Chapter Nine

“BUDDY, YOU look like you’re about to pass out. And you’re wearing a groove in the concrete.”

Gideon stopped. “Sorry, Phil.”

The security guard on duty at the Emeralds’ stadium that night chuckled. “Nothin’ to worry about.” His smile grew wider. “I think your fella is here.”

Gideon’s gaze followed the tip of Phil’s head toward the parking lot where Noah was getting out of his Bronco. Gideon waited impatiently, watching him hungrily. He was here. He came.

“Breathe,” Phil ordered with a slap on Gideon’s back.

He emptied his lungs in a big whoosh. While he debated if he should give Noah a hug, a kiss, or shake his hand, Noah decided for him.

“Hi,” he said with a shy smile before he threw his arms around Gideon. “I missed you.”

“You’re here.”

“You sound surprised. Did you think I wouldn’t come?”

“I wanted… I hoped. I was afraid.”

“I thought you said you believed in miracles.”

Gideon reached for Noah’s hand. “I believe in you. Come on.” He pulled Noah toward a side door.

“Are we allowed to be here?” Noah said in a hushed voice as Gideon led him down a dark hallway toward the training room.

“I know a guy.” He winked.

Gideon gave Noah a tour of the training room and the locker room, stopping at his locker to retrieve a gift bag before leading him out to center field.

“Are you sure this is okay for us to be here like this?” Noah asked in a hushed voice when they walked onto the dark field.

“I pulled a few strings and called in a couple of favors.” The truth was Gideon begged Dane Prescott and offered to pay Phil and the other staff triple and cover all expenses to pull this off.

Noah gasped as the stadium lights came on, and he craned his neck, squinting at the top row of seats with an awed expression before his gaze returned to Gideon. “I don’t know how you do it. I’d be terrified to play in front of all these people.”

“It’s funny—” Gideon looked around. “—this is the one place where I’m not scared.” He stopped; the sudden realization had him reaching for Noah’s hand. “I don’t get scared because when I’m down here, no one can get close to me. They’re all up there at a distance.”

Noah leaned closer, pressing his shoulder against Gideon’s in a silent show of support. Gideon took a deep breath and continued to guide Noah toward center field.

When they reached the center-field line, Gideon put the gift bag at his feet and reached for Noah’s hand again.

“I brought you here because I wanted to share this part of myself with you. Soccer is a big part of my life, and it would be a part of your life too if… if you want to stay with me. I have to travel a lot, and it’s possible I could get traded again. If that happened, I would consider retiring. I don’t want to move again. It’s why I built the cabin. I knew when I first came here that no matter what, this is the place I wanted to come back to.” He rubbed his thumb over Noah’s knuckles. “And then I met you, and now this is more than a place I want to come back to. It’s a place I want to call home. You’re my home, Noah.” He let go and reached down to hand him the gift bag.

“This is the last gift. It’s kind of corny, but….” He shrugged with a sheepish smile.

He held his breath, watching Noah reach into the bag and pull out his Emeralds’ jersey with Wilder emblazoned on the back.

“I want to look up into the stands when I’m playing and see you wearing my jersey, wearing my name.”

Gideon was devastated for a moment when Noah handed him the jersey, but his heart swelled with joy when Noah took off his sweater and retrieved the jersey to pull it on.

“It’s kind of big,” he said with a nervous laugh.

“It’s perfect,” Gideon said, running his hands over Noah’s shoulders and down his arms. “Should I take it as a good sign that you put it on?”

“One hundred percent a good sign.” Noah looped his arms around Gideon’s neck. “I’ll be proud to wear the jersey of the man I love. I love you, Gideon, so much. People might look at us and think we don’t make sense, but you’re my person, Gideon. I love you.”

“Noah,” Gideon said and cupped his cheek. “You’re the love of my life. I promise I’m going to do everything I can to be the man you deserve.”

This time when they kissed, Gideon let himself sink into Noah’s sweetness and the unconditional love that wrapped around them.

“I have a present for you too,” Noah said when they finally came up for air. “It’s at my apartment. Will you come home with me so I can give it to you?”

“I’ll always come home with you.”

They stopped long enough for Gideon to thank Phil and the rest of the staff who’d helped out. Gideon left his Jeep in the players’ lot and rode home with Noah.

“It’s not very big or fancy,” Noah said, opening the door to his apartment.

“It’s you, it’s perfect,” Gideon said, walking over to the vintage armoire on one wall. The doors were open, and the shelves were filled with yarn neatly organized by color, creating a rainbow. Noah had managed to take a bland space with white walls and make it cozy and warm. He’d decorated the space with a mix of vintage and new furniture with accents in shades of gray, blue, and deep golden yellow.

Noah picked up a box sitting on the small square table next to the kitchen. “This is for you.”

Gideon took the box, which was wrapped in brown paper and tied with a blue-and-white gingham ribbon. Noah sat next to him on the small sectional covered in a dark gray twill fabric. Gideon held the box in his lap, fingering the ribbon.

“You’ve already given me so much.”

Noah looked at him with a hint of mischief in his eyes. “This isn’t so much a gift as fulfilling a request.”

Gideon’s hand trembled as he untied the ribbon and slipped his hand under the tape. He lifted the lid and peeled back the tissue. “Oh, Noah,” he whispered.

The yarn he’d gifted Noah had been transformed. The sweater nestled in the tissue looked exactly like the picture in the pattern book.

“I started knitting the night you gave me the yarn. I wasn’t sure I was ever going to give it to you, but with each stitch I knew there was no one else I’d ever let wear it.”

Gideon held the sweater up the same way Noah had held up his jersey. It was a simple pattern, but Noah had added something special.

“I got the idea from Tom Daley. You know, the British Olympic diver. He has his own line of knitting patterns, and when I saw this on one of his designs… well, I thought it would be the perfect finishing touch.”

On the left side of the sweater, Noah had embroidered a heart in red yarn. Only the heart wasn’t finished. At the bottom, the ends of the yarn hung loose.

“It’s up to you, Gideon,” Noah said. “Do you want to tie the loose ends?”

Gideon moved the box so he could spread the sweater on his lap. With shaking fingers, he tied the strands of yarn into a knot and then a small bow. He pulled off his fleece jacket and put the sweater on. He stood and tapped his finger against the heart. “This knot can’t come undone. I’m tying myself to you.” He pulled Noah off the sofa and into his arms, sealing his claim with a kiss.

Noah groaned, pressing himself against Gideon. “As much as I love seeing this on you, can we take it off now?”

Gideon reached for the hem of his sweater and peeled it off, carefully folding it before he put it back in the box. “Now you take something off.”

Noah followed his command and took his shirt off with an eager gleam in his eye. Then it was game on as their hands fumbled. unbuttoning buttons and pulling down zippers. With a groan, Gideon sank to his knees and nuzzled Noah’s groin. “I missed you so much.” He licked the underside of Noah’s cock from the root to the tip. “I’m addicted to the way you taste and smell. I’ll never get enough of you, Noah.”

Noah grabbed his hair when he took his hard length into his mouth. Gideon licked and sucked until Noah was a babbling mess, begging him for more. In one swift movement, Gideon stood, picked Noah up, and threw him over his shoulder. “Bedroom,” he growled.

Noah pointed to a door that was slightly ajar. Gideon kicked it the rest of the way open. As soon as Noah landed on the bed, he scrambled toward his nightstand and fished out a bottle of lube.

“Good boy,” Gideon said, taking the bottle from him. He crawled between Noah’s knees and slicked his finger. “Hold your legs for me, baby.”

Noah pulled his knees up, his breath already coming out in small pants. “Hurry.”

Gideon shook his head with a wicked smile. “I’m the one who gives the orders, remember? I’m planning on taking my time. I don’t want to hurt you.”

Noah reached up and stroked his cheek. “You won’t hurt me.”

The deeper meaning behind those words brought tears to his eyes. Gideon pushed Noah’s knees to his chest and gently kissed his hole before he pressed the tip of his finger in. He worked Noah into a frenzy, stretching him while peppering the inside of his thighs with kisses and slowly stroking his cock. Each time he saw Noah was nearing release, he stopped until Noah babbled.

“Oh God, Gideon, I can’t… please.” He lifted his head, a sheen of sweat making the skin on his face glow. “I need you inside of me right now,” he ordered between clenched teeth.

Gideon’s body was just as desperate to feel everything with this man, his Noah. As much as he wanted to keep teasing Noah for trying to boss him around, he couldn’t wait any longer. He filled Noah with one thrust, letting out a low groan that mingled with Noah’s shout. He grasped Noah’s cock and started rocking his hips into him. “Open your eyes, Noah. I want to see you when you come.”

Noah’s eyes opened. He dug his fingers into Gideon’s shoulders and pulled him in for a kiss.

“Are you ready to come with me, baby?” Gideon growled, and Noah answered by nipping at his lip. “Noah!” Gideon called out as he let go, filling the man he loved with his whole heart at the same time as Noah spilled over Gideon’s hand where it wrapped around Noah’s cock.

Gideon rolled them over and wrapped his arms and legs around Noah’s slack body. As the blood roaring in his ears subsided, he realized Noah was sniffling. He cradled Noah’s face in his hands. “What’s wrong? Did I hurt you?”

Noah shook his head with a watery smile. “I love you so much. When I’m with you, I don’t worry about what I’m doing. I can let myself do nothing else but feel.”

“Oh, Noah, I love you too. Happy belated Hanu—”

Noah put his finger over Gideon’s lips. “Let’s just be happy.”

Gideon nodded, kissing Noah’s finger and then his lips when he let his hand fall to Gideon’s waist and dug his fingers into his side.

“I love you so much, Noah. Thank you for all the happy you’ve brought to my life. It’s a gift I’ll treasure always.”

Noah’s eyes were bright. “I love you, Gideon. You may not have come wrapped in a beautiful package, but you were the best Hanukkah present I’ve ever received.”

Gideon pictured a ring on Noah’s finger and knew he could do better. Next year….