“We’re going to see an apartment on Tuesday night,” Benji told him.
Max mumbled something under his breath and turned his headphones up.
Benji rolled his eyes and headed for his shoes.
Max took his headphones off. “Are you going to see Noah?”
Benji threw his hands up. “I’m not always seeing Noah! I see other people! Lots of other people!”
“Tell him to watch that YouTube video I sent him,” Max said, undeterred. “I still don’t get the appeal of baseball, but that sports history guy almost talked me into it.”
Benji shoved his sneakers on, fighting down a flood of warmth as he remembered all the times Max and Noah had interacted over the past week. Countless hours stuffed in this hotel room, bunched up on the bed, watching movies while Benji drifted in and out of consciousness.
“And tell him whenever works for the robot visit,” Max continued. “I don’t care if I have to come in on a weekday. I can call in sick.”
Benji stabbed a finger at him. “Watch it.”
Max gave him a look that made Benji worried that someone had told him about all the classes Benji had missed back in the day. Then he pulled his legs up, tucking them under his laptop so he looked even smaller than before.
“He’s cool,” Max said, voice surprisingly quiet. “I’m glad you guys are boyfriends.”
Benji thought back to everything Noah had done to him in this room: smoothing balm over his bruised asscheeks, holding his chin as he spooned honey into his mouth, skimming a finger over the back of his hand while they watched a movie with Max. They hadn’t had sex in this room, but what Noah had done felt just as intimate: he’d taken care of Benji. Just like he always had.
Benji forced a smile. “He’s my boss. Not my boyfriend.”
Max snorted, the know-it-all sneaking back into his voice.
“Sure,” he said dryly. “Bet there aretonsof bosses who come over to their assistants’ hotel and feed them soup. And offer to let them move in when they get kicked out of their apartment.And gaze soulfully at them while they’re sleeping when they think I’m watching Transformers.”
“Okay, that last one didn’t happen,” Benji said, too fast. “Shut up.”
It didn’t help. Max was still laughing when he slammed the hotel door.
Benji couldn’t stop thinking about it: Noah watching him as he slept. He was probably gross and wheezing, and Noah looked at him like he was worth all of this and more. Benji had never caught Noah looking at him like that when they weren’t having sex, about to have sex, or just finished having sex.
He knocked on Noah’s apartment door, butterflies clamoring in his stomach. He’d just spent several hours a day with the guy for the whole week—he shouldn’t be feeling so excited. That didn’t stop his nervous grin as the door swung open.
“Surprise!”
Noah blinked rapidly. He was wearing a sinfully tight tank top and a baggy pair of sweatpants that hung low, exposing a cut of hipbone so delicious Benji almost missed his gorgeous smile.
“Benjamin! I guess I don’t need to bring you anything today.”
“Nope!” Benji strode in, closing the door behind him. “Today I’m bringing you something.”
“What?”
Benji slid his arms around Noah’s neck, skimming their noses together.
“Me,” he murmured and leaned up.
Noah made a satisfied rumble in his chest. He reached up to cradle Benji’s face, and Benji let himself sink into their first proper kiss in over a week.
“I missed you,” he admitted when he leaned back.
“I saw you yesterday, baby,” Noah said. But he looked pleased, thumbing Benji’s cheek absently, like he didn’t even realize he was doing it.
“We didn’t get much real time,” Benji pointed out. “I felt like shit. Max was there for half of it. And about that, uh.”
