The Salt in His Skin

The kiss is a spark to dry tinder. Liam gasps against my mouth, his hands fisting in my shirt. I crowd him against the wall, my body pressing into his. He’s warm and alive and mine. I nip at his lip, soothe the sting with my tongue. He opens for me, his tongue sliding against mine. He tastes like salt and fear and something sweet, like hope.

My hands are everywhere, mapping the lines of his body—the lean muscles of his back, the sharp blades of his hips, the curve of his ass. He arches into me, his hands sliding under my shirt, his fingers digging into my skin. I break the kiss, drag my mouth down his throat. He tilts his head back, bares his throat to me. I suck a mark into the skin, dark and angry. He whines, his hips rocking against mine.

I feel him hard against my thigh, feel the heat of him through his jeans. I pop the button, yank the zipper down. He’s commando underneath, his cock hot and hard against my palm. I wrap my hand around him, give him a slow stroke. He bucks into my fist, his breath hot against my ear.

“Fuck, Alex,” he pants. “Please.”

I spin him around, press him face-first against the door. He spreads his legs, arches his back. I yank his jeans down to his knees, grope for the lube in my bunk. I find it, slick my cock, press the head against his hole. He tenses, his hands scrabbling at the door.

“Relax,” I growl in his ear. “Let me in.”

He takes a shaky breath, nods. I push forward, slow and steady. He’s tight, so tight, his body fighting me. I pet his flank, his hip, his thigh. “Breathe, baby. Breathe.”

He lets out a long breath, his body relaxing. I slide home, my balls pressing against his ass. He moans, his head thumping against the door. I start to move, slow at first, then faster, harder. The door rattles in its frame, the bolts groaning. Liam meets me thrust for thrust, his body greedy for mine.

The ship groans around us, the metal creaking and shifting. I fuck him through it, my hands digging into his hips. He’s babbling now, pleading, my name a prayer on his lips. I wrap my hand around his cock, stroke him in time with my thrusts. He comes with a shout, his body clenching around me. I follow him over, my cock pulsing inside him, painting his insides with my seed.

I collapse against his back, my breath harsh in his ear. He sags against the door, his chest heaving. I press a kiss to his spine, taste the salt on his skin. He shivers, his body clenching around me again. I groan, my spent cock twitching inside him.

We stay like that for a long moment, catching our breath. The ship groans again, and I ease out of him, wincing at the mess. I grab a rag, clean us both up as best I can. Liam’s legs are shaking, his body limp against the door. I scoop him up, carry him to my bunk. I lay him down, crawl in beside him. He curls into my side, his head on my chest. I press a kiss to his hair, breathe him in.

We drift, the ship rocking us like a cradle. I don’t know how long we doze, but when I wake, Liam’s propped up on one elbow, watching me. He smiles, shy and sweet, and my heart clenches in my chest.

“You okay?” I ask, my voice rough with sleep.

He nods, his smile widening. “Better than okay.” He leans in, presses a soft kiss to my lips. “Thank you.”

I snort. “For fucking you against the door?”

He laughs, shakes his head. “For saving my life. For seeing me. For…” He blushes, looks away. “For wanting me.”

I tip his chin up, meet his eyes. “Always,” I say, my voice a vow. “I’ll always want you.”

He smiles again, bright as the sun. I pull him down, kiss him slow and deep. We make out like teenagers, hands wandering, bodies pressing close. It’s sweet and easy, a different kind of intimacy.

We spend the next few days stealing moments together, sneaking kisses and touches when the rest of the crew isn’t looking. It’s not enough, not nearly enough, but it’s all we have. At night, we fuck, hard and desperate, like we’re trying to crawl inside each other’s skin.

It’s not all sex. We talk, too. About everything and nothing. About our lives before the Navy, about our hopes and dreams. Liam wants to be an artist, to capture the world on paper. I want to keep diving, to keep saving lives. We talk about the future, about what comes next for us.

It’s stupid, I know. We’re in the middle of the goddamn ocean, surrounded by a bunch of dudes who’d beat our asses if they knew. But I can’t help it. For the first time in my life, I’m happy. Really, truly happy.

It doesn’t last. Of course it doesn’t. A week after our first kiss, the captain calls us to his quarters. Liam and me. Just us.

We stand at attention, our hands behind our backs. The captain sits behind his desk, his face unreadable. He’s got a file open in front of him, papers spread out across the surface.

“Chief Petty Officer Rivera,” he says, his voice clipped. “Seaman Carter. I’ve been reviewing the reports from last week’s dive. There are some… discrepancies.”

My gut clenches. Fuck. Someone must have seen us. Someone must have talked.

The captain taps a finger on the file. “According to these reports, Seaman Carter’s equipment malfunctioned during the dive. A malfunction that could have been fatal.” He looks up, his eyes sharp. “And yet, there’s no record of a maintenance check being performed on his gear before the dive.”

I keep my mouth shut. Liam’s hand finds mine behind our backs, grips tight.

The captain leans forward, steeples his fingers. “I’ve also received reports of… inappropriate behavior between the two of you. Behavior that could jeopardize the safety and cohesion of this crew.”

My heart stops. Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck.

The captain looks from me to Liam and back again. “Is there something you’d like to tell me, Chief?”

I swallow hard, my mouth dry. Liam’s hand is sweating in mine, but he doesn’t let go. I take a deep breath, square my shoulders.

“Yes, sir,” I say, my voice steady. “There is.”

The captain raises an eyebrow. “Well?”

I look him straight in the eye, my chin up. “Seaman Carter and I are involved, sir. Romantically.”

Silence. The captain’s face doesn’t change, doesn’t flicker. He leans back in his chair, steeples his fingers again.

“I see,” he says, his voice mild. “And how long has this been going on?”

“About a week, sir,” I say. Liam’s hand tightens in mine, his thumb stroking my knuckles.

The captain nods, looks down at the file. “And the equipment malfunction?”

I take another breath. “I take full responsibility for that, sir. I should have double-checked Carter’s gear before the dive. It won’t happen again.”

The captain looks up, his eyes narrowed. “See that it doesn’t, Chief.” He closes the file, leans forward. “As for your… relationship. I can’t condone it. Not on my ship. Not between a superior and a subordinate.”

My heart sinks. I knew this was coming, but it still hurts. Liam’s hand is crushing mine, his body rigid beside me.

The captain sighs, rubs his forehead. “That being said, I can’t ignore the fact that you saved Carter’s life. And I can’t ignore the fact that you’re one of my best divers.” He looks up, meets my eyes. “So here’s what’s going to happen. You’re both going to be transferred. To different ships. Different crews. You won’t have any contact with each other until your current tours are up.”

I open my mouth to protest, but the captain holds up a hand. “That’s the best I can do, Chief. Take it or leave it.”

I look at Liam. He’s pale, his eyes wide. He nods, just a little. I turn back to the captain.

“We’ll take it, sir,” I say, my voice rough. “Thank you.”

The captain nods, stands up. “Dismissed.”

We salute, turn on our heels. I keep hold of Liam’s hand behind our backs, my fingers tight around his. We walk out of the captain’s quarters, our heads high. It’s not ideal, being separated. But it’s not the end. We’ll find a way. We have to.

Liam stops in the passageway, turns to face me. He’s smiling, his eyes bright. I pull him into a shadowed corner, cup his face in my hands. I kiss him, pour all my love, all my hope into the press of my lips against his.

“We’ll make it work,” I say, my forehead pressed to his. “No matter what.”