“I have no idea how you managed to move your hips like that. You must be made of elastic.”
“Oh, I’m pretty flexible all right.” Harry winked.
Evan’s mind went exactly where Harry no doubt intended it to go. “Ah… um…,” he stammered, lost for words.
Harry huffed out a laugh. “I’m sure you’d be fine if you just loosened up a bit. Here, let me show you.” He pulled Evan away from the railing and stood behind him, hands on Evan’s hips. Evan shivered at the touch, particularly when Harry stepped up close. There must have only been a couple of centimetres separating them. He could feel Harry’s warm breath on the back of his neck. “Just follow me. Slow figure eights, remember?”
Evan did his best to draw imaginary eights by swinging his pelvis, but it was so bloody difficult to concentrate with Harry’s hands on his hips. Harry directed him with small amounts of pressure. First one side, then the other. Backwards. Forwards.
“A little looser, not so stiff. Try bending your knees a little to give more movement.” Harry pushed against him, using his own movements to guide Evan’s. “There, that’s it. You’re getting it. See, it’s fairly easy when you relax into it.”
Oh, God.Every fibre of Evan’s being was now focused where Harry touched him—the hands splayed on his hips, Harry’s groin pressed against his arse, the warm breath against his ear. There was nothing remotely relaxed about his body or his emotions. He suppressed a groan.
“Evan?”
Okay, maybe he didn’t suppress it all that well. He stopped moving and turned in the circle of Harry’s arms. The changed position brought his erection in contact with Harry’s answering hardness. “Yeah?” he whispered, looking into the dark depths of Harry’s eyes.
Whatever question Harry was going to ask, if any, was lost in the meeting of their mouths.
Kissing Harry was something Evan had dreamed of, but the reality surpassed his expectations. Harry moved his mouth like he moved the rest of his body, with well-coordinated precision—a dance of lips moving over Evan’s. His touch was soft and teasing, a warmth against Evan’s lips, and in direct contrast to the firmness of his hold where he gripped Evan’s hips. Evan melted into the kiss, relaxing his mouth to whatever exploration Harry offered. He was rewarded with the tentative touch of Harry’s tongue as he gently drew it along Evan’s top lip. Evan groaned at the heady feeling, darting his own tongue to meet Harry’s. The taste of the recently drunk coffee flavoured the kiss, but the hammering of his heart rate was due to the feelings Harry was stirring up, not the caffeine.
The kiss deepened, and Evan was sucked into its depths, losing all sense of time and place. The only thing that mattered was the right here, right now—being in Harry’s arms, being the focus of his world.
* * *
They clamberedfrom the ship onto the tender, and Harry’s excitement for the day amped up a level when he saw Evan and Amber taking seats a couple of rows ahead. God, just the sight of Evan gave his stomach flutters and got his pulse racing. He was probably grinning like an idiot. If he was lucky, they’d run into each other on shore when they were disembarking, and he wouldn’t need to come up with an excuse to seek him out. He squeezed onto the bench seat next to John and couldn't keep the smile from his face, even when John threw an arm around his shoulders and pulled him in tight.
“Move over this way some more, we need to make room for everyone piling onto the boat,” John said, then lowered his voice. “And it wouldn’t hurt to look romantic in case anyone related to the show is watching.”
“It’s hot and sticky,” Harry complained, but to no avail. John didn’t remove his arm even after Harry shuffled along, and Harry gave brief thought to shaking it free. But in the end, he gave John a tight smile and ignored him, instead focusing in front where Amber had her arm around Evan. Evan turned to look at her, and Harry got a glimpse of his face. He looked positively green. Harry recalled Amber joking about Evan’s fear of seasickness. He crossed his fingers that Evan would make it to the wharf without losing his breakfast.
Once the tender filled to capacity, the door was shut, and music started pumping from the speakers as they got on their way. All the passengers appeared excited, no doubt eager to set foot on dry ground again. He bet Evan couldn’t wait to be off the small vessel, and as the boat moved up and down on the low swell, his heart went out to him again.Thank God he has Amber to take care of him, Harry thought.And double thank God that I don’t have to rely on John to look after me.
The trip to shore didn’t take long, and soon they were piling out of the ship’s tender and joining the group who were going on the shore excursion. They were hustled along to another wharf and were soon transferring onto a small, covered boat. The atmosphere was lively, the air full of chatter and laughter as they found their seats. Amber’s laughter trilled above others, the sound sending a happy thrill through Harry—sunshine, the scent of salt water, and the joy of those around him were contagious.
Amber and Evan climbed into the boat after them, taking the seats in the row in front. Evan looked over this shoulder. “This looks awesome.” He grinned and indicated in the general vicinity of the sea.
“You look better,” Harry said, noting his colour had returned.
“Turns out I was worried for nothing.”
“See? I told you.” Amber shook her head. “You’d think you’d have learned to listen to me by now. Here. Put on some more sunscreen.”
“Yes, Mum,” Evan said, chuckling as he took the bottle of sunscreen from her outstretched hand.
Harry rummaged in his bag for his own bottle of lotion, smiling at the display of easy friendship between the two. He wondered whether it would ever be possible for him and John to have a friendship like that. He didn’t think so, but he hoped that John would one day realise he was his own worst enemy and open himself to genuine friendship. He was always looking for something more than he already had, when if he opened his eyes, he’d see his life was already full of so much amazing stuff that could bring him happiness if only he’d allow it.
Harry idly rubbed some sunscreen onto his arms as he listened to the quick safety briefing, then they were on their way again, this time heading out across the lagoon. The sea was shallow, and the boat skimmed across the surface. The water was the most amazing turquoise colour, reminiscent of picture-perfect tropical postcards. He tossed the lotion back into his bag and peered over the side into the crystal-clear water. Small fish darted about, and the sandy bottom was clearly visible, with small outcrops of rock and coral.
Ukulele music filled the air, two of the boat’s crew playing “Somewhere Over The Rainbow.” It was magical, and despite John’s presence at his side, Harry was having a great time—it would be impossible not to in this South Pacific paradise.
Eventually they arrived at their destination, an area of the lagoon where the nearest boat was hundreds of metres away, ensuring their small tour group would be able to enjoy uninterrupted snorkelling in the clear waters. As the boat anchored, the crew provided additional safety instructions and information about the reef they’d pulled up next to. Supposedly the fish were gentle, and the manta rays were friendly.
“Manta rays?” one of the passengers called out, her voice shaky.
“They are wild creatures, but they are tame. If you come across one, just stay still, and it will most likely swim around you,” the guide said. “You can even book on a tour to swim with the rays and the sharks and make them the highlight of your adventure. In fact, these are some of our most popular tours.”
John nudged him. “We’re doing that in Moorea—swimming with the sharks.”
