Chapter 1

"Look, I ain't gonna Out you, but you have got to stop starin' at me."

We were on the bow of Davidson's Midday Sun, tying the mooring lines to the Reedville dock to pick up the tour for the day. Mike said it as he leaned over to hand off the line so no one probably heard him but I still threw a panicked look around me just to be sure. Then I tried to be cool.

"Dude, what the fuck are you talking about?"

He looked at me, his expression said that I knew damn well what he was talking about. Which, unfortunately, I did.

I had been staring at him. For like the last week. Faroud and Peter both graduated and they were the only guys I knew I could trust. I could find a girl — hell, Beth was my Top while Peter's gone and Lisa was allowed — but by then I knew I was occasionally gonna want, gonna need, a guy to take me. I had learned — thanks to my cousin, Peter — that in addition to being practically addicted to sex with girls, I got off on guys pretty hard too.

Mike was one of those 'guy' guys. One of the ones you wouldn't believe was actually gay unless you saw him bent over under another guy. He looked like he spent time in prison and could lift a truck one handed. I figured he could break me in half. I knew his partner, Bill, real well too — you know Bill's gay. He didn't say it, but any guy who can work a commercial boat and come home as clean as when he left, is a bit light in the loafers. Anyway, I'd known Mike since I was four years old and I'd had a thing for him ever since I the first time I saw him after I got boned.

For me strong was good. Rough was better. Mike looked both.

The last week before school started, I was working the Midday Sun full-time so that Paul could take a week off and watching Mike's muscles ripple for five days straight was beginning to wear me down. Which was why I was staring at him and imagining him taking me hard and fast. This was the first time he'd indicated that he'd noticed.

"You can't Out me, dude." I tried to deflect the comment. "I ain't gay."

"So you just curious?"

"Dude!" I glanced over my shoulder but we were nowhere near anyone. "Shut the fuck up."

"Alex, I don't care. Believe me, if-n I were younger or not attached, I'd be damn flattered. Hell, I'd be damn interested. But I ain't havin' that discussion with your Grandfather or Bill."

"I'm not gay."

"Then stop starin' at me like you wanna lick me. Capt. Ed's bound to notice eventually — not, mind you, that he'd care either."

He jumped onto the dock and moved down to the stern; I followed on deck and we repeated the whole procedure on the back end.

"So, what," he asked when we again were within arms reach, "Your boyfriend dump you?"

I had no idea how he guessed so close to the truth. "You are such a fuckin' asshole." I snapped and damn near dropped the line.