The Boyfriend Cruise Read online

  But when Penelope opened the first room, all their eyes went straight to the spacious suite and dazzling view.

  Josh gasped.

  “Holy ocean view, Batman,” Aaron exclaimed.

  The room was gorgeous, not cramped like the cruise he went on for spring break in college. They each had a double bed, and there was a sitting area with a couch, a door that probably led to the bathroom, and sliding doors that opened to a balcony, which currently faced the Port of Miami. Towels folded into wreaths with soaps for ornaments and big red bows lay on each bed. A pretty Christmas tree with blown-glass ornaments that seemed to glisten and dance in the light was perched on the table between the beds. Mirrored closet doors visually doubled the space, and much to Josh’s surprise, their luggage had already arrived.

  “Wow” was all Josh could say.

  Dad and Mom grinned, and rubbernecking behind them, his siblings had eyes as wide as their mouths.

  “Have fun, boys,” Penelope sang.

  Josh pulled out his wallet to tip Penelope, but Dad raised a hand. “No, no, save your money for souvenirs.”

  “Thanks, Dad.”

  Aaron went up and hugged first Mom, then Dad. “Thank you, Mr. and Mrs. G. Can you adopt me?”

  Mom laughed. “I think we did that a long time ago.”

  “Moving this way, family,” Penelope announced. “Let’s see which of you get the next room.” Then she flitted away, the rest of the Gilberts following and her voice fading like tinkling sleigh bells as their suite door shut.

  Once alone, Josh and Aaron exchanged looks.

  “This is going to be the best vacation ever,” Aaron declared.

  Josh put his hands on his hips. “Fess up. Did you know Mom and Dad booked a gay-friendly cruise to find me a boyfriend?”

  Aaron waved him off. “Why are you looking a gift horse in the mouth?” He was tall, fit, and had the prettiest dark curls and blue eyes—which was why he never had a problem scoring a date.

  “I’m not.”

  “You are.” He made a beeline to the balcony door and slid it open, filling the suite with warm, salty air. “And yes, I knew it was gay-friendly, and the girls have this notion that you’ll have a shipboard romance and fall in love. Maybe you will, maybe you won’t. All I know is that you’re the luckiest SOB on earth to have a family who would pick a gay cruise line just for you. And your mom even booked us all mani-pedis this afternoon. Your dad and Luke are getting massages. Bet they’re hoping that little pink pixie, Penelope, is the massage therapist.” He snorted at his own joke, obviously noting the same thing Josh did about the way Dad and Luke had been enraptured with the woman.

  Chagrined by Aaron’s speech, Josh shuffled his feet, studying his sandals. He knew he was lucky. Aaron’s family would never go on a ship like this. Especially his father. The man could barely look at Aaron sometimes. His mom and brother were never cruel, but Josh always sensed they weren’t sure how to take the flamboyant Aaron. Sometimes, if Aaron had too much to drink, he’d cry or bitch about them, saying he felt more love from Josh’s family than his own.

  Evidenced by the coin Dad put out for this trip, the Gilberts viewed Aaron as family too.

  “Yeah, I know I sound ungrateful—”

  “You do.”

  “But I hope they don’t run around the ship looking for a man for me. That will be so humiliating. And that mistletoe fishing pole? What the heck?”

  “That mistletoe got me a hot date for the Christmas costume party tonight. And your family means well,” Aaron said, leaning on the railing and tipping his face up to the sun.

  Not a fan of heights, Josh popped his head out onto the balcony. “Nice view. I won’t be sitting out here.”

  “Why not?”

  “Haven’t you heard about all the people who fall off cruise ships?”

  Aaron scoffed. “Only jealous husbands push their wives overboard. That would never happen on a gay ship.”

  Josh chuckled but wisely stepped inside. “Promise me you won’t go on the balcony after we’ve been drinking, ’kay?”

  “Okay, worrywart, as long as you promise to let loose. Have fun.” Aaron gave Josh a shimmy. “This is a cruise custom designed for us!”

  “Okay, I promise to have fun.”

  “Ground rules.” Aaron sprawled out on the bed closest to the balcony, lacing his fingers behind his head. “If the Do Not Disturb is on the door, we won’t interrupt any hookups. Any overnighters, we have to okay with the other, that way one of us can sleep in Clare’s room.”

  “Okay.” Josh laughed, doubting very much he’d have an overnight guest.

  “And no fucking in each other’s bed,” Aaron added. “I love you, but even I have standards.”

  “I’m fine with whatever,” Josh said. “We both know you’re the only one who’s going to be hooking up in this room. I should probably just move my stuff into Clare’s room right now.”

  “You don’t know that. You could meet the man of your dreams.”

  Josh scoffed, his mind revisiting a pair of green eyes and golden hair sparkling in the sunlight…. Nope, never gonna happen. “Yeah, like I’m gonna meet the man of my dreams.”

  “You never know what could happen.”

  “I’m too fat.”

  “No, you’re not. I know how hard you’ve been trying to lose weight. You look amazing.”

  “I could stand to lose another twenty pounds.”

  “Don’t,” Aaron scolded. “I hate it when you get down on yourself.”

  “It’s just the truth.”

  “Says you. Just try and chill out for once. Don’t worry about your waistline or whatever rules you’ve made up in your head. Just go out there and have fun. Who knows? Maybe something magical will happen.”

  As he unpacked, listening to Aaron list all the activities and excursions the ship offered, Josh knew he could be a stick in the mud. Well, in comparison to Aaron, anyway. But he’d been looking forward to a relaxing vacation with no computers, deadlines, or spreadsheets, and no worries. He didn’t even have to worry about any homophobes on this trip.

  His thoughts alighted again on the cute photographer, Nathan.

  Maybe this boyfriend cruise might not be so bad.

  His family loved him enough to pick this ship, and honestly, until this moment, a shipboard romance hadn’t been an option. He hadn’t been on board half an hour and he’d already been kissed once—even if he wasn’t pleased with Mom about it.

  This ship was full of potential for a guy like Josh.

  Aaron was right. Josh needed to let loose this week. He’d waited his entire life to find romance, so if a chance presented itself, he should not squander the opportunity.

  Even if that meant his family embarrassing him all over the Caribbean.

  Chapter Two

  NATHAN BRADSHAW watched the happy family with the “hot single gay guy” named Josh disappear up the grand staircase, escorted by Penelope, a water sprite with a penchant for older men. She’d started batting those eyes at the father before they were even two steps up.

  Nathan wondered what the family’s story was, as he did with every person who boarded the Pride of the Caribbean. Obviously parents and siblings.

  And definitely all human.

  It always gave him hope for the planet when he saw families choosing a gay-friendly cruise line for their vacation, going out of their way to include their LGBT family member, and behaving as if nothing were more normal than to be surrounded by gay and straight people.

  Damn, he loved this job.

  In a perfect bubble for one week, six hundred plus passengers and crew lived in universal harmony, gay and straight, human and paras—as in paranormal beings.

  Though, not many humans who sailed with them knew some of the more exotic or unique crewmembers, like Penelope, were anything other than human.

  Hell, Nathan hadn’t even known what he was until five years ago.

  Nathan was one-quarter incubus, grandson to an unknown sex
demon.

  And right now his demon had its eye on Josh, making Nathan’s mouth water.

  Not with the urge to feed off his blood—he’d thankfully not inherited that incubus trait!—rather, a heart-palpitating hunger for the man’s orgasm. And Josh’s nervous energy and his spike of interest when their eyes met had smelled amazing! Like crisp apples, warm honey, and sultry sex on a hot summer night.

  Just thinking about it sent a shimmer through Nathan, and he gave his dick a discreet shift.

  Nathan had first seen Josh in the background of a photograph he’d taken of Chuck and Stan, a werewolf couple who sailed with them several times a year. Nathan flipped back through his pics to the werewolves, then zoomed in on the cutie in the background.

  Shy and adorable, Josh was just Nathan’s type.

  Innocence waiting to be corrupted.

  But Josh was a human, so Nathan would have to proceed with caution.

  His demon growled a hearty fuck that!

  A sudden urge to use incubus magic to lure Josh to Nathan’s side so he could fuck him hit Nathan like a punch in the gut.

  Startled by an urge he hadn’t experienced for some time, Nathan took a deep breath.

  I am human, not just a demon. I am human, not just a demon, he repeated in his mind until he felt the reins of control quiet his demon.

  He would not compel Josh into bed.

  Nathan was not that kind of incubus anymore.

  He was the new-and-improved Nathan, a man who only slept with guys who wanted to, not because of any magical influence. With paras it was easy. They wanted incubus sex, and since he wasn’t a full demon and couldn’t suck the actual life force from a lover, they got all of the pleasure and none of the danger. But the idea of just picking some random para to feed from had lost its appeal.

  Nathan knew he needed sex to live, but lately it depressed him that sex was all he’d ever have.

  He made his way over to Captain Leonides and his husband, Raoul. When Nathan first came aboard the Pride, Raoul, leader of the local Fae, had begged Nathan to share their bed. Fairies were very susceptible to incubi and succubae magic. But the captain had forbidden it. Since Nathan now viewed the captain and Raoul as mentors, father figures even, he was glad he’d never slept with them.

  They were talking to a middle-aged gay couple and a preteen girl they introduced as their daughter, Sarah.

  “Can I get your picture with the captain and purser?” Nathan asked, holding up his camera, mind back on his job.

  “That sounds lovely,” Captain Leonides said, the whiteness of his grin gleaming against his olive skin.

  “Uh, no, no,” the heavier of the two men insisted, darting a nervous glance at his partner. “We’d rather not. In fact, we’d prefer not to be photographed for the remainder of the journey. Isn’t that right, Tom?”

  “Yes, Winslow,” Tom agreed, placing a skinny arm around his daughter. “No pictures.”

  Taken aback, Nathan’s grin faded. He looked at the captain for help. Most of the vamps who came aboard didn’t want their pictures taken, but Nathan had a sense these people were ordinary humans—though his supernatural detection skills weren’t infallible.

  “Quite understandable,” the ever-affable captain replied. “Nathan, you will keep that in mind and pass it along to your counterpart, Kevin?”

  “Of course,” he said at once, then added, “I hope you enjoy the cruise.”

  “I’m sure we will.” Winslow put his arm around Tom and the girl and then led them away.

  Once they were out of earshot, Nathan said, “Well, that was weird.”

  “Everyone has a story, Nathan,” the captain reminded him. “You should understand better than most.”

  As he often did, Nathan felt like a child spoken to by his father. “Yeah, you’re right, sir.”

  A formidable Greek demigod, Captain Leonides was grandson to Zeus and son of Dionysus. None of the crew feared him, except being afraid they’d disappoint him in some way. Fair and just, the captain was insanely wealthy, and the Pride of the Caribbean belonged to him. Like, he literally owned it. Along with a house in almost every port they visited, including an entire private island in the Bahamas. Rumor had it, the captain and Raoul—partners for eons—had lovers in each of those houses too.

  Rather than envy their multiple partners, Nathan dreamed of finding one man to love him.

  Though he doubted he’d ever be so lucky, the image of the adorable Josh popped into his head again.

  Nathan addressed Raoul. “Um, if you don’t mind my asking—”

  “Which one?” Raoul said with a smirk.

  “The cutie in the red shorts. The one with the mom and dad and siblings. Name’s Josh.”

  “Oh, he was a cutie. Probably doesn’t even know it,” Raoul said. He swiped a few times on his tablet. “That would be the Gilbert family. Josh Gilbert, rooming with an Aaron Landry. Might not be available, so play nice. We won’t tolerate staff breaking up happy couples.”

  “Oh, you know I don’t play that way anymore,” Nathan assured them, hoping the captain believed him.

  Captain Leonides smiled, and Nathan took a relieved breath.

  “The ladies in his party were talking about him being single,” Nathan went on. “Announcing it to the whole lobby, in fact.”

  “Best go claim him before all these other boys catch wind of that.” Raoul winked, then shooed him away. “Now get back to work. I want the photos up by dinner. We always sell the most the first day. You know that.”

  “Yes, sir,” Nathan said, snapping a quick pic of the captain and his husband.

  As always, they looked perfect.

  SUNDAY WAS the busiest day of the week for the crew. The mandatory lifeboat safety drill took place right after launch. Nathan went to his assigned muster post, the fifth lifeboat, starboard side. Unfortunately the Gilbert crew wasn’t in his group. A few passengers grumbled about putting on their life vests—because they had to put down their cocktails—but once Lieutenant Briggs explained how important it was if the ship went down, they took it seriously. Plus it was hard to get sassy with one of Poseidon’s former royal guards.

  Once everyone had official permission to party, Nathan spent the next several hours taking pics of happy couples and kids laughing and playing. Because the ship was gay, family, and para friendly, the holiday cruise was packed. Rumors that the ship had once starred on a popular 1980s TV show didn’t hurt either. Online controversy abounded because there were pics of that ship being scrapped, but some of the crew insisted that Captain Leonides had saved the famous cruise ship after its decommission, restoring her former glory and reputation for romance. Nathan had never verified the fact, but the vessel did have a mind of her own. The ship rarely sailed without a full house either, which sometimes caused the witches and wizards on staff to work overtime, casting memory spells when the enchanted ship decided to dock in an unfamiliar port or one not on the itinerary.

  A straight Fae couple walked by, wings on full display, and a lesbian human couple with two daughters gushed about their “beautiful costumes.”

  Nathan chuckled and took a picture of the fairies with the thrilled little girls.

  Hiding in plain sight, the few paras left on this earth loved the Pride. Because the LGBT community was known for their inclusiveness, pageantry, and flair for the exotic and flamboyant, many paras were able to be themselves on the Pride. It being such a small ship, every week the passengers became like a family, whether they knew they were hanging out with paras or not.

  Case in point, an extremely hairy guy in the pool—werewolf—flirting with two gay humans. A merman with glorious green hair halfway down his back and opaque eyes larger than they should be, lounged beside them, thankfully sans tail. Most of the humans assumed their fellow passengers were costuming because the captain encouraged costume parties every night in order for the paras to let their freak-flags fly.

  As the poolside launch party got into full swing, Brian, the bisexual c
ruise director and a High Order wizard, led a group of not-drunk-enough-yet passengers in a hip-gyrating “cent, five cent, ten cent, dollar” dance. Wearing Santa hats, Rodney and Michael played out the fun rhythm with steel drums. They were both Voodoo priests from Haiti and some of the most talented musicians Nathan had ever had the pleasure of playing with. In after-hours crew parties, they would often play music while Nathan and Roxy—the head bartender and a very powerful empath—would sing along.

  Nathan had an excellent singing voice, so in addition to being photographer, he led karaoke nights, sang in the Aruba Lounge and Alexanders, and performed in the variety shows.

  Nathan made sure to get plenty of pics of Brian and the laughing passengers when the song started to chant, “dollar, dollar, dollar” and they were all lewdly thrusting their hips forward in time with the music.

  A bit raunchy with kids around, but everyone seemed to be having a good time.

  Microphone in hand, Brian gave his welcome speech, talking about the events that evening, like the wine tasting in the main lobby and the Ugly Christmas Hawaiian Shirt contest by the pool. He also reminded everyone to read their morning newspaper, which listed each day’s itinerary and drink specials.

  Formalities over, Brian turned the stage over to DJ Spike—Larry, a half centaur from Sheboygan—who cued up a dance mix of Christmas songs. Larry inherited the human half of his centaur blood, and not for the first time, Nathan wondered at the logistics of Larry’s parents doing it. At least demons like Nathan had compatible body parts with humans.

  But the guy could foretell the future and read the stars with the best of them.

  From the corner of his eye, Nathan spied Josh Gilbert on deck, and his stomach leaped with excitement.

  Josh’s navy blue tank top showed off his pale arms, which Nathan hoped he’d coated in sunblock. Didn’t want the guy burned to a crisp before Nathan could get his hands on him. And those red shorts enhanced a bubble butt that wouldn’t quit!