Page 35 of Stop and Seek
“I’ll give you gas money,” Theo said after a beat. “I’m not a leech, I swear.”
Noah’s grin came back, brighter and more eye-straining white than before. “No! No, you’re good. Think of it as an apology gift from me to you.”
Theo stumbled, barely catching himself against the table before Noah grabbed a handful of his soaked hoodie.
“I can walk,” Theo said, jerking away.
Noah snorted. “Yeah, but if you faceplant, and tell people I pushed you—” He tilted his head to the side. “I’m the bad guy again. It’s on the same level asI strangled you.”
“Holy shit. You’re fucking hung up on that.”
Swinging open the bar door, the downpour outside looked like a solid wall.
Just his luck.
Eunice was less than forty minutes away, but with how it was coming down, it might as well have been on the other side of the country. Therewerea few hotels nearby. They could stay the night, give him more time to get to know Theo better…
Max would kill him if he disappeared again before he finished the damn job.
Still, heneededto know more about Theo.
When he’d casually—totally, completely,absolutelycasually—brought Theo up to Kyran, the walking encyclopediaof people? Kyran had nothing. Just that Theo hung out with Alyssa.
Flying under the radar that hard, in this day and age, was almost impossible. Everyone’s life was painted in high definition on social media. But Theo somehow managed to be a ghost in the system.
Rain slashed sideways, the few dim streetlights reflecting off the flooded pavement in blurry halos.
Theo’s shoulder slumped against Noah’s in the cramped doorway. “It’s likeWaterworld.”
“We could wait for a boat. Oars would work.”
“Where’s your ark?” Theo chuckled.
Noah grinned.
Funny and a good fuck? Jackpot.
He already liked angry Theo, but this version? Dazed and off-balance, cracking jokes and smiles? Downright adorable. Not as good as listening to him moan, though. That held a special place in Noah’s heart.
Up close, Theo smelled like rain on warm grass, mixed with something sweet underneath. Subtle. Coconut, maybe.
Jesus, Noah wanted to bury his face in Theo’s neck, breathe him in until he figured it out.
“I feel bad for getting their floor wet,” Theo mumbled, his words slurring as he straightened. “Gotta bite the bullet.”
Noah dug the key fob from his pocket with a sigh. He hit the unlock button, and it beeped from behind the building. “A moment of silence for my seats, please.”
“Could be worse.”
Worse how?
Noah almost asked.
Instead,he wrapped his hand around Theo’s elbow again—bony under his grip—and yanked him into the storm. He didn’t have time to think about the rain squelching in his shoes, or how getting blasted by a pressure washer would’ve been gentler. All that mattered was getting Theo to the car.
The white sedan loomed ahead, and Noah practically shoved Theo to the passenger side before diving in. Doors slamming shut, he collapsed into the seat. Rain pounded against the roof. Streaked the windows. Sealed them in their own private world.
Finally.
