Page 19 of Say Uncle

“I don’t know… of everything.”

“Did you take any on the boat?”

“A few,” I admitted.

“I’d love to see them.” He popped a fritter into his mouth, chewing loudly. “Oh, you know what you should do? You should start a travel blog. You could feature your pictures and document your travels.”

“That’s… kind of…”brilliant, I thought, keeping that part to myself.

“Genius,” he supplied. “I know. On our next trip, we’ll get started. I’ll help you. I’ll be your silent partner.”

Leaning back in my chair, I sighed, looking him over. Spending the day with Nicky wasn’t so bad after all. He was a revelation, a breath of fresh air.

I guess I could even say we were friends now.

CHAPTER SIX

Meet me at the dock in an hour

He was going to hate me for waking him at the crack of dawn, not that I cared. I drove through theMcDonald’sdrive-thru window to grab two coffees and a couple of breakfast sandwiches and then continued on to the marina. Mattie arrived at six o’clock on the dot.

The sun rose like an orange ball of fire over the horizon, glittering like rubies over the water.

“I thought we were off today,” Mattie complained.

“Nah, this client booked with us last week. I just like to keep you on your toes,” I smirked, shoving his coffee at him. “We’ve got a day charter fishing trip. Drink up, and there’s a sandwich in that bag for you.”

His face soured as he stared at the Harlowe One docked beside the Harlowe Two. No doubt he wished we were gearing up for an exotic Caribbean getaway aboard the yacht.

“Time to cash in that fishing trip voucher, Mattie-boy.” I turned away, laughing, and got hit square in the back with the balled-up paper bag.

“I told you, I hate fishing.”

“No, you told me you’ve never fished before. There’s a difference. You can’t hate something you’ve never tried.”

“I’m probably gonna hate it,” he sulked.

“Then you’re not doing it right.”

Rod and Bram joined us and we got underway, not slowing until we were twelve miles offshore. The guys were seasoned fishermen and didn’t require much assistance from me, so I focused on Mattie instead.

“Come here, boy.”

“Boy?” He squinted against the sun over my shoulder. “I don’t fucking think so, old man.”

Moving quicker than he guessed I could, I grabbed him by the front of his shirt, hauling him up against my chest. “Didn’t I tell you about watching your mouth when you’re on the job? That’s how you got fired from your last one.” I let go of his shirt, smoothing my palm over his chest. “Watch what you say around our guests. Got it?”

He looked shocked, and his throat bobbed as he swallowed. “Yes, sir.”

“Good, now go grab that pole from the rack over there and bring it here.”

“You’re not gonna give up till you teach me how to fish, are you?”

I laughed easily, snagging him by the waist and turning him around to stand between my legs. “You want to hold it like this.” I showed him, wrapping his fingers around the pole. I covered them with my own hands. “Position the end against your belly and tighten your core,” I instructed, placing my right hand over his stomach. “Now reel it in, nice and easy.” My words tickled his ear, making him shiver. Mattie spun the reel too quickly, jamming it up. “No, not like that. Slow down, slick. You’re not jerking the damn thing like it’s your cock.” He turned his face into mine, maybe surprised I was talking about his cock. “Pay attention. You wanna go nice and slow. Use a soft touch.”

“Like I’m jerkingyourcock instead of mine?”

Now I was the one who was surprised, but I laughed it off. “Exactly like that.” Damn, he smelled good, like sunblock and deodorant, and something that was uniquely Mattie. “Bring it back easy over your shoulder and then jerk it hard.”

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