Chapter 11

 

 

THE ENGINE test had been a huge success, and once they were underway, the yacht performed beautifully. William spent his days lounging and trying to relax while Mike was in his element, navigating the yacht south toward Bonaire, which was indeed a diver’s paradise. They had taken a few days to see all the sights, and William marveled at the pristine corals and sponges, acres of them in all the colors of the rainbow across the ocean floor. Fish of every description, sea turtles, seahorses, urchins, anemones—it all boggled the imagination, but none of it compared to the smile on Mike’s lips and the wonder in his eyes when they surfaced. That one single look had been worth all the stress of having his parents on board.

At least his mother had settled down and was largely leaving him alone much of the time. William suspected that his father’s credit cards were getting a workout when they were in port, but he left that between them.

“I think that’s enough for today,” Antoinette said, and they boarded the speedboat and stowed their equipment for the trip back to the harbor.

Carrie sat next to Mike, and William watched the two of them together. It was magical how close they were. After a while, Carrie shifted a little, smiling at him, and he smiled back, wondering what was going to happen once all this was over. Starting the following morning, they’d be heading north once again, getting closer to reality. William still had to talk with his father, and he was dreading it. His father had been hinting, not too subtly, that he wanted to retire sooner rather than later.

They reached the yacht, and William helped Antoinette take care of the equipment, sending Mike and Carrie off to get changed.

“Son,” his father called as they were finishing up.

“I can take care of things here,” Antoinette offered. “We’re almost done, and I want to get these tanks filled before we leave the island.”

“Thank you.” William turned to his dad. “Let me change.” He went to his cabin and got out of his wet things, changing into shorts and a light polo shirt and flip-flops. He figured he’d wear them while he could. “What is it, Dad?” William noticed his parents’ room was empty, so he made his way to the salon. The serious expression in his father’s face told him something was definitely wrong.

“You’ve been in your element this last week or so.”

“I like to think so. I’ve had a chance to get away.” He didn’t bring up the issue of him and his mother barging in. He’d dealt with it.

“I know you weren’t happy that your mother and I showed up. But we didn’t know you had someone in your life. Well, two someones actually.” He smiled. “Mike is one hell of a man, and Carrie is adorable and gives your mother a run for her money.”

Carrie had taken to calling them Grandma and Grandpa on occasion, and it had been completely disarming, especially for William’s father.

“You know I’ve been thinking of retiring… but it’s going to be a few years yet.”

“Dad, I don’t want to take over your job,” William blurted before his dad could say anything more. “That isn’t what’s in my heart and what I want to do with the rest of my life.” William sat in the chair across from him.

“Is that why you’ve been so short with everyone?”

“I think so. I don’t like sitting in an office all day. The walls close in, and let me tell you, spreadsheets and ledgers are not my idea of a good time. I want to be outside….” He looked around, realizing how stupid he sounded.

“Why didn’t you say anything before?” His dad gripped the arms of the chair and leaned forward.

“Because I thought I was doing what you wanted me to do and because I was stupid. I went along with your plans and what you wanted. I could have lived with that. I took my trips and let off some steam, had a good time a few weeks a year, and it was okay.”

His dad nodded. “Until you met Mike…. We had the ‘my son is gay’ conversation a while ago, but your mother and I didn’t take it as seriously as we should have. I know you aren’t likely to get married and have kids, at least not in the traditional sense. But you’ve been happy, at least reasonably so….”

“Yeah. I’ve known Mike for about four years now, but things changed on the last trip down. I’ve always liked him and was attracted to him, but things never went anywhere until a hurricane sort of blew us together, and….” William could not believe he was having this conversation with his father… and that he was listening. “After that, I had to come home.”

“And you turned into a prickly bear.” His dad sat back, his perfectly pressed light slacks flowing over his crossed legs. “You should have said something. You’re my son and I want you to be happy. At the office, we run a mile a minute in order to stay ahead of the competition and the market. It’s what I lived for all those years. A challenge, staying ahead and on top.”

“I know. You thrived on it. I don’t.” This was the first time he and his dad had actually sat down and talked about the important things. It should have happened years ago, but William hadn’t wanted to rock the boat, though instead he’d almost gotten set adrift in it.

“So what do you want to do?”

“Maybe we can increase our presence in Florida. Open a sales office in the panhandle. I could run it and see to things down here. See about increasing our market share.”

“But Westmoreland Motors is a family company. I don’t want to lose that.”

“Neither do I. But I don’t want to run it day to day either. So why don’t we find someone who can run the business on a daily basis? I’ll still be involved, and when the time comes, I’ll take the family seat on the board, or you and I can work together on the board. But I need a chance to make my own mark on the world.”

His dad sat back in the chair. “You’re right, you do, and your idea is a good one, except I’m not going to put you in sales. Instead, you can be in charge of future product development. You want to move south? Do so and figure out what the next generation of products is going to be. Work with boaters to determine what they’re going to need in five to ten years. I think your friend Mike will be a great resource for you.”

William wanted to hug his father but held back. They had never had that type of relationship. “Oh, to hell with it.” He stood and leaned over his dad’s chair, hugging him anyway. His father returned it.

“But you do have to promise me you’ll come visit for the holidays every once in a while. Though I can see why you love it down here so much.”

“Thanks, Dad. We probably should have talked like this a while ago.”

“Yeah. But you and I have never seemed to be on the same page. I don’t know why, but we talk around and over each other rather than to each other most of the time.”

Hopefully they could stop doing that in the future.

“I have to ask you this, because it seems to be our pattern. Is that what you’re doing with Mike?”

“Huh?” William asked.

“We’re usually strong personalities. Look, I’m a force to be reckoned with, I know that. I haven’t been in business all this time not to get what I want usually, and if there’s something or someone in my way, I generally figure out a way around whatever roadblocks there are. You took a backseat to me because of who I am to you, but you tend to do the same thing. You’re my son, after all.”

“I don’t get what you’re driving at.” William’s head spun a little.

“You need to figure out what Mike wants. He clearly cares for you—that’s been obvious for days. And his daughter is the sweetest girl.”

Clearly Carrie had his dad wrapped around her little finger.

“I know you and I have talked about a new position for you because you want to move south, and that’s great. I’m assuming a lot of that has to do with Mike, but have you sat down with him and talked, just like we have, about what he wants?”

“Yeah.”

His dad shook his head. “Think about it. Did you talk with him or at him? You and I do the at thing really well. Mike is a good man. He and I have had a chance to talk on a couple of occasions, and there are things back home that scare the shit out of him.”

“He told you that?” William couldn’t see his dad and Mike having a sit-down to talk about their feelings.

“He didn’t have to. He lives in a tiny town, and his business and livelihood are dependent on the goodwill and word of others. Of course he’s scared. You have a trust fund you can live on for the rest of your life if you wanted. He only has his own hard work. I admire Mike’s determination to do what’s right for his family.”

“So do I, Dad,” William protested. “His mother is amazing.”

“Then sit down together and figure out what you both want.” His dad stood and patted him on the shoulder. “I’m going to lie down for a while before dinner.”

“Where’s Mom?”

“She’s on the island. Anna was going in to do some of the shopping for Rodrigo, and your mother went along to get a few things.”

The surprises never seemed to end on this trip. His mother and Anna. The thought of the two of them shopping together was almost enough to blow his mind completely.

“Your mother is a complex woman, and when she figures out that she doesn’t have to be the lady of the manor and the constant hostess to half the world, then she’s really a kickass kind of girl.” His dad winked, and Lord, William did not want to know what that meant.

“I understand the kickass part. She’s done plenty of that all my life.”

“Your mother has spent way too many years in society.” His dad stopped at the door. “Your mother didn’t come from money, the way I did, and she wasn’t raised with all the advantages you had. Her dad was a preacher, you know that. But….” His dad sighed. “She never wanted me to tell anyone any of this. Hell, she swore me to secrecy years ago. Your grandfather disowned her when she married me because she wasn’t marrying the man he wanted his little girl to marry. He wanted her to marry one of the men in his tiny congregation and then breed like rabbits to make his flock bigger. As far as I was concerned, her father was a loon. The man still is, even if he’s dead as a doornail, may he rest in hell where he belongs.”

That was a first for his father.

“I fell in love with your mother the first time I saw her, and I was determined to marry her. But as I said, her daddy had other ideas, and it was hard for her to break away. I had to let her make up her own mind, regardless of how much I wanted to grab hold and rip her away from him.” His father’s hands clenched into fists and relaxed over and over again. “She never had it easy, and once we married, she wasn’t accepted into society, and that hurt her all over again. Your mother has worked all her life to fit in to my world, and now she’s the belle of the ball and a leader of society. Sometimes I think she doesn’t know how to turn all that off anymore. But she has in the last few days, and she’s happier. As am I. So give her a chance.”

William nodded absently. “How come no one ever told me this… other than Mom swearing you to some sort of secrecy?”

“When we first married, your mother was a different person. She was a quiet preacher’s daughter, and once she fell in love with me, she found her inner voice and hasn’t stopped since. I love the woman your mother is inside—she just doesn’t show it to anyone.”

“But I’m her son, Dad. Don’t I deserve to see it?”

“Yes. You do, but it’s always there. You have to look for it sometimes.” His dad opened the door and walked out of the salon, leaving William wondering how in the hell he was supposed to do that.

There was a soft knock a few minutes later, and then Mike and Carrie came in. “Are you and your dad done talking?” Mike asked, and William nodded.

“Yeah.” William scratched his head.

“Did you and Grandpa Max fight?” Carrie asked.

“No. We didn’t. Why?”

“You seem to do that a lot,” Carrie said as she sat at the table.

William knew she was right. He did fight with his parents a lot, more than he should.

“You okay?” Mike asked, standing next to him, a strong arm sliding around his waist. That simple touch was exactly what he needed.

“Dad gave me exactly what I wanted.” In that moment he realized that sometimes he needed to be careful what he wished for because he just might get it. Yes, he’d wanted to be free of the office, and that was awesome, but all that had come into focus because of Mike, and he had no idea at this point if there was a “him and Mike.” They had four more days on board the yacht, and then they’d be back in St. Martin. After that, Mike would go back to Apalachicola, and William would go to Providence to figure out how he was going to begin this new chapter in his life.

William had talked to Mike and told him what he wanted, but Mike hadn’t given him an answer. He hadn’t really expected one, but he’d hoped. Hell, he’d told Mike how he felt about him in front of his family. He’d said the words, the magic ones, but Mike hadn’t said them back. Yeah, he was probably acting a little like an eighth-grade girl and just needed to be patient and allow Mike to do what he’d asked of him. To think about what he wanted. But all William kept wondering was, what if Mike didn’t want him? They were good together in bed, and damned if William didn’t want Mike around all the time. Hell, they were in the salon with Carrie and all William could concentrate on was Mike’s deep gaze and the way his hair curled at the ends just a little because it had been wet. And to add to his preoccupation, Mike watched him back, sending heat running through him. Sometimes this yacht just wasn’t big enough.

“William,” Mike said gently, and he came back to the present.

“Sorry, I was off somewhere else.” Deep in his own head, worrying about things that were out of his hands.

“I asked what happened with your dad. You said he gave you what you wanted.”

“Yeah. He’s going to train or locate an executive to run the firm on a day-to-day basis, and he and I will take seats on the board.” William paced the floor. “He wants me to come down South, to be near the water and look to the future to develop new products. He wants me to look ahead and see what we can take into the next few decades.”

“That’s an easy one. Develop boat engines with enough power and efficiency that they can be electric and run on batteries rather than huge diesel engines. Boat fuel is expensive, dirty, and combustible. Imagine engines and boats without sails that aren’t loaded with diesel fuel that could burn or explode while out to sea. This yacht carries thousands of gallons of fuel on it—we have to in order to be able to go anywhere. It may be easier to start with smaller engines and work up to the larger ones, but that would be a great innovation and worth its weight in gold to whoever brings it to market first.”

His father had said Mike would help him with his task, and he was right. Mike knew the future because he knew what boaters really wanted.

“I like that. It’s a great idea.” How he was going to bring it about was another thing, but the idea was a solid one. He could hear everyone in the company saying it wasn’t possible. But cars were powered by electric engines, so why couldn’t boats be? He leaned a little closer to Mike, and they watched as Carrie sat at the table drawing in her notebook, completely ignoring both of them.

“What are you doing, sweetheart?” William asked, and Carrie grinned, holding up the pencil drawing that was obviously him and Mike standing together.

“Is this really okay with you?” Mike asked.

Carrie rolled her eyes. “Daddy, Mr. William makes you smile. I see that all the time. You don’t do that very often when we’re at home. But with him you do. I like that you smile.”

“And why is that?” Mike released him and hurried to Carrie, where he tickled her, high-pitched, joyful laughter filling the room. “Huh?”

“Daddy,” Carrie laughed as Mike eased up. “I’m not a little girl anymore. Grandma Elise says I’m a young lady and I can act like one.” She went back to her drawing, and William snickered.

“I guess I just got told.”

William watched the two of them, then went to the bar, mixed a martini, and brought it back with a Sprite for Carrie and a beer for Mike. He got settled and heard his mother’s voice in the passage, followed by laughter. William tried to remember the last time he’d heard that sound. She came in loaded with shopping bags.

“Did you have a good time?” William asked, rising to help her with the bags.

“We did.” She turned and thanked Anna for all her help.

“You’re welcome.” Anna’s hands were loaded with bags as well, and she hurried away, most likely to the galley.

“What did you get?”

“A few things for your father and a dress for this one.” She handed a bag to Carrie, who ripped into it.

“Thank you.” Carrie hugged her, and William saw his ice queen mother melt a little more. He had hoped Carrie might get through to her, but this was beyond his wildest imaginings. Carrie hurried out of the room, saying she was going to try on her dress.

“You made her happy,” William said, smiling as he took the seat next to Mike. “The plan is to head north again tomorrow. We’ll head east toward the islands and make a few stops along the way for shelter and fuel.”

His mother came to him and took his hands. She seemed relaxed, and the small lines around her eyes and lips had smoothed away. “This has been a delightful trip. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome, and I’m glad you’re having a good time.” He glanced at his father as he entered the room, wondering for a second if something had been slipped into his mother’s iced tea at lunch. This was not the woman he’d come to know back in Providence.

“I was thinking that maybe your father and I would come back here and spend some time at one of those adorable resorts we saw along the coast. They seemed really nice, and none of them were those awful chains where they bring the States and transplant it wherever they build.”

“All right. What have you done with my mother? I know you look like her, but that’s too much. You must be a clone or something, because my mother enjoys five-star resorts and services up the yin yang.”

“Be nice, and no talking about my yin or my yang. Those are for your father.” She kept a straight face, and Mike broke into peals of laughter.

“That was a good one. I’ll get the aloe because you just got burned.” Mike hooted again, and William’s mother laughed full on. This really was strange and way out of character from the person he knew.

Antoinette brought a couple plates of appetizers and set them on the coffee table. The little pastries with salmon and chicken salad looked amazing. “Dinner will be at seven.”

“Thank you, hon,” his mother said and handed her a bag. “I got something for each of the crew members to say how much we appreciate all your hard work. It’s just a little something, but everyone has been so nice.”

Antoinette took the bag, thanked her again, and left.

William gulped from his glass, trying to figure out what was going on with his mother.

“Just accept it and be happy,” Mike whispered.

His mother turned to him before sitting down. “Maybe I’m more than just your mother. I’m a person with the same likes as everyone else.”

His father stood next to her. “Your mother is a complex woman.” He smiled and leaned down. His mother giggled—she actually giggled—and then blushed. William did not want to see this. His parents flirting with each other was something he was not going to ever be able to get out of his mind.

“I’m glad you’re happy, Mom.” He was so grateful when Carrie raced back into the room, twirling to show off her dress, which looked stunning on her.

“Thank you, Elise,” Mike said softly.

“Yes, thank you, Grandma Elise! It’s very pretty.” She was clearly happy, and so was Mike.

Now if William could only figure out what he needed to do to make sure Mike stayed happy and wanted him as much as William hoped.

“Captain,” Antoinette said from the doorway. “Philippe is asking for you.”

“Tell him I’m on my way.” Mike stood, and William watched every move he made without trying to be too obvious. Damn, Mike moved with the grace and fluidity of a dancer, and his shoulders and back were a work of art that any sculptor would be thrilled to recreate. “Excuse me.” Mike left the salon, and William didn’t turn away until the door closed.

“You have it bad, don’t you?” his mother asked.

“Have what?” Carrie asked.

“Nothing, sweetheart. Why don’t you get the cards and we’ll play out on the deck for a while? It’s a lovely evening and we should get some fresh air.” His mother took Carrie’s hand and led her out the back doors to the table on deck.

“That was interesting.” William watched her through the glass. “Who knew?”

“Like I said, this has been good for us.” His dad seemed more relaxed than William could ever remember seeing him. “I think she and I are going to take a vacation like this every winter.”

“I think you need to take one in the summer as well. You and Mom need to get away. It’s been too long, and you see what it’s done for her and you.” William smirked. “Maybe you could come fishing.”

“Can you see your mother doing that?”

William shrugged. “The mother I knew, probably not. But that version of my mother?” He pointed toward the back. “That version of Mom I wouldn’t put anything past. It’s a great day in the sun, on the water, and you can catch dinner. There’s nothing better, and Mike is a great charter captain.”

“I bet he is.” His father got up and mixed a drink before joining his mother and Carrie on the stern. If anyone would have told him that his parents would be playing cards with a ten-year-old who called them Grandpa and Grandma even ten days ago, William would have had them committed.

“Is everything okay?” William asked Mike when he returned, beer in hand.

“It’s fine. Philippe and I went over the plan for tomorrow and we’re all set, but there’s been a slight change of plan. We need to leave early in the morning and do our engine checks. The berth isn’t available after noon. There was a mix-up at the harbor office. So we’ll be leaving at first light and making for St. Lucia, before heading north.” Mike sounded so confident, it turned him on, and damned if he didn’t want to excuse himself and take Mike down to the cabin. Heat built inside him. He’d always been the one in control, but he wanted Mike to take charge for a while.

“Then we’ll all be ready.”

“None of you need to get out of bed. Philippe and I will navigate us out of the harbor and past the reef. From there we’ll head to our destination.”

“If you think it best.”

“I do. It’s going to take us nearly twenty hours of sailing, but all the weather forecasts are for clear weather and fair winds. However, after that, the wind is expected to pick up and that will mean more wave action, so we’ll stay to the Caribbean side of the islands until we reach St. Martin once again.”

It was obvious that Mike was going to be busy. “Are you and Philippe going to take shifts?”

“Yes. Philippe is already resting so he can be fresh when we need him, and I’ll be saying good night right after dinner.” Mike could barely stand still, he was so excited.

“Don’t worry about anything. Carrie and my parents are inseparable. They’ll watch over her.”

“I don’t doubt that.” Mike turned to him. “Do you really think that after this cruise is over, your family will really accept us? I know they’re being nice because we’re here on the yacht, but if….” Mike sighed. “I know I’m being stupid.”

“About what?”

“Look. What if we decide to try to make a go of it? You may move to Florida, but you’ll want to go home to visit, and Carrie is going to want to go too, but what happens when… how will she and I ever fit in?”

William glanced out to the back. “I don’t think you have to worry about that. I used to think my mother only thought about her social standing. But I don’t think that’s what drives her any longer.”

“Then what does?”

“Us. I think Mom did what she did for me and my sister. She wanted us to have chances she never did. I know movers and shakers, people in politics and industry. My parents know people who own yachts and have friends who make decisions that affect everyone. I never thought about it before, but Mom wanted her kids to know and have access to people like that. What she did took guts and grit, and I suspect that will extend to the person I love and my family. It did for my sister.”

“But I’m not like your sister,” Mike said. “I’m….” He lifted his gaze and then turned toward the window outside. “Excuse me. I have some things I remember I need to do before tomorrow.” Mike set his beer on the bar and left the room without another word.

William wanted to follow him, to get Mike to explain to him what was going on. He knew some of it was the gay thing, and William could deal with that. He’d been through it and could try to help. But there was more to it than that. In the end his feet remained planted where they were and William watched where Mike had gone for a while after he’d left, hoping he would return, but the door remained closed.

William charged behind the bar, mixed up a pitcher of martinis, and poured himself another. It was strong, dry, biting, and just what he needed. He’d hoped this cruise would be a chance for him and Mike to figure some things out. Maybe William had been expecting too much and his hopes had gotten ahead of reality.

“William, come out here and join us.” His dad held the door open, and William sighed, lifting the pitcher off the bar. “Leave that there.” The bite in his dad’s voice gave him pause, and he did as he asked. “Drinking to stop the doubts and worries isn’t going to do you any good.” He turned and came inside, closing the door. “You need to give him time.”

“Dad.” Talking to his father about his love life wasn’t high on his list of priorities.

“William.” His father stared right back at him. “He has a lot more to lose than you do.” That gave him pause. “Deciding to be the person you are inside is hard, and when being that person, coming out of the closet, could cost you everything you know, it’s scary as hell. You need to give him the chance to make up his mind.”

“But I want to help….”

“You can’t. You have to let him work this through on his own, and it’s going to be painful. You were never very good at waiting for anything.” His dad smiled. “God, we used to have to hide all your presents or otherwise you’d peek under the tree and shake every gift to figure out what it was. And don’t think I didn’t know that you used to unwrap the presents to see what they were and then tape them back up.”

“God, Dad, that was decades ago.” His parents never let him forget anything.

“No, that was last Christmas,” his father teased, and William chuckled. “You were never very patient, but this is something you can’t rush or talk your way through. Mike has to figure things out for himself, and as painful and as difficult as that is going to be for you, it’s what you have to let happen. You have a trust fund and are independent as hell. But Mike has himself and a business, his daughter, and his mother who depend on him. He can’t turn his back on any of them, and he realizes that every decision he makes affects more than just himself. So you have to go against your nature and be patient.”

“How do you know this?” William had never gotten this kind of insight from his father before. Maybe because he and his dad had never sat down and really gotten to know each other as adults before.

“Your mother. She was the one who had everything to lose. Elise knew that if she decided to marry me, her father would have kittens and would probably turn his back on her. So she broke up with me, went to her family, and I thought it was over. It got to the point that my friends told me I should start dating again. Then one night the doorbell rang, the same one we have today. I remember opening the huge wooden door, expecting one of my mother’s society friends, but it was Elise. I will never forget that as long as I live. It was pouring and she looked like a drowned rat, but your mother standing on my doorstep was the most beautiful sight I’d ever seen. I kissed her right there on the steps, right in front of some of the biddies from my mother’s bridge club.”

“That must have gone over really well.”

“The biddies cooed over us, and my mother was shocked for about two seconds and then she ushered Elise inside. Once she explained, your grandmother went into complete mother hen mode. That was it. Elise was mine and she has been ever since. Through good and bad, tough and easy times, she was always there, and I had her back because she chose me.”

“And all you could do was hope?” William asked.

“Yes. I had to believe and have faith that what I felt for her was the same that she felt for me, and then I had to be willing to let her make her decision. Once she did, your mother never looked back, and I never had eyes for anyone else…. All these years, and when I was younger, I had my chances, but your mom is and was the only woman for me. No matter what.”

“Because she chose you?” William was starting to understand how that might feel.

“Yes. She chose me over her father and the rest of her family. Your mother was willing to take the chance that a life with me was going to be better and happier for her than the only life she’d ever known. That’s a hard decision to make for anyone, and if you’re the one chosen, you’ll remember it for the rest of your life.” His dad turned and left the room, joining William’s mother and Carrie.

Damn, his father knew exactly when to make an exit.

 

 

DINNER WAS amazing as usual: fish caught fresh that day, pan seared in butter and lightly seasoned with lemon. It was amazing and as delicate as any meal William had ever had. Some of the crew were able to join them while others were preparing for their departure, but William was assured that food had been set aside for them. The biggest absence from the table was Mike, who was apparently working. At least that was the message he’d sent up to all of them.

William had thought of going to find him, but took his father’s advice and stayed away to give Mike time. At least that was what he hoped he was doing.

“Just relax,” his mother told him gently, patting his hand. William still couldn’t get over the change in her, but he was going to take it and run with it for as far and as long as he could. She was usually so hard-driving to all of them. “Things will work out if they’re meant to.”

“Thanks.” William excused himself and went up on deck to sit in the lounge, staring up at the stars. They were different than in the north, clearer, the constellations shifted and some different ones from over the equator. Not that it mattered at all. William stared upward and actually looked at the chair next to him, the one Mike had sat in next to him almost every night of the trip. But now that seat was empty, and William missed the warmth of Mike’s hand in his and just knowing he was there. They’d talked about all kinds of things while they were out looking at the stars… well, many things except maybe what was truly important. Or most likely it had been William doing the talking rather than the listening.

After an hour, William left the deck and went back inside, going down to the cabin and closing the door. His dad was right—there was nothing he could do at this point.

The yacht was nearly completely quiet, with only the sound of the water and the harbor intruding on total peace. Too bad that peace didn’t extend to the circles his mind kept racing in. The clock next to the bed read ten, then eleven. William stared at it, closing his eyes, maybe falling to sleep for a while, but waking once again. Twelve and then twelve thirty passed before the door to the cabin opened. William was about to sit up, but Mike put his hand on William’s shoulder, so he stayed still. Mike rustled slightly in the room as he undressed and then slipped under the covers next to him.

William held his breath until Mike pressed up against him, his chest to William’s back, cock right against his butt, hard and insistent. Mike slid his hand around William’s belly before coming to rest right over his heart. He didn’t say anything, but his touch and warmth gave William hope.

Mike gently rolled him over and then his weight pressed William into the mattress. Mike kissed him hard, passion spiking in an instant.

“I—” William tried to tell Mike that he’d be happy with whatever he wanted.

“We have to be quiet,” Mike whispered, his fingers touching William’s lips, cutting him off.

William licked the digit, then took it between his lips and sucked it. Mike shuddered, and a soft groan rose from his throat that William swallowed quickly. The entire yacht was asleep and they didn’t need to wake everyone, but he was not going to wait for morning when Mike got a brief break from the bridge on the longest leg of their route back to the Leeward Islands.

Mike cut off his wandering thoughts with another kiss, and instantly all William’s attention focused on Mike and everywhere he touched him. William could live forever on the energy that coursed through him just from a single touch. He opened his mouth to speak, and Mike drew his salty, musky finger and slid it down his chest. He wanted to laugh, but swallowed hard, closing his eyes as Mike ran that finger around each of his nipples and then down his belly.

“You have to keep silent,” Mike whispered.

“Why me?”

“Because you’re the loud one.” Damned if Mike didn’t grin with heat and erotic energy flowing behind that smile. William knew he was right because he’d never been quiet in bed and always figured that pleasure was measured in noise.

William nodded, not daring to make a sound as Mike wrapped his fingers around his cock, stroking slowly enough to drive him out of his mind. Mike’s smile was back and then his lips were put to better use. William trembled and held on to Mike, trying not to fly into pieces. “I thought…,” he gritted out between his teeth.

“You think too much.” Mike used his knees to spread William’s legs, inching them upward and hovering over him, generating enough heat to jump-start a furnace. “Just be for a while.”

With that, William let go, giving himself over to Mike, who played him like a fine instrument. “Want you….”

Mike nodded and reached for the bedside table. He found what he needed quickly, and after the most minimal of preparations that felt like it took forever, they came together in a rush of passion, burn, and stretch that sent fire racing to William’s brain. He was full and complete. Mike was his. William knew it just as much as he was Mike’s, and that was exactly how he wanted it.

Mike moved slowly, taking what he wanted at the speed he wanted it, driving William crazy. He needed it all right now, everything all at once, but Mike took his time, building slowly, steadily, until William was certain he was going to burst into flame at any second.

The bed squeaked slightly under them as William strove to contain the passion he’d give his right arm to have for the rest of his life. He closed his eyes and then snapped them open again, not wanting to miss a second of anything because there was nothing better than being the object of Mike’s gaze. It always blew William away just how intense and how much excitement came from those deep browns.

“Never stop looking at me,” William breathed, not sure if he actually said the words out loud.

“I won’t if I can help it.”

Just like that, William had the answer he was looking for.

“I’m not the kind of guy who talks mushy. Never have been.” Mike nestled his hips right to William’s ass and then stilled, his cock throbbing inside, sending chills through William. “You have always been the best-looking man I’ve ever seen.”

“Maybe. But that’s not what I’m talking about.”

“I know, and I want to look at you every morning when I first get up and then every night before we make love and fall asleep sated and exhausted. I want you to be with me and Carrie, and to get you fattened up on my mom’s cooking.”

“Is that…?” William swallowed as Mike began moving again, rolling his hips just so and sending him on a trajectory toward orbit.

“Whatever it is, we can work it out.”

William wanted to ask a million questions, but all of them would have to wait because at the moment, thinking was becoming more and more difficult, and concentrating on anything except where Mike’s thick cock rubbed ever so perfectly over the spot inside him was impossible. He held Mike harder and lolled his head back on the pillow, giving up everything to what Mike had to give.

“Oh God.” William tried to keep quiet, but the words slipped out now. Mike kissed him hard, nibbling on his lips when William parted them, stealing away his breath so he wasn’t able to cry out his passion at the top of his lungs. Their tongues dueled as Mike picked up the pace, pushing William higher. He had to be rocking the entire damned yacht, but William couldn’t have cared less. This was all he wanted, Mike with him, them together. “You’re mine, Mike.”

“Damn straight, you fool. I have been for months. It just took us stupidasses that long to figure it out.” Mike snapped his hips.

“You got that right,” William agreed under his breath, and that was all the talking he intended to do. His mouth was otherwise occupied and words were very overrated.

The intensity between them ramped up further, sweat beading on William’s skin, adding slick and hot to the increasingly sultry cabin. No matter how long this lasted, it wasn’t long enough, and William stroked himself as Mike reared up, his chest pressed forward. The view alone was enough to send William over the edge, but he held on as long as possible, though it was like trying to hold a wave on shore. Not going to happen. When Mike thrust forward and stilled, William jetted over the edge, flying into his release.