by Jayne Rylon
“What exactly is the Divemaster Project supposed to do?” Miguel wondered.
“It’ll be just like we talked about earlier. A pretty cushy arm of the Banks Foundation. Deserving passengers will join us for a while at sea. We’ll foot the bill and try to tip the karma scales in their favor a little. Reward them for whatever it is they’ve done to not be assholes like some humans. Banks is taking care of the administrative shit. He’ll be sourcing the guests for us. Making all the arrangements for them. Managing the staff. We’d be mostly business as usual with a few extra perks. We’d live here and act as the divemasters on the Divemaster.”
“So we’d work for you?” Tosin’s brows drew together, causing some fine wrinkles to show on his forehead. “Not that I think you’d be a bad boss—”
“No. Stop, please.” Archer didn’t bother to let him finish. “Nothing changes between us. I want you to be my partners like always.”
Miguel, who paid the best attention to detail of the three of them, scanned the paper he’d accepted from Archer. He mumbled, “‘…eligible to purchase a one-third share of the Divemaster for the price of a single US penny.’”
Tosin’s jaw dropped.
Miguel continued, “‘With the stipulation that should you decide to terminate your stay onboard permanently, you’ll offer your share to the Banks Foundation for full market value before listing it for sale publicly.’”
“Archer, that’s nuts.” Arms flung wide, Tosin interrupted. “A third of this thing has to be at least—”
“Eighty-five million dollars, give or take. Probably more in a few years.” He shrugged. “I know what it’s like to be trapped by this lifestyle. That’s not what I want for either of you. If there comes a day you’re ready to get out, you’ll still be able to enjoy the things you’ll become accustomed to while staying here. Worst case would be if you hung around longer than you wanted to and came to resent me because of something as unimportant as money. You’re free to stay here forever…or go. At any time. I’d never lock you in.”
“Can I ask something rude?” Miguel leaned forward. He didn’t wait for permission before shooting out his questions. “Just how motherfucking loaded are you? And why does Banks have your name if you’re not related?”
Tosin didn’t blink as he waited for Archer to respond. He must have been wondering, too.
“Actually, I’ve got his name. He was our butler, although that doesn’t really convey everything he handled. You know, like raising me and shit. I borrowed it when I went incognito, hiding from my father. Every day, Banks showed me the kind of person I wanted to be like when I got the chance to make myself.”
He’d held himself to that standard. Except for violating that girl… He couldn’t let himself think of her now, though. That’s what nightmares were for.
“I should have realized that conniving bastard knew where I was all along. Anyway, on my birth certificate, my last name is Quartermane.”
“Like the software company?”
“Yeah. That’s where my father made most of his money. But I sold everything and put it in some kind of trust. Well, actually, Banks did it for me. I tried not to listen when he told me about it. All I care about is that this obscene amount of cash makes a positive impact. I don’t want anything else to do with it.”
Tosin looked like he’d gulped down a few lungfuls of seawater. “So, what you’re saying is…you’re a goddamned multi-billionaire?”
“More or less.” Archer shrugged. “If it was all sitting in my bank account it’d probably be five, six, maybe seven, billion depending on the day and the stock markets. I don’t plan to touch a cent other than what we’ve got in the yacht and her expenses. Banks assured me the essentials are more than taken care of by the interest on several long-term investments dedicated to the holding company that technically purchased the yacht, which we will also jointly own. Blah blah blah, whatever. Long story short, we can do this. Forever, if you guys don’t get sick of it. And if you do, you’re welcome to go try whatever else makes you happy instead.”
Tosin reached into the pocket of his cargo shorts. He slapped his hand onto the table, leaving a penny on top of Archer’s now-empty folder. “Reporting for duty.”
Together, Tosin and Archer looked at Miguel.
“I’ve just got one more question,” he sighed.
“What the hell could matter after all that?” Veins popped out in Tosin’s neck as he practically had a coronary. “Pull your head out of your ass and sign on the dotted line, fuckface. Do it now, or so help me I will come over there and do it for you.”
“Hear him out.” Archer put his hand on Tosin’s shoulder and pressed steadily yet firmly. “It’s okay. What else do you want to know, Miguel?”
“Will you lend me a penny? I spent the last of my cash on that second helping back at the street-meat wagon.” For dramatic effect, he paused before adding, “I’m good for it. I swear.”
Laughter burst from Archer’s chest. It was either that or surrender to the burn behind his eyes. “For real? You’re coming, too?”
“You’re not going anywhere without me, bro.” Miguel held his fist out over the center of their table.
Tosin and Archer took turns bumping it before doing the same to each other.
They stared around, dazed, until Miguel said, “I can’t believe that really happened.”
“I’m still in shock myself.” Though the oily grime finally seemed to be dissipating from Archer’s guts some.
Eyes narrowed, Miguel growled, “When, exactly, did your dad pass away?”
“My guess, a month ago.” Tosin’s features regained some of his storminess. “This is what the fuck has been wrong with you. You’ve been freaking out. And you didn’t say a damn word.”
“I think that pisses me off more than you forgetting to mention you were a billionaire.” Disappointment cast a shadow on Miguel’s acceptance.
“I’m sorry.” It felt good for Archer to finally give them the apology they hadn’t known they’d deserved before. “I swear, from now on, no more secrets.”
Quick to anger, but faster to forgive, Miguel nodded. “So now what the fuck do we do?”
Tosin stood. “Yo, Banks, you out there somewhere?”
A few seconds later, he rejoined them in the bar with a flute of champagne in his hand. “Celebrations are in order, yes?”
“Yes,” Archer practically roared with relief.
“To the divemasters.” Banks drained his glass as well.
The three guys cheered for him.
“First order of business, I want that tour you promised, Banks.” Tosin slapped the older guy on the back, knocking him forward a little.
“I would recommend you boys go quit your jobs first.” The guy probably had a schedule etched into his brain. He would keep them organized. Thank God.
Archer would have felt bad about leaving their shop in a lurch with such short notice if Banks hadn’t already arranged for a dozen candidates, who would be flown in—or maybe had been already—for their shop manager to interview.
Confirming Archer’s suspicions, Banks continued, “If you don’t leave now, your replacements might arrive at the shop before you give notice. That could be a kind of awkward, don’t you think?”
“The dude seriously thinks of everything, doesn’t he?” Miguel stared at Banks in awe.
“It’s my job, sir.”
Miguel squirmed like Archer did when Banks sired him. Somehow that was way funnier when it was happening to his friend.
“Okay, fine,” Tosin amended. “First we quit. Then we get our tour. And after that, I think we should throw one hell of a going away party onboard.”
Miguel stiffened.
A wince crossed Tosin’s face. “I mean, if that’s okay with you, Archer.”
“Guys, let’s get one thing straight right now.” He stared at both of his best friends. “We’re in this as equals. You have every right to make decisions. In fact, let’s sign those contracts and m
ake it official. The last thing I’d want is for this to fuck up our friendship. Things should be the same…”
“But hella better!” Miguel held out his hand in a silent promise and Archer clasped it. The other guy drew him in for a man-hug, clapping him on his back a few times hard enough to rattle his organs around. “I don’t know what to say.”
“I say, here’s to new adventures.” Archer swallowed against the lump in his throat as he caught Banks’s wink from behind Miguel. They’d done it.
For once, he was starting to believe it might be okay to enjoy this opportunity his father had left him.
“And I say…party time, boys!” Tosin jogged down the hall, burst out the door, and shouted loud enough over the rail to the bystanders gathered below that Archer, Miguel, and Banks had no trouble hearing him despite the soundproofing. “Who’s ready for a wild time?”
Archer was.
Six
“Archie! Yo, Arrrrchiiiieeeeee.” Shitfaced and amped up, the guys had decided they liked Banks’s nickname for him a little too much. It was going to be hell getting them to stop calling him that.
He winced then pitched his voice over the music, which pumped across the deck they were partying on. “Over here, Miguel.”
“I brought you a going away present.” He tugged a gorgeous woman in an ultra-feminine sarong dress behind him as he cut through the crowd. Long, tan legs peeked from thigh-high gaps in the sides as she walked. A fresh hibiscus adorned the clip holding her wavy hair back from her face. When she looked up, Archer recognized her despite the subtle touches of makeup—something she didn’t ordinarily wear—highlighting her already striking features.
The kite-surfing street-meat dealer.
“Hey.” For the first time in weeks, his cock perked up at the sight of a very willing woman.
It wasn’t permanently broken! Hallelujah!
Mistaking his enormous grin as an invitation, she plastered herself to his side and gave him a hug as big as if she were an octopus wrapping all eight tentacles around him simultaneously. He found himself reflexively returning the gesture. Who was he to squash a woman’s hopes?
Sure, he’d promised himself he wouldn’t fool around for the hell of it anymore, but tonight had turned out to be one of the best of his life.
He deserved to celebrate. Besides, she’d tried to get with him before she’d known he was rich, so he already preferred her to the dozens of circling sharks who smelled cash in the water.
Bonaire wasn’t a very big island. Rumors had spread from one end to the other before he, Tosin, and Miguel had even packed up their cabanas. He swore half the population had crammed themselves onboard tonight, suddenly acting as if they were long-lost relatives.
Archer much preferred the genuine bond he had with his partners, and women like this one.
“Hi.” She backed off just far enough to extend her hand. “I’m Savannah. Nice to officially meet you, finally.”
“Likewise.” He brought her hand to his mouth and kissed her knuckles. Afterward he didn’t let go, entwining their fingers instead. “Would you prefer to go somewhere quieter, so we can talk? Or were you looking forward to dancing?”
“Whatever you want.”
Ugh. No. There’d be time for that later, once he had her splayed out across his bed. He liked his partners to have a strong will so that when they chose to surrender to him, he knew he’d won something truly precious. Something he’d thought he’d earned from her. “Lady’s choice.”
“Dancing.” She smiled up at him, kind of shyly. Yet still seductive, full of promise.
The evening was about to get even better.
“Thanks.” He nodded to Miguel as he passed. “I owe you one.”
“I think you’ve covered it already.” His friend slapped him on the ass.
They both laughed at that. It didn’t feel like he’d done much of anything. With Banks’s guidance, he had changed their lives forever, he supposed. Selfishly, Archer had mostly considered that he didn’t want to leave his best friends behind when he embarked on the next phase of his life. If that made him an asshole, so be it. In the end, each of them had benefitted.
When they’d made it to the center of the floor, people parting to let him pass, Archer spun Savannah around then swallowed her up with his arms and tugged her close. He let his hips grind against hers, giving her a calculated preview of what the rest of the evening could have in store for them.
It only took a few songs for her to ride his thigh and begin pressing her chest, including her pebbled nipples, into the patch of tan skin his partially opened dress shirt exposed. She stared up at him with a blend of heat and desire that he was not about to waste.
“I think I’d like to see that quieter place now, if you don’t mind,” she said just loud enough to be heard despite the pulsating beats.
Soon enough she’d shatter the calm of whatever nook he hauled her off to by crying out his name as she came. She’d triggered his instincts with her sweet request, and he was about to exceed her expectations. Some people might consider him egotistical, but he preferred to think of himself as frank about his skill level as a lover.
Archer excelled at seduction.
With a hand in the small of Savannah’s back, he guided her through the throng, angling his shoulders to protect her from being jostled by frenzied revelers.
There was one place he hadn’t checked out on the ship yet.
Time to rectify that oversight.
Archer didn’t feel like stopping to gawk at the yacht’s interior. Instead, he scooped Savannah into his arms and allowed her to think of it as a romantic gesture. Her heartbeat tripped beneath the fingers he curled around her ribs.
Without speaking, she rested her head on his shoulder, and he knew he’d won. She was his for the taking. And he would give all of himself in return. For a little while.
When he reached his destination, he cradled her with one arm, and used a palm scanner to unlock a smoky black glass door. Then he brought Savannah inside, waiting for her telltale gasp.
She didn’t disappoint, making his cock twitch in his khaki shorts. “What is this place?”
Now that was a good question. During their many discussions about the Divemaster, Archer had told Banks he thought it would be a good idea to have a place the guys could relax discreetly with any personal guests they might choose to entertain. One that didn’t require inviting them to their private space. It seemed the guy had used his imagination and taken things over the top. Maybe Archer’s father wasn’t the only one who’d kept tabs on him. Could the divemasters’ penchant for visiting sex clubs have been notated in some report?
He bet it had been.
Tosin and Miguel were going to lose their minds, or come in their pants, when they realized the extent of the facilities onboard. Looked like the Divemaster still had some secrets to uncover. He wasn’t surprised—the more they’d explored, the more they realized how huge it was. There hadn’t been much time between when they’d gotten back from the dive shop and guests started arriving, either.
“Looks like it’s our private playroom.”
“I like to play,” she purred. Then, without hesitation, she began to strip. First her dress, then her matching lace bra and boy-short panties. When she stood naked before him, she sank to her knees, reaching for the waistband of his shorts.
Just like she had, making him feel like she craved him as he had her.
Too bad he could have been anyone with a cock, and she would have reacted the same way.
Archer shook his head and concentrated on Savannah.
She wasn’t subtle or tentative as she unbuttoned then unzipped his shorts. That was fine with him. He didn’t need her to be.
Archer whipped his shirt over his head and dropped it beside her clothes. Then he shoved his shorts and briefs to the ground, stepping out of them. Since he was already barefoot, there weren’t any shoes to deal with. Handy.
When Savannah licked her lips, staring at his ere
ction, he shot her a wicked grin.
Archer grasped her face between his palms and held her in place while he bent down to steal a kiss. She moaned and responded, opening to his demanding tongue.
After he’d taken his fill, he speared his fingers into her hair and directed her to his aching balls. She licked them, in no way hesitant as she nuzzled his groin, sucking gently while she bathed them with the flat of her tongue.
“Yes, that’s it.” He encouraged her like a teacher with a student. There wasn’t anything tender about it. That’s not what either of them was here for. “Just for that amazing job you’re doing down there, I promise to give you plenty of orgasms before the night is through.”
It seemed she appreciated his dirty talk as much as most women did.
Would she have? He hadn’t tried it since he’d only had affectionate things to say to her.
Savannah redoubled her efforts, lavishing her attention on his cock as well.
He didn’t bother to hide how well she played his body. Instead, when she took him to the back of her throat, he rewarded her enthusiastic sucking by limiting the time she needed to spend on her knees.
Archer tugged her hair, pinning her close to his abdomen, then came down her throat in a rush complete with a series of heartfelt groans. She swallowed around him eagerly, drawing out his pleasure.
When he withdrew, leaving a sheen on her lush lips, he reached down and lifted her to her feet.
“Thank you,” he rasped before sealing his mouth over hers and making sure she knew he meant it. Savannah might not be her, but he appreciated her generosity in sharing herself nonetheless. Damn, he’d needed that fast, hard release to take the edge off.
Now there’d be plenty of time to recover before demonstrating he had better stamina than a horny teenager. Though he’d done well—too well—with her. They’d screwed for hours before he realized what was going on.