Love is Always Write Anthology Volume 9

attention was the reason he bought it," Cole said, amused.
    "That's definitely his sense of humor," Michael noted. He fished around in his brain for some other topic of conversation but couldn't come up with anything before the awkward silence fell.
    "Good thing you came along when you did or I would have fallen asleep and woken up looking like a lobster," Cole said obviously trying to break the moment.
    Michael didn't know what came over him, but he very clearly let his gaze rake over Cole's naked upper body, pausing briefly to appreciate his small peach-colored nipples. He was thinking, Fuck me, but I love to eat lobster , but thank goodness his brain to mouth filter was still working and what came out was, "I'm lucky I inherited my mom's olive skin. I never have to worry about burning."
    "Yeah. Lucky," Cole said as he rubbed the back of his neck and diverted his gaze.
    Great. I'm making the guy uncomfortable. What the fuck am I doing flirting with him? Michael questioned himself. He wasn't really interested in a relationship. Maybe he just wanted to get laid, but there was no chance of that. He'd only ever dated a few guys, and he never had sex with someone so soon. He was only going to be here a few days so his cock better cool it with the flirting.
    "I was planning on jumping in the ocean for a swim before I go out in search of dinner. You swim?" Michael asked, thinking that Cole certainly had the body of a swimmer. Oh, he liked a good-looking man same as anyone else, but he especially liked them tall and wiry with a sleekly muscled body. Fuck! He needed to get in the ocean, the hopefully cold ocean, and get away from Cole and the temptations he felt around him.
    Glad for the change of subject, Cole smiled at Michael. "Absolutely! I love swimming. It's so quiet and relaxing out in the water. Let's go." They walked into the surf and dove under the waves. Once they swam out far enough to avoid the breaking waves, Cole decided to try his hand at making conversation. "So, where are you from?"
    "Cincinnati, Ohio. You?"
    "Oh. I live in Camden, not too far from here. I own a bakery in Philadelphia. It gets pretty busy there during peak wedding season. I just like to come here to get away and unwind."
    "Yeah, I can see why. It's beautiful here. I always wished we lived closer to the ocean growing up."
    "I actually grew up in Pennsylvania, and we never really went anywhere so now that I live nearby, I take every chance I get to come here." Cole dove under the water and came up a few feet in front of Michael. Before the direction of the conversation could continue toward the topic of his childhood, he asked, "Want to go for a lap or two?"
    "Sure. I could use the exercise after being cooped up on the plane. Lead the way."
    They swam parallel to the shore until both men felt satisfactorily loose and pliant as they floated on their backs and drifted on the ocean current. Cole was surprised to find he didn't mind Michael's presence. He wasn't overly talkative. He wasn't cocky. He seemed genuine and comfortable in his own skin and didn't irritate him by crowding his space or prodding him with questions. And he was funny.
    Michael's voice cut through the calm air. "Damn it! I can't stop worrying about being swallowed whole by a giant boat smashing shark. Thanks a lot man!"
    Cole chuckled and yelled back, "Now you know why I wear them!"
    Cole surprisingly found himself wanting to be playful. He dove under the water and surreptitiously swam beneath where Michael was peacefully floating. As much as he wanted to grab his ass, he settled for digging his fingers into his calf muscle. He nearly swallowed a gallon of ocean water when Michael's flailing outburst made him laugh. "Asshole!" he heard him scream when he surfaced. Michael splashed him in the face. "Gah. Nearly gave me a fucking heart attack! You really are sick."
    Cole's face had crumpled a little, but he recovered quickly. He gave his best wicked smile. "Yeah, but I'm not the one who screams like a girl."
    A half an hour later, they walked back ashore, more relaxed in each other's company. Michael grabbed his towel and began to dry off, lost in his thoughts and wondering if he had done or said something to upset Cole. He decided it must have been nothing and asked, "Hey man, you got any suggestions for where I should go for some good food?" He was actually hoping maybe Cole would offer to show him around town. He didn't feel like going alone and he enjoyed Cole's quiet