and Noah made a decision right then and there to appreciate the hell out of every moment he got to spend with Alex.
“Quick, babe, tell me something sweet. They’re trying to outdo us,” Hannah said, and they all erupted into laughter again.
The evening continued in the same spirit. They ordered more beers, drank, and laughed, none of them in a hurry to leave. It was probably the most normal Noah had ever felt, and he loved every moment of it.
Please let us be happy.
He doubted the silent prayer helped much, but he left it lingering in the air nevertheless.
21
“I’m going to be late. So, so, so late.”
Alex smiled as he watched Noah storm around the apartment. He was deliciously naked, just like Alex, the only difference being that Alex didn’t have a lunch date scheduled, so he could lie on their bed and watch Noah run around, trying to dress and shave at the same time.
“You could call and say you’re sick,” Alex suggested.
“Knowing my mother, she’d be here in under fifteen minutes to check on me,” Noah called from the bathroom.
“Tell her you’re contagious. Sex fever. It’s a condition that can only be cured with the help of a willing penis.”
“Oh? Should I go look for one?”
“As it happens, I have one right here, so I’ll save you some trouble and help you out.”
“Stop it. The last thing I need is to think about your cock while out with my mom.” Noah stuck his head out from the bathroom, half his face covered in shaving foam, and glared at Alex.
“You’re very cranky,” Alex said. “It’s the first symptom of sex fever. Quick, come here so I can cure you.”
Noah threw a towel at him and went back to shaving. Alex got up from the bed and stalked into the bathroom. Noah was in front of the mirror, shaving his stubble. Alex sat down on the lid of the toilet and watched. He’d never considered shaving an especially erotic sight, but Noah was proving him wrong. Then again, Alex could probably interpret everything Noah did as erotic.
“I can feel you staring,” Noah muttered.
“I’m mourning the beard. It felt fucking fantastic against my thighs earlier, so excuse me for being slightly apprehensive about this whole shaving business.”
The tips of Noah’s ears turned red, but otherwise he remained unaffected. “You’ll live.”
“I feel like you’re not taking my suffering seriously.”
Their eyes met in the mirror. Noah put the razor away and dabbed his face dry with a towel before he turned toward Alex. “Poor baby. How about I make it up to you later when I get home?”
Alex took Noah’s pinkie finger in his and pulled it gently, urging Noah to step closer. “How about you ditch the lunch and stay here instead. We could stay in bed for the whole day.”
Alex slid his hand over the back of Noah’s thigh, pulling him even closer. Noah didn’t put up a fight, easily pressing himself against Alex. He managed to look put together even only wearing a pair of khakis with the zipper still undone. Noah’s bare chest was right at Alex’s eye level, and he couldn’t help but plant a kiss in the middle of it, right below where Noah’s heart was beating out a steady rhythm.
“You’re playing dirty,” Noah groaned. “I’d stay if I could, but I need to go and talk to Mom. I’ve been putting it off for way too long.”
Alex sighed and leaned his forehead against Noah’s stomach. He had no idea why he was trying to keep Noah with him so desperately. Noah would be away a couple of hours at the most, but for whatever reason, Alex just wanted him to stay.
“Are you sure you don’t want me to go with you?” Alex hated how needy he sounded. He might have served the offer as something he’d do to support Noah, but in truth, he wanted to be there for his own benefit. He couldn’t get over the fear that if he let Noah walk out the door and go see his mother, history would repeat itself, and Noah would return, grim and determined to, once again, do the right thing.
Noah put his fingertips under Alex’s chin and nudged his head up gently. The kiss he planted on Alex’s lips was soft and warm and tasted like Noah.
“I think it would be better if I talked to her alone first. I’ll be back in two hours, even if I have to escape through the bathroom window to