“As tempting as the prospect of spending the day with three gay guys is, I think I’ll take my chances with tall, dark, and interested over there.”

Down to three now, their little party hit the wave pool next, followed by tubing around the winding river before they headed back to the restaurant for some food. Afterwards they debated whether the “wait thirty minutes after eating” rule was an urban legend or not. In the end they compromised by lounging in the artificial lagoon.

Unlike the rest of the park, the lagoon’s waters were dark, the bottom lined with sand. Half the water was ringed by a beach, the other by a jumble of rocks coursing with waterfalls. Far from resembling any natural landscape, the lagoon was still a pleasant place to cool off.

The three men waded into the water, diving into the usual antics of splashing and dunking. Eventually Jace retreated to the beach to catch some sun while Tim went to explore the rocks. Ben floated on his back, idly watching the clouds drift across the azure sky. He was in danger of dozing off when Tim called out to him.

“Check it out! There’s a cave behind this one.”

Ben chuckled to himself. This was sure to make the evening news. Tim Wyman, budding archeologist, discovered a previously unknown cave in Splashtown today. Ben asked Jace if he was coming too, but his boyfriend didn’t respond, meaning that he was probably sleeping behind those sunglasses. Ben made a mental note to turn him over before he burned.

The central waterfall was the strongest, and it was here that Tim stood, the water coursing over him. He waited until Ben was near before holding an arm out, redirecting the water and creating a makeshift entrance. Ben bowed through, ending up in a small cave with an even smaller pool, the water only reaching his waist.

“You know this is where everyone comes to pee,” Ben said.

“Or to do other things,” Tim grinned, joining him in the water.

“They should put a hot tub in here,” Ben replied, doing his best to ignore the come-on. “That would be way cooler.”

“I liked hearing you sing today,” Tim said. “In the car. It was nice.”

“Thanks.” Ben flushed.

“Sometimes at night, on the very edge of sleep, I swear I could hear you singing.” Tim paused and laughed. “That sounds cheesy, but it’s true. Never in a million years did I think you’d be in my life again, that I really would be able to hear the sound of your voice.”

Ben looked to the ceiling, hoping to find some random detail to turn the conversation toward. This was where he was supposed to recognize Tim’s intentions and shoot him down, heading back out into the open where his boyfriend was waiting. His brain knew this was the best course of action. His body disagreed. His heart was just confused.

“Do you still paint?” Ben managed at last.

Tim remained silent until Ben looked at him. Then he moved in close. Ben started to say something, but Tim shook his head warningly, white tiger eyes locked onto their prey.

Ben remained frozen in place, his heart thudding furiously as Tim closed the gap between them. He stopped, just inches away, close enough that Ben could feel the heat of his skin. Tim reached up and touched a lock of hair above Ben’s right ear. Then his fingers slid to the back of his head, gently taking hold before pulling Ben in for a kiss.

At first Ben didn’t respond. The last part of him that still resisted wouldn’t allow his lips to move. But it was too late. The rules had been broken, trust had been betrayed. All that was left now was to enjoy it. He kissed back, stepping forward so that their bodies were pressed together. Their kissing worked into a frenzy, their hands grasping at each other as their increasingly hard cocks rubbed together through their swimsuits.

Then the breaking of the waterfall’s steady rhythm stopped them both.

“About done?” Jace asked evenly.

Ben shoved Tim away so hard he fell backward in the water. This left his bulge exposed, but it was clear from Jace’s expression that he had seen enough anyway.

“I’m sorry,” Ben apologized as Tim stood back up.

Jace didn’t look away from Ben. Already his look of anger had faded to disappointment.

“Maybe you should wait for us outside, Tim,” Jace suggested.

“I’m so sorry,” Ben sputtered once they were alone. “It just sort of happened. I don’t know--”

“It’s all right.”

Ben couldn’t believe his ears. “What?”

“I said it’s all right,” Jace repeated, sitting on the rocky shelf next to the entrance. “I knew something like this would happen eventually, if it hadn’t already.”

“I didn’t do anything with him before!” Ben said. “Just now, I promise.”

Jace shrugged, seemingly unconcerned.

“Aren’t you angry?”

“Not really. Old feelings don’t just disappear overnight. It’s normal that you and Tim still find each other attractive.”

“That’s it?” Maybe it was the hormones still coursing through his system, but Ben was starting to feel angry enough for the both of them. He would have been furious if he had caught Jace making out with someone. Ben wanted Jace to tell him off—he had it coming. Ben had done something wrong and now it was time for him to pay the price. Or were Jace’s feelings for Ben not as strong as his own?

“I wish you were pissed,” Ben blurted. “At least then I could tell that you care.”

Jace looked confused. “I care,” he said, his irritation rising as he stood. “I just thought I’d give you the benefit of the doubt.”

“What’s there to doubt?” Ben demanded. “You saw everything. I did something stupid, and you should hate me for it.”

“I’d never hate you,” Jace said solemnly.

Ben bit back tears. An angry Jace would have been so much easier to deal with. Instead Jace was hurt. Normally when he was unhappy, Ben would hold him and kiss away his pain, a gesture that would now be tacky considering where his lips had just been.

A shadow moved behind the waterfall before Tim pushed through again.

“Hey,” he said to Jace. “It’s my fault. I grabbed him and started kissing him. He wasn’t even kissing back. Really. Please don’t blame him.”

The apology might have been effective if Tim wasn’t grinning while delivering it.

With the lightning fast reflexes of a cobra, Jace decked Tim. The smacking noise was still echoing throughout the cave when Tim fell back into the water. Jace grabbed him after his head submerged and leaned him against a wall until he recovered enough to stand on his own.

“How’s that for angry?” Jace said to Ben. “Come on, we’re going home.”

Ben risked only the smallest glance at Tim as he followed Jace out of the cave. He expected to see shame, humiliation, maybe even anger. Instead Tim’s jaw was set with determination.

* * * * *

Hormones could impair judgment, sometimes even more potently than drugs or alcohol. Ben felt he was living proof of this. One act of impulse that had lasted seconds now threatened to destroy years worth of love with Jace. Who knew that a single kiss could be so expensive?

The rental car they were cruising along in wasn’t free either, but Ben felt lucky to be a passenger in it. Jace had insisted on walking to the dealership alone, which was only down the road from Splashtown, but as he began his hike Ben honestly thought that would be the last he’d ever see of him. Alone in a near empty parking lot, he had little else to do but replay the mistake he’d made over and over again. When the rental car pulled up he had almost wept with relief.

“I’m sorry,” he mumbled for what felt like the thousandth time. For once Jace didn’t respond with his standard “It’s all right.” Maybe he had finally decided that it wasn’t.

Jace shifted in his seat and sighed. “I had a close call once.”

“Close call?”

“About six months ago. On a flight to Boston. We had a real nervous flyer, a younger guy. I’m not sure he was even eighteen, but he was attractive. Very attractive.” Jace glanced over at Ben with no malice in his eyes. “Anyway, he was one of those rare people who have a genuine phobia of flying. He had never flown before and had no idea of his own fear until we were in the air. I had to sit with him the entire flight and talk him through it while holding his hand.”