Sandcastles & Second Chances Read online

  “Oh god, Diego, oh god,” I heard him above me.

  His eyes had rolled into the back of his head as I swirled my tongue around the tip. I lifted my head and climbed up his torso then His eyes had rolled into the back of his head. placed my fingers on his lips. “Suck.” He did as I said and I moved back down to his hard cock.

  I held the base of his length and squeezed it, then pushed one finger in his ass. “That okay?” I asked, my voice sounding rough. I could feel my own cock hardening.

  “Yes,” he panted out, so I added another wet finger. Keltie’s hips thrust up and it expanded to his whole body when I scissored my fingers inside him.

  I kneeled up beside him with my fingers still inside and moved to suck him again. Twice I took him up and down my throat, then I held his cock. “Come, Keltie.” I moved my fingers to hit the bundle of nerves inside him just as I wrapped my lips around the head of his cock.

  He started to pulsate and when he came, I tried to swallow it all up but some dripped down the sides, and I moved down to lick it off.

  “I can’t ... I’ve never.” His legs flopped as if they were made of rubber.

  After removing my fingers, I moved up to straddle Keltie’s thighs. As I went to kiss him so he could taste himself, he watched as I grabbed my own cock. A few pumps later, I threw my head back and came all over his chest. And probably other places too.

  He surprised me by taking some of it off his chest and tasting it. I moved to stretch out languidly beside him, tossing one of my legs over his, as he rubbed my back and then bent to kiss me.

  “Good for you?” I asked. I wasn’t entirely sure why, but I was nervous of his response. What if the connection we had didn’t continue to sex?

  He hugged me into him. “Good? Are you kidding me? I don’t even think there’s a word that could suitably describe it. Wait, I’ve got it—Iontach!” I exclaimed.

  “What does that mean?”

  “Kind of Irish slang. It means fabulous.”

  “Then I agree. Iontach.” We got up and had a shower to clean up and then dried off. When we came back through, we sat close together and flipped through the room service menu to pick what we wanted to eat.

  He absently drew circles on my chest with his finger. “How did you get into the sandcastle circuit?” he asked me.

  “It’s kind of a long story. My older sister’s boyfriend did it. I’d see him at the beach, which was only a few minutes walk from our family home, and I’m sure I bugged the hell out of him. I was ten or something and he was in his early twenties. I’d go and watch him and then I tried my own luck. Where we live, you spend your summers and weekends at the beach. The texture of the sand wasn’t ideal, but I’d do more of the 2-D stuff. Like he showed me how to make a mermaid’s tail look real and how scales should be on a dragon. Stuff like that.”

  There was a knock at the door. I threw a shirt on over my shorts and went to get our food. We sat at the small table to eat as I continued, “Later, he took me on as his assistant. It was a dream come true for me. This one time they had a competition for assistants only, and I won 6,000 euros. It was exciting. I love creating and the traveling isn’t bad. I kept improving and practicing, so then it continued: me doing my thing, and eventually getting my own assistant.”

  As we ate, we sat in companionable silence. He scooped up one of his onion rings. “Try one of these. They’re delicious.”

  I leaned over to take a bite. “Mmmm, that really is good.” As I took another bite, I couldn’t help but think about the future. We had a few days left here, most of which would be taken up with the competition, but I wanted more time.

  In the night, I opened the bedroom window to let in a breeze. The air was stifling. I rolled over and realized belatedly that Keltie wasn’t there. I rubbed my eyes and stretched, then got out of bed and plodded out to the living room. A moment of panic overwhelmed me, worrying that he’d just left. But no, I soon realized that wasn’t the case.

  The moonlight shone on the balcony and I caught his silhouette. Keltie was sitting down and looking out at the sea with his legs stretched out in front of him. I wasn’t sure what time it was but I guessed around three a.m.

  “Couldn’t sleep?” I asked when I got close to him.

  He looked up and smiled. “No. Sorry, I hope I didn’t wake you.” He held his hand out and I put mine in it, letting him pull me down onto his lap. “Just thinking. It’s so calm out here. If I stayed beside you, I was worried I’d bother you.”

  “You not being there was worse.” I kissed him. “What’s on your mind? The competition tomorrow?” I ventured.

  “Not really. I could probably do that in my sleep. No, us.”

  Kissing him, I held his face under the moonlight. “I was too. Last night.”

  “I want to see you afterwards. Make it official.”

  I must have let out a gasp for he rubbed my back like a mother calming her baby down.

  “No, ah, not that fast. I meant boyfriends. Are you okay with long distance? I know it’s fast, but I think we can make it work. See where this goes.”

  Leaning down, I kissed him. “This is too much thinking for three in the morning.”

  “Actually it’s closer to four.”

  “I want that too. More than anything. Now come in and warm me up, please.”

  “I think that could be arranged.”

  9

  KELTIE

  I was having a panic attack. That was the only explanation. We were about to start in a couple of hours. There’d be twenty hours to complete our design in full detail, spread over two days. Dylan looked scared. My face must have been a hellish white colour.

  “Get Diego, can you?”

  “But we have to start soon. He has to as well.”

  A hiccup left my mouth and I leaned back in my chair, almost toppling it.

  “Okay, I can call Leo. They must be in the back staging area, so I’ll walk and talk.” Then Dylan raced off.

  I was an idiot. And to panic everyone was of utmost stupidity. Diego and I had had the best couple of days since we officially became boyfriends. It was crazy but I knew he was the one for me. I was certain some people would say it was quick, but life should be lived to the fullest. And I’d waited a year since that day he’d first spilled beer on me. I smiled at the thought.

  That’s when Diego charged in, Leo and Dylan in tow. “What’s up, baby? I’m here for you.” They both bumped into him and pushed him forward so he almost collapsed into my lap. “Can we have a minute, guys?”

  “Sure, ah, sure.” Leo grabbed Dylan’s hand. I had no doubt they’d listen through any avenue available to them.

  “I’m okay. We’re okay, promise. Just … before we compete.” I pulled him so he was sitting across from me. It was distracting, seeing his beauty, but I focused. “Just … whatever happens in this competition, I don’t want it to come between us, not that it will. I know you’re talented and I want you to do your best. And I will too.”

  Diego smiled largely at me, then said, “Oh, you are just the sweetest big teddy bear. Of course. Don’t fret. I thought, ah, when we got together and everything, you knew that was the deal. I don’t want it to come between us either. May the best one win.” I peppered him with kisses. “So, crisis averted?” he asked.

  I merely nodded.

  “Let’s go!”

  We went to our stations and I focused on the task at hand. As Dylan and I reworked the sand, the hours passed and we shaped it the way we wanted. I was particularly happy with the starfish I created.

  In the final hour, Dylan shaped an extra eel in the corner of ours. I’d long since peeled off my T-shirt and was drenched in sweat. Pouring more water over my head, I was glad they’d added little bits of shade for us.

  I patted Dylan on the back and congratulated him. “Brilliant. You are excellent.”

  He high-fived me. “Yes, I think we got this one.” I kept my feelings to myself on that. I was just so happy with Diego that I really di
dn’t care if we won. I probably should though since the prize money was the equivalent of 125,000 euros, but somehow as I looked at our finished project, I, too, could see we’d produced something incredible.

  “It’s a masterpiece.” Then I turned towards Diego. I smiled seeing him goof off with Leo. Theirs looked amazing too. Yep, whatever the outcome, I was one lucky man. As the judges came around to critique our creations, we stood and waited.

  I looked to Diego again and he was already glancing my way. “I love you,” he mouthed. I grinned back and did the same.

  Epilogue

  One Year Later

  DIEGO

  I ran as fast as was possible in the sand to try and catch the frisbee Keltie threw me. Jumping high, I just reached it and threw it back to him.

  We were on a break between competitions. Keltie and I had arranged a trip back to Melbourne together and were reminiscing about how we “met” with my knocking over his drink.

  “Glad you managed to catch the frisbee,” he called over to me.

  “Oh, first-class comedian has really come out of his shell.”

  We’d cuddled and talked and eaten far too much. A few months ago Keltie met my family and they all loved him. I think my sister wanted him for herself.

  We’d become a partnership in another way too. No, no wedding bells, but we’d joined the couples circuit of sand-sculpting so we got to travel and work on creations together.

  He waved me over and when I reached him across the sand, he pulled me into a kiss. I leaned into him. “I love you, Diego. I have something to show you.” He grabbed my hand and as I followed him, I was intrigued. He came behind me and put his hands over my eyes before letting me see whatever he wanted to show me. “Okay, open your eyes.”

  When I did as he said, I saw an intricate sand sculpture that had 3-D calligraphy letters. It took me a moment to see the words in the letters. I felt Keltie’s arms come around my waist and then he murmured in my ear, “will you?” That’s when I saw the words in the sand clearly. It said, “will you marry me?”

  Turning in his arms, I jumped up on him. “Yes, yes. Keltie, I love you.” Tears welled up in my eyes as he put me down. From somewhere he produced a ring and I saw Leo and Dylan appear. My hands were shaking as he placed the band on my finger. When I looked more closely at it, I saw a gold band with an outline of a traditional sandcastle engraved all the way around. “This is beautiful.”

  He took my hand in his and I saw his hand mirrored mine, with an identical band. I kissed it gently and laid my head on his chest with our locked hands between us. “I’m a lucky man. Next time I spill a drink on a man, I’ll hope he’s as good as you.”

  “Hey,” he pushed me away, though he knew I was joking, “there won’t be another man. If you’re doing any more drink-spilling, make sure it’s on me.”

  About the Author

  Claire Castle grew up surrounded by books. She has loved reading for her whole life. Her true love is romance and HEAs. When she’s not reading or writing, she can be found wearing comfortable leggings, drinking mocha, and petting her west highland white terriers. She loves collecting mugs and paperbacks of her favourite stories.

  I love to hear from readers. Please feel free to email me at: [email protected].

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  Also by Claire Castle

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  Snowflakes & Cinnamon Buns

  Walking In A Winter Wonderland

  A Princess for Christmas

  Easter Novella

  Some Bunny To Love

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  Boyfriend or Bust

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  Marshall - Book 1 Mayfair Model series