Page 21 of Deep Waters

Christian gazed at him thoughtfully. “Then what? How do you survive through the winter?”

“Any way I can. The boat always needs maintenance work, so that takes up a few days. I occasionally help a couple of the fishermen when they need an extra hand. Other than that, I get by doing odd-job work. I’m pretty handy and can turn my attention to most things—decorating, DIY, even a bit of plumbing.”

“You can? Impressive. I had to call someone out to fix a leaking tap last month. It cost a bloody fortune.”

They both laughed.

“I’m lucky that I also have a small second income,” Harry went on. “When my granddad died, he left me his house. It’s not far from here, one of the old houses at the foot of the north cliff. It’s far too big for my needs, so I converted it into two apartments. I live on the ground floor and let out the upstairs flat to holiday makers during the summer. I did most of the work myself, with a bit of help from my dad. So whatever rental income the flat brings in, I hold back to help me through the down season. It actually does pretty okay over the winter, too, especially at Christmas and New Year.”

“Wow. You are a man of many talents.”

“I hope you’re not planning to use me as a character in your book,” he joked. “Or even worse, kill me off.”

Christian blew out his cheeks and widened his eyes. “Don’t even joke about stuff like that, not after the last day.”

“Sorry. Bad taste, I know.” He fished a cube of brown sugar out of the bowl and dropped it in his coffee before offering one to Christian. “I ran into my ex, Antoni, this morning,” he said as he stirred the coffee and related what Antoni had told him about the Jasinski family.

“Shit. Those poor people. I can’t imagine what they must be going through,” Christian said when he was finished.

Harry agreed. “But you know how last night we talked about the racist element in Nyemouth? Well, I got to experience some of that first-hand this morning. I was discussing what happened with Antoni when Dean Bewick, an absolute dick I knew at school, and his stupid sister, chimed in with their opinion. It was the kind of crap I would expect from those two—that whoever killed Niko and the other boy had done the town a favour.”

“Jesus. It’s incredible the bullshit some people will let out of their mouths.”

“You’ve got that right. I’ve always known that Antoni and his friends had experienced abuse before, but this was the first time I was there to witness it. Those people make me sick. They always have. Thankfully, they are in the minority. Jake, who runs the café, is gay, and his stepsister, Lizzie, is Black, so you can imagine how unwelcome those opinions were. Jake slung their useless arses out, and I’m glad to say all the other customers were appalled.”

“You’re right. They are the minority. They don’t represent the views of everyone. They just make a lot of noise about it. It sounds like the people of Nyemouth proved them wrong today.”

Harry experienced another sudden rush when Christian looked at him so tenderly. His eyes were like Nordic pools in the soft light, and his face was possibly the most handsome thing Harry had ever seen. He looked away, confused, and concentrated on his coffee again. He didn’t understand these feelings, and each surge was stronger than the last. Was he still messed up over yesterday? Was the old ‘sex and death’ connection still playing with him?

Harry didn’t think so. And if not, it meant he fancied Christian harder and faster than anyone he’d ever known before.

He was determined not to do anything he would regret. Whatever this thing was, he would take his time to process it and not get carried away.

Easier said than done when there is such a hot man sitting inches away from me.

Chapter Eight

“This is me,” Harry said, gesturing to the end property in a terrace of four sandstone houses. At the foot of the north cliff, the houses faced directly onto the harbour.

Christian stared, wide-eyed, then laughed. “Wow. Such a long commute to work each morning. How do you manage to get there on time?” He cocked his head towards the boats moored nearby.

Harry’s mouth lengthened into a sexy grin, and he gave a modest shrug. “I manage somehow. Most days, anyhow.”

“This looks beautiful,” Christian said, appraising the property. “I’m jealous. My flat in Manchester has a fantastic view of the alley that runs between the next building and mine.”

“You should come in for a look… When you have more time.”

Christian was already running a few minutes late for his dinner with Dominic and Arnie. Friends were one of the most important things in life, but just for tonight, he wished he hadn’t made plans to see them. After a couple of coffees in the bar, he longed to spend more time with Harry. They could have shared a bottle of wine, some food, and maybe, just maybe, pick up from where they’d left off the previous night.

Standing outside his house with his skin coloured golden by the light cast from the streetlamps, Harry took Christian’s breath away. Without thinking, Christian reached across and took his hand, just a gentle touch of their fingers. He tingled with delight when Harry did not pull away.

“I would love to,” he said. “Maybe later this week?”

Harry looked straight at him. The pause before he answered was deep, full of unspoken meaning, and then he said, “I’d like that. We can sort out a day. You could come back here for something to eat. I could ask one of the fishermen to keep me something back for dinner.”

Christian exhaled, elated. “That’s an offer I can’t refuse.”

Harry nodded and his cheeks darkened in the amber light. He seemed a little bashful. It was so out of character from the confident man of the sea Christian was used to.Cute. And hot.

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