The Major and the Minor

Chapter 1

Chapter 1The wet sand formed a hard bed beneath Nick’s shoulders, but he barely noticed. The splash of cold waves against his feet, not to mention the solid body on top of his, was too much of a distraction. He shivered every time the water ran down his legs in long, playful caresses, even though the thermometer was crawling higher and his skin was flushed from sun and arousal. The lips pressed to his were salty and demanding, like a force of nature that couldn’t be ignored or denied. Those long kisses, more than the ocean and the heat and the sand, made Nick’s head spin. At that moment, he couldn’t think of anything except tasting more of the man’s mouth.

“What’s your name?”

Nick shook his head. They weren’t going to worry about names. On the island, they didn’t need names. They were unwelcome reminders of the world outside the tiny tropical paradise. Anchors tied around necks. If you gave your first name, you might as well give over your last name as well. And from there, the floodgates of information would open. Address and emails and phone numbers. Then maybe they would both talk a little bit about their jobs, their hobbies, and why they were on the island in the first place. That wasn’t what he wanted and certainly not what he’d paid for.

His new lover didn’t repeat the question. Either he didn’t really care about the answer, or he correctly interpreted Nick’s silence. Instead, he dragged his tongue across Nick’s neck, gathering up the small beads of moisture he found there—a mix of salt and seawater.

Nick had been standing in the waves when he saw the stranger wandering down the beach and, even from a distance, the sight of the man’s body made him hard. He had doubted whether he would take advantage of all the perks he had paid for, but as soon as he saw the stranger, his doubts had fled.

The man’s body was perfect. Definitely the stuff of dreams and fantasies. He was tall. Well over six feet. And his shoulders were broad, his arms and legs thickly corded with muscle. Silver hair covered his chest and tapered down his flat stomach. He had black hair, except for the matching streaks of silver at his temple. Nick usually didn’t go for older models, but he usually never met anybody this gorgeous either. He had flagged the other man down immediately, smiling as he diverted into the waves without hesitation.

They had stumbled out of the ocean together, fingers entwined as their mouths crashed together for the first time. Nick hadn’t even realized how much he needed that very thing until he was caught in some stranger’s embrace and the sun and the air and the water. It felt like every single inch of his body was being caressed—what the stranger didn’t touch, Mother Nature did.

The man’s mouth moved lower on Nick’s chest, his wide tongue sliding over every bit of skin he could reach. The sand didn’t seem to bother him. Neither did the taste of salt, or the thick hair that covered most of Nick’s body. The stranger’s tongue brushed along the side of Nick’s n****e, and his stomach and groin tightened in response. He jerked his hips off the ground, letting his c**k slide across the man’s stomach. They both moaned at that, and it occurred to Nick that he wasn’t sure if the man would f**k him or not. It also occurred to him that they didn’t have condoms and that seemed like it might be a problem.

Until the man wrapped five long fingers around Nick’s shaft. Then he forgot all about condoms and everything else that wasn’t directly related to the rough hand on his c**k. He pumped his wrist in hard strokes, spreading sand and water and pre-come up and down Nick’s shaft. Nick grasped the back of the man’s head, his fingers threading through the thick hair, and pulled him up until their mouths met again. At the first moment of contact, the man’s fingers flexed, tightening to the point of pain. Nick gasped against the man’s mouth, torn between screaming and moaning and begging for more. He pumped his hips frantically, f*****g the stranger’s hand, wishing for his mouth, or his ass, and wishing it would never have to stop.

There was a buzzing in his ears and it grew louder by the second. His brain tried to filter it out, dismissing it as nothing more than the ocean encroaching on the beach, reaching higher and higher. Nick had no intention of lifting his head until they were completely under water, and even then, he would have a hard time pulling himself away from the stranger’s addicting mouth.

He didn’t want to lose his control too soon. He was more than a little afraid that if he climaxed, the stranger would leave, considering it a job well done. On the other hand, Nick was desperate for the release. He wanted to paint the stranger’s tan skin. He wanted to watch his thick come roll down the ridges of his sculpted stomach and get caught on the edge of his hip. He wanted to turn the man onto his back and lick him clean, and taste his own spunk and it mingle with the salt on his lover’s skin.

“You’re so close, aren’t you?” The words were a harsh whisper. It reminded Nick of too many cigarettes and too much whiskey. It was a voice he wanted to hear more of. He was almost tempted to blurt his name, just so he could have the pleasure of hearing it rolling around the man’s sinful mouth. “I want you to come. I’ve wanted that since the moment I saw you. Standing alone in the sea…like some sort of offering. Like you’re mine now.”

“Wait…”

Nick didn’t have time to form his protest. His throat closed, blocking breath and sound, and pleasure threatened to break his body in two as he thrust into the stranger’s hand. The water crashed forward, as if hungry for the freshly spilled fluid. Nick’s sigh of pleasure was lost in the rush of sea against sand.

* * * *

Dinner was a strangely formal affair. They all wore jackets and filed into the room like the polite gentlemen they were, carrying on murmured conversations as they found their seats. The dining room was a large, open area, with only three walls. It never got cold on the island, even at night when the breeze blew in from the sea. Consequently, the fourth wall was unnecessary and would have served no purposes except blocking the amazing view of the beach. They were only a few steps from the shoreline, and Nick figured he could have caught his own food if he wanted to. Tiki lamps and moonlight lit the room, reflecting off the elegantly simple table settings. All in all, Nick had to admit, the effect was extremely romantic.

The Greek Island Resort wasn’t actually anywhere near Greece. In fact, it wasn’t even on the same side of the world. The romantic dining room had obviously been designed for the couples who vacationed there, but the resort did not just cater to the gay lovers who wanted to get away from the world for a week or even a month. It also catered to men like Nick. Men who didn’t have a relationship and didn’t want a relationship, but still wanted to experience the tropical fantasy.

As a result, all of the waiters were gorgeous. Most of them were young and obviously didn’t know the first thing about working the dining room, but they had been hired for their looks and for their skills out of the dining room. Nick fully appreciated that, and he liked to watch them wind in between the tables, their eyes flirting even when they weren’t saying a word. A particular dark-haired, dark-eyed beauty with an olive complexion kept catching Nick’s eye, and he made a mental note to find out the young man’s name, at least.

The menu was very simple. He had honestly been disappointed his first night on the island, wondering if he was really paying thousands of dollars for the right to dine in a restaurant that essentially offered five things to eat. But he realized that they made up for the lack of variety with their extensive wine and liquor list. Not to mention the perfect food. He wasn’t exactly a gourmet, but he knew exceptional food when he tasted it. And exceptional wine. Now the five items on the menu seemed like far too much. How was he supposed to choose between five fresh and perfectly prepared dishes? The same way he was supposed to choose between the number of young men who populated the paradise he’d found.

“Is this seat taken?”

The polite question pulled Nick from his perusal of the menu. He looked up into the smiling eyes of a man he didn’t recognize. A quick glance around the room confirmed that he was only the only person seated by himself. Which made sense. Nobody went to the Greek Island Resort to be alone, even if they stepped off the plane without a companion.

“Sorry, yes.”

The man’s smile flickered and faded. “Oh, okay.”

“Sorry,” Nick repeated.

He glanced at the empty seat, then looked over the full dining room. Nick could see the question in his eyes, but he ignored it. He clearly wasn’t holding that seat for anybody. It would have been a very small thing to invite the stranger to join him. In fact, it might have even been a pleasant experience. It wasn’t that he didn’t enjoy company while he ate, but he wasn’t in the mood for what amounted to a date. They would exchange small talk and feel each other out, then maybe Nick would invite him to his private cottage. He could have stopped the stranger with a word.

But he kept his mouth shut.

As the interloper walked away, Nick scanned the dining area for the man he’d met on the beach. It wasn’t difficult to find him. He was seated at a small table, enjoying drinks with another man who looked to be about half the stranger’s age. They were both laughing, and as Nick watched them smile at each other, he realized they were a couple.

So there probably won’t be a repeat performance. That’s a shame.

And it was a shame. But nothing worth dwelling on. He had f****d five different men since his arrival at the resort, and none of them had earned a repeat performance. He hadn’t known their names, either, though all but the man on the beach had been an employee at the resort. Simple, anonymous f***s, without any strings, demands, or words. That had basically been the selling point on the whole vacation, and he hadn’t been disappointed.

Nick sipped his neat Scotch, enjoying the way the rich alcohol stunned his mouth and burned his throat and chest. He limited himself to one drink per night—a hardship since it was an open bar—and savored each tiny sip. The steady bustle and hum of the dining room faded around him, and for a moment, nothing existed except the Scotch in his hand and the ocean steadily pounding at his feet. He only had a week left in paradise. What was he going to do when he couldn’t drink fine Scotch and listen to the natural music of the sea?

Nick ordered the chef’s special, not at all perturbed that it was meant to serve two. He hadn’t eaten anything since breakfast, and the extra serving would definitely be appreciated. To the young waiter’s credit, he didn’t bother asking if Nick was sure, or try to clarify if Nick realized that he was ordering a romantic dinner for two.

The food was, as always, exceptional.

* * * *

The private cottages dotted the beachfront in a spacious, but carefully planned, pattern. Each one faced the ocean, and each one had a small, gated backyard with stone fences high enough to provide perfect privacy. The cottages themselves were cozy without being claustrophobic, and tastefully decorated. Clearly designed to be the perfect home away from home, it provided convenience and comfort without any of the artificialness to remind you that you were staying in a hotel.

Nick had been most impressed with the bedroom. While other hotels provided a fridge and a mini bar, the cottages boasted a miniature s*x shop. There were the standard condoms and lubricant (a dozen varieties total, many of them flavored), as well as butt plugs, c**k rings, dildos, and massage oil. Nick had studied the contents with a hint of bemusement before shutting the cupboard door. All of it looked very intriguing, but he doubted he would have a chance to use it. He didn’t plan to bring anybody back to his room, and in the week since his arrival, nobody had seen his bedroom except himself.

The bed did the cottage justice. A California king-sized mattress with a mirror overhead and a headboard designed for bondage play. It was the most ornate piece of furniture in the cottage, and the focal point for the entire design. It was also the most comfortable bed Nick had ever slept in, and he was definitely going to find out who had manufactured the mattress so he could obtain one for his own home.

The cottage was also equipped with a modest kitchenette, a comfortably stocked refrigerator, and a couch that was almost as good as the bed. A room service menu near the phone listed more than just food and wine. For extremely reasonable prices, Nick could have everything from flowers to ropes delivered directly to his room. There was also two of everything. Double sinks in the bathroom. Twin chairs at the kitchen table and on the patio. Two plates in the cupboard. Two glasses with the daily complimentary bottle of wine. Two mints on the bed every night. The room service trolley always came equipped for two services.

The Greek Island Resort was not a place for people who preferred to be alone.

After dinner, Nick never lingered in the main area. There was something happening nearly every night. When he was younger, he might have participated in the dancing, the singing, and the drinking. He might have gone to the shows, or gone skinny-dipping in the moonlight. But the first night of his stay, somebody had cornered him at the bar and began asking the very sort of questions Nick didn’t want to answer. After that, he decided it was best to retire to his cottage early, or at least seek out his entertainment elsewhere.

The sky had just turned a remarkable shade of pink when Nick stepped out of his cottage and into the ornately landscaped backyard. A lounger, a cold beer, and a brownie snagged from the dining room were all he needed to complete his perfect evening.

It was almost impossible to believe that another life waited for him on the other side of the planet. The world had moved on when he removed himself from it. His job, his home, and his family were all waiting patiently for his return. When he did abandon his tropical paradise, they would all expect him to return to his place in the world. He knew he could, and he would, do exactly that. But in those quiet moments, he forgot all about those things. He stared up at the sky as the pink faded into purple, and the purple into gray, and the gray into a deep, dark blue. The blue summoned the blinking stars, and Nick thought that was probably all the companionship he needed.

Despite that, his thoughts drifted backward to the moment on the beach when he sank to his knees to be swallowed up into hungry kisses. The man had gently excused himself after Nick exploded in his hand, and now he understood why. The young men who worked for the resort were always happy to stick around until Nick sent them away. But he supposed the stranger might have been on his way to meet his boyfriend. What were the two of them doing on the island? Was it some sort of romantic getaway? Were they celebrating a new relationship or trying to save one that had gone stale?

Nick shook his head at the question. What did it matter? He wasn’t going to make any sort of effort to see the stranger again. Even if he was in a stale relationship. If Nick sought him out with the desire to finish what they started, he was pretty sure he wouldn’t be able to keep it anonymous. This wasn’t a truck stop off the highway where nameless, silent s*x was the whole point. Every single element of the entire island was designed to create and promote intimacy. Not exactly an ideal place for a man who wasn’t at all interested in love.

But if he did go back to that particular area of the beach, would he get lucky again? Or, even better than that, would he have a chance to return to the favor. He never even got the chance to taste the stranger’s skin, let alone wrap his mouth around that gorgeous c**k. And it had been a rather exceptional c**k. Definitely the best one he’d seen since his arrival. Just the thought of that impressive length driving deep into his body was enough to make him hard again. Whoever had accompanied the stranger to the island was a very lucky man.

Maybe Nick should tell him as much? He almost snickered at the thought of marching up to the nice-looking man during dinner and complimenting him on finding such an excellent lover. But as much as the thought amused him, he knew he wouldn’t do it. He wasn’t that much of an asshole. Yet.

Nick drifted into pleasant thoughts of a repeat performance until a sharp voice pulled him from his reverie.

“So I hear you want to f**k my husband.”