Page 19 of Father Figure

My heart beat loud enough for him to hear, and I swallowed hard. “Fucking terrified.”

As I lay there, with my arm wrapped around his slender waist, I listened to his breathing even out, and every memory I had of him played through my head like a movie. Report cards and school plays, skinned knees, and missing teeth. Giving him twenty bucks to go see a movie with his friends on the weekend. Taking him for his driving test in my truck. I had so many memories with him, good memories, and I was content with my role in his life as a father figure. Why was all of that changing now? If I wanted some young little thing to play with for the summer, I could find them on the islands easily. It had never really been my thing. Guys closer to my age and built more solidly—that was my thing. Why Nicky? Why now?

I realized he wasn’t getting up and climbing back into his bed. Nicky was asleep in my arms, and I refused to move him. Just for tonight, one night, I was selfishly going to hold him close to me and steal all the best pieces of him. I would commit them to memory so that I would never need to cross a line again.

CHAPTER NINE

The three of us squeezed around the banquet, trying to eat dinner without knocking elbows with each other was a painful reminder of just how cramped the crew quarters were.

“It’s our last night in Barbados,” Sam reminded us. “Please don’t tell me you’re going to stay aboard.”

“What else is there to do?” Nicky asked.

Fuck me. I gave Sam my best ‘I’ll-kick-your-ass’ warning glare, which only made him smile. I should have known. Sam always did the opposite of what he should do.

“Your Daddy didn’t tell you about The Grotto?” He raised his eyebrows, making it sound very mysterious and appealing.

“The Grotto?” Nicky repeated, looking to me for confirmation.

“Don’t even think about it.”

Nicky ignored me, just like Sam. “What’s The Grotto?” he asked.

“The hottest club in town. Probably the hottest club in the eastern Caribbean.”

“Can we go?” he asked me.

“Abso-fucking-lutely not.”

Sam chuckled as though he found my parental outrage hilarious. “Since when is The Grotto a bad idea? It’s one of your favorite places. Remember last time, that bartender with the dark skin and the braids, he had those green eyes, and you said he?—”

“I know what the fuck I said. Drop it, Sam.”

“I want to go,” Nicky declared.

“Why am I not surprised?” Sam sighed. “A party boy and a party pooper. I’m heading out in an hour, so you can tag along with me.”

“Over my dead body. If he steps one foot in The Grotto, it will be by my side.”

“Oh!” Nicky squealed, clapping his hands and bouncing in his seat.

Anyone who got that excited about a club was probably too young to go, but thanks to Sam, it was too late to knock sense into either of them.

An hour and a half later, we approached the outdoor party, nestled among the stone cliffs. This place was like stepping into another world. Ruins of old caves with stone walls open to the night sky, and a small waterfall that trickled down over the rocks. Lush green ivy grew along the walls and fairy lights were added. There was an indoor bar and dance floor that opened seamlessly to the outdoor space, and people flowed in and out. The music pulsed like a heartbeat, and you could feel the vibration in your body. The steel drum and calypso made your blood sing.

“Remember,” I warned, halting before we entered. “There are two rules about The Grotto. Number one, do not eat or drink anything someone gives you.”

“What’s number two?” Nicky asked eagerly.

I looked him over, from his white tank top that set off his fresh tan to perfection, making his skin positively glow with health, to his tiny white shorts that framed his perfectly shaped buns.

“Take off that necklace.”

Sam laughed and Nicky clutched his puka shells. “Not a chance,” he said, pushing past me. He strolled into the club with his head held high, taking it all in with wide eyes. Fuck, I already couldn’t wait for this night to end.

“Come on.” I slapped Sam in the chest. “Let’s get this over with.”

Nicky was like a rabbit on crack—he was everywhere. Drinking at the bar, taking in the scene over the cliffs, standing under the waterfall to wet his white clothes so they were see-through. His tiny pink nipples poked through the thin material, attracting many eyes, including mine.

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