Page 86 of Crossing the Line
We both say something about making money, and then we laugh. But actually, building on the app isn’t such a bad idea.
* * *
We’ve landedand have taken a short ride to where a speedboat is docked. In the car, I asked Hercules about his father.
“We’re not in touch,” he said gruffly.
Ever since then, it’s been sort of weird between us. But now we’re on the boat, and with the engine roaring, we can’t talk about it. Hercules handles the speedboat expertly. I can’t keep my eyes off him as we glide against the dark water on our way to a private island. I bet Hercules can do anything. Well, except code. I laugh to myself at my little inside joke. He turns in time enough to see me smiling, which must be infectious because finally, he smiles too.
“What?” he bellows above the rumbling engine and splattering ocean.
“You look sexy driving a boat—that’s all.”
He drops his head back to roar with laughter and then booms, “Good!”
And I don’t look away from him. I gawk shamelessly. I can do that now that we aren’t in high school anymore, and he knows that I have feelings for him. He even knows that he’s my first cock ever. So I get to stare at him if I want.
* * *
Soon,large evergreens and plush grass surrounding a mansion made of stone grace the scene. The abode looks like something rich hobbits would live in. Suddenly, I’m nervous. So, this is where Hercules Lord’s grandfather has been all these years—on a private island off the coast of Nova Scotia. Also, he might have been in love with my grandmother.
When we make it to the plank, I’m sick to my stomach. Hercules instructs me to stay seated until he ties off the boat. I turn to stare at the house. It’s chillier in Nova Scotia than in New York. I’m shivering, but it’s more from my nerves than the cold.
“You ready?” Hercules asks with an assuring smile. He holds his hand out, and I try to put on a brave face as I let him help me out of the boat.
When we’re standing on the dock, Hercules guides me in for a hug. “You’re shaking.” He quickly takes off his jacket and drapes it around my shoulders.
“I’m nervous too,” I admit.
Hercules embraces me tighter, my face pressed against the soft sweater over his hard chest.
“You asked me about my father,” he says, approaching the topic cautiously.
“Yes,” I whisper.
“My father was never built for all of this. He could’ve lived without all the money from the start. He runs a cabana bar in Tahiti, and he’s happy doing that.” Hercules grows silent, but he’s still holding me tight. “I’ve been mad at him for years. But you know, I think, up until you asked about him, I just let it go.” He tilts back so I can see his face. “If I can do whatever it takes to follow my heart, then I can’t deny my father the same opportunity.”
Our eye contact deepens. I want to tell him that he’s come to a beautiful conclusion about his father—but I can’t stop biting down on my back teeth to keep my teeth from clattering. I smile tightly and nod instead.
“Everything’s going to be fine, PG.” His voice is gentle and reassuring. I love his tone.
But still, I glance nervously at the house. “Does he know we’re coming?” I strain to whisper.
After a long pause, Hercules says, “No.”
My eyes expand. “Why not?”
Hercules presses his lips together, looking wary. “Because I don’t want to give him time to think about how he’s going to answer our questions.”
“But how do you know he’s home?”
“He’s home, PG. My grandfather’s a creature of habit. In a few minutes, Bartleby, the baker, will arrive. Then Geneva, the cook, will put breakfast on the table. And we’ll join him.”
I lean farther away from Hercules to get a better view of his face. I want to see if he’s gone mad. “We’re crashing your grandfather’s breakfast?”
Hercules’s shrug doesn’t do much to settle my nerves. “I wouldn’t call it that.”
But… his lips are on mine, and I let him kiss me gently. I must say, this settles me. He ends our kiss, and my lips feel the abandonment.
