“I talked Max into letting him escape with his motherboard intact,” Daphne whispered back with a grin. She wiped her face tiredly, smudging her blue eyeshadow. “Have fun. I’m gonna watch ASMR videos until I pass out.”
She waved at them. Noah waved back, watching Benji’s fond smile at two of his favorite people. He was glad he’d thought to invite Daphne. He had wanted his first holiday with Benji to be a romantic solo trip, but if Max was coming, he might as well invite Daphne along.
Benji hadn’t gotten to do many fun things with his people. Noah was going to change that.
Benji let himself be tugged into the hall, smiling tiredly up at him. “Where are we going? Should I change my clothes?”
Noah hooked his thumb into Benji’s denim belt loop. “No need. There are no paparazzi here.”
“I was more worried about a dress code, but that’s good too.” Benji settled into step next to him, and the two of them headed down the hall. “You didn’t answer my question.”
“Just let it happen,” Noah told him.
Benji started to tense. Noah watched him fight through layers of jet lag and instinct before he relaxed against Noah’s side, head dropping once more onto Noah’s shoulder.
“Okay,” he said simply. “I trust you.”
Noah felt it like a benediction. The boy who trusted so few people had given his heart to Noah, and he was going to do everything he could to prove himself worthy.
It was not, technically speaking, a restaurant.
“What do youmeanwe’re in somebody’s home?” asked Benji, appalled. He stared around the living room, which had been set up with a beautiful dinner, complete with candles and a silk tablecloth and waiters, all of whom had been arranged before Noah got on the plane.
“She’s on holiday,” Noah explained as the waiters collected their plates. “I looked her up when Max announced we were headed to this resort. We met a few years ago at a gala, and she was happy to open up her home for the night. You like her stuff, right? She did that stained glass work you mentioned a few months back.”
Benji gaped at him. “Are—are we inEmmy Baracuda’shouse?”
“We are,” Noah said. “She says hi.”
Benji spluttered. He twisted to look around at all the other glasswork: sculptures poised on shelves, sticking out of the walls, and hanging from the ceiling. There was a particularly beautiful installation right above their table, which Benji had shown him one night when he had been studying her glasswork.
“I can introduce you sometime,” Noah offered.
Benji squawked. He was still staring at the installation above their heads, an incredulous smile on his face. The same one he’d been wearing when Noah showed him the private jet. He was getting better at accepting his gifts, Noah thought approvingly. Less dread, less hunched shoulders and desperation, like someone was going to show up any second and steal it away.
“Is this the surprise?” Benji asked weakly.
“Not yet.” Noah stood, careful to avoid a waiter who was passing behind him. “Come with me.”
He led Benji into a side room filled with dangling shards of glass.
“Careful,” Noah told him. “She hasn’t filed them down; they’re still sharp.”
Benji took this opportunity to reach out and touch one. A drop of blood welled on his finger.
“Shit,” he said, surprised. “Thatissharp. Didn’t even hurt.”
“Good.” Noah took Benji’s finger and slotted it into his mouth, sucking the blood off until Benji’s lips parted with longing.
“Are we…” Benji swallowed. “Are we gonna fuck in here? Around all the glass?”
Noah shook his head and took Benji’s finger out of his mouth, slick with spit.
Benji blew out a shaky breath. “So why are we here?”
“Wait for it,” Noah told him.
He turned Benji toward the window. It took up an entire wall, showing the beach that lay just outside. The sun was setting over the horizon, casting orange rays into the room.
