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Three Months Later
Eddie stepped off the MV Dreamcatcher onto the dock at Sydney Harbour, Dr Dimitriades walking next to him. They’d developed a friendship after Eddie had his anaphylactic attack. Will had finished his assignment two weeks earlier and was already on leave. So Eddie, with a couple of weeks left on his contract, found himself alone. He and Ezio had spent time together, both of them counting down the hours before their assignment ended.
Ezio had trusted Eddie with news of his pending departure—he’d wanted to keep it quiet—and Eddie had done his best to make Ezio’s last couple of weeks special. They’d gone to visit as many of the tourist sites on the islands as he could wrangle time off for and spent their nights playing cards.
He was sad to see Ezio leaving, knowing he wouldn’t be back, but it wouldn’t be long until they saw each other again. Will had invited Ezio to housesit for him while he and Eddie travelled together. Ezio hadn’t yet decided where he wanted to settle down, so it was a win-win for all of them.
They followed the stream of disembarking passengers into the terminal, Eddie’s duffel hitched over his shoulder. The last time he’d been there was three months earlier, but in his time at sea, everything had changed. He was a different man, with a different outlook on life, and he couldn’t wait for what was ahead.
First up on his list was a flight to the Gold Coast to meet Will’s family. Then they were travelling together, spending the next few weeks road-tripping up the coast to the Whitsundays and island hopping around the Great Barrier Reef. Eddie couldn’t wait to go snorkelling among the coral and walk the pure white sand at Whitehaven Beach. He’d always fancied visiting Australia, and he was finally getting the chance. It was a dream come true, but even that paled in comparison to the best thing that had happened to him since joining the Dreamcatcher. It was the man who would be waiting for him at Gold Coast Airport when Eddie arrived there in a few hours’ time.
He was excited about what the next month would bring, if not a little nervous. He and Will had been in constant contact since Will had gone on leave, and he’d had a quick conversation with Will’s mum, but he was nervous about being introduced to them. It seemed awfully formal, but Eddie understood why it was important to them all. Will was determined to do the right thing by his family, and Eddie wanted to support him in any way he could, even if it did feel a little like he was going to the gallows. He had to keep telling himself that they’d be okay. Whatever happened didn’t matter. He could pretend that it was easy to persuade himself when he knew the reward was seeing Will again.
Anticipation bubbled within him, and he could barely hold back his grin at the next few weeks. Two weeks had never felt so long. But they weren’t going to be apart for much longer. Lugging his bag, he followed closely behind Ezio as he dodged passengers milling around and headed for customs. As a departing staff member, he was grateful that he didn’t have to wait in a long queue to exit. Eddie was hoping to make good time to the airport; avoiding rush hour would make the trip so much easier. So even though he was early, he still had to get a move on.
Arriving at the doors, he and Ezio parted ways, hugging briefly before Ezio headed towards the cab rank, and Eddie walked to the train station at Circular Quay.
He hit the boardwalk and saw the buses and tour companies lined up waiting for disembarking passengers. Eddie strode past them, enjoying the morning sunshine and ocean breezes on his face. Closing his eyes and tilting his face to the skies, he smiled and started walking a little faster to get to his destination. But his gaze stuttered.
His vision snagged on an unexpected sight.
Will.
Standing there, dressed casually in tan chinos and a white short-sleeved shirt, sunglasses, and a pair of well-worn Vans, he was dashing. The tailored button-down framed his broad shoulders and thick arms beautifully, the open collar highlighting the tease of chest hair peeking above it. He was so damn handsome that he took Eddie’s breath away.
When he spotted Eddie, the smile that lit his face was warm and full of affection. His greying blond hair blew freely, not fixed in place with the product he wore during his shifts to keep his look professional. The relaxed vibe he had going on only made him look sexier.
Eddie failed miserably at keeping his excited squeal at bay as he launched himself into Will’s arms. Catching him, Will laughed and kissed Eddie hard, holding him tight while Eddie wound his arms and legs around Will’s muscled body. “Hel-lo, handsome,” Eddie murmured between kisses, his voice sounding like a breathless giggle. “You meeting someone special, or are you here alone?”
Eddie loved the blush that stained Will’s cheeks. His shy man was as adorable as he was hot. “I’m waiting for someone exactly like you.”
Will hugged him tighter, and Eddie laughed, happiness lighting up every part of his soul. He loved having Will’s arms around him, something he’d craved endlessly during his last fortnight on board without him.
“God, I’ve missed you,” Will murmured against his throat as Eddie held him tightly. He kissed a line softly up to Eddie’s cheek. “I couldn’t wait for you to get to the Goldie, so I came here.”
“Missed you too.” Turning his head when Will went to press another kiss to Eddie’s cheek, Will’s lips met his, and he smiled. It was like their first kiss all over again—just a chaste brush of their lips together—until Eddie opened to him and Will dived in.
“So, I might have changed your flight,” Will confessed. “We’re not leaving until tomorrow afternoon. I can’t wait a few hours to get my hands on you.”
“Oh, yeah?” Eddie’s voice turned husky, and his dick let out a happy twitch. He’d missed Will to no end, and the thought of getting to touch and taste him again sent Eddie’s desire rocketing into overdrive. Spearing his fingers through Will’s hair, Eddie ground against him and kissed him, sucking on Will’s tongue when he responded. “It’s a little early for check-in, isn’t it?” Eddie asked, disappointment colouring his tone.
Will grumbled and nodded. “We could hop off the train a stop or two early and walk to the hotel via Hyde Park. Stop for a coffee?”
Eddie smiled and nodded, excited to see more of Sydney. Will let Eddie down slowly, keeping their bodies as close as possible for as long as he could, before taking Eddie’s heavy duffel and shouldering it along with the bag sitting at Will’s feet that Eddie hadn’t noticed.
Hand in hand, they made the short trip to the station and within minutes were stepping onto the cobblestone avenue that marked the entrance into the park. The bustle of the city didn’t intrude into the calm of the gardens. It was like being transported into a different world under the tree-lined canopy. Manicured lawns stretched to either side of them and gardens filled with flowers drew Eddie’s eye. Will led them up the path and into an open quad. Before them was a bronze fountain and beyond that, a grand cathedral. Walkers passed them, some with pets, some in suits and walking shoes, getting their morning exercise in before a day in the office. Will was the only one carrying luggage, but no one really paid them any attention.
There was something Eddie wanted to raise with Will, a topic he wanted to talk about that he’d taken for granted. He thought they’d be on the same page, both having indirectly spoken about it before, but Eddie was still nervous. “Let’s sit.” Eddie motioned to the fountain and the flat stone hexagonal-shaped wall that surrounded it.
Will furrowed his brow. “Everything okay?”
“Yes. Yeah, I… I wanted to talk to you about something. About us.”
“Sure. Anything.” Will withdrew his hand from Eddie’s and hesitated before slowly placing Eddie’s duffel and the satchel he carried on the ground between his legs. When he sat, he clasped his hands together, resting his elbows on his knees. Will looked to Eddie, but his expression was inscrutable.
Eddie’s palms were sweating and he wiped them down his pants. “We’ve never actually spoken about being exclusive—”
Will paled. “I thought it was obvious—”
