Page 29 of Free Wind (Lifeguards of Barking Beach #2)

Blake said, “Cooper was wondering how you spot swimmers in trouble when there are so many people.”

“Look, it’s not easy,” Damo replied. “It’s chockers, hey?

But after a while, you can see the signs.

We get a lot of tourists here who can’t swim at all, and they’re easy to spot.

People caught in the rips are easy too. There are others who get real still and quiet like.

Hair over their faces. Sometimes, it’s a gut feeling. ”

“Like Spidey senses?” Cooper asked. He squinted, his freckled face screwed up, and Blake couldn’t stop smiling at how adorable he was. His son!

“Exactly like that!” Damo said. “You reckon, Cody?” he asked over his shoulder.

Leaning forward across the passenger seat in the buggy, Cody said, “Absolutely.” His gaze met Blake’s, and recognition set in. Grinning, Cody said, “Good to see you again. Blake, is it?”

Blake hoped the sun’s glare would hide the heat flushing his face. He and Cody shook hands, and Tasha asked, “Are you Liam Fox’s boyfriend?”

“That’s me.”

“Cooper, you want to sit in the buggy?” Damo asked.

His little face lit up like a Christmas tree. “Can I?”

Cody patted the seat beside him. “Hop up, buddy.”

“Thanks for this,” Tash said to Damo as Cooper asked Cody questions.

“Anytime.” Damo smiled, scanning the water. “We’d take ya for a spin if it wasn’t so busy. There’s a little flashy in the north, but otherwise conditions are good at the moment.”

“No worries. It’s great to meet you.” She squeezed Blake’s arm. “And to see you again. I think it’s a little weird for all of us, but it’s good. Yeah?”

“Yeah,” Blake said, giving her a smile. “Thank you. You didn’t have to do any of this.”

“I did, though. Should’ve done it before.”

He’d missed eight whole years of his son’s life, and part of Blake wanted to say, Yeah, you really should’ve. But what was the point? It would just spoil the mood, and they couldn’t turn back time. “We’re here now. That’s what matters.”

Damo climbed up on the back of the buggy, peering into the distance. “Codes, you see just in front of third ramp?”

Tasha motioned for Cooper to climb out of the buggy as Cody and Damo stared intently. Then they both relaxed in unison. “False alarm,” Damo said, smiling down at Cooper. “You gettin’ wet, mate?”

“Yes!” Cooper answered.

“Where’re ya gonna swim?”

“Between the red and yellow flags.”

Damo’s grin widened as he bent to give Cooper a high five. “That’s exactly the right answer!”

“Hey, Damo…” Cody leaned forward, his tone suddenly serious. “Just in front of that sandcastle to the right… Go!”

In a blink, Damo had stripped off his shirt and was gone. Cody was on the radio, and Blake, Tash, and Cooper watched as Damo splashed into the water to help a man maneuver a staggering older woman onto the sand.

“Wow,” Cooper breathed.

The woman seemed dazed, and Damo powered her to the dry part of the sand as people scurried out of the way. He called to Cody, “Defib and ambo!”

Everyone stood back as another buggy arrived a minute later, and Blake overheard snatches of conversation about a possible seizure. He watched Damo administer oxygen to the woman and comfort the older man with her. His heart swelled, and he was so damn proud.

He wanted to run over and kiss Damo once the paramedics arrived and took over, but of course he only watched.

“Superheroes indeed,” Tasha said, giving Blake a wink. “He’s lovely.”

Blake couldn’t stop grinning. “He is.” Tearing his gaze away, Blake focused on Cooper. “Should we go for a swim?”

And Cooper smiled and said, “Okay,” and it felt like the greatest victory.

“And did I tell you he’s a forward on the school’s footy team?”

Damo smiled indulgently. “You did.”

“God, sorry.” Blake winced. “I’m repeating myself, aren’t I?”

“Yeah, but don’t be sorry, mate. He’s your son. It’s pretty freakin’ cool.”

Blake turned into the parking for his building. “It is. Did I tell you I’m meeting them for brekkie tomorrow? I did. Sorry.”

“S’okay.” Damo leaned across the gear shift and kissed Blake’s cheek. “I reckon we’re on for Bremer Bay too, hey?”

“I think so. Unless Cooper secretly hated me and never wants to see me again.”

“Not a chance. Seems like a great kid.”

Blake parked and blew out a long breath. “He does, doesn’t he?”

His mind was still spinning. He’d met his son, and it had gone well as far as he could tell? Cooper hadn’t said a lot, but that was understandable. He’d been shy and sweet and it was still hard to believe he even existed.

Blake was jittery and keyed up. It was exhausting trying to be his best self all day. He asked, “You sure you can’t stay for dinner? Not that I’m cooking, but I’ll order takeaway. We can watch telly and decompress.”

Damo’s face clouded. “Not today. Sorry. I just wanted to come up for a little bit. Make sure you’re good. Reckon meeting your kid could be a lot to handle. Not in a bad way, but…”

“Yeah. It was a lot. Did I mention—yes, I’ve already told you everything in excruciating detail.”

Damo grinned. “All good. I like listening to you talk.”

“I don’t even know what I’m saying anymore.” He rolled his neck. “Didn’t realize how stressed I was.”

“I could help with that.”

Breath hitching, Blake smiled. “Yeah? Anything particular in mind?”

Damo hopped out of the car, and Blake followed with a laugh. The key was still in the door of his apartment when Damo pressed against him tightly.

“Can I suck your dick?”

With a laugh, Blake shuffled inside with Damo attached to him like a barnacle. He closed the door behind them. “I thought you’d never a—”

The words were barely out before Damo spun them and lunged in for a kiss, shoving Blake against the closed door. He writhed against Blake as if trying to climb into his skin, and Blake was instantly hard.

They gasped for air, and Blake ran a thumb over Damo’s wet lips. “You want me?” It was needy, but he still ached to hear it.

Damo nodded, shoving his warm hands under Blake’s T-shirt and pulling it over his head. “Been thinking about this for days. Weeks? Since that first night.” He hesitated. “Unless… Do you still wanna talk more and stuff? I can listen.”

How was Blake not supposed to fall head over heels for this man?

“I think I’ve said enough.” Blake inhaled sharply as Damo bent to suck his nipple. Fingers roaming through Damo’s golden, wavy hair, he murmured, “Your mouth is incredible.”

“It’s all the talkin’ I do,” Damo mumbled against Blake’s chest before licking his other nipple. He grasped for Blake’s waist, opening the Velcro fastening of his boardies with a loud riiiip.

Blake kicked off his thongs, but before he could help with his shorts, Damo sank to his knees, pulling them down with him. He gazed up at Blake with such earnest openness that Blake struggled to breath through a surge of affection.

From a distance on Barking, he’d admired Damo’s skills in the water and his easy, crooked smile. Now that he knew him, he was amazed by how guileless he was. Blake had hooked up with men who’d worked their arses off to come across as sexy, but Damo blew them out of the water without even trying.

Blake cupped his cheek. “Is this how you’ve been thinking about it? On your knees for me?”

“Yes.” It was a breathless whisper, his eyes locked on Blake’s. “Is it okay?”

“Are you kidding? You’re so hot.”

Damo’s breath stuttered, and he swallowed hard before pulling down Blake’s shorts the rest of the way. Blake lifted his feet, and Damo tossed the boardies aside. Running his damp palms over Blake’s hairy thighs, Damo leaned in and rubbed his face in Blake’s crotch.

“I’m all yours,” Blake groaned.

Sitting back on his heels, Damo peered up at him before tentatively licking the head. He clutched at Blake’s thighs and hips, his hands making nervous movements while he went in for slow, hesitant sucks and exploration with his beautiful mouth.

“Feels amazing.” Blake stroked Damo’s soft hair gently.

He’d wondered what more sex with Damo would be like, and this eager, sweet lust was better than anything he’d imagined. The way Damo moaned when he filled his mouth with Blake’s cock, his eyes fluttering shut as he sucked, had Blake’s toes curling on the wood floor.

“Fuck, yes,” Blake muttered.

He let Damo take the lead, holding his head loosely, just needing to touch.

His balls were tight already, the sight of Damo’s lips stretched around him and the wet, slurping noises turning him on fiercely.

Against the door, standing naked with Damo kneeling at his feet, Blake’s whole body was taut with desire.

“You make me so hard.”

Damo pulled off with an absolutely filthy wet suck, his swollen lips glistening. “I hadn’t noticed. Do ya like it?”

Tightening his grip in Damo’s hair, Blake laughed. He loved that they laughed so much together. Lance had typically been serious during sex, and it wasn’t that it’d been bad—they’d had some great times.

But Damo’s openness lit a fire in Blake’s blood. “I love it. You were born for this.”

Adam’s apple bobbing, Damo breathed hard. “Will you come in my mouth?” Such an earnest, innocent way to ask such a question.

Blake could only nod, groaning as Damo swallowed him again. Now, Damo circled the base with his hand, trying to go deeper and choking. Blake wanted to thrust and fuck his mouth, the pressure to come almost unbearable in the best way.

But he kept his arse pinned to the door, giving Damo the freedom to experiment, holding his head loosely as Damo got back into a rhythm. It only took a few more long pulls and Damo’s free hand fumbling for his balls before Blake tipped over the edge.

He tried to warn Damo, but instead of words, it was a jumble of moans and grunts as he came into his mouth. White-hot pleasure roared through him, his back arching.

But Blake quickly opened his eyes, needing to see Damo swallowing around him. Needing to see his jizz dripping out of swollen lips as Damo coughed, then grinned and swallowed Blake’s cock again, licking and milking him until Blake had to ease him off.