Chapter 19

Fisher

"I can close up tonight."

It wasn't a selfless offer. I'd agreed to meet Hudson tonight, and it was more convenient to leave from here.

Dad grunted in answer, then eyed my black duffel bag stashed behind the check-out counter.

"Your mother is dying to know who this boyfriend is, you know."

"I know."

It was the most we'd said all day, both of us still miffed about our argument. And that was without him knowing I'd just taken work consulting on the resort redevelopment.

Scott had gratefully accepted my offer to take the position, and he'd sent over a contract that I'd run by my business professor before signing. It was all legit. The research I'd done on their development company hadn't turned up any red flags either, so I'd signed on and gotten to work.

Right now, that entailed researching zoning, land-use limitations, and permit regulations. Eventually, I'd gather feedback from the public, though, and there'd be no hiding it from Dad then.

At least Hudson had seemed excited for me when I'd texted him the news. But then, he'd seen how unsatisfied I was with my job at the store right now.

After Dad left, I swept the floor, emptied the trash, and returned a few misplaced items to the correct shelves. My phone buzzed in my pocket, and I reached for it, expecting it to be Hudson.

The name Beck flashed on the screen instead. It had been a while since I caught up with my cousin. Usually we kept in touch by exchanging snarky texts or funny memes.

"Hey, what's up? It's not like you to call instead of text."

"Well, I was just wondering if you got our present." He paused. "Wes wanted to hear your reaction to it."

"Oh, geez. Yes, I got it."

My face flashed hot at the thought of my cousin and his husband picking out a set of butt plugs for me. A woman in their town of Granville sold sex toys, so that probably meant half the population there knew about it.

Beck chuckled and relayed to Wes, "Oh, he definitely got it. He sounds embarrassed."

In the background, Wes called, "But has he used them? That hunky crush of his is a big guy!"

I clapped a hand over my hot face. They couldn't see me on a voice call, but I still wanted to hide. "TMI!"

Beck laughed. "It's just our way of wishing you well. You don't have to use them."

Oh, I'd be using them. I'd packed the set into my duffel bag, just in case. It was a set of three plugs, with novelty names ranging from Tight as a Virgin to Size Queen.

I wanted to be ready for the big show whenever Hudson decided to dick me down, but I didn't expect it to happen right away. We'd been taking our time, exploring all kinds of sex, and it was all so good that I was happy to follow his lead.

Besides, the sooner we fucked, the sooner he might decide our fling had served its purpose. Hudson had taught me to draw out the pleasure with patience and anticipation, and I was all for it in this case.

"Thanks for thinking of me, but maybe don't think so much about my ass next time."

Beck laughed. "Okay, fair. Wes doesn't understand boundaries."

"Sure, blame it all on Wes," I teased. "He makes an easy scapegoat."

"Best part of being married to him." Beck suddenly squealed, making me cringe and hold the phone away from my ear. "Okay, second-best!"

I was pretty sure I could guess what came first, and I didn't want to hear it.

"Should I let you go?"

"No, no. We're done." Beck sucked in a breath. "I want to hear about how things are going with Hudson."

"Really good. I just wish I could say the same for my dad."

"What do you mean?"

I filled Beck in on the fight with my dad, as well as the one likely to come when he found out about the consulting work I'd taken on. I locked up the store, set the alarm, and headed toward the water while we finished our talk.

"Your dad will come around, but you've got to tell him how you really feel. I spent years uncertain of my place in the Potter family, and I could have avoided that if I'd confronted our dad sooner."

"I know, but it's not exactly the same. I'm actively doing something he won't like."

Beck chuckled. "Whereas our dad loved the idea of me fucking my stepbrother?"

"Well, considering how much Dad hates Hudson, I'm not sure he wouldn't prefer me to be fucking a stepbrother," I joked. "Too bad I don't have one."

"Does he know about Hudson then?"

"Oh, hell no. Hudson doesn't do relationships, so why rock the boat, right?"

"Well, yeah, unless the boat needs rocking."

"What's that mean?"

"It just means you have to figure out what you need, Fish. Not Hudson, not your dad. You."

I wished it were that simple. I couldn't flip the script on Hudson when he'd been upfront about his feelings, and I couldn't make Dad see the world differently.

The sound of a boat motor saved me from trying to explain all that to Beckett. He'd gotten his happy ending, and everything had worked out. But who was to say it would be the same for me?

My father was already slipping away. I wasn't ready to risk Hudson, too.

Hudson

Fisher's eyes lit up as we approached my houseboat. "What's all this?"

Ahead of us, fairy lights glowed in strands wrapped around the rails along the deck and the ladder leading up to it. The lights reflected in the dark water, multiplying the sparkling effect.

"I thought we could celebrate your job offer." I tied off the boat and moved toward the ladder. "There's some champagne, but don't expect too much. It's just the cheap kind because—"

"Hud!" Fisher threw himself against me, kissing me hard and nearly tipping us both into the water. I flailed with one hand, grabbing the beam running above the captain's seat.

Fisher laughed into the kiss. "Sorry. You just surprised me."

"I take it you like surprises."

He grinned. "Hell yeah. What's not to like?"

Spoken like someone who'd had more good in their life than bad, but I couldn't begrudge him that. If anyone deserved all the best, it was Fisher. He was idealistic, maybe even a little na?ve , but the positive energy he brought to every moment was a gift.

More importantly, the frown he'd worn when I picked him up was nowhere to be seen. I'd done that. Made him happy. Warmth spread through my chest at the thought.

I followed Fisher up to the deck, then pulled out the cheap bottle of champagne and popped the cork, spraying foam all over us both. Fisher laughed, not seeming to mind the bubbly rain, and accepted a plastic glass when I handed it to him.

"Here's to finding your path to happiness, whatever direction it takes you," I said.

Fisher tapped his glass against mine. "The same to you."

I sipped from my cup, the champagne sickly sweet on my tongue. "Mm, yeah, that's enough of that. I'm grabbing a beer. You want one?"

Fisher laughed. "Yeah, that sounds good."

When I returned, Fisher had emptied the glasses—probably overboard if he had good taste. Then again, he was with me, so who knew? He lounged in one of my on-deck chairs by the grill. I took the seat next to him and handed over the bottle of Heineken. "No limes tonight. Sorry."

"No worries." Fisher took a sip and sighed. "You didn't have to do all this. It's not a big deal. I'm not leaving my dad's store or anything."

"You're exploring something new and exciting. If it makes you happy, then it's a big deal."

"That's fair. My dad won't like it, but then…what does he like?" He smiled wistfully before taking a swallow of his beer. "Anyway, I should be thanking you. The guys with Lakeside Holdings Corp. only noticed me because I was around town sweet-talking business owners to take part in the Dock Hop."

"Then feel free to thank me," I said with a teasing wink.

Fisher and his dad were still at odds, and I knew it bothered him. But I wanted him to enjoy his moment, to be proud of his achievements. Fisher was smart and driven, and it wasn't surprising that someone had noticed.

His dad wouldn't be the only person disappointed when they learned of the role Fisher was playing, though. He would have his work cut out for him in convincing Swallowers that reviving the old resort was a good idea, much less putting their trust in outsiders.

But it was clear how passionate he felt about finding a new path. Not just for himself, but for the future of Swallow Cove. And I couldn't disagree with him. This town needed a boost of some kind.

Fisher set his beer aside and straddled my lap. My pulse leaped, just as it always did, to have him so close. Someone could see us out here, but my houseboat was not in the path of traffic, so it was unlikely.

He kissed me, tasting both sweet and malty from our drinks.

"Thank you," he whispered against my lips.

I pressed our foreheads together, content to share air with him. "I know things are hard with your dad right now, but I'm proud of you."

He wrapped his arms around my neck and ground our hips together. "How about you show me?"

I grabbed his tight round ass and hefted him up, turning to set him in the chair. Then I went to my knees to unfasten and pull down his shorts so I could get my mouth around his beautiful cock.

Fisher gasped and arched, and I pushed his T-shirt up until he got the message and pulled it over his head. His body looked pale against the velvety dark night, lit up by the flickering of the fairy lights.

"Your cock is so beautiful. I could worship it all night."

Fisher groaned. "Please don't be a sadist tonight."

I chuckled, letting my breath gust over the head of his cock and watching it twitch in response.

"Well, you know what you can do if you don't like it?"

His glazed eyes met mine. "What?"

"Take what you want."

Heat flared in his eyes, and Fisher grabbed a handful of my hair, pulling me down on his cock. It was hot as fuck, even when he gagged me on the first thrust. I let him fuck my mouth, chasing what he needed.

I shoved my shorts down, fisting my cock, and we came together in a mess of trembling limbs.

Fisher released his hold on my hair, gently running his fingers through it. "Sorry, was that too much?"

I lifted my head, breathing hard as I wiped at the cum that had leaked out of my mouth. "It's never too much with you."

Fisher brushed a thumb gently over my bottom lip. "I came too fast. Guess you'll have to work on teaching me to have more patience."

"I didn't have much patience tonight either."

"Was it okay? The pulling your hair and—"

"More than okay." I rose to kiss his lips. "It was sexy as fuck. You can take charge of me anytime you want."

"Good, then Fisher says let's clean up and cuddle in the bedroom. My bare ass is feeling exposed out here."

I chuckled. "Don't worry. I'd never let someone get a free look at that ass. It's a work of art, and it should be properly appreciated."

Fisher blushed, still a touch modest about his body even now. "You're ridiculous."

"Only a little," I said. "When it comes to your ass, I'm very serious."

Fisher laughed. "Yeah, I bet. So, uh, speaking of my ass…"

I opened the door and waved him inside. "Yes?"

"My cousin sent me a gift."

I blinked at the non sequitur. "Oh?"

"Maybe I should just show you." He doubled back to grab his duffel, which we'd left near the deck chairs, and carried it to my bed.

He unzipped the bag and pulled out a small box with a flourish. It had a clear plastic cover, and inside were…three butt plugs going up in size.

"Oh," I said.

Fisher snorted a laugh. "Yeah. That was kind of my reaction too. But they could come in useful, right? I mean, I want to be ready when we go to poundtown."

I choked on a laugh, even though this was exactly the conversation I didn't want to have yet. "I guess it wouldn't hurt to make sure your body is good and ready."

He grinned and wiggled his eyebrows. "My thoughts exactly." He pried open the lid. "So, what do you think? Want to fuck my tight as a virgin hole with one of these?"

"Oh Jesus." We'd just come, and I wasn't in my twenties anymore. But he was too excited for me to refuse. "You're going to be the death of me."

"Nah." He grinned. "I'm keeping you young."

He reclined back on my bed, legs shamelessly spread. His cock was already half hard again, and he stroked it to fullness while I got the plug lubed up.

I spent a few minutes teasing him with my tongue before I pressed the plug against his pink hole, which, yes, was tight. My cock twitched in interest, but I wasn't ready to go again. I nudged the plug's narrower end into Fisher's hole, then watched as the shaft slowly sank into him, stretching his rim. This starter plug wasn't too wide so that he could take it easier, but he still gave a filthy moan as it nudged his prostate.

That did it. I was hard again.

"How's it feel?"

"Weird but good." He looked at me. "But so much bigger than it looks."

I chuckled. "Just wait until it's me inside you."

His eyes fluttered as he moaned again. "Fuck."

"Good idea." I drew the plug back, then pushed it in, gently fucking him. When his hips began to move with the motion, I thrust it in harder.

I rutted my aching cock against the bed, content to get off from watching Fisher go to pieces. He reached for his cock, stroking it in time with the thrusts of the plug, and it didn't take long for him to come across his belly.

That was all it took for me to unload onto the sheet beneath me. More laundry to do. Oh well, it was worth it.

I gently removed the plug, then helped Fisher clean up before we curled together in bed to sleep.

I woke the next morning to the ringing of my phone from Heath, one of my long-time boat captains.

"Hello?" I answered in a whisper so as not to disturb Fisher. It was no use. He rolled over and opened his eyes as I tugged on my boxers.

Heath was never one to beat around the bush. "I got bad news."

My stomach clenched. "What is it?"

"Got into an accident last night. Some drunk assholes sideswiped me and took off. I was in dock, so I wasn't in my seat. I fell and wrenched my knee."

"Shit. Are you okay?"

I sank onto the edge of the bed, and Fisher put a hand on my shoulder. I flashed him a tight smile so he wouldn't worry too much.

"I'll be fine in a few weeks. I have to rest it. The boat? Not so much."

"How bad is it?"

"It's going to need body work, but it also shoved the boat up over the dock, so it did some damage to the motor."

"Fucking hell."

"Yeah."

"Well, take care of yourself. I'll figure out the rest."

"You always do," he said.

I wished he was right, but this added expense would set us back. I already had one boat in for repairs. Insurance would hopefully cover this accident, but even if it did, I had two boats out of operation during the busiest season of the year.

"You okay?" Fisher asked when I hung up.

"Yeah, just a work crisis. Sorry, but I've got to get ready and head in."

"No problem. I'm opening the store today anyway."

"I'm sorry we have to rush out. I wanted to make you breakfast."

He smiled. "You realize I work at a store full of snacks, right?"

"Those aren't healthy."

He smirked at me, and I gave up. "Okay, fine. I'm not trying to act like your dad."

"Well, I hope not. You did some very dirty things to me last night."

I chuckled, knowing when I'd lost. "We better get showered then."

Fisher grasped my wrist when I stood. "Seriously, though, is everything okay at work? I'm here if you need me."

"It will be, but thanks."

"Hey, what are fuck buddies for, right?" he joked lightly.

Fuck buddies.That sounded jarring and wrong. But we couldn't be anything more than that. Fisher deserved a far better man than me when he settled down.

I was just happy to have any time with him at all.