Beneath the Current Read online

  "Do you know the code?" Shawn asked. "It looks like one of those kind of locks that you can put in your own code."

  "It is," Casey said absently, now eager to get away from it and was walking toward the dock instead. "Uncle Martin likes those so he can use the same combination each time and not have to remember a new one. I don't know what it is, though. He doesn't tell me. I guess he thinks I might play around in there or something."

  Casey glanced back to see Shawn scrambling over the rocks to catch up with him.

  "I guess that makes sense." Shawn jogged over and wrapped his arm around Casey's damp shoulders.

  Casey tensed, still reeling from his horrible thoughts.

  Shawn's arm tightened before pulling him to a stop. "Casey, wait," Shawn said softly, turning Casey to face him, holding him by the shoulders. "I'm sorry if I upset you earlier. I didn't mean to. I guess I just hope that someday... you might want to be with me."

  Shit, Shawn thought he was still upset about their conversation about leaving the island. Casey smiled softly, his hand sliding across Shawn's chiseled jaw before he leaned in and gently kissed him. "I'm not upset about that. And I do want that too, I just... need to figure stuff out first."

  The light brightened in Shawn's azure eyes, and Casey felt his heart jolt at being the cause of that happiness. Shawn dipped his head down and captured Casey's lips with his, sensuously sliding the tip of his tongue over Casey's.

  "I think... I think I might love you, Casey Badar," Shawn whispered against the younger man's jaw line.

  Casey gripped Shawn tighter, latching onto his neck and drawing their bodies closer, his voice nearly choked with emotion at Shawn's admission. He never thought he'd ever hear those words again, not after his uncle died. And this... this was so much more.

  "I know I already love you," Casey breathed out hoarsely against Shawn's neck, just below his earlobe.

  And at that moment, he didn't care what his uncle thought. Even if he practically electrocuted himself getting the perimeter collar off. One day, he'd be leaving this place with Shawn Brockton.

  Chapter 19

  Damn, Shawn mused, he hadn't thought he'd say those words any time soon, let alone hear them back. But hell, they'd just slipped right on out there—and he didn't regret them for one minute. With Casey, life felt right. He'd never been this content and happy with anyone before. His mother always said that when he found the right man, he'd feel it in his soul. And with Casey he did.

  He stood there kissing and holding the smaller man, almost afraid to let go. He could tell Casey was still worried—probably about what his uncle would say—but he'd give the guy time. He knew Casey had been so isolated that the thought of leaving the only man he'd really ever known, one of the men who'd raised him for years, probably had him terrified.

  Finally, Casey pulled back, patting Shawn's bare chest, and it seemed like a change came over the younger man. There was a gleam in those soft gray eyes and a certain peace that had always struggled to surface from under a current of fear. Casey grabbed Shawn's hand before he dwell much on the shift in Casey's demeanor.

  "Come on, I'll show you our boat while we're over here." Casey smiled up at him, tugging him along.

  "Cool," Shawn said eagerly as he followed Casey around the southern edge of the island. Because of Martin's decree to keep to his own side, Shawn had respected the boundaries and not given in to the temptation to explore this far, not without permission. He was glad that Casey wanted to share it with him and that he wasn't worried right now about what his uncle might think.

  "Do you guys go out on the boat a lot?" Shawn asked conversationally as they traversed the more rocky terrain of the island.

  Casey shrugged. "Not so much anymore. Uncle Thomas was the one who loved the ocean the most. Since the... accident, Uncle Martin doesn't care much for boating. We only go out about once a month or so now."

  "To dive for pearls?"

  "Yeah, pretty much. He's able to sell them to help support us." They came toward the wooden dock with the medium-sized power boat moored to it.

  "Relying on finding and selling pearls seems like a rather tenuous income," Shawn remarked.

  Casey climbed up on the dock and offered his hand back to help Shawn with the large jump up to the side of the dock. "That's just extra. Uncle Martin and Thomas had a pretty large savings account before coming here. It's just something I discovered I could do to help out. That's all."

  "Ahh, I see. Does he make anything from working at the clinic all the time?" Shawn asked. "I've been by it on treks into town. It doesn't seem like a big money maker."

  "No, he pretty much does that for free," Casey said, turning away. "I think he gets free supplies and stuff, that's all."

  "Supplies?" Shawn stopped abruptly. "What kind of supplies?"

  Casey's shoulders seemed to hunch over as he turned and stepped down the dock to the boat. "Oh, um, just bandages and aspirin and stuff like that. Antibiotics sometimes, if one of us gets an infection or something."

  Shawn narrowed his eyes, and he began to wonder if Martin Jorss wasn't either hooked on some sort of prescription drug or maybe re-selling them for profit to someone. Could Casey's uncle be a drug addict or even a drug dealer? It would explain why Casey was so afraid of what his uncle would think or do if he found out about their relationship. Some addicts could be rather volatile.

  Shawn followed Casey over to the boat. It looked bigger than it had when he'd seen it as Casey and his uncle took off to go pearl diving that day. But of course, that was from much farther away. It could easily hold five or six people, and there appeared to be a small area below deck.

  "I'd give you the grand tour, but Uncle Martin keeps it locked. There's not much below deck, just a small bed and some storage where we keep extra clothes, in case we need to change."

  Shawn smiled back, pushing away his critical thoughts of Martin Jorss. For now, he just wanted to enjoy his time with Casey. He'd worry about Martin another time. "It seems so much calmer on this end of the island," he said, surveying the quieter ripples of water.

  Casey straightened, almost seeming proud of the ocean's calmness. "It is." He pointed toward an area toward the mainland. "Over there is a popular place for the sea turtles to lay their eggs."

  "Really? Have you seen some hatch before?" Shawn asked curiously.

  The grin that split Casey's face told him that this was part of what the man loved about living here. "All the time. It's amazing to see the little guys make their way to the ocean for the first time." A small frown marred his face as he added, "Unfortunately, many of them don't make it to adulthood, with predators and such."

  Shawn draped his arm around Casey's shoulder as he stared at the sandy shore across the small bay. "Hey, but some of them do."

  Casey laughed at Shawn's attempt to make him feel better about something he had no control over. "Yeah, some of them do."

  They turned back, walking down the rough dock, Casey leading the way. Shawn was busy admiring the way Casey's skin rippled over the muscles in his shoulders and the way sweat was trickling down the line of his back into that enticing dip at the small of his back. He yearned to trace his fingers down that line into—

  "Ow! Son-of-bitch!" he suddenly shouted, hopping on one foot and protecting the one he'd just stubbed and scraped across the planks.

  Casey whipped around, eyes wide with shock and worry. "What happened?"

  "I just stubbed my fucking toe, that's all," Shawn cursed, still hopping around.

  Casey came back toward him. "Here, let me see."

  "It's fine. I just caught it on the edge of the board," he grumbled, not wanting to look too much like a baby for whining over it.

  Casey just put his hands on his hips and glared at him until Shawn finally hobbled over to a nearby rock and sat down. Casey knelt and looked at the bottom of his foot. Shawn bit back a giggle when Casey's fingers brushed over a ticklish spot.

  "You've got a couple splinters in there," Casey ann
ounced. "We need to get them out or they could become infected."

  Damn, Shawn thought, he hated splinters. And he hated that the damn things were now intruding on his time with Casey. He stood and started to turn to head back around the beach to his end of the island. "I think I've got some tweezers and stuff back at the house."

  Casey's hand gripped his bicep. "The salt water will probably make it sting, and you probably shouldn't walk on it that far." Shawn wasn't sure where Casey was going with that statement. It wasn't like he had any other choice for getting back to his house. Casey glanced up the path that led from the dock to the Jorss home. "I've got some tweezers and stuff at our house. We can get them out there."

  Shawn's jaw dropped open as he looked up the path as well. "Are you sure?" He knew what it must have taken for Casey to make that offer. That Casey was willing to not only bring Shawn to see the boat but was now offering to actually take him inside his home was a huge step.

  He saw Casey's Adam's apple work nervously before he smiled, taking a deep breath. "Yeah, I'm sure," he said, reaching his hand out to help Shawn over the rocks to the path.

  "And what about your uncle? Aren't you afraid he'll find out?"

  Casey's shrug didn't hide the fact that his hand was shaking slightly. "A little. But really, what's he going to do if he does?"

  ****

  Casey's biggest fear was what exactly his uncle would do if he did catch him disobeying his orders. It was highly probable that Martin would constrict the parameters on his collar to a much smaller field—probably to the house. But taking care of Shawn and sharing his small space with the man he loved was worth the risk. They still had at least an hour before Martin returned from the clinic.

  And Shawn's smile at his offer, making his heart flutter, added to his resolve. Yes, this man was worth any risk.

  Casey helped Shawn limp up the path until they reached the top. Instinctively, Casey scanned the long road that led to the island, but there was nothing except the soft crashing of waves upon the shore. Shawn obviously noticed his hesitation because he stopped and pulled Casey around.

  "We can just go on across to my cottage," Shawn offered.

  "No," Casey stiffened his resolve. "That's stupid to make you walk all that way."

  It's stupid that I should feel so fucking scared to do anything in my own home. Damn it, Uncle Martin didn't own him, did he? Why hell was he so afraid of standing up to the man? Martin hadn't ever really hurt him. Okay, so he'd hit him a few times in anger, but it's not like he'd really hurt him. He was a little afraid that Martin might leave him to fend for himself. His uncle had always protected him and his secret. The only thing his uncle really could do that would nearly destroy Casey would be to keep him from the ocean. And Casey realized that fear was what usually kept him from disobeying.

  But now he had a bigger fear—being without Shawn. And that in itself was enough to override Martin's threat of basically 'grounding' him.

  He tugged Shawn along, feeling a small sense of empowerment from the feel of their hands entwined.

  ****

  Shawn tightened his grip on Casey's smaller hand, offering as much reassurance as he could through the gesture. He could tell that Casey was a bit nervous about basically breaking his uncle's rules and bringing him into the house, but Shawn was secretly ecstatic that the man he adored was willing to risk the wrath of his uncle for him.

  Of course, Shawn would never let Martin hurt Casey. He had suspected that maybe the man had hurt Casey more than just emotionally. Blaming a kid for an accident he had no control over was ridiculous, but somehow he could see Martin Jorss doing just that. But Casey's fear of his uncle's disapproval had to be born of more than just that.

  He'd be seriously pissed if he ever found out that Martin had hurt Casey anymore. Casey seemed to feel that Martin was just being protective, but Shawn often wondered if it was more than that.

  As they made their way to the front door, he noticed Casey's glance back down the road. Shawn had almost suggested they just go over to his cottage, but he didn't want to undermine Casey's bout of courage. After they were inside and the door was closed behind them, Casey relaxed slightly.

  The cool air of the air conditioning hit him as soon as they walked in.

  "Let's get your foot taken care of, and then I'll grab us something to eat," Casey said as he led the way toward the staircase.

  Shawn followed, glancing around again, since he didn't have much time to see anything the first time he was here. Although he did remember the massive aquarium in the family room. He took a longer look to see if he could notice any fish this time.

  "So what do you guys keep in that massive tank?" Shawn finally asked as he reached the bottom step. "I don't see any fish."

  Casey paused. "Uh, there aren't any right now."

  "Oh, I guess that's why I don't see any," Shawn chuckled as he hobbled up the steps.

  Reaching the top of the stairs, there were four doors—two on each side. Casey started giving the little mini tour, starting with the first door on the right. "This room we use as a small gym. It just has an elliptical and a weight machine."

  "That's cool," Shawn stated. "It'd be nice to have access to that when you don't feel like heading down to the beach."

  "It is a nice alternative. Although, my uncles have always used it more than I have, well, Uncle Martin now." Casey pointed to the first door on the left that faced the front of the house and the road. "That room is my uncle's."

  A quick peek in the open door showed dark ebony furnishings with maroon accents and even a dark wine colored carpet. At least the walls were a light grey color, and there was enough sun shining in the windows or else it would have seemed rather foreboding.

  "Hmm, little dark for my tastes," Shawn mumbled and was surprised by Casey's smile.

  "The other door there," Casey stated, pointing to the door at the end of the hall on the left, "is the laundry room and linen closet."

  As they stepped closer to the last partially open doorway on the right, Shawn could already sense an open airiness to the room. The carpet was a light cream color with off white walls. Casey threw open the door wider as they stepped in. Shawn stared in awe at the expanse of the room.

  "Wow," Shawn gaped. Sun shone in through the huge windows that over looked the bright blue of the ocean. There was only minimal furniture in the room—two bedside tables, a chest at the end of the bed, and a desk in the corner—was made of ash, keeping the colors in the room light and natural. The headboard of the king size bed was made of a soft tan fabric, creating a comfortable quilted look. Shawn suspected it would be nice for sitting up in bed and watching TV against, until he realized there was no TV in the room, which he'd forgotten they didn't really have on the island.

  The plush comforter gracing the bed was a darker sand color. There were a couple of dark amber throw pillows on the bed, and Shawn wondered if Casey made his bed every day like that. He certainly didn't make it thinking he'd be bringing Shawn back to his room.

  Soft white, gauzy curtains streamed down the sides of the windows, and Shawn could see window darkening shades pulled up to the tops of the window frames. Casey obviously liked the light coming into the room. In one corner by the window, there was a vast bookcase, filled with books. Next to it was a large comfortable looking papasan chair, with a fleece throw blanket draped over it. The light brown wicker base held a deeper chocolate plush cushion. Shawn always wondered what it would feel like to curl up in one of those chairs. Imagining Casey curled up in it, looking so sweet and innocent, brought a blush to Shawn's cheeks.

  "So? You like it?" Casey asked softly, as he turned and closed the door behind them automatically.

  "Like it? Damn, it's amazing. It's so light and airy."

  Casey flushed at the complement as he grinned shyly, obviously happy that Shawn liked it. What was not to like. Hell, put a flat screen TV up to stream movies to from his laptop and he'd be all set to settle in.

  Shawn froze, real
izing that he'd already imagined making himself at home in Casey's room. Crap, that was probably a bit too presumptuous.

  He briefly noticed that Casey had not only closed the door, but locked it as well. There was also a slide lock higher on the door frame, which made Shawn wonder why Casey felt the need to not only automatically lock his door, but why he'd also need the secondary lock. Did the guy not feel safe in his own home?

  "Over here, this is the bathroom. We can get your foot fixed up in here," he said, stepping through a door at the far end of the room. Casey gestured for Shawn to sit on the long granite countertop next to the sink, but Shawn was too busy taking in the enormous glass-encased shower with the natural stone walls and bench.

  "Damn, man," Shawn drawled, "Nice bathroom."

  Casey grinned. "Wait 'til you see the closet."

  And that's when Shawn realized he hadn't seen any furniture to store clothes in yet. "Did your uncles give you like the master suite or something? This seems huge for a secondary bedroom."

  "Actually, they designed the house and had it built years ago, from what Uncle Thomas told me. They'd only expected it to ever be the three of us, so they built basically two master suites. There are no guest bedrooms. Uncle Martin's room is actually a little larger, but not by much."

  "Wow, I mean really, you could swim in that tub," Shawn joked as he finally climbed up on the counter.

  "I have much bigger things to swim in," Casey added flippantly, squatting down to pull out stuff from under the cabinet.

  "Hell, you could probably swim in that huge tank down stairs," Shawn laughed. "Kinda like a tiny indoor pool!"

  Shawn heard the box Casey was pulling out drop and quickly looked to see if he was okay. Strangely, the younger man seemed to have paled slightly, as he hastily gathered the box back up.

  "You okay? You need help?"