Page 5 of Duke of Ruin

We arrive at the Dark Angel Lounge and the valet opens the door for Noah. We both chuckle slightly at the awkwardness of it. I toss my keys to the young man in a red vest and head into the main lounge. We’re among the last to arrive, which is by design. I try not to associate with my family on a personal level. I know they’re flesh and blood, but they’re faker than most when it comes to personal ties. They’ll fight for each other in a heartbeat in public, but behind closed doors they’ll gut you in a second.

We make the rounds of the room. I speak my general acknowledgements and Noah mostly just nods. I start to question the wisdom of bringing him here. The last thing I want to do is paint a target on his back. I try to maintain an arm’s length between us, and he seems unbothered. He must know what it’s like to be attracted to men in a world where that’s not easily understood.

I order us a couple drinks at the bar and we find a table situated away from almost everyone else. I’m relieved to finally be able to talk to him. But before I can even get a single word out, my father strides across the room. I wasn’t expecting to see him tonight.

“Eli, it’s good to see you,” he says as he approaches the table. I stand to greet him, and thankfully Noah does the same.

“Good to see you, too, Father,” I respond. He takes my hand in a firm shake and claps my shoulder, jostling me out of my comfort zone. “I thought you were still in Italy.”

“Business concluded early, so we caught an early flight,” he says. A woman strolls up behind him, and I’m pretty sure she’s younger than me. She loops her arm through his and gives me a plastic smile. “This is Esmerelda,” he says by way of introduction. She lowers her head demurely. I highly doubt that’s her real name, but it doesn’t matter. She’ll be gone in a week or two. He glances over at Noah. “Who’s your friend?”

I look over at Noah, and for a brief second I panic. I still don’t even know his last name. If Father finds out I brought a stranger to a family function, he’ll have my head. Of course that doesn’t apply to him and his flavor of the week, and the irony of that is not lost on me.

“Noah Andriotta,” he answers for me, putting out his hand. I breathe a sigh of relief. “We’re classmates at Valmont.”

My father shakes his hand. “You’re in Business Administration as well?”

Noah gives a curt nod, and my eyes tighten. I’m pretty sure that’s not true, but the sooner my father leaves us alone the better.

“Good to meet you, son,” my father says. His accent is a bit thicker than usual thanks to spending the last few months overseas.

“Likewise,” Noah responds, and for a split second I fear that he’ll try to start a conversation. Then I feel stupid.

“Sorry, Noah, this is my father, Mario Carbone,” I say quickly. Noah’s jaw ticks. I’m sure he recognizes the name; everyone does.

“Mr. Carbone,” Noah repeats with a nod.

“Well, it’s good to see you, son,” my father says, turning back to me. “We’ll have to catch up soon.”

“Of course,” I answer, and he finally walks away. I breathe another sigh of relief, then turn to narrow my eyes at Noah. “You’re not a business major,” I say with a lift of my eyebrows. I’m starting to realize just how little I know about this man.

“No,” he says with a nervous chuckle, “but I always get a lecture when I say ‘general studies.’”

I press my lips together and smile at him. Yeah, my father would not have been impressed with that answer. He would’ve told him that he needed to focus or he’d become a useless man with a useless degree.

As the night wears on, I get us several more rounds of drinks. We chat with several of my cousins and distant relatives. We give the obligatory birthday wishes and I give my cousin Reece a gold chain as his gift. By the time the party comes to an end I’m happily buzzed and leaning on Noah for support, though he’s leaning on me just as much. For a family event, this was more fun than I expected. Noah is quick-witted and charming without giving too much of himself away. It’s like he was bred for this environment. I finally admit I’m too inebriated to drive us back to Valmont tonight, so we stumble to the hotel next door.

Once we’re checked in we head upstairs, each with our own complimentary bottle of water, and key our way into the room. There are two beds of course, but my heart beats faster as I watch Noah shrug out of his blazer and unbutton his shirt. His arms are thick and muscled, and his pecs strain against the fabric of his undershirt. He catches me watching and lifts an eyebrow, those dark eyes like a siren song. My dick pulses as he bites his bottom lip.

I shrug out of my jacket and unbutton my shirt enough to pull it over my head as I cross the room. I crash into him, knocking him onto the bed and burying my tongue in his mouth. He tastes like whiskey. I run my hands over his broad chest and dip my fingers beneath the hem of his undershirt before pulling it over his head. I kiss and lick at his nipples as I fight the button on his trousers. Finally I step back and pull them off him, marveling at his hard cock as it springs free of his boxers. I devour him with my eyes before climbing on top of him and pressing his dick into my stomach, rock hard against my abs.

In my drunken state, I don’t even realize what’s happening until I’m on my back and Noah’s lips are against my neck. I release a groan as he gently bites the soft flesh on my shoulder. He trails his lips down my chest and tweaks my nipples, and I’m sure I’m going to come in my pants. I try to hold myself back as Noah rises to his knees and props them between my legs. I reach out and grab his cock. He’s huge, veined, and smooth as velvet. His attempts to unbutton my pants are thwarted as he rolls his head back with a moan while I stroke him, fighting to hold off my own climax. Noah tenses beneath me, then roughly swats my hand away and tears at my trousers. He yanks them off me, his eyes growing dark as my cock erupts from my boxers. He stifles a gasp at the sight of me before falling on top of me again and kissing me deeply. Our shafts rub together as we grind into each other. He sits up again and takes his own cock in his hand and starts rubbing it, jerking himself off as he gazes down at me. He takes my dick in his other hand and closes his eyes, pumping both in simultaneous rhythm. I throw my head back with a moan when his knuckles graze the head of my dick as he pumps us both.

Noah shudders against me, and then I feel the hot spurt of his cum across my stomach. He moans loudly, still stroking me, but moves his other hand to wipe at the mess across my stomach. He releases me and leans down, licking his own juices from my abs, and moves lower. I dig my fingers into his short dark hair as I struggle to hold back. He wraps his lips around my shaft and I pull him downward until my head hits the back of his throat and I release. I cry out in pleasure as I spurt into his throat over and over again. He grunts against me, keeping me fully in his mouth. When I finally slow down, he sits up again.

My eyes immediately grow heavy as he climbs to the top of the bed to lie beside me. We’re both hot and sweaty and sticky, but he wraps his arms around me. I turn and kiss him gently, savoring my taste in his mouth. My arms wrap around him, and before I even notice, we’re both asleep.

3

NOAH

My head is throbbing when I wake up the next morning, and the bed is cold beside me. I sit up, squinting into the abhorrent light filtering though the drapes. It’s eerily silent, no matter how hard I strain to hear the sounds of someone else’s presence. I look around. My suit has been neatly folded on the chair between the beds. The other one is still perfectly made up. I give my head a moment for the throbbing to subside before I look around again. On the table between the beds is a small bottle of aspirin and a much larger bottle of water. I smile at the gesture and wash down three of the pills. When I grab my phone and check the time, it’s only about 9:30, so there’s plenty of time before we’re supposed to check out.

The bathroom door is open and the light’s off, though the scent of hotel soap is permeating the air. Eli must have just gotten out of the shower. I put my head in my hands, trying to force the hangover away with willpower alone. It’s not working.

“Eli?” I croak. Damn, what a night. There’s no response. I look around again; his clothes are gone. He must have already left. My heart sinks, but I push the feeling down. I have to get my head in the game. Guilt pulls at my stomach. I genuinely like Eli, and I think he feels the same way about me. We had a really great time last night. And the sex…fuck. My dick starts to get hard just thinking about it—drunk, crazy, hands and teeth everywhere, his dick in my mouth. I can say with certainty that it’s the best I’ve ever had. Where the hell did he go?

I get up and stumble my way into the shower. By the time I’m clean and dried off the aspirin has taken the edge off my hangover. I come out of the bathroom and look around, but nothing has changed. He must have really left. I feel hollow for some reason. A paranoid thought crosses my mind—did he go through my phone? There’s nothing incriminating on there…I’m pretty sure. I glance at my messages anyway.

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