Overboard (6 page)

“Not to be an ass, but why did you schedule a cruise you couldn’t afford?”

“My sister’s wedding.”

Sebastian nodded. “Fucking families.”

“No. Well, yeah, most of the family. But Katey is the best. If I had told her I couldn’t afford it, she would have had the wedding in a small church right next to my house. She’s a great sister. That’s why I was so desperate to make it work. I even sold my motorcycle right before this project just so I had a chance of going.”

“Mmm. You on a motorcycle is something I need to see. But, that doesn’t help us solve this problem. Let’s go play some pool in the basement, have a couple more beers and figure this out.”

Duncan had no other options. Sebastian seemed genuine in trying to find a solution. Any hope of a solution was worth pursuing.

Sebastian killed Duncan in game after game of eight ball. He never gloated or bragged, though. His focus was clearly not on the game. He barely said a word for about an hour.

“I’m going to make you an offer. Just say yes.”

“Can I hear it first?”

“I was afraid you’d say that. You’re going to hate me but I don’t give a fuck. It’ll work and you’ll be happy in the end. But you’re going to hate me for it.” Sebastian smiled and laid his pool cue down. He walked around to the opposite side of the pool table, placing it squarely between himself and Duncan.

“I have the money to send you on that trip and I want you to go to your sister’s wedding. So I’m going to offer to pay for it. No strings attached. We’ll sort out all the other shit with Jason afterward.”

Duncan’s heart melted at Sebastian’s kindness. He had completely misread what kind of man Sebastian was. He really was kind and generous. Sebastian just needed to find better ways to allow himself to be that better man.

Duncan could not put himself in a spot to owe anyone else any more money, though. He had to buckle down and weather some disappointments rather than getting further into the hole.

“That’s so nice, Sebastian. I really want to take you up on it, but I can’t. I’m afraid I’ll never be able to pay you back. My mind and body are already frazzled just trying to figure out—”

Sebastian silenced Duncan with a raised hand.

“No strings. A gift for a friend. That’s all. You deserve it. Well, one string...”

There it was. The asshole fighting to shove his way out of the kind man. The leopard putting his spots back on.

Not even bothering to hide his disappointment, Duncan sighed. “What’s the catch?”

“Not a catch, really. At least I don’t think so. It’s just that I can’t help thinking how great some sun, good food, and maybe some snorkeling would feel right about now.”

“And...”

“So I’ll pay for your trip. But I’m going to come too.”

Duncan shook his head emphatically, sending his hair whipping wildly.

“Fuck no. My parents...my family doesn’t know that I’m gay. It’s never come up. I can’t show up at my sister’s wedding on a tiny cruise ship with some boy-toy eye candy on my arm.”

Sebastian smiled. “You think I’m eye candy? That’s sweet. But that’s the deal. You don’t have to tell them we’re together, you just have to let me be around. We can be business partners or something. Some lost soul that you met that needs to be around real people. Whatever you want to say.”

It was insane. No way would it work. Sebastian would screw everything up. No matter how fun it might be to spend time drinking and hanging out on beaches with Sebastian, he couldn’t do it around his family.

His mind flailed, desperate to find any other solution, but he had no better options.

Duncan worried about what might happen behind closed doors. He knew he wouldn’t have the willpower to keep his hands off of Sebastian for the whole trip when they were sleeping just a couple feet away from each other. At some point, Sebastian would brag to someone out in public about his conquest. It would be a nightmare

“Fuck. This is stupid. Fuck you for doing this to me.”

Sebastian frowned but didn’t back away from his offer.

“Fine. You and me will be BFFs attending my sister’s wedding. You can be a recently dumped, and pathetically sad single dude looking to hook up with a bridesmaid.”

“Or with the best man.”

“Bridesmaids!”

“No. I gave up hiding in closets years ago. I haven’t done much good with my life, but I can hang my hat on being honest about who I am. I can pretend to be your gay partner.”

“Whoa. You will
not
be my gay partner. End of story. Business partner who happens to be gay, but not my gay partner. You can come and get whatever sick joy you can get out of making me miserable, but there will be no hooking up. Not with you. I don’t fuck assholes.”

Duncan ignored the sly smile Sebastian flashed. It was the only way he could agree to accept Sebastian’s help. Right now there was a gift horse right in front of him and he was going to hop on its back and ride it to his sister’s wedding.

“Deal.”

They went back to finishing the game they had started. Several minutes later, Duncan said, “And thanks.”

“My pleasure. You’re a lot cuter when you’re happy than when you’re sad, my big lumberjack.”

Duncan picked up a ball and tossed it toward Sebastian, making sure it didn’t come anywhere near hitting him.

“Careful.” Sebastian said while laughing. “I can’t afford for the price gouging contractor to come back and make any repairs.”

Duncan couldn’t believe he was going to be spending ten days trapped on a ship with Sebastian.

His heart raced, thinking of the two of them sleeping in the small cabin. He had no idea how he’d be able to fall asleep while accidentally bumping against Sebastian’s skin or getting Sebastian’s hair stuck in his mouth or feeling his morning erection pressing him in the back.

He would be stuck with a ten-day erection of his own that Sebastian would certainly torment him about, or decide to try to do something about.

But at least he was going to be able to go to his sister’s wedding.

D
uncan and Sebastian
boarded the ship as soon as its check-in lines opened. Duncan’s family wouldn’t get there for a couple of hours. He had forced Sebastian to get there earlier so they could get settled and make sure they had the best chance of not looking like lovers sharing a room.

Good luck with that.

Duncan had risked a brief glance at Sebastian while waiting in line to get their room key. Sebastian was wearing a tight, peach-colored shirt, and even tighter baby blue shorts. He looked amazing.

Duncan had already caught himself glancing at Sebastian’s impressive bulge several times during the limo ride from Duncan’s house to the ship.

Their hands had bumped against each other a couple of times while waiting in line to board the ship. Duncan had forced himself to not grab ahold, but it had been a challenge.

Sebastian smiled the cocky smile that said he would have his way at Duncan. That smile made it much easier for Duncan to keep his hands to himself. Worrying that any move could be the one that ruined things with his family had nearly paralyzed him.

Please keep reminding me that you are just a player.

“It’ll be fine,” Sebastian whispered into Duncan’s ear. “No one will tell you’re gay. They’ll be too dazzled by my fabulousness.”

Sebastian’s soft, minty breath tickled Duncan’s ear and made him have very gay thoughts of shoving Sebastian on the bed as soon as they got to their room and taking advantage of the flirtations that he had been teasing Duncan with the entire morning.

Would it be so bad? Would his parents even care?

He didn’t know, but he wasn’t about to ruin his sister’s wedding by forcing their hand and destroying everything. Especially for a player that would probably leave him once he had finished with him.

Despite his fear of disaster, Duncan had a bad feeling that his resistance would break down during a weak moment. Sebastian was just too pretty and too willing.

A time and a place for everything.

Speaking of which, maybe there was a time and a place to be gay on the ship and a time and a place to not be. Would Sebastian agree to something like that?

Duncan shut down that line of thinking immediately. No way. Sebastian would gloat and lord it over him the entire trip.

“Sir, here’s your room key. You’ll be on the eighth deck...”

“What? No. That’s not right. I should be on the third”

Sebastian’s hand touched his elbow. “No, it’s right. I called and had us upgraded to something a little more appropriate.”

Duncan would not make a scene in public. But it was his trip. Sebastian should have asked first. He pushed down his anger at the unexpected change. He would remind Sebastian that he was just along for the ride in the privacy of their own room.

Sebastian grabbed the keycards. “Come on. Let’s go make sure these work and get unpacked.”

Without any other options, Duncan followed Sebastian to the elevators, where they stood with a group of others waiting to go up. The crazy colors of the carpet and walls, dangling art pieces and enormous chandeliers nearly made Duncan dizzy.

“Yuck. I’ve never been on a cruise ship before. Are they all this gaudy?”

“Yeah. Pretty much. Except for private luxury cruises, of course. There are thousands of people on this ship and lots of drinking will be done. The ugly carpet helps hide the stains, if you know what I mean.”

He looked down the main section of the ship, which was designed to look like a cute little downtown street.

“Hmm. It’s pretty nice, I guess.”

“Sure is,” Sebastian agreed. “Cruises are a blast. We’re going to have a great time together.”

Together. The word sent shivers through Duncan’s body. If he let himself take what he wanted, they would surely have a great time together. But would it just be one time? The entire cruise? Forever? Or just until his parents found out and then Sebastian would skip away, laughing, and leave Duncan to clean up the mess?

His hand pressed against Duncan’s elbow again, guiding him into the elevator. Duncan wanted to enjoy the friendly, almost intimate touch, but could only imagine what his parents would think if they saw.

He shook the hand away and reminded himself not to trust any niceness from Sebastian.

He didn’t even know exactly when to expect his parents. Still, he nervously glanced at his watch.

“Shit. I left my watch at home.”

“I’ll buy you a new one.”

“No gifts,” Duncan said automatically. “That’s too gay.”

Sebastian frowned. “I’m just trying to help. Whatever. No gifts. You’re not gay. I get it.”

The words cut into Duncan. He felt like a fraud. He would hold firm, though. He would not be outed on this trip.

After the trip, he would find a way to end the nonsense, though. He owed himself that much. Come hell or high water, he would end his secrecy after the trip.

He allowed himself to appreciate one small miracle. If they were in the expensive room that Sebastian had surely reserved, his family would be nowhere nearby. A tiny miracle, at least.

Sebastian swiped one key at their door. The light turned green. Sebastian opened and closed the door and handed Duncan the key. He then swiped the other. Another green light. As he pushed open the door, he said, “There. That’s my one responsible act for the trip. I’ll be in party mode the rest of the time.”

Duncan wondered what his parents would make of Sebastian in party mode. Even if they weren’t dating, it wouldn’t reflect well on him in their eyes.

This is a bad idea. I should have stayed home.

“Hey, man,” Duncan said as soon as the door shut. “No more touching my elbow. No gay shit. Remember?”

Sebastian cocked his head, “Is that a gay thing?”

Duncan nodded with a scowl on his face. Sebastian had to know that. It had to just be another way he could torment Duncan.

“Right. I guess I can see that. Sorry about that. No more touching. Right? No touching at all?”

“For the most part. But for this trip, let’s keep it simple. No touching.”

Sebastian gave Duncan a thumbs-up and dropped his suitcase onto the bed.

Duncan finally took the chance to look around the room. It was so small. There was still only one bed and a tiny couch. The room might have been a little bigger than the one he had booked, but it definitely wasn’t fancy.

“Being rich sure doesn’t buy much on a cruise ship.”

Sebastian looked around. “Yeah. They have nicer, but this was the biggest room available on short notice. I figured the extra inches would make us look a little less gay.”

“One bed, man. It still looks gay. We’ll have to keep my family far from this room.”

“If they ask, you’ll just have to decide whether you’re sleeping on the couch or sleeping with me on the bed.”

Duncan dropped his suitcase on the floor. “I’m going to go get a soda and get away from you for a few minutes before you piss me off. Sorry. That was rude. Just... I need a little space.”

“I’ll stay here and unpack, then. Get me a soda, please. No. Make it a water. I’ll be getting fat enough as it is.”

Duncan wandered the halls, but couldn’t find a vending machine. He found a poolside bar easily enough and considered buying beers, but decided he’d better stay sober until after he had seen his parents.

Having a feeling he would be burying a lot of stress with desserts, he decided that water would be a good idea.

“Two bottles of water.”

While the bartender grabbed the bottles from the fridge, Duncan looked around.

He was finally on a cruise ship. He had dreamed about taking a vacation cruise for years, but never seemed to have had the money when it would have been convenient to go.

Something told him that Sebastian never had to worry about schedules. Just last night, Sebastian had decided to come and had been able to just book the trip without a worry in the world. That kind of money would probably make Duncan lazy, but it would have to feel great to just do whatever he wanted.

A couple had already found the hot tub. The woman was kissing her boyfriend’s neck while his hand gave her breast a squeeze. She giggled and pulled away, but only for a second. She dove back in for another kiss.

Duncan sighed. His chances of sneaking a side boyfriend on the trip were gone with Sebastian back in his room and his family nearby. He would have no privacy.

Instead of relaxing, he would spend the trip in constant panic.

“There was no other way to get on this cruise,” he reminded himself.

It didn’t make his desire to fuck someone go away. Especially since the more he thought about him, the more he really craved Sebastian’s body against his.

He could still feel where Sebastian’s fingers had touched his elbow. He had such smooth fingers. He longed to have them back around his dick and have the strength not to run away.

On a trip without his family, he might have enjoyed getting a chance to spend time with the teasing jerk. Sebastian always seemed friendly even while teasing Duncan.

“Sir.”

Duncan turned back to the bar and realized he had forgotten his wallet. “I’m sorry, I’ll have to go...”

“What’s your room number?”

“Eight fourteen”

“Mr. Mills? We can just charge it to the room.”

During the walk back to the room, Duncan realized that charging things to the room would make it very hard to track his expenses. He’d have to be very careful. He had seen the cost of the alcoholic drinks.

He swiped the card at the door and entered. Sebastian stood in the middle of the room facing him, completely naked, and half hard.

Duncan’s first thought was, of course, that Sebastian had a beautiful penis.

Duncan froze, transfixed by the smooth, perfect body in front of him. His own dick twitched at the sight. Duncan was nearly compelled to shut the door behind him and do whatever it took to help Sebastian’s dick rise completely.

Why was everything always so difficult? What he wanted was right there in front of him and he was too big of a coward to take it.

He had only been on the ship for a few minutes and he was nearly ready to throw away all his stupid promises about not sleeping with Sebastian. Who cared if he wanted nothing more than to fuck him? Who cared if Sebastian would just use it to tease him during the cruise?

It would be fun and raw. It would be amazing and terrifying. He would be a great lay.

People passing in the hall just outside the door brought him to his senses.

“What the fuck?” Duncan whispered. He had to get away before his own erection forced him to make a decision he would regret.