“I’m sorry.”
Ramin looked up at him, eyes twinkling.
“I’m sorry. I had my head up my butt.” No, it was more than that. “I panicked. I thought if I didn’t drop everything to be there for Jake, I’d be a bad dad, and that’s the one thing I’m most afraid of. Failing him. Like my parents failed me.”
Ramin set down the flowers and reached for Noah’s hand. Noah let him take it, stepped closer, so close he could feel Ramin’s breath ghosting along his skin.
He wanted to kiss Ramin more than anything. But he had to get this out first.
“I’ve made my whole life about Jake for so long. Cut myself off from a making new friends, from trying new things, because I thought that’s what I had to do. But you opened me back up again. You made me want more.”
Ramin still hadn’t said anything, but he hadn’t moved away. Noah leaned in and rested his forehead against Ramin’s.
“I love you, Ramin.”
Ramin closed his eyes. His breath slid across Noah’s lips.
He kept going. “I love you, and I’m sorry and I hope you’ll forgive me. I hope you’ll give me another chance.”
Noah waited. He waited for Ramin to open his eyes. He waited for Ramin to say something.
Ramin’s smile was like the dawn. Subtle, quiet, but then suddenly blinding.
“I love you, too,” Ramin said. “And there’s nothing to forgive. You never lost your chance to begin with.”
“But—”
“You’re Jake’s dad. You always will be. And I wouldn’t love you so much if you didn’t care about him the way you do. I don’t need you to apologize for choosing him over me. I don’t want you to even think about doing that. I love you, Noah. All I want is to share with you. To help you. To be with you. Even when things get hard. That’s all.”
Noah’s eyes burned, but he fought back the tears, because he couldnotget all snotty now.
He laughed, and finally,finally, he crashed his mouth into Ramin’s.
Ramin opened for him immediately, drawing in Noah’s tongue, trapping it, caressing it. Noah wrapped his arm around Ramin’s back. Ramin dug his hands into Noah’s shoulders and held on for dear life.
Noah stole Ramin’s breath, kissed him with every ounce of strength he had, because he loved Ramin, because he knew Ramin was strong enough to handle it. He sought every warm, secret spot in Ramin’s mouth. He staked his claim, silently shoutingmine, mine, mine.
Ramin was his.
He guided them toward Ramin’s living room, shoulder-checking one of the walls, dodging a floor lamp, forcing Ramin back onto the bright red couch, but Noah caught Ramin before he could fall, laid him down gently. And all the while, he never stopped kissing Ramin. Never stopped loving on him.
Finally Ramin broke their kiss, breathing like he’d just run a marathon. Noah’s heart was beating in double-time. His growing erection was trapped down the left leg of his shorts, the same shortshe’d worn to Genoa, because he hadn’t even stopped by the hotel to change.
Angela was right. He had to go for what he wanted. And what he wanted was Ramin.
“I love you,” Noah said again.
He’d never get tired of saying it.
“I love you, too.” Ramin blinked at him, eyes heavy lidded. One glance at Ramin’s shorts told Noah he was just as excited. Was that a wet spot growing? Noah felt himself leaking, too.
They’d been apart for barely more than a day, but Noah would never get enough of Ramin’s body.
Ramin’s eyebrows danced. “You know what else people do when they’re in love?”
Noah’s erection twitched in his boxers. He’d come here to bare his soul, to fight for their future, not to have sex. But now that he’d won, well… How could he turn down what Ramin was offering?
“I have an idea,” Noah murmured, dragging a teasing kiss along Ramin’s jawline. “I hope you know I don’t only love you for your body…”
