“Awesome,” Jamie said immediately. “I’m in.”
Eric couldn’t help but give Wolfe a stupid, goofy smile as everyone stood and gathered themselves to stroll out to the beach.
Wolfe gave him an indulgent look in return, pressing a kiss to the back of Eric’s hand, which only made Eric’s embarrassed flush come back in full force.
Family vacations were kind of great.
Jay
Jay hummed happily, letting the hot water run over him. He’dalready rinsed off the worst of the sand in the outdoor shower on the back porch, but it was still nice to get fully clean with hot water and soap.
And even nicer to be naked with Alexei behind him, washing Jay’s hair with careful hands, his hard cock pressed against Jay’s lower back.
It had been a very, very good two weeks. Full of swimming and lounging and laughing. Jay had bodysurfed, and turned Alexei into a sand merman, and baked three different cakes. Most of the time had been spent in the house’s perimeter, but they’d all gone into town about halfway through and split off to feed at their destinations of choice.
Alexei had compelled him and Jay a very friendly dinner, and then they’d spent the rest of the evening in an arcade, where Alexei had taught Jay to play silly games with flashing lights and way too much violence.
Jay felt bad for ever questioning Soren’s judgment. This whole stay had beenwonderful.
At Alexei’s wordless command, Jay tilted his head back to rinse the shampoo off. “You know,” he mused afterward, “maybe we’ll have to alternate fancy vacations and camping.”
“Not a bad idea,” Alexei murmured, working conditioner into Jay’s strands.
“When I was with Vee”—Jay could feel Alexei tensing behind him at the mention of the vampire who’d turned him, but Alexei’s fingers didn’t pause—“luxury was always about restriction. We had to look and act a certain way at all times. I was there to serve, and everyone else was there to just…flaunt their status, I guess. It was ugly.” Jay frowned at the memory. “This was different though.”
“I know what you mean,” Alexei said, tugging Jay’s head gently back again for a rinse. “My father sometimes took my brothers and me when he traveled for work. We’d stay in five-star hotels, and we wouldn’t be allowed to leave the room. We’d be trapped, trying to evade his temper when he returned from some horrible meeting.”
Oh, that hurt Jay’s heart.
He turned around and stepped closer, out of the bulk of the spray, peering up at his mate, only slightly distracted by all the bare, sculpted muscle in front of him. “I wish I could go back in time and be there with you,” he said. “Hold your hand while you hide out in your room. You think young Alexei would have liked me?”
Alexei smiled softly at him, wet strands of his gorgeous hair framing his handsome face. “He would have been just as obsessed with you as old Alexei,” he said, big hands sliding over Jay’s hips. “He wouldn’t have known what to do with all that sweetness, but he would have wanted to keep it anyway.”
Jay rested his head on Alexei’s chest, listening to his steady heartbeat. “What if we’d never found each other?”
“It’s too tragic to think about.” There was a hint of teasing in Alexei’s voice, but also a note of truth.
Jay stood on tiptoes to wrap his arms around Alexei’s neck, meeting his pretty, multicolored eyes. “Itistragic. It’s making me sad.”
“Sad and horny,” Alexei commented mildly, his fingers brushing along Jay’s erection, which had been rubbing against Alexei’s lower belly this whole time.
“Well, we’re very naked.”
“Naked and wet.”
Jay nodded solemnly. “Soaked.” He let out a long sigh, rocking his hips into Alexei’s teasing touch. “I wish sand wasn’t so abrasive. You could take me in the surf in the moonlight. I could be a merman, and you could be the sailor I’d rescued from a horrible storm.”
“I’m the mafioso you rescued from a horrible life,” Alexei said, releasing Jay’s aching cock and wrapping his arms around Jay’s lower back. “Is that good enough for tonight?”
It was more than good enough. It was real, and it was perfect, and Jay loved him so very, very much.
But sometimes it was fun to play a little.
The shower was large—really large—with a little tiled bench built into one wall. Jay walked Alexei backward, out of the spray, and sat him down on that bench.
“My poor Alexei,” he crooned. “So much sadness to make up for.”
“Sad and horny, hm?” Alexei murmured, widening his legs so Jay could get between them.
