8

Tai slips out of my lap and ignores my whining when I try to hold him there, loving the weight of him on top of me.

I'm obsessed with every detail—the sweet aroma of blueberries that surrounds him, the gentle tickle of his hair against my cheek, and the noticeable bobbing of his Adam's apple when he swallows. The way he so easily makes me laugh, and the way I'm absolutely desperate to kiss him.

I'm so fucked, it's not even funny.

Tai approaches the woman beside the stage, their conversation piquing my curiosity as they exchange words. After the off-key lady currently on stage concludes her screeching, cringe-worthy rendition of Shania Twain and stumbles away, the employee makes her way to the microphone.

"If you'll give us just a few minutes, we have a treat in store for you tonight." My brows shoot up even higher as Tai climbs on the stage, grinning at Cho when she screams his name.

There's something incredibly sexy about his calm confidence.

He approaches the piano tucked to the side, and an employee trails behind him, holding a microphone that she adjusts to his position on the bench. Amidst the crowd, our eyes meet, and as his smile blossoms, the last traces of my hesitation are erased.

Heavy chords hit the air, and I'm awestruck as the melody pours out of the instrument. Tai's eyes close, not even watching as his fingers move across the keys in a song I recognize but can't place.

The breathtaking music he coaxes from the piano stirs something profound deep inside me, but then...

Then he opens his mouth, and the rest of the world disappears.

It's just gone .

Every nook and cranny, every cobweb filled corner replaced by him .

Tai's voice washes over me like a gentle summer rain, warm and smooth, mournful and melancholic.

The most beautiful thing I've ever heard.

Nothing could dare stand in my way as I jump to my feet, pushing through the crowd, determined to reach him. Awed faces watch his every move, drinking in the smooth vocals that coat us like honey, and finally, I step up to the stage.

He reaches the chorus and takes a deep breath, growing raspier as he pushes more power into the song. Goosebumps rise on my skin at the sheer strength in his voice, and I'm transfixed, not even blinking. The crowd swarms around the stage, and Tai is filled with a sense of calm and familiarity like I've never witnessed. Hands gliding over the ivories, head tilted towards the light, a serene smile on his face.

I'm speechless.

Breathless.

For the most incredible four minutes of my life, I am completely mesmerized as I watch him perform. When the song ends and the last chord fades, he opens his eyes to the overwhelming cheers of the room.

He finds me in an instant, that confidence turning sheepish. Gone is the powerhouse musician that just rocked my world, replaced by a sweet man who tosses a shy wave to the audience as he exits the stage.

I rush over, and his smile gets wider as I approach.

Words won't come to me, so I take his hand and lead him outside, where the balmy night air wraps us in its embrace. Out here on the decks, the crowd is thin, as most people had flocked indoors when he began playing.

"Where are we going?" Tai asks, a touch of amusement in his tone as I practically drag him around a corner.

When I finally find a secluded spot, I whirl to face him, nudging his shoulders until his back hits the wall. "That was amazing," I say, my throat full of gravel as I rest my forearm above him and lean in.

Moonlight dances off his skin, the night sky reflecting in the dark pools of his eyes as he looks up at me. In this moment, he's so beautiful he doesn't even seem real. " You are amazing."

"What are you doing, Connor?" That voice… so fucking calm and level, while I'm about to lose my mind.

"I don't know," I admit, inching closer. "I don't have any idea what I'm doing right now, Tai, but I know I am sick of fighting this."

He swallows, not looking away. "I don't know that I can offer you anything beyond this week. My life is crazy, and it's only going to get crazier. I can't make any promises."

My eyes close as I consider, really consider what it might mean to jump into this. I'm not an idiot—I know this would have to be temporary. A vacation romance with the potential to reshape my entire life, leave me with bittersweet memories that make me smile as deeply as they shatter me.

I know how much this will hurt.

"This is going to hurt," I say, voicing my thoughts. "When we have to leave, this will tear me apart."

"Me too," he whispers, and a giant lump forms in my throat. My heart is already splintering at the loss of a connection that hasn't even happened.

It's breaking for what we'll be.

I open my eyes, finding his dark and serious as he stares up at me. "But if I don't do something I'm going to regret it for the rest of my life."

"So do something," he begs, and that's all it takes.

That last, stubborn bit of control slips as I close the distance between us and finally, finally, claim his lips. A quiet, desperate sound escapes from him, a whimper laced with urgency that makes me shiver, and his arms constrict around my neck. Cinnamon explodes over my tastebuds as I kiss him, soft and slow, memorizing every detail of his lips and how they feel against mine.

My arm locks on his waist and I tug him closer, sliding my thigh between his legs as another of those addicting little noises slips loose. There is a deliberate slowness to our movements as we kiss, patient and unhurried, savoring the moment of learning each other. One of his hands slides to my jaw, his palm scraping against the roughness of my stubble.

"There's that hairy beast," he murmurs, and I smile, nuzzling my nose against his.

"You like it." I give a teasing nip to his lip as he melts into my embrace.

"Yeah, I really do," he whispers, his voice filled with affection. "I like everything about you, Connor." Before claiming my lips again, he takes a long breath, as if he's filling his lungs and diving headfirst into the kiss.

Like he'll need the air to survive the plunge.

My arm moves from the wall to run my fingers through his hair, tugging his head to the side as I deepen the kiss. "Open for me, sweetheart," I whisper, sliding my tongue along the seam of his lips. "Give me more." He whimpers again as he parts his lips, his tongue meeting mine in a languid, winding dance.

And my body… God , how my body ignites at the velvety heat of his mouth.

Our lips move with more urgency, my fist in his hair my only anchor to reality. A moan passes between us as my thigh rubs against his groin, his hips rolling in a slow, controlled thrust.

Heavy-lidded and pleasure-drunk in my arms, I break away and stare at him. "This is a good look for you," I whisper, nuzzling his nose again before using my grip on his hair to expose his neck to me.

I kiss a trail from his jaw to his throat, stopping on his Adam's apple. His moans vibrate against my lips as I suck gently, giving this spot the attention I've wanted to since the moment I laid eyes on him. My tongue traces along his jawline, savoring the taste of his skin before I playfully nip at the hinge of his jaw, and finally return to his mouth.

"Why are you so good at this?" He's breathy as his fingers dig into my lower back, tugging me into his body.

"Good at what?" I ask, dragging my teeth across his bottom lip as he groans, louder than he intends.

"Kissing." He weaves a hand through my hair and tugs me to meet his eyes again. "I've never been kissed like this."

"Like what?"

"Like you want to eat me alive," he says, fingertips slipping under my shirt and tracing the top of my waistband. A pleased grin curves across his face when my hips jerk forward, my cock thick behind my shorts. "Like you'll die without me."

"I might," I say, nipping at his lips again. "Certainly feels that way."

He silences me with a kiss so forceful it steals my breath, sliding his tongue into my mouth and making me forget my own name. Minutes fade, unnoticed, as we devour each other, completely entwined, and every inch of the front of our bodies fused.

Lips swollen and eyes hooded, he breathes heavily as he breaks away, pushing his forehead against mine. "Holy shit," he whispers, and an enormous smile digs into my cheeks.

"Yeah," I whisper back, brushing his hair behind his ear. "Holy shit"

Voices ring out from around the corner, coming closer, so I reluctantly pull my leg from between his and let his body rest against the wall. Recognizing that he's just as affected as I am, I canopy over him to block him from view.

No one else is allowed to lay eyes on him in this condition.

"Oh," a surprised voice gasps from behind us, and I lift my lip in a snarl as I swivel my head. The handsy bridesmaid, Teri, is walking with someone I don't recognize, mouth sagging at my position over Tai.

"Need something?" I ask, and Tai breathes a quiet laugh.

"N-no," she stutters, eyes bouncing between the two of us.

"Be a doll then, and move along." Tai smiles as I turn to face him, as Teri sputters nonsense from behind us before she scurries away. "Sorry if I just made you the center of the wedding drama."

"She won't tell anyone."

"What makes you say that?"

He grins again, gesturing in the direction she disappeared. "She was bragging to her friend earlier that she thought I was into her. She'll never admit that not only was she wrong, but I mean… she was wrong. " We both laugh, and I fall forward, leaning against him.

"The boat won't be back to port for at least an hour," I say, swooping down and planting another lingering kiss on his lips. "What do you want to do?"

His fingers glide under my shirt and drift up my stomach, and I grunt, my already excited cock flexing into my zipper. "You owe me, chippoke," he says, his voice almost a purr.

"Tell me what that means."

Tai grins as he leans in, tilting his face up in a silent request. My fingers grip his jaw as I kiss him again, and finally, he whispers, "Tiny."

"What?"

His grin is mischievous as he turns, slipping my finger between his lips. I shudder as he gives it a gentle suck. "Chippoke means tiny."

My laugh is loud as he giggles, curling into my chest. "You've been calling me tiny this whole time?"

The happiness that radiates off his face takes my breath away, and I push his hair back to kiss his forehead. "You still owe me," he says.

"What do I owe you, sweet thing?"

He pushes up on his tiptoes and gets close to my ear. "You owe me a karaoke song."

This time, my laugh booms out over the water as I wrap my arms around him. "I take it back… you aren't sweet at all, are you?"

He breaks away and takes my hand, tugging me along. "Come on, Sinatra. It's your turn to sing."