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“I think I can manage that, Mark,” I growl, feeling my dick shift hard north as Charlene looks over at me, smiling sheepishly.
“Great, just great!” Mark chimes nervously. It’s clear enough to me who I’m focused on, and Charlene’s eyes have barely left mine since I walked in. Sitting in the lounge hides my raging hardness for her, but anyone could tell what’s going on. The tension in the room is palpable.
“Umm… okay, so you guys are setting off for Honolulu, tomorrow. From there the liner ships down through the pacific to New Zealand, which is where Charlene and I originally planned to stop… but the tickets are good all the way to Sydney, Australia,” Mark says.
He starts enthusiastically, but as he hears what he’s saying, matching it with the look I must have in my eyes, he starts to falter.
“Mark,” I say suddenly, looking at him with deadly seriousness. He looks at me, almost wincing. I hear Charlene swallowing hard from across the room.
“I can’t just take your place like this… I mean, the price of the ticket… It’s too much. At least let me-” I start to say, feeling my body flex as I reach for my check book in my back pocket.
Mark’s hands are a blur as he shakes them madly, breathing what looks like a sigh of relief, matching my look with his idea of how awkward he thinks I feel for taking his place on this trip.
I only hope Charlene registers my look, all of me, is meant especially for her.
“Put that away, mister!” Mark exclaims, “I owe you for this… for so many things,” he adds thoughtfully and we both look down, away from each other in silence until the chime of the door breaks it.
“I’ll get it, it must be dinner,” Charlene rasps, clearing her throat as she reaches the door. Mark starts up again about the trip but my eyes can only trace the lines of Charlene’s perfect behind as it winks at me through her white track pants as she goes down the hall to get the door.
“Just look after my Charlie, Max. I’m trusting you, Buddy. I couldn’t trust anybody else,” he adds, and I look back to see a sincere look in his eyes, his hand out in friendship.
Pumping his hand in mine, I only nod and growl. All I feel capable of whenever I’m anywhere near Charlene.
Chapter Three
Charlene
Dad spends all dinner chattering like a monkey, going through our itinerary, but I can only feel my head nodding and my eyes on Max.
He does a fine job of pretending he’s not doing the same as me, but it’s pretty clear by dessert that both of us are in deep.
That something is happening between us which is a lot more than just two ships passing in the night.
I even offer to stay home at one point, telling dad Max can stay right here, that we don’t have to go anywhere, but he looks hurt at the suggestion.
Looking at his watch, dad winces again.
“It’s still early, but I have a flight tomorrow too…”
Max takes the hint and says he can meet us at the Airport.
“Didn’t you bring your bags?” my dad asks, and Max grins, nodding in my direction again.
“I did, I just thought…”
“Well! You can stay here, leave your car here and we’ll all go tomorrow, first thing. How about that?” he exclaims, both Max and I look happy but tortured.
I can’t quite tell if it’s the suddenness of the trip or if like me, Max can’t stand the idea of him sleeping under the same roof as me, alone.
Max doesn’t protest though, and I offer to make up the spare room next to mine, but dad frowns.
“I’ll just take the couch,” Max says, patting the leather next to him and making my dad look more at ease instantly.
“A fine plan,” he says, “A fine plan. I arranged for the neighbors to watch the place too, Max. You can park your truck in the garage. Safe as houses.”
Maybe it is my imagination. I would’ve thought Max would leap at the chance to be next to my room tonight…
I must’ve dozed off at some point, but I swear I listened to the sound of my own heartbeat all night, plus my dad. He was up until all hours, talking on his phone to his business associates in Taiwan.
Some early night.
I growl when I hear dad knocking on my door, it’s still dark outside. His morning cheerfulness is a little over the top because Max is here and although I want Max more than anything, I’d literally kill for my regular eight hours which I needed last night.
I almost laugh when I see Max’s face, until I catch a glimpse of myself in the hall mirror. He looks exactly how I look and feel, so I don’t even need to ask how his night on the couch went.
