Tropical Hedonism

Book One of the Lost and Found Series

By Dakota Rebel

Resplendence Publishing, LLC

http://www.resplendencepublishing.com

Resplendence Publishing, LLC

P.O. Box 992
Edgewater, Florida, 32132

Tropical Hedonism
Copyright © 2009, Dakota Rebel
Edited by Tiffany Mason
Cover art by Rika Singh
Electronic format ISBN: 978-1-60735-073-6

Warning: All rights reserved. The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this
copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including
infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable
by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000.

Electronic release: October 2009

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and occurrences are a product
of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead,
places or occurrences, is purely coincidental.

Table of Contents

For Brynn and Bronwyn. Thank you for always believing in me.

And for taking me into the 7

circle of hell that is known as

“The Paper Store.”

I love you guys.

Chapter One

“Doc!”

The sound of someone yelling outside jolted me awake. Moments later, Chuck burst

through my bedroom door.

“Doc, we got a floater.”

I threw off the blankets and grabbed a pair of pants from the floor as Chuck ran back out

the door to wait for me. I didn’t bother with a shirt, just took off after him toward the beach.

There was already a crowd gathering. No doubt, the hysterical cries of the night

watchman had brought everyone from this side of the island running to see what was going on. It

wasn’t so rare that new people arrived that it should warrant so much attention, and yet every

time, the natives felt the need to rush and stare at the poor soul who’d washed up.

I fought my way through the crowd until I finally made it to the man lying on the sand.

The moon was full, so I could see him quite clearly. He was tall with broad shoulders and dark

hair that fell into his eyes. His shirt was ripped open, displaying sculpted muscles over his

abdomen. I was thankful to see that he was breathing, but upon closer inspection, I noticed a

large gash along the side of his head.

Usually I was more professional than to be so caught up in the attractiveness of a young

man that I would let him bleed to death in front of me. I fought the urge to physically shake my

head clear, but just barely. A quick check of the pulse in his throat made me sigh in relief. It was

strong. He was going to be okay.

I handed my bag to Chuck before lifting the injured man into my arms. I motioned for the

watchman to follow me, the crowd dispersing as I brought the new arrival to my home for

observation.

“How long had he been out there?” I asked Chuck when we got back to the house.

“Not long, sir,” Chuck said. “It was weird though. There weren’t no flashes of light or

nothing. One minute the beach was clear, and the next, there he was, all drowned rat lookin’.”

I lit the lamps around the head of the cot the man was now lying on so I could get a better

look at the wound on his head. It had stopped bleeding, but needed to be re-opened and cleaned.

I hoped he would remain unconscious long enough for me to work on him. We had run out of

anesthetic again, and whiskey wouldn’t do much good if he woke up in the middle.

“Chuck, I need you to do me a favor,” I said.

“You want me to go wake up Nurse Molly?”

“No, I want you to help me. Can you do that?”

Chuck’s eyes widened and I wasn’t sure if he was excited or terrified. He was by no

means stupid, but he could be a little slow. I think he had grown accustomed to people treating

him as if he wasn’t good for much. I believed differently, and when I could, I tried to show him

that.

I didn’t wait for him to answer me. I took his hands and placed them on either side of the

injured man’s neck.

“Hold him steady for me,” I said. “If he wakes up, you’re going to have to hold him

down so I don’t hurt him, okay? I need to clean out this cut in his head, and then I’m going to

have to stitch him up so it doesn’t get infected. Will you watch him closely for me so I can

work?”

“Yes sir, Dr. Wesley.” Chuck stared intently down at the young man, his grip firm and

his gaze unwavering.

As quickly as I could, I reopened the wound and cleaned it out. I had almost finished

stitching him back up when I saw Chuck’s arms tense out of the corner of my eye.

“Son, if you don’t want a needle jabbing into your skull, I suggest you hold real still for

thirty more seconds,” I said softly by the injured man’s ear.

His breath caught a little, but he stayed where he was. I finished the last two stitches and

stepped away from the table, wiping my eyebrow with the back of my arm. I nodded to Chuck to

let him go and waited for the yelling to start.

“Where am I?” The man asked surprisingly softly.

“This is Wyspa,” Chuck said proudly. “The most beautiful place in the whole universe.”

“Chuck,” I said with a smile. “Thank you for your help. But I think we’ll be all right now.

You’d better get back to your post, okay?”

He nodded and left the new man and me alone. I sat down in a chair across from him and

waited for more questions. I wasn’t disappointed.

“Who are you?”

“I’m Dr. Wesley Carpenter. What’s your name?”

“Sean. Sean Harris.”

He looked to be in his mid-twenties and his eyes were so blue I could see them even in

the candle light.

“Where are my friends?”

“I’m not sure. You washed up on the beach alone, and there hasn’t been any sign of

others in months. How are you feeling?”

His hand went to his head, and when his fingers found the stitches, he winced.

“Not that I’m not grateful, because I am, but do you always operate without a shirt on, or

am I a special case?” He smiled and his whole face lit up. I was relatively sure he was flirting,

but I couldn’t figure out why.

“Well, obviously I usually wear more clothes than this,” I said dumbly. “But I wanted to

get that cut cleaned up and I wasn’t really thinking my attire. Of course, you’re fine now so I

should go put on a shirt. I’m sorry if I’m making you uncomfortable.”

I was babbling. I knew it but I couldn’t make it stop. All I could think to do was to run

from the room as fast as I could. Just because it was my house didn’t mean I had to stay there.

Sean Harris could have it; he seemed like a nice man, he’d probably take good care of it.

“Dr. Carpenter, I’m teasing,” Sean said with a laugh. “I would never complain about such

a great view.”

He was flirting. With me. And I was completely lost. It’s not as if I’m a bad looking man

by any means. I’m even still built pretty well. But with the grey hair at my temples and more

than a few laugh lines around my green eyes, I found it hard to believe someone so young would

bother showing any interest in me. Especially someone who hadn’t really caught up with the fact

that he didn’t know where he was or what he was doing here.

If I were any good at my profession, the warning bells would have been sounding by

then. But he was so damn cute, and he was actually interested in me. It had been a long time

since I’d felt the intimate touch of a man and I couldn’t really help myself. At least, that’s the

story that sounds best in my head.

“Mr. Harris, I think you may have hit your head harder than I thought.” My voice was

much lower than it usually was, and I could only hope that he didn’t notice my erection straining

against the zipper of my pants.

“I’m fine,” he said, standing up and taking a step toward me. “See, Dr. Carpenter?

You’ve healed me.”

“Call me Wesley.” I watched him walk closer to me and knew I should back away, run if

I could manage it. But I didn’t. All I did was stand there and watch him move. So graceful, so

sexy, so young.

“Wesley.”

The sound of my name coming from that mouth, those lips, was too much. It was against

every personal rule I had, but I didn’t care. I wrapped my arms around his waist and pulled him

against me, forcing his lips apart with my tongue.

He tasted like salt water and candy and I never wanted to stop kissing him or touching

him. I wanted him in my arms forever. I wasn’t foolish enough to think that I had fallen in love

with him, but I had never wanted a man so badly in my entire life. Judging from the impressive

erection pressing against my own, he was enjoying himself as well.

My hands slid up his back and I grasped his hair between my fingers. He moaned into my

mouth and ground his hips against mine. I opened my eyes to find that he was looking at me. The

light was not as bright on this side of the room, but looking into his eyes, I realized something

really wasn't right.

I gently pushed him away and led him back to the makeshift operating table I had used to

stitch him. I grabbed a small flashlight off the table and clicked it on. I waved it slowly back and

forth in front of his eyes and wanted to scream in frustration at the lack of reaction from his

pupils.

“What’s the matter, Wesley?” Sean asked in a playful voice. “Are you trying to hypnotize

me? I don’t know if that’s another one of those weird doctor things, like you not wearing shirts,

but you don’t have to do that with me.” He grabbed my hand and rubbed it over his crotch. “I

already want you.”

“Ha ha,” I said, but a smile still pulled at my lips. “You have a concussion, Sean. I cannot

possibly take advantage of you like this. No matter how much you think you want me, or how

much I would love to do terribly amazing things to you, I can’t. You’re injured. Do you

understand that?”

“Yes. Sheesh, I’m concussed, not stupid.” He huffed and sat down in a chair. “Well, now

what?”

“Now you go and lay down in my bed, and I’ll wake you up every hour to make sure you

don’t die on me.”

“I think my plan was better.”

“I didn’t realize you had a plan.”

“Yes. My plan was to stay awake all night fucking each other’s brains out, and then in the

morning you were going to tell me what the hell is going on and where I am and what I am doing

here. Being concussed was not part of that plan.”

“Well, Sean, you’re right. Your plan was better. But unfortunately, we have to go with

my plan for tonight. Maybe tomorrow we can fuck each other’s brains out. That sounds lovely,

actually.”

Of course, I knew that when dawn broke, the questions would come full force. His mind

would be back to normal and he would become angry and scared when he found out what was

happening and where he was and all of those other things he wanted to know. My only chance to

be with him had been ruined by a fucking concussion. Just perfect.

I showed Sean to the bedroom and, after a brief argument, got him to agree to lie down

and try to sleep. There was no way I was going to be able to fall asleep anyway, even if I didn’t

have to make sure to keep waking him up to check on him. I was totally wound up and it was too

rude to relieve the pressure in my cock with an injured man in the next room.

So I sat uncomfortably in a chair waiting for an hour to tick by so I could wake up

sleeping beauty. The night dragged on in this manner, but by morning, I was sure he was going

to be all right and agreed to leave him alone for some uninterrupted sleep for a few hours.

Meanwhile, I wondered if I would ever be able to sleep again with the scent of him on

my pillows and sheets.

* * * *

“Wesley?”

I opened my eyes and smiled lazily at Sean who crouched next to me with his hand on his

knee.

“How are you feeling?” I asked, stifling a yawn.

“Confused,” he said with a shaky laugh. He ran his fingers through his hair. I watched as

every strand landed where it had been before, but he didn’t seem to notice. “I woke up in there

and forgot where I was for a minute. Then I remembered you.” He grinned, showing an adorable

dimple in his left cheek.

“You probably have a million questions.” I sat up and stretched my arms over my head.

Sleeping in a chair was not on my list of comfortable things to do. As my shoulders popped in

their sockets, I found myself wishing I had crawled into bed next to Sean.

“A few, like where can I find some food? I’m starving.”

“Well, at least we’re starting with an easy one.” I heaved myself out of the chair,

managing to avoid making ‘old man’ sounds in the process.

I led him into the kitchen and had him sit at the table while I gathered up some fruit,

water and glasses.

Sean grabbed a banana from the bowl and ate it so quickly I wondered if he’d even

bothered to chew it. Then I watched him chug four glasses of water in a row before he leaned

back in his chair and sighed.

“Better?” I asked as I took an apple from the pile of fruit.

“Yeah, thanks.” He took an apple too and bit into it while he stared at me. After chewing

and swallowing, he looked around the room for a minute. “So, do you actually live here or is this

just like your office?”

“No, I live here. Why do you ask?”

“I don’t know. There’s something…off about it. I can’t really put my finger on it.”

“Gee thanks.” I smiled when he blushed. “Don’t worry. You’ve been through a lot.”

“Have I? I mean, I’m not sure what’s going on at all. I don’t know how I got here, I don’t

know where here even is. I can remember some stuff, but a lot of it is fuzzy around the edges. Is

that because of the concussion?”

“It could be,” I said slowly. “It could also be shock. Do you remember what you were

doing before you ended up here?”

He thought for a minute, eating his apple while he continued to survey the room. Finally,

he shook his head and sighed.

I put my hand on his and tried to look reassuring. “It will come back to you, Sean. Give it

time.”

Like the previous night, I was acting selfishly. If I told him that he had landed in another

time, in another place, he would have freaked out. And I didn’t want him to go. I didn’t want him

to be angry with me for being the bearer of bad news. I wanted him to stay and to talk to me

some more. To spend time with me.

I had thought about it through the night and figured he must have been in some sort of

boating accident in one of the Earth Vortices. Usually when planes flew in, they landed whole or

crashed on the other side of the island. Boaters were most likely to end up washed up on shore.

His dress reminded me of others who had come to the island not long ago and I

remembered that they had originally come from the twenty-first century. The style of his denim

pants, the odd prints on the shirt he had been wearing, the unkemptness of his hair. I didn’t study

the time periods the way that others did, but I listened when those people talked.

I could have just asked him, but I was hoping to avoid the conversation at least for one

more day. Since he had been injured, I had the option of easing him into life here or giving him

to a sponsor to become acquainted with the island. Of course, I would help him in any way he

wanted me to.

“So Dr. Carpenter, now that you have me here all healed up and everything, what do you

plan to do with me?”

“I hadn’t really thought that far ahead,” I said. “And I never said you were all healed up.

You need to take care of that wound and make sure it doesn’t get infected.”

He stood up and walked over to me. Before I could do or say anything, he swung his leg

over me and straddled my lap, locking his arms behind my neck.

“I’m not very good with directions Doc. Maybe you should hang around me really

closely and make sure I do everything right.”

“Oh, I think you’ll do everything just fine.”

He smiled then lowered his face to mine. I wrapped my arms around his waist and

groaned into his mouth as his tongue parted my lips. My cock grew hard at the feel of Sean’s

weight against it. It was amazing how quickly I reacted to him. The fact that he wanted me just

didn’t make any sense. However, I wasn’t fool enough to argue with him again.

“I feel bad for forcing you out of your bed last night,” he said, pulling back to look at me.

“I think I should make it up to you.”

“How were you planning to do that?”

Sean climbed off me and took my hand, leading me to the bedroom. He gently shoved me

down to the feather mattress, climbing over me as I lay back. My hands slid over his hips and up

his ribcage, gently massaging his smooth skin.

“How’s this?” he asked, his voice a hoarse whisper.

“It’s a start.”

Chapter Two

I wrapped my arms around his back and pulled him down to kiss me. His thighs gripped

my legs while he attacked my lips with his tongue and teeth. His erection pressed against me and

I again marveled at the fact that he really wanted me. I forced the thought away, not wanting to

talk myself out of letting him do what he so obviously wanted to do.

His hands splayed over my chest, sliding down to find the button on my pants and

popping them open without hesitation. When his finger swirled over the swollen head of my

cock, I gasped into his mouth making him smile against my lips.

He drew back to look into my eyes, his own full of heat and desire. To see that much

adoration in the face of such a beautiful man was almost too much to believe. I don’t know what

expression I wore, but he removed his hand from my crotch and sat back.

“What’s the matter?” he asked.

“Nothing.”

“Bullshit,” he said softly. “Doc, what’s going on behind those green eyes of yours?”

“I just can’t believe this is happening.” It sounded lame and I feared I might actually

blush under his gaze.

I think that my actual problem was it had been so long since I’d been with a man that the

situation had become a total role reversal. This young man was going to have to teach me what

to do, and as a…older and supposedly wiser man, it was difficult for me to admit it. But I was

totally lost with him. Everything I said did, and thought about doing just seemed so wrong. On

top of all of that, I couldn’t imagine telling any of that to him.

“Well, if you don’t calm down and just roll with it, nothing is going to happen.” Sean

smiled, giving me that dimple, but his tone held no humor. He seemed to understand what was

going through my mind, and he was doing his best to help me without embarrassing me.

He was right, of course. I did need to calm down and let it happen. I was so worried about

making a fool of myself that it was exactly what I was doing anyway.

“You are a very smart man, Sean Harris.”

“Pretty to think so.” He gave me a sad little smile. “Actually, I’m just not letting you get

away from me, and I’ll pull any dirty trick I have to to get you naked.”

“No dirty tricks required,” I said, reaching up to him. “I’ll play nice.”

He lowered himself back to reclaim my mouth and slid his hand completely inside my

pants, gripping my cock firmly. My fingers tightened into fists in his hair as he pumped up and

down my shaft. It was clear that he was going to get what he wanted and resisting would be

ridiculous at that point.

“I want to taste you,” he whispered against my lips. “Can I suck your cock?”

He was so direct, so fearless, and even as I nodded my agreement, I couldn’t help

wishing I could be more like that. Direct and to the point, going after what I wanted without a

thought to others’ opinions. I supposed it was just how I saw youth, and it was something I

figured I had grown past and would never be able to reclaim.

Sean kissed a line over my jaw and down my throat, pausing to nibble gently on my

collarbone before continuing his descent. My fingers dug into the mattress below me as I sucked

my lower lip between my teeth in an effort to keep from mewling like a small animal. Every

touch of his mouth sent electric currents up my spine such as I had never felt before.

I didn’t realize my eyes were squeezed shut until I heard him speak softly.

“Look at me, Wesley.”

I glanced down to see him staring at me, inches from my swollen cock. When my eyes

met his gaze, he took me into his warm, wet mouth in one quick movement that made me writhe

on the bed beneath him.

His tongue swirled around my head, the tip gently probing at the opening as if to coax my

cum from me. I wanted to protest, I wanted to beg him to make it last longer; I wanted so many

things, but my body had stopped listening to my brain. My balls tightened, and knew I was going

to explode in his mouth before I was mentally ready to.

“Sean!”

His hands found mine and our fingers entwined as I pumped my seed down his throat. He

growled against my cock, making my whole body shudder at the vibration of it.

I stared at the ceiling, panting, feeling I should say something intelligent. Or quirky.

Possibly even something in English, but there was nothing. No words would form at that

moment. All I could do was mentally congratulate myself for not drooling or babbling like a

moron until he had to tell me to shut up.

Sean crawled back up the bed and laid down next to me, the fingers of one hand still

gripped around mine. I turned to look at him and prayed that the smile on my face was a soft and

happy one, not completely goofy or ridiculous looking. He smiled back, and I took that to mean

that I didn’t look like an idiot and relaxed against him, my head falling to rest on his shoulder

while I caught my breath.

“Thanks,” he said softly, kissing my forehead.

“Mmm,” I mumbled. “Thank you. That was incredible.”

“My pleasure. So, what do you want to do with the rest of the day?”

“Whatever you want,” I said. I shifted so I could look at him again. “Do you want to look

around the island, or do you want to take off your clothes and stay in bed naked with me all

day?”

Before he could answer, there was a knock at the door. I rolled my eyes and reached for

my pants. But Sean was quicker. He jumped over me and practically sprinted to answer my door

for me. I pulled my pants on as quickly as I could and followed him out to the front room.

“Dr. Carpenter, I see you’ve been tending to our newest resident.” Jasper Collins stood in

my hallway next to Sean. At five foot seven inches, he looked meek next to the tall, muscular

younger man. But even if I hadn’t known him for as long as I had, I would have known that his

presence was much larger than his stance.

Jasper’s blond hair was cut short, almost buzzed against his head. His grey eyes might

have been focused on me, but I knew he was taking in the whole house through his peripheral

vision. His fatigues were perfectly pressed as always, and he commanded attention even when

silent. Military men always seemed to have that manner about them, but Jasper owned it.

Jasper was too polite to actually leer, but the look on his face was as close as he could

have gotten.

“Um, hi Jasper.” I ran my fingers through my hair nervously and started to wish I had put

on a shirt. “Yes, this is Sean Harris. He washed up on the beach last night. We brought him here

to stitch up his head and watch over him.”

“Well Mr. Harris, how has the good doctor been treating you?”

Sean looked back and forth between Jasper and me before throwing up his hands and

turning away. “I’m going to the kitchen to find some food.”

Again, I wished I could conquer that kind of fearlessness and mindset to walk away from

situations I had no desire to deal with. If I’d had any kind of balls at all, I would have shoved

Jasper out of my house and followed Sean to the kitchen. But I didn’t.

“You know, Wesley, you are required to bring new arrivals to the base for evaluation.

You can’t just keep them here in your house.”

“Don’t start with me, Jasper. You are fully aware that injured patients stay with their

doctors until they are deemed healthy enough to be released. He washed up on shore with a

busted head and a concussion. Sorry if I didn’t march him to the middle of the fucking island so

you could scare the shit out of him his first night here.”

I had dropped my voice and was hoping Jasper would follow suit. I didn’t need Sean

asking questions later that I wasn’t ready to answer. I knew I wasn’t really in trouble; it just

annoyed Jasper when new men weren’t paraded before him first.

“Fine,” Jasper said in a harsh whisper. “But if you’re going to refuse to hand him over to

a sponsor, you know that you are required to watch over him and teach him the rules. If he fucks

anything up, it’ll be your ass on the line. You’ve got that, right?”

“Yes Jasper. I understand how it works. I’ve only been on the island for a few decades.

Eventually you will realize that I am a doctor and not the village idiot. I will take responsibility

for Sean, and I will explain to him the rules and regulations that you would like the good citizens

of Wyspa to follow. Just give me a few days. He just got here and he’s still not sure what

happened. I would prefer to ease him into it rather than cram a bunch of technical military jargon

down his throat and send him off with a complete stranger to explain it later. Is that okay with

you?”

“This young man seems to have had quite an impression on you, Wesley. I don’t

appreciate your tone.”

“And I don’t appreciate you barging into my house and dictating how I treat my patients.

Sean, I mean, Mr. Harris, will come to the base for briefing after I’ve decided he is ready.” I

blew out a sigh. “Jasper, please. Just give me some time with him. You know how bad the

younger ones can react to the news that they can’t go home. I just want to get to know him a

little. Please?”

“Fair enough, Doc,” Jasper’s tone softened considerably and it surprised me. “Just

promise me that if you have any problems with him you’ll call me. If he does react badly, he’ll

need to be detained until he’s calm. I won’t have him disrupting the entire island just because

you happen to have feelings for him. Agreed?”

“Agreed,” I said, watching him turn on his heel and walk away.

I closed the door after him and sighed again. I knew there would be questions waiting for

me in the kitchen, and I wasn’t sure if I was ready to answer them.

“Hey, doc,” Sean called. “Don’t you have any real food?”

I walked into the kitchen to see him seated at the table eating an apple. I took an orange

and started peeling it while I leaned against the wall and watched him. We stared at each other

for a few minutes, apparently neither of us really knowing what to say.

“So, I’ve figured it out,” Sean finally said.

“Figured what out?” For a minute, I thought he was going to tell me how he’d ended up

on the shore.

“Why the kitchen seems off. You don’t have any appliances. No stove, no fridge,

nothing.”

“Well, I don’t cook, and I don’t eat meat, so there aren’t many appliances I really need. I

prefer to save the energy if I don’t need it to survive.”

I wasn’t sure if I was relieved or not by his conclusion. Eventually he would remember

everything, and then he would want to go home. They all wanted to go home. But once you

come to Wyspa, there is no going back.

“Survive? How the hell can you survive without eating?” Sean asked incredulously.

“I eat.” My tone was more defensive than I’d meant it to be. “You don’t have to eat meat

to live. In fact, I think that after you’ve spent some time on the island, you’ll find that meat isn’t

so important anymore.”

Sean looked at me thoughtfully for a moment. It seemed like he wanted to say something,

but then he shrugged and smiled.

“You’re very strange, Sean Harris.”

“Am I?”

Was he? If I knew him better, I might have laughed at that statement. He was the most

easygoing person I’d ever met. He’d crashed into an island, cut his head, had no recollection of

how he ended up here, and still managed to seduce me and get me into bed in less than a day. On

second thought, strange didn’t begin to describe him.

“Yeah, I’ll stick with strange for the moment.”

“Damn. I was hoping for mysterious, or brilliant, or at least Sex God. But I guess if all I

can get out of you is ‘strange’ then I’ll take it. For now.”

I laughed. Even though I’d only known him for a few hours, I couldn’t help but feel a

little tug on my heart every time he smiled at me. Jasper was right; I did have feelings for him. It

didn’t make sense, but very little did at the moment, so the best I could do was to roll with it

until I had to hand him over to the military.

“So who was that guy?” Sean asked.

“General Jasper Collins. He runs the island from the base camp.”

“Wow, what rank are you that you can talk to a General like that?”

Sean was quick, I’d give him that. Maybe I should add brilliant to the list of words that

came to mind when I talked about him.

“I’m a civilian. And technically, no one gets to talk to Jasper like that. I’m sort of a

special case.” As in, I’m sort of Jasper’s ex.

We hadn’t been together for a very long time, and neither of us was bitter. We sort of

grew apart. He was busy with his military stuff, and I had received permission to leave the Army

and become a private doctor. I still helped them whenever they needed me, but I wasn’t much for

their rules and regulations. It was part of why Jasper and I never would have worked. He was

lifetime military, and I was never really meant to be there at all.

“Gotcha,” Sean said with a wink.

“You can’t,” I said before thinking.

“Can’t what?” He batted his eyelashes at me.

“You can’t possibly have figured that out.”

“Come on, Wesley,” he said with a laugh. “It was written all over both of you that you

used to be a thing. Only exes can have a civilized conversation in tones dripping with fear, anger,

and spite, even if they are best friends after the break up. It’s not like it was hard to figure out.”

He was very observant, one more word for the list. I considered spilling everything to

him right then, before he could figure out the rest of it on his own. I didn’t know him well, but I

was sure he would be pissed at me when he found out the truth about Wyspa. I knew I had to tell

him, and soon. But I talked myself into just one more day with him before breaking the news.

“Fair enough, I suppose. So, would you like to look around Wyspa? There is probably a

bunch of people cursing me right now for keeping you inside this long. I can’t believe Jasper is

the only person who has come knocking to meet you.”

“Sounds like fun.”

His shoes were still wet so I found him a pair of flip-flops to wear, and a set of clean

clothes. I threw on a shirt and we headed out into the bright sunshine. I led him down to the

beach first where he’d washed up the previous night.

He stood on the spot where I’d first seen him and stared out into the ocean. I could almost

see thoughts racing across his face as he watched the waves roll in. I took his hand and squeezed

it gently.

“I wish I could remember what happened,” he said softly.

“You will. Give it time, Sean. You’ve been through a lot. It will come back to you.”

He nodded and turned to give me a half smile. I smiled back and nudged him to start

walking again. We hadn’t made it very far down the beach before Trevor Morrison ran up to us,

grinning.

“Hey, doc. Is this the new kid everyone is talking about?”

I almost laughed. Trevor looked eternally nineteen years old and called almost everyone

‘kid’. Sean looked taken aback for a second. Then, in what I was beginning to realize was his

usual manner, he shook it off and grinned at Trevor.

“Hi. I’m Sean Harris.” He held out his hand.

Trevor took it and shook it violently. “Trevor Morrison. I’m a sponsor for new arrivals. If

the Doc ever decides to let you out of his sight, I’d be happy to take you around.”

“I think we’ll manage,” I said to Trevor with a smile. He wasn’t being rude, just his

normal jubilant self. He was a good guy, and I liked him a lot. Many of the sponsors were

assholes, thinking they held some kind of power over new arrivals, but Trevor genuinely liked to

help people adjust.

Trevor shrugged and waved as he walked down the beach past us.

“What does he mean ‘sponsor?’ Like AA?”

“What’s AA?” I asked.

“Alcoholics Anonymous. When you join, they hook you up with someone who is deep in

recovery to help you through hard times and get you used to doing things without booze.”

I thought about it for a minute. “Well, sort of. I mean, a sponsor’s purpose is to get you

used to living on the island. They’re usually people who had a hard time adjusting and now like

to help others through the transition so it’s not so bad for them.”

“Why do people come here if they don’t want to be here? I mean, yeah, I sort of crashed

here. But don’t most people choose to come here?”

Shit. We’d gotten to this much faster than I’d planned. I struggled to figure out what to

say to him and was saved by Chuck sprinting toward us.

“Doc Carpenter!” He waved excitedly and almost tripped in the sand, but managed to

catch his footing before he barreled into us.

“Hello, Chuck. Sean, I don’t know if you remember Chuck.”

“Sure I do,” Sean said, accepting an awkward hug from an ecstatic Chuck. “My other

hero. How are you today?”

“I’m great,” Chuck replied, beaming. “How’s your head? You feelin’ all right?”

“Oh yeah,” Sean said, touching the stitches. “Wesley is taking real good care of me.”

Sean winked at me and I actually blushed. I hoped the Chuck wouldn’t pick up his double

meaning. If he did, he didn’t show it.

“I’m so glad you’re okay. You scared the heck out of me. I ain’t never seen someone

wash up before. I was so scared you was dead. The Doc is great, huh?”

“Great,” Sean echoed.

“Well, Chuck,” I said. “I’m taking Sean on a quick tour of the island. We’ll see you later,

okay?”

I smiled as he scampered off, happy as could be. But my smile faded instantly when I

turned to face Sean. His eyes were wide and somewhat glassy, and he was staring down the

beach at something. I looked up and saw that the fishing boats were out. As Sean watched them,

his face contorted into a look of horror. I just managed to get an arm around him before he fell to

the ground.

“Sean! Sean! I need you to talk to me. Please. Sean. Fuck!” I scooped him up in my arms

and half ran back to the house. I barely got him through the front door before he started thrashing

and screaming.

“Turn it around. Tony, damnit, turn around! We’re gonna hit that rock.”

I lay him on the floor, trying to get him to look at me, to focus on something other than

the memory, but he seemed lost to it for the moment.

“Sean, you’re not there!” I shouted. “You’re safe. Sweetie, please.” I begged and pleaded

with him to come back to me, hoping that he wouldn’t hurt himself as he bucked against the hard

floor.

Finally, his body stilled and his eyes closed. I checked his pulse. He seemed to have just

passed out. His breathing was calming down and his heartbeat was slowing back to normal.

I picked him up again and carried him to the bedroom. After settling him on the bed, I sat

down and took his hand in mine. I wanted to be there if he returned, and I didn’t want him to

wake up alone.

Chapter Three

“Thank God you weren’t a dream,” Sean said softly, startling me awake.

I must have nodded off after a few hours. My head was on his chest, and he was stroking

my hair with his free hand. His other hand was still firmly clasped in mine.

“Are you all right?” It was stupid question, but I wasn’t sure what else to say.

“Yeah,” he said with a yawn. “Sorry if I scared you.”

“You don’t have to apologize to me.” I sat up and kissed his cheek.

“Man that was scary. I saw those men out on that boat, and everything just came rushing

back at once. It was like the accident on fast forward over and over again.”

“Do you want to talk about it?”

“Would it help?”

“It might.” To be honest, I wasn’t sure. I didn’t want to push him, but some people felt

better saying it out loud instead of keeping all of that fear bottled up inside.

“I was out on a fishing trip with my friends. We’d been drinking, and I guess Tony had a

little too much and forgot that he had to actually steer the boat. We were going way too fast. By

the time he’d realized there were rocks in our way, it was too late. The boat just shattered around

us. It was so loud and so fast. I must have hit my head when we landed in the water because I

don’t remember anything else after that. We hit the rocks, the boat capsized, and I woke up

here.” He blew out a sigh and ran his fingers through his hair. “Nope, it doesn’t really feel any

better.”

“I’m sorry.” I didn’t want to argue with him, but he actually did look better having shared

the story with me.

He shrugged. “It sucked, but I’m glad that I met you. So I guess there is a silver lining. I

could be dead.”

His eyes darkened before he turned away from me. I turned his chin so he was facing me

again.

“Don’t do that. You can’t control what happened. And you don’t know for sure that your

friends aren’t okay. Don’t sit here and blame yourself, or make yourself sick worrying about

things you can’t change and can’t control. I won’t let you do that to yourself.”

“But what if—”

“Stop. ‘ What if’ doesn’t matter. If it is, then it is. Worrying isn’t going to change what

happened out there. I’m very sorry that I don’t know where your friends are, but I know where

you are. And I won’t be sorry that you’re okay.”

And then I kissed him. It may not have been the most responsible thing to do, but he was

hurting, and if there was anything I could do to take that look from his eyes, I was going to do it.

Luckily, he didn’t seem to mind at all. He kissed me back just as hard, just as fiercely and

demanding. He pulled my arms to urge me onto the bed with him, and I was more than happy to

oblige.

I stretched out on top of him, my tongue exploring the inside of his mouth while his

hands roamed over my back. His cock pressed hard against my stomach, and my own grew in

response to him. I wanted him so badly. He was going to think I had either the worst or the best

bedside manner for a doctor, but I was past worrying about it. We wanted each other, and that

was enough for me.

Wanting to give him a chance to change his mind, I pulled back, looking down at him.

Before I could even ask if he was okay with it happening, he gripped my shirt in his hand and

pulled it open. Buttons scattered across the floor, and I smiled. Apparently, he was fine with it.

I moved backward a little and sat up, tugging at his shirt until he raised his arms and let

me take it off. I threw it across the room and kissed him again while he pulled my own shirt

down my arms and discarded it.

His hands slid up my back, nails gently scratching at my skin while I fumbled between us

to get his pants unbuttoned. He growled against my mouth and shifted his hips, knocking me off

him and onto the mattress. We both quickly kicked our pants off and finally crashed back

together, kissing and touching every inch of skin we could reach.

His naked skin was so soft and so warm. I never wanted to stop touching him. He was

everything that I’d never known I’d always wanted. It terrified me that I would lose him any day.

I forced the thought from my mind. None of that mattered right then. Right then, I just

wanted to be inside of him. To be as close as I possibly could for as long as he would let me.

“Wesley?”

I looked down at Sean and smiled softly. “Yes?”

“Will you take me like this? I want to look at you, see your eyes while you’re inside me.

Please?”

He had changed in that moment. He didn’t sound like the confident, opinionated man he

had been only a few hours earlier. Now he seemed, not meek exactly, but reserved, unsure of

himself maybe. I don’t know, just different.

“However you want me, Sean. I’m yours.” I kissed him again before shifting our bodies

on the bed.

“Wesley?”

“Yes?”

“Do you have condoms?”

“Um, no. In fact, I don’t believe there are any condoms on the whole island.” I sat back

and looked at him, trying to figure out how to explain. “No one here has any diseases, so we

don’t need them for any kind of protection that way. And the women don’t require them for birth

control, so we just never felt the need to have them here.”

I wondered if that was going to fly with him. It was true that there were no diseases. And

the women didn’t need them for birth control because everyone on the island is sterile due to the

magnetic fields. But nothing kills the mood quite like talk of sterility and military fuck ups so I

was hoping he would decide to ask questions later and accept the explanation for now.

“You swear you’re clean?”

“Sean, I would never hurt you. My hand to God that I have never had a disease.”

He looked thoughtful for a minute then nodded. But he didn’t look very assured.

“If you don’t want to do this, we don’t have to. I don’t want you to ever be uncomfortable

around me.”

“Don’t worry. I guess I went down on you this morning without thinking about it,

anyway. And I do believe you, Wesley. I know you wouldn’t hurt me, or lie to me. I want you. I

swear I do.”

Guilt exploded in my chest at his words. I was lying to him, maybe not directly, but by

keeping things from him, I was just as culpable.

“Don’t do that,” he said sternly.

“Do what?”

“Look, I know there is something you need to tell me, okay? I’ve known it since Jasper

showed up here this morning. If you want to tell me now fine, but if it’s going to piss me off,

which it seems like it will judging from your reaction, I suggest you fuck me now and tell me

later. Okay?”

There was that directness I had been missing. “Are you sure you can’t read minds?”

“I’m sure.” He smiled. “I’m just really good at reading people. Now, get over here and

make love to me. Please.”

I crawled over him again, kissing his lips softly, then kissing down his jaw, his throat, his

chest, and over his stomach. I slid my way down the bed until my mouth hovered over his cock,

which had hardened again after our little talk. I flicked my gaze up to him to see him biting his

lower lip and staring at me. I kept my eyes on his as I slowly took the head of his cock into my

mouth.

He moaned softly while I swirled my tongue around his spongy tip, his tangy pre-cum

coating my lips. If my cock wasn’t aching so badly to be inside of him, I may have teased him all

afternoon. But I wanted him, and for some reason he wanted me, too. All I could do was hope

that I would have eternity to touch and taste him.

He watched me slide two fingers into my mouth, coating them with saliva before pulling

them back out again. I never moved my gaze from his as I slid my hand between his legs and

found his tight opening with my wet fingers. The first finger met little resistance as I pushed it

firmly inside of him, then I pulled it out and reinserted it with my second finger. His hips arched

slightly off the mattress and his gaze shifted up to the ceiling, but he moaned in pleasure at the

intrusion, so I knew I wasn’t hurting him.

After letting him adjust to my fingers inside of him, I began to move them slowly in and

out, fingering his hole until the muscles gave against me. When I thought that he was ready, I

removed my fingers and shifted my hips between his thighs.

I spit in my hand a few times and slicked my cock with the saliva. Watching his face

again, I positioned my cock at his opening and slowly began sliding inside of him. His eyes flew

open and his hands clenched in the sheets below us as I worked my tip inside. I stopped for a

minute, letting his muscles get used to the thicker width of my member forcing its way inside of

him.

“Wes,” Sean growled.

“Yes?”

“Please move. I’m ready for you, please…just, please?”

I’d never had a man come close to begging me, and I almost came from the sound of it.

But I managed to pull myself together and slide the rest of my cock inside his warm ass. As soon

as my hips touched his legs, the muscles around his hole squeezed down on me, clenching

against my cock until I feared I really would come before I’d even had a chance to move.

“Sean, please.” I managed to whisper. “I’m not going to last at all if you keep doing

that.”

He loosened his grip on me and let me start moving in and out of him. I had planned to be

slow, to be gentle with him, but he kept trying to shift his hips and speed me up. Finally, I just

gave in, wrapped my arms under his legs to give myself a better grip, and started to slam my

cock inside of him.

“Yeah, oh yeah, Wes. Just like that. Fuck me. Fuck my ass, Wes, please.” He was staring

at me, and his words were part yell, part growl.

I released his legs so I could take his cock in one of my hands, and he crossed his ankles

behind my back. As hard as I dared, I gripped his member and started pumping his shaft at the

speed I was fucking his ass. I wanted him to come first, but feared that I would be done in

seconds if I couldn’t keep control of myself. He was so warm and so tight; I knew it would be

close.

“Wes!” he screamed as he came in thick strands up his chest, and the sound of my name

being yelled made me come, too. My seed pumped into him so hard and fast it was as if I’d

exploded in his canal.

My hands were shaking from adrenaline as I pulled out of him. I fell next to him on the

mattress and fought to catch my breath. I glanced over at him to see that he was grinning widely

at me. My lips curled into a smile too, and I laughed.

“What’s up?” he asked.

“I really like the way you talk to me.”

“Oh, good.” He laughed as he rolled out of bed and found his old shirt on the floor. Using

it to clean off his chest, he turned back to me. “I was afraid you wouldn’t. I mean, you’re so…”

“Old?” I asked helpfully.

“Reserved.” He gave me a dirty look that wasn’t all that dirty, or convincing.

I was about to pull him back into bed with me but there was a knock on the door.

“Is this going to happen every time I get you naked?” Sean asked with a sigh. He found

his pants on the floor and pulled them on, walking to answer my door again as I struggled to get

out of bed and find my own pants.

“Why General Collins, how nice to see you again.” Sean’s voice carried back to the

bedroom and I cursed out loud as I ran through the door.

“Jasper, what the hell do you want?”

“I want to talk to you. Outside. Now.” Apparently, he wasn’t even going to play at

niceties this time. Which meant he had heard about Sean’s breakdown on the beach. Just fucking

lovely.

“I’m going to take a shower,” Sean said, putting his hands up. “Please, feel free to stay in

your own house. You don’t have to leave because of me.” He kissed my cheek and walked

toward the bathroom, slamming the door shut behind him.

As soon as the water started, Jasper started, too.

“I told you, didn’t I? You have to turn him over to me. I won’t have him screwing things

up.”

“Jasper, you don’t understand what’s going on. I haven’t told him anything yet. He has

been through a lot today—”

“Obviously.”

“Don’t interrupt me,” I said angrily. “Everything he had forgotten about his boat crash

came back to him today. That was what he was so worked up about. He’s been in shock since the

accident and something triggered his memory today. If you drag him away and lock him up at

the base, you’re going to have more trouble with him than if he stays here with me.”

“You would say that. You’re head over heels for this kid.”

I glared at him. Of course, he would be spiteful and do whatever he could to piss me off.

We were friends, sort of, but Sean had been right. There’s nothing nastier than a fight between

exes.

“I like him, yeah. That’s pretty obvious. But that should just prove that I want him safe.

Jasper, I swear, if you drag him away, you aren’t going to be able to handle him. He’s been

through way too much trauma in the last two days to take kindly to going somewhere against his

will.”

I watched Jasper’s face, hoping he would realize that he was only doing this to hurt me,

but he would hurt Sean more than anyone. I didn’t think he was jealous of Sean, though he could

have been jealous of me. I don’t know what his reasoning behind wanting Sean at the base was,

but whatever it was, it wouldn’t be good enough to talk me into letting him go.

“You have to tell him, Wesley.” Jasper’s tone sounded defeated and I fought the urge to

smile. “You know that you can’t keep him in the dark forever. He’s going to figure out there is a

problem anyway. And if he stays here with you, and you don’t tell him, but someone else does,

he’s going to hate you for it. Trust me.”

I knew he was referring to me, how he had kept the island a secret from me for too long.

But he was wrong about one thing.

“Jasper,” I said, touching his arm softly. “I don’t hate you. I really don’t. I just can’t live

with you. I was angry, of course I was. But I have never hated you.”

He touched my hand and smiled. “Thanks for that. Just don’t do to him what I did to you.

Okay?”

“I promise.”

He turned and left, shutting the door behind him and leaving me stunned in the hallway. I

had never known Jasper felt remorse for anything, let alone how he had treated me. It was nice to

know the good General had feelings after all.

“Tell me what?”

I jumped and turned to see Sean standing outside the bathroom door with a towel around

his waist and a confused look on his face.

I blew out a sigh. “You’ll probably want to get dressed first. Meet me in the kitchen?”

Chapter Four

I sat at the kitchen table dreading the talk I was about to have with Sean. I had hoped to

break it to him a little more gently, but thanks to Jasper, it was probably going to be as bad as

Sean crashing all over again.

“Wow, you look so serious,” Sean said, sitting down across from me. “This really is

going to piss me off, isn’t it?”

“I don’t know that it will make you angry so much as upset in general.” I blew out a sigh.

“Fuck, I don’t even know where to start.”

“What year were you born?” Sean asked.

The question startled me a little. It was such a strange place for him to want to begin the

conversation. Though, the answer was going to get us right to the heart of the matter I supposed.

“I was born in 1906.”

He sat there and stared at me, as if expecting more of an answer. But I didn’t really have

any more. It may not have been the best way to handle it, but I preferred answering questions to

launching into a boring history lesson full of military stuff he may not even care about.

“How is that possible? That means you’re over one hundred years old. That can’t be

true.”

“Well, time moves differently here. I was thirty-six when I got to the island, and I’ve

pretty much stayed that age. I’ve gotten a few more wrinkles, a few extra grey hairs, but for the

most part, my body is still that of a thirty-six-year-old man.”

“What do you mean time moves differently here? What the fuck does that mean?”

So much for just answering questions. Maybe the military had it right; sit them down

right away and tell them cold, hard facts, and let them think whatever they wanted to.

“The island of Wyspa was created by Russian and US military scientists to be the

ultimate bomb shelter. Construction began on the island in the late thirties after Russian

scientists contacted the US government to alert them to the fact that the Russians were working

on nuclear technology.”

I looked at him for a minute, but he just sat back in his chair and folded his arms over his

chest, waiting for me to continue.

“The plan was to use the island to protect ‘important’ people should a nuclear war break

out. They brought in as few people as they could, wanting to keep the integrity of the island. It

wouldn’t have protected anyone if the Soviets knew it was being built.”

“What do you mean ‘important’ people? Who decided what that meant?”

I smiled. He really was an observant man. “Well, they never actually had to figure that

out. Because in an attempt to create some kind of protective field around the island to ward off

future attacks, the scientists and the military got into an argument over how to test it. The

scientists wanted to test a small area to see if it was even going to work. But the military men felt

that wasn’t good enough. They thought they couldn’t know how well it was working unless they

fully tested it over the entire island.”

“Meaning?” Sean asked.

“Meaning the military won and forced the scientist to throw up a magnetic field around

the entire island.”

“And did it work?”

He had moved forward in his seat and was looking at me as if I was telling him a story. I

don’t know why it made me mad. Maybe because I have been stuck on the island forever

because of those idiots and he was treating me like a radio program.

“Yeah, it worked. It masked the entire island and locked us all inside for eternity.” I

could have broken it to him a little more gently I supposed later, but his fascination just got

under my skin. I’d never had to tell the story before, and I suddenly had a lot more empathy for

the sponsors and the crew who had to explain the nature of the island to newcomers.

“Eternity?” Sean actually jumped at the word. “What the fuck do you mean for eternity?”

“I mean no one can get off the island. Something about the field went wrong and it’s a

one-way door to the outside world. From what we’ve learned from people who end up here, we

don’t show up on any radar, we can’t be seen from the outside, and no one knew we were here to

begin with. It was kept so secret that the only people who know about it are actually on the

island.”

“Wait a minute,” Sean said and he started to laugh. “You mean to tell me, that this is like

a ghost island?”

“It’s not funny, Sean. From what I’ve heard from others, your time calls this area the

Bermuda Triangle.”

His laughter faded instantly, and his face drained of color. For a minute, I thought he was

going to pass out again. But he just looked at the floor and took deep breaths.

“You mean to tell me,” he said softly, “that all of the planes and boats and shit that

disappear in the Bermuda Triangle end up on this island. And they can never leave. I can never

leave? I’m fucking stuck here?”

Shit. Not very smooth, Doctor Moron. I stood up and walked over to him but he stood too

and backed away from me shaking his head.

“No, this isn’t happening.”

“Sean, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to just—”

“Shut up!” He backed into the wall behind him and slid down it to sit on the floor with

his head in his hands. “Just shut up, okay?”

I didn’t know what to do. I could keep my mouth shut, but I wasn’t sure that was really

going to help either of us. I couldn’t think of anything to say that wouldn’t make the situation

worse. All I could do was sit next to him and wait for him to start talking to me again. After a

few minutes, he leaned his head on my shoulder and we sat like that until the sun started to set

outside. We sat there for so long that I started to wonder if he had fallen asleep. Just as I was

about to nudge him, he put his hand on my thigh and squeezed gently.

“I really can’t go home?”

“I’m sorry,” I said, kissing the top of his head.

“Well, if I’m going to be stuck somewhere, I guess it could be worse than being on a

tropical island with you, huh?” He sat up and looked over at me with a sad smile tugging the

corners of his lips.

I hadn’t exactly been smooth during our ‘true confessions’ talk, but I knew had to get that

depressed look off his face. I leaned forward and kissed him softly. Before I could back away, he

wrapped his hand behind my neck and held my face against his, forcing my lips apart with his

tongue.

We crashed to the floor, a tangle of bodies with hands groping and mouths kissing and

nails scratching. I heard a chair topple over next to us, but couldn’t be bothered to care. The only

thing that mattered now was that the pain that had been in Sean’s eyes a moment ago had been

replaced by a heat that I had to feel on my skin. My need for him was so strong, so immediate, I

couldn’t think about anything else.

He shoved his hand inside the waistband of my pants, gripping my cock in a tight fist

until I was completely hard for him. I managed to get my own arm between us and wrap my

fingers around his firm shaft, pumping quickly as he did the same to me.

My mouth continued to ravage his as we jerked each other furiously, too far gone to even

bother getting our clothes off. My balls ached for release, and judging from the guttural cries

coming from Sean’s throat, he wasn’t that far behind me.

I screamed as my cock pumped cream into Sean’s hand and onto my stomach. My hand

lost its rhythm, so he started pumping his hips, helping me to get him off. Within seconds, he

shuddered over me, spraying his hot cum onto my skin.

He rolled off me, dropping to the floor on his back with a contented sigh. I looked over at

him and smiled. If he didn’t kill me, he was going to make me the happiest man alive.

“I need another shower,” he said after a few minutes.

“Can I join you?”

“It’s your bathroom.” His tone wasn’t nearly as upbeat as mine. I knew he was still upset,

our little tryst having only distracted him for a few minutes.

“Sean, I know it doesn’t help, but I am sorry you’re not happy to be here.”

He sighed and stood up, offering a hand to help me off the floor. I took it and let him pull

me into his arms and kiss me.

“Can we talk about it later?”

I nodded, keeping his hand in mine and leading him into the bathroom. I turned on the

water then looked at Sean. He leaned against the counter watching me. His eyes were neutral but

there was a tension in his muscles as he struggled with some internal battle.

He didn’t stop me as I unbuttoned his pants and lowered them, tugging gently until he

stepped out of them. After kicking off my own trousers, I pulled him with me into the shower.

We let the water spray over us for a minute, not talking or even moving, just standing

there staring at each other. I wanted to ask him what he was thinking about, but knew he

wouldn’t tell me the truth. If he bothered to answer me at all.

Finally, out of a lack of anything else to do, I grabbed the soap and lathered up my hands.

Sean didn’t move as I started to wash his skin, my hands running over the muscles of his chest,

his abdomen, then lower. I dropped to my knees in the tub, soaping up his thighs and his ass.

It wasn’t about sex; it was about wanting to take care of him, wanting to show him

tenderness. He had been through so much in such a short span of time, I didn’t know what else to

do for him. He must have sensed my intentions because he gripped my arms in his hands and

pulled me to my feet.

He kissed me gently, his tongue darting out briefly to swipe water from my lower lip. I

wrapped my arms around his back and held him close, kissing drops of water from his temple as

he finally relaxed into me.

“Why does your shower taste like salt water?”

The question startled me. Of all the things he could’ve asked in that moment, the taste of

the water in my tub was not one I was expecting.

“It’s pumped in from the ocean. The island has a filtration system that cleans it before it’s

funneled into the houses. Most of the salt is removed, thankfully. For years, you would end up

with crystals forming on your skin when you dried. But they figured that out eventually, and now

it’s just a faint taste.”

I washed myself quickly then turned to shut off the water, but his arms closed around my

waist. He dropped his head onto my shoulder and squeezed me tightly. I wrapped my arms

around his and we stood under the water, holding each other as the water cooled over us.

Again, I found myself wishing there was something I could say, some magic words that

would make all of it okay for him, but there was nothing. Like everyone else on Wyspa, he was

going to have to adjust in his own time, in his own way. No one could do it for him, but I would

have if I could.

I reached out and shut off the shower, turning to look at Sean. He shook his head as if

answering a silent question and got out of the tub. I followed him out, accepting the towel that he

handed me.

We dried off in silence and went back to the bedroom. He sat on the bed and watched me

walk around the room getting dressed. It was nerve wracking not knowing what was going on in

his head, but I felt it would be rude to ask him.

“You can help yourself to my closet. I’ll get one of the tailors to make you up some

clothes when we get a chance.”

He nodded and walked to the closet, flipping through my clothes, but I had a feeling he

wasn’t really seeing anything. Finally, he grabbed a shirt and a pair of khaki shorts and started

getting dressed.

“Are you hungry?” I asked for lack of anything else to say.

“Yeah, I’m starving, actually.”

“Let’s go out. You could probably use something a little heavier than fruit. Do you eat

fish?”

“Yeah,” he said cautiously, as if I were going to trick him somehow.

“Okay, well, we don’t have much livestock on the island, but we’ve got plenty of fish.”

It was full dark when we walked out of the house. It had been a stressful day for both of

us, though obviously more so for him. I thought it might do him some good to get out and see

more of the island, maybe meet some people, and a drink or two wouldn’t hurt either of us.

There were a few ‘restaurants’ on the island now. Though to be honest, most of the places

were just large rooms where people who cooked well in large batches served it up to the

inhabitants of Wyspa. There was no currency on the island, but we all traded goods and services

for the things we wanted and needed. Being a doctor, I pretty much could have whatever I

desired. I tried very hard never to take advantage of the people. I only accepted goods if I really

needed something. Going out to dinner, and worse drinking, was something I strove to avoid if I

could help it.

There were other doctors on the island, and some of them weren’t so considerate of

others’ hard work. I never wanted people to resent me. And I was always happy to help. I didn’t

feel anyone owed me anything for my services. If they would let me, I would happily help out in

exchange for food and drink, but so far, all of the ‘merchants’ on the island had refused to take

anything from me other than medical help. Since that was my life’s passion, it was my pleasure

to assist them when they needed me.

Jesse’s was a small pub-type restaurant specializing in British fish and chips. Apparently,

it was a big deal, and it was one of the busiest public eating establishments on the entire island. I

couldn’t stand fish, so I chose to take everyone’s word for it.

Jesse was also a brewer, and that was why I always went there. A few people brewed

beer on Wyspa, but no one made mead like Jesse. He grew his own hops and barley in a

greenhouse, and his blend was perfect.

I led Sean to a table at the back of the room and waved to Jesse who was standing behind

his bar washing glasses. Jesse was about six foot four inches tall with a full salt and pepper beard

and mustache and not a strand of hair on his head. He grinned and raised an eyebrow at my

companion. I wasn’t sure if his curiosity was due to Sean being a newcomer, or to the fact that I

was dining with a man.

He hurried over to greet us with two foamy beers, that grin still on his face. I nodded

gratefully and tried not to laugh while Sean drained half of his beer in one drink.

“That is the best fucking thing I have ever tasted,” Sean said when he came up for air.

“Sorry for my language, but I’ve had a really bad day and I think that this beer is probably going

to be my salvation. I’m Sean Harris.” He held his hand out.

The larger man took it and they shook firmly.

“I’m Jesse Ackerman, pleasure to meet you, lad. You gents want some dinner?”

“Yes please,” I said. “I’ll have my usual.”

Sean looked around for a minute, glancing at other tables before turning back to Jesse.

“Is that fish and chips?” He sounded hopeful.

“The best on the island. Probably in the world,” Jesse replied proudly.

“Can I get that please? And another beer.”

Jesse walked away to get our food, and I smiled at Sean. He drained the rest of his mug

and sighed. I pushed my glass toward him, and he gave me a grateful look before taking a big

swig of the amber liquid.

“Thanks, Wes.” He wiped his mouth on the back of his hand. “I’m sorry I freaked out on

you earlier.”

“You have to stop apologizing. You don’t have anything to be sorry for. Sean, you’ve

been through so much. Honestly, I would be worried if you didn’t…freak out. I just wish there

was something I could do for you.”

He laughed and reached over the table to touch my hand. “You’ve done everything for

me. Christ, Wesley, you took me into your house, you’re completely taking care of me and you

didn’t dump me on Jasper’s doorstep at your first opportunity. I am in debt to you to the ninth

degree.”

“You don’t owe me a thing, sweetie,” I said with a laugh. If anything, I owed him. The

last two days with him had been the best of my whole life. He made me feel young and alive

again. There was no way to repay what he had given me. All I could hope was that he would let

me try.

Jesse dropped off two more beers and winked at me before heading back into the kitchen.

A quick glance around the room confirmed that everyone was doing their best to stare at us

discreetly. I fought the urge to roll my eyes.

I didn’t do well at the center of a rumor mill. I preferred to keep my private life private.

But with Sean staying with me, I should have known that wasn’t going to happen. All I could do

was ignore them and focus on the amazing man sitting across from me.

At the moment, it seemed the man doing his best to get drunk. He had finished my beer

and was halfway through his third already.

“Hey Sean,” I said with a smile. “This ale is probably stronger than what you’re used to.

You might want to slow down. I know you’ve had a hard day, but getting horrifically sick isn’t

going to do much to make you feel better.”

“Good call,” he said, setting the glass down. “So, what do you want to do after we eat?”

“I don’t know.”

“Well, what do you do for fun?”

I thought about it and realized that I didn’t really do a whole lot. There was just a lot of

gardening and staring out into the ocean. Jesse would come over and play chess with me a few

times a week. Sometimes I would visit with friends around the island. But when I really looked

back on the time since I’d ended things with Jasper, I didn’t do much at all. It was actually kind

of depressing.

“Wow,” Sean said with a laugh. “That question really shouldn’t require so much thought.

Is it that boring here?”

“No,” I said defensively. “I may not do much, but I’m never bored. Look around this

place. How can you be bored surrounded by such a beautiful island?”

“I guess.” He didn’t sound convinced.

Before I could turn the conversation into an argument about my contentedness, Jesse

brought our plates to the table.

“More beer?”

“That would be great,” I said. “Thanks Jesse.”

“Don’t mention it.” He grabbed two more drinks and brought them back to the table, then

disappeared back into the kitchen.

“This smells amazing,” Sean said. He picked up a piece of fish and blew on it for a

second before taking a bite.

I watched the muscles in his jaw work as he chewed, then his throat swallow, and I felt

my cock twitch. His tongue darted out to lick his lower lip and it took more strength than I knew

I had not to throw myself across the table at him. All I could think of was how his mouth worked

over my cock the same way and I wanted him. It was so fast and complete that I wondered how I

was going to go through every day with him and get anything accomplished with clothes on.

“This is awesome,” he said before taking another bite. He looked thoughtful as he

swallowed again. “Do you know what kind of fish this is?”

“No. It probably changes. We have to make do with what we have. Sometimes you can’t

catch the same kind of fish two days in a row, so you switch things up.”

“It’s really good. I guess I’m just used to cod.”

“Yeah, you’re not going to get cod here. It’s a little warm in the area for that.”

He smiled and dug back into his food. I picked at my rice and vegetable plate while I

continued to watch him. I tried not to stare, but it was difficult. It was still hard for me to believe

that he was here with me now. That he wanted to stay with me and spend time with me. I vowed

never to take one day with him for granted.

He finished his food quickly and downed the rest of his beer then sat back in his chair and

sighed.

“So,” Sean said. “What do you plan to do to keep me entertained? I have a pretty short

attention span and have to be stimulated at all times.”

I glared at him over my glass as I finished my beer. I could feel everyone’s eyes on us as

his voice grew louder. He looked highly amused with himself. I was less so.

“What did you have in mind?” I asked after a deep breath and quick count to ten.

“And I thought doctors were supposed to be smart.” His tone was teasing and his volume

had dropped back to normal.

“You’re going to kill me.”

He laughed and covered my hand with his. “I fucking hope not.”

I shook my head and smiled. I would never get used to the fact that a man like Sean

would want anything to do with me. Especially since, according to him, I was over a century old.

I had heard the scientists talk about how time moved differently under the magnetic field,

but until Sean had said that to me, I had no idea how right they were. It had never felt like I’d

been on the island that long. But the outside world was moving on and here we were, a growing

group of people who looked pretty much the same whether they had been on Wyspa since the

field went up or washed up on a beach two days ago.

Suddenly I found myself amazed that Sean was taking all of this so well. I don’t believe

that, had I been told in my twenties that I was locked on an island and could never go home, I

would be drinking beer and talking about sex with a man I’d just met. He was a lot stronger than

I think he gave himself credit for.

“What are you thinking about?” Sean tapped my hand. “You went all serious there for a

minute. Don’t do that. I’ve had a hard day. I want to have fun. No seriousness allowed.

Understand?”

“Sean, I just—”

“Hey, Wes, foot is down.”

I cocked an eyebrow and tried to keep a straight face. “Well, if the foot is down, I

suppose there is nothing I can do about it. We’ll just have to go paint our faces and run around

the island scaring the natives.”

“Now you’re talking!” His eyes lit up, and for a moment, I worried he thought I was

serious. “Do you have paint or do we have to go steal it? Ooh, shoplifting and terrifying people,

reminds me of high school.”

His eyes creased slightly in the corners, giving away his charade. I considered pursuing

the ruse, then worried he might just decide to go through with it to spite me, so it wouldn’t be a

good idea.

“All right, all right.” I grinned. “What do you want to do?”

“I told you…sort of.” He winked, and I groaned.

“Sean, we can’t just hide in my house forever.”

“Why not? I like you naked. And unless there’s something you need to tell me, my best

shot at seeing you without your clothes would be there. Come on, Wes, I’ve had a hard day, and

I’m kind of drunk and really horny. Can we do face paint and startling tomorrow?”

“Anything else for you gents?”

Sean and I both jumped at the sound of Jesse’s voice. I wondered how much of that he

had just heard. Looking at him, I realized he had heard all of it and was grinning like an idiot at

me.

“No, Jesse. Thank you, we’re fine. It was excellent.”

“Yes, thank you so much,” Sean said, reaching out to shake Jesse’s hand. “That was

probably the best thing I’ve ever tasted. You’re amazing, dude.”

“Um, thanks.” Jesse looked confused but walked away with our plates without saying

another word.

“What’s up with him?” Sean asked quietly.

“He probably has never heard the word dude before.” I remembered staring blankly at

Trevor the first time he’d called me dude. But I had flat out asked what it meant. Jesse would

probably ask everyone else before admitting in front of me that he didn’t know what a word

meant.

Jesse and I struggled for years over who was smarter. We played chess, absorbed any

new knowledge that we could get our hands on when new people came to the island, and pretty

much it had always been a draw.

True, he couldn’t perform an appendectomy with a machete—any tool in an

emergency—but I couldn’t cook to save my own life, so I had decided long ago that it was a tie

as well.

I could just see him asking anyone who had come to the island in the last few years what

a dude was. I hoped I could find out who he asked so I could get the details and tease him about

it later.

There wasn’t a whole lot to do on the island if you weren’t into drinking, dancing,

making music, or a scientist, so you had to make your own fun.

“So Wes,” Sean said, bringing me back to the conversation. “Are we going back to your

place?”

Chapter Five

We tumbled through the front door, and I barely managed to kick it shut before Sean had

my shirt pulled over my head. He crashed back into me, kissing me hard and fast, our mouths

attached as if the only air we could get was from each other’s lungs.

The muscles in Sean’s thighs were tight under my hands as he used them to keep me

pinned to the floor. His hands moved over my chest and his mouth left a hot trail down my

throat.

“Sean, I want you.”

He didn’t answer, just kept touching and kissing me, his body sliding down mine until his

lips hovered just below my belly button. His breath was so hot on my skin, and his hands so firm

against me, I wanted to scream in frustration that I wasn’t inside of him.

Sean undid my pants, pulling them off quickly then slamming his mouth down on my

cock. Only his hands on my hips kept me from bucking against him in surprise at the movement.

I looked down to see him staring up at me while he raised my shaft with his lips before sliding

back down me again.

He was beautiful and so eager every time we were alone together. I don’t know if it was

on purpose, but Sean was doing everything he could to ensure that I’d fall in love with him, and

it was working far more quickly than I would have believed possible.

“Sean, please.” My voice was raspy with need for him.

“Please what, Wes?” He flicked his tongue over my tip. “What do you want me to do?”

“I want you.”

“That’s nice,” he purred. “But how do you want me?”

I lunged forward, tackling him to ground and claiming his mouth with my own. I could

taste myself, salty and sweet on his tongue, and my cock jerked in response to it. He struggled to

get his hand between our bodies, and I backed off enough to let him get his pants unsnapped.

He took off his shirt while I finished getting his pants off and soon he was completely

naked and gorgeous under me. As badly as I wanted him, seeing him on the floor without a shred

of clothing made me want to take the rest of time to explore his body. I wanted to feel every

muscle flex under my hands, wanted to taste each inch of his skin, touch every strand of hair. I

almost needed to memorize him so that every time I closed my eyes he would be there, naked

and amazing before me.

“Where did you go?” Sean whispered against my ear.

“I’m right here.” I kissed the tip of his nose. “Always right here.”

He smiled, taking my hand in his and bringing it to his lips. He slid two fingers inside his

mouth, coating them with his saliva as if pointing out that I was moving too slowly for him. His

eyes never left mine and they shone in the moonlight streaming through the window.

“Wesley,” he said, letting go of my hand.

“Yes?”

“I need you inside of me. Right now.” He shifted under me, turning around to offer me

full access to his sweet ass. If I hadn’t known it before, I would be certain that he had no patience

in his entire body.

He shivered as I ran a finger down his spine and between his ass cheeks. He didn’t tense

as I started probing gently at his opening, but I could see that he was holding his breath.

“Relax,” I said, inserting a second finger inside of him. “I won’t hurt you.”

“I know,” he replied shakily.

After a minute, he started breathing normally and I knew he was ready for me. I spit in

my hand a few times and used it to lubricate my cock. One of my hands gripped his hip as the

other one guided my tip to his asshole. I pressed myself slowly against the ring of muscles until

my head was fully encased inside of him.

“Don’t stop,” he growled. “Please Wes, don’t ever stop.”

I put my other hand on his waist and held him still while I pushed completely inside his

ass. He tried to roll his hips against me, but I fought to keep him still. He was too tight and I was

too wound up to let him set the pace. I’d never last if he had his way, and I wanted to have mine.

“Faster.”

“I can’t. I won’t last.”

“I don’t care. Please Wesley, just fuck me.”

Not being much for arguing, I figured it wouldn’t hurt to give in. I sped up my pace until

I was slamming in and out of him. My balls were almost painfully tight against my body as I

fought off my orgasm. I could feel words choking in my throat and I fought them as well. It was

going to be a race between my body and my mouth on which would shoot first.

“Sean, I…I…”

“Say it.” His voice was sure of itself, but he couldn’t know what I wanted to say. It was

impossible.

“Sean!” My nails dug into his skin as I tried to keep the words inside.

“Tell me you love me, Wes.”

“I love you!” It came out as a scream as I lost control completely. My cock spasmed in

his ass as I came in bursts inside of him. I fell forward onto his back, my cheek resting on his

spine as I slipped an arm around his waist.

“I love you,” I said again, softer this time.

“I love you, too.”

I slid out of him, falling to the floor and looking over at him as he lowered himself to the

ground. He found my hand and squeezed it in his as he smiled widely at me.

“How do you know?” I asked, unable to help myself.

“How do you?”

Fair enough. I didn’t know how to answer him, so I just let it go. I was happy. Happier

than I could remember being in a long time. If he wanted to believe he loved me back, I wasn’t

going to argue it that night. I knew enough to enjoy it while it lasted.

* * * *

“So, back to that ‘how are you going to entertain me’ thing we were talking about

earlier.”

I looked over at him and groaned. “You really are trying to kill me, aren’t you?”

We were lying in bed together, hand in hand, talking and just enjoying each other’s

company. It was nice to be with him, relaxing and just…being together.

“I am not,” he said, laughing. “I just mean that when you aren’t fucking me silly, what

am I going to do around here for fun?”

“Well,” I said, turning on my side to look at him. “There is a bar at the middle of the

island where the young people like to go let off steam. There is live music and dancing and

drinking. I know how much you enjoy your spirits.”

“Gee thanks.” He shoved me gently on the shoulder. “So when you say ‘young people’

does that mean that since you think you’re old, you don’t ever go there?”

“First of all, you are the one who was kind enough to point out that I am over 100 years

old, so we can skip the flattery of ‘you’re not an old man.’ Second, I’ve been there, I just don’t

go there. It’s not exactly my scene.”

“Would you take me?”

“Of course I will.” I fought the urge to sigh. “You know, not that I don’t adore spending

time with you.”

“I feel a but.”

“I beg your pardon?” I figured it was slang, but I didn’t exactly understand what he

meant.

“Um, I think you’re going to add the word ‘but’ to that statement.”

“Oh. Right. Well, yes. But, you’re going to have to make friends eventually. It would be

good for you to find some people with the same interests as you.”

He nodded slowly but didn’t look very happy about agreeing with me. If I could allow

myself to be completely selfish, I would have been more than happy to keep him locked up in

my house forever. But that wouldn’t have been fair to him. He really did need to get out and find

people his own age, or at least people who acted like they were in their twenties. I knew if he

stayed with me all the time he would end up getting bored and reach out for others anyway.

Better that he do it now and come back to me than to get angry later and leave forever out of

resentment.

“We can go tomorrow night if you’re up for it.”

“What do you mean?”

“I think your stitches are ready to come out.” I smiled as he ran a hand over his head.

“Having them removed might sting a little.”

“I’m pretty tough,” he said with a yawn. “I think I can handle a few stitches getting

pulled out.”

“All right, tough guy,” I said, pulling him against me and throwing an arm over his waist.

“You’d better get some sleep. Tomorrow might end up being a long day.”

“Love you, Wes.” His voice was already fading.

“I love you, too.”

I lay awake for a while, listening to his even breathing and running my hand up and down

his arm. I was happier than I could have expressed that he wanted to be with me. I just hoped I

could manage not to muck it all up and lose him.

* * * *

It rained for the next three days, so our dance party excursion was put on hold for a while.

I did manage to get Sean’s stitches out with only a few grunts and sighs from him. I was glad

that I hadn’t hurt him. His head wound had healed up nicely in such a short time and it was a

relief to know that he was going to be okay.

We spent the first night talking. We talked about our pasts. I told him about joining the

Army, meeting Jasper…and losing him. And Sean told me about his parents and his brother and

the plane crash that had taken them away from him long before he’d come to the island. All I

could do was hold him and let him tell the story. He didn’t choke up once, as if he’d had to share

the tale so many times he could shut down his emotions while he talked about it. It wasn’t

healthy, but who was I to judge.

In an effort to change the subject, I told him more about the island and the military. I

showed him the books I had collected from people who had been willing to part with them when

they’d gotten to the island. He was really excited about that part, and we spent all of the second

night reading to each other. It was lovely.

On the third night of rain, the steady beat of water on the roof turned into a torrential

downpour interspersed with huge cracks of thunder and bright flashes of lightning overhead.

“Does this happen a lot?” Sean yelled over the sound of the storm.

“Once every couple months we’ll get some strong storms. But it’s good for the island.

The rain helps the crops and keeps us all alive, so you’ll learn to appreciate it.”

He grabbed me around the waist and pulled me hard into his arms. His mouth seized my

lips and I opened to allow his tongue access to mine. I wrapped my arms around him and held

him tight as he ravaged my mouth. Far too quickly, he pulled back and grinned.

“I never said I didn’t appreciate it now,” he whispered.

“Oh.” I felt his erection pressed against me and smiled. “So you like storms, do you?”

“Very much.” He kissed me again, flicking his tongue across my lips quickly. “There’s

just something about that rumble of thunder rolling through my body.”

I dropped to my knees in front of him and ran a hand firmly up the outline of his cock

against his pants. He groaned as he leaned against the wall behind him. I smiled up at him as I

pressed my mouth against his crotch and blew hot air through the cloth restraining his erection.

His hands went to my hair, and I was pleased to see that his eyes were wide and full of

the same need I was feeling for him. A crack of thunder sounded outside, and his hands

reflexively tightened in my hair, pulling it hard and drawing a groan from my throat.

“Sorry—”

“Don’t ever be sorry,” I said in a hoarse whisper. “You can do whatever you want to me.

As long as you allow me that same freedom.”

He nodded as I undid his pants, letting them fall to the floor at his feet. A drop of pre-

cum shone at the tip of his cock and I ran my lower lip over it, slowly licking away the

sweetness, never taking my eyes off Sean’s.

Another rumble of thunder sounded outside, shaking the walls of the house with its force,

and Sean shuddered with it.

“Please, Wes.”

“Please what?”

“Suck my cock. I want to feel your mouth on me. Please.”

I considered torturing him for a few minutes, but decided that wouldn’t be very nice of

me. After all, he had said please.

His hands tightened in my hair again as I slid my lips around his member. The spongy tip

felt amazing rubbing against the roof of my mouth and I used my tongue to play over the

sensitive underside of his shaft.

I could hear the wind whipping outside and closed my eyes against the harsh flashes of

lightening that grew more frequently interspersed with the thunder from the storm.

Sean started to move his hips, pumping them to encourage me to suck him off faster. I

guess he wasn’t kidding about storms making him hot. I sped up my pace, wrapping a hand

around the base of his cock so I could move quickly and not accidentally gag myself. Not exactly

a sexy or smooth prospect when trying to get your partner off.

The veins in his cock strained against my tongue, and when I moved a hand to cup his

balls, they tightened against his body. I knew he wouldn’t last much longer. His hands were

almost fisted in my hair as I increased the suction of my mouth around him.

When another impossibly loud crack of thunder sounded, he screamed with it, his cock

jerking against my lips as he pumped his seed down my throat. I relaxed my grip on him and

tried to swallow quickly so I wouldn’t miss of a drop of his sweet essence.

I let him slip from my lips and reached out to help him to the floor before he collapsed.

He pulled me down with him and grabbed my hand, smiling broadly as he fought to catch his

breath.

“Wesley that was…wow.”

“Yes you are.” I kissed his hand and smiled back at him.

“I could get used to this,” he said with a laugh.

I watched him turn to look out the window, watching the storm through the open curtains.

He looked so happy, so content, as if he could really belong here.

I could get used to it too.

Chapter Six

The next morning, I was awoken by a bright ray of sun shining onto the bed. I reached

over for Sean, but he wasn’t there. The window was open, and there was a clean breeze wafting

into the room. The storm had blown over sometime in the night, and the island would be wet, but

beautiful.

“Good morning, sunshine.”

I looked up to see Sean standing in the doorway smiling at me. He was dressed, which

was a shame, really, and had an apple in his hand.

“I brought you breakfast.”

“Breakfast in bed?” I grinned. “How sweet.”

He sat on the mattress next to me and handed me the fruit. I took a bite and chewed

slowly. He had a look on his face like he wanted to ask me something.

“What?” I asked finally.

“Well, it looks like the storm has blown over.”

I knew where this was going but I wasn’t going to help him get there. I had told him I

would take him to the bar, but we’d had such a nice time together over the past few days. I feared

that if we went and he saw that I was really just a stuffy old…fuddy duddy, he wouldn’t be as

anxious to come home with me.

“I was thinking we could go out tonight. If you want to, I mean.”

I didn’t want to. Not even a little. But he looked so excited, his eyes shining brightly and

a worried smile on his face, as if he knew I wanted to say no.

“Of course we can. I said I would take you.”

“You’re the best, Wes.” He jumped up and kissed my forehead before dashing out of the

room.

I set the apple on the nightstand and crawled out of bed. It was going to be a long day if

he was going to be constantly waiting for nightfall. I just wasn’t sure what to do to keep him

occupied until it was time to go. Well, I had a few ideas, but I wasn’t going to pressure him to

fuck me for nine hours before going out. However, if things progressed to that, I certainly

wouldn’t fight it.

It was strange how much I had changed in the short time since Sean had come here. I had

never been the kind of man to think about sex all the time. Mostly because I hadn’t had any in

quite a few years. But with Sean, when I wasn’t thinking about how amazing he was, how smart

he was, or how much I loved him, I was thinking about fucking him senseless. I wasn’t sure if it

was healthy, but it was sure as hell a lot of fun.

It was strange how time flew when you didn’t really want it to. After showering and

cleaning the house with Sean, it was suddenly sundown even though I’d only been awake for an

hour. Well, it seemed that way, anyway. Theoretically, I remembered the time passing, watching

Sean get more and more agitated as we cleaned. Seeing him glance outside every ten seconds as

if he could will the sun to sink below the horizon. But it still went entirely too quickly.

“Wes!”

I jumped at the sound of my name being shouted from a foot away. “Yes, Sean?”

“The sun’s going down. Can we go?”

“Of course.” I did pretty well at fighting the groan that threatened to escape along with

the affirmation.

It was about a twenty-minute walk to the center of the island. The paths were clear, and I

realized that most of the people who came to the bar were probably from the other side of the

island. My side was mostly inhabited by people seeking quiet and sheltered living. The

retirement home side of the island.

The backside, or I suppose front side depending on who was doing the talking, was

generally inhabited by younger people looking for parties, grain alcohol, and anonymous sex. I

suppose it was fortunate that Sean landed on my beach. Had he found his way to the other side

sooner, he probably would have never left. Hell, there were people who had lived that life for

fifty years and still felt no need for the quiet life I loved. To each his own, I suppose.

When the beat of a drum wafted through the trees ahead of us, Sean stopped, turning to

look at me.

“Thank you for bringing me. I know how much you didn’t really want to come.”

“Sean, don’t be silly.” He gave me an eloquent look and I stopped trying to deny it. “I

just want you to be happy. And if this makes you happy then I can sit at the bar for few hours.

It’s not that big of a hardship.”

He kissed me quickly then started walking again, pushing his way through tree limbs that

were purposely placed around the clearing as if it could stop the sound from annoying others.

But there was a reason no one lived close to Gospoda. Sound carried, and this was probably the

loudest half acre on the entire island.

I took Sean’s hand and led him directly to the bar. I ordered two beers and we sat on the

wooden stools, watching the crowd for a few minutes. Gospoda was the only ‘merchant’ on the

island that did not accept trade for alcohol. The owners were actually very nice people who made

the alcohol, grew the food themselves, and offered it along with the land without expecting

anything in return.

Dara and Mike may have been the sweetest people ever born. They’d ended up on the

island when the small plane flying them to Florida on their honeymoon had crashed. They’d been

on a cruise and had to get Mike home for an emergency appendectomy. Fortunately their plane

had crashed on my side of the island and Mike had been the recipient of my first and only

appendectomy ala’ machete.

They had quickly adjusted to life on the island. Setting up their own greenhouses and

distilleries and opening Gospoda so the young people…and not so young people, had some place

to go have fun without worrying about anything, including ‘paying’ for their fun.

Of course, any damage that was caused by their patrons was fixed by the guilty parties. It

was a respectful environment and most people appreciated it. Even I appreciated the theory

behind it. I just didn’t feel the need to partake in it.

“Wes, are you going to sit here all night and drink beer?” Sean asked, nudging me with

his shoulder.

“Not necessarily, I may have some peach brandy. Dara makes it and it’s quite good.”

“Who’s Dara?”

“One of the owners. Someone you need to remember to thank when you meet her.”

He nodded and drained the rest of his beer. He looked at me as if asking permission, and I

almost laughed. I knew he’d grow out of that quick enough. They all did. But I nodded and he

motioned for another round.

“Harris!”

Sean and I both turned to see Trevor and another young man running toward us.

“Tony!” Sean yelled as he jumped down from his stool. “Holy shit!”

Sean and the new man, Tony I assumed, hugged each other tightly, both of them

beaming. After a few hard back slaps they pulled apart.

“Damn, is it good to see you,” Tony said.

“Where did you come from?” Sean asked incredulously.

“They dragged me out of the ocean and threw me in some military camp for a while.

Then they assigned me to Trevor. We’ve been having a blast! Isn’t this place crazy?”

“Crazy is definitely one of the words you could use,” Sean said with a laugh.

Trevor and I looked bemusedly at each other as the two men talked. I figured this must be

the Tony who had been driving the boat that crashed and brought Sean to the island.

How…lovely that the two of them could be reunited.

I had said Sean needed to get out and find some friends, and here was one right away.

Someone that he knew and liked and could adjust to life on the island with. It was as if my

wishes had been granted for him. I just hoped the wish hadn’t come back to bite me on the ass.

“So, is this your sponsor?” Tony asked, reaching a hand out to me.

“No,” Sean said as I shook the other man’s hand. “This is Wesley.”

Just that, ‘this is Wesley.’ No further titles or explanations. I don’t know what I was

expecting. It would sound ridiculous to be introduced as his boyfriend. But I guess I had wanted

something alluding to the fact that we were together. And that Sean was not available.

I knew that I was being stupid and probably jealous for no reason. But I loved him, and

he had just told me he loved me. Some sort of public affirmation would have been nice.

Especially to someone Sean knew.

“Nice to meet you, Wesley,” Tony said. He even sounded sincere.

I fought the urge to tell him it was Dr. Carpenter. That would have been petty and

uncalled for. But I was feeling uncomfortable, and Sean wasn’t really doing much to alleviate

that for me.

A normal, confident person would have realized that he had just run into a friend that he

had assumed was dead and perhaps his mind wasn’t focused on the guy he’d been fucking for the

past week. But I have never pretended to be normal, and confident was not something anyone

would call me, so I wrapped my fears around me like a blanket and kept my mouth shut.

“We should celebrate,” Sean said excitedly.

“Good idea,” Trevor replied, throwing his arm over my shoulder. “Shots all around.”

I opened my mouth to protest, but Trevor glared down at me and squeezed me tightly. He

let go of me and took one of the shots off the bar, handing it to me with a grin.

“Bottoms up, Doc.”

The men took their shots too, and we tapped the small glasses against each other before

draining them and slamming the cups back on the bar. The younger men coughed and gagged at

the taste.

“What the fuck was that?” Sean asked, still gasping.

“Fermented Pineapple,” Trevor said, slapping him on the back. “You’ll get used to it.

Wesley loves it, don’t ya, Doc?”

“Yeah,” I said with a laugh. “You know me, raging alcoholic that I am.”

Sean leaned over and kissed me on the forehead then called for another round. I didn’t

want another one, but I didn’t want to spoil the fun either, so I just kept quiet and drank my

second shot with everyone else.

I watched Sean and Tony interact and couldn’t help but smile. Sean was obviously so

thrilled to be reunited with his friend, and I felt a small twinge of guilt that I wasn’t as happy for

him as I should have been.

When they ordered up another round of shots, I had to say no.

“Come on, Wes,” Sean said. “Party with us.”

“You guys party.” I stood up and put an arm around his shoulder. “I think I’m going to

head back. Can you find your way to the cabin by yourself?”

“I’ll get him home,” Trevor said.

I looked over at him and he nodded slightly at me. I forget sometimes that Trevor isn’t as

young as he looks. He probably understood more about what was going on in my head than I had

given him credit for. I knew he would get Sean back to me safely.

“Will you still be up when I get there?” Sean whispered against my ear.

“If I’m not, you can wake me up.”

He nodded and kissed me quickly on the lips. It made me feel better that he was being

affectionate with me in front of Tony. I didn’t know anything about their relationship before

getting to the island, but I did know that Tony knew him better than I did, and he had a

connection with Sean that I couldn’t match.

I headed back to the house hoping that Sean wouldn’t be long, but knowing that it could

be dawn before he made it home. I had a good buzz going from the few drinks I’d had, which

meant Sean could be falling down drunk after a few more shots. The alcohol content in

fermented fruit was much stronger and much purer than what he would be used to. It would take

him by surprise.

As I crawled into bed alone for the first time in a week, I told myself I couldn’t worry

about him. He was a grown man and would have to make his own mistakes. I knew it was silly to

want to take care of him, but I loved him and wanted him to be happy.

I rolled onto my side and ran a hand over Sean’s pillow with a sigh. It had happened so

fast. I’d never fallen for anyone the way I had for him. It was scary and wonderful and confusing

all at the same time. I couldn’t even imagine how strange it must be for Sean.

I decided that I needed to back off for a while, let him get his head wrapped around life

on the island and life with me. I didn’t want to rush him into anything and scare him away. It had

probably been a good thing that I left him at the bar with his friend. It would be good for him to

spend time without me. No matter how much I hated it.

Chapter Seven

I woke to the feeling of Sean’s warm, wet mouth wrapped around my cock. My hands

went to his hair, and I gripped the strands tightly between my fingers while he slid up and down

my suddenly rock-hard member.

“I’m glad to see you found your way home,” I whispered.

He replied with my cock still between his lips, the vibrations in his mouth making me

gasp with pleasure. He took the reaction as positive and started humming steadily against me.

My balls tightened against my body. Before I could ask him to slow down, I came hard and fast

into his mouth.

Sean licked my cock clean with gentle flicks of his tongue while I fought to catch my

breath. He crawled up the bed and lay next to me, kissing my cheek and sighing.

“You know, I could get used to this,” he said, squeezing my hand in his.

“You could?” I laughed. “Sean, that was amazing. You are amazing.”

“No Wes, that’s definitely you.” He curled against my body, flinging an arm over my

chest and nuzzling my neck with his chin.

“Did you have fun tonight?” I asked.

“Yeah. Thank you for taking me there. What a trip running into Tony, huh? That was

crazy. I am so glad he’s alive.”

“Me too, love.” I kissed his forehead.

“He’s staying with Trevor over on the other side of the island. They invited us to party

tomorrow night. Do you want to go?”

“I don’t know,” I said slowly. “You should go, but parties and I…well, I’m not that big

of a partier, Sean. I don’t want you having to entertain me all night. You should go and have fun

with your friends.”

“Come on, Wes.”

“Besides,” I cut him off. “I have plans tomorrow. I was going to cancel, but if you have

plans, too, then I won’t have to worry about you being bored while I’m out. I’ll go party with

you another night. Okay?”

“Sure,” he said with a sigh. “You’re not lying about having plans to get out of coming

with me are you?”

“No,” I said defensively. “Tomorrow night I have a standing game of chess with Jesse.

I’m not making anything up. Do you think I’d lie to you?”

“Not necessarily. But I think you would keep things from me. Like, if you were unhappy.

Or worried. Or jealous.”

Damn, the kid was good. I knew he was expecting an answer, but I wasn’t in the mood to

give him one. It was late…or judging from the light growing outside the window, really early. I

was tired, and Sean was too, whether he would admit it or not.

It had been a strange night for both of us, and I just wanted to sleep.

“I love you, Wesley,” Sean said, rolling onto his side away from me.

I rolled over too and wrapped my arm over him, pulling his back tight against my front.

“I love you too, Sean. Very much.”

He kissed my arm and we were as good as were going to be for the moment. I closed my

eyes and fell asleep faster than I had thought I would be able to.

* * * *

I woke up before Sean and went for a run down the beach. The sun was out, and it was a

beautiful day. Since Sean had arrived, I’d been neglecting anything that was good for me. But if I

planned to keep up with a man in his twenties, I was going to need to increase my endurance.

Especially if things stayed the way they had been our first week together.

As I turned a corner on my way back home, I almost ran into Jesse standing in the middle

of the path.

“Hey Doc,” Jesse said with a laugh at the startled look on my face. “Lost in your own

world there, huh?”

“A little,” I admitted.

“So I hear there’s a wild party being planned on the other side of the island tonight. Are

you bailing on our game?”

“Nah, I told Sean to go without me. I could use some quiet time, to be honest.”

“Some grown-up time, you mean?” Jesse grinned at me.

“Very funny.” I rolled my eyes.

“Come by whenever you want. I don’t think I’m going to bother opening the restaurant

tonight. From what I can tell, everyone else will be at the party.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. I think it’s the weather. People are always strange after a storm. Apparently,

everyone wants to blow off some steam and they’re going to reclaim their youth with the new

comers. This Tony kid has apparently made quite the impression already.”

“Imagine that.”

Jesse’s eyes sparkled as he smirked at me. “Trouble in paradise, Wesley?”

“Of course not,” I said with a wave of my hand. “I mean, Sean and Tony are old friends.

They were on the boat together when it crashed. I’m glad he’s found people to hang out with.”

“Me, too. Lord knows you can’t keep up with him for long.”

“Go to hell, Jesse.” But I laughed. I knew he was teasing me, but I couldn’t help feeling it

was a little closer to the truth than I cared for. “I’ve got to get going. I’ll probably be to your

place in a couple hours.”

“Come to the bar. We’ll have beer, and I’ll make you something resembling food. We

can play out on the patio.”

I nodded and we shook hands before I started jogging back toward the house. I needed a

shower and I wanted to spend some time with Sean before he left.

Unfortunately, when I got back, Sean already had company, and they seemed to be

having quite a good time.

“Hey, Wes,” Sean said, jumping up to hug me. “You remember Tony, right?”

“Of course.” I shook Tony’s outstretched hand. “How are you?”

“Great, thanks,” Tony said with a grin. “Nice digs, Dr. Carpenter.”

“House,” Sean whispered to me as he led me to sit with them.

“Oh, thank you, Tony. And please, call me Wesley.” I pulled my arm out of Sean’s as he

sat down. “If you two will excuse me, I have to take a shower. I’m a mess.”

“Sure, Wes.” Sean gave me a confused look, but I just smiled and waved at them both as

I went to lock myself in the bathroom.

I wasn’t completely sure what my problem was. Sean and Tony had known each other for

years before Sean met me. If there was something going on between them, Sean would have told

me before. Probably.

Unless he was afraid to hurt my feelings because I had taken care of him, and he just

didn’t know how to tell me he wanted to be with Tony instead of me. Sure, he had told me the

night before that he loved me before we fell asleep, but there are all kinds of love.

I started the shower and forced myself to stop thinking about it. If he was going to leave,

then he would leave. I wasn’t going to be able to change that by quietly fuming about it in the

bathroom.

The best thing for me to do would be to enjoy the time I had with him and let things fall

where they may.

I showered quickly and wrapped a towel around my waist as I walked out the door. As I

headed into the bedroom, I heard Tony talking to Sean and his words made me freeze in the

doorway.

“When are you going to tell him?”

“I don’t know. Soon. Probably.”

“You suck at secrets, dude. There is no way you’re going to be able to pull this off

without him finding out. You need to just come clean, or he’s going to be pissed.”

“Look, I’ll figure it out, okay?”

I couldn’t listen to anymore. I shut the bedroom door softly and went to the closet to get

dressed. It was a struggle not to scream out loud in frustration. I was sad and I was angry, and I

was so hurt. There was no way I would be able to pretend everything was fine now that I knew

he was going to leave me. And from the sound of it, he would be gone soon.

If I had any balls at all, I would have walked out and wished them well. It would have

been gracious of me to give him permission to go and be happy. To assure him I would be

fine…eventually. But I didn’t want to do that. I wanted to be selfish and keep him to myself for

as long as he would let me. I wanted to scrape every ounce of happiness I could get from him

before he went.

Of course, I was sending him off with his friend tonight to get drunk and do whatever

they pleased without having to be worried about me finding out.

I wasn’t sure if I was glad I had heard him or sorry I couldn’t even pretend anymore that

things would work out for us. It didn’t matter now, but I knew the thought would haunt me for a

long time.

“Wes?” Sean walked in and shut the door behind him. “Do you mind if I head over to

Trevor’s with Tony a little early? They’re going to teach me how to cook clams on the beach.”

I forced a smile and shook my head.

“Of course I don’t mind. You guys have fun tonight. Are you staying out there, or will

you be home later?”

“I really don’t know,” he said with a smile. “I’ll probably be pretty drunk so I might just

crash over there, if it’s okay.”

“Sean,” I said with a pretty convincing laugh. “I’m not your dad. Go have fun. I’ll see

you when you get back.”

He kissed me quickly on the lips and grinned. “You’re the best, Wes.”

I watched him walk out the door and thought I might actually be the dumbest man who

ever lived.

* * * *

“I thought doctors were supposed to be smart,” Jesse said. “You’re damn near brain

dead.”

I had gotten to Jesse’s much earlier than I had planned to, but the house had been so quiet

without Sean there I couldn’t stand it. When I got to the bar, Jesse started handing me beers until

I was buzzed enough to spill what I had overheard at the house earlier.

“Gee thanks, Jesse. Because that’s what I need from you right now. I thought you were

my friend.”

“I am your friend, mate. That’s why I’m telling you that you are being an idiot. Anyone

can see the lad’s got it bad for you. Well, anyone that’s not you, apparently.”

“Did you even listen to what I said?”

“Aye, I listened. Did you? You have no idea what those boys were talking about. Sean

could have broken a dish for all you know. Nothing you said to me makes me think those two are

carrying on behind your back.”

“You’re crazy,” I said before downing another beer. “I’m crazy, too. It was ridiculous to

think things would work out between Sean and me. I’m too old. Too boring. We have nothing in

common. Of course, he would rather be around people his own age. This is all my fault, really. I

never should have let myself…” I trailed off as I took another beer from Jesse who was now

bringing us each two at a time.

I had to stop saying that I loved Sean. If he was going to leave me, I would be much

better off if I tried to stop caring. Not that that was ever going to happen, but I could at least stop

admitting it out loud.

If we weren’t meant to be, then we just weren’t. What I wanted wasn’t going to change

what would happen between us.

“I told you I was smarter than you,” Jesse said, interrupting my thoughts. “In fact, you

may be the dumbest person I’ve ever met. I can just see those fucking wheels in your head

turning, telling yourself you’ve already lost him.”

I turned away, but he caught my chin in his hand and forced me to meet his eyes.

“Now you listen to me, you stupid git, before you really do lose him. Sean loves you.

You may not realize how much, hell, he probably doesn’t realize how much. But I’ve seen you

two together. There is not a person on this island who is going to take that boy away from you.

I’m not one for love at first sight and all of that nonsense. But if it ever happens to me, then by

God, I hope I don’t fight against it the way you are right now.”

“Jesse,” I sighed and pulled away from him. “I don’t know what to do. I’ve never felt this

lost before.”

“From what I hear, that’s love. You find it, and suddenly you’re lost. And I’ll bet quite a

bit that right now that young man is thinking the same way you are. That he doesn’t deserve you,

that he’ll never make you happy, all of that crap you’re making yourself believe.” He put his

hand over mine. “But it’s just not true. When he gets home, you’d better sit his ass down and talk

to him. Or I’m going to drag you both down here and force it out of you. Understood?”

“Yes sir,” I mumbled.

He shook his head and stood up. I tried to help him when he started clearing glasses off

the table but he slapped my hand away.

“I got it,” he said gruffly. “You want another?”

“No way,” I said with a laugh. “I already owe you a couple surgeries at this point. You

need anything done?”

He thought for a minute. “Not personally. But can I donate one?”

“Sure.” I was confused and drunk, and not quite following where he was going with this.

“Well, I have this friend who desperately needs his head removed from his ass.”

“Piss off,” I said, giving him the finger. But I laughed in spite of myself.

“Mate,” he said, slapping me on the back. “I know you’re going to figure it all out. Just

make sure you don’t wait too long and lose the kid.”

He helped me to my feet and held my shoulders until I was steady.

“Can you make it home okay?”

“I’m good.” I waved him off and stumbled outside into the dark.

I wasn’t good, of course. In fact, I was a complete mess. The world was spinning faster

than usual and my heart was breaking. But I was pretty sure I could at least find my way home.

Where my empty bed was waiting for me. Again.

Chapter Eight

I stumbled through the front door and just barely managed to keep myself on my feet.

The bedroom seemed impossibly far away, and while I knew I would regret it in the morning, I

just decided to lie down on the couch.

I fell onto the couch and noticed that it was lumpy and moving underneath me.

“Wes?”

“Sean?” I rolled over, landing on the floor with a hard thump. “What the hell are you

doing here?”

He turned on a light and I squinted against the brightness.

“Last time I checked, I live here.” He got down on the floor with me and looked into my

eyes. “Are you drunk?”

“Yes,” I said defensively. “So what?”

“Nothing.” He sat back against the couch and smirked. “I just wasn’t expecting you to

come home falling down drunk. Literally.”

“I wasn’t expecting you at all tonight.” I sat up and stared at him. “Why aren’t you at

your party?”

He blew out a sigh and looked at the ceiling. “I thought maybe you had been lying to me,

and you really were sitting here alone. But then I got here and you were gone, and I really didn’t

feel like going back anyway. It wasn’t as much fun without you there.”

“Wasn’t Tony there?” My tone was snottier than I’d meant it to be, and he had definitely

noticed.

“Yes. What is your problem with Tony?”

“I don’t have a problem with Tony.” Lying wasn’t really one of my strong suits. But I

was hoping being drunk would throw him off that.

“Bullshit. You’ve been weird ever since we ran into him last night. Wes, what’s going

on?”

“I think you’re the one who should be answering that question.” I stood up, and on my

wobbly legs, I probably wasn’t very imposing at all. “I don’t understand why you came back

here. You obviously want to be with him and not me. Do you need my blessing or something?”

“What the fuck are you talking about?” Sean stood too, and he was much more

impressive than I was.

“I heard you two talking today. I know you just don’t want to hurt my feelings. But

honestly, the longer you stay the worse it’s going to be when you go. So just go. It’s fine. Really.

I’ll be okay.”

“Are you kicking me out?”

“No!” I threw my hands up in frustration. “You’re leaving.”

“I’m not going anywhere!”

We were screaming at each other. My head was starting to ache, and I really wasn’t

following the conversation very well at all. It seemed like he was arguing about leaving me, but

I’d already told him I’d heard him talking to Tony earlier so I wasn’t sure why he was denying it.

“The hell you aren’t! I told you, I know you and Tony want to be together.”

He laughed, and it made me angrier. I stepped toward him with my fists clenched, and his

eyes widened.

“Whoa. Slow down, Wes.” He put his hand on my chest to keep me a few steps away

from him. “First of all, you drunk moron, Tony is straight. He has absolutely no interest in me at

all.”

“So that’s why you came back? He didn’t want you, so you came running back to me.

Damnit Sean, I’m not a consolation prize.”

“Will you just sit down and shut up?” He grabbed me by the shoulders and forced me to

sit on the couch. He started pacing in front of me, his hands running through his hair as he

walked.

Several times, he stopped and turned to me with his mouth open as if he was going to say

something, then closed his lips and started walking again. Finally, he turned back to me again

and sighed.

“Wesley, I don’t know what the fuck happened to you today, and honestly, I don’t want

to know. You are drunk and obviously confused. I am going to bed and you are going to sleep

out here. But before I go, I am going to try one more time to make this clear to you. I love you.

You are not a consolation prize. You are the only prize. You are the man I want to spend the rest

of my life with. And if you were some semblance of not crazy right now, I would go into more

detail about that. I might even explain the part of the conversation you overheard today. But right

now, I am really angry at you and don’t think you deserve any more of my time. You need to

pass out and wake up sober. Then I will sit you down again and tell you all the reasons you are a

fucking idiot. Good night.”

He walked out of the room and slammed the bedroom door behind him. I stared out the

window trying to sort through the jumble of words floating around my head. I knew he said he

loved me. And I was pretty sure he’d said he wanted to spend the rest of his life with me. But I

was incredibly drunk and so fucking confused I really couldn’t grasp anything except he was

mad at me, and I had probably said something really stupid.

I lay down on the couch and stared up at the ceiling, hoping I could sober up and figure

out what had happened between Sean and me. But the room was spinning and my head hurt so

badly. All I could do was close my eyes and hope that I would pass out soon.

* * * *

“Good morning, Casanova,” Sean said, handing me a cup of coffee.

I sat up and groaned at the throbbing pain in my head. Looking around the room, I

realized Sean had pulled all of the curtains closed to keep the sunlight out for me.

“Good morning,” I said with a grateful smile. I took a sip of coffee and sighed, leaning

back against the arm of the couch.

“How are you feeling?”

“Like someone hit me with something large and heavy right in the eyeballs.” I opened my

eyes again and looked at him. Something clicked and I knew that things were not good between

us. “Why do I feel like I should apologize to you? What the hell did I do last night?”

“Well,” Sean said, taking my cup out of my hands and setting it on the floor. “Should we

start with you getting raging drunk, or you accusing me of running off with Tony, or you

eavesdropping and not waiting for an explanation before running off half-cocked with some

screw brain idea about what’s going on?”

“So, I had a busy night then, did I?” I dropped my head back onto the arm of the couch

and winced at the sharp pain that flared through my temples.

As my brain grew more and more conscious, I started remembering the fight we’d had,

and I was so embarrassed. I was pretty sure I hadn’t said anything I didn’t actually feel, but it

wasn’t the way I would have chosen to share my feelings with him had I been in control of my

senses.

“Did you really think I was going to leave you?” Sean asked finally.

“Yes.” I blew out a sigh. “Sean, I’m sorry. But I thought that you and Tony had been

lovers and that I wasn’t…” I trailed off, not wanting to say the rest out loud because I still

believed it.

“You don’t think you’re good enough for me,” Sean finished.

I nodded, not sure what else to say.

“Wesley, I may have been out of my mind pissed at you last night. But I told you the

truth. I love you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. That’s what Tony and I were

talking about. I got a job working for Dara at Gospoda. I’m going to fix their roof in exchange

for Dara making us a set of rings because I was going to ask you to marry me.”

I sat up and stared at him. The disbelief must have been naked on my face because he

laughed and ran a palm over my cheek.

“I love you. And I was so afraid of what you would say if I told you I wanted to marry

you now, so I was going to keep it from you. But Tony said you were going to get jealous and

pissed off if I kept taking off every night and using him as cover. And obviously, he was right. If

that was you after two nights of me hanging out with another man, I would hate to see what

would have happened after a few weeks. Damn, Wesley. Are you always going to be like this?”

“Only when it comes to you, I would imagine.” I couldn’t believe he thought he wanted

to marry me. Though I wasn’t shocked, he didn’t want to tell me. I would have tried to talk him

out of it—thinking he deserved someone better than me to spend forever with.

“So, I don’t have the rings yet, but since you already know my secret…” He got down on

one knee and took my hand in his. “Dr. Wesley Carpenter, would you be willing to make an

honest man out of me?”

“Sean—”

“Unless you’re going to say yes, I don’t want to hear it. Don’t argue with me, don’t tell

me it’s too soon, and don’t tell me I can do better. I love you, and I’ve known since I opened my

eyes here to see you looking down at me with a needle in my head that you were the only person

I ever wanted to touch me again. Don’t tell me you don’t feel it too. I know that you love me,

Wesley. And you know that I love you. I don’t need us to understand the whys or hows. I just

need you to say yes and make me the happiest man alive. Can you do that for me, Wes?”

“Yes.” I’d never known that one little word could encompass so much. But there it was.

Yes. Yes, I loved him. Yes, I wanted to spend forever with him. Yes, he was the only thing in my

whole world that mattered. Just that. Just yes.

“Yes?” His eyes went wide and a smile tugged at his lips.

“Yes, Sean. I will be anything that you need me to be for you. I love you, and it would be

an honor to spend the rest of my life with you.”

He threw himself into me, kissing my lips, my cheeks, my nose. I laughed and cringed at

the pain that still ravaged my head. What a time to have a hangover.

“I’m sorry, love,” Sean said, putting his hand to my forehead. “You should get some

more rest.”

“I don’t want to rest.”

“What do you want to do?”

I raised an eyebrow, and he laughed. “Wesley, you’re going to kill me.”

“I fucking hope not.” I pulled him back against me and kissed him softly, my tongue

pushing his lips apart until I could taste his sweet mouth.

My head was killing me, but I was hoping I could push past that enough to really show

Sean how much he meant to me. There were things that I needed to say to him that words could

not express. I loved him more than there was vocabulary available to say.

“Wesley, it’s okay.” Sean said, pulling back. “We can do this later. Hell, we can do this

forever. And will do this forever.” He winked. “I just need you to feel better first. Please?”

I blew out a sigh. “Fine. I’m going to go take a shower. Maybe some hot water will help

my head.”

He kissed me again then climbed off the couch, holding out a hand to help me up. I stood

and was happy to find that the world was not spinning. I took the coffee cup he handed me again

then let him push me toward the bathroom and shut the door behind me.

I turned on the hot water, and as soon as the steam hit my face, I started to feel better. As

I climbed into the shower, I had to admit that most of the good feeling was from Sean and his

amazing ability to surprise me. With everything that had happened over the last few days, him

asking me to marry him was the last thing I had expected.

He really was an incredible man, and I loved him so much. I just hoped I could allow him

to love me back. I had never been good with being loved, tending to rail against it and convince

myself I didn’t deserve it.

This time I vowed that, even if I didn’t think I deserved it, I wanted it and I would keep it

as long as Sean wanted to give it to me.

“Wes, are you feeling better?”

“Much better, thanks.”

“Good.” Sean pushed the shower curtain open and climbed into the tub with me. “I

couldn’t wait anymore.”

I shoved him against the wall of the shower and kissed him, trailing my lips over his chin

and licking drops of water from his neck.

“Your impatience is amazing,” I mumbled against his skin.

“I don’t do well just waiting around. So, do you think I’m crazy to want to marry you so

soon?”

“Oh,” I said, pulling back and smiling at him. “I think you might be certifiably insane.”

“Nah, I’m only a little crazy.” He gave me a little half smile and reached up to push my

wet hair off my forehead. “Unless you mean crazy for you, then yes, I am certifiable.”

I laughed. The hangover was quickly receding in direct correlation with how close and

how naked Sean was. Now that he was soaking wet, completely naked, and running his hands

over my back, I could have run a marathon and not felt a thing.

“I love you, Sean.”

“I know you do.” He kissed me softly. “I love you, too.”

He dropped to his knees in front of me and started kissing a trail down my ribcage. I

splayed my hands on the shower wall behind me to keep from falling over as he made my cock

grow harder with every press of his lips on my skin.

“Still think I’m crazy?” he asked, moving his mouth lower to string kisses over my

stomach.

“Absolutely,” I said, my voice barely a whisper.

“Well,” he said, licking a line from my balls to the tip of my cock. “Then I guess I’m

crazy. You’re the doctor.”

I shuddered at the feel of his tongue on my member. I didn’t know if I should beg him to

talk to me or beg him to suck me off.

“Sean.”

“Say it again, Wesley,” he growled. “Tell me you’re going to marry me. Promise me

you’re going to spend forever with me.”

I looked down at him and smiled as I ran my palm over his jaw. “Sean, I promise that I

am not going anywhere. I will love you for as long as you will let me. I will love, honor, cherish,

and anything else you need me to do for you, forever. I will marry you.”

“Even though it’s crazy?”

“It’s not so crazy,” I said with a shrug.

“Love you too, Wes.”

He took my cock in his mouth and slammed down until my tip hit the back of his throat,

making me cry out in pleasure.

No, wanting to spend forever like this wasn’t crazy at all.

About the Author

Dakota lives in Detroit Michigan. She loves the city at night and the shopping during the day.
She loves David Bowie and vampire movies, The Beatles and Dolly Parton. She is partial to
pixie sticks and cannot stand nuts...in her food. She will always believe that pizza is the perfect
food.

She is as much in love with her partner as she is with herself. And she will be the first to tell you
how incredibly witty she is. She doesn’t believe in lipstick but won’t leave the house without
eyeliner. She is fiercely political and can often be found ranting around her house and the
internet on any given topic. She still won’t admit whether or not she really believes that vampires
exist. And if you let her, she can convince you she doesn’t know how to ride a bicycle.

For more information about Dakota visit her website at www.dakotarebel.com or her blog at
www.dakotarebel.blogspot.com.

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Also Available from

Resplendence Publishing

In For a Penny by Carol Lynne

What’s the old saying…you can never go home again? Raven Black resigned himself to never
returning after being ordered from the only real home he’d ever known. Now, seven years later,
Raven is back to face the man who sent him away.

Zane Conner is not only Raven’s foster brother but the only man Raven ever loved. Despite his
mixed feelings about the situation, Raven can’t deny Zane when the older man asks for his help
in saving the Lazy C Bar Ranch. A boy found dead on the ranch clinches Raven’s decision.

Why did the young boy look so much like he had at that age—the same age he’d been when his
own father had beaten him and left him for dead?

Going Deep by G.A. Hauser

Dylan Conway thought he had a chance at the big leagues when a pro football scout invited him
to try out for the team. After a successful college career, Dylan figured it was a sure thing.

It wasn’t.

With his dream of playing pro ball shattered, Dylan takes a job in LA delivering pizza until he
can figure out a new direction for his life. What he doesn’t expect is to be propositioned at every
delivery, and to his amazement, he’s asked to work for a photographer of male nudes. He
accepts, and begins his journey into a deeper, darker industry.

Sean Dean, AKA ‘Rippin Long’, is tired of working as a gay porn star. For seven long years he
was the top earner for Tartarus Studios, but now he’s sick and tired of the demands. He yearns
for a real life and respectable work.

But even the jaded Rippin Long is stunned to see the latest addition to the Tartarus studios stable
of stars: The delectable Dylan Conway. To make matters worse, Dylan makes no effort to hide
his instant attraction to Tartarus’ prized stud, and he’s after more than sex. Dylan wants a
‘relationship’, something Sean has avoided after continuously being idolized as the porn star, and
not the human being behind the façade.

One man jaded and at the end of his porn career, the other fresh and just beginning a new life in
the industry—the possibility for any kind of future between the two seems daunting. Yet, the two
men collide on set, burning up the screen like no other men before them. Could there be a chance

for a real bond between them? With faith, hope and a little help from karma, could true love
bloom from what was once two broken lives?

Saving Noah by Carol Lynne and Cash Cole

Dexter Krispin arrived in the small Kansas town of Schicksal with one thing on his mind:
finishing his doctorial thesis. He hoped getting away from his hectic life in Pittsburgh would
allow him to concentrate on the long overdue paper and to forget about his last lover.

Life-long Schicksal resident, Noah Stoffel, has managed to keep his sexuality a secret. Yet, after
one look at the dark-haired newcomer, he knows his life in the sleepy town will never be the
same.

But more than Noah's desire for privacy stands between him and Dexter. For years, the residents
of Schicksal have been hiding a horrific secret, one that takes Dexter mere days to uncover and
expose...a secret that could destroy-or heal-them all.

Nuit Aux Trois by Melinda Barron

Quinn’s two roommates, lovers Fletcher Covair and Devlin St. Giles, have the perfect idea:
Quinn will accompany them on a Halloween ghost hunt at a haunted plantation. Quinn agrees,
knowing there’s no such thing as ghosts and thinking the time away will give her time to assess
her future job prospects, and if nothing else, a chance to relax.

But the plantation’s resident ghost, Alison, has other ideas. She wants help in righting a long-
time wrong, and it seems that the ghost has chosen Quinn, Dev, and Fletch to assist her. While
Quinn’s mind is reeling from the knowledge that there are really ghosts, she comes to another
shocking realization: Dev and Fletch have more on their minds than ghost hunting, and Alison
isn’t the only restless spirit who wants to make contact.

The Resurrection of Josephine by Melinda Barron

Martin Vandreen avoids graveside funerals at all costs—for good reason. As a spiritual medium
with the ability to communicate with the dead, cemeteries tend to be filled with restless souls that
want to chat with him. But when Martin makes an exception and attends the burial ceremony of
his dear friend’s departed father, he encounters a powerful entity that nearly kills him.

Rumer Rousseau and her lover Noah Hopper will do anything to stop the resurrection of
Josephine, including forcibly enlisting the help of Martin. Martin reluctantly agrees to help find a
way to destroy Josephine before the evil witch gains enough power to overturn the spell binding
her spirit to her crypt, thus allowing her to return to the world of flesh and blood.

Suddenly, Martin’s orderly, somewhat private lifestyle is turned upside down. But within the

arms of Rumer and Noah, he’s finds that he no longer desires the solitude he once treasured, and
longs to have a relationship that can stand the test of time. But will the bond they forged together
be strong enough to survive the resurrection of Josephine?

Nice and Naughty by Mia Jae

Cassie Franklin has to prove herself. After all, she’s the first female head of the English
department at the university. But that doesn't mean she has to prove herself sexually to Eric
Marsh, a fellow professor in the English department, does it?

Then there is Ryan. Strong and sexy, with hands that can ease away the tension of most any job,
he almost makes her forget her risky escapades with Eric.

Until Cassie realizes that Ryan and Eric have a closer connection than she ever could have
imagined, and they have very specific plans for her...

Carol Lynne’s Refuge Shifters Series is at

Resplendence Publishing

Extinction

Professor of Environmental Science/Wildlife studies at UNLV, Jack McBain has spent his adult
life trying to track a legend overheard during his youth. Born and raised in the Canadian
Province of Newfoundland, Jack remembers his grandparents telling stories of a race of people
eradicated by European settlers in 1829. According to the legend, the Beothuk people didn’t die
out as first thought, but were transformed into wolf shifters.

When Newfoundland wolves began to appear in great numbers, the European settlers began
killing them under the guise of population control. In 1910, the last of the Newfoundland wolves
was shot, making them one of the few extinct species of wolves in the world.

Following spotty leads, Jack begins to track what he believes are Beothuk/Newfoundland shifter
wolves. His search leads him to the Lake Mead National Recreational Area outside of Las
Vegas. There, on Spirit Mountain, he finally comes face to face with not only the shifter he’s
been looking for, but the man of his dreams he didn’t know he needed.

Retribution

Three lonely souls find each other in the midst of an all out war between the shifters and the
Hunters.

Mother Earth gave Ryker Allen rebirth over a century ago, his main purpose to protect Mother's
shifter children. Ryker has never begrudged his duties, but the loneliness is something he'll never
get used to.

Daniel was the King of the Coyotes until a mistake led to the decimation of his species. Alone
and half-dead, he was taken in by a pack of wolf shifters as a pet for the Alpha's mate. When he's
given a chance to live as an Alpha once again, he's reluctant to accept, afraid he's no longer
worthy to lead.

Hakan is the son of Father Sky. He was awarded rebirth over a thousand years ago to protect the
Native American Bird Shifters. When animosity towards Native Americans escalated, Hakan's
charges took to the sky permanently, leaving him without a purpose. He's lived his long life
alone, waiting for the day he can once again serve his Father.

Three men, three very different backgrounds, one thing in common. Loneliness. Can these three
souls come together to form a family?

Find Resplendence titles at the following retailers

Resplendence Publishing

www.ResplendencePublishing.com

Amazon

www.Amazon.com

Barnes and Noble

www.BarnesandNoble.com

Target

www.Target.com

Fictionwise

www.Fictionwise.com

All Romance E-Books

www.AllRomanceEBooks.com

Mobipocket

www.Mobipocket.com

Document Outline

Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
About the Author

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