Total pages in book: 72
Estimated words: 66511 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 333(@200wpm)___ 266(@250wpm)___ 222(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 66511 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 333(@200wpm)___ 266(@250wpm)___ 222(@300wpm)
“Morning,” Ducky said, his voice deep, thick, and sexy as he scratched the top of his head.
“Morn—” Chad started with a croak and had to clear his throat as he feigned interest in the itinerary and his now darkened phone screen. “Morning. You have a good night?”
Ducky headed toward the coffee pot and let go of a long, jaw-popping yawn. His hand went to his head again. Nothing was a confidence destroyer like knowing he was the only one sexually amped up like this.
“I stayed up working.” Another yawn stopped him midsentence.
Chad’s unabashed gaze slid to Ducky, all pretense of doing anything more was impossible. He soaked in Ducky’s rumpled, sleepy appearance. “I thought you’d be in there with one of those chicks.”
Ducky’s green stare pinned him in place when he looked at him over his shoulder. Ducky was in the middle of starting the Keurig but stopped just shy of pressing the brew button. Confusion showed on his face, which in turn confused Chad too.
“What are you talking about?” Ducky asked, the uncertainty still etched on his face.
“Those women you were talking to. I thought the blonde and brunette were going to throw down over you,” Chad answered, one side of his lips quirking in a smile.
Ducky’s head shook. Not necessarily a no, more like Chad was ridiculous then dismissed. Ducky focused all his attention on the coffee maker. That was all right. Chad mapped every inch of the broad shoulders leading to the muscles running down toward the trim waist. Ducky’s shorts hung so low he could see the two dimples right above his ass. His mouth watered with a desire to nibble on that toned flesh.
Ducky turned toward him again. He clamped his eyes closed, the sweep of Ducky’s strong back and tight ass etched in vivid detail behind the darkness of his lids. When he reluctantly opened his eyes, Ducky stood directly across from him on the opposite side of the bar. Steam rose from the coffee cup sitting between them. Ducky seemed unaffected by the chemistry they shared, a bond Chad felt deep inside his veins. His friend’s elbows landed on the counter as he rubbed his hands down the length of his face and gave a jaw-cracking yawn again.
“Those people last night were weird. I ditched them a few minutes after you left. I swear I saw dollar signs in the blonde’s eyes.”
Chad chuckled, and forced his attention down to his phone, wanting coherent conversation to replace the rambling jumble of his thoughts.
“Did you end up with any of them?” Ducky asked.
“No way. I kicked everybody out at two. I thought you’d hooked up and gone to bed, but I was too tired. I sort of picked up the mess then crashed.” His hand shot over his shoulder toward the living room, veranda, and beach. “I got the bottles and cans up. That’s about it.”
“There’s a housekeeper included,” Ducky reminded him, lifting his coffee cup to take a small sip. “What’re you doing?” he asked with a nod toward Chad’s cell.
Chad let out a sigh and stopped pretending to do anything more than drink Ducky in. “We can hit this private lesson for surfing if you want. If we go now, we could get a bite to eat before the lesson.”
“Surfing,” Ducky said, showing no emotion or physical cue to let Chad know what he thought. “Do you want to?”
“If you do.” A moment of apparent indecision happened before Ducky pushed off the counter, his cup in hand, and started back for his bedroom.
“Yeah. Let’s go.”
CHAPTER 14
Three days later
The sun beat down on Ducky, the warmth already drying his wet skin as he pulled himself from the water. Today’s activity came by way of a hike. A place Chad found. One point nine miles that ended in a waterfall. The cliffs of the lush green mountain range were the perfect angles to dive from. Swimming under the falls added to the tranquility. Nature’s natural rhythmic meditation filled his soul with calm.
The peace he’d found in all these outdoor activities Chad kept dragging him to had begun to fill the void inside him. Ducky could breathe here. His crowded thoughts disappeared. How had he never known how much he enjoyed outdoor physical activity?
Instead of getting lost on any one problem, Ducky dropped his T-shirt on the rock and lay back on the small edge of the cliff, closing his eyes against the sun.
“Pale skin needs sunscreen,” Chad called from the water and expertly clapped a splash of water, sending the spray over Ducky’s entire body. He didn’t even care or budge a single muscle. All he could do was grin. His fair skin had been a source of teasing since the first time they went surfing, and he had regularly sprayed his exposed skin with sunscreen.