AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I bet he’d be a good fuck.” Eddie whirled around at the comment and stared down the only person still standing on the stage. Holding the mic stand in one hand, Gerard flicked his eyes back to Eddie. “Then again, you might be too with how flexible you are. With your ankles up around your ears…”
Eddie gritted his teeth and stalked towards the other man until he was standing chest to chest with him. The bastard knew he was good-looking and used it to his advantage. But Eddie had been surrounded by arseholish, self-centred types his whole career. Hell, Gerard was enough like his ex-lover—the one who was allergic to any type of commitment, especially monogamy—that he knew to keep well away from him.
“Shut your mouth. Now. Before you say something you regret.” Eddie stood straighter, hardening his gaze and mentally preparing himself to duck a punch. But one never came. Instead, Gerard cupped him, squeezing Eddie’s cock and balls a little too tight, before leaning in and licking the sweat drying on Eddie’s throat. Eddie pushed him away, masking a shudder with his anger as he lunged for Gerard, aiming to plant his knee in his groin. Gerard dodged him, and the look he aimed at Eddie had him pulling up short. He was a predator, sizing Eddie up as if he was going to eat him. Cold and calculating. Eddie was instantly transported back to his teenage years when he was that vulnerable kid getting beaten up by Duncan and his cronies.
“Pine after the captain all you want, but you’ll be my pretty little cocksucker soon enough. I can wait.” Gerard aimed a smile that was more of a bearing of teeth than anything remotely friendly and strode away. Eddie’s knees just about gave way, fear and anger a potent combination with the adrenaline coursing through his veins. Memories collided with the present, the scabbed wounds caused by his childhood bullies reopening. The adult part of his psyche told him to get help. To report him and let the HR Director sort him out. The child in him cowered under the bed. The last time he’d been in a wildly different, yet similar situation, he’d confided in his parents.
Look where it got him.
He could still feel the pain from each blow and kick where they landed. The fear and the looking over his shoulder. No, this time he’d do it differently. His dad had once told him that sometimes if you ignored a bully, they’d leave you alone. That’s what he was going to do. It’s what he needed to do.
Eddie was the newcomer on the ship. Gerard was a veteran who had the respect of all the entertainers. He probably knew all the right people too. No one would believe him. But worse still, they might believe him. Then what? He’d be back in school again, terrorized by the bully. What if he was putting his job at risk too? No, he just needed to suck it up. Put on a brave face and not give Gerard anything else to target him for.
He took a deep breath, centring himself, and went straight to the changing rooms. The sooner he was in his costume for his performance at the bar, the sooner he’d be away from Gerard.
*****
“Did you still want to get that drink together?” Will looked around at the entertainers slowly filing into the warm-up room and frowned when he noticed more than one set of eyes on them. His consternation was ridiculously adorable, but he was right. The only place a person ever had any privacy was in their stateroom, and sometimes not even then. Eddie was one of the lucky few. As an entertainer, he had his own room. The crew—waiters, cleaners, machinists, and the myriad other people who made the cruise possible—all shared rooms, some bunking with three other people.
Eddie rested his hand on Will’s side, smiling as he leant in close, resisting the urge to nuzzle into Will. Eddie was drawn to him. He wanted to cuddle Will close and make the best of any opportunity to touch all that warm skin and solid muscle. But that wasn’t all Eddie wanted to do. He wanted to get to know him better. Captain Preston was intriguing. An alluring mix of shy and sweet, yet strong and capable, Eddie was captivated by the juxtapositions in his personality. There was no way he’d turn Will down for any offer of a date, but he couldn’t deny that he would have preferred somewhere quiet and out of view of anyone who could start rumours.
“I’d love to. If you can give me ten minutes to shower and change, we can head to the bar.”
Will’s smile was a mix of relief and embarrassment, and Eddie couldn’t help sliding that hand around Will’s waist and hugging him close just to touch him.
“Actually, I thought somewhere a little quieter than the bar.”
Eddie lit up like a Christmas tree at Will’s suggestion. He hadn’t had a chance to fully explore the ship yet. The crew areas he’d visited were always full, no matter what time he was there. So, finding a gem where he could switch off and avoid people for half a minute seemed like a dream. “I’d love to.”
This time Will’s smile was genuine. “Go then.” He motioned to the changing rooms, and Eddie grinned, adding a swish of his hips as he dashed through the doors.
And walked straight into someone else.
Eddie stammered out an apology, straightening himself up as he cottoned on to who he’d walked into. Gerard.
The man’s hand landing on his arse and kneading it made Eddie squirm, and not in a good way. He tried to pull free of Gerard’s grasp, but it was no use. The other man was stronger and used his bulk to push Eddie away from the changing room doors. They were alone, and a pang of fear pulsed through him.
Eddie’s skin crawled with disgust when Gerard leered at him. “So keen to get in my pants that you’re throwing yourself at me, little cocksucker?”
“Fuck off, Gerard.”
He laughed, a cold, calculated cackle, and let Eddie go, adding loudly in a singsong voice, “Someone’s getting lucky tonight.”
Eddie stepped away from him, hesitating before dashing into the changing rooms, dodging the performers in various stages of undress to get to the showers. The last thing he wanted was to get stuck alone with the vile sleaze again, but if Eddie was quick, he’d be in and out while the others were still there.
Within a few minutes, Eddie was slipping on his shoes and straightening his silky black pants and pale pink satin shirt with cap sleeves, a cute tie at the throat, and a plunging neckline. The material was glorious against his skin, soft and smooth where it clung to him, highlighting his trim waist.
He pushed back into the corridor where Will was waiting, chatting with Seamus, one of the other singers. He was a good guy. Friendly and with years of experience, Seamus had offered to answer any of Eddie’s questions and given him the rundown of who’s who on the ship. Shame he hadn’t warned Eddie about Gerard.
Will’s gaze snagged on him and the warmth in his eyes enveloped Eddie in an embrace like drinking a hot chocolate, wrapped in a fuzzy blanket by the fire on a cold winter’s evening. He bade Seamus a goodbye and turned his attention to Eddie. “You look lovely.” His smile lit Eddie up, and he swooned a little. “Shall we?” He motioned in the direction of the lifts and placed his big hand on the small of Eddie’s back as they walked. Warmth curled low in Eddie’s belly, making it flip flop, the butterflies flittering around in an exciting kaleidoscope of colour. Eddie loved a gentleman, especially one who lived and breathed chivalry, and so far, Will had been charming.
Will didn’t remove his hand even when he pushed the button on the wall of the lift, nor when the carriage started ascending through the belly of the ship. Eddie was sure his smile was giddy, childish excitement pulsing through him at the chance to discover something new onboard and sharing it with the captain. The air between them sparked with anticipation, and Eddie wondered if Will could feel it too.
The numbers flashed above the doors until they reached the top floor, and Eddie smiled, meeting Will’s gaze when he reached for Eddie’s hand. Will tugged him along the corridor through unfamiliar territory. He hadn't been in that part of the ship before, and he took it all in, wide-eyed with excitement. They couldn’t see much from where they stood—only the walls painted in the same colours with doors on either side of them. Photographs were hung at regular intervals, and royal blue carpet lined the floors. There was more of a lurch in the ship that high up, the rolling of the swell of the Pacific so much more noticeable so far above the waterline.
Will led him to a white metal door marked Authorized Personnel Only, and Eddie stopped short.
“Will, I don't want you bending any rules for me,” he hesitated.
