Page 18 of Saving Noah

“Hey, Noah,” he said quietly as he set the basket on the bar connecting the living room and kitchen areas. “Why aren’t you resting?” He reached down and stroked Denala’s soft fur, making her whine happily and her ears lie back. His gaze moved to Noah’s face and his breath caught in his throat. He was in so much trouble—looking at Noah made him want to whine happily too.

“We took a power nap, but that was it,” Noah answered as he tossed the sock across the room and watched Denala gingerly cross the room to retrieve it. “Denala kept telling me her daddy never playedsockwith her, so I took pity and decided to show her a good time.”

Noah’s blue eyes crinkled when he smiled up at Zach; they also promised Zach a good time, if he was interested. “And I knew the minute you slid the key into the lock, you know. You didn’t have to walk across the floor like a herd of warthogs on the run from a pursuing lion.” His grin widened. “When you’re afraid of your own shadow, you tend to heareverything.”

“Sorry,” Zach answered, feeling like an idiot. “You’ve been through enough today, Noah. I didn’t want to do anything that might mess with your comfort zone.”

“Don’t worry about it, Zach,” he said as he threw the sock for Denala again. “And don’t treat me like I’m a freak, okay? I get that from everybody else. It’s covered. I’d like for somebody to treat me like I’m a normal man, not a wimp.” He shrugged and looked away, an embarrassed blush shading his cheeks. “I mean, I know I’m not normal, but maybe we could just pretend.”

“You are normal, Noah. Stop saying that,” he ordered. “How many times am I going to have to warn you before making you stand in the corner until you learn your lesson?”

“Stand in the corner?” Noah said with a huge frown on his face. “Trust me, it won’t work with me. I like corners—me, myself, and I—it’s cozy. I’ve always been a fan of corporal punishment.” Blue eyes flashed an invitation Zach couldn’t miss if he were an inexperienced virgin, which he wasn’t. “Maybe you should spank me,” Noah suggested playfully.

Zach’s cock tried to come to life, but he imagined tossing Denala’s puppies over the balcony in order to get that bad boy settled back down. What he wanted to give Noah and what Noah needed were two very different things. There was no point in denying his desire to fuck Noah in every position known to man and the gods, but Noah needed someone to take care of him and protect him from whatever the shit was going on behind the scenes with his life. Zach was good at fucking but even better at protecting.

“Maybe I will,” he countered softly. “One day.”

Noah’s smiled turned downward so fast Zach almost laughed at loud. Pretty boy had the skills to take pouting to an entirely different level than Zach was accustomed to dealing with. With the same stealth Zach imagined a large cat would use to stalk its prey, Noah stood and moved in his direction. Zach tried to keep his eyes on Noah’s face but failed miserably. Regardless of how much of a hypocrite it made him out to be, Zach couldn’t stop his gaze from straying downward.

Noah hadn’t bothered with a shirt, and Zach really wished he would have. There was no way he could think about anything other than manhandling his gorgeous body into fucking position and slamming into him until the only thing scaring Noah would be whether he would be able to sit down the next day. His pale, hairless chest consisted of lean muscles that formed sculpted shoulders, perfect pecs, a nice six-pack, and a sexy V that highlighted his hip bones. Baggy sweatpants hanging lower than Zach was comfortable with did very little to hide Noah’s trophy body. They were standing face-to-face, but Zach didn’t need him to turn around in order to determine if his ass was as perfect as the rest of him. Zach had eyeballed it enough in the gym. It was firm and had a nice bubble shape that succeeded in causing every gym-goer, male or female, to stumble on the treadmill at one time or another.

Only inches separated them before Noah finally stopped. “One day…as in tomorrow? One day…as in next week?” He grinned because he damned well could see how uncomfortable he made Zach and apparently found it quite enjoyable. “One day…as in one minute after midnight tonight?”

Zach took a step back. He was determined not to take advantage of Noah’s situation. “You don’t know anything about me, Noah. Let’s work on building a solid foundation of friendship before we consider putting sex on the table, okay?”

“Not okay,” Noah answered quickly. “Absolutely nothing about that statement is okay with me. I’m a grown man, Zach. You’re a grown man. I’m gay. You’re gay. I’m not in a relationship. You’re not in a relationship. If I remember correctly, Ireallylike to be fucked.” He reclaimed the step Zach put between them. “And I have a feeling you really like to fuck. I’m not seeing the vast array of problems you are.”

“How do you know I’m not in a relationship?” Zach asked.

Noah’s eyes darkened. “Are you?”

The way Noah’s eyes changed colors mesmerized him. They reminded him of a turbulent ocean right before a storm. Darker rings of blue edged the bright blue of the inside. Noah’s eyes spoke volumes to Zach.

“I’ve watched you, Zach. I don’t have another goddamned thing to do, so I’ve watched you. If you’re in a relationship, you’re treating the other person poorly.” His tongue toyed with his bottom lip for a few seconds. “Are you?”

“No.”

Noah smiled. “Good. Wanna fuck now?”

Zach gasped and stepped back again. The storm in Noah’s eyes settled in an instant and the usual sadness he’d grown accustomed to seeing in those blue orbs returned, making Zach feel like scum. Noah laughed softly…sadly.

“Just kidding, Doc. If you’re determined to try the stupid friend thing, then I’ll stop messing with you.” He shrugged. “I’ve gone this long without getting laid. I can surely make it a little longer, right?”

Noah turned and walked back toward Denala and started the tug-of-war game again. He smiled and laughed at Zach’s dog. He’d seemingly blocked Zach out altogether. Zach could see the hurt all over Noah’s face, even if the other man appeared to have tried, failed, and moved on. But why would he be hurt because Zach wanted to be his friend…or at least start their relationship with friendship and hope it might move on to something better?

“What do you have against my friendship, Noah? I’m not understanding what’s happening here. I’m trying to be the good guy and you’re making me out to be Dr. Evil.” That comment got a soft chuckle from Noah’s pouty lips.

“Nah, you aren’t Dr. Evil, Zach. You’re the good guy.” Noah tossed the sock a little too close to the French doors and cringed when Denala tugged the curtain back when she lunged for her prize. When the black fabric fell back against the door, his body relaxed. “You’re a doctor. You’re hot. You’re smart and funny. There isn’t a spot on your body that isn’t covered with bulging muscles and hot tattoos.” He frowned and turned his attention on Zach for a second and said, “Tattoos, Zach? Never ever would I guess you to be a doctor with all that hotness decorating your body.”

“My rebellious days,” Zach answered. The truth was, everybody in his father’s motorcycle gang was tatted up, so he had started early on. Up until the moment Noah called his tattoos hot, Zach had hated seeing them on his body. They were a horrible reminder of where he would be if Connor and his family hadn’t intervened and helped him escape the shitty life planned for him.

Then, realizing Noah purposely tried to lead him astray from their conversation, he circled right back around. “Why don’t you want us to be friends?”

“Just forget I said anything, okay, Doc? I was just being an idiot—my social skills are a bit rusty. The drugs killed my sex drive, remember? It’s no biggie. If you wanna be pals, we’ll be pals.” A sad smile tugged at his full lips when he added, “You know—as long as you enjoy hanging out at my place…all the time.”

Zach frowned as he tried to understand when and where things had gotten so far off track. Had it been so long since he’d been in a relationship with a person other than Connor that he’d forgotten proper dating etiquette? Better yet, did modern gay guys have adatingetiquette? Maybe people Noah’s age weren’t looking for anything other than a good time in the sack? Shit, Zach was just thirty; it wasn’t like he’d come from the stone ages. Maybe the flame he’d thought was burning between him and Noah was really only a flicker and it had already fizzled out on Noah’s end?

“You’re overthinking it, Doc,” Noah said, interrupting Zach’s clumsy attempts of getting a grasp on the situation. “Move on; it’s over. I won’t hit on you again. I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable.”

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