Falling off the Edge

After the last chapter I felt Jake needed another attempt to get some control over what was happening. So here it is.

---

JAKE

Chapter 6

To say I had a lot of misgivings about this dinner was an understatement. But the time for our guests to arrive had come. Mike and Alex were first, showing up in Mike’s new hummer.

My boss looked fantastic, the big, tanned lion with his golden mane, stretching the white polo shirt he had on under a denim jacket, and some equally stretched pale grey jeans that advertised him very nicely.

Alex, looking just a tad sheepish, I thought, trailed Mike up the entrance. Despite the brisk October day, Alex wore a navy jersey and short faded cutoffs. He looked a little chilly, but clearly thought showing off his beautiful legs worth it. I inwardly shook my head at him, but accepted the kiss Mike lavished on me, before taking Alex in my arms for a smooch.

Out of the corner of my eyes I saw Dan and Mike exchanged a set of assessing looks before Mike just said, “Come here, you.” He pulled Dan into a long smooch, and I saw Dan respond to embrace, his body, in white jeans and a T pressing back into Mike with a will as they all but made out in front of Alex and me.

I was reminded that Mike and Dan had never really connected. Maybe that was changing, I thought, with a mixture of butterflies and relief, both.

Glancing at Alex I saw a similar expression in those blue eyes that I was feeling. Hah, so he thought he would have Captain Mike all to himself, did he? Well, if he and Dan were conniving this four-way relationship idea, Alex seemed to be realizing a little bit just what that meant.

And then I wondered if Alex and Keen had even met, but realized they must have. Alex worked almost full time as a massage therapist at Dan’s hotel, so… they had, right?

Looking amazing, my husband turned his blue and green flecked eyes on me, still the most beautiful eyes I had ever seen on a man and asked me to go pour drinks for our guests while he waited for Keen. I nodded, and headed for the bar, casually, asking for preferences on the way. Mike and Alex followed me.

This was Dan’s and my first hosting of a party at the new residence. Half the bedrooms weren’t done yet, but the front hall, living room, dining room and kitchen were all but completed and refurbished with top line very comfortable leather and teak furniture. The living room wrapped around dividing private quarters from the rest of the first floor and extended out to glass doors that led to the heated and steaming pool and enclosed hot tub beyond, with a view out onto the beach below.

The bar was located to one side, on the left, backing onto the kitchen. Rounding the bar, you reached the dining room with a table that could extend to seat twelve. We had it halfway open for six.

“This place is looking fantastic, Jake.” Mike said.

“Thanks. Give Dan the credit. He’s the decorator.”

“You have the whole house done? I thought you said it was only about half remodeled?” Mike asked me.

“Upstairs bedrooms are largely unfinished. Some of them just getting started. Dan hopes to have it done by Thanksgiving.

Alex chimed in as I poured him his whisky sour and then a bourbon, straight, for my boss. “I’ll give you a tour, love.”

It took me a split second to realize he’d called Mike, Love, not me. The way they were hooked on each other, arm in arm, was sending its own message.

“I’d like that, baby.” Mike murmured back, his arm sliding down Alex’s back to cup his ass as they turned into each other.

Distantly I heard Dan talking to someone and the front door close. A moment later, Dan escorted in the young marine and the hotel comptroller, Keen.

Fuck but the guy was gorgeous. It was hard to know where to look. From his gold glinted brown hair, down that exquisitely beautiful face, to his very athletic body hugged by faded jeans and a see-through net t under a leather jacket, he was definitely drool worthy.

At the gym where I taught martial arts, he’d appeared to teach his class in his G, which did not show him off like what he was wearing now did.

Oh, I had been struck by that amazing face. But now the full glory of him just made me want to rip those clothes off. I realized I had not seen him in the gym showers or locker room. Now I really wanted to.

The next impression that hit me, however, was one that rocked me, and I had to breath deep. There was no denying an almost visible connection between Dan and Keen. They weren’t touching, just standing beside each other. But it was there, a definite vibe between them.

Everyone seemed affected by Keen’s looks. I saw Mike just gape at the younger man, Mike’s mouth parted slightly. Alex looked mesmerized, his mouth gaping open, eyes wide and glazed. It was almost comical.

Keen did not seem aware of the focus on him. He stepped forward very correctly and offered his hand to Mike.

“Hello Captain Mike, Sir. Good to see you again. Hi Alex.”

God, even Keen’s voice was sexy as hell. He turned to me and almost bowed.

“Master Jake, good to see you, Sir.” His gold flecked brown eyes were nothing less than hypnotic as he reached out his hand.

I took it and shook it, all while trying not to stare, but it was impossible.

“Good to see you too, Keen. We're not at the gym. Just call me Jake.” Keen had insisted on first meeting me on calling me Master Jake or Sir. I was tempted to let him continue so, as he was apparently seducing and keeping my husband seduced. Dan seemed to imply they were close, but he wasn’t cheating… quite. What did that mean? Were they refraining from fucking? That was our current rule, though we had both broken it already a number of times. Looking at Keen, taking him in, smelling his clean manly scent with a hint of musk and spice, taking in the long thick tubular bulge down one thigh, I had to wonder how Dan could resist. I wanted him myself.

“Would you like a drink?” I remembered to ask.

“Just water, Sir… I mean, Jake, Sir.”

I cocked my head at him and his perfect sensual mouth crooked into a hint of a grin.

“Just Jake.”

“Yes S- Jake.”

We both chuckled.

“Dan?” I said, remembering my husband. Dan was giving me an odd sort of look, but he recovered. “Just iced tea, baby. Unsweetened.”

I remembered. Dan wasn’t drinking these days. Nothing alcoholic, anyway.

I nodded, “I’ll get myself a beer. You sure you don’t want something more than water, Keen?”

“Ah, well if you have iced tea that would be great.”

“I guess you know Captain Mike from the hotel, Keen?” I asked him.

“Yup, we’ve met a few times, Sir.”

I sighed and Keen jerked. “I mean Jake.”

I just shook my head at him. How could you be annoyed with such a stunning man?

We settled in the living room, Alex and Mike sitting close together on the couch, Mike’s arm around Alex’s shoulders possessively.

I settled in a chair, leaving Dan and Keen to share the couch facing Alex and Mike. The conversation was stilted at first, but Mike swiftly engaged Keen in questions about his ability to swim. Had he life saving training? Would he be willing to try out for the beach patrol? All of which Keen replied in the affirmative. He’d been on the swim team in high school and his marine training had included life saving.

“I’d definitely be happy being retrained, Sir.”

“Well, there is no rush." Mike assured him, almost purring. "The patrol is down for the season. For a month we’ve had me, Jake and a couple of others running beach buggies up and down the beach keeping an eye on surfers or any bathers still braving the chilly water, but we are not formally hired by the city to do that, and now we even have that closed off. Your job at the hotel allows you time to take a shift?”

“Absolutely. My busiest days are Monday through Wednesday, but Thursday, Friday and weekends I am free. The rest of the hotel is busy, but I am not.”

Dan nodded at this, but something in what Keen said bothered him. I could tell by the slight frown line trying not to form between Dan’s brows.

Keen turned to me. “What do you do with all this time off?”

“What I often do. I have a few yachting clients who need Captains during the winter months. I take on a couple of those for extra money.”

Such was true. I tried not to take too many such jobs, so as not to leave Dan alone for months at a time, but I enjoyed the work.

Dan put in, “Jake ended up with enough hours from his time in at the helm of sea vessels as a Seal to quickly study up and qualify for his civilian Captain’s license when he got out. Sometimes his clients invite me to go along. We’ve had some great vacations out of it, though truth to tell Jake isn’t really on vacation. He has to stay alert so his clients don’t do something stupid.”

“Do you have a job like that coming up soon?” Keen asked me. I noticed his knee and Dan’s were pressed together. Somehow Dan had inched closer to Keen on the couch and sort of had a casual arm around Keen’s shoulders.

“After Thanksgiving, I have a new client, a couple. The yacht owner is a dot com billionaire. It’s a big yacht. Larger than I have captained before. They like to go down the inland waterway around Florida to the Gulf coast. Their last Captain retired. It will take about three weeks. I’ll be back for Christmas with my baby, and then they want me to captain them on down to the Virgin Islands for another month. I have one more job with some old clients in March for a couple of weeks, and Dan is invited for that one, but that’s all I intend to do.”

Dan looked like he was going to say something but thought better of it. He knew those jobs paid me well, and this new one was liable to pay me very well, indeed.

Alex piped up, “Oh!! I almost forgot! Dan, I have a cousin who is coming east for Thanksgiving. His parents have divorced. He’s just out of High School. I was wondering if we could put him up.”

Dan looked a little surprised, but then shrugged. “Sure, I suppose. Whats his name?”

“Cass Alexander.” Alex said. “And you don’t have to worry about his mooching off you. He can pay rent. His parents are very rich. His dad owns and Island in the Gulf not far from Key West and is making it into a Gay resort.”

“Well, that’s the first I’ve heard of that?” Mike said. “What's the name of the resort?”

“Key Mark and Mark’s Marine and Resort.” Alex said, simply.

We listened as Alex went into more detail about his cousin and his father’s enterprise. Dan started to get a certain look on his face, and I cornered him in the kitchen when the smells from the oven told us the roast was nearly done.

“Baby, I know that look. What are you thinking?” I said, moving in against his back, nestling my crotch into his incredibly sexy ass.

“About what?” He said turning his head slightly.

“I know that look. When Alex was talking about his uncle and his Island.”

“Oh that.” Dan waved it away, but as I kept holding him from behind, he relented and shrugged. “I was sort of looking into expanding the business, and I noticed there is a gay guest house on Key West for sale and I put in a low-ball tentative offer. It was damaged in a hurricane and the Owner is getting up in years and would rather sell cheaply than put in the time himself to restore the place. I’ve been thinking about it but wasn’t sure we were ready to plunge into another project so soon.”

I thought that one over. In the old days I would have spoken on impulse. “Seems like we have a few things to work out, don’t you think?”

I felt him tense in my arms but then, almost as quickly, he relaxed.

“About what?”

“Dan, come on. What do you want from this dinner? I am not accusing or anything. But the bond between you and Keen is really obvious. And my boss and Alex are drooling over him. The guy is stunning, I will give him that. But what are we doing here?”

Dan turned in my arms and met my eyes with his gorgeous blue greens.

“What we are doing here is exploring what can be.” Dan took a deep breath. “I am not pushing anything. But, Keen likes you and deeply respects you. Maybe you might spend some time with him. Ask him out to lunch. Get to know him.”

“Won’t that make you jealous?” I said before thinking better of it.

Dan cocked his head at me. “What about you? I’d rather you accepted him in our lives then worry about how jealous you are. And you are. Admit it.”

I leaned my head forward until our foreheads were touching. “You know me too well.”

“So? Look love. I am not going to walk away from Keen. But I don’t want to lose you. So… get to know him. You know Alex. You know Mike. I’D like to know Mike. I don’t and you do. How do you think that makes me feel?”

Well, he had me there. “So… a fivesome?” I said after a moment.

“Dan shrugged. "What else can we do?”

I sighed, but then said, firmly. “But not tonight, ok? Lets just keep this to talking. Nothing too sexy. Let's keep it G rated.” I needed to get used to this idea. Dan needed to give me time, dammit.

“Not even R? Come on you know you think Keen is hot.” Dan teased.

I grunted. “Fuck baby he is smoking fucking hot. But yeah. G rated. If I am to get to know him, then let us be relaxed about it. I feel pushed and manipulated enough already.”

Dan flushed, but I winked at him to take the sting out of it, and he snorted and spanked my butt. “Well, if I did nothing, nothing would get settled, now, would it?”

I grunted. “Probably not, anyway, to judge by the smell we better get that roast out and inner on before we burn something.” I said, giving in.

We got the food out and got ourselves settled at the table. I occupied the head with Mike on my right and Keen on my left. Dan sat on Mike’s other side and Alex, his eyes rarely leaving Keen, sat on Keen’s left.

The dinner was convivial, easy chatter, a lot more about that Island in the Gulf and Alex’s uncle and cousin.

Mike let it be known he and that bar top dancer, Chase, had split up, and he hinted pretty strongly about his growing attachment to Alex.

But Keen was the hidden focus of the dinner. The man was quiet, unassuming, but so gorgeous it was hard to look away from him.

With the excuse that Keen and I needed to talk about him taking over the Martial Arts classes while I was gone after Thanksgiving, we agreed to go out to lunch together at a seafood restaurant I often went to with Dan the following day. Dan made a lame excuse as to why he could not join us for lunch, insisted the two of us go. Judging from the blush and averted eyes of Keen, the marine knew he was being as manipulated as I was.

After dinner, Dan made some hints about needing to get up early to deal with some business matters. The others took the hint, and with some prolonged embracing and kisses, this time including Keen, who tentatively made out with Dan when Dan pulled him in, at the door with me watching, the others left, leaving Dan and I alone.

Dan looked flushed his white jeans showing just how hard kissing Keen made him.

“I think I better get to know Keen fast, so you feel better about playing with him, baby.” I said, with a wink.

Dan giggled. “Oh, fuck off, let's go to bed.”

I reached out and caressed the hard ridge across his crotch. “Thought you would never ask.”