He opened the window a crack, and cold air poured in. He slammed it shut. “Nope, absolutely not.”
Why am I like this?
He’d seen Eli this afternoon. They’d flirted. They’d laughed. Eli had almost fallen off the ladder simply because of the way Noah looked up at him.
And what the hell did he see?
Noah was scared about the evening he’d planned, which frustrated him because nothing about tonight should’ve been terrifying. Except it was. Deep down, Noah understood something he hadn’t had the courage to name.
He wanted tonight to matter. He wanted Eli to walk through that door and feel at home.
Noah went into the kitchen and stared at the ingredients sitting on the counter.
Dinner was supposed to be effortless, a simple pasta dish with garlic bread, accompanied by a salad Noah had aggressively over-chopped.
He’d told himself he wouldn’t obsess.
He’d lied.
“Okay,” he whispered as he paced. “Okay, okay. Stop panicking. He likes you. He kissed you. He stayed the night. He?—”
A knock at the door froze him to the spot, every nerve suddenly alight. He glanced at the clock.
6:52.
Eli was early.
Noah’s stomach clenched.He’s early because he wants to be here. He’s early because he wantsyou.
He wiped his palms on his jeans, breathed once, twice, and went to open the door.
Eli stood on the doorstep, snow-flushed, scarf-wrapped, his hair slightly wind-mussed. “Hi.”
Noah managed a smile that was way calmer than he felt.
“Hi. Come in.”
Eli stepped into the warm glow of Noah’s living room and instantly something eased in him. The space smelled like pine and vanilla and the faintest hint of sawdust. It smelled like Noah too, but there was another scent, something savory and fragrant.
“Are you making dinner?”
Noah flushed. “I wanted—” He hesitated. “I wanted to take care of you a little.”
Eli’s breath caught.
Dinner wasn’t casual but intentional. Dinner meantI thought about you. I want to impress you. I want you comfortable, fed, happy, here.
Eli studied him, the nervous hand smoothing his sweater, the slight shift of weight, the eyes that flicked to Eli’s mouth and then away again.
Oh. Eli’s heart hammered. He saw reflected in Noah’s gaze something of his own hopes.
This is a man wanting somethingreal.
Eli swallowed hard. “Can I… hug you?”
Noah seemed startled, but he nodded.
Eli stepped forward and wrapped his arms around him. Noah melted instantly, his arms around Eli’s back, his breath warm against Eli’s cheek. And in that quiet, warm embrace, something inside Eli settled with a certainty that startled him.
