Chapter 10

Shawn felt his pulse jump as he shook hands with the slightly smaller guy, but he knew immediately that this Casey guy was getting ready to bolt. He'd already glanced up the path a couple times.

God, look at those eyes, such a beautiful gray. His gaze focused on the chiseled cheekbones and strong jaw. His long neck and prominent Adam's apple were... Damn, what's with the collar thing? Shawn cocked his head, trying to get a better look at it. A thick silver chain with a sort of lock on it that sat at the hollow of his throat. Was this guy someone's sub or something? He guessed it could be just a fashion statement, but then why would he keep it on while swimming?

Oh, shit, he suddenly thought, what if that Martin guy was actually his Dom or something? That would explain why he wanted Shawn to keep away; he didn't want to share his younger sub, or for Shawn to somehow lure him away.

"So you're Martin's nephew?" Shawn asked casually.

"Uh, yeah," Casey responded softly, even as he was already edging up the path.

Hmm, so maybe not a sub. Shawn decided that subject was best left for another conversation.

Shawn watched a trickle of water drip from his damp fawn-colored hair onto his shoulder. He suspected Casey's hair was much lighter than usual due to the sun and sea's bleaching effects. He fought to bring his eyes back up to the man's face, focusing instead on the long lashes dropping over those gray eyes as Casey avoided looking at him.

Shawn took a step back, not wanting to scare the obviously timid man. Of course, he couldn't be that timid if he wandered around the beach naked, but Shawn figured maybe he just hadn't expected to run into anyone. Martin had implied his nephew was really shy, maybe he had a social anxiety disorder.

"I'm sorry, your uncle did mention that you weren't used to being around other people," Shawn said. "But it's pretty lonely out here sometimes."

He was rewarded with a flicker of gray as Casey glanced over at him, a small hint of a smile gracing those soft pink lips.

"Don't get me wrong," Shawn pressed quickly while he still managed to hold the beautiful man's attention, "It's nice and serene, and the view is absolutely stunning," he said with a wide grin as he pinned Casey with his blue eyes. He knew maybe he'd gone a bit too far, when Casey's golden skin flushed with a hint of pink and the man crossed his arms timidly over his chest, hugging himself almost as if he were suddenly cold.

"But you have to admit, even with the quiet and the view, sometimes it's nice to be able to hang out with someone," Shawn hinted, tilting his head.

"Yeah, um, maybe," Casey said shyly, glancing back up at his house. He seemed not just a little shy but also a bit scared. "I have to go. My uncle will probably be looking for me."

"Okay," Shawn conceded the moment. "Maybe I'll catch you later. I know Mr. Jorss said he wasn't interested in hanging out, but if you want some company sometimes, just let me know. I'm ... just right over there." He grinned broadly.

Those gray eyes followed his sweeping hand briefly before turning back up to the house. Shawn was sure for a few moments that Casey was going to shut him out just like the uncle did, but the young man drew a deep breath as if making a resolve.

"Yeah, maybe."

Well, that was better than a no, Shawn thought. He smiled back and waved as Casey started up the path to his uncle's home. He watched those strong calf muscles tightening as the guy climbed the rocky path. His mind strayed over the thought of those well worn khakis shifting over the bare ass underneath and had to turn away before he found himself following the guy.

Shit, he grumbled to himself, I really need to stop perving on the guy before I totally freak him out and scare him away. Maybe I do need to head into town and do some bar hopping tonight.

As he headed back across the sand toward his own property, he risked a glance back to see Casey reaching the top of the path. He reached the steps to the deck, and Shawn grinned when the guy turned to look down at him. He waved again, hoping that had been a good sign that Casey might be interested, and was rewarded with a small wave back before the guy disappeared inside the house.

Damn, Shawn thought with a grin, I'll take that.

@@@@

Casey focused on not running up the path. He didn't want the guy to think he was afraid or anything, but hell, he was terrified that Uncle Martin would wake up and come out on the deck looking for him. And if he'd found him talking with their handsome neighbor, Casey knew that his leash would suddenly become much shorter. His hand fluttered to the chain at his neck, knowing Martin could reset the parameters of his confinement, and the small battery in the locking mechanism would assail his nervous system with a painful jolt.

He jumped up the two steps to the side of the deck and quietly slipped inside. He took a moment to listen, but didn't hear any sounds yet. Thank goodness. He knew it wouldn't be long before Martin was up though, so he set about making coffee and some toast and eggs for breakfast.

He resisted the urge to go back out on the deck and peek over the rail at Shawn again. It was obvious the man hadn't been up long, as his black--or was it brown?--hair was tousled and unstyled. Of course, maybe being on the island he just didn't care much anymore. Although, Casey was glad that Shawn kept his jaw closely shaven and hadn't just stopped shaving because he was out in the middle of nowhere. It would remind him too much of Uncle Martin if he didn't, and he certainly didn't need that image popping in with the other lustful thoughts he'd recently been having of Shawn.

His uncle didn't make things any easier either by planting ideas that anyone who found out about his 'uniqueness' would most certainly exploit him to their advantage. And Casey had seen enough news to know that it was human nature to do so. So many people from what he saw on the news clips on his tablet were selfishly looking out only for themselves. And he knew, given the opportunity, anyone--even Shawn Brockton--would take advantage of divulging his secret for fame or fortune, or both. He was certain that Roshan would have, which made the heartbreak their short affair even easier to dismiss. Martin was probably the only one he could ever trust not to betray his secret.

But maybe he could still see the guy occasionally, without Martin knowing. After all, it wasn't like Martin didn't leave practically every day to work a few hours in the village and head into town for groceries and supplies. And even though Casey knew he did it to get away from Casey's presence and the constant reminder of Thomas's death, Casey had hated feeling even more alone. At least with Martin still at the house, he wasn't really alone, even if he was ignored most of the time. There was at least the reminder of another person's presence in the click of shoes through the halls, the opening and closing of doors, the gurgle of the coffee maker.

But now, Casey had another option to the oppressive silence that Martin's absence left. He could actually, well maybe he could, possibly... meet with Shawn sometimes (and probably his wife), while Martin was gone.

Hell, it wasn't like Casey wasn't a regular guy. He could talk with the neighbors. Maybe even walk. Or swim...

He just wouldn't shift unless he knew Shawn (well, and his wife, if she ever came out) wasn't around. It wasn't like he had to shift every day, he just enjoyed swimming more when he did. Other than nights of the full moon, he could decide when and where to shift, and if he absolutely felt the need, he could use the tank of course.

Yes, he thought, I can do this. I can maybe spend a little time with someone other than Uncle Martin for a change. God knows, he desperately needed it. Martin hadn't spared him much time in the last few years. He didn't blame him, of course. Really, how could Martin even stand to look at him when he'd caused Uncle Thomas's death?

Damn, I really need to stop thinking about that today, he thought as he grabbed a mug from the cupboard. Some days he just couldn't stop thinking about it, others he managed to numb himself to everything as he dove under the turquoise waters, submerging himself in another world where he was free from the pain of guilt and loss.

"That for me?"

Casey jolted, not having heard Martin come into the kitchen. The cup slipped and shattered on the floor.

"Shit," he cursed as he immediately dropped to pick up the pieces. He managed to glance up at his uncle, noting the confused frown on the man's face.

"You okay?"

"Y-yeah," he stammered, as he reached for the small broom and dustpan to scoop up the rest of the shards. "You just startled me that's all."

"Really? Were you that lost in thought?" Martin asked, as he stepped around Casey's kneeling figure to grab another mug.

"Yeah, I guess I was."

"Hmmm," Martin hummed as he poured some coffee, "what had you so lost in that little mind of yours?"

While Martin sounded amused outwardly, Casey still sensed a bit of sarcasm in his tone. He took a moment to dump the remnants of the mug into the trash before turning to face his uncle.

"I was thinking of Uncle Thomas," he said quietly.

That caused Martin to tense momentarily before he turned and grabbed some sugar for his coffee. "I see. Were you thinking of anything in particular?"

Casey knew if he mentioned one of his happier memories, Martin would find a way to ruin it. He'd done it before. Like when he'd shared the memory of his tenth birthday where Thomas had dressed up like Darth Vader and he had dressed up like Luke Skywalker and they'd had a light saber fight in the middle of the living room. It had been one of his favorite memories, and shortly after Thomas's death when he'd been grieving and scared, he'd shared it with Uncle Martin. Martin had told him Thomas hated the Star Wars movies and all their hype and had only put up with it all and pretended to like it for Casey; hell, he'd said, they didn't even really know what day Casey's real birthday was. June 4th was just a day they'd picked.

He hadn't celebrated a birthday since.

So he decided to go with the truth, as much as it still hurt, it was something that was already painful and there wasn't much else Martin could say to make it worse.

"I was thinking about the day he died," Casey stated as calmly as he could.

He almost let out a smirk at the way his uncle paused with his coffee partway to his mouth. Guess he wasn't expecting that answer. Well, good, maybe it'd keep him from asking.

Martin managed to blink away the look of anguish that crossed his face at the mention of his partner and love. "Ahh, so remembering how you killed him, huh? Yep, that is definitely a day I won't forget either."

Casey bit his lip to keep from responding. He knew from past experience that letting his uncle see his guilt just made the man more likely to rub it in.

"Yes, sir," Casey said softly, and without looking back, he took his coffee out of the kitchen to his room upstairs, leaving the now cold eggs and toast on the counter.

He dropped the mug heavily on his dresser before he felt a lone tear escape the corner of his eye. He brushed it away quickly. He moved to his large bathroom, turning on the water for the shower. As he waited a moment for it to warm up, he gazed out the large window.

Shawn was walking in the surf, and Casey immediately let thoughts of the man's gentle blue eyes chase away the guilt threatening to consume him this morning. Maybe it would be worth the risk to see Shawn again. Maybe he just needed a distraction from his pain and the burden of guilt. Maybe he didn't have to be so lonely anymore.