Fight the Tide (10 page)

It was dark now aside from the radar light, but Adam could see clearly. He stripped off his clothes and jacked himself, pulling his foreskin back from the glistening head. Spreading Parker’s ass, he spit onto his hole. “You want it like this? Want it rough?”

“Yes,” Parker moaned. “Fuck me ’til your cum drips out and I smell like you all over and—”

Adam couldn’t wait another moment before slamming his cock into Parker’s hole. They both groaned, and Parker tensed, gripping the side of the table, his muscles bunched and his cheek pressed to the smooth wood.

“Fuck,” he muttered. “Love how your big dick feels splitting me open.” His breath hitched as Adam pulled back and thrust deeper.

Leaning low, Adam growled, sending a shiver through Parker. He was tempted to let himself transform a little, edge right up to that line. But too many emotions were pressing against his chest—lust, guilt, affection, anger. He didn’t trust himself to stay in control, and with his strength he could hurt Parker far worse than he was asking for, no matter how rough they both wanted it.

So he stayed human and fucked Parker, clutching his hips, their flesh slapping together loudly. The table creaked and tilted, and Adam lifted Parker off it and dropped them to the floor. On his hands and knees now, Parker pushed back, his head hanging low as he panted.

Sweat glistened on his back, and Adam licked up the dip of his spine, loving the salty tang. Gentle swells rocked the boat, the cabin floor hard beneath their knees. Adam slowed his strokes, experimenting to get the right angle as Parker grunted in frustration.

“Come on. Harder.”

Adam ignored him, slowing even more and running a hand under Parker’s body to tweak his nipples and skate along his leaking cock.

“
Adam
. I want—” Parker cried out as Adam hit his prostate, and Adam slapped his hand over his mouth, because the kids really didn’t need to hear this. Breathing hard through his nose, Parker’s hot exhalations flowed over Adam’s knuckles, and behind Adam’s hand he mumbled, “
Harder
.”

Muffling Parker’s cries, Adam pounded him, his other hand digging into Parker’s hip to keep him in place. “That’s it. Take it. You’re strong enough.”

He kept Parker immobilized, fucking into him with short thrusts that made Parker shake and groan into Adam’s hand, practically lifting him off his knees. Adam reached down for Parker’s cock and balls with his free hand, fondling roughly as Parker whined hotly against his palm.

“You need this?” Adam muttered in Parker’s ear. “You need to come? Have I fucked you hard enough?”

Nodding desperately, Parker bit at Adam’s hand and clamped down around his cock with his ass, squeezing so tight. Adam gasped, almost losing control before reining it in. He stroked Parker’s cock and went for his prostate again, and Parker seized up, spurting long ropes of cum onto the teak floor, some of it dripping down onto Adam’s hand. The muffled cries he made filled Adam’s ears like music.

His ass was fire around Adam’s dick, and Adam rocked his hips, balls so tight and Parker whimpering wetly against his palm. He let go, coming deep inside him, mouth open on Parker’s shoulder in a silent cry, his fangs slipping down just a bit. “I love you,” he murmured against the flushed skin, licking the shallow marks his fangs had left, not enough to draw blood.

Arms quaking, Parker mumbled against Adam’s palm. Sitting back on his heels and bringing Parker back with him, his softening dick still wedged into Parker’s hole, Adam lowered his hand and held Parker around the chest. Parker tipped his head back, kissing Adam’s chin and cheek messily, breathing hard.

Adam lifted his sticky fingers to Parker’s mouth, his cock pulsing with another pure beat of pleasure as his fingers were licked clean. Adam lifted his hips, trying to stay inside Parker as long as possible.

“
Nnngh
,” Parker moaned. His arms hung slack.

“Mmm.” Kissing along his jaw, Adam held him close, Parker’s chest still rising and falling rapidly. “Shower?”

Parker seemed to contemplate it. “Swim. Wanna see the stars.”

When they tiptoed up to the deck naked, Adam didn’t spot anyone on the other boat. The night air sent goosebumps over their skin, and the water was cold as they slipped in from the low platform at the rear of the stern.

“Oh fuck, oh fuck,” Parker muttered when he climbed down the ladder and his feet touched the water. “Okay: one, two, three.” He stepped off the ladder and straight down, disappearing under the dark surface, fearless as ever.

Adam had to swallow hard over the swell of emotion. Gratitude that he was lucky enough to face the world with Parker beside him warmed him as he plunged into the chilly depths.

The temperature soon felt comfortable, and they treaded water lazily. Tangling their legs as he got closer, Adam took Parker’s face in his hands and whispered across his lips, “Unbreakable.”

After salty kisses, Parker tipped his head back and watched the stars while Adam kept his gaze on the curve of Parker’s neck, his pale skin glistening, his pulse throbbing steadily.

“M
orning.” Abby’s voice
squawked over the radio. “We’re making pancakes over here if you’d like to join us for breakfast?”

“Mmm, pancakes,” Adam mumbled sleepily, stretching his arms over his head.

Naked, Parker scooted off the bed and picked up the transmitter briefly. “Thanks, but we’re good.” He shuffled to the fridge for water, enjoying the sting in his ass. Guzzling from the bottle, he returned to the bed, where Adam watched him with an expression that could only be called “exasperated.”

“What?”

“You don’t have to be rude.”

“Rude? I wasn’t rude! I said thank you.”

Adam scoffed. “Barely. What’s wrong with having breakfast with them?”

Parker screwed the cap on the bottle and back off again. “Nothing. I just don’t like pancakes,” he lied.

Adam’s bushy eyebrows shot up. “Is that so? Because I can smell them, and let me tell you, I bet they taste incredible.”

“Then go over and have some. I’m not stopping you.” He finished his water, knowing he was being huffy as he flopped down on his back next to Adam. “Be my guest.”

“It wouldn’t kill you to be friendlier to them.”

“I’m totally being friendly!”

Adam popped up one skeptical eyebrow. “Uh-huh.”

“I’m teaching them how to sail. Isn’t that enough? I thought we agreed we’d stay cautious with them. Not get too close. It’s been, like, two days.”

Adam sighed. “Fair enough. But it’s only breakfast. Don’t you… I don’t know. Don’t you miss it?”

“Dude, we can still have breakfast. They don’t have a monopoly on it over there.” Adam didn’t reply, staring at the ceiling instead. Parker frowned. “What am I not getting?”

After a few moments, he sighed again. “Forget it. We should get moving.” He sat up.

Parker rolled over and pushed Adam gently back to the mattress, straddling his hairy thighs. “No. Tell me. Why do you look so sad? It can’t be because you like pancakes
that
much.” He spread his hands over Adam’s chest, rubbing softly. Adam’s soft cock curved up toward his belly.

“I can hear Lilly laughing over there.” He closed his eyes. “She’s teasing Jacob, who’s ignoring her. And they’re putting chocolate in the pancakes. I can smell it melting.” Eyes still closed, he inhaled and exhaled deeply. “It reminds me of Sunday mornings growing up. Christine would be trying to read her book at the table while we waited for Mom to bring in the pancakes. Sometimes chocolate, sometimes blueberry. Maddie would be bugging Christine, and I’d bug them both. Dad would read the newspaper and sip his coffee, tuning us out. It was all so long ago, but I never stopped missing it. Family.”

Swallowing thickly, Parker wished he knew what to say. “I miss mine too. I do. And I’m sorry I’m not enough.”

Adam’s eyes flew open, and he reached up to cup Parker’s cheek. “It’s not about you being deficient. Do you hear me?”

He seemed to be waiting for an answer, so Parker nodded. “I didn’t mean it in a poor-me way.” Well, maybe a little, if he was being uncomfortably honest. “Just… Next time we’ll go for pancakes, okay?”

“It’s fine. If you’re not feeling secure, I shouldn’t push you.”

Parker leaned down and kissed him. “But you push so good.”

With a smile, Adam stroked over Parker’s ass, dipping his fingers between the cheeks and gently touching his swollen hole. “Feel all right?”

“Abso-fucking-lutely.” Parker was sure a shrink would have a field day with his motivations for wanting rough sex, but all he knew was that he felt stronger and better and in control when Adam took him hard. Maybe it made no sense, but having a sore ass gave him confidence.

A little smile lifted Adam’s lips as he caressed Parker’s butt. “Good thing.” His smile faded and his eyebrows knit together. “You’ll tell me if it’s too much? Too rough?”

Parker rubbed his cheek over Adam’s coarse chest hair. “Mmm-hmm.”

“Parker.” Adam nudged Parker’s head up and watched him with serious eyes. “I mean it. I might…” He exhaled sharply.

“What? I know you’d never hurt me.”

“Not on purpose. And I know you’re tough. I just…”

“Loooove me?” Parker tickled Adam’s ribs with a smile. “I know. You’re crazy about me.”

Adam huffed out a laugh. “I think it’s your modesty that I appreciate the most.”

They kissed around smiles, and Parker wished they could stay in bed all day. He sighed. “Guess we should get up. Time for a supply run. I think Mariah’s due for a spin, don’t you?”

“You’re going to come with me.” It wasn’t a question.

“Yep.” He leaned down and rubbed their noses together, and Adam kissed him hard.

A couple hours later, they were docked in a small marina. The sun peeked out from behind fluffy clouds, the wind brisk. On the patio of a restaurant, tables were upended, a large umbrella lolling on its top. At a distance, the spray of blood across the sliding glass doors leading inside didn’t look fresh.

Saltwater
parked on the other side of the dock, and Parker went over to distract them while Adam lugged Mariah out of the cabin and up onto the pier. Craig’s brow creased when he saw the bike, but Parker ignored it and barreled on with his instructions on the quickest way to leave the harbor and get the sails up.

“Hopefully it’ll be quiet and you can just wait here for us,” Parker said. “You’ve got weapons? And you know how to use them?”

Abby nodded. “I did some training when I became an EMT. My district was talking about arming us, which was insane, but I guess it’s coming in handy now.”

“Cool. We’ll try not to be longer than an hour.” Parker glanced at Adam, who nodded. “Okay, so see you in a few.” Adam started Mariah, and Parker climbed on behind him wearing an empty backpack with another stuffed inside.
Bella
’s keys dug into his hip in his pocket. He didn’t think Craig and Abby would get any bright ideas about stealing the bigger boat, but…just in case.

“What if you don’t come back?” Jacob asked.

Parker turned to meet the kid’s serious gaze while Abby swatted his shoulder and hissed his name.

Jacob shook her off. “It’s not a dumb question. What if they don’t come back? How long do we wait?”

“It’ll be fine.” Craig slipped an arm around Lilly’s thin shoulders. “They’ll be back real soon. Right, guys?”

“Right,” Adam said. “Don’t worry about us.”

“Whatever,” Jacob muttered, turning away and going to the bow, his arms crossed as he looked out to sea.

Adam turned the key, and Mariah’s engine purred to life, vibrating between Parker’s thighs. He pressed close to Adam as they drove down the dock and bumped up the steps to the marina. Closer, Parker could see the buzzing flies, and the stench of death singed his nostrils.

Then they were in the half-full parking lot, weaving between abandoned cars, one with doors open and at least one body inside. Adam wore his leather jacket, and Parker leaned his cheek against the warm material, closing his eyes as they hit the road, his arms snug around Adam’s waist. The gun was tucked into the back of his jeans beneath his hoodie.

For a minute, he let himself dream. That there was no virus, no eviscerated corpses where people once drank cold beer on sunny days. That—

Parker sat up straight, his eyes popping open when he felt Adam tense. A car approached on the two-lane blacktop, and Parker’s breath caught in his throat when he saw the red lights on top. The police car slowed to a stop. Waiting.

Adam had pulled back on the throttle, and he glanced over his shoulder at Parker. “We can’t go off the road.” Indeed, fences on either side penned in fields of neglected crops. “Hang on tight if we have to make a quick exit.”

His gun in his hand, Parker flicked off the safety and nodded. He could see a person inside the police car, but couldn’t make out anything more than that. Then the car door opened, and a man stepped out. A man actually wearing a police uniform. It was such a strange sight after the past months that Parker could only stare.

The supposed cop was about forty, and he leaned against his car with his hands in his pockets. His brown hair was neatly combed, his uniform well-tailored and badge gleaming. He was only missing coffee and a donut.

As Adam slowed, the man lifted a hand in greeting. Adam stopped the bike a good twenty feet away.

“Morning,” the man called. “Nice day for it.” He didn’t specify what
it
was, and Parker’s pulse drummed. Looking around, he couldn’t see anyone else, or any obvious signs of a trap. Adam would be listening anyway.

“Morning,” Adam replied.

“I’m Officer Hanson. Do you need any help?”

“Just passing through,” Adam said.

“All right. If you need supplies, there’s a gas station a mile down the road that hasn’t been completely stripped yet.”

Nice place for a trap.
Parker gripped his gun a little tighter and said, “Thanks,” with a fake smile.

“Shouldn’t be any infected around. I take care of any I spot. Try to keep the area safe for those of us that are left.”

The radio in the patrol car crackled. Parker could barely make it out. “Hey, babe. It’s me. Can you find some more Claritin after your patrol? Ollie’s allergies are acting up.”