instead of maintaining his watch for the first time in ages.
Maybe Rob felt that same permission. He sighed and stretched before wrapping himself around Jude in a way Jude planned to get used to. “You know what’s different about the decor here?” Rob asked sleepily.
“Can’t say I took too much notice,” Jude admitted. Besides noticing the paintings, from the moment they got here, Rob had absorbed all of his attention. Now he looked around a bedroom that was crammed with art and objects that blurred into a rainbow as he squinted. He was a single inch from sleep, at most, when Rob finally answered.
“It has all the colour that I stripped out of the Anchor.”
25
Rob was still starfished across the mattress as late afternoon approached evening. Jude rolled out of bed, drawn to the window where he stood, naked, and took in the view. He watched, hardly thinking, mind pleasantly quiet, for once, while his body still thrummed with pleasure.
“What are you looking at?” Rob asked from the bed.
“Nothing.”
“Yes, you are.” Rob got up to stand behind him, warm and a little tacky as he rested his chin on Jude’s shoulder. “Or you were, anyway. I was watching you. Well, your bottom, to be specific. You haven’t moved for ages. Been staring out at the same thing for minutes.” He slid a hand from Jude’s hip to his shoulder, his light touch raising goosebumps as he then tilted Jude’s head a few degrees to the left. “There.” He asked, “What were you looking at that was so compelling when you could have been looking at me?” He dropped a kiss on Jude’s shoulder, his questioning hum a teasing buzz that Jude felt everywhere they pressed together.
Had he ever felt so happy?
“Why would I waste time looking at you?” Jude murmured, voice gritty and throat a little sore in a way he wanted to get used to, could get used to now they had some time together. “Like I could forget your ugly mug just by looking out the window.” Closer to the truth was that he only had to close his eyes to see Rob’s many facets, had done so for months, Rob something to take his mind off each search that came up empty.
Rob bit his shoulder. “Liar.” Then he kissed the same spot. “I said your name three times, Jude. Thought you’d had a stroke. Imagine having to make that 999 call?” His tone turned warning, “And can you imagine me explaining to your sister about how I sucked your brains out?”
Jude turned in his arms. “How about you never mention Lou, my cock and blowjobs in the same sentence ever again. Think you can do that for me?” Up close, Rob smelled of sex, tasted faintly of salt, and felt absolutely perfect. “How about we go back to bed?”
“Not until you show me what you were looking at. If I’ve got to vie for your full attention it’s only fair that you show me the competition.”
As if anything could distract Jude now that he had exactly what he’d dreamed of for so long. His hold on Rob’s waist tightened. “I wasn’t looking at anything in particular. Just the horizon.”
“Is that all?” Rob peered over his shoulder, thoughtful. “You do that at home too.” His hands dropped to Jude’s arse and pinched it. “How about I be your horizon, sailor?” he joked. “Maybe then you’ll look at me more often.” He pulled back to arms’ length, his hair sticking up every which way, a dishevelled disaster.
Look at him more often? Hell, Jude already saw Rob each time he closed his eyes. Had done for longer than he’d ever tell him.
Rob’s gaze flickered away for a second as if nervous. “You can make a start by looking at me over dinner.” He backed away and grabbed a towel, holding it shield-like across his bare chest. “I’ve got something to talk to you about while we eat, but I want to shower first.”
Jude grabbed a towel too. “What do you want to talk about over dinner?” he asked, but Rob had already gone, the bathroom door closed behind him.
Later, Jude caught glimpses of the sea as they wended their way downhill, slivers of azure now a deeper shade of jade as the sun lowered. A tide of tourists trudged uphill as they descended, some parents carrying sleepy toddlers while others bumped strollers laden with beach toys across cobbles. A beach ball bounced free, rolling downhill until Rob ran and caught