IslandAffair

news constantly. It was big, in
the papers and on the news in regular updates, which kept even the locals in
the town curious of this trial’s outcome. Only Robin worried about the secret
witness. Lying in a hospital bed gave him too much time on his hands and he had
watched most of the TV coverage. Though he never heard from John before the
trial, he told himself that he might not have been allowed to contact anyone.
Then Armstrong had a stroke and Rob spent an agonizing few days waiting to see
if the phone would ring before he accepted that it wasn’t going to. When a
guilty verdict was returned, he was relieved, hoping it meant John could get
back to his life. Again, for days he waited for his lover to call, trying not
to build his hopes up.
    Nothing.
    But then why would he call then if he hadn’t called when Rob
had been shot? Wearily, he began gathering up swimming aids and returning them
to the basket to wheel back into the storeroom, keeping a wary distance from
the pool edge. So that was it. He didn’t know where to find John and even if he
did, his pride wouldn’t let him. He couldn’t blame the man. John offered him
his heart and Robin tossed it back at him because he didn’t want to believe
him. Didn’t want to make the choices that would force him to make.
    He looked down at himself, seeing the body that was now
skinny instead of slim. Running his hand through hair that was growing back but
was still shorter than it had ever been. And that was just the surface. There
were other things that would take longer to heal, if they ever did. Would John
even want him now? Though Robin tried to shake it off as if it didn’t matter,
defeat swamped him. It would take time, a lot of time for his heart to heal
too. But what the hell, he went to Paradise for a wild sexual adventure and that
was what he got.
    Oh god did he miss him.
    On a heavy sigh, Rob threw the last float into the basket
and heard footsteps echo behind him. He forced a smile onto his face, thinking
one of the parents had returned to speak with him or one of his hovering colleagues
had come back to check he hadn’t fallen in the pool.
    “Can I help y—” His breath caught in his throat and John
smiled at him.
    “I got your message.” John stepped closer. “It was a bit
delayed or I would’ve contacted you sooner.”
    Robin stared at him in silent disbelief. John’s eyes were
just as blue as he remembered but his red-gold hair was trimmed and neat.
Instead of the loud Hawaiian shirts he had gotten used to, he was dressed in
worn jeans and a white T-shirt.
    “I told my parents I wouldn’t be coming back to work.” John
raised his brows in question. “Are you not going to say anything, leannan ?”
    For a moment his mind turned completely blank and he
wondered if his imagination played tricks on him. If this was some new symptom
of his brain injury to be medicated, scanned and examined. Or if he had simply
longed for his lover for so long that his mind conjured John up to taunt him.
Unexpectedly, anger rose through his skin like heat. He closed the distance
between himself and John and pushed him into the turquoise water. Rob watched
as he rose sputtering from the warm depths and wiped the water from his face.
    “ Leannan my ass!” Robin planted his fists on his hips
and glared at John as he treaded water. “All this time I worried about you. I
thought it was over and you just appear. Fuck that!”
    He marched toward the employee exit, ignoring the whoosh of
the water as the other man hauled himself out of the pool. His anger had
already begun to fade, his temper as quick to die as it was to spark. John
caught up with him just before he reached the door, grabbing his arm and
hauling him into his embrace. There was no time to protest before John claimed
his lips in a possessive, if wet, kiss.
    For a moment Robin let himself sink into it before he
remembered they weren’t back on the island and someone could walk in on them at
any time. He pushed John away and looked around quickly, relieved to find that
they were still alone.
    “What the hell are you doing? We can’t do that here, what if
someone sees?” he hissed.
    John took a step back and grimaced. “I’m sorry. I didn’t
think. I just…I needed to feel you in my arms again. To know you were okay.”
    “Why now? Why did it take you so long?” Robin glanced around
again and kept his voice low.
    “I didn’t know. Dan didn’t give me your message until the
trial was