Crystal Coast Chemistry (Crystal Coast Romances Book 2)

by Sierra Brave

As Caroline hustled off to get their drinks, Tanner watched Jake’s face, his gaze crawling all over that girl’s ass. Damn it…I wonder how he’d react if he had any idea how many times I’ve fantasized about nibbling on his sexy behind. Fuck! Let me stop. I’ve gotta quit doing this to myself.

  Once Caroline returned, Brent said, “Salute,” and everyone shot their whiskey. Then she asked what they wanted to eat. Tanner barely listened to the banter around the table, focusing instead on the menu in front of him and deciding to order the special of the night, a catfish basket with fries and hush puppies. Jake asked for the same thing. Being a meathead, Brent, of course, had to request some type of dead cow, even though they were at a seafood joint. Then Brent started giving Derrick a hard time about wanting to eat light.

  There was some more quipping among the group, but Tanner didn’t pay much attention until Jake said, “Don’t be gone too long, Caroline,” just before she left, the foul taste of bile entered his mouth. Ew!

  The fantasy—smooth, sexy—Jake who clearly lived only in Tanner’s head shattered into a million pieces. There was a lot of yuck going on right in front of his face, but he was especially irked someone with so little game could openly hit on a waitress while Tanner always had to be careful because gay-bashers could lurk anywhere. Plus, once Jake was gone and Tanner was stuck with only Brent and Derrick, all intelligent conversation would vanish. I have every right to be bummed.

  When Caroline came back to check on them, Jake bantered with her. Brent and Derrick said some stupid things, but they always acted like fools in front of any woman willing to pay them an iota of attention. Wake up, you two jackasses. She’s only talking to you because it’s part of her job. Tanner put his hand over his mouth and looked down at the table to keep from laughing.

  When the food came, Tanner compartmentalized his distaste for the situation, and as soon as the basket was put down in front of him, he ate heartily. Stupid Brent had been right for once. The catfish had a special recipe of spices mixed into the batter and tasted amazing. He cleaned his plate, finishing everything down to the last fry and hush puppy.

  When Caroline returned with their checks, the inevitable happened. Jake inquired when she got off work. Here it comes.

  “Not until closing at ten, and then I have to help clean.”

  Jake made his move. “The concert should still be kicking by then. Maybe you could meet up with us.”

  Tanner held his breath, waiting for her reply, and to his surprise, she hesitated. He heard himself mumbling out something about the concert but was more focused on what would happen next.

  “Maybe Ryan and I will check it out if we’re not beat when we finish up here,” Caroline answered. Tanner observed as Jake’s face fell and was torn between wanting his friend to be happy and desperately not wanting a front-row seat to a bunch of horrid hetero mating rituals.

  “Is Ryan your boyfriend?” Jake asked.

  Caroline laughed. “No…I’m not his type.”

  Jake eyed her and tilted his head as he replied, “Well, then he has bad taste. What’s his type?” Jake’s pupils dilated and his cheeks redden as he gave her bedroom eyes, forcing Tanner to resist the urge to spew his entire meal all over the table.

  “The kind who wears boxer shorts and muscle shirts,” Caroline said with a wink.

  A sudden shock jolted Tanner, and the oddest sensation swirled in his stomach, telling him someone was watching him. He couldn’t explain why, but he looked over at the bar. He locked eyes with the bartender and nearly lost his breath.

  Tall and slender, the man had broad shoulders, and his chest filled out the polo-style uniform shirt he was wearing, leaving an impression of his muscular pectorals. The shirt’s teal hue brought out his soulful, blue-gray eyes. Just as Tanner became aware of his own staring, he noticed the small, knowing curl of the man’s lips and a slight lift of his brow. Shit! Could I be more obvious? I’m as bad as Jake. Next time why don’t I just hold up a sign?

  This had never happened to Tanner before. He’d had dates and boyfriends in the past, but they’d always met or been introduced in ways where their sexual orientation was without question. This was the first time he’d seen a stranger across a room and been drawn in the way he was now. He had no idea what to do. He wanted to meet this guy, but he was surrounded by his roommates, fellow soldiers he worked with every day. Gays had the right to serve in the military now, and there were antidiscrimination rules in place to protect them from harassment, but there were still some jerks who might hold it against him, including people who might be in the position to adversely affect his career trajectory.

  Brent being there was a major obstacle. He didn’t strike Tanner as a true homophobe, but he loved talking shit of any kind and bagging on his friends’ masculinity or lack thereof was his favorite pastime. Tanner was in no hurry to become that guy’s latest source of amusement. On the other hand, it was possible Brent might feel so awkward about all the shit he’d already talked that he’d clam up and start acting weird as hell. Neither option seemed like much fun.

  Tanner glanced at the bartender, who was pouring drinks. As much as Tanner wanted to meet him, now just wasn’t the right time. He sighed. After he paid his bill, he left with his friends, hoping the opportunity to get to know the handsome stranger would present itself at another time. Perhaps he could slip away and circle back to have a drink at the bar later.

  As the group started toward the bandstand by the pier and Brent began haranguing Jake about getting shot down by the waitress, Tanner realized for a brief moment he’d forgotten all about his unrequited crush.

  The band was playing an old Ozzy Osbourne song. “What’s the name of this band?”

  “Top Gun,” Brent replied.

  “Seriously?” Derrick asked.

  Jake spoke up. “Makes sense—it’s an eighties cover band and it’s named after an iconic eighties film.”

  Brent stared at Jake for a moment and then laughed. “Damn, you’re old.”

  Jake elbowed him. “Shut the hell up! My mom had an extensive library of old Tom Cruise movies she used to break out regularly on obligatory family-movie nights.”

  Soon Brent and Derrick found a spot near some ladies who either weren’t too choosy or had consumed enough booze not to notice what dorks they were. Jake and Tanner hung back, watching the band.

  As the evening went on, Tanner was having a fun time. Brent and Derrick chugged beers, and Jake nursed one, but Tanner didn’t partake. The shot of whiskey and the beer he drank at the restaurant were more than enough to relax him. Eighties music wasn’t so bad. He even recognized some of the songs. He doubted anyone in the world hadn’t heard Michael Jackson’s “Beat It,” and no one ever stepped into a gay club without hearing “Relax” or “You Spin Me Around” before leaving. He was digging the glow necklaces and bracelets the organizers were handing out too. For a small island, Crystal Coast had a great community.

  Settling down here someday was on Tanner’s list of long-term goals. Sure, there were plenty of tourist-trap type shops along the main strip, peddling overpriced T-shirts and beach gear, but once Tanner had taken a stroll around, the real down-home feeling set in. He loved the farmer’s market on Saturdays where people sold produce from their gardens, local honey, and handmade goods. He also liked how everyone gathered at a small, public area of the Intracoastal Waterway to catch bait. There was a public park with a basketball court where kids and adults alike, locals and tourists, would show up to play with people they’d just met. He’d felt at ease right away.

  A hand clapped down on his shoulder, and Tanner turned to see Jake. “Hey, I’m gonna take off. I’ll find my own way home.”

  “Is everything all right?” Tanner asked.

  “Yeah, it’s just loud and the lights… I’m going to head over to Sharky’s, maybe have some coffee.”

  Tanner battled the impulse to roll his eyes. Jake could have gone anywhere, including just walking home. It wasn’t far away, and hiking the island
from one end to the other could be accomplished in less than an hour. On the other hand, he could tell Jake wasn’t feeling well.

  Everybody knew Jake used to be a sniper before cross-training into his current job. Tanner had been to the desert too, but when Tanner had to shoot his gun, it was because someone was shooting at him. Even if insurgents took a hit and went down, everything happened so fast, he never knew if he’d shot anyone or if it had been someone else’s bullet. He imagined it was different for Jake, but he’d likely never know for sure since Jake had made it clear he didn’t want to talk about it. “Okay, man. Take it easy. I’ve got my cell. Call me if you need a pickup later.”

  “Thanks, Tan Man.” Jake waved before walking off toward Sharky’s.

  Tanner turned to watch the band. A small part of him was still salty, but it was about time he stopped having naughty thoughts about one of his best buddies anyway. If Jake found someone to love, he’d be delighted for him. Good luck, buddy.

  Chapter Four

  Ryan was still serving booze, mostly to regulars, when he noticed one of the military guys who’d been at Caroline’s table with the blond hottie earlier. The man lingered by the door for a moment as if deciding to enter before he walked over and took a seat at the bar. Unfortunately, the guy’s sexy, towheaded friend wasn’t with him.

  The handsome soldier was busy glancing around the restaurant until his gaze settled on Caroline. Ryan repressed a smirk as he walked up to him and asked, “What can I bring you, sir?”

  The man tore his stare away from Caroline long enough to look Ryan in the face. “It’s Jake, and coffee please.”

  Ryan couldn’t say he wasn’t surprised. The big guy looked like he’d have no trouble holding his liquor, which led Ryan to believe he had already pinpointed the real reason he’d returned to Sharky’s. As Ryan turned away and went to get the drink, he smiled. Good! That girl needs to get laid.

  As the evening wore on and the big guy ordered two refills, Ryan decided he’d have to play matchmaker if this was going to happen at all. Damn straight people! Easy access to openly flirt is wasted on them.

  He had another waiter watch the bar for him for a moment while he hunted down Caroline and cornered her by the restrooms. After a little cajoling and a promise to tidy the bathrooms in her place, Ryan convinced his best girl that Jake was not there for a caffeine buzz, and she agreed to go talk to him.

  Ryan half-assed the bathrooms, making them presentable as fast as possible so he could rush over and watch the action. After a pitiful display of coquetry on both of their parts, the heteros finally decided to go for a walk on the beach. Of course, Ryan wasn’t about to let Caroline just run off with a stranger with no safety net, so once she exited to check her hair and makeup, Ryan asked to see Jake’s licenses. Caroline’s suitor threw Ryan a funny look but didn’t hesitate to hand over his military ID.

  After he looked the card over, Ryan made a big show of getting his cell phone out and taking a picture of the identification before returning it. “There you go. Either have her home no later than one a.m. or she calls me. Otherwise, I get in the car and start hunting you down.”

  Jake chuckled. “I like you. I promise she’s in good hands. I won’t let anything happen to her.”

  Perfect answer. “Good deal,” Ryan replied while giving Jake a little salute.

  Once Jake and Caroline left, Ryan started prepping for the end of the evening. Since the bar closed with the restaurant, he had already given last call. By the time his customers had downed their drinks and left, he’d already finished most of the bar cleanup, but since he’d sent Caroline off, he had to complete her closing prep too. Ryan wanted to go to the concert so he kicked it into high gear, cleaning up and restocking for the next day lickety-split. He had some flirting of his own to do.

  Luckily, he kept a survival kit in his Bronco for just such an occasion. He ran out and retrieved his gym bag then hightailed to a bathroom stall. After he removed his shoes and socks and stripped off his uniform shirt and trousers, he used some wet towelettes to tidy up his body before applying fresh deodorant and changing into the T-shirt, shorts, and flip-flops. He shoved the other clothes in the bag and dug around in the side pocket for his mints and a condom. He popped a few mints in his mouth and shoved the condom in his pocket.

  After saying his farewells, Ryan headed in the direction of the concert at the pier. He needed only to follow the sound of eighties hits to find it, but locating the cute blond in the crowd might prove a little more difficult.

  Ryan strolled up to one of the stands serving beer, and as luck would have it, he recognized one of the guys in line ahead of him as the redhead at the table with his blond quarry. The ginger ordered four beers, handing two to a very tan, skinny-almost-to-the-point-of-scrawny girl in shorts and a bikini top standing next to him.

  As he ordered a beer he didn’t intend to finish, Ryan kept an eye on the couple as they returned to their group. Just as he suspected, they led him to the sexy blond. The girl handed off her second beer to another girl, who was being slobbered all over by the short, stocky, brunet guy that had eaten with the blond’s group.

  “Yes! Brewskies!” the stocky guy said while relieving the redhead of his extra beer, lifting the bottle in the air as if to toast, and grinning like a loon.

  Ryan stood behind the blond, observing him. He loved how into the music the man was, dancing as if his friends weren’t right there next to him. After checking their IDs, Caroline had warned Ryan this guy was young, just twenty-two. What was I like at twenty-two? He crinkled his nose. Oy…maybe seven years is too much of an age difference. Absently, he shook his head. What am I thinking? It’s not like I have to marry him.

  Though he hadn’t been able to bring himself to admit it to Caroline, Ryan had been looking to settle down for a while now. A young, likely closeted soldier was probably not the best candidate for such a lofty goal. On the other hand, if blondie was up for a good fuck, what the hell?

  A SLIGHT SHIVER breezed up Tanner’s spine as the same sensation from the restaurant rushed over him. He looked over his shoulder, and his heart started dancing. The fine-as-fuck bartender was right there. Oh my God! Oh my God…stay cool, Tanner. Stay cool. Their gazes met, and the bartender lifted his chin, nodding in acknowledgment.

  Cautiously, his belly simmering with nervous energy, Tanner glanced over to his friends. Jake was long gone, and as luck would have it, Brent and Derrick were distracted by the two women they’d beered into paying attention to them.

  Tanner’s heart raced like Earnhardt headed for the checkered flag. Saying a little prayer to prevent his roommates from noticing him slipping away, Tanner turned and walked toward the bartender. As their eyes locked again, Tanner’s pulse reacted. When the man offered an enticing smile, Tanner mustered up the courage to speak. “Hi.”

  “Hello, I’m Ryan.” He offered his hand and Tanner shook it.

  Tanner recognized the name and hoped he was right. “Are you the waitress’s friend?”

  “Guilty.” He ran a hand through his dark brown locks, pushing them away from his forehead. “And you are?”

  “Tanner.”

  Ryan tilted his head forward. “Nice name. So, Tanner, it’s sort of loud here. You want to go somewhere?”

  Tanner’s whole body tingled with excitement. He was tongue-tied but managed to utter, “Uh-huh,” while nodding. As he led the way, Ryan tossed his almost-full bottle of beer into a nearby trash can.

  Just before they slipped into the shadows, Tanner glanced at Ryan’s behind, and his cock twitched in appreciation of the bun-hugging basketball shorts showing off the curves of his tight ass. He followed in the older man’s footsteps, ducking under the pier with him.

  “You can still hear the tunes playing but at least we can talk without yelling now,” Ryan said as he turned to face him.

  Tanner fidgeted. Unsure of what to say or do, he asked, “Are you a local?”

  Ryan shook his head. “Nah. Caroline and I are tea
chers. We live a couple of hours away, but her aunt owns Sharky’s, so she comes here to work during the summers. This year, she asked me along.”

  Tanner smiled shyly, unable to pull his gaze off the beautiful man in front of him. Now that Ryan wasn’t behind a bar, Tanner had a much better view. Ryan was exactly his type: clean-cut, but masculine. With his high cheekbones, piercing eyes, and sensual lips, Ryan could easily grace the cover of a magazine. He had sun-kissed skin, a perfect complexion, and a strong jawline. As a bonus, he had either been blessed with straight teeth or someone had forked out dough for dental work when he was younger—what a smile! Not wanting the conversation to drag, Tanner asked, “What do you teach?”

  A slight blush rushed over Ryan’s cheeks and he averted his gaze for just a second before bringing it to Tanner’s face again. He tittered and then answered, “Drama…but I promise I’m not a queen.”

  Tanner snickered. “That must be a fun job.”

  Ryan smiled and nodded, his eyes lighting up as he answered, “Actually, yeah. I teach classes in drama and chorus, but I get to put together a couple of productions a year. This past year we did Grease and Legally Blonde: the Musical. It was a blast. How about you? How do you spend your days?”

  “Nothing as interesting as what you do. I’m in the military, but I’m more of an office drone, tallying up the inventory. It’s sort of tedious, but the people I work with keep it lively.”

  “So are you at that Military Ocean Terminal nearby?” Ryan shifted his weight from side to side as he spoke.

  Tanner bobbed his head. “Yeah, it’s a temporary duty assignment. My actual job is a logistics specialist.”

  “I hear that place takes care of a lot of the ships that are quietly patrolling our coast and keeping us safe,” Ryan said. His gaze roamed downward from Tanner’s face as if drinking in the length of his body. Tanner trembled slightly, his heart banging so hard he was certain Ryan could hear it. Ryan reached out and touched Tanner’s arm. “You cold? You’re shivering.”