Johan raised an eyebrow. ‘I suppose my congratulations are in order.’
‘And what would that be for?’ Noah snapped, despite himself. He couldn’t help but be wound up by Johan.
‘For finally putting Opal out of her misery. It was clear from the start she was besotted.’
It hadn’t been at all what Noah had expected him to say, and he was taken aback. Adam stiffened beside him, and Noah finally felt the need to clarify things.
‘If you must know, we only ever shared a kiss, nothing … more ever happened.’ This was mostly for Adam’s benefit, and Noah felt annoyed at having to make the confession in front of Johan. Who, as usual, found it all to be bemusing.
Opal rushed back to the table with a cloth and profuse apologies, what for exactly, it wasn’t clear.
It was Adam who took the lead to get them out, and Noah was grateful. ‘All this reminiscing has got me feeling a little exhausted. I hope you wouldn’t mind us retiring for the evening?’ Adam smiled serenely, in stark contrast to Opal’s flustered demeanour.
‘No of course not, I mean, yes, you may of course. There’s a Black Forest gateau for dessert in the kitchen but maybe you can have some of that for breakfast or something?’ Opal began to chuckle nervously. ‘Or not, whatever you please!’
‘That’s very kind, Opal,’ Adam said as he stood up, folded his napkin and masterfully ignored her rambling question. ‘Shall we?’ He turned to Noah, offering his hand. Blinded by Adam’s grace, Noah forgot to feel self-conscious as he took it.
They walked all the way up the stairs together, in plainview of the dining room, and Noah felt giddy. They had revealed themselves, and the world had stayed turning, as usual. By the time they got back to Adam’s bedroom, the high had crystallised into something … harder. Noah felt ready to give himself over completely.
‘I want you to fuck me,’ he whispered as Adam clicked the door closed behind him. When he turned back around, his eyes were already ablaze.
‘Are you sure?’ Adam’s voice was gravelly with want. It made Noah’s skin prick. He nodded.
Adam was gentle at first, delicately unbuttoning Noah’s shirt, unzipping his flies, whilst deftly planting soft kisses along his chest and neck. Once there was only skin and the threat of damaged silk had passed, Adam grew rougher.
Noah barely registered Adam taking his own clothes off. His mind was too overcome with sensation and anticipating to think clearly. There were hands everywhere. The firmness of Adam was for him to devour, different parts of him respectively hardened by dance and desire.
All of a sudden they were on the bed. The weight of Adam on top of him winded Noah, his vision began to blur and his breathing grew raspier. Adam became still, and when Noah opened his eyes, he saw concern.
Adam shifted his weight off. ‘Are you OK?’ he asked.
Noah parted his lips to reply but found that he couldn’t make a sound. He realised only then that the fire in his belly was panic. Adam had noticed it before he had.
Adam lay beside him, and turned Noah onto his side. They lay there whilst Adam caressed him, tracing smooth lines up his side and across his back. Noah’s breathing steadied.
‘I want this …’ he whispered in answer to Adam’s unspoken question. Adam glanced down, a wry smile crossing his face.
‘Oh I can see that. I just don’t know if you’re ready …’
In response Noah reached for Adam’s erection, freeing it from his briefs and watching intently as pleasure softened Adam’s features.
‘I’m ready.’ The words hung in the air, particles of gas, ready to be ignited, and it was the slightest groan from Adam’s throat that did it. This time when Adam climbed astride, Noah was agitated with something other than fear. He reached down to touch himself, to alleviate the pressure, but Adam stopped him, shaking his head.
‘You have to relinquish yourself; that’s the only way this is going to work.’
Noah wasn’t entirely sure what he meant, but he nodded again, allowing his arms to be laid above his head.
Adam reached into the bedside drawer and brought out a thick tube of what looked like toothpaste, although it was more clinical-looking than that.
‘It’ll help,’ was all Adam said and he squeezed a blob of the viscous clear liquid into his palm.
Noah knew what was going to happen next. He’d thought about it almost constantly for days. It was strange to obsess over being fucked, after spending so much of his life never having considered it something that had anything to do with him. And now that the moment had arrived, he found he couldn’t imagine what it was going to feel like.
Noah watched intently as Adam stroked the gel-like liquid over himself. Suddenly his cock looked unfathomably large. Noah wondered what would happen if it simply didn’t fit.
Adam seemed to sense Noah’s hesitance. He leant down for a long, slow kiss, and Noah relaxed. He felt Adam, hard between his legs, trailing across his thigh, and he tried to focus on the intense heat of his want over anything else. For this to work he had to relinquish himself.
The first thrust was slow and deliberate. It made Noah gasp. The pain was shocking, but once he had gritted his teeth through the red-hot flash of it, Noah found himself lusting for more. It was the satisfaction of iced water poured down a parched throat coupled with the tantalising sting of the biting cold against the heat of skin. Noah couldn’t get enough.
