At the elevator, I pressed on the call button, trying to avoid eye contact with Nick. I felt dumb, saying it all out loud. I felt like I’d been duped. As if time had been stolen from me, even though I knew that wasn’t the truth. No one stole anything from me.
“Shy, I’ve known you for less than twenty-four hours, and I can already confidently say that everything you just said is a steaming pile of bullshit. You absolutely deserve someone who makes you happy, the same way you make others happy.” Then, as if to himself: “Everyone deserves happiness.”
The elevator doors dinged open. A few passengers stepped out before we stepped in.
“Whatever, it’s fine,” I said, not wanting to dwell on my shitty dating life. “Let’s meet on the deck after our naps. And here, let’s swap numbers real quick so we can find each other.”
Nick and I traded numbers before I hit the fifth-floor button on the elevator panel. I wasn’t sure why, but I had been expecting Nick to be on the same floor as me. Maybe because I kept picturing him in the same room as me.
He pulled out his key card and held it against the black pad before pressing the topmost button. The penthouse equivalent of our cruise ship.
My eyes almost fell out of my skull, but I managed to keep my composure.
Who in the world did I just trade numbers with?
7 Nicholas Silva
I pressed my key card against the pad next to the door. It blinked green. I turned the heavy silver handle and pushed it open, stepping into the living room of my two-bedroom suite. It felt like a large space, with modern furnishings that made me feel as if I were staying inside a floating five-star hotel in the middle of the ocean. The dark leather couch took up the center with two bright blue fabric chairs on the side, facing out toward the wall-to-wall balcony, giving me a breathtaking view of the endless stretch of blue. Christmas decorations dotted the room.
I set my suitcase next to the four-poster bed, a trio of towel animals sitting against the pillow. They were three penguins, with red towels around their necks that made it look as if they all had scarves on.
As I pulled off my socks, I began to really take stock of the situation.
This wasn’t how I’d expected to start off my holiday cruise, but I certainly couldn’t complain. On the long flight to get here, I imagined how my trip would go. I thought I’d spend it by myself, drinking at the bar or by the pool with a hat and sunglasses on at all times. At night, I’d hop on an app and see if there were any guys on the ship that would be down for some late-night experimenting. I’d have them come to me, and that way, I’d completely avoid the possibility of having anyone photograph the two of us.
The idea had kept me hard for basically my entire flight. I had been turned on enough as it was, and then I bumped into the handsome and confident Shiro Brooks.
More than bumped into him. We had locked lips in an explosive and spontaneous kiss.
I had felt his body push against mine. I could feel him through his shorts, the same way he could probably feel me. And then in the bathroom… I couldn’t keep my hands off him. Or my lips. Or the rest of me. I had to have him, not giving a cruising fuck about who would walk in through that door. In a matter of hours, I was losing all inhibitions, and it was all because of this exquisite man. He did something to me, something none of my exes had ever done. He lit a fire deep inside my core, one I never wanted to see go out.
My cock twitched, growing rock hard by the time I walked over to the large bathroom. For a flash of a moment, I considered whipping out my phone and calling him, asking him to come up to my suite. I felt comfortable giving him my number since I had left my personal phone back at home, but I knew calling him now might have been too much. So, instead, I’d handle things myself. I unbuttoned my shorts and pulled them over my straining bulge. My briefs followed next, my stiff cock springing up. I gave myself a few strokes, letting my head fall back and my imagination run wild.
But my imagination could only take me so far. I hadn’t even got to see Shiro naked. I couldn’t picture what he was working with. I couldn’t imagine how he’d feel, rubbing himself on me, skin on skin.
I bent down and grabbed my jeans from the floor, and dug in the pocket for my phone.