Island Heat (5 page)

Main Street was peaceful at night – at least, this particular night. Kevin expected it would be far from quiet starting this weekend, but for now, it was a quiet evening and Kevin had the door propped open to the street.

The only noise from the area was some faint din and music coming from Glam, the bar at the end of the street where they'd attended their business owners' kick-off party. Kevin figured there was another party for the island owners' friends or something, but he didn't think much of it. He couldn't wrap his head around the fact that it was about to be Thursday, and he wasn't feeling ready in the slightest for Friday.

It was still unbelievable that he and Troy were two days away from opening their dream.

“How about we shift around those tables?” Troy asked, frowning towards the window. “We want to encourage small group interaction, but those ones by the window are trapped.”

“They're better for cozy dates,” Kevin argued.

“Guys won't be having dates yet,” Troy laughed. “This is way too early in the season.”

Kevin glanced over. “You think?”

“Man, nobody goes on dates this early in the summer. It's all hookups, getting that tension out of the way with,” Troy told him. “Summer romances come later, in late June and July... hot afternoons spent walking on the beach together with ice cream...”

Despite his best efforts, a certain handsome stranger came to mind as Kevin glanced at the bottles along the bar top that were filled with brightly-colored mixers. “Right,” Kevin nodded. “I wouldn't know.”

“Aw, don't tell me you're hankering for a girlfriend now that you've moved to an island of just about entirely men,” Troy laughed, dumping out a glass in the sink and rinsing it out, then toweling it dry. “Let me show you this last one, one more time.”

They'd agreed to teach each other the basics of their roles in the business in case one of them was sick for a day, and so they could work out how quickly they could train a staff member if they hired a guy to help them soon. So far, Kevin's head was hurting and he couldn't see why they couldn't just wait until the pre-opening madness was done.

“I know how to do it,” Kevin told Troy with a sigh. “I'm just tired by now. Nothing more's going to stick in my brain, man.”

Troy nodded and put the bottles under the counter again, wiping down the counter efficiently. “You look dead on your feet. What time were you in?”

“Um... about six,” Kevin admitted.

“Seriously?”

“More like five-thirty,” Kevin revised that estimate after a moment. “They delivered by seven...”

“Holy shit,” Troy shook his head. “It's midnight. You get your ass to bed. You can't do this when we're staying open until three.”

“I know,” Kevin assured him. “I'm trying to sleep in tomorrow until like six, but... I can't break that habit.”

“The first few nights of business will break the habit,” Troy told him, a worried frown line appearing between his brows.

“Don't worry about me,” Kevin assured Troy with a smile. “I'll adjust. You go party and... try not to be too loud if you come back to our place...”

Troy laughed, then headed to the door with him as they locked up their shop.

They were both silent now for a few moments as they lingered together on the sidewalk, just glancing at the storefront and the sign with its curly, yet sleek Sweet Nothings logo
.
Kevin couldn't have described the emotions upon seeing his shop from the outside with Troy.

“Well,” Troy murmured, reaching out to pull Kevin into a half-hug as they looked through the windows at the shop. Kevin returned it by putting an arm around his shoulders. “We've done it now.”

Kevin laughed. “Yeah, no fucking kidding. What were you thinking? Let's go to an island full of rich people and throw ourselves in with the sharks,” he rolled his eyes.

Troy laughed, clapping Kevin on the back before letting go. “We'll be fine, man. Go home and sleep. Sleep in, too. We've still got Thursday and Friday. If you need my help baking things for Friday...”

“I'll be fine. But thanks,” Kevin nodded.

“Night.” Troy squeezed his shoulder before turning his gaze up and down the street, no doubt looking for the party.

Kevin laughed under his breath as he watched Troy head off in search of hot men. “Night,” he answered, lingering for a moment more to enjoy the sight of the small bar through the window, before turning to head home.

***

When six o'clock came around, Kevin found himself stirring to life reluctantly. His body was so used to waking up before dawn that even this felt like a late hour. He wasn't yet feeling refreshed after his late evening, but at least his eyes weren't closing automatically.

He yawned as he pulled his pillow over his head for a moment. “Oh, I'm going to fuckin' hate myself,” he murmured, but he didn't try to resist the urge to get up. He'd only end up more tired if he tried to sleep in now that he was awake.

This morning, though, Kevin felt much less like he was in a frantic rush to get in to the store. He took his time showering, dressing, and eating breakfast. He even felt a little more relaxed now that the bar and kitchen were set up the way he liked them. He figured he'd get into work around seven that morning – a reasonable hour.

Fuck, but he ached a little from moving heavy bags of flour and boxes of ingredients around the kitchen by himself while setting the place up, though. He was still used to lifting pails of icing around the last two bakeries he'd worked at, but he hadn't been carrying around thirty-pound cakes at Darren's bakery like the gourmet place before.

He stretched as he walked, lifting his arms above his head and then twisting gently left and right, then crossing his arms over his chest to stretch out the ache in his muscles. The shower had helped a little, but he didn't want to injure himself right before opening.

He only encountered a few others out and about so early, including two delivery vans from the supply shop, a group of bedraggled revelers still making their way home from parties the night before, and a few street cleaners who were sweeping Main Street.

Kevin's heart jolted. A man was leaning by the door of the bakery, and his first instinct was to think he was being held up.

Jesus, calm down,
he told himself.
Not on this island.
He couldn't see anyone being ballsy enough to try it in a place like this.

A few steps later, the man heard him and glanced over.

Of course it was him: the gorgeous billionaire he'd chased away with his sharp words the previous morning.

Kevin's cheeks burned but he kept walking towards him. He wasn't going to act like a thirteen-year-old and run off now. He had to face him and apologize.

“Good morning,” the deep, warm rumble of the handsome stranger's voice greeted him. God, Kevin was jealous of his voice. He looked like someone Kevin had once seen, but Kevin couldn't figure out who. If he was at all well-known like everyone here apparently was, he was probably some kind of celebrity. Kevin didn't care either way. Celebrity or not, he was into him for some reason.

“Morning.”

“We haven't properly met, I don't believe.” The man pushed himself away from the door. He was dressed in light trousers and a white collared shirt with a grey vest. He looked like he hadn't shaved in a day or so, giving him light stubble that made him look older, but he had to only be a decade older than Kevin at most. He couldn't be in his mid-thirties yet.

“No,” Kevin agreed, reaching out to shake hands. “I'm Kevin.” When their palms touched, a shiver ran straight down Kevin's spine as he felt soft fingertips brushing his wrist and the thumb snugly fitting across his fingers. It felt like their hands fit together perfectly.

Holy fuck, not ready to think that yet,
Kevin thought and focused on giving a firm shake, but the stranger took a moment longer to let go of his hand.

“Eli,” the man answered, and Kevin committed the name to memory instantly. Eli let go of his hand a moment later but stayed close, his gaze flickering between Kevin's eyes. “I don't mean to come off like a stalker...”

“Waiting for me outside my bar definitely counts,” Kevin teased, his lips quirking into a grin despite his best efforts.

“Sorry,” Eli laughed, moving aside so Kevin could get to the door and lock. “I just wanted to apologize for barging in yesterday. I've heard you're busy.”

“Heard?” Kevin questioned, his heart skipping a beat. Who was talking to Eli about him? Or did he mean the business owners in general?

“All the new business owners are busy now, aren't they?” Eli asked.

“Ah. Yeah,” Kevin nodded, stepping forward to unlock the door. His shoulder brushed against Eli's chest, and fuck,
why
did that make his stomach flip-flop with pleasure? He already felt hot from these few simple touches.

“Where's your partner?”

“That's Troy,” Kevin told him, pocketing his key and pulling open the door. He headed into the shop behind the counter to flick the lights on, then came back to the door and beckoned Eli in. It wasn't like he
had
to do a lot of work in the morning. He still had the rest of Thursday and most of Friday to prepare his tarts and mousses. “He's sleeping in. Probably slept with half the island already.”

Eli laughed. “Including my best friend.”

“Oh, no,” Kevin sighed and winced. “Is that awkward?”

“Nah,” Eli shrugged. “They can do whatever they want.” The billionaire drew up a chair at a table for two, and Kevin instinctively followed to take a seat opposite him. “So you're stuck setting up in the morning?”

“Yeah. That's why I was grumpy yesterday. That, and time pressures...” Kevin frowned. “I'm sorry.”

“I think you mean
crabby
,” Eli grinned, and the look on his face made Kevin laugh despite his best efforts not to reward the teasing. “But I understand. It's fine.”

“Troy – I love him, mind you, but – right now, he's got his mind on
other
things besides the business.”

“Like getting laid.”

“Like that,” Kevin agreed and licked his lips. He didn't want to tell all of his secrets and business partnership woes to a near-stranger on their first time properly talking. At the same time, he was... lonely. He folded his hands on the table and laced his fingers, then lifted his shoulders in a simple shrug. “When push comes to shove, he's always there. He'll be there Friday when I need him.”

Eli reached out to press a warm, gentle hand across the backs of his folded hands until he unlaced his fingers and laid his hands against the table, then ran a finger along Kevin's palm and up to the tip of Kevin's finger. The way Eli touched him was lighthearted and flirtatious, even though it felt intimate in some ways. He moved slowly enough to let Kevin draw back if he felt uncomfortable, but Kevin...

Fuck, Kevin didn't want to pull away. At the very least, he wasn't straight when Eli came around. The way his cock jumped to attention under the table and his lips tingled with the desire to feel
something
... the way his nerves sparked throughout his whole body... his breathing sped up... none of those signs were promising for his sexuality.

Kevin pulled his gaze up from Eli's finger against his hand to look into the well-dressed man's eyes. “I'm not...” he trailed off, trying to think of how to put it.

“You're not what?” Eli patiently asked, stopping the motion and resting his palm lightly against Eli's for a moment.

“I'm not looking to just hook up and then forget you,” Kevin explained, his heart hammering. Really, he
should
be hooking up and figuring his shit out before he promised any more, but he already knew he didn't want Eli in his bed for just one night. He couldn't imagine how strange it would be to see him again afterwards and not have some kind of... spark of connection again.

Eli smiled, straightening up and pulling his hand back. Kevin fought back disappointment. “Am I moving too fast?” he inquired. “We
have
only barely met.”

“Yeah... I mean, no, but...” Kevin squinted for a moment in thought, catching the clear blue gaze that was studying him. “No. I just... I'm only used to seeing Troy go off with other men for a night at a time.”

“And you're looking for something more intimate than that,” Eli supplied.

Kevin shook his head, making a look of surprise flit across Eli's face. “I wasn't planning on dating while I was here at all,” he told Eli.

Eli cleared his throat, looking faintly embarrassed now as he brushed his vest slightly as if smoothing it. “Ah. Yes, you have a lot to focus on.”

Don't let him walk out.
A little too fast, Kevin blurted out, “But I want to... see
you
again. I don't know why. I just think we should... get to know each other more.”

This seemed to relieve Eli, who let a sigh of relief escape before reaching over the table to take Kevin's hand again and squeeze lightly. “Of course. And the next few days are bad for you...”

“Yeah,” Kevin admitted, much as he wanted to swear off work and let Eli stay and talk to him – especially touch him – all day. He felt hot all over at the simple touches Eli was giving to his hands and the way Eli watched him like he was fascinating. He hardly knew what to do with his own nervous energy.