Sunkissed Summer

by Gwen Martin

  Marco wasn’t going to complain about that. He chuckled, tossing his soiled shirt into the corner of the room, floating on the high of sharing a shower with Kieran.

  Brunch the next day was amusing. Mainly because Carter and Devon looked like they had been hit by a truck, respectively.

  “I feel like Floridian roadkill,” Carter whined. They were sitting outside under a striped black-and-white awning, pedestrians walking by on the sidewalk under overly bright sunshine. Miami Beach was a great place to people watch, that was for sure.

  Someone walked by carrying their cat in a plastic backpack with air holes, and Devon smacked Carter on the arm and pointed. “Dude, check that out,” he said with enthusiasm. “We should totally do that with Mischief.”

  Marco couldn’t see Carter’s eyes behind his dark sunglasses, but he was pretty sure they were closed. “My cat would murder you in your sleep, and I wouldn’t even try to stop him as you begged for mercy.”

  “Aw, Hung Harry is hungover,” Kieran taunted. He ducked as a rolled-up napkin pelted toward him, hiding his face into Marco’s shoulder and laughing. Despite the innocence of the contact, it still made Marco’s skin pebble with goosebumps. “Seriously, though, when did you guys get back in?”

  “Too late,” Eli admitted. “I had to sober up earlier, and these assholes kept going until the last call.” Then he smirked as if he was about to reveal a coveted secret. “Carter got hit on by some guy though.”

  “Please tell me he was a dime,” Carter pleaded pathetically. “I cannot say my bisexual awakening happened with some dude who looks how I feel: Floridian Roadkill.”

  Eli snorted. “Nah, he was alright.”

  “Alright?” Carter cried, tilting his chair back to get a view of Eli at the end of the table. “I can’t just be with ‘alright’! Who does he look like? Gimme a celeb.”

  “Dude, I don’t know, it was dark as fuck, okay? And you and Devon were being a couple of douchebags, so I had to play babysitter for the most part.”

  Carter sank back into his chair. “This is a travesty. My friend, my sober compadre, can’t tell me if the guy I may have made out with was hot. I need a Bloody Mary, stat.”

  “Already coming,” Devon intoned, perking up when the server brought out a huge tray of drinks. He cupped his hands around the sweating glass and kissed the rim. “Bless this wonderful beverage that shall soothe my pains and worries.”

  Marco snorted, reaching for the mimosa pitcher and filling his glass. He lifted the pitcher to Kieran, who nodded with a lazy smile, his brown eyes crinkling in the corners. It was the same smile he had that morning after they had jerked each other off in bed as soon as they woke up. Marco wanted to lean over and kiss him, right there in front of everyone, but he refrained. He didn’t know what he was doing with Kieran, and he didn’t want to push anything.

  “So what did you two do last night?” Eli asked, pulling Marco and Kieran out of their moment.

  Kieran shrugged. “Nothing, really. Watched Netflix, mostly.”

  Carter tilted his glasses down and wiggled his eyebrows. “And did you...chill?”

  Kieran rolled his eyes. “Not everyone thinks with their dick like you, Carter. Drink your Bloody Mary and continue to have your queer crisis. That was far more entertaining than hearing about us hanging out all evening.”

  Marco smiled when Eli looked at Kieran with a raised eyebrow. Kieran huffed an annoyed sigh and said, “We finally watched Russian Doll.”

  Which led to the guys going into a whole debate about the show and allowed Marco a chance to relax a little from being in the spotlight. He felt a pang of regret at the way Kieran had lied about what happened the night before. But when a hand landed on Marco’s thigh and gave it a squeeze, that lopsided smile back on Kieran’s face, Marco decided he had been overthinking it.

  The rest of brunch had gone smoothly, with no more questions about what they had done the night before. Once Carter got his eggs benedict and another Bloody Mary in him, the whining faded and the familiar teasing started back up again.

  It was a good time, being able to hang out with his best friends again. But the summer heat was taking over, and thus the waves were singing to everyone like sirens to sailors.

  “I’m gonna ride with Marco,” Kieran called to the rest of the guys as they headed out. “We’ll catch you back at the house.”

  Kieran joined Marco at his car, which was parked on the opposite end of the street from Eli’s. Once inside, Marco put on the GPS to drive back to the house, and Snoop’s smooth voice filled the interior of the car.

  “Why is Snoop Dogg your GPS guide?” Kieran asked after cracking up for three solid minutes.

  Marco sighed. “Two words: Carter Nelson.”

  Kieran laughed again, wiping at his eyes. “You could change it back, you know.”

  Marco shrugged. “After a few hours with the guy, I kinda got used to it. Snoop doesn’t sound like he’s berating you senseless if you miss a turn.”

  “Apparently Snoop thinks you’re ‘so fly’,” Kieran murmured, leaning closer to Marco at a stoplight. His breath was warm against Marco’s neck, and Marco gripped the steering wheel to stop himself from shivering.

  Swallowing around the tightness in his throat, he said, “Do you agree with the Patron Saint of Gin and Juice?”

  “With my mind on my Marco and my Marco on my mind?” Kieran tossed back softly.

  Marco felt his cheeks heat at the ease with which Kieran staked a claim on him. The light was still red, so he turned his head, stealing a quick kiss.

  “So, before we start making remakes of hip-hop songs for each other,” Marco said slowly, “want to talk about what you said about last night during brunch?”

  Kieran sucked in a long fortifying breath and sat in silence for a moment. Snoop told Marco to take the next left, and he focused on the road instead of the uncomfortable weight settling in his stomach.

  “I just want to have fun and enjoy this with you,” Kieran said quietly. “That’s the reason I deflected Eli.” Kieran’s hand covered Marco’s arm, offering a gentle squeeze. It was warm and sure, his thumb rubbing back and forth. “God, Marco, I meant what I said last night when I said I’ve wanted you for—”

  Marco turned onto a random street, throwing his car into park. He shifted in his seat so he could see Kieran when he spoke. His dirty blond hair was tousled and bright against the bright rays slanting into the car. Marco wanted to lean over and kiss him senseless. He wanted to take his face into his hands just to feel the warmth of his skin.

  “Are you okay?” Kieran asked, his eyes wide with alarm.

  Marco’s laugh was a little chagrined. He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. “Yeah, I just was having a difficult time driving and listening to you talk about how long you’ve wanted me.”

  Kieran grinned and tilted his head. “Want me to keep going?”

  Marco wet his lips with his tongue. “How long?”

  “How long what? That I’ve wanted you?” Kieran huffed a laugh and closed the space between them. His hand cupped the back of Marco’s neck, his lips brushing over Marco’s ear. “Remember that floor party freshman year?”

  Marco jerked back, unable to temper his shock. His heart was running full speed like he was in the middle of his morning jog. “Then??”

  Kieran’s eyes twinkled mischievously. “Then.”

  “Then why didn’t we—I mean, we never—”

  Kieran cut him off with a kiss. It was sweet and simple, and it made Marco’s blood burn. When Kieran pulled back, Marco nodded, resting his forehead against Kieran’s.

  “God, I can’t believe we waited this long,” he murmured in disbelief. He pulled back, running a knuckle along Kieran’s jaw, the short stubble scratching his skin.

  "You know the guys won’t let up if they find out,” Kieran added. “You really want to deal with that?”

  “Okay, we won’t tell the guys,” Marco agreed.

  “It’ll be like our little secr
et. You can be my dirty secret.”

  Marco laughed, leaning in for another lingering kiss. He reveled in it, tasting the sweetness of the french toast Kieran had for breakfast, the citrus tang of his mimosa. It was nearly enough to make Marco forget about the guys waiting for them.

  Eventually, though, he had to draw back, reveling in Kieran’s soft sound of complaint. “Well,” he said with a sigh, “we better get back before they assume anything else.”

  Kieran reached for Marco’s hand across the console. Their fingers twined together, and if Marco was grinning like a fool when he got back to the house, then so be it.

  Later they made another round of excuses about staying in that night. When Kieran said he was hanging back too, Marco worked hard not to think about the giddy thrill that rumbled through his veins. It meant he would be getting time with Kieran, alone, without worrying about the rest of their friends catching on.

  But even as the guys were getting ready for another night out on the town, Marco was restless. He didn’t know if it was from desire or something else. Either way, the walls of the house felt like they were closing in a little, and as Carter played Lizzo through the portable entertainment speaker he brought, Marco slipped out to the beach.

  The sun was in its last setting stages, the moon sitting high in the sky. Stars stippled the brilliant strokes of lavender streaking beautifully against the clouds. The air was thick from the end of another smoldering summer day, but the boom-crash of the waves grounded Marco.

  He sat down on the boardwalk edge, sinking his feet into the sopping sand, wiggling his toes until they were submerged. The sun would be gone soon enough, replaced with never-ending darkness, the only light provided by the moon’s glow.

  “I thought you’d be here,” a low voice murmured behind Marco, and he smiled, keeping his eyes on the amber light reflecting in the horizon.

  “Miss me?” Marco said, leaning into Kieran as he settled down next to him.

  “Nah,” Kieran teased, laughing when Marco bumped shoulders with him. They sat together in silence, watching and listening to the world around them: the seagulls attacking the ocean for one last bit of food; the sizzle of water seeping into the sand; the wind rusting wild beach sunflowers on the dunes next to them.

  It was absolute perfection. Marco wished that he could bottle this shared moment with Kieran and keep it with him forever. When he turned to Kieran to confess this, Kieran was already looking at him, his eyes half-lidded, and his stare heated.

  They didn’t speak as they closed the gap between them, pressing their mouths together carefully. Kieran’s lips were as soft as the sand between Marco’s toes, his mouth as warm as the water crashing against the surf, his moans blooming as beautifully as the wild beach sunflowers surrounding them.

  “I want you,” Kieran murmured against Marco’s mouth, before nibbling at his bottom lip. Marco groaned, tightening his grip on Kieran’s arm. “Fuck, I want you so badly.”

  “You can have me,” Marco whispered back, the words falling out of his mouth before he knew what he was saying.

  The night had finally made its way in, a hazy ring surrounding the full moon above them. It cast an ethereal glow around them, timeless and wonderful. That same glow created a path for them all the way back to the house, where Kieran guided Marco to their shared bedroom.

  Kieran pushed Marco down into the middle of the mattress, taking his time undressing Marco with small touches that made him tremble. Kieran used his mouth along the same path his hands made, taking playful bites of Marco’s skin. When Marco tried to touch Kieran, he shoved Marco’s hands down and firmly said, “No.”

  “I want to touch you,” Marco rasped, his voice more pleading than he’d care to admit. He shivered when Kieran’s tongue swooped around his belly button, slithered over the dip of his hip. “Oh God, please.”

  Kieran’s chuckle vibrated against Marco’s thigh. “Desperate, are we?”

  For you? Always.

  Marco sunk his teeth into his bottom lip to stop those dangerous words from slipping out. He allowed himself to be engulfed in the blissful fog that took over his brain as Kieran’s fingers brushed over the base of his cock and trailed around his balls. His mouth, that perfect fucking mouth, tantalized and worshiped Marco unlike any other lover Marco had ever had.

  It was too much.

  He had to shift his focus. This was years of buildup, years of flirting, and years of want. Years of fantasies and longing. But Marco couldn’t let his heart fly with the notion that this was more than just a vacation fling. Because Kieran would be leaving soon, back to Chicago. Where he had a job and a new life.

  Marco grabbed blindly for Kieran, and through blurred vision, whispered, “C’mere. Please. I want to see you.”

  Kieran’s pupils eclipsed his dark brown irises, parted lips red and wet. His hair was a mess from Marco’s hands. He’d done this to him, made him this beautiful mess, and the sight tightened Marco’s chest tight like a coil, making it hard to breathe.

  He opened his arms, inviting Kieran into them. Kieran shed his clothes and crawled up until their bodies were flush and faces so close they were sharing breath. Marco’s hands slid down Kieran’s back and grabbed his ass, pushing it down in time with his lifting hips.

  Kieran tilted his head up, eyes fluttering shut. A sharp groan escaped into the room. “Goddamn, that feels amazing.”

  Marco nodded in agreement, too far gone to reply. Their cocks slipped against each other, skin sliding from sweat. Kieran smelled of salty sea and of summer, and when he tucked his face into Marco’s neck, teeth grazing his skin, Marco knew his heart was in trouble.

  “Fuck, I’m close,” Kieran moaned, his hips grinding down faster and harder, and Marco gasped in return, gripping Kieran’s hips tighter, urging him on. He felt the familiar twist in his gut, the tingle in his balls. Then his release was crashing over him like the waves that Kieran surfed through, a roar in his ears so loud he didn’t know if he was screaming or choking in silence.

  Kieran cried out loudly, biting down onto Marco’s shoulder, warmth spurting between their stomachs. Then he collapsed on top of Marco, causing him to grunt at the sudden deadweight.

  Once the high, tinny pitch finally settled inside of Marco’s head, there was silence. Beautiful, amazing silence, broken only by the harsh breaths between them.

  Marco swallowed around the tightness in his throat. When he spoke, his voice was hoarse. “That was—”

  Kieran nodded. “Yeah. It was.”

  They stayed like that, bodies entwined, legs and arms twisting and turning around each other until they were one. Their sweat and come cooled between them, causing Kieran to shiver.

  “Cold?” Marco asked, and when Kieran nodded, Marco wrapped his arms around his shoulders and squeezed. “We should shower.”

  “Can’t move,” Kieran muttered, his voice slurring slightly. “Too comfy.”

  Marco snorted, his fingers tangling in Kieran’s damp hair. He stared at the ceiling, watching the fan spin in fast circles, trying to calm the flutter in his stomach. He didn’t want this to end, but he knew it would, and Marco needed to remember that before his heart got carried away.

  Kieran’s stomach grumbled loudly.

  “Okay, lover boy,” Marco murmured. “Let’s shower and then we can raid the fridge. Eli made those chicken wings you love.”

  This perked Kieran up, his eyes wide with excitement. “Well why didn’t you start with that?”

  Because I never want this to stop. Because I never want to let you go. Because I don’t want to know what will happen when I have to.

  Marco inhaled a breath, as much as he could with Kieran on top of him, and pushed those traitorous thoughts aside. Kieran’s eyebrows furrowed together in concern, but before he could say anything, Marco gave his ass a light slap.

  “Shower,” Marco said. “We’re gross, and it’s starting to get itchy.”

  Kieran leaned down and kissed Marco gently. It was soft, and warm,
and slow, sending a ripple of want down Marco’s spine. Kieran pulled back, bumping their noses, a smile on his lips.

  Later, as they sat in the living room in their pajamas, limbs tangled together while they ate wings and watched Russian Doll — “Better catch up on it before Eli grills us,” Kieran had said with a lopsided grin — Marco felt...content. That was new and uncharted, and he knew he would miss it when it was over.

  But for now, he’d take what he could get.

  Marco volunteered to cook breakfast on the third day of vacation, knowing that most of the crew would have been out partying the night before. He had set an alarm the night before, and as it blared itself to life, Marco woke up to a heaviness settled across his middle.

  It only took two seconds for him to realize that it was Kieran’s arm. Marco smiled as he reached for his phone, shutting off the alarm. Kieran shifted behind him, scooting closer, and a familiar hardness brushed against Marco’s lower back.

  “Well, good morning to you too,” Marco murmured, his voice scratchy with sleep. He patted Kieran’s hand and reached to pull the blankets back only to have Kieran’s arm snake around him harder.

  “No,” Kieran said sleepily, his breath hot against Marco’s neck. “I have plans.”

  Marco chuckled. “Oh, you do, do you?”

  Kieran’s hand slithered down Marco’s T-shirt covered chest, wrapping around his morning erection. Marco was still wearing his pajama pants and boxers underneath, but Kieran’s grip was firm and wonderful.

  “Hm, yeah, I do,” Kieran murmured, his voice silky. He squeezed and gave a hard tug, leaving Marco gasping in surprise and laughing breathlessly. “It’d be better if you got these off though.”

  “Can’t,” Marco groaned, burying his face into the pillow. “I have to make breakfast.”

  Which at this moment, Marco was heavily regretting. If he’d had the foresight of what would unfold on this trip with Kieran, he would’ve told the rest of the guys to figure out their own Goddamn meals. But Marco never went back on his word, and he wasn’t about to start now.