Page 19

Chapter Eighteen

Nate

I was amazed by how much the day redeemed itself after its rocky start. The pool was nice, if not crowded. Lounging in the cool water reminded me just how much I liked swimming. True to my word, Perry leisurely floated at the edge of the pool while I made laps. Dodging kids while swimming was a little challenging but made the workout more interesting.

Perry and I might have been exhausted for different reasons, but the results were the same when we got back to the cabin. Crawling into bed, we lay down. While Perry slept, I lay there and ran my fingers up and down the arm he had slung over my chest. The cabin’s ceiling was exposed wood and, while pretty, wasn’t all that interesting after about ten minutes of constant contemplation.

While my body craved sleep, my brain had other ideas. My mind swam with upcoming possibilities. I couldn’t lie to myself. The thought of becoming Willie Slater’s captive was terrifying. Even if things went as well as possible, pain was in my future. If it came down to a choice between me or Perry experiencing Willie’s wrath, my decision was easy. Unfortunately, it wasn’t that simple. My pain wouldn’t live in a bubble. It would be designed to harm Perry, and there was no way to get around that.

According to Malcom, stopping Willie would require more sacrifice. I could only hope that sacrifice didn’t cause lasting damage. Perry had suffered enough. I didn’t doubt my fiancé’s strength, but just because you were able, didn’t mean you should have to endure more grief.

I had no idea how much time ticked by. It was a little after three p.m. when Perry and I lay down, two fans blowing on our nearly naked bodies. The room was still lit from the outside when Perry stretched and threw a leg over mine, his body impossibly closer.

“Hey,” Perry said sleepily. “What time is it?”

“No idea,” I answered before twisting enough that I could place a kiss on his forehead. Perry leaned into my lips, the sound rumbling through his chest close to a purr.

“Hmm…” After a wide yawn, Perry’s fingers began carding through my chest hair, his hand steadily creeping lower. “I’m sure we’ve got time to take care of this.” Perry’s wicked grin matched his devious blue eyes as his fingers snuck under my boxers and wrapped around my thickening length.

“Shit.” I arched off the bed, unable to still my instinctive hip thrust.

“This seems like it might be painful,” Perry teased. “I think I might be able to help with that.” When I started to reach for Perry’s hand, he stopped me and said, “Just lie back. Let me take care of you.”

Perry’s lips peppered my chest and neck, his tongue peeking out now and again to lap the salt from my skin. I couldn’t get enough of the man lying beside me. Every place he touched set off a burning inferno I’d happily roast within. My heart sped, quickening my pulse and shortening my breath. My cock hardened, turning into a steel rod beneath Perry’s expert fingers. Precum eased the way, and Perry’s rhythm increased, the tug and pull drawing me closer and closer to my release.

I tried holding it back, wanting to savor the moment for as long as possible. But between Perry’s whispered words of encouragement, his burning touch, and the grip on my cock, I came all too soon. My balls tucked up, eagerly emptying their contents into Perry’s hand and my chest.

My heart rate calmed as the buzz in my ears slid away. My gasping breaths and pleasured whimpers settled into a languid rhythm of utter contentment. That peace was made all the more blissful when I felt the damp proof of Perry’s own release against my thigh.

With a low growl, I pulled Perry on top of me and slammed our lips together. I slid my tongue into his mouth, tasting the delicious man and savoring his flavor. Finally pulling away, I lay my head back on my pillow, Perry’s chin tucked by my neck, his soft puffs of air tickling my skin.

“God, what did I do to deserve you?” I quietly whispered while Perry softly chuckled.

“I think that’s my line.”

Perry always responded like that. If we lived to be a hundred, I didn’t think I would ever convince Perry that he was the true gift in our relationship, not me.

“That is the best way to wake up,” Perry said while stretching his body against mine. “Sorry about the mess,” he added bashfully.

“Don’t be.” I kissed his forehead when he raised his head, cheeks flushed and pupils still dilated. “You look beautiful like this.” I pushed his hair away from his forehead. Some of the strands tangled within my fingers, but I freed them quickly. Perry’s cheeks flushed even darker.

That flush turned into an embarrassed yelp when I grabbed his ass cheeks and squeezed. “Come on, let’s get cleaned up. It’ll be a tight fit, but I think we can both manage to squeeze into the shower.”

Perry slid off me, and I think both of us grimaced when our combined releases stuck to our skin. Grabbing a fresh pair of underwear for both of us, I followed Perry to the bathroom. As predicted, it was a very tight fit in the shower. It was a miracle we managed to wash and rinse with the way we had to dance around each other. By the end, we were both laughing so hard we barely managed to towel off.

“Let’s not do that again,” Perry said when his giggling settled into choked wheezes. “That shower was definitely not made with sexy times in mind.”

I nodded my agreement. “No. It is a family cabin, though.”

Perry’s eyebrows shot skyward. “And how do you think those families were created?”

I tilted my head back and let loose a full belly laugh. “You think those kids were conceived during shower sex?”

Perry shrugged. “I think it’s very possible, and small showers are limiting procreative capability.”

I only laughed harder. When I’d finally settled, I said, “You could be right. Who am I to say.”

“Exactly,” Perry said triumphantly. “Maybe I’ll lodge a complaint with the parks department.”

“Oh, I’d love to see that letter,” I teased. Perry threw his dirty towel at my head.

Pulling a T-shirt over his arms and chest, Perry turned around the cabin and finally looked at the time. “Probably too early for dinner.”

Hanging up Perry’s towel, I agreed. “The itinerary says tonight will be catered Italian.” I’d thought it odd, but I had to admit I was getting tired of hamburgers, hot dogs, and turkey sandwiches. Perry’s stomach grumbled, and I pointed toward the small counter in the kitchenette. “Maybe some snacks are in order.”

By way of agreement, Perry headed for the open bag of Oreos. Instead of grabbing a couple, he took the whole bag and started for the front porch. Before he could get far, I snagged his wrist and held him back.

Oreo halfway in his mouth, Perry gave me a quizzical look before shoving the rest of his cookie into his mouth.

I didn’t release Perry’s wrist. Instead, I ran my thumb up and down the tender skin and shifted closer. I’d lay awake, unable to sleep. My mind simply couldn’t rest, and while it wasn’t a solution to our current circumstances, I was about to suggest the only thing I could think of that might give me some ease.

Clearing my throat, I said, “I want to show you something. Or, more precisely, I want to show you how to do something.”

Perry swallowed his cookie and said a slow, drawn-out “Okay. What?”

Releasing Perry’s arm, I went back into the bedroom and pulled my gun case from under the bed. Unlocking the box, I pulled out my handgun and headed back into the living room. Perry’s skin blanched, and he swallowed hard.

“Nate, I—”

“I know it’s not something you want to learn, but it would make me feel better if you understood how the gun works, how to take the safety off, and how to fire it.”

Perry blew out a heavy breath and dropped the bag of cookies onto a nearby chair. “My dad would hate this.” Perry’s voice was so quiet I had to lean in to hear him.

“Your dad?” I questioned, unsure I’d heard correctly.

Perry nodded. “He never wanted me to handle a gun. Dad was adamant about that.” Perry waved his hand in the general direction of my sidearm. “It was something my dad was very passionate about.”

I swallowed down my doubt. Considering what I knew and what I suspected regarding Perry’s father, the idea he wouldn’t want his son to know how to handle a gun was both surprising and not surprising at all. If Perry’s father regretted his previous life choices or simply didn’t want his son to follow in his footsteps, then he might have been truly against the idea.

Unfortunately, Perry’s father’s ideals were no longer suited to the situation we found ourselves in. Staring down at my gun, I said, “I understand if you say no, and I hope you never need to use one, but I think it would be a good idea if you at least understood the basic mechanics of it.”

Perry’s head tilted, a section of his hair covering his right eye. Seconds ticked by before he finally relented and said, “You’re right. What do I need to know?”

Relief and regret battled for dominance within my aching chest. Nodding toward the kitchen table, I said, “Take a seat, and we’ll go through the basics.”

Perry and I sat there for the next thirty minutes. He was an attentive student and by the end, I was confident Perry could handle my sidearm without harming himself. His aim would most likely be shit, but that was a problem for another day. If he got close enough and had steady arms, the bullet may not hit the exact place he aimed, but it could still do enough damage to slow Willie down and allow Perry time to get to safety.

It wasn’t much, but it was all I had. I think Perry agreed to learn mostly to help ease some of my anxiety. As usual, my fiancé was thinking about others more than himself. Perry was an eternal giver. It was too ingrained in his nature to counteract, and I’d stopped trying. What I needed to do was foster that beautiful side of him while protecting him from those who would take advantage of it. Sometimes, that also included protecting Perry against himself. He would give and give and give until there was nothing left. My job was to make sure he was never forced into that position.

Some jobs in life were painfully tedious. Some jobs we did as simple routine. And then there were jobs like this, jobs that made your life worth living. Jobs that you got up every morning and knew you were the luckiest son of a bitch in the world to have the privilege of performing. When it came to protecting Perry Atherton’s uniquely beautiful soul, I was determined to prove I was up to the task.