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There were no stars tonight, just the never-ending black expanse that stretched out ahead of him, and Henri couldn’t help but compare it to the gnawing ache in his gut reminding him of the dark secrets he held inside.
What had he been thinking? Convincing himself that someone like him deserved someone like Bailey? Someone so honest, someone so good.
What had made him believe that that could possibly work? That it would ever be a good idea to tell Bailey that he loved him, when Henri harbored skeletons in his closet that he himself had put there?
He’d fucked up tonight, there was no doubt about it. He’d opened his mouth in a moment of vulnerability and spoken with his heart instead of his head. Now here he was, sick to his stomach, because somehow, against all odds, he had the love of a man he knew he didn’t deserve, and the only way that story was ever going to end was badly.
A LANGUID BREEZE drifted into the room and rustled the sheets Bailey lay under, and as he stretched his legs and reached across the mattress for Henri, he was stunned to find the bed empty.
Bailey opened his eyes, saw the indentation in the pillow beside him, and knew Henri hadn’t been gone for long. He rolled to his back and looked over toward the en suite.
When he saw no light from under the door, Bailey’s eyes shifted to the sheer white curtain that had been pushed aside, along with the sliding door that led out onto the deck.
Bailey smiled, imagining Henri outside enjoying the quiet of the night, and snagged up his shorts, deciding to go and join him.
After dinner—and a seriously steamy dip in the hot tub—they’d all but passed out as soon as their heads hit their pillows. As Bailey walked toward the open door and stepped outside, he had to convince himself once again that what had happened before he’d fallen asleep had really actually happened.
I love you. Henri’s words had been on repeat in Bailey’s head ever since he’d heard them, and he still couldn’t get over how three little words could make you feel so incredibly special.
But that was how he felt. Special, cherished, loved.
He’d been so worried that he’d scare Henri away with all the talk about his family and therapy, but when those words had left Henri’s mouth, nothing had felt more right than finally being able to say them back.
It’d been one of the most honest moments of his life, and Bailey would never forget it as long as he lived.
He scanned the deck in front of him, searching for the man he suddenly wanted to see more than he wanted his next breath, and when Bailey caught sight of movement on one of the loungers, he headed down the stairs and toward the private dock.
It was dark out there tonight—pitch dark—but thankfully there were lights along the path. When Bailey came up close behind the lounger Henri was lying back in, he made sure to speak up, just in case Henri had fallen asleep.
“Hey there. Mind if I join you?”
Henri quickly turned his head. His full lips were drawn into a serious line, but when he spotted Bailey, they immediately relaxed into a curve, and he shook his head. “Why would I ever mind that?”
“I don’t know,” Bailey said, and that was when he noticed what little Henri was wearing. Where he’d pulled on a pair of shorts before leaving the bungalow, Henri had come outside in nothing but his black briefs. “Maybe you wanted to be alone.”
Henri shook his head. “I hate to break it to you, officer, but you couldn’t be more wrong.”
Bailey knew it was ridiculous, considering how far the two of them had come in the last forty-eight hours. But hearing Henri confirm that made the tiny part of him that still believed this was all too good to be true go back to the dark shadows from where it came.
“Good.” Bailey grinned, and then walked to the end of the dock to look out at the vastness of the ocean. “I know I’ve said it before, but this place really is incredible. I think I could happily live here forever. No phone, no internet—”
“No people?” Henri chimed in, making Bailey look back over his shoulder. The lights that lit the walkway behind Henri provided enough light for Bailey to see his silhouette clearly, and the sight of his tall, lean body stretched out in nothing but a pair of briefs was enough to make Bailey forget about the beauty and stillness of the night. He instead focused on the raw beauty of the man sprawled out in front of him.
“Well, you’re here.”
Henri shifted in the lounger, re-crossing his ankles, and Bailey couldn’t help but wonder if his attention was making Henri a little bit…restless.
