Sailor Proof (Shore Leave 1)

“Tonight. Promise.” Even as I said the words, my cock stirred, already eager to get back to what we’d started. I had no business making Arthur any kind of promises, but no way could I pass this up either. Tonight. Him. Me. And no more interruptions. I’d make it happen.

Chapter Sixteen

Arthur

Derrick needed to hurry. And not simply because I was dying to be alone with him and running out of patience for later, but because I was currently under a pile of kids who had way too much energy after being confined to boats all day.

“Whoa. I thought you were going to practice a musical number, not wrestle.” Derrick’s voice was warm and oh-so-welcome as he pried Roger’s twins off my back. They’d dive-tackled me to the grass and some of the other cousins had joined them in piling on me.

“Thank God you’re here.” I sat up before accepting his hand up. We were nominally holding the practice in the grassy clearing behind the dining hall, and all their parents seemed to have conveniently disappeared, leaving me with a horde of overhyped, hungry kids. “That’s what I thought too, but this is turning out to be like herding wet cats.”

“Otherwise known as training new recruits.” Derrick gave a sharp nod, then whistled loud enough to scare whatever wildlife was lurking in the nearby woods. “Listen up, tiny terrors. Time to practice. Arthur’s going to tell us about the music. Arthur?”

“Wow. You’re better than my dad at getting their attention.” I had to shake my head because Derrick in navy chief mode was damn imposing. And more than a little sexy.

He shrugged modestly. “I know how to run a tight ship. My training better be good for something.”

“I’m still impressed.”

“Better be. And better start talking.” He made a sweeping gesture at the kids, who had all come to sit obediently in front of me. Working fast, I explained what I was thinking for the format of the show with an opening number, several talent acts, midway number, more acts, and then a closing number, with each of the numbers being short snippets of songs I had picked. Nothing too long or complicated and lots of high-energy, upbeat music.

“Do we have to dance?” Taylor made a face that was echoed by the expression of several of the others.

“Yep.” I smiled encouragingly. “It’ll be easy. And fun.”

One of the twins groaned. “Boys don’t—”

“None of that.” Derrick shut him up with a single stare before turning to me. “Show us the steps.”

I’d brought a portable speaker for my phone, and I used it to demonstrate the first selection, showing some simple choreography I’d come up with on the fly. Tons of big arm movements that could cover a lot of missteps.

“You weren’t lying.” Giving me a smile, Derrick stretched on the grass as I turned the kids loose for some practice. “You do have rhythm.”

“Told you. It’s nature I’m allergic to.” Right on schedule, I sneezed from the combination of grass and pine needles still clinging to my skin as I settled down next to him.

Chuckling, he brushed off my shoulders. “You’ve certainly earned your shower later.”

“Yeah? How was yours?” I asked in a low voice as I clicked Repeat on the song.

“Lonely.” He matched my whisper, but the word still made me shiver with want. Stopping our make-out session had been near impossible. He’d finally been all kinds of eager and insistent, and I couldn’t get enough of that side of him.

“You could—Hey, no kicking!” I had to abruptly abandon my flirt to stop one of the twins from kicking his brother in the stomach.

“But that’s my talent! I’m going to break a board with my karate kick!” Vince demonstrated by kicking at the air.

“Excellent. Your brother, however, is not a board.”

“Darn.” Vince didn’t look the least bit sorry, but he at least quieted down enough that I could lead the group through another practice. After we went over the steps, the other twin, Seth, came over to where Derrick and I were sitting on the ground.

“Thanks for stopping Vince. His kicks hurt. And I still don’t know what to do for my talent. I hate karate class.”

“I hear that.” I was still scarred from years of organized sports I would have liked to avoid. “What do you like to do?”

“Games. I’m gonna be a streamer when I grow up. But Dad says no one’s going to pay to hear me talk nonstop.”

“Sure they will. I know lots of professional gamers.” I smiled at him because Roger could stuff it with that attitude. The world was changing. Vlogging and streaming were making several of my friends good money. “It’s a fun career choice. But since the moms want this week to be electronics-free, let’s think. Know any magic tricks?”

“Talking fast doesn’t count?” Seth grinned back at me.