Page 35 of Saving Noah

How unfair would it be to keep it secret?

When he noticed the elevator had reached his and Noah’s floor, he pushed his negative thoughts aside and focused on Noah and the happiness he brought into Zach’s life. The moment he stepped off the elevator, Noah’s door opened, and he stepped out, grinning like he’d just won the fucking lottery. Zach’s heart purred with satisfaction and his cock started to plump with excitement. Yeah, horny high school teenager was the only way to describe his actions and feelings.

“Hey, babe,” he said as he closed the distance between them, dropped his groceries on the floor, and grabbed the back of Noah’s neck to haul him in for a kiss. Zach liked to think he seduced the younger man with his skilled tongue, but it was more like he devoured Noah. He could never get enough of the taste, never get enough of Noah. Already, he was addicted.

Noah returned the kiss with desperation and excitement. His boy hungered for physical touch and companionship. Zach was hungry for Noah, plain and simple—everything about him. “You seem to be in a good mood tonight. Did you have a good day?” Zach asked and then cringed at his own words. How could Noah have a good day? He was trapped in his own personal hell, locked away from the rest of the world.

“I did,” he answered excitedly. “I talked myself off the ledge!”

“Okay,” Zach said slowly. “That’s good, except, why were you on the ledge to begin with? What happened? Why didn’t you call me? I told you to call anytime, regardless of whether you thought it was important or not.” He frowned. “I didn’t get a call.”

“Calm down, daddy,” Noah teased as he picked up Zach’s groceries, made sure his door shut completely and was locked behind him, and then started toward Zach’s apartment. “Nothing exciting happened. I worked on my homework from the doctor and thought, mistakenly, of course, I was badass enough to crack the curtains today. Ha! Yeah, so not ready for that.”

Zach held the door open for Noah to go inside and frowned when his groceries were once again tossed to the ground as Noah stooped to embrace Denala. When they finished their daily greeting, he continued, “Anyway, I stood right there in front of the curtains, trying to get my nerve up, when the panic attack started threatening. I almost pressed my panic button, but talked my way through the anxiety like the doctor worked with me on.” He grinned up at Zach. “It turns out I was a total badass, after all.”

Zach’s heart soared. Noah’s victory might seem small and insignificant to some, but Zach knew just how important the success was for Noah’s battle against his phobias. One fucking visit from a real doctor, and he already had one win in his column.

“I knew all along you were a total badass, babe,” Zach told him. “Were you able to crack the curtains after you calmed down.”

Noah stood and placed a quick kiss on Zach’s lips. “Oh, hell no. I ain’t doing that. It was a stupid idea anyway. What’s in the grocery bags? Some more healthy shit you’re so determined to get me to eat? You’re wasting your time. If it’s not sugar-coated, oozing in oil, or deep fried, I’m not interested.”

When Noah started to peek into the bags, Zach snatched them away from him. “No peeking. That’s for later. Connor’s coming by and bringing all of us salads from the deli.” He placed the kitchen bags on the countertop. “This contains our dessert…if you’re good and eat your salad, of course.”

“Is it chocolate cake?” When Zach shook his head, Noah continued, “Chocolate ice cream? Candy bars? Debbie cakes? A pie from the bakery?” He chewed on his bottom and lip, staring at Zach in frustration. His shoulders slumped. “It’s something stupid like…like…fruit, isn’t it? You’ve been harping on me to eat fruit. Please tell me it isn’t fruit,” he demanded.

“It’s fruit.” Zach couldn’t contain his grin at Noah’s antics.

“I can’t eat saladandfruit, Zach. My body will go into shock. You’re asking too much. Hell, I think I’d enjoy cracking the curtains more than eating your nasty good-for-you grossness.”

Zach shook his head at Noah’s over-the-top performance. As much as Noah liked to complain about his new doctor’s ideas for helping him gain some control over his phobias and Zach’s insistence he cut out the caffeine and unhealthy eating, at least while he took the anxiety medications, it was easy to see how proud Noah was of his improvements. Because of his idiotic, nonexistent doctor from before, he hadn’t received any professional help, so he’d started accepting he’d never get better. Fuck that shit. Noah was going to fly.

“Keep talking shit like that and I might make you put your money where your mouth is and open those damned curtains,” Zach growled playfully. After Noah made a zipping motion across his mouth and fluttered his eyelashes, Zach said, “Can you take care of the puppies while I take Denala out for her walk? By the time I get back, Connor should be here with supper.”

“First of all, don’t call a salad supper; it gives the nounsuppera bad name. Secondly, of course I’ll take care of the puppies,” he answered. “Iliveto take care of those fuzzy rascals.” He looked up shyly at Zach and added, “I come over and play with them all through the day. I hope that’s okay.”

“You know it’s okay and appreciated, by me and Denala.” He grabbed Denala’s leash, and she went crazy with excitement. Unlike Noah, she didn’t enjoy being trapped inside the apartment with yapping puppies all day long. “Come on, girl. Let’s get this done.”

Shaking his head, Zach led Denala out of the apartment. As they stepped off the elevator downstairs, Connor walked through the lobby door, carrying a huge bag from the deli. Denala barked a “hello,” which was against police academy etiquette, but she rolled by her own set of rules now. Connor rolled his eyes, but dropped down on his knees to greet the dog he referred to as “worthless beyond words.”

Zach smiled as he listened to Connor reprimand Denala, but he defeated the lecture when he loved all over her while telling her what a naughty dog she was. Zach doubted she even understood she’d done something to displease him. When they’d finished and Connor stood, Zach said, “Thanks for picking up supper, Conn. I was swamped at work and didn’t have time to run by the deli. You’re a lifesaver. You’re staying over to eat with us, right?”

Connor cocked an eyebrow and looked his best friend up and down, his eyes holding the same disappointment for him as he’d shown Denala. “Dude, you weren’t swamped at work. You were in a hurry to get home for a booty call. Admit it. You’re obsessed with your hot neighbor boy.” When Zach started to defend himself, Connor held up his hand to stop him. “Don’t bother trying to deny it. It’s written all over your face. Hell, Zach, you’re walking through the apartment building lobby with a semi right now, and I bet you were only with him long enough for a kiss or two. You’ve got it bad. Enjoy it, my man. Noah’s a keeper. He looks good on you.”

“You know that isn’t possible, Conn. Don’t go dreaming impossible dreams. I’m not the kind of man Noah needs to get mixed up with. We’re just having some fun together.”

“I’m calling bullshit. Again. Stop doing this, Zach. Stop pushing your feelings into the ‘not important’ category. We talked about it. We both know how you are. Don’t fuck this up with the kid. He’s important.”

“We aren’t having this discussion,” Zach said, hating how badly he wanted to believe Connor’s words. “Take the food up and keep your hands off my man. I’ll be up in about fifteen minutes.”

“We’ve got to have the discussion one day, so get ready for it,” Connor challenged. “You can have a reprieve tonight because I’ve got myself a hot date. I’ll stay with Noah until you get back, but then I’m hitting the club with a hottie.”

Zach could hear the excitement in his friend’s voice. This sounded like more than one of his regular hookups.Why didn’t I know about this? “You have date? A real live date? Not a fuck and run? How am I just now hearing about this? Where did you meet him?”

“Cut it with the questions, Dad. The salads are getting wilty,” Connor teased, but his eyes still sparkled with excitement. “Yes, I have a date. Yes, it’s a real live date. Maybe a fuck, but hopefully not a run. You’re just now hearing about this because you’ve had your cock up pretty boy’s ass all week long and haven’t had the time to pay me any attention. I met him at the hospital when I stopped in to check on a patient involved with one of my cases.” He grinned and waggled his eyebrows. “It’s somebody you know, I think. At least he says he knows you.”

Zach frowned. “Who?” He hadn’t noticed any gay hot men around the hospital.

“Wayne Jericho. He works with the ambulance service. Ring a bell?”

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