“And Ben Rider is officially back to normal. Is there anything you value more than food?”
Ben thought about this for a while. “Nope. How are you feeling?”
“Like twelve hours is up?”
Ben frowned. “Are you sure you need one? You’ve just woken up!”
“Ben, the whole room is glowing green. I don’t tell you all the odd things I see because you’re only a baby and would be scared. Trust me, however; glowing green is unnerving. Give me my pills.”
Ben began to chuckle, took his hand and pulled him off the bed and out onto the deck. Nikolas was reluctant to go out naked until he saw just how private they were. They peered over the deck together at the glowing sea, and then Ben pointed up to the stars. Nikolas stood for a while, illuminated by starlight. He caught Ben’s hand and pulled him into his arms and kissed him. “Order in.”
Ben made a small noise of protest. “There’s a boat with this ginormous engine, and the restaurant’s got a glass floor you can look down at the—”
“I can see water from where I am.”
Ben began to complain again, but Nikolas whispered into his ear, “Indulge me this one night, baby, and I’ll take you and show you off every other night that we’re here.”
Ben pulled away a little, staring into Nik’s eyes. He could see reflected stars in the dark pupils. It was one of those moments when he realised they’d moved on to another stage of their relationship. He knew it was partially the unearthly beauty of the place seducing them both—the stoniest, most unromantic person would find this hard to resist—but it was more than that. Nikolas had never used such a term of endearment for him before. And it wasn’t just a slip of the tongue brought on by starlight and a hot tropical night. Nikolas never did or said anything he didn’t mean and hadn’t given a great deal of thought to. Ben cupped Nikolas’s face and kissed him, pulling him gently back into the hut until the backs of his knees connected with the bed and they fell on it together.
They kissed for a long time, prolonging the moment when it would become more frantic. Nikolas even allowed Ben to order food, and when it was delivered, they brought it to the bed and fed each other. Ben knew Nikolas would be thinking about alcohol, because he was, too. It was a night for sliding under the seductive numbness of ice-cold white wine or local rum, strong and potent. So he allowed Nikolas to take liberties with him, tipping ice cream onto his belly and licking it off, finding other interesting places to eat and bite at the same time.
Finally, Nikolas was in him and neither could remember quite when it had happened. He took his time, drawing out the pleasure. No violence this night, no games. Nothing but a languid drawing in and out, both watching as Nikolas’s flushed-purple, hard member slid through Ben’s tight ring. Nikolas placed a hand on each thigh, spreading Ben open more, lying over him and levering his whole body into the penetration, until Ben was taut and moaning with pleasure, and then he let them both come, their releases almost in sync with the surf they could hear pounding in the distance.
When they were finished, they lay upon the sticky, food-ruined sheets, soaking in the heat until Nikolas disentangled himself and went to the console. He called room service and ordered the housekeeper to come and clean the room then held out his hand for Ben. They dived off into the glowing green water, both naked but soon out of the light and into the darkness of the unlit lagoon. The water was still incredibly warm, although the air had cooled a fraction. They watched as a boat pulled up to the hut and two uniformed women climbed out with cleaning equipment and clean linen. Ben glanced across at Nikolas. “What’s wrong?”
Nikolas shook his head, but Ben insisted.
“I was just thinking how insecure we are in those things.”
Ben swam closer. “You’re thinking about Gabby.”
Nikolas denied this and claimed he was only making a casual observation. So Ben countered more effectively by dunking him under the water and holding him down until, being naked, Nikolas reminded him how vulnerablehewas. They surfaced, choking and laughing, then kissing. When the boat left, they swam leisurely back to the hut and climbed up onto the deck. It was warm enough to sit around outside wet and naked, so they worked out how to lie comfortably together in the hammock. They could hear distant music and some chatter from other huts, which in the silence and calm of the night was audible over the water. Ben was suddenly very tired, a sensation he knew from many flights and jet lag over the years, that feeling of being fine one moment then just like death the next. He felt himself dropping off a great height. Nikolas tightened his arms around him, and they both slept under the surreally beautiful sky bathed in the green glow from the sea.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
“Fuck!” Nikolas tipped Ben out of the hammock onto the deck. “Fucking hell!” Ben rose groggily to his feet.
“Wh??”
“Look at me!” Ben peered. As far as he was concerned, Nikolas looked pretty good naked in the morning light, his usual morning erection flushed dark on his belly. He was just about to climb on to enjoy the ride when he noticed a red welt, then another. Nikolas, wherehe’dnot been covering him, was bitten—badly. He checked himself over and saw nothing. He bit his lip. Nikolas flung himself angrily out of the hammock, twisting, trying to see all over his body. He saw Ben was laughing at him so he pushed him—hard. He fell off the deck into the translucent morning water, still laughing. Nikolas stomped into the hut, and Ben heard a shouted, “Where are my fucking pills?”
He shouted back from the safety of the water, “Those aren’t hallucinations! You’ve been…eaten!” He climbed out of the water and edged into the hut. Nikolas was scratching. Ben caught his hands to stop him. “Pills?”
Nikolas nodded grumpily. “Why aren’t you bitten?”
“I have superior blood. English, see?”
Nikolas swatted at him as he went to get the pills. Then he started scratching again. Ben came back and caught at his hands. “Stop it! Jesus, you’ll make them bleed.”
Nikolas wrenched his hands away. Ben caught at them again. “Don’t make me restrain you.” He only said it jokingly. They’d never done that. Not in the five years they’d known each other. It was always Ben tied, Nikolas in complete control. But the thought, now implanted, couldn’t be dismissed. He could see curiosity, temptation, and desire in Nikolas’s eyes, but this was mixed with suspicion and disgust. Ben slowly pushed him back toward the bed, keeping eye contact, trying to gauge whether this was going to be accepted or not. He caught at Nikolas’s tie where the staff had neatly folded it over the back of a chair and brought it with them. With great deliberation, checking all the time to see if Nikolas was going to allow it, he straddled him, stretched the strong arms up, and secured them to the rail. He tied them tight. Suddenly, Nikolas told him he had changed his mind. Perhaps recent memories of his restraint in far less pleasant circumstances had begun to surface. He shook his head. “Untie me.”
Ben straddled him, propping himself up on his elbows, considering. “No. I don’t think I will. I like you like this.”
“Ben, I’m not joking. Untie me. I don’t like this.” He wrenched, twisting.
Ben leant in close and kissed him gently. “It’s me, Nik. It’s just me, and I’d never, ever hurt you. You know that. Relax. You’re not there.” He kissed again. “You’re here with me, and I love you.”
Nikolas breathed deeply. “If you love me, you’ll untie me. Please.” Ben frowned then stretched up and undid the restraint. Nikolas began to rub his wrists. He looked contrite, a little ashamed. He pouted for a moment. “I wasn’t thinking of that woman. I was thinking of when I was in prison. I don’t like to be restrained. I’m sorry. It’s not that I don’t trust you.”
