“I went to him, but Greer doesn’t do anything halfway. I don’t know how Dallas stood a chance against him. They have this life that looks like something I want.” Ducky’s jaw set tighter. His unsettled gaze cast out over the ocean, lost there. “After the last six months, I’m not so much there anymore. It’s hard. Working out, watching your diet, dressing a certain way is a lot to undertake. Add in the constant work of my job and it’s all I had time for.” He ran his fingers through his short strands. “Cutting my hair was the biggest deal for me. I felt exposed and it’s so straight. How did they get it this straight?”
“It had to be black magic.” The tease worked. Ducky turned a grin toward Chad and rolled his eyes. “I always liked your hair the other way too. It was a mess of curls.” He matched Ducky’s grin as he lifted his hands above his head to represent the height and reach those curls could go.
“You’re a dork.” Ducky wadded his napkin, tossing it toward Chad. “Stop making fun of me.”
“I’m not at all,” Chad said, easily catching the napkin and tossing it back at Ducky. This time, he reached for the cooler sitting between them. Aggravation replaced his good mood as he spotted a group of people walking toward them. “We have company headed our way.”
Ducky glanced over his shoulder to where five bathing suit clad women were walking down the beach toward them.
“Let’s make a deal. No more serious stuff until it’s time to go home. We’ll make our decisions with a rested outlook on life,” Chad said, caught between relief and frustration at having other people around. He and Ducky fit so well together which only enhanced the crush Chad had on his friend. But that only added to the annoyance of losing their alone time to these women.
“Seems fair enough,” Ducky replied, getting to his feet. He picked up both their plates, and other trash, then started for the villa.
“Where’re you going?” Chad asked, twisting a top off the beer he’d lifted from the cooler. “They’re almost here.”
“I gotta pee. You do your thing. I’ll be back.”
Chad had no idea if that was the truth or nerves on Ducky’s part. Either way, he didn’t have time to do anything more than get to his feet as the ladies invaded their space.
CHAPTER 13
Chad sure had a way of drawing people to him. They hadn’t been settled in their villa for more than twelve hours and people, both vacationers and locals, were sprinkled throughout the kitchen, living room, and flowing onto the back lanai. Ducky casually strolled through the house like a teenager’s parent, keeping an eye on his things. He’d brought about five thousand dollars’ worth of technology with him on this trip. He didn’t want it to walk off.
He sipped on his third beer of the night, listening to The Pretty Reckless belt out their hard-edged sounds, nodding in time with the headbanger tempo. Shockingly, he hadn’t felt out of place with all the toned, barely clad bodies everywhere. He stepped outside, the music following as he went, and stood watching the dark waves of the ocean crash into the shoreline as he lifted his bottle for another drink.
“Duck, over here,” Chad called out. His friend sat on the L-shaped outdoor furniture, two of the original four women lounged next to him. Ducky suspected their large supply of alcohol, only purchased a few hours ago, would need to be replenished tomorrow. “I was telling them about your newest modeling campaign.”
He barely held back the burst of laughter as he walked toward Chad. The attention of everyone in the vicinity landed on him as if they were trying to place him as a celebrity. Ducky made the mental note to get Chad back for that one. He did what he had done all evening: stayed silent as he positioned himself on the edge of the hard wicker furniture.
“What agency are you with?” Felicia asked, angling toward Ducky which meant she had to release the hold she had around Chad’s shoulders. Her forearm landed on Ducky’s thigh as she leaned forward. “I’m with IMG agency out of New York.”
Ducky nodded and lifted his brows, staring down at the sun-kissed blonde giving off all the interested vibes. Felicia was clearly tipsy. The way her bikini top barely covered her breasts, he’d guess it wouldn’t take much to get her out of it. He’d never had anyone who looked like her interested in him before. Why did this add another layer to the superficial life he wanted no part of?
She waited, looking adoringly at him as if he held all the secrets to the world. Ducky lifted his gaze to Chad who was clearly having the time of his life at his expense, like only a longtime friend might do.
The nerves hit hard. On the regular, he had no interest in small talk but for Chad he would try.
“Agency for what?” Ducky asked, lifting the bottle for a longer drink.
“Modeling agency.” She slapped his leg playfully as if he were the silliest guy on the planet.
“No agency. Only a very frustrating executive team.” He crossed a single arm over his chest because he didn’t know what to do with it. The arm felt awkward hanging between his body and hers. The confusion staring at him by Felicia and her friends had Chad nodding, motioning his head as if Ducky were expected to say more.
“What executive team? What does he mean?” the woman sitting on the other side of Chad asked.
“He’s part owner of StreamTrainer. The workout—” Chad started and was immediately cut off.
“I work out on StreamTrainer all the time. My brother got me hooked on it. I knew I knew you. I just took a class with you and Skye… Skye, right?” She left Chad’s side, stepping over him to move closer to Ducky. Felicia wasn’t having any of it. She scooted fully against Ducky’s side. “You’re Duncan Reigns but they call you Ducky. I’m Ava. Felicia and I’ve been friends forever.”
Heat whooshed up his cheeks with the intensity of a wildfire spreading over dry forest land. His gaze landed on Chad who burst out laughing at his obvious discomfort. The entire mood changed in the small group. Chad was no longer the sole focus of their attention, and he seemed fine with it. So much so that he got to his feet and slid past Ducky’s adoring audience.
“You won an award, right?” Ava continued.
Based on Felicia’s bristled expression, she didn’t like Ava’s sudden interest. Chad chuckled that much more. The weight of Chad’s hand clamped on Ducky’s shoulder, giving a gentle, teasing squeeze. He didn’t immediately remove his palm. It lingered. His fingertips touching the bare skin of Ducky’s neck. Ducky’s heart fluttered at the innocent skin to skin contact. The warmth from his face coasted all over his body. His eyes slid shut involuntarily, his mouth watering as Chad leaned in. That scent of spicy musk assailed Ducky, plumping his cock. Chad’s lips were so close to Ducky’s ear he could feel them part. Chad’s quick intake of breath sent tingles racing along his arms, tiny bumps followed their path.
“Wingman and such.” The following low-level chuckle sent puffs of Chad’s warm breath coating his skin. For the briefest of moments, nothing more than he and Chad existed in the world. Ducky tucked his chin to his chest, relishing the sudden quiet of all the chaos in his life. An alternate universe prevailed, one where someone like Chad wanted someone like him. He imagined they were friends, lovers, and partners in the craziness of the world. Ducky’s heart slowed as the vision firmed in his mind. He saw the world so clearly.
Chad lifted his head, his hand followed, and the magic of the moment dissipated. The clear image turned into a haze of smoke until the last wisp vanished. Then the chaos snapped back into his head. The peace was lost to reality. Even the relaxation of a new vacation didn’t remain as Felicia took notice of his rigid length. The purr in her voice spoke of all the things she was willing to do with him.
