Page 36 of Noah

Noah and I, our minds and emotions were starting to mesh. My attraction went beyond strictly wanting his body. Even though I wanted Noah desperately, I could wait. Someday, if our time together continued, and we found ourselves prepared for what it would mean to touch each other in that way, it would be special. We would take our time. For now, the affection in his eyes and the way he touched me so tentatively as if I was precious to him—I truly was falling.

"I like him a lot."

"Sounds like it."

I walked toward my office door. "I need to start work." I was due in court that afternoon. I needed to make sure my notes were in order. It was a simple domestic abuse case. There was no doubt the judge would find the defendant guilty. I needed to be prepared regardless.

On my walk to the courthouse, I let my mind wander to images of Noah. Over the past couple of weeks, I increasingly felt like I could trust him. He'd never given me any reason not to. The Rainbow LGBTQ Youth Centre trusted him to work with those vulnerable kids. That told me a lot about him. It was obvious Liam loved Noah. They had twenty years of history together. Surely, any sane person wouldn't keep a friendship with Noah alive if Noah was untrustworthy.

Still. Moving forward with Noah made me nervous. I rubbed my thumb and forefinger together at a furious pace. I wanted to get the stimming out of my system before I arrived in court.

The trial went as I had expected. The defendant was found guilty of domestic assault and sentenced to fourteen months in prison and one year of probation.

I would have preferred a longer sentence.

The drive home seemed longer than usual; the weekend traffic was bad.

After taking Bentley out for his evening constitution, I sat in my living room and ate my apple. I'd had a large chef's salad for lunch. The wings were always enough for my evening meal.

I changed my clothes, choosing a black t-shirt and jeans to wear to the pub. I wanted to look good for Noah. Usually, I didn't fuss with my casual wear. My suits were impeccable, but my at-home evening and weekend wear typically consisted of grey sweatpants and a white t-shirt. My going-out clothes were simple but fit me well. My good looks tended to attract attention.

I studied myself in the mirror and ran my fingers through my curls. They never behaved. I'd tried cutting my hair shorter, so it was a mess of waves instead, but it didn't feel like me. My mom had always kept my hair a little longer. I liked to keep things the same. Fewer decisions.

Thirty minutes later, I was walking into the pub. Noah looked stressed out, racing back and forth all over the pub floor. I sat on a bar stool and Liam came over.

"Is Noah all right?" I asked him.

"Friday night and two servers called in sick. Rumour has it that a bunch of them were out drinking last night. Noah is pissed. He's having to pick up the slack until a few more arrive."

I furrowed my brow. I didn't like to see Noah like this. It frustrated me that I couldn't help him. I knew this was far from the perfection he seemed to strive for.

He buzzed past me with an, "I'll be right back."

When Noah did return, he was on my side of the bar. I turned in my seat to face him.

"Liam told me what happened."

Noah sighed. "There's no proof, so I can't even write them up."

I took a chance, raised my hand, and set it on his shoulder. My touch pulled Noah right out of his funk—temporarily. He smiled at me and licked his lips like he wanted to kiss me.

A tingling warmth hummed between us. I wanted to pull him to me and hug him, but that would be a step too far in a public place. I squeezed his shoulder and released it.

"You'll figure it out, " I offered.

He stepped closer, almost standing between my thighs. I itched to reach for him again. This time I would touch his face. Stroke his cheek. Run my thumb along his bottom lip.

Lean in and kiss him.

"I'm glad you're here," he said. "I feel calmer already."

He licked his lips again and moved his gaze down to mine. My cock throbbed, threatening to thicken and give away how much I wanted him. He must have sensed my discomfort because he moved away with a promise that he'd be back behind the bar in no time.

Until then, I had Liam tending to me.

"Your usual?" he asked.

"Please."

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