Daring Domanicos (Print)

Daring Domanicos (Print)
Saloni Quinby
All rights reserved.
Copyright ©2020 Saloni Quinby
Excerpt from In Too Deep

Seated at his desk, Keith gazed out his office window at the gorgeous beach scene. Kids and adults played in the water. In the distance several surfers rode the rolling waves. It was a perfect sunny day. Two kids tried to build a sand castle a bit too close to the water. A young couple sat on a blanket, the guy rubbing lotion onto the girl's bikini-clad body.

Keith truly wished he was out there too, instead of cooped in his office. Up until recently, he'd liked his job but lately the best thing about it was his office view. He felt like such a fraud, doling out advice about love when his personal life was sorely lacking.

His gaze fell on the hunk walking toward the lifeguard tower and he forgot about everything else. Just a glimpse of Tucker made his pulse race and his cock ache. A light sweat broke out on his forehead and back despite the AC being turned on high.

Tall and athletic with long legs, broad shoulders and abs that Keith wanted to lick all over, Tucker was the kind of man he dreamed about. He had thick black hair and eyes as blue as the ocean he watched over.

Tucker had started working as a lifeguard here last month. Keith had been an advice columnist for a local GLBT newspaper for about a year. Most of the letters he received were from people looking to start or end a relationship. He'd always provided bold advice, most of which seemed perfectly reasonable when he was giving it to someone else.

Then he'd met Tucker through a mutual acquaintance at a beachside restaurant nearby. Thomas, the burly middle-aged owner and chef, had introduced Keith to Tucker. With his gorgeous eyes, killer bod and brilliant smile, Tucker had charmed the hell out of Keith, but Keith was too smart to show it. He'd remained cool -- friendly but in control. He'd met Tucker's kind before -- drop dead gorgeous and he knew it.

After Tucker had taken his lunch to one of the outside tables, Thomas had leaned closer to Keith and whispered, "He makes you want to fake drowning just so you can get mouth-to-mouth, doesn't he?"

"Hardly," Keith said with a nonchalant shrug. "You've seen one gorgeous hunk and you've seen them all."

Thomas laughed, his gray eyes sparkling.

Since that first meeting, Keith hadn't been able to stop thinking about Tucker. The sexy lifeguard had starred in several of his most erotic dreams, but Keith wasn't foolish enough to think those dreams would ever come true.

Tucker was one of those perfect, athletic types and Keith was a pale, skinny pencil-pusher, even if he did work out several times a week in an attempt to keep at least some muscle on his five-foot-nine-inch frame. People who said they'd kill for his fast metabolism didn't fully comprehend its drawbacks.

Speaking of metabolism and Thomas's restaurant, it was time for lunch. He shut down his computer, left his office and headed out for a bite.

At the restaurant, the host showed him to his usual table. While he was looking over the menu -- not that he needed to, since he ate there enough to have it memorized -- Thomas approached.

"Hey, Keith. I just wanted to invite you to the Halloween party I'm having here after hours on Wednesday October thirtieth. It's a masquerade. Hope you can come."

"That sounds great. I'll be here," Keith said. He loved dressing up. He wore at least some makeup and eyeliner daily, but on Halloween he enjoyed going all out.

"Fantastic. What are you having? I'll get it for you."

"My usual."

Thomas nodded. "Turkey club and a lemonade. Be right up."

Thomas walked back to the kitchen and Keith placed the menu aside. He'd just started to relax when the heavenly body himself walked in.

Tucker stood at the front of the restaurant, talking and laughing with the host. A moment later, they turned and walked in Keith's direction. His stomach clenched when he realized they were headed for the empty table near his. Once Tucker was seated, the host handed him a menu, winked and left.

Tucker studied the menu with jewel-like blue eyes. Although Keith had seen him on the beach just a short time ago wearing a swimsuit, he now wore jeans and a black short-sleeved shirt so thin it was almost see-through. The outline of his nipples was visible through the sheer fabric draping his superb body. His thick black hair was spiked up. Black pearl earrings gleamed in his earlobes and a braided rope bracelet adorned his strong wrist.

Keith hoped his study of the sexy lifeguard was discreet.

"Hey," Tucker said, turning to him with a smile. "You're Keith, right?"

""Yeah," Keith replied coolly.

"I don't know if you remember me. Tom introduced us about a month ago."

"I remember." How could I forget?

"I've seen you around a lot. Do you live nearby?"

Was he actually trying to make conversation? Of course he was. After all, Keith wasn't the one who'd started talking to him.

"Yeah. Not far."

They fell silent for a moment and Keith's stomach clenched. What kind of advice would he give a moron who had the object of his desire seated right next to him and didn't know what to do about it?

"You write an advice column, don't you?" Tucker ventured.

"That's right. How do you like working at the beach?"

"Oh, I love it. I've been a lifeguard since I was sixteen. It's what I've always wanted to do."

"That's pretty cool, having your dream job."

Tucker chuckled. "And you don't? Not too many people get to be a successful advice columnist and have a book published and everything."

Keith couldn't help feeling flattered. "You know about my book?"

"I read it. Interesting."

That was surprising. He didn't expect a guy like Tucker to need a book about improving his gay relationship, unless it covered how to keep a horde of horny guys from breaking his door down.

"Thank you," Keith said.

The waiter arrived and took their orders. Once he'd gone, Tucker asked, "Are you eating alone?"

"Yeah. I'm just on a lunch break. Are you alone too?"

"Yeah. Unless you want to join me?"

Keith could hardly believe his good luck. He stared at Tucker.

"Sorry. Was that uncomfortable?" Tucker asked. "If this is your quiet time, I get it. Just pretend I'm not here."

Like that's possible.

"No. Don't mind me. It was just a delayed reaction. My mind is always in overdrive." As Keith spoke, he moved his drink, jacket and leather bag over to the seat across from Tucker. Now he could look at the hunk straight on. The only problem was, how could he possibly eat while looking at a man this gorgeous?