Words he didn’t think he would ever tire of repeating.
Chapter Twenty-One
Noah opened his eyes.Eli lay in his arms, his head tucked in against Noah’s shoulder, an affectionate nuzzle that Noah could get used to. He had no idea what time it was, until he caught the joyous peal of church bells in the distance.
He smiled.I love that sound.
Eli stirred. “I have this ringing in my ears,” he muttered, his voice rough with sleep.
Noah tilted Eli’s head toward his. “Merry Christmas.”
“Merry Christmas,” Eli said before cupping Noah’s cheek and stretching to kiss him. They lay there for a moment, wrapped up in each other and the quiet hush of Christmas morning. Eli stroked his fingers through Noah’s hair, and Noah closed his eyes, enjoying the sensation.
“You’re staring at me, aren’t you?”
“You’re imagining things,” Eli replied.
Noah smiled. “Liar.” His chest tightened in a way he now recognized, the startling ache that came from being loved and loving someone back.
He opened his eyes, drinking in the golden morning light that filled his bedroom.
“It wasn’t a dream. We really are engaged.”
Eli waggled his left hand in front of Noah’s face. “See? Proof.”
Noah rolled onto his side and leaned over to kiss him, a simple brush of lips that soon became deeper, Eli’s fingers warm on his neck, his shoulder.
“No regrets?”
“Not one.”
Noah couldn’t stop staring at him. “I’m finding it hard to believe that I’m allowed to have this. I’m allowed to have you.”
“You’re not the only one.”
Relief flooded through him and they kissed again, only this time, heat built between them, their kisses growing more urgent. And when at last Eli straddled his hips, reaching back to guide Noah’s slick shaft into him, Noah let himself go.
“Love you,” he gasped as he thrust into tight heat.
Eli leaned over to kiss him. “Love you too.”
They made love until both of them were breathless, sweat covering Eli’s chest in a glistening sheen as he rode Noah with abandon. And when Noah came, he called out Eli’s name.
Eli’s chest met his, Noah’s cock still inside him, and they kissed, unhurried, warm kisses that seemed to last for hours.
“Can we just stay here all day?” Eli murmured against Noah’s chest, when Noah had finally eased out of him.
“We could, but Aileen would kill us.”
Eli snorted. “Yeah, she would.”
Noah traced a finger along Eli’s jaw. “We should tell her our plan. About what happens next.”
Eli blinked. “We have a plan?”
Noah smiled. “Well, not yet, we don’t. But I think we should figure one out.”
Whatever navigating they had to do, they’d do it together.
