that rushed toward me weren’t exactly pleasant. “A good number of them took it well. That’s the one thing about the military. When you’re out there, together under the heat of gunfire twenty-four seven, you learn that you’re really fighting for each other out there. It creates a kind of bond that goes past a lot of the regular bullshit. I’m not saying all situations are like mine, but when I came out, most of my squadmates didn’t treat me differently.”