Speechless (Pier 70 #3)

by Nicole Edwards

  But that was something he would worry about later.

  Right now, he simply wanted to eat some wings, watch the game, and try not to think about what the fuck had just happened a few minutes ago.

  He had a feeling he could accomplish the first two things, but the latter would be damn near impossible.

  Fourteen

  Saturday, July 16th

  TEAGUE FINISHED HELPING Dare look at one of the Jet Skis that was giving him problems, then headed back to the repair shop to tell Hudson he was done for the day. It was still early, but it was Saturday, and quite frankly, he was in desperate need of something a little more relaxing than work.

  He fished his phone out of his pocket as he went inside the shop and shot Hudson a quick message.

  Want to go out on the boat?

  Before he made it to the office, his phone buzzed in his hand.

  Absolutely.

  Well, then. He hadn’t expected such a quick response, nor had he really expected Hudson to agree, so… Shit. He didn’t even know what to think about that, so he wiped the smile off his face and stopped at the doorway to Hudson’s small office.

  “Well, come on then,” Teague announced when he found Hudson sitting at his desk, leaned back in his chair with his feet propped up. He looked as bored as Teague felt.

  Hudson popped up out of the chair, but before Teague could turn around and lead him out of the office, Hudson grabbed his arm and pulled him back. The next thing he knew, Hudson was kissing him full on the mouth, making him moan and … yes, sigh.

  He hadn’t been expecting the kiss. It was sweet but hot. Hudson didn’t touch him other than to cup his jaw and hold him in place. The touch was dominating, something Teague had become familiar with. Not to mention, he liked it.

  Still holding his phone, Teague dropped his arms and relaxed against Hudson. This wasn’t the first time Hudson had thrown him off course by spontaneously kissing him. It’d happened several times in the last week and it was… Shit, Teague didn’t know what it was, and he damn sure wasn’t going to think too hard on it. If Hudson wanted to kiss him, more power to him.

  Teague was definitely getting used to it. Although he’d been adamantly against it in the beginning, there was no way he could resist this man. He simply wasn’t sure whether that was a good thing or a bad thing.

  But he wasn’t going to think about that now. He wanted to spend some time out on the water. If he was lucky, he’d get to spend a little time in the water, as well.

  Hudson pulled back, then nodded toward the door, grinning.

  Teague pulled himself together and led the way out of the repair shop, hitting the button to close the door, then past the main office and down to the boat dock. There weren’t many boats in the slips because it was a beautiful Saturday afternoon and no sane person was sitting at home when they could be out on the water. Sure, it was a little hot, somewhere around 103, but that was what the water was for. To cool off.

  Fifteen minutes later, Hudson was at the wheel, steering them out to open water while Teague stood beside him, enjoying the view. And he wasn’t talking about the lake.

  Most of the time, Teague only saw Hudson when they were working. The guy looked sexy as fuck when he worked, no doubt about it. He was usually sporting khaki cargo shorts and a plain dark T-shirt, along with steel-toed work boots. Today he had on athletic shorts, a white Pier 70 shirt, and Nikes, which he looked equally good in. Combined with his thick, dark hair blowing back, his sunglasses on, his shirt being pulled off and tossed somewhere on the seats behind them, all those sexy tattoos, and the damned muscles on display … he’d never looked better. While Hudson drove, Teague studied the ink across Hudson’s back. As with his chest, there were no words, simply designs, many of them tribal and all of the ink black or gray.

  When Hudson peered over at him, Teague motioned to a spot, and Hudson turned the boat in that direction. Several minutes later, Hudson cut the engine and they were floating.

  Without warning, Hudson tossed his cell phone onto the chair, toed off his shoes, pulled off his socks, then dove into the water, leaving Teague to stare after him. Not wanting to be left behind, he emptied his pockets, flung his flip-flops off, then followed right behind Hudson.

  The water was warmer than he would’ve preferred, but it was nice. And more importantly, it was nice being here with Hudson rather than being alone, which was how he spent most of his time on the water. He knew that Cam, Dare, and Roan all believed Teague had a lot of friends and that he went out all the time. That wasn’t entirely true. He didn’t have any actual friends. No one he could call up when he had a problem or needed to talk. He had plenty of acquaintances and a couple of fuck-buddies, but again, those weren’t the kinds of relationships where he would call someone up and ask if they wanted to go hang out on the water. Teague generally waited for Dare or Cam to invite him. Sometimes Roan.

  The fact that he’d invited Hudson was a first. It felt right, though, so he wasn’t going to spend any more time thinking about it.

  Hudson popped up out of the water directly in front of where Teague was treading water to stay afloat. The smile on Hudson’s face was contagious, and Teague found himself smiling back.

  For a brief moment, he was actually glad Hudson couldn’t speak, because Teague was enjoying the silence. And for the life of him, he had no idea what he would’ve said, anyway.

  WHAT MADE YOU want to work at a marina?

  Hudson shot off the text once they’d made it back to the marina a few hours later. After docking the boat, Teague had mentioned that he was starving, so Hudson had steered him over to the restaurant, where they’d grabbed several premade sandwiches and bags of chips, then headed out onto the shaded patio to eat.

  It was hot as hell, but the breeze was decent. They were predicting some storms tonight, which would hopefully lower the temperatures but wouldn’t do a damn thing for the humidity.

  Teague glanced at his phone between bites, then wiped his mouth and took a drink of his soda.

  Hudson pretended he was simply making casual conversation, so he ate, staring out at the other boats still on the water while he waited for Teague to respond.

  “It was an accident,” Teague finally said.

  Hudson heard the hesitancy in his tone, and he knew the kid wasn’t fond of talking about himself. Cocking an eyebrow in interest, he encouraged Teague to continue.

  “I had just turned sixteen and I wanted to buy a truck,” Teague explained. “I didn’t have any money and no way to get any without getting a job, so I started applying at every place I could walk to. I stumbled upon the marina and got to talking to Cam. Since I was fairly decent with an engine and was willing to do any of the odd jobs, he said he’d give me a shot.”

  Hudson actually knew this story because he’d heard it from Cam, but it was nice to hear it from Teague’s point of view.

  “I’m not sure I was the best employee. There was probably a whole slew of mechanics who had applied, but since Cam had given me a chance to prove myself, I wasn’t about to let him down. I spent most of my time cleaning up, helping customers when they returned their boats. Shit like that. I showed up every day, rain or shine. It took me an hour to walk here from the place I was staying, but I didn’t let that bother me.”

  The place he was staying? That was an odd way to phrase things. Did that mean Teague hadn’t lived with his parents?

  Not that he would ask, because it would be the best way to ruin a damn good afternoon.

  However, Hudson hadn’t known that Teague had been walking to work back at that time. He wondered if Cam even knew that.

  “It took me eight months to save up for the piece of shit I still drive, but it was mine and that was all that mattered. I can definitely afford something nicer now, but since I rarely need it for anything more than getting me to the store—or to work before I moved here—I’m willing to deal with the quirks I’ve yet to figure out.”

  Hudson wanted to ask why Teague’s parents
hadn’t driven him to the marina back then, but he didn’t dare. He’d seen the kid’s reaction firsthand when he tried to talk about family. Again, that would lead to an unnecessary argument.

  So you’re self-taught with engines?

  Teague nodded after taking another bite of his sandwich.

  Impressive. I would’ve thought you had some schooling. You’re better than most mechanics I’ve worked with.

  He wasn’t trying to make Teague blush, but it worked. He figured the kid didn’t get a lot of compliments, but it was true. Hudson was ASE-certified and had a lot of schooling behind his trade. Teague was merely a natural. Not a lot of people could do that.

  And they worked well as a team. Teague dealt with customers rather well, considering, and Hudson could handle dividing the workload and helping Teague when he needed assistance.

  “Enough about me,” Teague said, leaning back after pushing the empty basket away from him. “I think it’s time to get a shower and hit the bed. I’m wiped.”

  Hudson smiled. Teague was twenty-five years old; it was only six thirty on a Saturday night… No way was he going to bed this early.

  However, it was an interesting way for him to cut a conversation off.

  Fifteen

  Monday, July 18th

  MONDAYS WERE BRUTAL.

  At least ninety percent of the time, anyway, and today had definitely been one of those days. Sure, Teague was grateful the marina was so damn busy, but the heat was a surefire way to knock him on his ass. Thanks to two days’ worth of rain, the humidity was ridiculous, and you couldn’t walk outside without being drenched in sweat.

  By the time he got home every night, Teague was too tired to keep his eyes open. And at that point, Hudson was either inviting him over or stopping by. It had been several days full of hand jobs and blow jobs, but still no intercourse, and Teague was beginning to think Hudson had no intention of fucking him.

  Ever since his freak out when Hudson had his closest friends over—something he learned the following day when Hudson had texted him to clarify what Teague had so rudely interrupted—it seemed there was less friction between them.

  Well, aside from the no-sex thing. That was causing friction all on its own.

  Yet Teague found himself craving the time he and Hudson did spend together. Hudson was still working the question game, but thankfully he’d started gearing them all toward sex, which made it a hell of a lot easier and lessened his anxiety significantly. Teague doubted Hudson would hold off on the personal ones indefinitely, but he held out hope.

  As he made his way down the hall to his apartment, he smelled food and his stomach rumbled. He had no idea what he had in his refrigerator to eat, but he hoped there was something that hadn’t passed its expiration date. Just as he was about to open his apartment door, Hudson’s door opened. He turned to face him, noticing Hudson was wearing a pair of shorts and no shirt, similar attire to what he’d worn every night for the past week. And still he looked just as delicious as the first time Teague had seen him.

  Hudson nodded what appeared to be an invitation for him to come over.

  “Give me a little while,” Teague told him with a sigh. “I’m starving. Need to eat, then I’ll—”

  He didn’t get a chance to finish the sentence because Hudson grabbed his shoulders and steered him into his apartment, walking him right over to the small table in the kitchen. With a gentle shove, Hudson pushed him into one of the chairs, and there before him was a plate of spaghetti and meatballs. His stomach rumbled loudly, apparently impressed.

  Hudson signed for him to eat. And yes, this time he understood him. He’d been studying for at least an hour, usually two, every night when he was alone. He hadn’t told anyone about his extracurricular activity, and he was still a little nervous, but he was getting better. Deciding it was time to let Hudson know, he signed back: okay.

  Hudson’s eyes widened, his eyebrows darting down in a V, confusion etched across his rugged features. It made Teague smile that he’d gotten one over on the guy. It was usually the other way around.

  As though testing him, Hudson signed back: Tea or water?

  Teague was happy he knew that one, too. Water.

  For a brief moment, he thought he saw some unnamed emotion flitter across Hudson’s face, but he turned too quickly for Teague to be sure.

  While Hudson got drinks, Teague stared down at the plate in front of him. He was tempted to dive in without waiting for Hudson, but he fought the urge. After all, he did have a few manners. He was starving and the meal looked so good—he wasn’t sure when the last time someone had cooked for him was, but definitely not since high school. One of the last foster families he’d been with had tried hard to be nice to him. Unfortunately, by that point, Teague had grown tired of the system, tired of the rules, tired of everything. He’d countered their attempt at being kind with rebellion. By that point, it had been ingrained in him. And on the day he’d turned eighteen, one month into his senior year of high school, he’d packed up his one box of belongings and chosen to stay with friends or sleep in his truck. He’d had far more than he could handle at that point. If it hadn’t been for Cam and Dare constantly nagging at him to finish high school, he would’ve dropped out and focused on working.

  When Hudson took a seat across from him and nodded toward his plate, Teague grabbed his fork and dug in. They both ate in silence for a few minutes before Hudson stopped and picked up his phone. Knowing he was going to get a text, Teague pulled his from his pocket and set it on the table beside him, then resumed eating.

  Who’s been teaching you sign language?

  Teague continued to stuff his face while he read the message on his phone screen. After swallowing, he replied. “The woman on the Internet.”

  Hudson looked confused.

  “I’m teaching myself. I found a website that has video clips. I can’t talk to you in sentences yet and probably won’t understand most of what you say, but I’m coming along. I recognize a few words at this point, and I can usually piece it together.”

  Hudson’s smile overtook his entire face. He seemed incredibly pleased with that answer, and something in Teague’s chest eased a little.

  What made you want to learn?

  Teague tilted his head to the side and repeated what he’d heard Dare say before. “I want to talk to you, not at you.”

  Hudson nodded and resumed eating.

  Grinning, Teague added, “Plus, I figure if you wanna talk dirty to me, it’ll help if I understand.”

  Hudson’s smirk was dark and sexy, sending a tremor racing down Teague’s spine.

  Ignoring it because his stomach was still growling in protest, he once again focused on his food.

  Teague noticed Hudson didn’t look at him for several minutes, not until they had both cleared their plates. At that point, Hudson signed: Want more?

  There was more? Oh, thank God.

  Teague nodded, then laughed when Hudson brought the pot of spaghetti and the pan of sauce over to the table. Looked as though Hudson had made enough to feed a small army.

  They both filled their plates one more time, and neither of them spoke until they had finished off everything that was left.

  HUDSON KNEW THAT technically this could be considered a date. He seriously doubted that Teague realized that, and he had no intention of telling him. If he did, he risked sending Teague running for the hills, and Hudson had come to the realization earlier in the week that he was enjoying Teague’s company far more than he’d expected to.

  Sure, he figured they could eventually fuck like rabbits and never get enough, but since they hadn’t yet had sex, he knew that there was something else at work here. Hand jobs and blow jobs would only go so far, they both knew that. But still, Hudson looked forward to seeing Teague every day, and he had every intention of holding out a little while longer.

  Seriously, the kid had asked him to go out on the boat. That had been the shocker of a lifetime. No way in hell could he have refused
Teague’s invite, even if he’d had a meeting with the president. Hudson would’ve put off anything to make that happen, and he was glad that he had.

  For the record, keeping his hands off Teague wasn’t easy. His body craved Teague’s. The intimacy they shared was more than he’d expected, but he knew it would only get better from here. He still had to contend with the fact that Teague would make a break for it once he got what he needed. Although Teague was tight-lipped when it came to his family and his life before the marina, Hudson had managed to confirm that Teague had no ties with anyone. On purpose. Hudson was not about to get his name added to the list of people Teague ran away from. Ending this thing between them would be inevitable, but Hudson hoped they could be friends afterward. It was more than they’d had in the beginning, so that was something.

  After they finished washing the dishes—something Teague had insisted on helping with—Hudson took their drinks over to the oversized sectional sofa and set them on the end table before pulling Teague down with him. He honestly had no intentions of doing anything tonight, but he did hope to have a conversation. He wanted to know more about Teague learning sign language. When the kid had signed his first response, Hudson had nearly fallen over. He’d been floored to learn that Teague was teaching himself so that they could communicate.

  Luckily, he’d managed to mask the overwhelming response he’d had, not wanting to freak Teague out, but truth was, Hudson had been so touched he’d felt his heart swell inside his chest. Sure, Teague had attempted to play it off as though it were nothing, but it was so not nothing. It was … everything.

  “I really should go home,” Teague mumbled when Hudson pulled him against his side. This was the first time they’d been on Hudson’s couch together. Well, except for the time Teague had watched Hudson jack off, but he’d merely been an onlooker that night. This was different. Until now, Hudson had kept their playtime confined mostly to Teague’s apartment, once on his desk in the office. Oh, and there was the brief time in his shower last night. One of those spur-of-the-moment things.