to lust the moment Alex’s lips sealed over his. The kiss was short and intense and left Alex’s heart pounding happily in his chest.
“Now I’m ready,” Alex said as he pulled away.
They were both smiling like lunatics the whole way to Portland.
Alex watched as Noah wandered around the suite he’d booked for them. Noah stopped in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows and looked at the city that lay before him.
“So you’re really rich, huh?” he asked.
Alex stepped closer and wrapped his arms around Noah from behind. “Dating me just became a whole lot more appealing, didn’t it?”
“Oh, absolutely. I’m assuming this is just the beginning and there’ll be more perks? I’ve always wanted a private jet.” Noah turned around in Alex’s arms, a slight smirk playing on his lips.
“I’ll give my aviation guy a call,” Alex murmured as he traced imaginary lines on Noah’s face with the tip of his nose.
“You do that,” Noah replied before he kissed Alex.
The kiss ended way too soon for Alex’s liking. “Hey!” Alex protested as Noah pulled away and continued his exploration.
“Whoa! This bathroom is massive.” Alex smiled as he followed Noah’s voice. “Look at this tub. It’s like a freaking pool. Have you ever seen anything like it?”
Alex definitely had. It wasn’t his first stay in a luxury hotel, but Noah’s enthusiasm made the whole experience ten times better than all those other times combined.
“We could take a bath,” Alex suggested.
“Right now?” Noah asked dubiously.
“Why not? We’re on a getaway. We can do whatever we want.”
Noah looked uncertain for a beat, but then his eyes lit up with excitement. “Let’s do it.”
They laughed and teased each other as they filled the massive tub with water and added liberal amounts of shower gel to turn it into a bubble bath. It was all good until it was time to undress, at which point, Noah stood at the side of the tub, fidgeting with the hem of his shirt.
“So,” he said, every inch of him seemingly filled with tremulous uncertainty, “I guess it’s time to get in?”
“That’s the general idea, yes,” Alex said, voice gentle. “Probably best if we undress first, though.”
“Ha. Yeah. Definitely.” Noah swallowed hard. “Here we go,” he muttered, but didn’t make a move to take any items of clothing off.
Alex stepped closer and took Noah’s hand. “We don’t have to. I wasn’t kidding before. If you’re not ready, we can just order room service, pig out in front of the TV, and fall asleep together. It’ll still be the best night ever for me.”
Noah dragged his hand through his hair. “It’s stupid,” he said, frustration ringing clear in his voice. “I’m nervous.”
“It’s not stupid. Nothing you feel is stupid. And again, we don’t have to do anything.”
“No.” Noah lifted his eyes and met Alex’s gaze. Silvery gray eyes full of nerves, yes, but also trust. And conviction. “I want to. More than anything.”
“So what are you nervous about, then?”
Noah groaned. “You’re so… you,” he said.
Alex laughed. “That clears it up, then. Most people say it and mean it as a bad thing.”
Noah rolled his eyes. “Most people must be idiots, then. Okay. Here’s the thing. I’m afraid I’ll disappoint you.”
“You could never do that,” Alex said.
“Cute, yet completely inaccurate. There are loads of ways for you to be underwhelmed by me. I’m not really that experienced. Okay, in the interest of honesty, I’m pretty much totally inexperienced, which means that I could be really shitty in bed. Have you ever considered that, huh?”
“That’s where you’re wrong. We’ve been… well, not in bed, but there was some pretty memorable frotting involved, so unless adding a bed to the equation turns you into a zombie or a flesh-eating bacteria, I can guarantee you, you’re the furthest thing from shitty at anything that involves sex.”
Noah stared at Alex. “Flesh-eating bacteria? Really?”
Alex shrugged. “It was the least sex-related thing I could think of.”
Noah’s shoulders shook with silent laughter. “You’re crazy,” he said. “But also really great.”
The conversation seemed to have relaxed Noah somewhat, so he took a deep breath and pulled his shirt off, giving Alex the opportunity to admire Noah’s smooth, tanned chest. He was not overly muscular and wide, but there was strength in each of his muscle, a clear sign that he was no stranger to manual labor.
Alex could have admired Noah for eternity. Or at least that was what it felt like before the need to touch became overwhelming. But he didn’t want to scare Noah off by being too bold,