“Yeah,” I breathe.
When he leans in to kiss me again, I meet him halfway, my hands sliding over his shoulders, down his back, savoring the feel of muscle under skin.
When I shift, our cocks brush, and the contact pulls a sharp sound from both of us. It’s nothing more than a tease of friction, but it lights everything up.
Noah’s eyes find mine, dark and heavy. “You sure?” he rasps.
I nod, unable to speak. A voice in the back of my mind tries to tell me I shouldn’t take this from him, that I don’t deserve it. But then he moves, lying fully on his back, guiding me between his legs. The sight of him below me—naked, flushed, eyes bright with want but soft with care—hits me like a wave crashing against the shore.
I lower myself, bracing my forearms on either side of his head, his body fitting beneath mine perfectly. We fit like we’ve done this across lifetimes—like the shape of him has always lived inside me, waiting to be remembered. I melt into him. It’s as if my heart finally understands what it’s been searching for all along.
Our mouths find each other again. We’re magnetized. His thighs squeeze around mine. My heart starts thundering in my chest at the thought of what we’re about to do. His hands find my face, thumbs sweeping under my eyes.
“Hey,” he whispers, searching my face, seeing me more deeply than anyone ever has. “You don’t have to be nervous. It’s just us, baby.”
“I know,” I manage hoarsely. “I just want it to be good for you.”
He smiles—a stunning, devastating thing. “Everything with us always is.”
I kiss him like I’m trying to tell him everything I can’t say out loud—show him every piece of me that still doubts, still fears, still wants. His hands move down to my back, tracing the shape of my spine, and the sound he makes when I press my cock against his is pure need.
When we break apart, he gives me a devilish grin. “I might have been extremely optimistic.”
My brows furrow, not understanding what he means, until he reaches into my nightstand and retrieves lube and a condom.
The sight makes nervous anticipation shoot through me, but the thought of Noah coming in here earlier to hide them causes me to laugh against his neck.
I don’t realize my hands are shaking so badly until he takes one gently in his and brings it to his mouth, pressing a kiss to my fingertips.
He whispers, “I want you inside me, Gabe.”
I nod, trying to find my voice, but before I can, he rolls his hips up against me—and everything inside me burns bright. Everything narrows to heat and heartbeat and breath.
And that’s where I lose the thread of words entirely.
39
NOAH
Fuck, he’s beautiful like this.
The moonlight spills across his shoulders, catching the concentration in his set jaw. He’s so careful, so scared of hurting me, even when I’m offering him everything so freely.
Maybe I should be nervous, but I’m not.
If he could see what I see—the tenderness, the strength, the way he’s already giving me everything I’ve ever wanted—he’d never doubt himself again.
I press my lips to his throat, then look at him. “You’re okay. I want this. I want you.”
That soft, uncertain gaze lands right on me, and it’s all I need. I want him to see that I’m not going anywhere. That this is safe. Thathe’ssafe with me.
My words land. The nerves are replaced by focus. His fingers trace over my ribs, my hip, my thigh—like he’s mapping a route he doesn’t want to forget. Each breath we take harmonizes until it’s impossible to tell whose it is.
His hand follows the curve of my inner thigh, knuckles grazing my balls, and my whole body vibrates. His mouth is on my neck,and the soft, damp drag of his lips against my pulse point has me melting into the mattress. His hand moves lower, thumb tracing my crease, and I groan his name.
He lifts his head, eyes finding the bottle of lube and condom on the bed. He leans back on his knees, quivering fingers taking the bottle. Theclickof the cap sends a thrill through me, and goosebumps erupt across my skin. My cock is rock-solid, and as Gabe pours lube onto his fingers, a bead of precum leaks down my shaft. Gabe’s eyes track it, and the sound he makes is almost wounded.
He drops the bottle and starts rubbing the lube between his fingers to warm it. With his free hand, he drags the pad of his thumb through my slit, gathering my precum, and brings it to his mouth.
