I inclined my head.
I was gonna do it. I was gonna go for it.
“Well, damn,” Sam said.
Yeah.
“I just have to make sure he stays in place after I’ve caught him,” I finished.
He smirked faintly and clapped me on the shoulder. “ABDT, we used to say at my old job. Always Bring Duct Tape. Go get him.”
I grinned. That’d be something, wouldn’t it? Duct-taping Max to a tree, to a bed, to the boat…wherever, to ensure he stayed with me.
If today had shown me anything, it was that Max wasn’t comfortable with casual fun. I’d gotten into his head. He was worried, he had questions, and he didn’t feel he could talk about it. I could only think of one reason—he was scared to lose what we had.
Max Jensen was the world’s biggest overthinker—but only for serious shit. He could get down with zero strings attached any day of the week; he could be spontaneous and reckless for fun. Until potential consequences threatened something he genuinely cared about.
He hadn’t been spontaneous or reckless today. He hadn’t jumped all in at the chance of exploring a fantasy, which he would have if this wereonly a fantasy.
“Are we gonna do this or what?!” Trey hollered up the beach.
Sam looked over there, just as I did. “Are we in a rush?” he yelled back.
“Yes!” the brats responded in unison. “It’s gonna be dark soon!”
And?
The dark was fun. In the dark, we let the fears run wild.
In the end, Sam, Rome, and LC took charge—right around the time Max returned from “taking a leak.” He wouldn’t make eye contact, so I let the anticipation build, and I took a coupledeep breaths and absently cracked my knuckles. The others were busy reminding the boys about safety once more, and I tuned them out. I wasn’t here for them. For any of them. Just that man over there, standing by the tree line, staring into the fire.
It had to be us. The combination of having one of those periods when I couldn’t suppress what I was feeling for him…and this trip—this particular trip, where we’d gone further than any other time before…and our phone conversation before the trip…yeah, I couldn’t fight this any longer.
I wasn’t nice enough to say all-or-nothing either, because “nothing” wasn’t on the table. It wasn’t an option. This had to happen. I felt the urgency and determination swell rapidly as the guys droned on. The boys swore they’d safeword if needed, which wasn’t exactly a worry. We went way back. But Daddies had that extra worry gene in their DNA.
“And now the sun is completely gone!” Cas pointed toward the horizon. “Let’sgo!”
Sam didn’t miss a beat. “So fuckingrun,” he growled.
“Eeep!” The boys yelped and hightailed it up and down the beach. Only two dared to sprint right into the jungle.
I grinned and let the adrenaline buzz through me.
We always gave the boys a two-minute head start, and I let Max decide how he wanted to begin. If he wanted to run now or later. I was good with both. This was our little game.
“I’m definitely gonna need assistance with my two,” Rome drawled.
Yeah, no kidding. Max and I had helped him plenty in the past. Just not this time. Someone else would have to assist him in catching Cas and Trey.
Sam smirked. “Happy to help.”
I patted my pockets, double-checking so I had everything. Folding knife, first aid, glowstick, eight-ounce bottle of water, flashlight?—
“Where did Max go? It hasn’t been two minutes yet.”
I snapped my head up and scanned my immediate surroundings, and sure enough, Max was nowhere to be seen.
You sneaky fucker.
