Page 8 of The Grave Between Us
“I want forever,” he’d whispered. “Forever with you. Marry me, Noah?”
Noah couldn’t say yes fast enough, it seemed, tearing into the wrapping paper and then freezing when he saw the ring with their three birthstones. Katie cried, and thenreallycried when Cole gave her a matching necklace. He pulled out a second ring from his jeans pocket after sliding Noah’s ring on his finger, and he asked Noah to put it on his own hand. Noah’s hands shook so much he almost slid the ring onto Cole’s middle finger twice.
“Are you sure I’m what you want?” Noah whispered again. “Cole, I’m…” His face scrunched up, and he held his breath.
“You’re perfect for me.” Cole kissed him. “You’re the man I love.” And again. “You’re the man I want to be with forever.” A third kiss. “Yes, I’m sure.”
Noah sagged into him, leaning his forehead against Cole’s. They sat in silence, holding hands. “What do you imagine for our wedding?” Noah finally asked.
“I don’t know. I never daydreamed about marrying anyone. It was never a fantasy of mine. You’re the only person I’ve ever thought of marrying.”
Noah flushed again. Cole smiled. “All I want is to share the rest of my life with you. I want you to know I’m in this forever. For keeps. I want to be with you. Marriage is one way to show that. Staying together is another.” He dragged his thumbs across Noah’s cheekbones, massaged his temples in slow circles. “If you’re not ready, that’s fine. There are a lot of varieties of commitment. There isn’t one single answer that’s right for everyone.”
Noah was quiet. “I’d like to call you my husband. I like how that sounds. I like how it feels, too.”
“I like it, too. Dr. Downing has a nice ring to it.”
“You’d change your name?”
“I’d like to. If that’s okay with you.”
“Of course it’s okay, but… why? You’re published under your own name—”
“So are a lot of women when they get married. It’s not a problem for me. And I want to be a part of this family.” It was Cole’s turn to whisper, for his voice to drop.
“You are. Your name doesn’t change that.”
“I know.” He kissed Noah, sweetly. “But I’d like to be your Cole Downing.”
Noah smiled, slow and wide. “I’d like that.”
They stared at each other, gazing into each other’s eyes like lovestruck fools. Cole felt his heart skip a beat, pitter-patter inside him.I love this man so much. “And outdoors.”
Noah frowned.
“I want an outdoor wedding. I like the idea of dancing under the stars with you. And I like how you look when the sun hits your hair. When it catches your eyes.”
Noah squeezed his hand so hard it hurt. “Outdoors it is.”
Chapter Three
They couldn’t keeptheir hands off each other the rest of the night, couldn’t keep their eyes from traveling the long lines of each other’s backs, down their legs, over their shoulders and chests. Noah’s fingers ran up and down Cole’s arm, played in the curve of his elbow. Cole tickled the small of Noah’s back, caressing the warm skin he found above Noah’s waistband and beneath his untucked shirt.
Noah guided Cole to their room as soon as Katie’s door shut.
They kissed slowly, stripping each other and leaving their clothes in piles behind them. Noah’s touch wandered all over Cole’s body, his big palms flattening over Cole’s chest and down his ribs, fingertips tracing the sharp lines of Cole’s hip bones before sweeping around and digging into Cole’s ass. Cole got his pants off, shucked his briefs, and pulled Noah to him, grinding his hard length against Noah’s. He kissed Noah until Noah groaned and his eyes rolled back. Grinning, Cole ran his hands down Noah’s arms and dropped to his knees.
He took Noah into his mouth and guided Noah’s hands to his hair. Noah bit his lip so hard his skin turned blister-pink, and Cole held his stare as he closed his lips around Noah’s cock and moved down, all the way down, taking Noah as deep as he could go. Wet, hard heat, and suction, and Cole’s hands running over Noah’s thighs, down his quads and around, up to his ass. He fingered Noah gently, his touch moving from behind Noah’s balls to his hole until Noah’s legs were shaking.
Cole guided him back until Noah reached the mattress and collapsed. He spread his legs, opening himself as he arched his neck and took a long breath. A moment later, Cole buried his face between Noah’s ass cheeks and flicked his tongue over Noah’s hole, and Noah keened, squeezing his eyes shut and gritting his teeth.
In and out, fast and slow, languid strokes and deep pushes, until Cole’s tongue was working over Noah’s wet, loose hole and Noah was panting, his hands gripping his knees as he held his trembling thighs back. “Cole,” he whispered. “Please.”
Cole reached for the lube on the nightstand and opened Noah farther, slicking himself at the same time. He knelt on the mattress between Noah’s spread legs, gazing down at the man he loved, the man he was going to share the rest of his life with. How could something so monumental happen so quickly? A year ago, he didn’t know Noah Downing. Now, he couldn’t imagine a single moment without him in his life.
He fell forward, bracing himself on the mattress beside Noah’s face as he guided his cock inside. Noah groaned, his eyes fluttering open. He leaned up, capturing Cole’s lips as Cole sank all the way in and held there. Noah wrapped his legs around Cole’s waist and his arms around Cole’s neck, and he whispered Cole’s name against his lips as they kissed.
“I don’t care how I marry you, Noah,” Cole whispered. “I just want to be yours forever.”
