Page 70 of Noah

"I should spend some time getting to know Frances' fiancé," Noah said through gritted teeth and tugged me away from his parents. He dragged me back and forth across the ballroom until we found Frances and Henry. He apologized to the group his sister was speaking with, spouting an excuse about needing to steal her away to help deal with the caterers.

"We need to find that stairwell," Noah said to her.

"Let's find Sean first."

Once we located and collected Sean and who I was still assuming was his wife, we headed for a door at the end of a hallway. We gathered on some stairs in a back utility stairwell as Frances dug around in her flashy clutch. My eyebrows arched and I looked at Noah when Frances produced a joint and lit it, taking a long draw off it before passing it to Sean.

When it was given to me, I took it but didn't partake. Noah saw my hesitance and motioned for me to hand it to him and took a toke.

As the joint was passed around, the group engaged in mundane but personal conversation, often teasing one another and laughing. A shoving match broke out between Noah and Sean.

Even though I didn't smoke any of the marijuana, I felt more relaxed. Noah's siblings and their significant others were all right. I felt comfortable around them.

"So, what do you think of our little fucked up family," Frances said to me.

I swallowed on the verge of humming to clear my throat.

"It's different than I'm used to," I answered after far too many seconds passed.

"You come from a normal family," Sean said.

I shook my head. "I wouldn't say that."

"Different than this pony show, though," Henry said. "Not sure they'll ever accept me."

"I'm Cheryl by the way." The elegant woman extended her hand to me. "Sean's wife." She smiled at Henry. "I can relate. If I hadn't started having children, Celine wouldn't have acknowledged me." She took the joint Frances passed her and inhaled a lungful.

We sat like that for another twenty minutes. Our clothes were going to smell like pot. I wondered what the strategy was for getting away with this.

Noah patted my hand. "We're all going to slip out of this nightmare now."

"Without saying goodnight to your parents?"

"They won't even notice," Frances said. "They've already paraded us around like the pretty painted ponies they've molded us into. We've served our purpose for the night."

And I thought my family was messed up.

Noah stood, reached for my hand, and pulled me to my feet. "Let's go out the back."

"Right behind you," Sean said.

We all tumbled into the night air and made our way around to the front of the building. A quick dash to grab our coats from the coat check, Noah shushing his giggling siblings and their partners, and we were off. I'd never been so glad to get out of somewhere.

After jubilant and heartfelt goodbyes that included the promised hug from Frances, we climbed into our waiting limousine. Noah was immediately on me. He flung his leg over my thighs, straddling my lap, and kissed me as we pulled away from the curb.

He was hungry and I was all in on that.

"Mine," I whispered and pulled his bottom lip away with my teeth.

"Fuck, Brody." Noah was breathing heavily. "I'm all yours. Make me yours tonight."

My cock pulsed and throbbed, filling the pants of my rented tux. I loosened the tie around Noah's neck. "I want you naked," I whispered.

Noah's eyebrows shot up. "Here?"

I smiled at him. "No. Once I get you to my place."

"Can't we go to my place? It's closer."

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