Page 38 of Numbers Boy
“Would you want to come see me play on Saturday?” Noah asks, arm casually winding around my shoulders. I’ve noticed he does that, gives me physical touch that I can either leave as it is or take further if I want to. I quickly take advantage of the position, snuggling into his body heat. There’s still a little bit of sunlight, but the air is cooling off. It’s the perfect amount of chilly to be tucked up against his side.
“I wish I could, but I have a drag commitment that night.” I lean my head against his strong shoulder, and Noah’s fingers find their way into my curls, both of us vaguely keeping an eyeon Stacy as she plays. “Which reminds me. I’m not rehearsing Friday night, so I won’t need you to walk Stacy.”
“Sounds good,” he accepts without hesitation. “Maybe some other time.”
I feel something against the top of my head, and when I look up, Noah presses another kiss to my forehead. Gah, my heart is already a puddle. What’s next, evaporating into thin air? It certainly feels light enough to float away.
Just as I’m about to lean in and kiss him back, Stacy yips loudly from the other side of the park. We both startle slightly and pull back to look for her. She’s hopping around the base of a tree, excitedly barking at something in its branches.
“Maybe we’ve had enough park time for one night,” I suggest, reluctantly moving away from Noah’s warm embrace and standing. I move a little quicker when I realize Stacy is surrounded by puddles left from today’s rain. I call her, but her attention is firmly on whatever is in the tree. “Shit. She’s probably going to need a bath by the time we get her away from there.”
“Probably,” Noah agrees with a chuckle. “I’ll see if I can get her on the leash without too much mud joining us for the way back.”
I gladly hand over the leash, walking with him over to where Stacy is still bouncing around. Fortunately, it doesn’t look like she’s jumped into any puddles yet. And she’s wearing booties, so her paws should be relatively clean.
“Come ’ere, Stacy,” Noah calls, holding out the leash. “Let’s go home.”
Stacy starts to make her way over, and Noah meets her in the middle. But as soon as he reaches an arm out for her, a squirrel darts down the trunk, causing Stacy to take off after it. I watch, eyes wide, as Noah goes to follow her, and his foot slips in a nearby patch of mud. He tries to catch his balance as hefalls forward but ends up overcorrecting and landing on his ass instead.
I roll my lips in as we both stare at each other for a second. Then, Noah laughs. It starts as a disbelieving huff of air, then quickly becomes a full, booming sound that lights up his whole face. I can’t help the giggle that escapes, try as I might to stay quiet. But his laughter is infectious, and when he slips again when trying to get up, I chuckle as I offer a hand to help him.
“Are you okay?” I check, both of us still laughing. Noah nods as he grabs my palm with his.
The quick flash of mischief in his amber eyes is my only warning before I’m tugged down on top of him. A soft “oh” puffs out of me, and then suddenly, I’m on my back in the mud. Noah hovers over me, making sure his weight is held up by his arms even as he manhandles me.
“Oops,” he says with a grin. “I slipped.”
“A complete accident, I’m sure.” I roll my eyes, aiming for petulant but falling short of the mark because my mouth is still stretched wide by my smile.
Noah’s eyes crinkle at the corners as he leans down and kisses me. I respond instantly, not caring that we’re in public or that we’re both now covered in mud. All that matters is that this wonderful, handsome man wants to kiss me. We stay like that for an infinite moment. Lips brushing together, alternating between light, playful touches and deeper, more pressing kisses. Eventually, we come up for air, but before we can stand, Noah brings his hand up to trace my cheek tenderly. My gut swoops at the sweetness of the gesture, but then he grins, and I realize what he just did.
“Rude,” I say through a laugh, bringing my own mud-covered fingers up to wipe along his nose. Noah just grins wider and finally stands.
“Worth it. You’re cute when you’re messy.”
He reaches his hand out for me this time and pulls me up while my mind catches on the simplicity of those words. There was no artifice there, no hidden meaning or backhanded compliment. He really means it. He likes when I’m made up, but he still thinks I’m beautiful when I’m not. And even now, face and clothes full of dirt, Noah thinks I’m cute. It’smehe likes, I realize, not how I look.
While I’m mentally working through my growing feelings, Noah has gotten Stacy back on her leash and ready to go. She’s looking at us both like we’re a little strange, covered as we are in mud, while she stands there with barely a spot of dirt on her. I push aside the thoughts of how good Noah is to me to be reexamined later. Now, it’s time to figure out our muddy clothing predicament.
“My place is closer,” I point out. “Why don’t you come back with us and get cleaned up?”
Noah nods, and we head out of the park, Stacy cheerfully walking with Noah, her tongue lolling out. They’re adorable together, and I hope we have a lot more nights like this. Although, maybe with less mud.
The whole way home, we’re joking and laughing, doing our best to wipe off most of the dirt before we get inside. As I push the door to my apartment open, I rub the back of my hand across my face so my sleeve can clear my cheek. I bend down to get my boots off and then get Stacy’s booties as well. I still can’t believe she stayed so clean while Noah and I are complete messes. My grin firmly in place, I stand and turn to face Noah. His whiskey eyes are creased a bit at the corners from his own smile, and he chuckles as they track over my face.
Noah steps toward me, one hand rising to thumb over my cheekbone, much like he did at the park. But this time, something feels different about the touch. I gasp at the soft pressure against my skin, and it’s like all of the air has beensucked out of the room. Noah’s smile freezes like he feels it, too. We both take a step closer, eyes locked on each other’s.
“You missed a spot,” he whispers, almost reverently.
I lick my lips, trying to wet my suddenly dry mouth. When I reply, my voice matches his in volume. “Maybe you should help me with that.”
Noah nods wordlessly, so I slip one hand into his and tug him toward my bathroom, uncaring about the mud I’m sure we’re tracking everywhere. It will wash.
“Stacy, bed,” I say without looking at my pup, but I hear her plod off toward the living room like the good girl she is.
Once we’ve made it to the bathroom, I drop Noah’s hand to reach into my shower/tub combo to start the water heating up. Wordlessly, we both strip, eyes roaming over the other as skin is revealed. Noah is gorgeous, all thick muscles and winding tattoos. His face is locked on my body, serious as he watches me. It reminds me of the first time I saw him at Spill the Beans. The way his rugged, angular face melted with his smile. Right now, his smile is nowhere to be found, gaze intense as it trails over my chest and torso before dropping to where I’m tugging off my pants, leaving just a pale pink jockstrap in place. I swear the room heats as his eyes darken with lust, and he licks his soft lips.
My own lips drop open when Noah’s strong hands push his boxer briefs to the ground, and his erection bobs free. It’s the first time I’m seeing his cock in person, I realize. I’ve felt it against me, and I saw the aftermath of our phone jerk-off, but I’ve never had it right here, within touching distance.
