Page 12 of Saving Noah

Well, except Zach didn’t want to play with Noah. There’d been that.

Shit, wait. Had Zach just accused him of drug abuse? That was what the bastard had said. How did he think he knew anything about Noah? Fury bounced around inside him and it felt good. He preferred anything over the cloud of terror that normally resided in his head.

“I don’t abuse drugs, asshole. I follow the directions for every medication I take. Who do you think you are? Get out. You don’t have any right being here, anyway.” Noah prayed Zach didn’t go. They might be arguing, but at least he had someone with him.

“I didn’t mean you were abusing the drugs. The physician who prescribed the medication is the one responsible for the abuse,” Zach clarified, making Noah feel better. Only a little, because he really needed those medications.

“Doctor jealousy?” Noah quipped. “If it makes you feel better, I’ll let you write me a prescription, too.”Shit, that isn’t funny. He’d been trying to be funny. The flare on Zach’s face told him he hadn’t hit his mark.

After a few uncomfortable seconds, Zach answered, “Okay, I’ll prescribe something for you, something I think might help better than anything in this basket. Are you willing to try it? You can’t have both. It’s either what I give you or what those pills give you.” Zach leaned closer. “Are you willing to take a chance? I’ll be right here with you, Noah. I won’t let you fall.”

Something that will help better than my antidepressants? Please let it be sex. Please let it be sex. I haven’t wanted sex in four fucking years, but I want it with hot neighbor Zach. Would a doctor actually prescribe sex? In my fantasy world, they do.In my fantasy world, they not only prescribe it, they hand out the necessary tools to fulfill it.

“You can’t stop me from falling, Zach. When it happens, the best damned thing for you to do is get out of my way. Trust me, it’s ugly.” It wasn’t going to be sex. He could see it in his eyes. No sex for Noah.

“I’ve got strong arms. Let me decide what I can or can’t handle.” Zach smiled. “Now, I’m going to get something and I need to know you are going to be okay while I’m gone. Two minutes at the longest. Will you be all right?”

No, he probably wouldn’t be okay, but Noah saw no reason to burst Zach's bubble. And there was always the tiniest chance Zach intended to go after condoms and lube. “Sure. Take your time.” Nothing like sarcasm to woo a man into his bed.

“Smartass,” Zach quipped and then pulled out his phone. He tapped away for a few seconds and then handed it to Noah. “Play that game while I’m gone. It’ll help you focus on something else, and maybe, just maybe, you can get me past the level. I’ve been stuck so long I’m about to get the charity fuck and that’s just embarrassing.”

Taking the phone, Noah asked, “What’s a charity fuck?” Then, as a blush burned his cheeks, because if the truth be known, he would be a charity fuck for Zach, he quickly amended, “What’s a charity fuck have to do with this game?” He looked down at the game to hopefully keep Zach from noticing his discomfort and then nearly laughed out loud when he noticed the level Zach was stuck on. The good doctor must be very bad at gaming. He immediately sobered when the devil on his shoulder reminded him the good doctor had a life. There were more things to do with his time than visit the gym, surf the internet, get online degrees, and play electronic games.

“You know…when the little elf inside the game finally feels sorry for you and lets the colors fall into place all by themselves. It’s like the little bastard knows I’m never go to get it, so he lets the shit fall into the magic slots.”

Noah laughed softly and tried to focus on the game as Zach left the room. He played games like this all the time to keep his mind focused on something other than how miserable he was. Oddly, Zach somehow knew the gaming would distract him for a few minutes. Of course, he was a doctor and probably had some inside knowledge on how to handle the crazies. Nut Cases 101 was more than likely on the pre-med syllabus.

He finished the level and moved on to the next one. Had it been two minutes? Had it been ten minutes? Was Zach coming back? Had he locked the door when he’d left? How would he get back in if he’d locked the door? How had he gotten in to begin with? Nobody should know his code. How did Zach know his code? How many other people knew the code? Was his safe zone no longer safe? What if…

“Hey, Noah. Here I am.” Zach’s voice suddenly interrupted his terrifying thoughts. “Look at me, okay,” he ordered. “Focus on me.”

Noah tried; he really tried. He could hear Zach’s voice—close—but couldn’t seem to find him. Everything to his left and right looked inky black. The spot in front of his eyes grew dimmer. Somewhere in the back of his mind, a voice told him it was tunnel vision.Don’t panic. This isn’t real.

Except it was real to him. He couldn’t find his way out. He’d slid straight down the rabbit hole, and he might not be able to find his way out this time.

A wet tongue swiped the side of his face and then a large furry…something…bumped against him. There was a soft whine and then another wet trail across his face. The room started to brighten again as the darkness faded. He blinked and then blinked again when he found himself face-to-face with amber-colored eyes. Zach’s German shepherd lay next to him on the bed, about as close as possible without climbing onto his lap. She gave another worried whine and used her tongue on his face again.

“Denala! Down, girl,” Zach ordered as he reached for the dog’s collar and started to tug her off the bed.

Noah wrapped his arms around the dog and held her against him. “No. Please,” he begged. “Can’t she stay a few more minutes?”

Zach eased onto the side of the bed, crowding Noah just enough…but not too much. “Are you sure? From what I’ve noticed, you seem to like animals, but I wasn’t sure how you felt about one being on your bed.” He shrugged. “Some folks frown on that. If you want her off, that’s cool.”

“Nuh-uh,” Noah answered quickly. “I love dogs. Other than swiping a few strokes to the top of their heads when the owners aren’t watching close enough, I haven’t had a chance to play with one in a while.” His hands loved every spot on the dog’s body, oohing and aahing, and then complimenting her in doggie talk. “What did you say her name was?”

“Denala. It means noble protector,” Zach answered as he reached out to tweak one of her ears. “The police academy rejected her—not aggressive enough and her tracking skills weren’t worth shit. Connor told me about her, and I fell in love after only one meeting.” He leaned in to kiss the tip of her nose. “She’s a total slut, though. I turned my back on her for a few minutes at the dog park, and the next thing I know, she’s pregnant. She wouldn’t give the daddy up, though. For all I know, she got down and dirty with one of those wiener dogs. I’ve probably got an apartment full of German wieners,” he grumbled.

Noah widened his eyes in excitement. “She had puppies? When?” Realization dawned on him. “Is that what happened yesterday? That’s why she barked so much? I knew something had to be wrong. She’s always so quiet.”

Zach dropped his gaze, shook his head, and then looked back up at Noah and Denala. “I’m really sorry about last night, Noah. I was an ass to you for absolutely no reason. I don’t know what got into me.”

Noah snorted. “Apparently, it’s the same thing thatgets into youevery time I’m around. You’ve made it clear I’m not your favorite person. It’s okay. I’m used to it. No biggie.”

Denala picked that moment to collapse against Noah’s side. She snuggled against him like she was settling in for a long winter’s nap. “Is she okay to be away from the puppies for a while? It looks like she’s ready for a nap.”

“I’m sure she would love a break from the puppies. It shouldn’t hurt for her to be gone for a little while if you don’t mind the company.”

“I would love the company,” Noah gushed. His day had started for shit, but turned out pretty damned good. Denala’s eyes fought a losing battle to keep them open.

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