Page 28 of The Making of Jonty Bloom
“Black coffee, please,” Devan said. “One sugar.”
“I wasn’t talking to you.”
Jonty laughed. “Shut up, Mike. Yes, you were. We’ll both have black coffees, thank you, Da…da…dearest one.”
Mike growled. “Watch it.” Then left the shop.
Jonty turned to Devan. “Shower’s through that door. You go first.”
“No, you go first.”
“I knew there was a polite guy under there somewhere. Okay, to save hours of—you, no you—I’ll go first. I’ll try not to use all the hot water, unless you’d like to shower with me? It’s a tight squeeze but…”
For a moment, Jonty actually thought Devan was thinking about it, then Mike came back in.Shit.
MIKE GLARED AT DEVAN BEFOREhe went through a door behind the counter. Devan heard the sound of a kettle being filled and followed him.
“Don’t ask me about Jonty,” Mike said before Devan could say anything. “If there’s anything you want to know, ask him yourself.”
“I was going to ask about your shop.” Though Mike had guessed correctly. “How much traffic do you get in the winter? Any courses you run all year round? I’m considering investing up here.”
Mike turned out to be a valuable source of information. Once he was talking about the local area and his business, he was much friendlier. They were still chatting when Jonty emerged, rubbing his hair with a towel. Both he and Mike turned. Jonty looked…all spiky-haired and wide-eyed and adorable. Lust coiled in his gut.Oh God.
“What did I miss?” Jonty asked. “Been talking about water sports? Is Willis into that? I know how much you love it. Have you asked him? Like me to? I can be subtle.”
Mike pushed a mug of coffee into Jonty’s hand. “No and No. I don’t love the water sports you’re talking about and don’t you dare say a word to Willis. Not one word.”
“I can’t say water sports? But it’s your life.”
Mike sighed. “You can say water and you can say sports, but don’t put them together.”
Devan was trying not to laugh.
“So not water sports,” Jonty said. “But water…leave a long pause…sports.”
“Oh God, I don’t trust you.”
“Me? That hurts.”
Devan picked up his things and slipped away to the shower. If he was guessing, he’d say that Mike and Jonty had once been an item. For all of Mike’s glares and growls, Devan had taken in the way the guy had hugged Jonty when they were on the quay, and that possessive hand on the shoulder. Mike still cared about him. Hard not to feel envious that two guys could still be friends after they’d been lovers. Not that there was any chance of that with Ravi.
After a brief tussle with his wetsuit, Devan finally managed to free himself, and stood under the hot water. Not a deluge, but enough to chase away the chill and make him feel human. There was a container of blue shower gel attached to the wall and Devan squirted a dollop onto his palm.
It was surprising how much better a hot shower made him feel, though he was very tired. He wondered if he could persuade Jonty to have a meal with him, a thank you for quite possibly saving his life.Is a meal all I want?Devan swallowed hard. No, it wasn’t.
When he emerged into the shop, there was no sign of Jonty.
“He’s putting his bike in my van,” Mike said. “I’m going to have to take him. The bike won’t fit in your car and he needs it to get to work.”
Devan wasn’t sure whether to feel relieved or disappointed. “Okay. Thanks for all your help. If you hadn’t called the coastguard… Well, thank you. And for the shower and coffee.”
As he moved towards the door, Mike stepped in front of it. “Not something I usually need to ask, but are you gay?”
“Yes.”
“Not in the closet back where you come from?”
“No.”
