Captain Silver Fox, page 14
“It’s not gonna work, is it? Fucking this out of our systems, I mean.”
“I’m afraid not.”
“So what do we do now?”
Brantley shouldn’t like the hint of desperation in Fox’s voice, but he did. It told him they were in this together, that Fox felt the connection as strongly as he did. That didn’t mean he had answers, though. “We take it one day at a time.”
Fox let out a soft sigh that floated through the air, only to nestle deep inside Brantley. “I’m tired.”
Brantley felt that statement in his soul. The last days had been exhausting, his energy drained by the constant battle in his mind. “Let’s sleep.”
“That’s not why we met here,” Fox protested, but his heart wasn’t in it. “I wanted to—”
“I know,” Brantley said, placing a finger on his lips. “But I came here to be with you. That doesn’t necessarily mean sex.”
Fox looked at him with an expression that made Brantley’s heart skip a beat. “I’m… You…” Fox started.
“Let’s sleep, baby,” Brantley said softly.
“I need to be up by six, but you can’t leave till seven oh five.”
Brantley frowned. “What’s with the weird times? Is there something I’m missing here?”
“There’s a camera that points toward this hallway, since it also leads to the bridge. But at seven, there’s a shift change in the security office, meaning they’re not watching the cameras for a few minutes.” He smiled at Brantley, but there was a sadness behind it that Brantley understood all too well. It sucked that they had to be this secretive about something they wanted nothing more than to be open about. “This is my ship, baby. There’s little that happens here without me knowing.”
They set their alarms, then crawled into bed naked, Fox instantly spooning Brantley in the queen-size bed. Fox’s soft cock found a cozy spot to nestle against Brantley’s ass, and it made him smile. A friend of him had once remarked that she never let guys spend the night because sleeping was much more intimate than fucking, and right now, Brantley understood what she’d meant.
He lay awake for a while, feeling Fox fall asleep, his breaths evening out until they became soft breezes against Brantley’s back. This wasn’t what he had expected at all when he’d shown up here, but it was ten times better, strangely enough. No matter what happened later, he’d always remember this moment of complete peace in his soul.
The next morning, he was still half-asleep when Fox’s alarm went off and dozed while the man did his business and got dressed. “See you later, baby,” Fox whispered as he kissed him.
“Love you,” Brantley whispered, half out of it.
Fox stilled for a second, then kissed him again. “Take care of yourself today.”
The moment the door of the cabin clicked closed, Brantley sat up with a jolt. What the hell had just happened? Had he..?
He had.
Oh god, he’d totally told Fox he loved him. In his defense, he’d been half-asleep, but how the hell could he have let something that monumental slip? He groaned, burying his head in his hands. That was not how he had wanted today to start. Dammit.
He got out of bed and took care of business as quietly as possible in case someone walked past the door. He doubted anyone would have the balls to knock, but it could raise questions he wanted to prevent. Fully dressed, he waited till it was time, then carefully opened the door and looked into the hallway. No one there. Good.
He walked out, closing the door behind him quickly, then straightened his back and strode away from the bridge as if he belonged there. When he turned the first corner, he almost ran into Captain Leslie, the staff captain.
“Good morning, Captain,” Brantley said quickly.
He wanted to move on, but a strong hand held his biceps. When he met Captain Leslie’s eyes, his heart sank. The man knew. Brantley had no idea how, but he knew.
“Imagine meeting you here this time of day. The two of you are playing with fire,” Captain Leslie said, his voice low.
He let go of Brantley’s arm, but Brantley had no intention of leaving. “We know,” he said simply.
“Is it gonna be worth it when you ruin both your careers?”
Brantley met his hard gaze head on. “I’ve worked my ass off to get where I am today, and I know that’s been no different for F-…Captain De Vries. That should tell you something about how seriously we take this.”
At that, Captain Leslie’s face softened. “I don’t want to see him get hurt.”
“Neither do I. This is not a game for me, Captain, nor some kind of conquest. Trust me, I know what’s at stake. We both do.”
Captain Leslie crossed his arms, but his face had a kindness Brantley had not expected. “I’m not happy about this.”
“I wouldn’t expect you to be.”
“Just…be careful. Both of you. This thing has disaster written all over it.”
Brantley merely nodded, and then Captain Leslie walked off, leaving Brantley behind, slightly shaking. God, his morning was really off to a bad start, wasn’t it?
There was a reason why boss-employee relationships were forbidden in so many companies, including his cruise line, Fox realized. Of course he'd always known they were a bad idea because it could lead to incredibly messy complications. There was the risk of getting accused of sexual harassment if things went south, a risk of getting fired for the employee, and that was not even taking into account all the effects it could have on things like performance reviews.
But there was another reason, one that Fox was experiencing right now. The power imbalance. If he asked Brantley to do something, was Brantley really in a position to say no? That thought bothered him, since the very last thing he wanted was for him to force Brantley into doing anything without even realizing it. But he was his boss, which made it hard for Brantley to refuse him anything.
"You'll tell me no when you need to, right?" he asked him the next day, as they'd found an hour to sneak off into his suite. They'd been crazy busy since their night together and had barely spoken, which was maybe for the better, since it kept them from addressing that casual statement Brantley had made. It had to have been a reflex, something he said automatically while half-asleep, Fox had decided. There was no way he'd meant it with the full weight that could be attached to a statement like that.
Brantley, who had been busy unzipping Fox's pants, stopped. "Where is this coming from?"
Fox stretched out on top of his bed, kicking off his shoes, then gestured Brantley to come lie with him. "It occurred to me that if I ask you to sneak away it would be hard for you to say no."
Brantley frowned. "Why?"
"Because I'm your boss?"
The frown on Brantley's face disappeared, replaced by that cheeky, sexy smile that always made Fox's heart do a little stumble in his chest. "Not when you ask me to sneak away, you're not."
"You can distinguish between the two?"
"Of course I can. And trust me that I have no problem saying no when I need to, for instance when it interferes with my work, because I don't want my boss to get upset with me. And by my boss, I mean Carol, and not you."
Fox felt lighter. "Good, good."
"You were genuinely worried about that?"
Fox nodded. "I would never want you to be in a position where you felt like you couldn't say no to me."
"Have I eased your mind? Enough that we can move on to the next item on the agenda?"
Fox raised an eyebrow. "We have an agenda? Did I approve it?"
Brantley's smile widened. "Nope, but that's because you're not the boss in here."
He made quick work of Fox's pants and underwear, folding them neatly on the bed so they wouldn't crinkle. God, Fox loved Brantley's self-confidence with him. It was as much a turn-on as anything else about the man, not least his body and his beautiful smile.
"Neither are you."
Brantley winked at him. "That's a matter of debate, but I'll let you enjoy that illusion a little longer."
He whipped his own shirt over his head, then twisted his body in a few fluid moves to get fully undressed. "Your ass is so pale compared to the rest of your body," Fox said, giving both cheeks a hearty slap. "You should sunbathe in the nude sometime."
Brantley grinned as he shook his ass. "I kinda like it. Makes my ass stand out."
"That's not going to change if you get a tan there," Fox promised him, letting his hands caress the soft skin on Brantley's butt. "Your ass will always stand out."
"It's not the only thing standing out," Brantley said with a poignant look at Fox's cock, which was hard as a rock, already smearing precum on his stomach.
Fox chuckled. "There should be an award for the smoothest segues ever. You'll totally win that one."
"I don't need any awards. Just feed me your dick, and I'll be happy as a clam."
That was another thing Fox loved about Brantley. He was as uninhibited and outspoken in his sexual needs and wants as Fox himself was. "It'll be my pleasure. Where do you want it?"
"What are my options?"
That made Fox laugh. "Well, there's your very talented mouth. Your hands have certainly shown promise as well. And of course, there's your best asset," he said, stressing the first syllable of that last word.
"You seem partial to my ass, Captain."
"Not just your ass. I'm kind of partial to you in general."
It was meant as a joke, but Fox couldn't quite pull off the lightness in his tone. Their eyes met, and the air between them zinged. "I'm kind of partial to you as well," Brantley said softly, matching Fox's tone.
There was so much he wanted to say, if only he could find the words to capture the feeling storming in his heart. But now wasn't the time. They only had a few minutes left, and he wanted to make them count. Fox circled his right hand around his cock, lifting it up from his stomach, his eyes never leaving Brantley's.
"It's all yours, baby."
Brantley broke off eye contact to look at Fox's dripping cock. "Mine," he said, which reminded Fox of the sea gulls in Finding Nemo, and he couldn't hold back a laugh.
It broke the tension between them, especially when Brantley started laughing as well, probably getting the same reference. Then he swung a leg across Fox, positioned himself, and slapped Fox's hand so he'd let go of his dick. Fox drew a sharp intake of breath as Brantley took over, spreading his legs a little wider as he lowered himself.
"Don't you need—?”
"Prepped myself before I came here. I knew we wouldn't have much time, and I needed to feel you."
Hot didn't even begin to describe it, but Fox couldn't think of another word as Brantley lowered himself, impaling himself on Fox's cock. Adembenemend. Breath-taking. There was a slight wince as he sunk down, which told Fox he might have hurried himself a bit on the prepping part. But then he saw that change into pure bliss as he took him in all the way, not stopping until he sat down, Fox's dick fully engulfed.
"You're beautiful," he told him.
Brantley acknowledged that with a smile, even as he threw his head back, stretched his upper body slightly backward, and raised his hips all the way, only to lower them again. There was nothing Fox could do except watch him, and so he did. Brantley rode him in a rhythm that made him moan, sweat pearling on his forehead as he lost himself in the pleasure.
And Fox watched. Watched him ride, watched him reach for his own dick, circling his head and jacking himself off fast and rough. Watched his rhythm get faster, less coordinated, while his own orgasm built as fast as a storm front. Brantley made this amazing sound, low and filthy, deep in his chest, and it shot straight to Fox's balls, which were already so heavy.
Brantley seemed to chase his own orgasm more than caring about Fox’s, and that shouldn't be as hot as it was. There was just something incredibly erotic about a man losing himself in pleasure on your dick when all you could do was watch. He was being used, but in the best way, and right now, there was no doubt as to who was in charge. And Fox was more than fine with it.
His own release built up fast as well, but it couldn't keep pace with Brantley, who was relentless in his rhythm. It might have been Fox's cock in Brantley's ass, but it felt like he was the one who was being fucked mercilessly, with little regard for his pleasure. He held on to Brantley's hips as his rhythm faltered, undoubtedly caused by tiring muscles.
"Come on, baby," he encouraged him. "Let me see you come all over me."
Yes, it was like the line from a bad porn movie, but he didn't care. Neither did Brantley, apparently, because with one last roar, he exploded, shooting thick ropes of cum all over Fox's chest. A little bit landed on his chin, just below his mouth, and he swiped it up with his tongue. Mmm, he tasted so good.
He was ready for it, the moment that Brantley collapsed on top of him, catching him in his arms. He held him close as Brantley's heart rate came down, his body covered in a fine layer of perspiration.
"That was beautiful. Je bent zo mooi, lieverd. You are so beautiful, baby," he mumbled in his ear. "I love how you used me."
It took a while before Brantley was able to speak again, and when he did, he pushed himself up on one hand. He had just opened his mouth, presumably to say something, when there was a loud knock on the door. They both froze, panic blooming in Brantley's eyes. Fox put a finger on Brantley's mouth, then swallowed away the saliva caused by shock before calling out.
"Yes?"
"Captain, we have an updated weather report you need to look at."
"Give me two minutes," he said.
He waited until the footsteps had disappeared. Brantley's body went slack. "God, that was close," he said.
"They would never enter my room without my permission," Fox said. "Though I'll admit it scared the daylights out of me as well. I'm sorry, baby, but I have to go."
Brantley climbed off him. "Of course."
Fox did a quick cleanup in the bathroom before walking back in to get dressed. Brantley had already dressed again as well and was checking his appearance in the mirror. He looked guilty when he turned to face Fox.
"I'm sorry that you didn't get to finish. I should've—“
Fox quickly stepped in to silence him with a kiss. "You were perfect. This was perfect."
Five minutes later, as he was informed the hurricane was moving in, it didn't even dampen his mood, no matter how much of a hassle it would be. He was happier than he'd ever been, and it was all because of Brantley. Maybe there was something to be said about a relationship.
15
Three weeks later, they had managed quite a few clandestine encounters. Brantley had the security schedule down as well now, knowing when he could slip into and out of Fox's suite. But he had to be careful, because his roommate had already remarked on him not sleeping there that first night. He'd made up some excuse, but he couldn't keep doing that.
Fox had also shown him quite a few rooms that were not covered by cameras, like a cabin near the pool that only held towels—they'd had a mutually satisfactory blow job session there one night—and even a small room near the engine, where the sound of the engine had drowned out the noise they made when Brantley had let Fox fuck him against the wall.
As if by mutual agreement, they didn't talk. Oh, they chatted about anything and everything, sharing childhood stories and funny experiences on the job, but things never got serious. Fox never mentioned the little slipup from that first morning, which Brantley was grateful for. The words relationship and future were studiously avoided by both of them, but for now, it worked.
Until Brantley started his shift and Carol stopped by. "I wanted to let you know that we'll be leaving Cozumel a few hours later than planned."
"Another hurricane?" Brantley asked. They'd had to change their previous itinerary to avoid getting into the path of hurricane Amelia, which had simmered down to a category three, luckily, by the time she’d made landfall in Florida. He hadn't seen any reports of a new hurricane, though.
Carol shook her head. "No. Captain De Vries had to leave the ship because of a personal emergency, so we have to wait until a new captain has been flown in."
Brantley felt the blood draw out of his face. "A personal emergency?"
"Captain Leslie provided no further details. But he told me Captain De Vries left in the early hours of the morning today."
Brantley managed to keep up appearances while Carol chatted with him about how that change would affect his work, but as soon as she was gone, he sagged against the wall, his body shaking. A personal emergency? What was wrong? And more importantly, why had Fox not informed him?
He realized the answer to that question as soon as he asked it. If Fox had left in the early morning, that meant Brantley would've still been asleep. In his cabin. With a roommate. There would've been no way for Fox to send him a message without anyone else finding out. He would've had no choice but to leave without saying anything.
A personal emergency. What could it be? He thought of Fox's brother, an Air Force pilot. Had something happened to him? Or to his parents maybe. Fox had mentioned they were of retirement age, and since he was forty-five and had older siblings, they had to be at least seventy. As he finished planning the next day's excursions, his mind raced with the possibilities. And with worry.
Carol didn't know anything, and even if she did, he couldn't ask her for details. She wouldn't provide them either, which in itself was a good thing. But Brantley needed to know what had happened, needed to make sure Fox was okay. But how?
Hell, he didn't even have his phone number, something that would've been so automatic onshore but was useless on board. Half the time they didn't have a signal, and when they did, it would cost a fortune to use it. And while Brantley might've been considered senior management, he was still not at the level where he had full access to the ship's Wi-Fi.
The answer came to him after a few minutes of going over all the options. Captain Leslie. He would know what had happened, and he already knew about them anyway. Maybe he would be willing to tell Brantley.
His mind made up, he made his way to the bridge, passing Fox's room, the sight of which gave him a heavy feeling in his heart. He knocked on the door, then waited until one of the officers opened it.
