“I do,” Benji said slowly. “I just…”
He stared at Noah, trailing off. Noah was so sweet and strong and perfect. And he’d picked Benji—a surly twenty-year-old jackass with a kid brother in his custody and a string of shitty customer service jobs—to be with him, tomove inwith him, togrow old togetherif Benji let him.
The words burned behind Benji’s teeth.There is no way the universe will let me get something this good. I feel like if I sayyes, something terrible will happen to even it out. I don’t get to have good things.
“I don’t want to think about it,” he said in a rush. He shook Daphne’s hands off and downed the rest of his champagne, shooting her a smile he refused to classify as anxious. “We’re on a private jet! I’m young, I’m apparently rich now, and I have a gorgeous boyfriend. You know what I’m gonna do?”
Daphne watched him stand up, grinning. “What are you gonna do, Ben?”
Benji shot her a wink. It did not go well, with both eyes closing in the process. But she got the gist.
“Distract Max,” he whispered.
Daphne’s grin widened. She stuck her tongue between her teeth and stood, sliding past him until she was kneeling next to Max, asking him to explain the types of clouds again.
“Not from this window,” Daphne said. “Fromthatone, up there.”
Max jumped out of his seat and ran down the aisle, not even glancing up at Benji as he ran past.
Benji gave Daphne a grateful look and took Max’s seat across from Noah.
“Who’s winning?” Benji asked, leaning so far forward that he almost tipped against the board.
Noah eyed him, a pleased glint in his eye. Benji wasn’t subtle; he had to know what was happening, even just from body language.
“He is, obviously,” he said. He tweaked Benji’s chin, the pressure of his thumb and forefinger making Benji’s stomach curl excitedly. “Getting into the free champagne, huh, baby?”
“I’ve hadoneglass,” Benji retorted. He glanced down the aisle at Noah, who was currently gesturing out the window at clouds while Daphne nodded intently and asked questions.
Benji leaned closer until their noses skimmed. “I heard the bathrooms are really big.”
Noah smirked. “Oh yeah?”
“Yeah.” Benji bit his lip, giving Noah his best seductive look. He still felt a little stupid, but judging by how Noah’s eyes darkened, he didn’t do a terrible job. “Ever heard of the Mile High Club?”
“Haveyouever heard of it?” Noah cocked his head, and Benji was reminded that Noah had probably had sex on planes before. Unlike Benji, who hadn’t even been on a plane since he was a kid.
Noah cut off his protest by leaning in and kissing him. Soft and quick, his teeth scraping Benji’s lip so he shivered.
“I have something better,” Noah murmured.
Noah led him further down the plane to a fuckinggame room.
“This is ridiculous,” Benji said, awed. He ran a hand along the polished wood of a pool table. “Did you do this? You don’t evenlikepool. Youhateit, just like golf and bowling and every other sport that requires you to stand in one place while doing it.”
“I don’t hate bowling,” said Noah. “But yes, the pool table was already here when I bought the plane.”
“Cool.” Benji sniggered. He still wasn’t used to Noah saying shit like that.
Noah crowded him against the pool table, his hands on Benji’s hips. His thumbs pressed under Benji’s shirt, and Benji tried to press forward, eager to get started.
Noah held him still. “You don’t get to move. Okay?”
Benji shuddered excitedly. “Depends on how desperate you get me.”
Noah hummed. He bent down to trail kisses up Benji’s neck, ending with a soft bite to Benji’s earlobe.
“No, it doesn’t,” Noah said. “You’ll stay still. Because I told you to.”
