Chapter One

 

“Let me get this straight, Rose Carter. You’re blaming me for having writer’s block?”

“You said it. You said the words. Now it’s true.”

Matt stared at his dark-haired, incredibly handsome husband, Thomas, AKA bestselling erotic romance author, Rose Carter. “You said it first. I was just repeating what I heard. You’re blaming me for being too happy to write.” He lay back against the pillows for a moment, and suddenly the idea tickled him.

“I’m glad you think it’s so funny,” Thomas huffed. “I never get…you know…”

“Writer’s block.”

Thomas pointed a finger at him. “You said it again.”

“Honey, it’s a myth that we writers need to be miserable to write. Look at me. I’m the happiest man alive, and I’m writing better than ever—” He bit his lip. “Maybe this wasn’t such a good time to mention that.”

Thomas was slit-eyed. “You stole my muse.”

“Aw, hon…lookit…I can give it back.”

“Him. My muse is a man.”

“You have a male muse?”

“Of course I do. He’s a hairy little bastard with a Cuban cigar, gossamer wings, a dick that resembles yours, a fedora…and work boots.”

Matt blinked. “Your muse shows you his dick?”

“He used to…I don’t see him much anymore.” Thomas lay back, staring at the ceiling.

The sound of ocean waves seemed louder.

Matt reached into the nightstand, not liking the small separation from his husband this mere action caused. Thomas apparently didn’t like it either. His leg swung over his as Matt leaned back into the man he loved.

“What’s that?” Thomas asked, looking brighter now.

“Altoids.”

“And what are you going to do with them?”

“Put them in my mouth and give you a mind-blasting blowjob.”

Thomas looked at him.

“Seriously. My friend Trish Wilson tried this on her husband. I read it on her blog.”

“Matty, let me understand this. You’re now getting sex tips from a woman? On a blog?”

“Baby, it’s not like you to be sexist. I mean, you write as a woman. Besides, she is the Countess of Sex. Trish road-tests every new sex toy and urban sexual myth on the market.”

“You don’t say.”

“I do say. And I also say we need to try out the candy. She says the Altoids have a special ingredient that when they start dissolving, induce feelings of incredible pleasure for the recipient.”

Thomas raised himself on an elbow and grinned. “In my experience, you always bring incredible pleasure to this particular recipient.”

“Are you saying I can’t bring you a little extra…cheer?”

“Oh, I’m not saying that.” Thomas shrugged and flopped back on the bed again.

Matt leaned over him, giving him a long, sultry kiss.

“Well,” Thomas said, finally when Matt broke off the kiss. “I do like cock, and I do like candy. I guess this is an interesting way to enjoy my two favorite food groups.”

“I’m the one giving you head,” Matt reminded him.

“Yeah, but if I like it, you know I’m going to want to do it to you, too.” Thomas looked happy again.

Matt felt the stress and tension leaving his new husband’s body. Two weeks and four days they’d been married. Everything had been blissful between them on their Hawaiian honeymoon until they’d vacated their dream holiday house at Black Point, driven to the airport and picked up his parents and their fourteen-month-old niece, Daphne.

Now ensconced in an equally luxurious house on the beautiful windward coast of the island of Oahu on the oceanfront of Lanikai, Thomas was freaking out.

“I see Mr. Happy hasn’t lost his muse.” Matt’s hand strolled down to his husband’s hardening cock.

“Mr. Happy has a mind of his own,” Thomas snapped.

Cocks as a rule do not lie, especially not Thomas’ cock, which was in a very good mood as far as Matt could tell. He quickly opened the box of mints, and the bittersweet scent reached their nostrils.

“Oh, all right.” Thomas sighed, thrusting back the bedsheet in a martyred way. “You made me lose my muse, so it’s only right you kick his hairy ass into submission.”

Matt dipped his head to lick his husband’s warm shaft, and a small sigh escaped Thomas’ mouth. Matt felt Thomas relaxing more and more. Matt’s mouth roved over the huge balls cupped in his hand. God, he loved this man. Matt took his time savoring the balls before reclaiming the cock it was his privilege to satisfy, sucking down to the base. He pulled back with a vengeance, and Thomas writhed under Matt’s assured ministrations. When Matt looked up, Thomas’ nipples were erect, his eyes smoky with lust as he watched Matt sucking him.

Coming off that beautiful cock a moment, Matt tossed a few of the strong mints into his mouth. Man, those Altoids were like fire on his tongue. In a few seconds, they started working their own magic as he plunged his mouth back over the very happy Mr. Happy.

Thomas bucked against him. “Oh…man, that actually feels…” He panted, trying to get his whole cock in Matt’s mouth. “Oh…that’s fucking amazing. Hot…and cold…and woah! My cock is tingling…” Thomas’ legs opened up, and his feet flew to Matt’s shoulders. He fucked Matt’s face in a frenzy, muscling his thick cock past the grasping, suckling tongue and lips. Matt smiled inwardly. Thomas held onto Matt’s ears, and a long moan escaped him. He came so hard it surprised them both. Matt kept his mouth glued to the eruption as foamy white juices spilled from his mouth.

“Mmm…peppermint soda.” Matt licked up the sweet, sticky mess he’d made, coming back to the head of that still rigid cock, giving the slit a last, loving swipe. Thomas jolted. Yep, Matt was convinced he’d just found his man’s muse again.

Thomas lay there a few moments, his eyes closed, and when he opened his eyes, Matt was careful not to smile too wide. “How was that?”

“All right,” Thomas said. Man, was he a tough customer.

“Just all right?” Matt cocked a brow at him.

“It was quite good…okay?”

Matt looked at him. “Quite good?” He ran a hand up his husband’s thigh. “Should I try again and see if I can do a little better? I’m certain I smell stinky cigars…I’m pretty sure the muse is back in residence.”

Thomas laughed then, the sound echoed by Baby Daphne’s joyful squeaks emerging from the ocean. The two men paused, listening to the footsteps of Matt’s parents coming up their private stone steps from the beach, the squeak of the black iron gate, the only thing separating them from the white-sandy shore of Lanikai, the reputed most beautiful beach in Hawaii.

“They’re back. We can eat!” Thomas sprang from the bed, reaching for the orange board shorts he’d bought the day before and slipped them up his long legs.

Matt stared forlornly at him. I guess Mr. Happy’s forgotten all about me.

“C’mon, babe, shake a leg.” Thomas threw Matt’s dark blue board shorts at him and thrust open the door to their guesthouse, darting into the narrow space between their domicile and the main house.

“Unca Tommy!”

Tommy. Thomas hated being called Tommy, but thought it was the most incredible thing in the world when Daphne said it. He knew any second she’d come charging in here, and he quickly donned his shorts.

The baby raced into the room, her dark eyes sparkling. “My Matty!” She threw herself at him, wet in her pink polka dot bikini bottoms—Daphne refused to wear bikini tops—smelling of sand and sea and sunshine.

“Did you have a nice swim?” he asked her.

“Oh, yah. Unca Matty…shell!” She held it flat in her little palm for him.

He studied it for a moment. It was quite spectacular…a small, circular shell in pale peach and faintest mauve. Nature was truly the most gifted artist. He turned it over. The inside of the shell was the color of a ripe peach. “It’s beautiful, baby. You ready for breakfast?”

She nodded eagerly, bounding away.

He loved the way she’d made herself at home. She flew up the six stairs to the main house and, as he followed her, Matt marveled once again at how amazing this house was. Not a single window treatment adorned the huge plate glass windows, and outside were the two tiny islands that made up Mokulua, one of the most photographed spots in the whole world.

Matt got a secret thrill out of the fact the coffee table in the sunken living room had a huge picture book, The World’s Most Beautiful Beaches, on it with the islands right on the cover.

The main house was right on the beach, and the sound of the ocean was like constant music. It was filled with koa wood furniture and beautiful local artwork. He recognized Pegge Hopper and even valuable pieces by artist and poet, Don Blandings. It was comfortable, yet elegant, and perfect for families who wanted warmth at night when it grew cold and threw the doors open to the sun by day. The long lanai wrapping the house contained two different outdoor dining tables, one sheltered, one not. The Japanese shichirin barbecue was a generous size, and made everything taste wonderful.

Their boogie boards and snorkel gear lined the wall outside the kitchen, and flip-flops and sandals littered both entrances to the house. The homeowners forbade shoes indoors, not that it was a problem to the Lucas family. No, keeping shoes on Daphne’s feet when they went out was the biggest problem.

Matt took an appreciative sniff of the perking peaberry coffee, deciding it added to the feeling that this was home.

Thomas was sitting at one of the high-backed dining chairs under the koa wood fan at the dining table, reading a magazine. Matt’s mom, Elise, was reading the same article, her chin on Thomas’ shoulder.

“That looks sooo good,” she sighed.

“Doesn’t it?” Thomas’ tone was wistful, but Matt’s attention was immediately grabbed by his dad, Baxter, making his usual catastrophic mess in the kitchen as he prepared chocolate and macadamia pancakes for breakfast. Baby Daphne strummed the new ukulele Matt and Thomas had bought her in Chinatown the day before.

“Wanna play my ukulele?” she asked Matt, pronouncing it the Hawaiian way, oo-koo-lay-lee.

“Naw. I think I want a kiss instead. Can I have a little kiss?”

“Nope!”

He picked her up and threw her in the air, catching her in his arms.

She shrieked with laughter. “Do dat again!”

Thomas glanced up and smiled, watching them. There was something in his expression that troubled Matt. Thomas went outside. Matt gave him a few minutes alone, hoping he was doing some work out there, but realized Thomas was still reading the magazine at the table on the back lanai.

“Grub’s up,” Baxter announced.

They loaded trays with coffee, pancakes, and fresh guava juice and went outside. Baby Daphne knelt on a padded seat cushion, the magnificent Pacific Ocean glistening like a long piece of foamy turquoise jewel behind her. She forked the pancakes Elise cut up for her, eating the way the entire Lucas family did, like their food was about to be arrested and taken away from them. Thomas seemed subdued as he asked Elise about the plans for the day.

“Well…Baxter wants to take the baby kayaking. We found one in the garage.” She glanced at her husband as if seeking his approval and continued. “It won’t fit more than three of us. We need to rent a life jacket for the baby, so if you want to come out with us, we could rent another kayak.”

“No, Mom, you go right ahead,” Matt interjected. “Enjoy your day.”

Baby Daphne had hoovered up her pancakes and was ready for more. Thomas reached over and forked another one for her, Elise cutting it into pieces.

“Ono!” the baby said, her Hawaiian getting better every second.

“You want to call your daddies?” Elise asked her.

“Nope,” came the reply.

Elise looked pleased. Daphne, the daughter of Matt’s twin brother, Ryan, and his husband, Cole, was the first and only grandchild Elise and Baxter had. Elise was a little…possessive.

Thomas smothered a smile as Matt said as gently as possible, “Mom, you should still call them. She enjoys saying no.”

“What about you, honey? You like saying no?” The heat was back in Thomas’ eyes.

Matt enjoyed seeing that fire there…the fire Thomas had for him. “I would never say no to you, baby.”

Thomas smiled and glanced back at the cover of the magazine on his lap.

Elise refilled Daphne’s juice glass.

“We need more syrup.” Baxter went back to the kitchen.

Matt covered Thomas’ hand with his. “What’s the matter, baby? You’re looking at that magazine with such longing.”

Thomas actually laughed. “No…God…it’s so stupid. I saw this dish on the cover…” He held the magazine, Dining in Paradise, one of the freebies you could find at the green tin stands all over Waikiki, toward Matt, who glanced at the image of a piece of salmon in a sea of saffron and other delicious things.

“I don’t get it.” Matt started to fret. What was he missing?

“Well, this is apparently the hottest dish in the islands, and they make it at Roy’s.”

“Uh-huh.” Matt could see Roy’s stamped on the plate. “What’s the problem? If you want to go there, baby, I’ll take you tonight.”

“It’s in Maui. I didn’t realize I picked up the dining guide to Maui. I thought it was our island, Oahu.”

Their conversation was interrupted by Elise’s merry peel of laughter on her cell phone. She ended her call and looked at them in a hopeful way that tore at Matt. “My friend Doris is here with her husband and her three-year-old granddaughter…they want us to have an early dinner with them tonight…”

Matt nodded. “Perfect. You have your day, we’ll have ours. I think it would be fantastic for Daphne to have another little girl to play with.”

Elise looked so happy. “Do you mind if they come here?”

“Mind?” Matt frowned. “Of course not.”

“They’re staying in Waikiki, and the beach there is so rough…”

Matt held up his hand. “This is the best beach on the island, and the waves are perfect for the kids. You want them to stay overnight? You know we’ve got the top half of the guesthouse. There’s two beds up there.”

“You wouldn’t mind?” Elise’s cheeks glowed. She adored entertaining and relished being a grandma. He knew she was excited about finding new playmates for the baby. To Elise, the best, lifelong friendships were forged in childhood.

“What are you two going to do?” Baxter asked, pouring more syrup over his pancake stack.

Matt grinned. “Thomas and I are going to Maui for the day.”

“Maui?” Thomas gaped at him.

“Sure. We’ll take the Superferry over. We can put the car on it, zip around the island and have dinner at Roy’s. We could stay somewhere wonderful tonight and come back tomorrow.”

Thomas looked at him with such hunger it took Matt’s breath away. “Won’t it be…expensive? We’ve spent so much already…”

“It’s not expensive at all. Besides, we’re honeymooners.”

“Right.” Elise poured them each one more cup of coffee. “I had no idea there was a ferry to Maui and that you could take the car. What a wonderful idea.”

“Yeah,” Matt said. “I’m thinking it’s time to broaden Mr. Happy’s horizons.”

“Mr. Happy?” Baxter grinned. “Is that what you call your husband?”

No, that’s what I call his cock. “Mr. Happy is my muse,” Matt said with all the dignity he could muster. He caught Thomas’ delighted grin, leaned over and kissed him quickly.

“We’re going to have to boogie, baby. The morning ferry leaves at eight-thirty.”