Page 29 of September’s Tide (Island Tales #2)

Chapter Twenty-One

David sank down onto the sand and pulled off his flippers. He flopped onto his back on the damp sand. “That was incredible!”

Taylor grinned at him as he rolled his wetsuit down to his waist. “I knew you’d love snorkelling.”

“I didn’t expect to see so many crabs on the far side of the reef.” They’d been everywhere .

“That’s the problem.”

David frowned. “What do you mean?”

“When they stay on that side, they avoid getting caught, the little buggers. Then Andy doesn’t have enough crab for his soup or the salads and sandwiches.” Taylor cocked his head. “How many times have you heard him tell people there’s no crab?”

“Now that you mention it…”

Taylor gazed at him with an expression that spoke of admiration. “You’re a really good swimmer, aren’t you?”

David glowed with pride. This was praise indeed. “You think? I’m not as good as you and your friends, but I used to swim a lot at the Y. It was the only way to stay in shape. Spending too much time sitting at a desk is definitely not good for the waistline.”

Taylor’s eyes glittered appreciatively. “Oh, I don’t know. I think you’re in brilliant shape.” That mischievous twinkle David loved to see was back. “For a man your age.”

David gave him a mock glare. “You’re gonna pay for that one, brat.

” He clambered to his feet, but Taylor was too fast for him.

He was already off and running toward West View, clutching his gear, his laughter floating back to David on the breeze.

David gave chase, bounding across the sand, up the boat ramp and into the house.

God, that boy can move.

By the time David got into the hallway, Taylor had already squirmed out of his wetsuit and was bounding naked up the stairs, two at a time, his ass jiggling.

“First one in the bathroom gets the shower!” he yelled.

“Ever thought of conserving water? Wanna share a shower?” David flung out at him as he pushed the door shut and tried to escape the clinging suit. He could hear Taylor’s giggle above the sound of the shower.

“Better make it quick before I use up all the hot water, then.”

David shook his head as he climbed the stairs at a more sedate pace, his cock taking an interest as if it knew what was coming.

Me, with any luck.

He grinned as he went into the bathroom. Steam rose from the shower cubicle, and he could make out enough of Taylor’s form behind the glass to see he was already fondling his dick. David laughed out loud.

“Oh, you’re ready for me, aren’t you?” He opened the shower door, and his breath hitched at the sight of Taylor applying the silicone lube he’d bought that weekend.

Taylor’s eyes gleamed.

“Want you.”

David swallowed. Oh fuck…

Taylor’s grin grew wicked. “I’ll be gentle. To start with.” He pointed to the tiled wall. “Assume the position.”

David shivered. “Yes, Sir.”

This is idyllic.

They strolled through the secluded woodland that lay along the river Yar, David occasionally catching sight of a little red squirrel, their ears tufts so goddamn cute.

They were nowhere near as relaxed as the grey variety: he could see their little hearts pounding as they stilled, one tiny paw curled toward their chest, as if freezing to the spot rendered them invisible.

“You should see this place in May,” Taylor told him as they followed the path between the trees. “It’s full of bluebells, as far as the eye can see.”

David’s heart lurched.

And when May comes, I’ll be thousands of miles away.

He didn’t want to think about that.

Live for the moment. Enjoy every second we have together.

The last three days had been glorious. Taylor had taken him all over the island, sightseeing.

They’d visited quiet beaches along West Wight that had been virtually empty, and Taylor had finally taken him on a hike up onto Tennyson Down.

The views had robbed David of breath, along with the bracing sea air.

David had never been so happy, but the knowledge that this had to come to an end snuck into his mind with increasing regularity, and try as he might, he couldn’t prevent its intrusion.

Taylor gripped David’s waist as he slammed into him, his own hips pumping. Neither of them was quiet, but that was what Taylor loved about making love to David: he didn’t hold back when it came to showing how Taylor made him feel.

There was something illicit about fucking on the sofa, knowing that only panes of glass and a skin of brick separated them from the tourists walking along the path.

At least this time I remembered to close the windows.

They’d walked from Ventnor to West View, and far from tiring them, the exercise seemed to have invigorated them.

The stiff breeze off the sea had made other things equally stiff.

They’d barely got through the front door before David sank to his knees in the hallway, Taylor’s shorts around his ankles, David’s hot mouth on his dick.

Making it as far as the bedroom? Wasn’t gonna happen.

He glanced down to where his cock slid in and out of David’s hole, slick and hard, and the sight brought a groan to his lips. Then David pushed back, their bodies slapping together, the sound wet and loud, David’s staccato cries of pleasure accentuating every thrust.

“Wanna ride you,” David gasped.

Taylor didn’t hesitate. He sat on the sofa, holding his cock steady as David squatted over it, guiding it back to where it belonged, inside him, all the way home.

David dug his fingers into the back of the sofa and rode him, impaling himself over and over again, hoarse cries tumbling from him, their lips meeting in breathless hungry kisses, both of them feeding each other moans.

Too much sensation.

Taylor held onto David’s waist, raising him, then bringing him down hard on his shaft, David bouncing, increasing in speed, his moans growing louder.

Taylor let go and curled his fingers around David’s cock that smacked against his belly, leaking pre-cum in a steady stream.

Taylor worked his shaft, his gaze locked on David’s, his mouth open.

“Look at me when you come,” he ground out.

David groaned. “Aw fuck .” A couple of seconds later, warmth covered Taylor’s hand, and David’s mouth met his in a fervent, heated kiss. David’s channel gripped Taylor’s dick, a warm, tight prison of flesh, and Taylor took a moment to catch his breath.

Then he thrust up into David, hips jerking, holding David still as he pushed up with his feet, filling him, driving into him, pulsing into him.

David’s breath tickled his ear. “Fucking love how it feels when you come inside me,” he said with a groan.

Taylor held him tightly, his cock throbbing deep in David’s body as he emptied his balls, until there couldn’t have been one drop of cum left in him.

I don’t want to lose this.

Not the sex. It had stopped being all about the sex a while ago.

He didn’t want to lose David.

Taylor lay on his back, staring at the ceiling.

The Lighthouse bedroom was bathed in a beautiful blue light, and David lay beside him, snoring gently.

Taylor gave him a fond glance, then slipped carefully from the bed and padded over to the windows.

The moon was set high in a cloudless night sky, its brilliant light reflected in the sea.

Taylor leaned against the window frame and listened to the gentle waves that lapped the shore.

Moonlight sparkled on the calm sea that stretched out in all directions.

I love this place.

Taylor travelled to the mainland as little as possible.

His main reason for leaving was to go to the airport on one of his jaunts to some far-flung destination, but it was always the same: The island called him back.

He hated that landlocked feeling he always got as he drove along the motorway to Heathrow airport, or even the short distance to Southampton airport.

When he was on the island, he knew that if he went in any direction, there would be the sea.

That gave him peace.

“Come back to bed, babe.”

Taylor turned his head. David was propped up on his elbow, staring up at him, wearing a sleepy smile.

Babe .

Taylor liked that.

He walked to the foot of the bed, climbed onto it and slowly crawled across until he was once more lying at David’s side. David pulled the sheets over him and curled up around his back, tucking his head in at Taylor’s shoulder, Taylor lying in the protective curve of his strong arm.

“Can’t sleep?” David’s words were indistinct and sleep-heavy. Taylor craned his neck and kissed David softly.

“I’m fine,” Taylor reassured him. “Close your eyes.” He listened as David’s breathing changed, becoming more regular as he slipped once more into sleep. For a while Taylor lay there, his thoughts far from tired.

Following Mum’s advice was easy. Taylor’s days and nights were filled with David.

No, the difficult part was yet to come. Taylor didn’t want to think about it, but the days were slipping by him so fast that it wouldn’t be long before David would be driving out of Steephill and thereby Taylor’s life forever.

And taking Taylor’s heart with him.

That last part was no longer subject to speculation.

Maybe the universe will surprise you, Mum had said.

Taylor closed his eyes. As if the universe cared about Taylor Monroe, or if Taylor’s heart got broken.

What was one more broken heart, after all?

David’s fingers curled around Taylor’s left wrist, and he opened his eyes.

“I thought you were asleep,” Taylor murmured.

“You were thinking way too loudly,” he muttered. David ran his thumb over Taylor’s coiled snake tattoo. “How come you haven’t told me the story behind this little guy?”

“Now?”

David snickered. “Well, neither of us seem to be having much luck at getting some shut eye, so why not?”

Taylor rolled over to face him with a chuckle. “Trust me, I’m not hiding anything profound. Quite the opposite.”

David raised a brow. “Oh?”

“It was a drunken dare,” Taylor said at last. “Barcelona. A very messy night a couple of years ago. I had twenty euros in my pocket, and I thought I was invincible. End of story.”

David said nothing but traced the line of the snake. “Except something tells me that isn’t the whole story.”

Taylor gave a groan. “God, you’re relentless. ”

“Only because I like knowing all your secrets.”

Taylor flipped onto his back and stared at the ceiling. “Maybe some of them aren’t worth knowing.”

There was a pause, and for a second, he thought David had fallen asleep again, until his quiet voice broke the silence.

“Okay, confession time.”

Taylor propped himself up on his elbow. “They say it’s good for the soul, right?”

“Well, my confession is… Your mom lent me something to read.”

A trickle of apprehension dripped down Taylor’s spine. “Oh?”

She didn’t. Tell me she didn’t.

“It was a small book of your poetry.”

Fuck .

“I see.” Taylor did his best to keep his voice even.

“And one of those poems… well, let’s just say I found it, to use your word, profound.” Another pause. “It read as though you’d been with a guy who later blanked you when you saw him out with his girlfriend.”

“His name was Mateo.” The words came out as a croak.

“Jesus, Taylor… The emotion in those lines. You… you floored me.”

Taylor took a deep breath. “The tattoo came right after that. The same week, actually. And you’re right, there was more to the story, but you have to promise not to laugh.”

David blinked. “There’s a funny side to this?” He held up a solemn hand. “Scout’s honour.”

Taylor exhaled through his nose. “So. I’d just seen Mateo with her, and I felt…” He hesitated. “I don’t know. Hollow. As if I’d been living in someone else’s dream for a month and suddenly woke up in the middle of someone else’s life.”

David was quiet, letting him speak.

“I went to this dodgy bar on Carrer de Joaquín Costa, where all the beer tasted like wet cardboard and everyone was either making out or crying. I can’t recall which activity I was participating in.

Probably both.” He gave a wry smile. “I don’t remember much except that I was drunk, alone, and trying to convince myself I was totally fine.

And then this American girl next to me goes, ‘You look like someone who needs a snake tattoo.’”

David blinked again. “That’s oddly specific.”

“I know, right?” Taylor laughed, shaking his head. “Anyway, I said, ‘Sure, why not,’ and we found this late-night studio. Some guy with a mohawk and a toothpick in his mouth took one look at me and said, ‘Big snake or small snake?’ I said, ‘Small. Quietly venomous.’”

David laughed out loud.

“And boom.” Taylor raised his wrist. “A drunk heartbreak cartoon snake, immortalized forever.”

David leaned in and kissed it. “He’s adorable.”

“He’s awful. ”

“He’s you, ” David said gently. “You trying to reclaim something after being broken. You trying to say, ‘Okay, fine. Hurt me, but I’ll survive. I’ll even make it funny.’”

Taylor blinked, thrown off by how perfectly David had read him.

“Also,” David added, “I bet that American girl has a matching one and tells the story at every party.”

“We ran into each other once more before I came home,” Taylor said with a smile. “She said she named hers Alfonso and got it turned into a bracelet. I told her mine was probably cursed and lived off heartbreak.”

David’s smile faltered a little then. He reached out and linked their fingers. “That guy—Mateo—he didn’t see you.”

“No,” Taylor agreed quietly. “He only saw the part he wanted. The one that stayed in the dark.”

David’s voice was low but sure. “I see all of you. The poet. The idiot with a cartoon snake. The guy who handed me so much without asking for anything in return.”

Taylor swallowed.

I’d give you anything you asked for.