Heat Stroke (Beach Kingdom 2)

Don’t think about it now. Doesn’t matter now. Joey called out the orders and Jamie’s hands moved, taking out the fruit containers and scooping the appropriate amount into the juicers, plunging the food pusher into the chute and pulverizing carrots and apples and ginger. Just when he was pretty sure Joey would have to hop off the register and help him clear the backed up orders, Rory and Andrew sauntered in through the front door, shouldering their way through the crowd. Wordlessly, they watched Jamie for a couple minutes, then fired up their own juicers, all three of them leaning over continually to consult the recipe list.

Jamie had never loved his brothers more than he did in that moment. They didn’t understand why he was helping Joey, the man who’d fucked up his face. They’d tried to save his ass from this awful depression he’d sunk into, but they’d showed up for him anyway.

“Thanks,” he muttered around the lump in his throat.

Andrew and Rory gave him identical whatever shut up looks.

Jamie shook his head and reached under the counter to grab a fresh plastic cup to hold yet another hangover cure order when he heard a cheer go up in the shop. Without glancing up to confirm, he knew Marcus had just walked into the Main Squeeze and his stomach sank down to the floor. He wanted to soak in the sight of him, but he couldn’t allow himself to do that or he’d eliminate the iota of progress he’d made toward moving on.

Who are you kidding, liar? You haven’t even made an iota.

“Time to go,” he said to Rory and Andrew, wiping fruit debris on the legs of his jeans. Doing his best to appear casual, Jamie made sure all the orders were lined up so Marcus could pick up where he’d left off. But when he turned to leave his post behind the counter, Jamie stopped short, his heart climbing into his mouth.

Marcus blocked the exit and Jesus Christ, he looked like shit.

He’d grown a dark beard and lost weight.

His hair hadn’t been brushed.

His eyes were cradled by dark rings.

He was the most beautiful human Jamie had ever seen.

Behind him stood a man that Jamie knew on sight was Marcus’s father. It was there in the hard line of his jaw, the way he led with his chest. The guy was probably wondering who the hell Jamie was—and no way in hell was Jamie going through another hostile introduction with one of Marcus’s family members. He had to get out of there before questions got asked, but he wasn’t sure he could walk that close to Marcus without his true feelings showing on his face.

“Jamie,” Marcus mouthed over the noise, his eyes closing briefly. “Babe, your face.”

Had he called him “babe” in front of his father? Oh God, was he too exhausted or delirious to know what he was saying? Doing? “It’s fine,” Jamie said gruffly, pointing at the line of order tickers. “Start on the left and—”

He cut himself off when Marcus came toward him. Closer. Closer. Until their chests were an inch apart. All the noise in the shop dwindled to almost nothing and Jamie could feel everyone watching. Everyone. “I told my father about you,” Marcus said, his eyes roaming over Jamie’s face and hair. “I wish I’d done it weeks ago, Jamie. Told him about us. Us. Not just you.” He let out a shaky exhale. “Even if there’s no us, there’ll always be a you. The man I’m in love with. The man I’ll love forever.”

Jamie’s lungs seized, his hand shooting out to grip the counter. It was hard to rip his attention away from Marcus, but he cast a look around the room, at all the stunned faces staring back at him from the other side of the glass. At his brothers, Joey, Marcus’s father. Protectiveness toward Marcus swelled up inside him like high tide, clashing with the happiness that rose, fighting to be acknowledged. No, though. No…it was too late for all this. Wasn’t it?

“Let them watch, Jamie. Let them listen. I want everyone to know I love you. That feeling exists whether or not its approved of. Or disapproved of. It’s real, it’s good and it’s the most important part of me,” Marcus said, his throat working. “I figure I’ve got maybe a sliver of a chance here, so I’m taking it. You said your arms are too tired to pick up the pieces of what I broke? That’s fine. Because I’m jacked as shit, Jamie. I’ll carry us until you’re ready.”

A genuine laugh sailed out of Jamie before he could stop it. Fucking Diesel.

Marcus’s breath released in a rush, a hand coming up to scrub at his chest. “Ah, babe. I didn’t think I’d ever get to see you laugh again. Not up close.” He quickly wet his lips. “Give me back the faith you lost in me. Please. I won’t take it for granted again.”