Jake's Alchemy Read online

  Table of Contents

  I. They Meet

  II. Fireworks

  III. Domestic Bliss, If Brief

  Epilogue

  About the Author

  I. They Meet

  JAKE unrolled his straw mat, kicked off his flip-flops, and then stopped. He let himself become lost in the view of the ocean before him. He couldn’t remember ever seeing a sea as blue as at Penam Beach. Out beyond the reef, a perfect line of waves broke, one after another, crystal tubes just begging to be ridden. Or at least, that’s what Jake thought. Too bad he’d never learned how to surf. Instead, he was here to take in the sun, relax, eat some seafood, have a few drinks, and recharge before heading back to his Peace Corps assignment farming in the mountains. Most of all, he wanted to shake his homesickness. He was spending his second Fourth of July away from home, and he missed the customary block party that his parents organized in their neighborhood. He particularly wanted to spend time with his little sister. He wondered how tall she’d grown since he’d been gone on his assignment. They emailed him pictures, but it didn’t make up for not actually being there.

  Finally, he sat down and pulled his book out of his bag.

  He folded his towel and put it under his head as a pillow, and then he started to read.

  Before long, his eyes grew heavy, and he gave in to sleep.

  “That a good book?”

  Jake opened his eyes, and immediately realized he’d been asleep in the sun far too long. He touched his face tentatively and could feel the heat of it, and his skin screamed against the brush of his fingers.

  “How long have I been asleep?” he asked the stranger who stood over him. Jake realized how stupid the question sounded only after it had left his mouth.

  “Dunno. I just got here.” The man sat down on the sand and picked up Jake’s book. “Didn’t you read none of it?”

  “I guess I was tired.” Jake pushed himself up into a sitting position and looked at the newcomer. The trip down from the mountains this morning had taken quite a while and shaken him up some. “You’re Australian, aren’t you?”

  “New Zealand, actually.” He flashed Jake a big smile.

  “But I guess it’s all the same to a Yank like you.”

  “I know the difference between Flight of the Conchords and Crocodile Dundee.” Jake smiled back, and his face hurt from his sunburn.

  “I’m Desi, by the way.” Desi said it without looking at Jake. His focus seemed directed out at the breakers on the reef.

  Jake ran his tongue over his dry lips. The sun had sunk down toward the horizon. He’d probably spent most of the afternoon laying there, baking. Jake let his gaze rest on Desi, knowing the other man had occupied himself with watching the waves. He had a deep tan and golden dreads that reached just to his shoulders. Beads, shells, and other trinkets hung from his natty locks, and a single silver hoop pierced each ear. He wore a shark’s tooth around his neck.

  “I got some other Yankee friends here,” Desi said as he finally looked back at Jake. Jake felt like those blue eyes could swallow him up, and he immediately dropped his gaze.

  “They’re having a barbeque for that holiday a’ yours tomorra.”

  “Independence Day,” Jake told him, and again the pang of missing his family jostled his heart.

  “Whatever.” He wrapped his arms around his knees.

  “You here with anyone?”

  “Peace Corps,” Jake told him, but then realized that Desi had meant at the beach, with a partner or something.

  “Uh, no. No one.”

  “Come out then, why don’t you?”

  Jake thought for a moment. He didn’t know why Desi had stopped next to him or why he had started talking to him, but he did know that—if given the opportunity—he’d like to feel Desi’s strong, hairless chest pressed against him.

  “There’ll be plenty of beer,” Desi assured him.

  Jake smiled again, and then winced at the pain. “Sure, I’d like that.”

  “‘Round seven tomorrow then. I’ll be surfing most of the day. They’re doing a photo shoot. You should come watch.”

  First he asks me if I’m single. Then he wants me to come watch him surf. Jake knew hints when he heard them, and the idea of getting with this particular tanned beach god appealed to him. He felt his cock swell within his loose board shorts and tried to nonchalantly move his hips away from Desi so the other man wouldn’t see his arousal. “I’d love to come watch,” he said as he carefully slid his open book down over his crotch.

  Desi glanced over, a grin on his face. “That’ll be da kine then, bra.” Desi laid a hand on Jake’s thigh, right above the knee, and squeezed slightly. The touch jolted right to Jake’s cock, and he had to clamp down on a moan. “I’m gonna hit the late evening glass-off. Catch you later.”

  With that, Desi stood and headed toward the water.

  Jake watched his ass in his black board shorts, how the globes filled out the fabric, and how their strong form moved with each step across the sand. Jake let himself moan this time, and he licked his dry lips again. He could taste the sweat he’d lick off Desi’s body as they fucked. He’d gone nearly twenty-six months without a lover—the length of his Peace Corps assignment to this point. He’d parted on good terms with his ex before he took the assignment, and hadn’t met anyone in the tiny mountain village where he lived. But this Desi....

  Jake pushed up on his elbows and watched the blond Kiwi. At the water’s edge, somebody brought a surfboard for Desi, and he hit the water, strong arms paddling out toward the reef. Even from here, Jake could admire his muscles, how his body worked effortlessly. The man moved magnificently. Jake wondered how the way he positioned his torso and planted his feet when he caught a wave would translate to the bedroom. He imagined the man behind him, back arched, pounding into his ass. Jake’s cock swelled again. He couldn’t deny the attraction he felt.

  Jake let his head fall back onto the mat and raised his hands to run his fingers through his short, black hair. He needed aloe gel for his sunburn, a drink for his fluttering heart, and a good night’s rest. Who knew what could happen tomorrow?

  II. Fireworks

  LUCKILY for Jake, day two in the sun went a lot better than day one. Though how he could top meeting Desi he didn’t know. He didn’t burn again; that mattered most. And his burn from the day before had faded to something of a ruddy tan, so he didn’t look exactly like some lobster laid out on a mat. He wanted Desi to find him attractive, as attractive as he found Desi. He’d even made sure to use the suntan oil that left a nice gleam on his body, giving his farm-formed muscles a little more definition.

  Jake focused on Desi as the man surfed out on the reef.

  He definitely had talent. Photographers, both on the beach and in the water on jet skis, surrounded Desi, snapping every move he made. A little jealousy niggled at Jake, but he shrugged it off. He liked the idea of having something to feel proud of in Desi. Here’s my boyfriend. He’s a professional surfer. A harmless little fantasy.

  As Jake watched him, a small crowd of tourists—they clearly weren’t Thai—walked toward him, “Are you Jake?” one of them asked, a girl in a bikini top with a sarong tied around her waist. Her accent sounded American.

  “Yup,” Jake responded and stood. He offered her his hand. She took it and shook it lightly.

  “I’m Chelsea. Desi said to look out for you.” She introduced the others in the crowd, more Americans and a couple of New Zealanders. “Desi invited you to our Fourth of July party, right?”

  “Thanks for that. Can I bring anything?”

  “Just your cute self.” Chelsea looked out at the ocean.

  “Mind if we settle in here? You’ve got a great spot for the action.”

  “Not at all.�
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  The group started spreading out their chairs, mats, and towels. Conversations took up, and Jake laughed and talked with the others. He enjoyed the fact that the group made an effort to include him in their friendly banter. Mostly the people worked in the surfing or travel industry. Chelsea wrote for a magazine. Another worked as Desi’s manager.

  After a while, Desi came out of the water. One of the photographer’s assistants took his board, and Desi walked over to where Jake and the others lounged.

  “You looked great out there,” Desi’s manager said.

  “Thanks.” He stripped off his rash guard, giving Jake a nice view of his pecs and abs, and then squeezed between some other people so he could sit down right next to Jake.

  Desi’s dreads dripped saltwater onto Jake’s shoulder, and the warm liquid trickled down his chest, making him shiver.

  “You’re really great,” Jake said softly.

  “You think?” Desi flashed him one of those big smiles.

  “Maybe I can teach you someday.”

  Jake felt his stomach flip. “I’d like that, though I don’t think I’d be very good at it.”

  “Sure you would. Hey, why don’t we give it a try?” Desi leaped up and offered Jake his hand. Jake took it, and Desi hauled him to his feet and headed back to the ocean. As if on cue, the assistant appeared with Desi’s board again.

  Jake hadn’t even gone in the water yet. He didn’t swim that well, and he liked pools better anyway, but he followed Desi obediently into the azure sea.

  The warm water caressed his body as he waded out, following Desi, who pushed the board ahead of him.

  “I’ll teach you how to paddle first. Get on the board.”

  Jake tried to climb onto the shifting surface as Desi held it steady, but he had never once used a surfboard before, and it proved to be too unsteady beneath him. As he attempted to position himself, the board tipped precariously under him, and he fell off, into Desi, and both went under the water.

  Desi’s strong hands found Jake’s shoulders and lifted him up out of the water. As he maneuvered them, Jake’s thigh brushed the front of Desi’s shorts, and he could not mistake the bulge he felt there. Finally they stood, eye-to-eye, waist deep, saltwater streaming down their bodies. The surfboard bobbed close by. Jake couldn’t care less about the surfboard or learning to surf. He just wanted to stand there, this close to Desi.

  “You all right?” Desi asked.

  Jake blinked stinging saltwater from his eyes and nodded. His heart raced, and his own prick strained against the mesh liner of his board shorts. But he also knew that others watched them: the crowd on the beach, the photographers still milling around. Jake mentally tried to talk his cock down. He didn’t want to embarrass himself or Desi.

  “Let’s try that again,” Desi suggested, and he let go of Jake’s shoulders. Just like that, the spell ended, and Jake reached up and pushed his damp bangs out of his eyes.

  This time, Jake managed to find his balance on the board, and with some encouragement and a few well-deserved and oh-so-suggestive pats on his ass, he was soon paddling around the calm water near the beach.

  “You’ve got great arms,” Desi said as he watched, standing in the water, his arms folded across his chest. “A real natural.”

  “Thanks,” Jake said. He filled with pride, both at his own accomplishment and at Desi’s compliment. Finally, Jake rolled off the board and into the water. He realized he could soon come to enjoy the ocean. He pushed to the surface, found his footing, and looked at Desi. “I had a good teacher.”

  Desi gave him another of those genuine smiles that made Jake melt. “Let’s go in, eh? Get something to eat.”

  “Sounds great,” Jake said, and he started pushing the board toward shore.

  Somebody fetched beers and snacks, and the afternoon fled away toward evening. As the sun dipped toward the horizon, the group packed up.

  “We should go get ready,” Chelsea told Jake. “We’ll see you in an hour. At the beach bar down there.”

  She pointed to a thatched cabana not far down the beach. Jake nodded and watched as they headed off toward their hotel. Desi hung back for a moment, standing over Jake, looking out toward the reef.

  “Wish I could get another set in today. Before long, you’ll be able to join me out there.”

  Jake laughed nervously. “Hardly. But thanks for thinking it anyway.”

  “I’ll see you later.” Desi followed his friends, and for a moment, bitter disappointment washed through Jake. He’d wanted a kiss goodbye, or at least a gesture as sweet as the knee squeeze he’d gotten yesterday. Oh well.

  As the sun set, Jake packed up his things. He’d need a shower and a change of clothes before coming out for the party.

  JAKE held the neck of his Sang Som rum bottle in his sweaty hand, trying to keep a good grip on it. Nervousness filled him. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d gotten this twitterpated about a man. He’d liked his last ex fine, but this overwhelming need and attraction hadn’t existed between them. After this afternoon in the water with Desi, Jake didn’t doubt Desi felt the same way about him. He just didn’t know whether Desi’s entourage knew about his proclivities.

  Although, after watching the way Jake and Desi had played together in the water and flirted all afternoon, how could they not know?

  Jake walked down the beach, barefoot, toward the cabana bar Chelsea had pointed out to him earlier. Even if he could only spend the couple of days he had left with Desi at the beach, it would give him something to remember Thailand by, and a fantasy to keep his mind occupied for his last few lonely weeks here. Of course he wanted more than a casual hook-up, but if that’s all the stars had in store for him right now, he’d take it gladly.

  He could hear reggae coming from the beach bar, and it made him smile. Laughter filtered toward him, too, and people danced in the light of the torches stuck in the sand.

  As he approached, people called out his name, and Jake almost forgot about his homesickness. Desi waved at him from the open-air bar, a large tropical drink in his hand.

  Even at night, for the party, he only wore his board shorts and a smile. Jake suddenly felt overdressed in his Paul Frank shorts and bowling shirt.

  “Trade you,” Desi said as he held out the drink to Jake.

  Jake offered up his bottle of rum and took the glass. He took a long sip of the sweet, strong concoction, and Jake relished the burn it left as it traveled down his throat. Desi reached out and hugged Jake with one arm, giving him a brief pat on the back before pushing away. “Glad you could come.”

  “Me too.” Jake and Desi headed inside the bar where food and more drinks covered the counter and tables.

  The rest of Desi’s crowd welcomed Jake enthusiastically, and he quickly lost himself to the festivities of the evening.

  The rum punches went down too easily, but Jake didn’t care.

  He deserved to unwind, after all.

  When a slow song came on, he and Desi danced, not quite touching, but chest to chest, each one moving with the music.

  “How about a swim?” Desi asked as he reached out and ran a finger down Jake’s forearm. Goose bumps broke out across his skin, and his drink slipped from his grasp. It hit the ground and splashed up, covering Desi with rum punch.

  Jake cringed. “I’m sorry.”

  Desi laughed. “No worries. Let’s just go rinse it off, shall we?”

  He took Jake by the hand and led him toward the water.

  “I didn’t bring my suit.”

  Desi stopped a few feet back from the edge of the sea and pushed his shorts down his slim hips. “Don’t need one.”

  And there he stood, naked. Jake couldn’t tear his eyes away from Desi’s trim, muscled ass. He didn’t normally top, but he could totally see himself slipping his cock between those tight cheeks. “Coming or what?” Desi asked. Jake had to be careful. He could come any moment just from seeing Desi’s bare flesh, though he knew that’s not what Desi meant.


  “Oh yeah,” he finally stammered and began stripping off his clothes. Desi turned to watch, and Jake stopped in the middle of undressing, completely distracted by Desi’s cock. It hung heavy between his legs. Jake salivated. He wanted to take that long, golden member into his mouth. It probably tasted like coconut and saltwater. He moaned and finished undressing. His own cock—nothing to feel ashamed about— already reached toward Desi, and Jake hoped the other man didn’t fault him for it.

  Jake strode forward and reached for Desi. Desi took his hand, and the two ran into the water together.

  They swam out away from the beach, their laughter filling the air, until Desi came to a stop. Jake could just touch the sandy bottom with his toes. He treaded water while Desi kicked around him, swimming on his back and playing like a seal.

  Desi slipped under, and Jake couldn’t tell where he’d gone. He swiveled around, searching the surface for any sign of the other man, starting to worry. But then hands stroked his sides, and Desi surfaced directly in front of him. They stood eye to eye, and Jake could feel Desi’s cock tapping against his own below the surface.

  “Can I kiss you?” Desi asked, his voice so quiet Jake didn’t know if he’d heard him right, but he nodded slightly, and Desi leaned in.

  Their lips met, and Jake melted against Desi’s strong body. Desi’s arms came up to hold him, and he pulled Jake against him as he kicked back into the water. The water closed around them, and they floated. Jake tasted saltwater and rum and fruit on Desi, and he wanted more of it. Desi gripped his ass as they turned and twisted around each other. Their cocks lay pressed together, hot and hard beneath the water.

  Jake broke the kiss. “I want you.” He licked at Desi’s lips. “Will you come back to my bungalow with me?”

  “Of course.” Desi reached down and grasped Jake’s cock. “I’ve been wanting a feel of this all day.”

  Jake sighed and tilted his head back to look at the stars as Desi ran his hand up and down Jake’s shaft. Someone on the beach started launching fireworks out over the water, and above, roman candles lit up the sky. Sparks showered down on the men, and the smell of gunpowder filled the air.