yet a gay man in a committed relationship was banned? Where the fucking hell was the logic in that?
Alex reeled his thoughts back in before he got too pissed off. “The old man seems to think he’ll manage to get some real star power behind it. Our family has been around for a long time, and my father has a lot of connections.”
Alex had always scoffed at his father’s constant need to rub elbows with everybody and the man’s constant quest to get Alex do the same, but he was damn well going to take advantage of it now. Hell, he’d kiss every rich person’s ass in a fifty-mile radius if it helped get the issue of LGBTQ blood donation the necessary attention.
“Did he like the PSA ideas you had?” Noah asked as he threw his arm over Alex’s chest and burrowed closer.
Alex felt himself relax as he wrapped his arms around Noah and hugged him. “He said there’s stuff he can work with. He liked the Potential Lifesaver approach. Said people could relate to that on a personal level. My other ideas were apparently too aggressive.”
Noah snorted. “Told you.”
Alex kissed Noah’s temple. “And that’s why you’re the brains of this operation.”
“Sure. It’s not like you have a million ideas about how to go about this campaign.” Noah rolled his eyes before he kissed Alex’s chest, right where Alex’s heart was beating.
“Yeah, and I’ll hear how about ninety percent of them are shit in the following weeks.” He groaned and threw his arm over his eyes. “God, my dad and I will probably end up hating each other’s guts. Maybe we’ll go down in a glorious murder-suicide, who knows? I mean, our relationship is already tenuous at best, so I have no idea why I thought involving him in this was a good idea.”
“Maybe working for a common cause will bring you closer together,” Noah suggested with a yawn. The effects of the concussion were lessening with each day and week, but Noah still tired more easily than usual, and the early wake-up and the flight had left him exhausted.
“Look who’s an optimist now,” Alex teased.
“What do you mean now? I’ve always been a glass-half-full type of a person.”
“Sure, I remember you had a real sunny disposition about me when I first showed up at the wildlife center.”
Noah pinched Alex’s side. “Shut up. I was lovely.”
“Never said you weren’t. Just that you were also pissed off because you found me so irresistible. It was adorable.”
Noah laughed. “Cocky much?”
“I thought we’d already established how much you enjoy that particular side of me. Both literally and metaphorically.”
Noah’s palm snuck lower and he squeezed Alex through his pants. Alex’s cock reacted immediately, and Noah smiled smugly. “Oh yeah. I definitely like every cocky inch of you.”
Noah’s lips latched on to Alex’s neck, and he bit the sensitive skin, sucking it between his teeth and biting down on it. Alex groaned and his hips started moving, rubbing Alex’s erection against Noah’s palm.
In no time, their clothes had disappeared, and it only took another couple of minutes before Noah sank himself inside Alex, but that was where the hurrying ended. They made love slowly and sensually. They were in no rush to get off, so they took their time, kissing, touching, whispering words of love into each other’s ears.
Much later, Noah lay on top of Alex, head resting on his forearms. Occasionally, he would press a soft kiss in the middle of Alex’s chest. Noah’s smile was brimming with love. Something inside Alex’s chest squeezed so tightly that it was hard to breathe because this man, this incredible, sexy, awesome, wonderful man, had chosen Alex as his partner. Alex would never stop being grateful for the fact that Noah was his and he got to be Noah’s.
Noah’s smile turned curious. “What?” he asked.
“I love you,” Alex said.
“I love you, too.”
Noah’s palm caressed over Alex’s cheek. “Thank you.”
“For what?”
“For always having my back.”
“Always,” Alex promised. He kissed Noah again and again and again.
They still had challenges in their path, but for right now, life was pretty damn perfect.
Epilogue
Three years later...
“You nervous?” Alex’s eyes were twinkling as he waggled his brows at Noah.
“Are you nervous?” Noah retorted.
“Not right now, but you should probably hold my hand just in case.”
Noah laughed as he linked his fingers with Alex’s. “I don’t know if you know this about me, but giving blood is kind of my thing, so stick close to me, I’ll help initiate you into the club.”
“Ooh, a