Chapter 6

MOMENT BY moment Mike became more comfortable at dinner with the guys, and by the time the sun had gone and darkness settled over the water, the long day caught up with him. But he was reluctant for the day to end and stayed a while longer.

“Thank you all for an amazing dinner.” And an enlightening experience.

“You’re very welcome.”

Mike hesitated. “And I think I need to apologize for what was said earlier today.” He wasn’t sure how to bring up what had been on his mind for hours. No one had said anything about Gordon’s behavior, but it had been on his mind all evening.

“It’s all right,” Jerry said with a smile and turned to William. “Have a safe trip back tomorrow.”

“I will.” William shook hands with everyone, and Mike gently guided Carrie out around the side of the house to the truck.

Once they were in, he didn’t say anything. Carrie was tired and fell asleep almost instantly. Mike clutched the wheel as he drove home.

“What is it?” William asked quietly. “If you hold that wheel any tighter, your fingers are going to turn completely white.”

“I guess you’ll be leaving tomorrow.” He kept his tone as neutral as possible, but loneliness and loss were already creeping into his soul.

“I have to,” William whispered. “I have to go back to facts and figures and helping my dad run the business and going to business dinners and functions that are as boring as the rubber chicken that will be served.”

Mike turned in time to see William swallow hard, and his attention momentarily focused on the bobbing of his throat until he returned it to the road. “I suppose this will fade to a pleasant memory.”

“No. This will be the memory.” William turned away, watching out the window for the last few miles, and then Mike pulled into the drive to the house.

Mike got Carrie inside, and his mother helped her into bed. William hadn’t come in, and Mike went outside to find him staring up at the sky.

“I know I have to go back.”

“Yeah.” Mike knew it too, but it didn’t mean it didn’t hurt. This was an interlude in both their lives, a break from the normal that couldn’t last forever. Mike had no illusions that he could ask William to stay and give up his life to move to this town to be with him. This entire affair had only lasted for three days, yet it seemed that William leaving was going to rip his heart into pieces.

“I don’t want to. I like it here.”

Mike couldn’t bring himself to tell William to stay. That was too much to ask of anyone. For the last few days, he’d let some of his true self out into the open, at least around William. “I like it here too.” He swallowed hard. “I like having you here and who I am with you.” That person had to leave right along with William.

There wasn’t anything else to say at this point. The situation was what it was. Mike turned and went inside, leaving William alone. He still had work to do, and it wasn’t going to take care of itself.

An hour later after taking care of all the food and filling the generator, he was getting ready for bed when he heard the back door open and close. Mike met William in the kitchen and got them both a beer. No words were going to fill the hole that was developing inside him.

He drained the can in a few gulps and wanted another. Anything to dull the opening maw of routine and the itch of loneliness already pricking around the edges of his mind. “I’ll see you in the morning.” Mike got up and went to the bathroom. He cleaned up quickly and went to his bedroom, listening as William took his turn.

He hoped William would come to his room, but knew it was probably best if he just made a clean break of it. Still, a few minutes after he went to bed, with the house still and quiet, he felt as much as heard his door open and William come inside. Mike didn’t say anything when Willian joined him. Words weren’t really required.

Mike pulled William to him, holding him as close as he possibly could, their kisses intensifying, bodies quivering within minutes. Their clothes were shed in seconds, and heat built on heat in the darkness, only to be shattered by a blaze of light. It took him a second to realize what had happened.

“Stay here,” Mike whispered and hurriedly pulled on his clothes. He raced through the house, closing the windows and turning out the lights. He also switched the pump and other things to their original plug-ins and shut down the generator. By the time he finished, the air-conditioning was cooling the house, and he checked on Carrie before returning to his room. Little by little, life was returning to normal, which was good and bad, boring and routine.

He closed his door and got back into bed, William waiting for him with open arms and a mouth that devoured his in seconds. The interruption quickly forgotten, Mike shed his clothes and pressed chest to chest, hip to hip, to William. They had a matter of hours together now, and he intended to make the very most of them.

“I have you,” William growled low and deep. He flipped Mike on the bed, straddling him, smiling. “And I’m going to make you feel me for a long time.”

Mike’s head spun at the idea, and he groaned as his dick throbbed against his belly. “Yeah.”

“Good. Where…?”

“Drawer.” Mike managed to point.

William reached to the side table, the silver packet shining briefly in the light that came through the window. “I hope this is okay.”

Mike moaned, and William cut it off with a kiss that curled Mike’s toes. Damn, he was going to miss the way William could make him forget everything except right here and now. Troubles and problems faded away, along with worries and cares. When William sucked on a nipple, Mike groaned and sank into his own pleasure. When William slid lower, taking him, sucking him, his mind short-circuited, and he swore the house could come down around him and he wouldn’t notice.

“Roll over,” William breathed, and Mike did as he asked, sliding his arms under the pillows and waiting. William stroked down his back and over his ass, then parted his legs before skimming his fingers over his inner thighs. Mike’s legs shook as he wondered what was next, and it didn’t take long to find out. William parted his cheeks and blew hot air on his sensitive flesh. “You’re a stunning man, Mike. I hope you know that.” William kneaded his asscheeks, sliding, teasing his fingers near his opening.

Mike arched his back, whimpering, hoping for more but a little afraid of it too. It had been a long time, and he hoped things still worked the way they used to.

William pulled away, and Mike turned to see what was going on. He hadn’t needed to bother because Williams fingers were back, slick, thick, and hot. “William…,” Mike groaned, pressing back as a thick finger entered him. He lay still and used his pillow to muffle his heavy breathing. He’d missed this, shaking and holding the pillow as William prepared him and then pulled away.

He knew what was next, and Mike held his breath, waiting, preparing for the intensity that was to come. He craved it, and when William pressed to his entrance, Mike relaxed, muscles remembering and reacting the way they had long ago. He gasped, trying to hold on to his composure. But he failed, crying out into the pillow as William sank deeper, filling him, splitting him open, laying him bare as they joined together.

“That’s it,” William crooned in his ear, sucking it as he filled him.

Mike wanted more and pushed back, taking all of William, then held still, his muscles going wild. Then William moved, scraping over that spot inside, and holy hell if lights didn’t explode behind his eyes and bells ring in his ears. The excitement and passion built quickly and yet not fast enough. William seemed to know what he needed and how much to give. He slowly undulated his hips, holding Mike’s shoulders as he filled and emptied him second upon second, minute after minute, driving him upward toward the top of the wave, but never quite cresting. When William pulled away to roll him over, leaning close so Mike could look into William’s eyes, everything came together and a light came on in his head. Not that he had time to think about it, but he knew in that moment what he was feeling and what this all meant.

William entered him once more, sliding deep and sending Mike flying. He wound his arms around William’s neck, bringing their lips together as his self-restraint slipped further and further away. When Mike’s hold slipped, he fell back onto the pillows and William stroked him in time to their movements.

Mike was out of control. That’s all there was to it, and his pleasure was firmly in William’s hands. And firm and strong they were. Mike tried to retain some grasp over himself, but it wasn’t until William’s gaze bored deeply into him and he changed his angle slightly, sending Mike to the precipice of desire, that he finally let go and tumbled head over heels into love. Sure as hell that’s exactly what he was feeling, and he let its warmth settle around him for as long as it lasted.

MIKE CAME back to himself a while later to find William smiling at him, his lips hovering just above his.

“Are you back with me?”

“I’m not sure what happened.”

“You just took a little trip, and that’s good. It means we were in tune with each other.” William brushed the hair off his forehead. “I think I should go back to my room.”

The thought of that was unbearable to Mike, and he held William still. It was night and the house was quiet except for the soft hum of the air conditioner as it cooled the rooms. Mike needed that cooling, but he needed William more at the moment. “It’s just a few hours and then all this ends.”

“Mike, I—”

“I know you have places to be and things you have to do. I get that, and I don’t expect you to stay here. This is where you come to have some fun and relax….” Mike felt so damned vulnerable at the moment. His emotions were naked, and he hated being exposed. It had been trained out of him long ago. Watch your flank, guard your position, your brother will have your back, and whatever you’re feeling, hold it inside and remain strong and in control.

“This was more than just a trip for fishing and relaxation. It started that way, but it hasn’t ended like that at all, not for me.” William pulled him closer. “But you have commitments and people you have to take care of, and so do I.”

They’d known each other like this… intimately… for just a few days. That time had changed things deep inside for Mike, and maybe things were different for William. Mike hoped so. But reality was calling, louder and louder by the second.

“I know.” Mike closed his eyes and his mind drifted. He was happy, at least for now, and the Navy had taught him to make the most of what he had because change would come. Eventually his mind stopped whirring and he dozed off, content.

MIKE JERKED awake at a noise in the house. William was still asleep next to him. The windows showed it was still night, and a muffled snick told him his mother was up to use the bathroom. He lay still and listened until she went back to her room, then listened to William’s soft snores until he fell back to sleep once again.

“Daddy!”

The cry ran through him, and Mike sat up fast. “I’ll be right out,” he answered quickly, already getting out of bed, his one mission to keep Carrie from bursting into his room. William was still asleep but most likely wouldn’t be for long. Mike pulled on shorts and a T-shirt, then quietly left the room. “What’s going on?”

“I can’t find my coin.” Her lower lip quivered, and Mike breathed a small sigh.

“It’s right here.” He pointed to the bowl in the center of the kitchen table. “It fell out of your pocket in the truck, and I put it there for you.”

“Go see if William is up. I’m going to have breakfast ready in a few minutes.” His mother turned back to the stove. “It’s nice to have power again.” She seemed happy things were back to normal. Too bad Mike didn’t have that same jolt of pleasure.

When he went back to his room, his bed was empty. Mike waited until the bathroom was free, cleaned himself up, and then joined the others at the table.

“I got up in the middle of the night and thought you might have been cool now that the power was back,” Mike’s mother said, and a chill ran down Mike’s spine.

“Everything was fine last night. Thank you.” William caught Mike’s eye, and he tried not to overreact. “Actually, it was nice that the air came on. The heat trapped in the house was a little stifling. But it’s cool now.” William’s phone rang, and he answered it while Mike’s mother dished up eggs and bacon.

“Thanks. I think that should be fine. … I can meet you there. … Thanks.” William hung up and sat back down. “That was the car rental company. They’ll meet me at the marina, where they’ll pick up the old car, in an hour. Does that work?” William turned to him, and Mike nodded. He didn’t trust himself to answer any other way.

His mother set a plate in front of him, and Mike stared at the food, his appetite gone. He needed to get it together.

“I’m going to miss you, Mr. William.”

“Me too, kiddo.” William smiled at Carrie. “Though I think your dolls are going to be happy to have their room back.” He laughed, and Carrie giggled as Mike’s mother set a small plate in front of her.

Carrie hurried away from the table, racing through the house and then hurrying back. “Take this with you.” She set a small pink shell next to William’s place. “This way you can take some of the Gulf home with you.”

William’s eyes shone as he gave Carrie a hug. “I’ll be sure to keep this with me.” His expression was so genuine and caring that Carrie hugged him again before returning to her seat.

Mike forced himself to eat, but the food tasted ashen in his mouth. He wasn’t hungry and kept his attention down on his plate, doing anything to try to prevent the disappointment welling inside from showing on his face.

“Do you need some more?” his mother asked, but Mike handed her his empty plate, shaking his head.

“I’m going to get things ready to go.” Mike pushed back his chair and went right outside. He needed some fresh air and sunshine to counteract the dark mood growing by the second. William came out of the house ten minutes later with his bag and placed it in the back of the truck. “We should get going.” Mike climbed inside, doing his best to turn off everything. He drove to town on autopilot, saying very little.

William watched out the window. “I didn’t expect any of this,” he said as they crossed into the official outskirts of town.

“Me neither.” Mike didn’t trust his own voice and just managed to get the words out. He was a sailor, for Christ sake, and he wasn’t going to break into tears no matter how much the blackness welled up inside.

“You know I have to go.”

“Yeah, I know.”

“I had a good time,” William said as the truck bounced over the gravel parking lot and rolled to a stop a little ways from where the tow truck was picking up William’s old rental.

“That seems like a strange thing to say after what happened between us.” Mike wasn’t sure what to say himself, but it did seem odd.

“I’ve never had to leave a lover behind like this before. What do you say? It was a wonderful time but now I have to go back to reality, dull as it might be? I could wax poetic about how much I’ll miss you, but I hope you know that I will.”

Mike put the truck in park, leaving the engine running. “I do, because I’ll miss you too.” God, he felt like the blonde girl in one of those movies his mother loved to watch. “Life has a way of making her will known, and sometimes we can’t fight it.” Lord knows he’d tried often enough and gotten nowhere.

“I will be back. You know that.” William reached over to open the door. Mike didn’t dare kiss him where they could be seen by anyone in town, but he did take William’s hand. It was as intimate as he could get, memorizing the softness of his fingers so he could imagine their touch on his body.

A car pulled in next to them, and Mike knew their time was about over. William opened the door, and Mike’s fingers slid away from William’s, breaking their last touch.

“I’m sorry it took so long,” the driver said, talking earnestly to William, and he closed the door, cutting off the conversation.

Mike turned off the engine and got out of the truck to unload William’s things into the back of the car. Another car pulled into the lot, and after William signed what he needed for the man who’d delivered the car, they got in and drove away, leaving Mike and William standing beside the black Mercedes sedan.

“I guess this is it.” Mike opened the door. “You drive safely and have a good meeting.”

After climbing in, William rolled down the window as he pulled the car door closed. Mike reached inside, and William threaded their fingers together. “I will, and you take care of yourself and those girls of yours.”

They looked at each other, and Mike wished he had something clever to say, something that would be unforgettable, but no words came to mind. He simply stared into William’s eyes, memorizing the contours of his face.

Mike released William’s hand and stepped back from the car. The window slid up into place and slowly the car backed out of the lot. Mike watched as William made the right turn and went up the street to disappear around the bend.

That was it. The whole thing seemed so anticlimactic after the excitement of the last few days. The storm had blown William into his life, and now the calm and normalcy had taken him away.

Mike walked around to the other side of his truck, climbed in, and pulled the door closed. He sat still, unmoving, looking out over the marina and water beyond it. This was his life and home. It was where he’d come for solace after the turbulent years he’d spent in the service. Mike had never really thought of leaving until a few hours ago. But that was a ridiculous idea. Everything he knew and understood was here. The only way he had of making a living was just a few yards away, bobbing slightly in the low, rolling wake of the passing boats. No. William’s world was certainly more exciting, but Mike didn’t have a place in it.

He started the engine, the air-conditioning battling with the heat that had already built in the cab. Not that Mike really noticed. His mind was with someone else, speeding away back toward his own life. He’d been an idiot. Mike knew that for certain. He’d given his heart to someone who was only here for a few days and now was gone. Mike should have been familiar with being left behind. It had happened before with his father… then Benny. Maybe Mike just wasn’t meant to have someone. Maybe it was time he realize he was meant to raise his daughter and that was supposed to be his source of happiness.

He put the car in gear, backed out of his parking spot, and headed for home. Things were what they were, and he’d face them head-on, just like he did with everything else.