Free Treasure of Love by Scotty Cade Page A

GPS and we’ll be ready to go,” Jack responded. “I’ll radio you when we reach our destination.”
    “Roger that,” Dax said. “Thanks, Jack, base out.”
    Wow, that was short , Jack thought as put the radio back on the hook. Not a “How are you?” “It was great sleeping with you.” “I enjoyed last night.” Nothing. Men…!
    When Jack reached the location, he radioed Dax. “Bridge to Base, Dax do you read?”
    “Loud and clear,” Dax responded.
    “We’re here. What would you like me to do?”
    “How long can you hold the position without dropping the hook?”
    “We have a steady wind coming out of the north at about twelve knots, and the current is running about five knots. If I can keep the bow into the wind and get the speed adjusted, maybe ten minutes or so,” he said.
    “That’s all the time I need, thanks, Jack.”
    “Base out.”
    The way the grid system worked, the wreck could be just three hundred yards to port, but it might take them a day and a half to get to that point on the grid as they worked their way along the imaginary lines. Once Dax was sure they hadn’t missed anything, he radioed Jack to pick up his previous position and continue to the next waypoint on the grid.
    Jack spent the next five minutes adjusting his forward speed to match the current and attempting to hold his location utilizing his bow and stern thrusters.
    Down in the little crew berth, Dax studied the computer screen, leaning in to get a closer look and then backing away for a bigger view. He printed each image and would later put them together to form a larger picture of his target area. He didn’t see anything out of the ordinary this time, but Dona thought she’d noticed something the first go-round. He knew very well that sometimes things you missed in a single image, developed into a shape or object when you saw the images pieced together. He would pass these images on to Dona for a fresh set of eyes, to make sure he didn’t miss anything, but his gut told him he was very close.
    The next few weeks went very smoothly. Everyone fell into a comfortable rhythm, changing shifts, reviewing sonar images, preparing meals, and maintaining the boat. Dax had wanted to drag Jack down to his cabin and have his way with him several times a day, but he did his best to restrain himself. They seemed to be getting to know one another at a good pace, and Dax thought that Jack was getting more and more comfortable with their semi-relationship. Occasionally they would fall asleep on the couch, but nothing was happening but a little light kissing and a lot of snuggling. Dax made sure Jack knew he was interested, but he let Jack take the lead, and he didn’t push. For Dax, that was the hardest thing. He always went after what he wanted; it was just his personality. But not this time. He thought Jack was worth the wait, and hoped he would come around sooner rather than later.
    Jack, on the other hand, was getting very frustrated with Dax’s flirtatious behavior. He spent his shifts and time off consumed with thoughts of the handsome treasure hunter and what had transpired between them in the last few weeks. He thought he wanted to explore something with Dax, but he didn’t want to be gay. But how could he be attracted to Dax and not be gay? Could he have it both ways? He thought not. But in the end, it probably didn’t matter anyway, because all they ever really did was make out and snuggle, and that was starting to send a strong message. Maybe Dax was just teasing him and was not really interested.
    He found himself relieved and pissed all at the same time. For the first time in his lonely little life, he was sexually frustrated, and over a man, which confused him more than ever. He didn’t know how to make the first move, so he decided he would talk to Mac and Brad and get their take on it when his shift was over and they came to relieve him. But before he could get another thought through his tangled mind, he heard that