Chapter 27

Zeke leaned back on his beach seat and watched Rory dive into the surf. He couldn't stop the sigh that escaped in appreciation for the man.

"He is pretty, I will give you that," Maura said.

He glanced at her but she was looking out at the ocean also, probably watching Rory too. She had that ridiculous turtle hat on and her sunglasses so he couldn't discern what she was thinking. She shook her head.

"You don't have to worry about me being jealous. I think I have proven that the way you two feel about each other is a turn on. I don't ever want you to hide your feelings."

He digested that for a moment. "It's hard to do with you around."

She looked at him and he wished he could read her better. He still couldn't read her with that hat and her sunglasses on. Then she looked back out at the water and Rory. He knew she was following him on the boogie board. There weren't that many people out today and there was a bit of surf.

"I often wondered what it would be like to be with two men."

She said it pretty loud. Not shouting, but someone could have heard her. He looked around to see if anyone had. She laughed without looking at him.

"Jeez, Zeke, you're not worried what other people think are you?"

"It's not that." Not really.

She settled back on her towel, a small smile on her lips. "Don't worry about it, Zeke. Fuck everyone if they can't accept it."

For a moment he studied her. She was wearing his favorite bathing suit of hers, bright red bikini. She wasn't overly tan because Maura took her skin too seriously, but there was a nice layer of golden Hawaiian on her flesh now. Damn she looked good.

"Maura," he said but could not go on. What exactly was he going to say, he didn't know.

She glanced over at him. "Stop over thinking it."

He chuckled and leaned back on his beach chair. "You think I worry too much."

"You do worry too much. About this, about everything. I'm not a little girl. I can handle it."

"I know. But you're precious to me, love. I don't want you to be hurt."

She didn't say anything for a few minutes, then she said, "That's part of life, Zeke. I know you would never intentionally hurt me. You have one of the gentlest souls I know."

If she knew what he had done when he was younger, she wouldn't say that. He and Rory had done some nasty things in the name of national security. Zeke knew she didn't know much about his work—or at least he thought she didn't know.

"And, while I know you're apprehensive if I can handle it after..." she said nothing for a few seconds then drew in a deep breath. "I'd rather have the memories than always wonder what would have happened if I hadn't the nerve to do this."

Again, she was honest, always. Sometimes painfully so, but he never had to doubt her feelings on a subject. It was one of the many things he loved about her.

"You know I love you, right?"

Her lips curved. "Yeah."

He looked out and watched Rory again as he rode another wave in on his boogie board.

"How did you two meet?" she asked

He glanced down at her. She had set her hat aside and he knew her eyes were closed.

"Actually, Mum found him. He was trying to steal some food from the grocery my Mum and stepda own. We were both about fifteen at the time. Rory was none too happy with the situation, I will tell you that."

"What happened to his family?"

He sighed. "His mother…she had what I think was clinical depression. She had mood swings. Rory doesn't talk about it much, but she took her own life."

"Oh, that's horrible. How old was he?"

"I think he was about eight. After that he was left with an alcoholic father."

She was quiet for a while then she said, "That's why he doesn't drink."

Zeke nodded, although he knew she was looking at him. "That and the control issues he has. I'll let you in on a little secret about our boy. He can't hold his liquor.

She chuckled. "Really? Like in one drink and he's under the table?"

"No, love, he's on the table. Dancing. I hate to admit that I love a stereotypical drunken Irishman on those nights."

"But he doesn't drink anymore."

"Only when he gets mad. And I mean really fucking mad."

"So, you're mother caught him stealing. What happened after that?"

"She dragged him into the house by his ear, sat him in the kitchen and yelled at him. In English and French. Then she fed him. Mum had a soft spot for bad boys."

"It seems that her son has that trait."

He smiled thinking about Rory. "Yeah."

"And I guess I do too."

"Yeah, I guess you do too. So, after she fed him, she told him he would take the guest room and sleep. He was all skin and bones and it was pretty evident he'd been living on the street. Rory tried to leave. He thought Mum was a softie."

When he didn't go on, she groaned. "You Irishmen. Finish the damned story."

He chuckled. "Rory tried to take a few things, including a silver frame of Mum and my Da. He got to the front door and found my mother standing there."

"Where was your stepfather?"

"In the kitchen brewing some tea. Mum ran the house, and he was just standing by if needed."

She sighed. "They sound wonderful."

Zeke didn't miss the wistful tone. Maura had lost both her parents at a crucial time in a person's life. His father died when Zeke was young, but he'd had his mother. He didn't know how he would have turned out without her. At least she'd had Conner.

"I'd like you to meet them. I was just talking to them last week about coming over for a visit."

"I'd like that. I'd like that a lot." It warmed his heart to hear the easy acceptance of his family. He had a feeling his mother was going to love Maura.

"So, he threatened my mother. She boxed his ears and dragged him back to the kitchen and told him she found him stealing from her store so he was under house arrest. So he stayed."

She laughed. "I think that is probably the best way to handle Rory."

"You're right. So, Rory moved in."

She opened her mouth then shut it. He hated that she didn't feel comfortable enough to ask him questions. He had tried to be open with her from the start.

"No, ask."

"When did you become lovers?"

"We were eighteen. We had gone to London for a week and we got a little drunk. We had both been thinking about it but never acted on it. Then, we did."

"Then you fell in love."

For all her savvy and her protest that she was sophisticated, there were times that Maura was na?ve about the ways of the world.

"No, we both freaked a little bit. Being gay or bisexual is not the thing to be doing when you both want to go in the military, not then. But, we didn't do that. We were both in the military, and we both found ourselves in the Special Forces." Conner and he had decided not to tell her of his work for Interpol and MI-6. "And…well over the years we finally got our shit together."

She laughed. "You always sound funny when you use American colloquialisms, but you know more of them than I do now."

He smiled and looked back at the water. Who would have thought two poor Irish boys would be living like this now? He was spending a week in Hawaii, in a million dollar house, and enjoying a sexual relationship that was beyond anything he had ever hoped for.

"So, what does your mother think about the relationship?" she asked, cutting into his thoughts.

"She's okay with it. She does wonder if either of us will give her grandchildren."

"Your mother does understand basic biology, right?"

He looked down at her and wanted to tell her what he really wanted. He wanted them all together, and he wanted to have babies with her. He had never had that feeling about any other woman, but knowing Maura, and knowing Rory, they would both freak if he told them.

"You two should get out on the water. It's fantastic," Rory said as he walked up the beach.

"In a bit. I need some rest because I have these very insatiable lovers and they won't leave me alone," Maura said.

He laughed. He bent down, kissed Maura and leaned over to kiss Zeke. Before Zeke could say anything, Rory was on his way out to the water.

"He doesn't care what other people think and neither should you," Maura said.

He nodded as he watched Rory run back out into the water.

"Zeke?"

"Yeah?" he asked.

"You know I love you, right?"

He smiled. "Yeah, I do."

And for now, that was enough.