“Something one of us did or said?” he asked with a look as bland as his tone, neither of which fooled Zach.
“No. Why are you bothering me instead of having fun above deck?”
“Jackson’s already creamed Trevor and me in one game of shuffleboard. Since I prefer women who are gluttons for punishment and not myself, I decided to hang with you. Damn, but I never get tired of that view.”
Just a few miles away from the marina and an endless expanse of blue water and even bluer sky already surrounded them. “It’s peaceful, yet can also be intimidating.” Shrugging, he said, “Weird, huh?”
“Not really. There are a lot of things in life, I believe, that can have a calming influence, as long as you don’t lose sight of the risks. What, or who has you in such a pensive mood? Your mother?”
“Can’t you leave the shrink at home when we get together?” Zach’s small grin took the bite out of his disgruntled response before he told Sean about his mother’s brief moment of clarity, or what he perceived as a second of cognizant awareness. “I know it doesn’t mean anything, but I’ll take what I can get at this stage.”
“Don’t blame you. There’s not a one of us who doesn’t wish we’d had more time with one or both of our parents. But you weren’t thinking about your mother when you were pointing out all the ways we could enjoy our time on your new toy here.”
“You know, bro, there are times we all hate that shrewd insight you have that goes along with your mind probing, over-protective tendencies.” Shutting off the engine, he swiveled to face Sean, debating between how much he wanted to tell with how much he wanted to keep to himself until he figured out why the hell those few days were mattering more than they should. “There’s just no keeping shit from you, is there?”
Sean’s grey gaze never wavered from Zach’s annoyed glare, which didn’t surprise him. The calm, controlled one of the group, the psych doc’s patience could be both soothing as well as downright provoking. “Just curious, is all. I wasn’t the only one who noticed how your mind seemed to wander as we walked around, which isn’t like you.”
He left it at that, waiting for him to decide what, if anything he wanted to say. If he’d pushed, Zach’s tendency would’ve been to remain mute. They didn’t call him a stubborn ass for no reason. But Sean’s placid acceptance of whatever he decided to reveal, or not, already showed on his face, easing Zach’s tense annoyance enough for him to admit a portion of what continued to plague him.
“I had a surprise guest last week for what was supposed to be my solo cruise. She turned out to be a fun surprise, but left without a word, which is how I like it,” he ended on a defensive note.
“When you’re ready, you’ll have to tell us about her. It’s not a big deal, Zach, if you can’t forget this woman. Hook up with her again, just to test the waters one more time. You know what they say, there’s someone out there for everyone.”
Zach snorted, his lips curling as he scoffed, “I’m no more interested in settling down than you are.” The bleak look that flashed in Sean’s eyes took him by surprise. “You’re interested in a committed relationship? Since when?”
“Hey, I’m supposed to read you, not the other way around.” Turning his face to look out the window, he murmured in a low voice, “Besides, what I want would be impossible to find.”
After Zach, Sean came up next for stubbornness and he recognized the obstinate set to his rigid jaw. “Well, impossible things have been known to happen,” he told him, thinking of his stowaway and how she’d managed to get what she wanted from him. “Come on. I’ll show you the bunks then you can help me haul up the food for dinner. Unless Miles already found the galley and didn’t leave us with anything. In that case, I say we toss him overboard.”
“Works for me.”
Within fifteen minutes, the hunger inducing smell of grilled bratwursts and German sausages permeated the air around the outdoor kitchen, the table already laden with buckets of potato salad and coleslaw Zach had picked up along with the meat. Miles downed a bag of chips before he’d even fired-up the grill and had started in on another one before Jackson snatched it from him. As they mingled around the outdoor kitchen, pleased he only banned alcohol when they were indulging themselves during a play party, Zach enjoyed the easy banter with his friends. He’d needed this, a few hours of uncomplicated time with people who knew his past, his failures and his self-indulgent tendencies and didn’t judge. They liked him just the way he was.
Sandie had seemed to like him also, he had to admit. When she’d called him an ass, she’d done so with humor, when she heard him admit to being a rich playboy, she hadn’t put him down or, worse, pried into his life with money-grabbing, ulterior motives. The only thing she’d wanted from him was sex. He didn’t understand why the hell that was beginning to grate, and wasn’t sure he wanted to.
“What do you think, Zach?”
Switching his gaze from the smoke-billowing grill and his thoughts away from his stowaway, he peered over at Jackson. “Sorry, I was concentrating on flipping. Think about what?”
He ignored their snorts of disbelief as Miles answered, “About planning a play party soon. Maybe an over-nighter.”
“Sure. Let me know when everyone can make it.” Maybe after he spent twenty-four hours fucking one of his regulars, he’d be able to forget a pair of wide, green eyes and one responsive, slim body. Piling the meat on a platter, he carried it over to the table and took a seat on the end. “Anybody hear from Dax, other than his weekly, group e-mail that tells us absolutely nothing?”
“Not me, and he’s still asking we don’t call as his down time is spent sleeping or on the road.” Sean’s face reflected concern for his best friend, but his resigned tone revealed what they all thought. Dax would return and/or talk to them when he was damn good and ready, and not before then.
“So, we’ll torment him with pictures of Zach’s new venue for our fucking pleasure and after our party, rub in everything he missed,” Jackson suggested without an ounce of noticeable guilt.
“You’re always nicer and more understanding of your animals than you are of people,” Troy accused him.
“Cause I like them better.”
Dry laughter echoed around the table as hands reached for the food and talk switched to sports. By the time they finished and cleaned up, Zach figured there was just enough daylight left to enjoy a few hands of poker in the gathering room and return to the marina before total darkness.
Entering the enclosed center of the yacht, Trevor strode across the room and ran a hand over the fold-down spanking bench’s padded, narrow center. “Fuck me sideways, I’ve never seen one of these.”
Gathering around the three benches lowered from the wall, the guys tossed out comments on the various bondage pieces, all of which they were familiar with except this bench. Situated between the other two, this piece was aptly labeled a fuck bench and rested on thin legs. Lying belly down on the horizontal pad, braced on the elbow and knee rests, a sub would find herself placed in a vulnerabl
e, wide-open, easily fuckable position.
“I think that’s what you’re supposed to do to the girl,” Miles responded, a rare hint of humor creeping into his deep voice.
“And I can’t wait. When are we doing this?” Trevor asked Zach.
“As you know, I can do anytime. You five coordinate and let me know. Ready for a game?” He strolled over to the closet next to the one Sandie had hid in and brought out three folding chairs to put around the pop-up table in front of the curved couch along the back wall. “We have about ninety minutes before I’d planned to head back.”
“Well, make it soon,” Jackson put in as he chose one of the folding chairs and Sean started dealing. “As you know, my fall adoption day fundraiser is coming up in October and prep is going to keep me busier than usual soon. I’m already over-crowded and in another two months, will be busting at the seams. I need this year to be my most successful.”
Surprise colored Troy’s voice as he exchanged two cards in his dealt hand for two new ones. “Didn’t those new kennels we put up take care of that problem?”
“Yes, but the constant drop offs at my gate have increased, damn it, and, so far, I haven’t figured out what to do about it.”
They’d all spent many hours at Jackson’s shelter and clinic and knew the location miles outside the city limits made it way too easy for uncaring pet owners to leave their unwanted animals tied to the gate, confident they’d be taken care of. No charities you donate time to? I thought all wealthy people got involved with pet projects, you know, to make them look good. Recalling Sandie’s curiosity about how he spent his time coupled with the mention of the guys pitching in to help erect the much-needed kennels Zach had been only too happy to pay for, taunted him with the fact he hadn’t pitched in with the manual labor. He knew his large donations to the rescue afforded Jackson the finances to hire help from college kids, which, in turn, granted him the time he needed to travel to farm animals in need of his veterinary services but were located too far to be driven in. But, in the years since Jackson had founded the shelter and clinic, Zach hadn’t put an ounce of sweat equity into his friend’s worthwhile project, unlike the rest of the gang.