pace. This is your first time; you need to be comfortable. Whatever you want, I want.”
Joel laughed. “At the minute, I just want to touch you.”
Sean smiled. “Do what you feel comfortable with. If it gets too weird, stop. I promise I won’t be offended.”
SEEING SEAN SITTING over him stirred something in Joel he hadn’t felt in a very long time. Joel was starting to pant, barely able to contain himself. “Doctor’s orders?”
“Exactly.”
Desire took control. Joel hauled Sean up, carrying him to the bed. He rested Sean on it, frenzied lips snatching at Sean’s skin. Joel climbed on top, pausing only to take in the sight of the ship’s doctor writhing underneath him. Sean was intoxicating, and if Joel was having doubts, his body wasn’t responding to them. Joel ran his tongue down Sean’s neck, reveling in the doctor’s moans. He wondered how low he could go. Whether he could put Sean in his mouth. What Sean would taste like.
He grabbed Sean’s shirt and wrestled it over Sean’s head. Sean slipped his hands beneath Joel’s waistband, seizing his cock. For a moment, Joel lapsed into shock, but then everything fell into place. He gained confidence, running his hands down Sean’s bare stomach, ready to reciprocate.
Before he could pull off Sean’s pants an alarm started ringing out.
“What is it?” Sean said, releasing Joel.
“Shit, we’ve got a chemical leak.” This was Joel’s worst fear. “We’ve got to evacuate.”
He thought about his cargo. The big payoff he had finally found. Now he was going to lose everything.
This wasn’t right. They weren’t even in a chemical cloud. Joel was always careful. He didn’t hire Selena for her looks; she was supposed to guide them around these things. This couldn’t be happening. He looked at Sean, his body still exposed and inviting—and distracting. Joel felt like someone had slapped him in the face.
“Did you know about this?”
“About what?” Sean asked, still pinned beneath Joel.
Joel grabbed the doc and hauled them both to their feet. “Where’s your boyfriend?”
“He’s not my....” Realization dawned on Sean’s face. “He was in my quarters.”
“Son of a—” Joel pushed the doctor aside. “This was your plan, was it? Come in here and distract me while that bastard rigs my ship?”
“Joel, I had no idea. I—”
Joel gave him one last rage-filled look and stormed out.
Chapter Ten
AS HE HURRIED from the infirmary, Joel ran straight into his sister. The alarm seemed to be growing louder and she was clearly panicked. She grabbed him.
“Joel, are you okay? Were you coming out of the infirmary?”
He pushed her aside. “I’m fine. What’s happening?”
“Chemical leak. Coming from hatch four.” Right where their cargo was. “We need to evacuate before it spreads.”
Leave the ship?
That wasn’t going to happen. This was Joel’s home and he was damned if he was going to abandon it now. He put his steady hands on his sister’s shoulders. “Get everyone in the lifeboat, but wait for my word before you deploy.”
“Joel, don’t be a fool. Come with us.”
“I mean it, Mia, wait for my word.” He released her, knowing there was every chance this would be the last time he saw her.
“Joel, what are you going to do?”
“Seal the hatch and wait for my orders. If I don’t respond in ten minutes, hit the surface.”
Joel knew his ship; he’d spend nights worrying about
Ariel
’s weaknesses. The glass in the cockpit needed replacing; another two dives and it was going to start getting dangerous. The backup engine had a tendency to overheat. The navigational scanner was prone to exaggerating the size of deep-sea creatures. The shower pressure failed after every third use and the kitchen cupboards needed oiling. He knew his ship, and he knew there was no way a chemical breach could strike the cargo hold first.
Still, he wasn’t stupid. He grabbed a mask and his gun from his quarters before he went
Joel laughed. “At the minute, I just want to touch you.”
Sean smiled. “Do what you feel comfortable with. If it gets too weird, stop. I promise I won’t be offended.”
SEEING SEAN SITTING over him stirred something in Joel he hadn’t felt in a very long time. Joel was starting to pant, barely able to contain himself. “Doctor’s orders?”
“Exactly.”
Desire took control. Joel hauled Sean up, carrying him to the bed. He rested Sean on it, frenzied lips snatching at Sean’s skin. Joel climbed on top, pausing only to take in the sight of the ship’s doctor writhing underneath him. Sean was intoxicating, and if Joel was having doubts, his body wasn’t responding to them. Joel ran his tongue down Sean’s neck, reveling in the doctor’s moans. He wondered how low he could go. Whether he could put Sean in his mouth. What Sean would taste like.
He grabbed Sean’s shirt and wrestled it over Sean’s head. Sean slipped his hands beneath Joel’s waistband, seizing his cock. For a moment, Joel lapsed into shock, but then everything fell into place. He gained confidence, running his hands down Sean’s bare stomach, ready to reciprocate.
Before he could pull off Sean’s pants an alarm started ringing out.
“What is it?” Sean said, releasing Joel.
“Shit, we’ve got a chemical leak.” This was Joel’s worst fear. “We’ve got to evacuate.”
He thought about his cargo. The big payoff he had finally found. Now he was going to lose everything.
This wasn’t right. They weren’t even in a chemical cloud. Joel was always careful. He didn’t hire Selena for her looks; she was supposed to guide them around these things. This couldn’t be happening. He looked at Sean, his body still exposed and inviting—and distracting. Joel felt like someone had slapped him in the face.
“Did you know about this?”
“About what?” Sean asked, still pinned beneath Joel.
Joel grabbed the doc and hauled them both to their feet. “Where’s your boyfriend?”
“He’s not my....” Realization dawned on Sean’s face. “He was in my quarters.”
“Son of a—” Joel pushed the doctor aside. “This was your plan, was it? Come in here and distract me while that bastard rigs my ship?”
“Joel, I had no idea. I—”
Joel gave him one last rage-filled look and stormed out.
Chapter Ten
AS HE HURRIED from the infirmary, Joel ran straight into his sister. The alarm seemed to be growing louder and she was clearly panicked. She grabbed him.
“Joel, are you okay? Were you coming out of the infirmary?”
He pushed her aside. “I’m fine. What’s happening?”
“Chemical leak. Coming from hatch four.” Right where their cargo was. “We need to evacuate before it spreads.”
Leave the ship?
That wasn’t going to happen. This was Joel’s home and he was damned if he was going to abandon it now. He put his steady hands on his sister’s shoulders. “Get everyone in the lifeboat, but wait for my word before you deploy.”
“Joel, don’t be a fool. Come with us.”
“I mean it, Mia, wait for my word.” He released her, knowing there was every chance this would be the last time he saw her.
“Joel, what are you going to do?”
“Seal the hatch and wait for my orders. If I don’t respond in ten minutes, hit the surface.”
Joel knew his ship; he’d spend nights worrying about
Ariel
’s weaknesses. The glass in the cockpit needed replacing; another two dives and it was going to start getting dangerous. The backup engine had a tendency to overheat. The navigational scanner was prone to exaggerating the size of deep-sea creatures. The shower pressure failed after every third use and the kitchen cupboards needed oiling. He knew his ship, and he knew there was no way a chemical breach could strike the cargo hold first.
Still, he wasn’t stupid. He grabbed a mask and his gun from his quarters before he went
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