5
Marco stepped between the two DJ booths, accepted the microphone from one of his assistants, and opened the Silent Disco with his usual patter. “Welcome, welcome everyone! Are you having a great time so far? Welcome to Paradise’s Silent Disco! Please grab a pair of earphones from the table over there and get ready to dance the night away to your favorite music!“
He introduced the DJs and then led Evan to the far side of the dance floor.
He watched Evan as Evan filmed the DJs’ takeover, and the people who started dancing. He realized it was always a little weird to see people grooving in perfect silence, the only sound the tapping of feet on the dance floor, and the voices – many times off key – singing different songs at the same time. Guests of all ages were losing themselves in the music only they could hear, shaking their hips and waving their hands in the air.
“Would you care to dance?“
Marco asked, already knowing the answer.
Evan shook his head. “No, thanks. Like I said, I have two left feet and zero rhythm.”
“How about a cup of coffee, then? Café Espresso makes a terrific cappuccino.”
“Now that sounds good,“
Evan replied.
Marco led him to the elevators. “It’s on the fifth deck. What did you think of the Silent Disco?”
“It’s…different.“
Evan chuckled. “But it seemed like everyone was having a really good time.”
“Its one of our most popular events. We’ll have another on Day Three of the trip.”
The elevator let them off on the fifth deck, and they strolled to the coffee bar.
Coffees in hand, Marco found them a relatively private spot in a booth near the windows. They sat, sipping their cappuccinos, and making small talk. Evan found out that Marco was born and raised in Italy but now made his home in the States when he wasn’t cruising. His current contract was for four months aboard ship and two months off.
Evan filled him in on his own life, briefly mentioning his breakup and subsequent loss of interest in the travel podcast. Marco was quick to urge him to stick with it and not to let the man who’d broken Evan’s heart steal everything Evan held dear.
Then Marco licked his lips and put his cup down on the small table between them. “Evan, I’m going to be honest with you. I find you very attractive.”
Evan’s cheeks pinked up, but he was smiling. “Yeah?”
“Yes. I think you’re sweet, smart, and very sexy.”
“I, uh, don’t know what to say.”
“Just listen, if you will. I would like to get to know you better, and perhaps we can figure out a way to do that, but as for now, I am wondering if you would be interested in…well…“
His voice trailed off but his sentence was finished by the heated look of desire flashing in his eyes.
Evan swallowed, then seemed to drum up his courage. “I’ll be honest, too. I think you’re really hot. Gorgeous, in fact. But I think we’ve met before. We hooked up once, at a bar called Min’s.”
“I remember.”
Evan’s eyes flashed open. “You do?”
“Of course. How could I forget? But you ran out on me before I could get your number. Don’t get the wrong impression – I never hook up with men on my cruises, but for you…well, once I remembered you, I couldn’t get you out of my head. Full disclosure – we’d need to be discreet. Fraternization with guests is sorely frowned upon.”
“I’d hate to get you in trouble…”
“I’m willing to take the chance. I’m drawn to you in a way I haven’t been with anyone else in a long time, Evan.“
Marco kept his voice soft and his tone, earnest. He wanted nothing more than to be honest with Evan.
Evan chuckled. “I may not know what to say, but my friend, Tina would. She’d say YOLO. I think I agree with her, Marco.”
“Good. Then I’ll meet you in your cabin tonight, at one a.m., when I get off duty. Well, actually, I’m never fully off duty, but I do get downtime to relax and sleep.”
“Okay. I need to do some shopping anyway,“
Evan said. “No clothes, remember?”
Marco gave him a hot, wicked grin. “I don’t think you’ll be needing any tonight.“
Then he licked his lips. “Come with me. There’s one last place I want you to see before we part ways.”
“Okay…”
Marco took Evan back to the elevators, and they rode them all the way up to the sixteenth deck, the Serene Deck. Evan seemed surprised to see the deck was deserted, although Marco knew it would be. “What’s going on up here?”
“You and me. That’s what’s going on.“
Marco grabbed his hand and pulled him into the shadows near the wall. Gently pushing Evan against the wall, Marco crushed their lips together. One hand cupped the back of Evan’s head as he deepened the kiss, tongues meeting and sliding and tasting coffee. The other hand slid to the small of Evan’s back, then lower.
Evan responded immediately, as if a dam had been holding back a flood of desire that suddenly broke free. He wrapped his arms around Marco and twisted, until he had Marco pinned to the wall. Only when the need for air became insistent did they break apart, both breathing hard.
Marco stepped back and straightened his uniform. “Sorry. Couldn’t wait until tonight. I wanted to kiss you so badly, and I know this deck is all but deserted during dinner service and because of the Silent Disco. Plus, there’s a floor show going on in the Stars Theater, and all the bars will be hopping. No one comes up here.”
“Don’t apologize. That was the best kiss I’ve had in a long, long time.”
“We’d better go. I need to get back to the Silent Disco and tend to my duties. I’ll see you later.”
Evan grinned. “You bet you will.”
Evan spent an hour perusing the wares in the shipboard stores, and purchased another pair of long pants, two button-down shirts, shorts, and a couple T-shirts. He carried his purchases back to his cabin, but then found himself pacing, anxious for the hours to pass. Two hours until the golden hour, when Marco would come knocking on his cabin door. One-hundred and twenty minutes. Seventy-two-hundred seconds, and he could feel each of them ticking oh, so slowly by. For someone who’d been adamant about not having a shipboard romance, he found he couldn’t wait for Marco to get there.
Finally, he decided he needed to relax, and ordered a bottle of wine via room service, along with two glasses and a small cheese plate. He’d start the wine by himself, but at least he’d have something to offer Marco when he arrived.
Not that he expected to spend much time munching. At least, not on cheese.
Finally, the clock ticked past the one o’clock mark.
Nothing. No knock.
He’s not coming. Something’s happened, or he changed his mind. Evan chewed his lower lip and drained his wineglass. Two minutes past one. Five minutes past one. Ten minutes past.
Just as he was about to give up and chalk it all up to a huge mistake, the knock came.
Evan flew to the door and opened it, letting Marco slip into the room. Before the door even swung shut, Marco had him pressed up against the wall, their lips bruising in a hungry kiss.
Hands flew, fingers fumbling at buttons as they raced to undress each other. Finally, Marco stepped back and rid himself of his shirt, which was a good thing since Evan was ready to tear it free, probably losing the buttons in the process. He quickly stripped off his own shirt before backing Marco up against the wall again. This time, his fingers smoothed over Marco’s chest, thumbing the nipples. He groaned into Marco’s mouth as he took another deep, wet kiss.
Their groins pressed against one another, hard-ons rubbing through their pants. Evan felt his balls swell with a need so sharp it practically stole his breath away. Or maybe that was Marco’s kiss, or his hands squeezing Evan’s backside. He only knew he was going to come soon and didn’t want their mutual exploration to come to an end.
He pushed Marco away, panting, glaring at him, almost angry that he’d been brought so close to the edge so quickly. “Bed,“
he growled. “Bed, now.” And he urged Marco to the bed until the back of Marco’s knees hit the mattress. Then he swiftly dropped to his knees, hands fumbling with Marco’s belt and zipper. Once undone, he pulled at Marco’s pants until they dropped, releasing his swollen cock to the air. Marco kicked off his pants in a sweetly fumbling little dance that made Evan smile despite his raging need.
Thick and hard, reddened at the tip, Marco’s cock was a thing of beauty. Evan took the briefest of moments to admire it before swallowing it whole. He took it in deep, down to the root, and let his teeth graze the delicate skin as he slowly released it. Sucking hard, he took it in again and again until Marco’s moans filled his ears.
Marco’s fingers threaded in his hair. “Go slower. Slower, or I’m going to shoot in your mouth.”
“Then come for me,“
Evan growled back, cupping Marco’s balls in his hand. He gave them a slight pull for emphasis, then went back to sucking Marco’s cock.
“No, not yet. I want inside you.”
Those words sent a shiver down Evan’s spine and up into his balls. “I…I don’t have protection, or slick.”
“I brought what I thought we might need.“
Marco pushed away from Evan and bent to retrieve his pants. He pulled out a small bottle of lube and a condom from the pocket. “Take off your pants and get on the bed. I want to get you ready for me.”
Evan raced to do Marco’s bidding. Thoughts of that sweet, thick cock penetrating him consumed him as he kicked off his pants and underwear and climbed onto the bed. He rested his head on his arms and stuck his ass up, cheeks quivering with expectation. The sound of paper ripping reached him, and he looked over his shoulder to watch Marco roll the condom over his prick. “So fucking pretty,“
he whispered, his voice hoarse with need.
“You’re the pretty one,“
Marco answered, then he made a show of slicking his fingers and cock.
Evan groaned aloud when Marco’s fingers circled his asshole, the groan growing in volume as first one digit then two sunk inside him.
“So fucking tight,“
Marco whispered. “I fucking knew you would be. I want to fuck you into the mattress.” He pushed his fingers in deeper.
“Then do it!“
Evan cried. “Stop fucking teasing me.”
Marco’s answer was the withdrawal of his fingers and the pressing of a fat cock head against Evan’s hole. Slowly he slipped inside, the way in eased by the slick.
“Oh, fuck!“
Evan yelped, then grabbed a pillow and buried his face in it. He yelled into the pillow as Marco’s cock pushed deep inside him. The feeling of fullness was uncomfortable, but worth it, and he pushed back to meet Marco’s thrust.
Marco set a bruising rhythm, sliding in and out of Evan’s body. “Play with yourself. Jerk yourself off. I want you to come.“
He slapped Evan’s ass cheek, sending a sharp bolt of pleasure rocketing through Evan.
Evan grasped his cock and began to stroke it. It only took a few moments before a climax roared through him, snapping his head back on his neck, every muscle seizing with ecstasy. He was only barely aware of Marco coming and then sliding free from his body.
When it was over, they collapsed on the bed, each too sated and tired to speak.