Island Heat (19 page)

By the tenth, “I'm sorry to hear about you and Tom,” Eli was about ready to scream. Sure, he appreciated the sentiment, but it had been weeks since the actual breakup. Every apology, every murmured, “Lots of fish in the sea,” every polite inquiry about his new beau... it just rubbed in that he was only now free of Tom.

Nowhere was safe. After he left the restaurant and walked around the island, he kept bumping into small groups, pairs, or sometimes individuals – all of whom seemed to have heard.

It wasn't surprising. It was a small island with just several hundred guests, not counting the employees and business owners, so news tended to travel like lightning via text messages and whisperings. Still, he didn't want to talk about the breakup with anyone.

Thankfully, Dean found him about an hour after the restaurant confrontation and steered him over to the beach. “We're going to swim,” Dean told him, brandishing his swim trunks in one hand. He had a canvas bag over his shoulder.

That sounded like a brilliant idea, actually. Swimming – any kind of water sport, really – tended to take his mind off things. Eli laughed as he accepted the trunks. “Thank god.”

“Good job,” Dean added, offering a smile. “I heard you're officially single and not-single again.”

“Yeah,” Eli laughed. “I didn't really want to get into it, but he forced the issue. And then Kevin stood up for me...” he trailed off, smiling as he kicked off his shoes and carried them in his hands. They walked across the sand together towards the changing hut, not saying much.

It was empty, so he ducked in first with his swim trunks and closed the bamboo door.

“How was he? Kevin?” Dean asked from outside as Eli shrugged off his clothes in favor of the trunks, folding them up into a bundle.

“He held up pretty well,” Eli admitted. “He was brave. Tom was giving him one of
those
looks and he didn't back down. Poor guy was more scared of the positive attention afterwards, actually.”

Dean laughed under his breath. “Yeah? He comes off a bit shy.”

“He's bold in the right situations...” Eli trailed off, grinning to himself at what he'd just implied. He stepped out and shoved his shoes and clothes into the bag on Dean's shoulder, then took it from him to let him head into the stall and change.

Dean winked before he closed the door. “Well, no need to ask more about
that
.”

Eli laughed, gazing down to the water. It was calm today, like most days. This beach was a slightly smaller one close to downtown, but separated from the main beach along the harbor and boardwalk just below Main Street by a few groves of trees and a walking path. “No, but really... I want to bring him around so you can meet him again,” he told Dean. “Properly.”

“I'd like that,” Dean told him. “In the next few days?”

“Yeah, maybe,” Eli hummed, gazing off at the water until Dean emerged and stuffed his clothes in the bag. They walked together down the beach to the water's edge, leaving the bag a safe distance from the shoreline.

Dean was the first to run into the water, whooping at the cool water against him and belly-flopping in.

Eli laughed loudly. The effects of the public breakup were wearing off, especially with Dean's company. He felt lighter and more carefree than he had since he arrived on Ember Isle. He followed at a jog, splashing his way into the water and launching into a powerful breaststroke.

Water always soothed him when he was upset, angry, frustrated... any negative emotions couldn't linger when he was focusing on breathing, stroking, kicking his feet, shaping his body and his strokes into the most lean, powerful swimmer he could.

After a few minutes of swimming out towards the ocean, he bobbed where he was, glancing back at the shore as he caught his breath. The yachts were a little further off shore. A part of him was wildly tempted to swim around the island and out to Tom's yacht just to fuck something up, but he was surprised at how readily the idea left his mind.

He was letting go of Tom for good. His heart was open for Kevin.

Before he could distract himself completely with thoughts of Kevin, he set out for the shore again, dipping beneath the waves now and then to enjoy the clear, crisp salt water breaking across his face.

Eli swam back and forth twice more before his excess energy had worn down and he stepped out of the waves.

Dean already lay on a beach towel with an empty one next to him, his arms folded behind his head as he gazed up at the sky. “About time,” he smiled when he saw Eli looming into view, patting the empty towel. “Sit down and tell me about him.”

“About... Kevin?” Eli flopped onto the beach towel, his skin already drying quickly in the island heat.

“No, the Pope. Of course Kevin,” Dean snorted.

Eli laughed and reached over to slap his friend's arm lightly. “Ass. Um, where do I even start?”

“Did you really meet on the docks while I was inside?”

“Yeah,” Eli admitted with a quiet laugh. “Yeah, he was just there on the dock, saving a kona crab from being stepped on. He didn't know if he should throw it back in... He wasn't sure if it could breathe underwater.” He couldn't help a laugh.

“Oh, really?” Dean laughed, too. “He seems pretty smart, though.”

“Oh yeah, no – no,” Eli rushed to correct any misconception Dean now had of his boyfriend. “He is. He's just from Chicago. Inland, more or less. It's not like California or... I don't know, Florida. I don't think he spent much time on the wharves.” He turned his head to the side to face Dean, taking in his friend's dark, mussed hair.

“Mmm. So he's a city boy?”

Eli smiled. “Mmhmm. Worked at a gourmet bakery in Chicago and then it shut down. He switched to a... a regular old corner store bakery, and then Troy applied for them to come here.”

“Chance of a lifetime,” Dean murmured softly.

“Exactly. They got in, and... Here they are.”

“But what's
he
like?” Dean emphasized, turning towards him. “Don't take this the wrong way...”

“Uh oh.”

Dean drew a breath. “After your last relationship... and with our lives in general... you're used to thinking of people as what they do, what they have. He has a dessert bar, he was a baker. Er, is that what it'd be called?” When Eli nodded, he continued, “But who
is
he?”

Eli took the point. Tom had always said he was nothing more than his last movie. Eli sometimes got caught up in being the keeper of his assets, the creator of million-dollar deals. But Dean was right – he had to look at it another way.

“He's... he's soft-spoken and polite,” Eli murmured after a moment of thought. “He's a very good listener, and very attentive. A bit shy. Loyal, though. The way he watches me sometimes...” he trailed off, his face feeling hot. He rolled his head to stare up at the sun instead of watching Dean. “He works so hard. He's afraid of what will happen if he doesn't.”

“Fair, though. A new business,” Dean murmured.

“Mm. But he's never complained about it, not once,” Eli murmured, his heart swelling with so much affection for his boyfriend. “He's got big dreams, but it's like he doesn't dare to fully... have them.”

Dean glanced at him. “Have you offered him anything?” The question could have been loaded, but Dean said it simply.

“Money-wise? Or stuff? No,” Eli shook his head. “I don't need to. He's not after that. I didn't tell him who I was until – well, I wasn't going to, but after we saw each other the first time... that's when he saw Tom.”

“Right. And he recognized Tom and figured out who you were?”

“Exactly. Oh, I
did
say that if the meeting with Bill and Rube went badly, I'd get him set up, but that wasn't... that wasn't within the context of our relationship,” Eli said carefully as Dean watched him. “That was just me offering to fix his life if I fucked it up by--”

“By fucking him?” Dean teased.

“Shut up,” Eli laughed. “That's how it started, yeah, but... fuck. I can't explain it.”

“You don't have to,” Dean murmured. “Look out.”

Eli glanced out behind himself, squinting around until he saw a familiar figure coming into view. Wobbling along the sand, still in his shoes, was the very man he'd been describing to the best of his abilities.

God, his heart felt warm at the very sight of him. Eli sat up, his face splitting into a smile that was answered by Kevin's grin. “You found me.”

Despite being dressed in his work trousers and shirt, the dark clothes surely hot under the beating sun, Kevin dropped to his knees in the sand next to Eli's blanket so he could lean in and press a kiss to his lips.

The warm, sweet, wet taste of Kevin’s lips slipping against his and washing away the dry salt of the ocean air and surf made Eli sigh lightly through his nose, raising his hand to run through the short hairs at the back of Kevin's neck.

“Hi,” Kevin murmured against his lips after he pulled back long moments later, their noses still brushing playfully.

Eli laughed and leaned in to kiss the tip of Kevin's nose, then shifted to sit cross-legged. “Hey,” he answered. “I didn't expect you here. Prep?”

“All done,” Kevin answered. “I might have rushed a little bit...” he admitted with a laugh. “I wanted to see you before tonight and say hi. And make sure you're all right.”

Oh, you sweet man.
“I'm just fine,” Eli assured Kevin, beaming at that cute young face so earnestly turned to him. “I'm more than fine. I'm great. But how are
you
? Did everything go okay?”

“Rube didn't say a word about it all,” Kevin answered, a shadow of worry flickering across his face.

“That's a good sign,” Eli assured him. “He's discreet, but he doesn't bullshit around. He'd tell you if something were up.” He finally dropped his hand from the back of Kevin's neck to pull back to a more decent distance between them, reluctant as he was to break the warm glow of closeness.

“He's right,” Dean spoke up from behind them, and Kevin's eyes flickered to him. “If Rube didn't chew you out, you're fine.” Eli glanced back and saw Dean rising to his feet. “I think I'll go have a swim and cool off. Catch you later,” he told Kevin with a smile, then ambled along down the beach towards the water again.

“Okay,” Kevin answered, looking more relaxed. “See you.” He trailed a finger through the sand next to Eli's beach blanket, drawing squiggles as Dean walked off.

“So,” Eli murmured, reaching out to cover that hand with his own and draw Kevin's gaze back to his own. “Everything fine?”

“A bit nervous about Tom still... I don't know, lurking around,” Kevin admitted quietly. “But I think everyone knows now. God, the looks I got on the way down here.”

Eli winced. “Bad.”

“No,” Kevin hastily murmured. “No, actually. Just curious. A few jealous, actually. I think
everyone
knows...” he confided in him.

Eli laughed at the way the thought seemed to occur to him on the spot. “By now? Yeah, babe, everyone knows. It's a small place.” He picked up Kevin's hand to brush his lips against the back of it, then rubbed lightly with his thumb against Kevin's. “Are you okay with that?”

He was relieved that Kevin nodded firmly. “It's nice that people know, now.”

“Okay,” Eli answered, noticing Kevin's eyes wandering down his bare chest. He licked his lips, then leaned in to kiss him again. “I owe you one for standing up for me back there, even against Tom.” He kissed him and whispered, “It was very sweet of you,” against Kevin's lips.

Kevin blushed. “What? Er...”

Eli pulled back to look him in the eyes as Kevin's eyes fell to his lips. “It was sweet of you,” he repeated himself more clearly. “Sorry.”

Kevin nodded, then cleared his throat. “It was the least I could do. He was being a...”

“A what?” Eli grinned slowly, interested to see what word he'd choose.

“A liar,” Kevin settled on.

Eli laughed. “Very diplomatic. You can call him an asshole if you want,” he teased, pecking Kevin's lips.

“Mm.” Kevin pecked his lips in return, then gently lapped at his lips until their tongues mingled for a few more sweet moments. When he pulled back for breath, they were both breathless. “Rube agrees that we should hire someone, so we're interviewing. I'd better go... do that.”

“You do what you have to do, you small business owner... fulfilling his American dream,” Eli teased. Before Kevin could go, he caught his hand. “But, and I just want to get this out there before things go further... you don't
have
to work.”

Kevin stared at him, clearly wondering if he was offering what he thought.

“I can take care of you,” Eli clarified simply, smiling at the way Kevin looked uncertain how to answer that, perhaps slightly offended. “Kev, it's seriously nothing to me. Money is money. I won't take it with me when I die. But I want to see
you
happy. So if this ever gets to be too stressful, please... just tell me.”

Kevin's face had softened into a smile. “Okay. I will.” Eli knew he would still have to be talked into accepting anything, but at least he was willing to consider it. Kevin leaned in for another slow, lingering kiss, then pulled away and slowly stood up again.  “I'd better go. I'll see you after the shift tonight, hm?”