Page 21 of Cross My Heart

“What are you saying, Noah?” His frown deepens. “What?—”

“I’m in love with you,” I blurt out. “I want to be with you.”

“Noah.” Tyler’s tears come even faster, and mine are close to coming out too. I don’t know if I can take his rejection right now. “I can’t?—”

“Yeah, I know.” I huff. “You’re with Scarlett.”

Tyler looks down. “That’s not what I was going to say.”

“You’re not going to school, Ty,” I begin to list all the reasons why he should come with me. “You’re working at fucking Sonic, not even for the family business. You have nothing going for you here. I could give you everything you need and want. I can make it happen for us. Just—come withme.”

Ty huffs. “My family is here.”

“I’m your family too.” I cup his cheeks with both hands now, thumbs brushing away his tears. “Why are you crying?”

“Because,” Tyler hiccups. “Why did you have to admit your feelings for me when I’m with Scarlett? Don’t you think that’s a little selfish?”

“So, what?” I shrug, dropping my hands to my sides. “Like we haven’t been dancing around this bullshit for years now? I’m not stupid, Tyler. I know you feel something too.”

There’s a moment of silence, and Tyler looks away from me. My hands begin to shake when his eyes return to mine, a grimace on his face. His eyes dip down to my lips, staying there, and I lick them. Fire shoots straight to my dick, and my nostrils flare.

“What are you doing, Ty?”

He leans in, closing the distance between us, his lips a centimeter from mine. We’re sharing breaths now, and I close my eyes. I don’t give a damn if he’s with Scarlett. If he wants to kiss me, who am I to deny him? I’ll never reject him. There’s no way in hell that will ever happen.

“Kissing you,” he breathes against my lips. “Stay still and let me.”

“Okay,” I reply, and his lips press against mine.

The kiss is chaste, but his lips are so soft. They’re pillowy and full, and I sigh into it. Our lips shift, and he sucks my bottom one into his mouth gently. Still so fucking soft and unhurried, as if we have all the time in the world. Electricity shoots down my spine when his hand connects with the back of my neck, pulling me closer, and he climbs onto my lap without breaking the kiss. My hands grip his hips as he deepens the kiss, teasing the seam of my lips with his tongue.

And, oh God, do I ever open up to him.

When his tongue thrusts between my lips, we groan in unison. I swear on my life, this kiss is a full spiritual experience. I’m kissing Tyler Levi Hayes—the one I always wanted. The one I thought about when kissing everyone else. It’s finally happening, and it’s better than I could’ve ever imagined.

Tyler shifts his hips, grinding his ass over my dick, and I moan. This seems to snap something inside of him, and he goes faster until I’m panting against his lips. “You’re gonna make me come if you don’t stop doing that,” I growl. “Ty?—”

“Come then.”

“Not without you,” I tell him, shoving him onto his back. His legs spread open for me, and I position myself between them. “We come together.”

He nods, grabbing my ass with both hands and squeezing over my shorts, pulling me into him, making me grind down on him. My body tenses as I feel the spark between us intensify, and I moan when he does too. I thrust against him, over and over, and his legs wrap around my waist as my mouth descends back onto his.

His tongue wars with mine, tangling and trying to dominate. And his moans go straight to my balls. My spine tingles, my balls draw up, and I groan into his mouth. “Gonna come,” I whisper.

“Me too,” Tyler says softly.

With one more thrust against his cotton-covered cock, I bust in my shorts. It should be fucking embarrassing how fast I just came, but when he tenses under me and comes too, I can’t help but feel like this was meant to be. This. Us.Finally.

I flip over onto my back, lying next to him and staring up at the ceiling. The silence is thick and suffocating, and I desperately need him to speak.

“Say something,” I beg him, knowing he might be freaking out. It’s the first time he’s done anything with a man, so I can’t even fault him for that.

“I don’t know what to say,” he whispers, and I almost can’t tell what he’s saying. He’s speaking so low. “I just—I can’t leave with you.”

I nod. “Okay.” I have to blink rapidly to keep the tears at bay. “Does that mean you’re staying with Scarlett?”

“Noah—”

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