Chapter 23
TWENTY-THREE
NATE
SEPTEMBER
Waking up to the sound of the ocean, only to peer out the large doors to take in the golden sands and shimmering water had become my second-favorite thing. The first stepped naked out of the bathroom, towel-drying his hair.
“You should have woken me. I’d have liked to shower with you.” I stretched like a lazy cat, not tearing my gaze away from the smirking man.
“You looked too cute to wake,” Ryan said, “especially with the drool.”
The pillow I threw smacked him in the face. I didn’t even have time to prepare before he was on me, plastering me to the bed and licking across my cheek.
“Gross,” I said, between my snickering, trying to buck the arsehole off. “Tongues are for mouths—” I spluttered when he didn’t give up. “—or cocks.”
That got his attention. The look in his eyes was wicked when he angled above me to properly see my face. “Is that right?” I never tired of his heat, his flirting, or just how happy he made me.
“Yes?” I answered, knowing full well he heard my question.
Heat flared in his gaze. “You thought of another place for my tongue?”
Holy fucking hell. My dick throbbed as my hole legit fluttered. Who the fuck knew it could do that in response to simple words? I may have gaped, struggling to respond, but I liked that idea a lot.
Ryan hummed, grinning with cocky satisfaction. “Let’s hold that thought.”
“Really?” The word came out sounding far too disappointed, especially as I’d already been planning in my head a quick shower and prep to make the whole experience as fucking sweet and satisfying as possible.
“Yep. Scuba diving, remember? The boat leaves in forty-five minutes.”
I did remember. Holding back my disappointment shouldn’t have been a hardship. It had been my idea, after all. But yesterday morning I’d been excited with the plan. Now, Ryan’s tongue rimming me sounded a million times better.
“Coming?” Taking my palm, he tugged me out of bed.
“No, I’m not. See for yourself,” I sassed, looking pointedly at my dick.
“You should have gotten up with me for morning gym time, and I could have worked you over real good in the shower.”
“You’re not helping,” I threw over my shoulder, on my way to wash up. The git simply laughed loudly and set about making us a coffee.
Fortunately, the caffeine stopped my grumpiness, even though it didn’t help with my morning wood. It took creative, not-so-pleasant thoughts to make that happen. But on the private charter Ryan had insisted on, putting a hold on our morning plans was worth it.
There were less than a handful of people on board—just the diving instructor, the captain, and us.
It was super peaceful as the vessel cut through the waves.
Ryan and I sat together, enjoying the spray.
We’d just finished applying sunscreen and managed to keep the application process absolutely PG-13.
But rather than feeling disappointed, I pressed my thigh next to his and sighed, perfectly content.
“This holiday’s been amazing, thank you.”
“Anytime. I think it was good to get away from the noise. I know that’s going to be our life now”—my heart rate spiked a little, still getting used to the idea—“but even more reason to escape while we can.”
I’d barely got an inkling when we’d reconnected at the beginning of the year about what life was like for Ryan the League player. But phone calls and him telling me stories weren’t close to preparing me for the reality. I was sure of it.
When I returned to Australia, it’d be for two months before I returned to Vegas for another three.
We hoped that by March, we’d have a clearer idea of where we were at.
Though honestly, that was bullshit. Our original plan was completely defunct since we’d both agreed we didn’t want to spend so much time apart.
By March, we had to make a decision. Come out at the end of the season as a couple, right alongside a new contract, or take early retirement and start our lives together back home.
The boat slowing caught my attention. It was time to get in the ocean.
Once suited up and instructions had been given for the second time, we entered the warm water. I grinned at Ryan, excitement thrumming through me. Scuba diving was an item to check off my extensive bucket list. I couldn’t think of a better person to be experiencing this with than him.
The weather had held off, the rain and winds dropping the second day we’d arrived. With no idea how long that would last, it was lucky we’d chosen today, with the cloudless sky offering a perfect backdrop.
After checking over our equipment once more and ensuring I could breathe properly, I gave the thumbs-up. Ryan quickly followed, the instructor doing the same before signaling for us to dive.
The water was clear and the visibility incredible.
It didn’t take long to get used to the flippers and swim in the direction Samuel, our instructor, had indicated.
The further we swam, the more my awe grew.
The whole scene was stunning. Reefs, pristine and colorful, captured my attention, the strength of their colors difficult to look away from.
A school of fish caught my attention, swimming seemingly haphazardly at first, but the formation soon became apparent. As the abundance of fish swam around, I couldn’t decide where to look, what image to savor and capture to memory.
Bubbles to my right pulled my gaze. Ryan’s focus was on me.
Beneath the mask and the breathing apparatus, I was sure he was smiling.
Or he would be if it wouldn’t make him drown.
He signaled, asking if I was okay. A thumbs-up later, he reached for my hand and didn’t let go.
It was a whole new world down here, and if Ryan wanted to hold my hand, no way would I stop him.
For an hour we swam around the coral, absorbing the beauty of the moment.
By the time Samuel indicated it was time to return to the surface, I pushed aside the pang of regret.
This was what we should do every year. From the look on Ryan’s face when we surfaced and removed our masks, I expected he would agree in an instant.
A few hours later, the ride back to shore was quiet, peaceful. We sat together sipping beer and eating freshly cooked fish. While we were positioned the same distance as when we’d arrived, we held hands, our connection concealed by our thighs.
We’d had two more dives in different areas, making a full day of it. “I think this is one of my favorite days.” I squeezed his hand.
“Yeah?” He gave me a quick glance, the pink on his cheeks kinda sweet.
“Definitely.”
“Good. The day’s not over yet, so I think we keep it going.”
Bloody hell, I loved it when he said words like that to me. It touched me in the best and most profound of ways.
“I love you,” I whispered, unable to hold the words back.
His focus intensified when he stroked a thumb over my hand. “I love you, and as soon as we’re in our cabin, I’m going to show you with my tongue just how much.”
Narrowing my eyes at him, I sighed. “You never play fair.”
“I disagree. I play to win. Simple as that.”
Keeping up the exchange, I lifted my brow. “And what’s your prize?”
“My tongue in your ass.”
I snorted and pushed him away. He jerked to the side, spilling his beer, releasing my hand and laughing.
“What did I say?” he shot back at me, straightening, still laughing his butt off.
“You’re incorrigible.”
Ryan’s wink made my stomach somersault. There was something annoyingly sexy when he did that. “Just the way you like me.”
He wasn’t wrong.
Once docked, we kept our dicks in our pants a while longer and went to the bar. While I was eager for him to claim his prize, we were hyped up and buzzing from laughing so hard and the couple of beers we’d had.
We settled at the bar, shooting the shit, attention occasionally flicking to the TV and the soccer highlights they were showing.
It was nice being here, sitting so casually like this.
It was what it should be like, I thought, being in love with my best friend, hanging out before returning to our sanctuary and sucking each other’s brains out.
Rather than sharing that with him, I asked, “So no more plans the next couple of days before we head back?”
“Nope.” He popped the p and picked up his beer. Noticing it was empty, he asked, “You want another?”
“Sounds good, thanks.”
He signaled to the bartender for another round. “If you want to do something, I’m open to ideas,” he said after ordering, picking our conversation back up.
My smile felt a little lopsided, my brain pleasantly fuzzy. “Honestly, I’m happy to chill and laze about with you, ogling you behind my sunnies.”
Our beers were set in front of us, and as we said thanks, Ryan peered my way. “Behind your sunnies, huh?”
“Yep, it’s what gets me through the day.”
Loud laughter to the right of the bar caught my attention. A small group gathered, mainly young blokes, but it looked like a couple of young women mixed in with their group. They laughed again, loudly, but there was nothing obnoxious about the sound.
I smiled over in their direction, saying, “Did you have that, a group of friends to go on holidays with?”
“I’ve been on a couple of weekends away with Sutton and Jayden. At college I was broke, so worked every chance I could get, including holidays.”
The thought made me sad. “Do you sometimes wish things were different?” I didn’t expand, figuring the implication was there.
He shrugged and leaned his elbows on the bar, picking at the beer label. “There’s been more than a time or two I regretted how things played out. But I’ve finally reached the point where I’m happy. You’re the main reason for that.”
My heart melted at his words. While sadness hovered just under the surface for Ryan, I chose to hold on to the here and now. “You make me happy too,” I said, lowering my voice.