Cruising -Book 2 in the Men in Motion Series Read online

  Shutting off the water, paranoid the other spa patrons could tell what was going on, Brodie placed his key on top of his shirt. With Julian’s eyes lingering low on his body, Brodie eased into the churning water, thankful for the cover of bubbles. The noise of the jets echoed in the steamy room. A very young couple had joined them, playing and flirting overtly in front of them.

  Brodie slid over to where Julian relaxed, moving his butt across the tiled ledge under the hot water. Once he was close enough to communicate, Brodie smiled sweetly at him. Julian returned the grin.

  “Have you ever been on a cruise before?”

  Brodie shook his head. “No. First time.”

  “Me too. I didn’t know what to expect. I mean, although it’s a big boat, I’m getting a little claustrophobic.”

  Brodie scooted back, as if the comment meant he should give Julian more space.

  “I didn’t mean that.” Julian chuckled.

  They both looked over at the couple as the woman sat on her boyfriend’s lap. Brodie said, before he thought about it, “Bet he’s got one hell of a hard on.”

  At the lack of a reply, Brodie turned to look at Julian’s face. The intensity of his expression made Brodie’s skin prickle. “Sorry. Was that crass?”

  “No. I don’t offend easily.”

  “Good. I can be slightly crude on occasion. I think that’s one of the things that turned Melanie off.”

  “Women.” Julian shrugged, as if nothing more had to be said.

  “Yeah, women.” Brodie looked back at the young woman again. She wasn’t attractive in his opinion, but neither was her boyfriend. A good match.

  “So,” Julian cleared his throat, “you’re doing this whole venture solo?”

  “What choice have I got? She ditched me a second before the damn boat took off.”

  “That’s harsh.”

  “Tell me about it.” An elderly man joined them in the hot tub, distracting Brodie. “But to be honest, I think I might have a better time without her.”

  “Oh?” Julian leaned closer to hear.

  “Yeah. Well, she nagged me a lot about drinking too much. And I know that would only have been the beginning.”

  Julian rolled his eyes. “I’ve already been chewed out because I didn’t bring a tux. Who wants to wear a damn monkey suit to eat dinner?”

  Brodie smiled at his accurate appraisal. “I thought you were getting an earful at dinner last night.”

  “I was. Oh, are you assigned to the captain’s table?”

  “No. I think they pick people out at random. I actually have a different table assignment. I don’t remember the table number.”

  “Too bad you can’t sit with me. I mean, us.”

  A flush of boiling heat washed over Brodie. “Is this thing getting hotter?” He gestured to the water.

  “Maybe. I’m ready to get out.” Nodding his head, Julian stood, stepping out of the whirlpool onto the tiled floor.

  After hopping out of the boiling pool, Brodie turned the shower on again, trying to rinse off the chlorine. When he spun around, Julian was staring at him. Instantly Brodie’s hard-on returned. Moving out of the spray, Brodie picked up his t-shirt and key, holding the damp material in front of his crotch. Julian stepped under the showerhead. To Brodie’s horror, Julian stared directly at him while he smoothed his hands over his bare chest. Unable to tear his eyes away, Brodie knew this was a come on. No one did that without wanting something.

  His eyes traveling down that perfect physique, he saw the outline of a large engorged penis. Brodie imagined getting on his knees pulling down those wet red shorts and sucking him deeply into his throat.

  “There you are!”

  At the woman’s voice, Brodie felt as if he’d been smacked in the face.

  Julian shut off the water spray, using his t-shirt as a crotch-shield as well. “Amelia, hey. I was just having a soak before I came back to the room to shower.”

  “You took forever, Julian. Jesus. I’ve already had breakfast. I don’t understand why you need to exercise on our vacation. Can’t you take ten stupid days off?”

  As Julian was ushered out of the spa, he turned back to look over his shoulder. Brodie couldn’t believe the expression of longing on the man’s face. Biting his lip in frustration, Brodie walked slowly out of the room, dripping wet, down the long corridor to the elevator. All the way to his cabin, the haunted look on Julian’s face drove him insane.

  Chapter Four

  A lunch buffet was set out on the promenade level. Brodie couldn’t believe the amount of food that the cruise line presented. It was obscene. Filling his plate with fruits and vegetables, leery of his waistline and the amount of running he would need every day to burn off the fattening meals, he carried his healthy choices to a table with a view of the water.

  The rocking of the ship hadn’t stopped, but he had gotten used to it. He didn’t notice it much until he was horizontal on one of the twin beds in his cabin at night, which was when the swaying became more pronounced.

  Opening up his napkin and picking up a fork, Brodie stuffed a piece of watermelon into his mouth, and spit out the seeds into his hand. Passengers came and went, some standing on line for the buffet, others passing through to eat poolside or at the restaurants. He hadn’t fully explored the boat yet. The thing was so big, he was sure there were shops, bars, clubs, and pools he had yet to discover. Maybe today. They were still at sea and nearing the Inside Passage. He knew which inside passage he’d rather be sliding through.

  A piece of sweet pineapple on his tongue, Brodie froze as he caught sight of Julian and Amelia, plates in hand, moving up the long row of delicacies. Chewing the fruit and swallowing, Brodie admired Julian’s skin-tight, beige chinos and white short-sleeved shirt. His dark brown hair was slightly longer than Brodie’s own, brushing the back of his neck and covering the tops of his ears. Amelia was, in Brodie’s opinion, that trophy selection of woman he’d so many times succumbed to. Either he had to adjust his taste in women or his gender selection. And Julian could use the same advice. Hello? Two wicked hard-ons? What the hell else could it mean other than they turned each other on, big time.

  But knowing the denial he had lived with for twenty-eight years, he imagined Julian in the same boat. Smiling at the pun, Brodie said, “We are on the same boat. Duh.”

  As he shook his head at his own humor, he opened his mouth to stuff in a strawberry. Before he ate it, Julian spotted him.

  Pausing, the red ripe strawberry hovering near his lips, Brodie’s breath caught in his chest and instantly his cock rose to the occasion. Julian’s expression mirrored his. They simply stared at each other in awe. Just to see his reaction, Brodie opened his mouth wider, pushing the strawberry in, licking his lips as he chewed. Julian’s face paled slightly. Man, ditch the witch! Brodie knew they wanted to touch each other. This was absurd. Amelia seemed to be babbling incessantly, oblivious to the leering her boyfriend was bestowing on another man. When Brodie began to peel his banana, Julian appeared ready to pass out.

  Brodie gave the banana some head, loving teasing this gorgeous man. Julian’s trance broke when Amelia nudged him. Brodie chewed a bite of the banana, his eyes never leaving the mismatched couple. But he’d been there, lived the nightmare, and wondered if Julian was trapped so deeply in denial that even a onetime taboo kiss was out of the question.

  With his plate now full, Julian followed where his woman led. As he passed Brodie, Julian made sure Amelia was oblivious first, giving Brodie a very dirty smirk. Brodie returned it with interest. A lot of interest.

  As they moved out of sight, to the opposite side of the boat, Brodie moaned in agony, rubbing his hand over his hard cock discretely, yearning for a once in a lifetime fling with another man. Of course it would be once. Just to satisfy his curiosity. He wasn’t gay.

  Opening his eyes from his fantasy life, he found two older women standing next to his table for four. “You mind if we join you?”

  Seeing there were no other u
noccupied tables in the room, Brodie nodded, sitting up in his chair and moving his plate closer to his body to give them space.

  The two average looking, middle-aged women introduced themselves, blushing shyly. Brodie didn’t catch their names, nodding, not sure if they were on the prowl or not. Trapped in a mundane conversation about glaciers, Brodie finished his plate of rabbit food, politely excusing himself so as not to insult anyone. They giggled and batted their lashes coquettishly, but it was lost on him.

  Brodie searched the overcrowded room for a last gape at the object of his desire. Every table, every chair was occupied. The noise of chatting, forks hitting china, and the hum of the engine noise in the background made it feel chaotic. Finding him finally, Brodie paused, wondering if he could send out some kind of silent signal. It must have worked because Julian glanced up from his plate of crab legs and shrimp. Feeling bold and daring, especially since Amelia’s back was facing him, Brodie very quickly touched his zipper. The expression on Julian’s face told him he must have sent a zinging shock through the man. It seemed Amelia noticed it as well. Like a harpy she spun around to see what had caused the reaction. Brodie turned on his heels and walked out of the room.

  ~

  “What are you looking at?” Amelia asked.

  “Huh? Nothing.” Julian went back to cracking the crab legs.

  “You seem very distracted, Julian. I don’t like it.”

  “You don’t like anything, Amelia. I even get the impression you don’t like me.” He slurped the meat out of the shell, wiping his hands on a cloth napkin.

  “You’re okay. I like you.”

  “Oh, that just makes me warm and fuzzy all over,” Julian replied sarcastically. “This trip was your idea. Don’t brood.”

  “I thought it would bring us closer.”

  “Has it?” Julian squeezed a lemon wedge over his shrimp.

  “No. You’re annoying me.”

  “Am I?” Julian wasn’t amused, though he pretended he was.

  “Yes.”

  “What exactly am I doing that’s so annoying?”

  “I don’t know. You don’t want to do anything I do.”

  “Like what?” Julian ate another shrimp, looking over Amelia’s shoulder in case Brodie made another appearance.

  “I want to go to the shops.”

  “Okay.” He shrugged.

  “And you disappeared in the morning.”

  “I told you I was going to keep up the workout routine. Come on, Amelia, it’s all of an hour.”

  “And I told you to bring a tuxedo.”

  “Not that again. There are plenty of guys in business suits, lady. Please stop throwing that in my face.” Julian finished his food, using the napkin to wipe up his sticky hands.

  “I’m not having fun.”

  Seeing her pronounced pout and tightly knotted arms, Julian laid his napkin on the table. “What do you want to do?”

  “There’s nothing to do on this damn boat.”

  “First of all, that’s not true. Do you want to gamble?”

  “No.”

  “Swim?”

  “No.”

  “Have a sauna and Jacuzzi?”

  “No!”

  “Right. There’s a movie theater, a salon…”

  “A salon?”

  “Yes.” He thanked the busboy as he removed the dirty plates.

  “Like in hair and nails?” Amelia held her hands up for inspection.

  “I assume so. I think they even offer massage.”

  “I could go for that.”

  “Good.” Julian sipped his glass of water, meeting her expression of annoyance. “What?”

  “But that’s just for today. What will I do tomorrow?” she whined.

  “I think tomorrow we arrive at Juneau. We can book an excursion.”

  “What the hell is there to see in Juneau?” She crinkled her nose.

  Julian sat back and gazed at her in disbelief. “You did know this was a cruise to Alaska, right?”

  “We should have gone to the Bahamas. It’s so cold on deck.”

  “Why didn’t you ask me to book that instead?”

  “I thought you wanted to see Alaska.”

  “I told you I didn’t care either way.”

  “Well, you screwed up then. I wanted to go to the Bahamas.”

  Julian rubbed his face in agony.

  “I’m going to get my hair and nails done before dinner tonight.”

  As she collected her purse, he nodded. “Good.”

  “See ya.”

  “See ya.” He sat there, trying not to feel exhausted and angry. “I must be fucking insane.” Gazing out at the choppy water, Julian daydreamed. And when he did, those images included Brodie. Christ, the guy was hot. Insta-wood. And he knew damn well the feeling was mutual. But—and it was a very large but—was he interested in a gay fling? A touch of forbidden flesh?

  A sensation of fire scalded his skin and his dick grew hard. Well, that answers that question. He laughed sadly. Why was it so difficult to admit? Why didn’t he just give it a try? Twenty-seven years old, constantly imagining a gay conquest yet never acting on it. Was he insane? He lived in Seattle for cryin’ out loud. You could be gay there. It didn’t matter to anyone. But did it matter to him? Maybe. Imagining telling his mother and father he was gay made his skin crawl.

  Scanning the room, seeing the crowd finally dispersing after they had consumed an ungodly amount of food, Julian wished Brodie would wander back through, standing there rubbing his dick again. How amazing was that? How bold. But their obvious attraction for each other spoke loudly after the run. Two huge hard-ons. What better proof did he need that he was hungry for a taste of male flesh? There it was. An invitation. And how perfect was the situation? Amelia aside, it was an onboard tryst. No strings attached. Okay, he lived in Bellevue, but it wasn’t as if they would actually cross paths again. They could experiment and then off they would go to their private lives. No one the wiser.

  “You must have a private room, Brodie. Your insignificant other ditched you. Where are you now?” Checking his watch, Julian realized Amelia would be tied up for hours getting her hair and nails done.

  Jumping to his feet, he stopped at a men’s room to wash the sticky seafood off his hands, checking his hair and face in the mirror quickly, intent on the hunt.

  ~

  Brodie stood at a roulette wheel. He never gambled. But what was twenty bucks? A fresh glass of scotch in his hand, he put down a chip and watched the ball spin around the wheel. Lost again.

  Last chip. He moved it onto a number.

  “I’d try number nine.”

  Pivoting to look over his shoulder, Brodie found Julian almost pressed against his back. The shock of chills that raced over Brodie almost made his spill his drink.

  The wheel spun, the ball settled in number nine.

  “Told ya.” Julian shook his head.

  “If you were my Lady Luck, you arrived twenty dollars too late.” Brodie tried to turn around to face him, but that meant he would have to brush Julian’s body to do so. He had to finish his scotch to build up that kind of courage.

  “I don’t gamble.” Julian stepped back.

  Sighing in relief, able to face him without rubbing against him and possibly alerting Julian how hard he had become, Brodie replied, “Me neither. Just bored.”

  “That sounds familiar.” Julian rolled his eyes.

  “Oh?” Brodie stood in front of a slot machine, slipping a quarter into it, pushing the button, watching the icons spin.

  “Never mind.”

  Julian’s body was almost pressing against his again. The heat transfer was driving him mad. Brodie watched as two cherries and a bell clicked into the machine. “Lost. I can’t win.” Closing his eyes, imagining pushing back, rubbing his bottom against Julian’s crotch, Brodie had to inhale a deep breath to control himself.

  “Want to take a walk out on the promenade? Get some fresh air?”

  “Sure.” Brodi
e finished the last drop of scotch, setting his glass aside. As he followed that tight set of ass cheeks covered by thin beige fabric, he imagined telling Julian to head to his room instead but chickened out. Even though the guy appeared interested, he didn’t know if any of this would go anywhere.

  Pushing through two heavy metal doors, they were instantly smacked with the cool breeze. Julian led them to the back of the boat where the wind was blocked and didn’t freeze them. Brodie gestured to two open chairs. They sat down, facing the choppy water and glimpse of coastline that was far out in the distance.

  “Where’s your girlfriend?”

  “Getting pampered.” Julian’s eyes narrowed in the bright light.

  “You two close?”

  “No. I think she wishes she did what your girlfriend did. She’s done nothing but complain since we’ve been onboard. I don’t know what the hell to do.”

  “Been there. Wrote the book.” Brodie watched as happy couple after happy couple strolled by, hand in hand. “I sometimes feel like there’s something wrong with me. I can’t seem to find what I’m looking for.” Brodie felt Julian’s gaze. He turned towards him, seeing the crisp color of blue reflected in his eyes from the ocean.

  “I hear ya,” Julian replied.

  “You think it’s just some unreachable level of expectation on our part?”

  “I don’t know. I only know I have lousy taste in women. I meet the shallowest bimbos on the planet.”

  Brodie started laughing.

  “What?”

  “You sound like me. Maybe we’re both in need of something different.”

  Julian’s straddle widened until his leg touched Brodie’s. Brodie met those blue eyes again. He opened his mouth to ask him if these little overt signs meant Julian wanted to connect, or if they were just playful and meant to go nowhere. Nothing came out of his mouth.

  “Something different?” Julian asked. “Anything in particular?”

  Say it! Say it! Tell him you are bi-curious! Say it! “No, nothing specific. Just not what we’re used to.” Oh, he wasn’t making any sense at all.