“Fine,” Gannon huffed.

Feeling that renewed spark deep in his gut, Cam pulled up next to Gannon. “Loser cooks dinner for the winner.”

“Deal.” Gannon flashed a smile. “I’m a damn good cook.”

Cam laughed, then counted down from three. He gave Gannon a slight head start, but once again, when Gannon was several yards in front of him, Cam opened the machine up and roared past the buoy and then back, leaving Gannon behind in his wake.

Slowing the machine, he coasted back to their starting point, smiling. This was what he’d been missing. A few hours out on the water, letting loose… It was just what he needed.

As he turned back around to watch Gannon, thinking about what Gannon would be making him for dinner and when, Cam’s heart stopped beating in his chest. There, probably twenty yards in front of him, was the jet ski Gannon had been sitting on only seconds before, bouncing around on the waves.

Without a rider.

With his heart in his throat, Cam took off, scanning the lake for Gannon. The roaring of his blood in his ears finally stopped when he saw Gannon clinging to the life jacket near the jet ski, hair plastered to his head, a frown on his handsome face.

“You okay?” Cam called out to him as he moved closer, looking Gannon over to ensure he wasn’t hurt.

“Do I look okay?” Gannon retorted, and the grumpy expression made Cam laugh.

As he sat there, preparing to help Gannon up onto his jet ski, Cam realized something: In the short span of nearly three weeks, he was pretty damn sure he’d fallen partially in love with Gannon.

And he didn’t think it would take a whole hell of a lot more to get him in all the way.

Gannon wasn’t sure how he’d let Cam talk him into this.

He hated the fucking water.

Granted, it hadn’t been too bad when he’d been on the jet ski. In fact, there for a few minutes, he’d even enjoyed himself, getting the hang of it when Cam had taken off.

Perhaps he’d been a little overly confident when he’d agreed to race Cam, but he hadn’t been able to tell the man no when he’d been smiling like that.

No, he hadn’t thought he would beat him, but he had expected to be able to keep up, at least. He’d realized right away that Cam had given him a head start, but still, when Cam had shot past him, Gannon had laughed, a giddy feeling racing through him. But the moment he was launched into the water after bouncing over a wave, he’d remembered once again that he still hated the water.

Now, as he kept himself afloat—thankful for the life jacket—while Cam eased his jet ski closer, he was preparing to retaliate.

“Give me your hand,” Cam hollered, reaching out to him.

Gannon clasped Cam’s wrist with one hand, then the other, but instead of allowing Cam to pull him closer to the jet ski, he yanked as hard as he could, pulling Cam into the water with him. They both went under once, but when Gannon’s head popped up again, he saw Cam glaring at him.

“Paybacks are a bitch,” Cam growled, a mischievous smirk forming on his lips.

He was trying to think of a snappy comeback when Cam surprised him, going under the water and grabbing Gannon’s foot.

“Shit!” Gannon held his breath when Cam pulled him under.

He tried not to panic as he kicked his feet, but he had nothing to worry about because the life jacket propelled him to the surface once again. When he came up, he sucked air into his lungs, looking around for Cam. He found him directly behind him, grinning from ear to ear.

“Hold on to me.” Cam instructed, chuckling as his arm banded around Gannon’s chest.

Gannon threw his arm around Cam’s neck, not because he feared drowning, more because he wanted to touch him. Holding on tightly, he slowed his breathing, trying to relax.

He wasn’t sure how or when it happened, but Cam had positioned them so that he was keeping them both above water, one hand on the jet ski, his other hand on Gannon’s hip while Gannon held fast to his neck.

“See how it feels?” Gannon taunted, staring into Cam’s eyes, only a few inches separating their mouths.

“See how what feels?” Cam taunted with a sexy smirk.

“Ahh,” Gannon groaned when Cam’s hand snaked between them, sliding into Gannon’s shorts and finding his dick. “Cam.”

Afraid to let go and sink, Gannon tightened his grip on Cam’s neck while Cam insistently jacked his dick, stroking firmly while they remained face-to-face out in the middle of the lake, the jet skis, still tethered to them, floating nearby.

“You like what I do to you, don’t you?” Cam asked, voice rough.

“Yes,” Gannon hissed, eyes locked with Cam’s. “God, yes.”

“You wanna come while I jack you off?” Cam asked, his voice a low, seductive rumble against Gannon’s ear.

“Yes.”

“Good. No. Uh-uh. Don’t close your eyes,” Cam commanded. “Look at me. I want you to watch me while I make you come.”

Gannon managed to relax his hold on Cam just enough to give Cam more room to work between them. He could hear the rumble of boats in the distance, knew there were people in the vicinity, possibly even some who could figure out what they were doing, but Gannon didn’t give a shit.

The only thing that mattered was Cam’s firm, strong hand on Gannon’s dick.

“Look at me,” Cam insisted, and Gannon realized he’d closed his eyes again, succumbing to the overwhelming pleasure. While he continued to jack Gannon off, Cam kept up an endless rumble of dirty talk that had Gannon nearing the boiling point.

“I couldn’t wait to get my hands on you again,” Cam said. “I’ve dreamed about this. About making you come in my hand. Ever since that first night…”

Gannon kept his eyes locked on Cam’s face.

“Know what else I’ve dreamed about?” Cam asked.

Gannon shook his head, unable to speak because his body was coiling tighter and tighter.

Cam’s voice lowered. “I’ve dreamed about you fucking my ass. Just the way you said you would on the phone.”

Yeah, well…

“You wanna bury your dick in my ass, don’t you?”

Gannon nodded.

Cam’s grip tightened, his hand smoothly working Gannon’s cock beneath the water.

“Come for me, Gannon.”

The stroking continued, and Gannon fought the overwhelming urge, wanting to savor every sensation that flooded him until he couldn’t take much more.

“Fuck!” Gannon cried out, his dick pulsing as he came in a rush so violent he thought for a minute he would sink to the bottom of the lake, life jacket be damned.

“So fucking beautiful.” Cam leaned forward and kissed him, his lips skimming Gannon’s lightly.

Gannon continued to stare back at Cam in wonder. In such a short time, he found he was completely addicted to this man, desperate to spend every waking moment with him and then some. It was getting more and more difficult to hold back, to keep from claiming him the way he wanted to, the way Cam clearly wanted him to.

Then again, based on the heated glimmer in Cam’s eyes, Gannon wasn’t so sure that day was that far off anymore.

Twenty-Two

Two days later, Tuesday

Cam pulled up to Gannon’s house at seven o’clock on the dot, just as he’d been instructed to do. This time, he didn’t linger in his truck and he also brought a bottle of scotch with him. He made the trek up to the house only to find Gannon standing on the walkway near the porch waiting for him.

“Hi.”

God, he loved the sound of Gannon’s voice, the way those dark eyes lit up when he looked at him. “Hi back,” Cam said, leaning in and offering Gannon a quick peck on the lips.

Gannon nodded toward the driveway. “I see the truck’s over the separation anxiety.”

Cam chuckled as they stepped into the house. “Yeah. Looks that way.”

“Dinner’s ready, if you’re hungry.”