“Why not?” Josh all but whined.
“Because the things I want to do to you require you to be sober.”
An intoxicated grin flashed across Josh’s face. “Why? Do you wanna tie me up and spank me?”
“Are you into that?” he asked in surprise.
Josh made a funny face and nodded, but then he shrugged and shook his head. “I don’t know. Maybe. I feel like I could be up for anything when I’m with you.”
“Oh my God, you’re so fucking adorable,” Nathan said with a laugh, not wanting to dwell on why those words melted his heart. “C’mon. Let’s go for a walk to sober you up, and then I’m putting you to bed.”
Josh gave him a seductive smile, and then to Nathan’s shock, he pinched Nathan’s butt. “Are you coming to bed with me?”
“No. You’re drunk.”
“Am not,” Josh argued, and then he stumbled.
Okay, so maybe no walking. “Where’s your cabin?” Nathan asked, tugging on Josh’s hand.
Dragging his feet, Josh followed. “Fiesta room F1.”
“All right. C’mon, drunkey-poo,” Nathan teased.
“I’m not drunk,” Josh said, slurring his words. Then he stumbled a little bit more, leaning into Nathan.
Nathan put his arm around Josh’s waist. “Wanna try that again?”
Josh held up his thumb and forefinger in a small gesture. “Okay, maybe I’m a teensy-weensy bit tipsy,” he whispered loudly.
With all the free food and alcohol, it wasn’t unusual for passengers to get a little loaded the first day. “Yeah, Roxy makes those drinks strong. They sneak up on you.”
Because she poured with paras in mind, and most of them had a high tolerance.
Josh’s eyes widened. “I know! I was totally fine a minute ago.” He stumbled again.
Nathan led him up the stairs and to the starboard side of the Fiesta Deck.
When they reached his room, Josh turned and gazed up at Nathan, head and hips swaying in a drunken attempt of seduction. “You sure you don’t wanna come in?” He slid his fingers under Nathan’s lapel.
When Josh’s hand brushed his nipple, Nathan shivered. That was one of his hot spots. He stayed Josh’s hand and then took hold of it. “I think we better wait.”
Josh’s smile faded into what could only be described as a pout. “You’re no fun.”
Nathan laughed. “I am fun, but I want you to remember how much fun we had.”
Josh let out a long-suffering sigh and dropped his hand to his side. “You’re right. I always try too hard, ruin things. And this is probably just another shipboard hookup for you. I don’t need to go getting all clingy and attached.”
Nathan was a little startled by Josh’s overshare about himself and by Josh’s impression of Nathan. “I’m not like that.”
Josh blew a raspberry. “A hot guy like you with a smorgasbord of hot guys to pick from every week? I know this isn’t anything else. And I’m okay with it,” he said, swaying as he spoke. “Really, I’m okay with it. Totally okay. As long as you don’t break my heart too much, it’ll be okay. Just fine. Totally okay.”
Those words stung like a wasp.
Nathan locked gazes. “Look, Josh, I know you had a little too much to drink, but I’m being serious. I’m not that kind of guy. I like you. If I were that kind of guy, I’d be going into the room with you, drunk or not. But I’m not, so I’m not.”
It was a passionate plea, but Nathan had worked so very hard not to be the way he used to, and it broke something inside him to think Josh saw him in that old light.
But, dammit, I’ve changed!
Josh studied him, blinking a few times. “You like me?” he said in the cutest way.
Even though his demon was sex-starved for Josh, Nathan’s human side answered, “Yeah, and I’d like to get to know you better. Take you dancing and out to dinner, not just hook up. Maybe you can play some songs for me so I can get another peek at your heart? Is that okay?”
“Aww,” he crooned. “That’s so sweet.”
Nathan grinned, Josh’s smile soothing his demon’s pull and making Nathan all kinds of happy inside. “See? I’m a sweet guy. Now let’s get you to bed.”
“Now you’re talking,” Josh said enthusiastically.
Nathan chuckled.
After several drunken attempts to open his door with the key card, Nathan took it from him and opened it, then gestured Josh inside.
Josh shuffled his way in and plopped down on the first double bed. Nathan had been in many rooms on this ship, and the ocean suites still wowed him.
“All right.” Nathan spoke like he was talking to a toddler. “Let’s get your shoes off and get you tucked in the bed.”
“I don’t want to sleep in my clothes,” Josh whined, unbuttoning his shirt and jerking it off before Nathan could even kneel to help him with his shoes.
Nathan took a healthy eyeful of Josh’s body, and his cock stirred in want. His mouth pooled with saliva, and he swallowed it back. Josh was pale everywhere, his arms pink from the sun. He had a little bit of hair in the middle of his chest and dusting his slightly round belly.
Nathan wanted to curl up and cuddle with him all night.
However, Nathan still felt the weakening effects of a long absence of sex—a whole month!—and Josh had such a powerful allure, cuddling would lead to sex, and he couldn’t take advantage.
Even if he really wanted to.
With Josh supporting himself on Nathan’s shoulder, Nathan managed to remove Josh’s deck shoes before Josh began unbuckling his shorts. “I don’t like sleeping in anything but my underwear,” Josh announced. “It’s not comfortable.”
“No, it isn’t.” Nathan folded down the bed and gently pushed Josh to sit. “You get some sleep, and we’ll hang out tomorrow.” His eyes darted down to the ample package in those green bikinis.
He hadn’t expected Josh to be the bikini type.
Before his good conscience could be swayed by the little devil whispering on his shoulder to climb into bed with Josh, Nathan pulled the covers over temptation and kissed him gently on the forehead. “Sweet dreams, Josh.”
“Yeah, sweet dreams, hot Nathan.”
Nathan chuckled.
In a matter of moments, Josh breathed heavy with sleep. Nathan studied him for a moment, the softness of his cheeks, the way his dark hair was cut high and tight and a little longer, soft on top. His nose had gotten sunburned, the outline of the sunglasses a contrast of white. He had full lips and cheeks without much of a beard. Cherub-like and adorable. Like a Christmas angel.
Once Nathan had discovered his heritage, he’d researched everything he could find about demons and incubi. Old legends said incubi would hover over their victims while they slept and rape them in their sleep.
He’d never had the urge to do such a thing—must be the 75 percent human kicking in—but an urgent need to be inside Josh consumed him then. He wanted to feel his cock moving into him, to stroke Josh’s cock and taste the power of his orgasm.
His mouth began to water again.
But he stepped away and took a deep breath.
No, he remembered all too well what it felt like to be under incubus power, and he never wanted to do that to another unsuspecting person.
For nearly a decade, Nathan had thought of himself as God’s gift in the bedroom, but he’d been little more than that monster Bartholomew. Nathan had been using his demon powers—though unwittingly—to get what he wanted, his every sexual encounter the result of magical compulsion.
None of his lovers had ever wanted Nathan.
They had never even seen Nathan, merely been blinded by lust and pheromones.
Though Josh awakened those hungry urges Nathan thought he’d mastered, Josh was not just another para, agreeing to feed Nathan in exchange for great sex. Maybe he’d waited too long to feed, but he wanted this man.
Nathan’s heart lurched when he realized he wanted more than Josh’s orgasm.
For years h
e’d believed he would always be alone. He’d traveled aimlessly, looking for something, anything to make him happy. Now that Nathan lived in peace with his demon and could feed without casting spells on his lovers, finding real happiness had become a possibility.
Josh had called himself clingy and needy. Believed Nathan was just after a hookup. Maybe at first he had been, but the more time he spent with Josh, the more his mind wandered to holding hands, cuddling, and just being with Josh.
Maybe even falling in love.
Sniffing in amusement at his silly romantic notions, Nathan slipped out of the room.
Chapter Six
Day Two, At Sea
“WELL, LOOK who finally decided to join the land of the living,” Clare said.
“Good morning, sunshine,” Aaron sang.
Josh groaned and rubbed his temple. “Stop talking so loud. And why is the boat moving so much?” He plopped down on the empty sun chair.
His parents had managed to wrangle seven lounge chairs around a table littered with a plethora of drinks and breakfast plates. Mom had a sun hat on, and there were towels everywhere. A beach ball and blow-up dolphin sat beside Dad.
“Are we taking over the whole pool deck?” Josh gestured to all the paraphernalia.
Mom popped her head up from a book. “We’re just having fun and relaxing. Looks like you had a little too much fun last night.”
“Oh, he did,” Aaron said. “When Clare and I got back in from the club at two, this one was passed out cold. Mumbling something about hot Nathan.”
“Did you hook up with Nathan?” Ramona demanded.
“The boyfriend cruise worked,” Luke said to Dad. “I can’t believe it.”
“Seriously, you guys,” Josh groused. Even though he remembered the shadow in Nathan’s eyes when he talked about his family, right about now Josh wished his own family ignored him too. “No, I didn’t do anything but have a few too many drinks… with Nathan.”
Mom squealed with delight, and Josh tried not to smile.
Though embarrassed about drinking too much last night, thankfully Nathan hadn’t been turned off. He distinctly recalled Nathan mentioning his interest lay in more than a hookup. Said he wanted to listen to songs Josh loved. Nathan actually got it! But he couldn’t tell his family because he didn’t want to get his own hopes up. Let alone theirs. He could handle disappointment. At this stage, he didn’t think Mom would be happy unless he walked off the boat engaged.
Never gonna happen.
Aaron leaned over. “I saw your man at the club dancing with other guys. Just an FYI. But he wasn’t getting freaky with any of them. Probably just friends.”
Those words were like a sucker punch and exactly why Josh didn’t need to get his hopes up. “Seriously, Aaron, you know what a paranoid person I am. Why did you even tell me?”
“Thought you should know,” he said, lounging back in the chair.
So Nathan was interested in Josh, but he was dancing with other guys. Why should Josh care? It wasn’t like they were an item, for God’s sake! They only met yesterday… and kissed… and Josh tried to seduce him… and failed epically.
God, he has to think I’m such a loser!
Maybe Nathan said that stuff because he felt sorry for Josh.
“What on earth are you reading, Mother?” Luke demanded. He snatched the large paperback out of her hand—a bodice ripper romance novel with two Fabios on the cover.
“What is that?” Josh demanded.
“I found it in the library,” Mom said. “It’s a gay romance novel. I’ve never read one before. It’s very eye-opening.”
“Oh my God, please tell me there’s no sex?” Josh cried.
Mom snatched the book back from Luke. “Oh yes, there’s lots of it. Loads and loads.”
At that, Aaron laughed so hard he began coughing.
Josh buried his face in his hands, mortified his mom was reading about two men having sex. Would she think Josh did everything in that silly book? Granted, he probably wanted to do all those things, but he didn’t need his mother to know.
“I see the Gilbert family is making themselves at home.” Nathan’s dulcet tones reached Josh’s ear.
A thump at the end of his chair announced Nathan had seated himself beside Josh. He had a Bloody Mary in one hand and his camera in the other.
“Nip of the hair of the dog that bit ya?” Nathan held out the drink.
Josh gagged a little bit. “I don’t know if that’s such a good idea.”
“Trust me, a few sips and you’ll be right as rain,” Nathan said, still holding out the glass. “Adam, over at the swim-up bar, is a real wizard when it comes to his famous Bloody Mary. He adds a magic ingredient that fixes all hangovers.” Those green eyes twinkled with mirth.
“Oh, there’s a swim-up bar?” Luke said. “We gotta find that.”
“It’s on the adult-only deck, top of the ship,” Nathan said, still holding out the drink for Josh.
“Adult-only?” Luke repeated, giving Ramona a suggestive waggle of brows.
“Clothing is not optional,” Nathan added.
“Bummer,” Luke said, and Ramona rolled her eyes.
Josh took the drink with a “Thanks.” Maybe he’d nibble on the bacon garnish.
Nathan wore white shorts and a navy blue Pride of the Caribbean golf shirt with his name stitched on the chest. His hair blew in the breeze, and he wore Ray-Bans and a grin that made Josh melt.
“Thanks,” Josh said again, taking a bite of the bacon and trying not to gag from the tomato smell.
“Loads and loads.” Aaron was still laughing about Mom’s book.
“Nathan, you’re the ship’s photographer, huh?” Ramona prompted. “Do you do anything else?”
Oh, and now the interrogation begins.
“I sing,” Nathan said. “And I’m a writer.”
“An artist, then?” Ramona didn’t look impressed, and Josh could all but read the words “starving artist” on her face.
Not letting her sway the conversation, Josh said, “You sing?”
“Yup, in the Aruba Lounge, and I lead the shipboard karaoke nights too. Christmas Eve I have a couple solos in the Winter Wonderland Extravaganza.”
Josh imagined Nathan had a wonderful voice, because his speaking voice was so melodious and gentle. Hypnotic and sexy. Every time he spoke, it lured Josh closer.
“You’ll have to take Josh with you to karaoke,” Mom said from over the top of her sexy gay romance.
Josh fought an eye roll and bit back a sharp retort because he didn’t want to look like an asshole in front of Nathan.
But this whole situation was getting ridiculous!
Before he could say anything, Nathan grinned at Josh. “Oh, I’m planning on taking him. If he’ll have me.”
“We’d love to come,” Aaron said, and for some bizarre reason, Mom giggled.
Good God, Josh hoped it wasn’t something from that book making her think the word come was suddenly funny.
He couldn’t tolerate that!
“Got any songs you want to sing?” Nathan asked.
“Oh, I don’t sing. Can’t, actually. I’m more of a music appreciator.”
Rather than force him to karaoke like Josh had expected, Nathan smiled. “Okay, then, any songs you appreciate that I should sing for you?”
“I Want Your Sex” by George Michael?
Instead he said, “Can’t think of any off the top of my head.”
Nathan took a deep inhale of the crisp sea air, and if Josh wasn’t mistaken, he shivered.
“Cold?” Josh asked, though it was already in the eighties.
Nathan shook his head and placed his hand atop Josh’s on the chair between them. “Nope, just thinking about my innocent man.” He gave it a squeeze.
Heat flooded Josh’s cheeks, and he didn’t know what to say.
Nathan is holding my hand!
“I hope you guys are all reapplying sunblock,” Nathan said. “The sun down here is a lot m
ore intense than it is back where you come from.”
“I haven’t applied any yet,” Josh said.
A plastic tube landed in his lap. “There you go,” Aaron said. “Get smearing, Casper.”
Nathan was still smiling at Josh, while Ramona, Clare, and Mom were all smiling at Josh and Nathan sitting on the same lounge chair, holding hands.
Josh knew he didn’t have the greatest body, and all the salt he’d eaten yesterday probably left him bloated. Nervous about taking his shirt off in front of Nathan, he remembered stripping down to his underwear last night when Nathan put him to bed.
So humiliating!
Until a hopeful whisper tickled at the back of his mind. Nathan looked for you this morning. He’s sitting on the chair, smiling at you. He brought you a Bloody Mary. And he said he was into you. He’s holding your hand. He already kissed you!
Emboldened and determined to ignore his family, he pulled off his shirt, then squirted some lotion into his hand. When he began rubbing it on his arms, Nathan’s smile faded a little, and he licked his lips. He took another deep inhale.
More than aware of Nathan watching him rub the lotion in, Josh wondered, Is Nathan enjoying it?
“Here.” Nathan’s voice went husky. “Let me get your back.”
A little stunned, Josh turned. But not before Mom clapped her hands twice.
The most humiliating moment of my life. My mother is reading a gay romance novel while a man is rubbing lotion on me and my whole family is watching.
But the instant Nathan’s soft hands began rubbing his back, he forgot all about them. He forgot all about the nonsense and the embarrassment and let himself savor those expert hands on his body. He shivered when Nathan’s hands slid the length of his swim trunks’ waistband, just under the edge.
“Gotta be thorough,” Nathan whispered mere inches from his ear. His finger lingered on Josh’s crack for the barest of moments.
Josh was so glad he still had his T-shirt in his lap, because Nathan’s thorough touching had given him wood.
Then Nathan gave Josh’s shoulder one final pat. “There you go. All lubed up and ready to go.”
The Boyfriend Cruise Page 6