Chapter Eleven | Noah

I stared at my phone, grinning like an idiot. I hadn't expected Brody to text me first. We'd exchanged phone numbers days ago, but I wasn't sure how Brody felt about texting. It was something I'd wanted to ask him about. Now, I had my answer.

I'd follow suit and keep it simple.

Brody: Goodnight, Noah.

Me: Sweet dreams, handsome.

Too much? I knew it made Brody blush when I used endearments on him. Maybe he was blushing in bed right now. It was late. Almost 2 am. He'd be in bed, wouldn't he? The thought of him lying in bed in any state of undress at all made my cock throb. I remembered the whimper he'd released as I was about to kiss him, his face cradled in my hand—so close to me.

The whisper of his breath in my hair as he'd practically begged me to give him some affection, his breathing heavy, his words so gentle and filled with desire.

I reached beneath the waistband of my boxer shorts and took my fierce erection in hand. I closed my eyes, reliving the taste of Brody's mouth. The feel of his soft tongue dancing across mine, seeking but tentative. The humming sounds coming from his throat.

I capped the slit of my cock, collected some precum, and used it to reduce the friction on my shaft. I hadn't been able to see his eyes, but if I had, they'd be watching me. I would love to have those eyes looking up at me—my cock in his mouth. Then he'd grabbed me and pulled me to him.

He'd been hard against my thigh. If we'd been alone on that mountain top, who knows what would have happened. I imagined bending over a rock for him, offering my hole.

I pumped faster. I wasn't sure if he'd eat me out or not. I imagined his tongue deep inside me, working me open. Then his cock. The thick ridge of his cockhead would push past my rim.

Faster. My hips bucking.

Brody's cock dragging in and out of me.

I clamped my teeth tight, almost grinding them as I shot my load, coating my hand and a corner of sheets in my release. I was panting hard as I imagined him kissing me after he climaxed.

Then curling me up in his arms, humming against the back of my neck.

Goddamned bliss is what it would be.

I looked at the messages we had sent each other. I wanted to say more but I was thrilled to have exchanged as much as we had. There was so much mystery surrounding the man.

Which reminded me.

After wiping my hand off with a tissue, I rolled over and flipped open my laptop. I wanted to find out more about Brody and his job as a crown prosecutor. I searched for a list but there was no such thing. Just the contact information for the office of the Crown Counsel in Victoria.

I looked up the requirements for a position with the crown. Brody had done a fair amount of schooling. I wondered how it had been for him to be at school for years. How he had navigated the stress of being at university. His perseverance made me admire him even more.

I typed Brody and crown attorney into the search engine. Now we were getting somewhere. His last name was Carlisle. I typed in his full name. What popped up was story after story about cases he had won for the crown, putting a multitude of bad guys in prison.

I was awake for another two hours, reading the details of his most notorious cases. I would have kept going if I hadn't started nodding off, my head violently jerking each time my eyes closed on me. I can't say I was surprised that Brody was as good at his job as it appeared.

I closed my laptop and let sleep take me.

I could read more about him tomorrow.

I slapped around looking for my phone. I wasn't sure if it was my alarm or if it was ringing. My brain was muddled from sleep. The little amount I'd given myself time for after stalking Brody's career last night. The annoyance sounded two more times. It was ringing.

I found my phone and held it to my face.

Mother, the screen displayed.

Sun was streaming through my window, so it wasn't too early for her to be calling. The possibilities behind why she was calling me in the morning made my head hurt.

"What can I do for you?" I was too tired for niceties.

"I'm going to ignore your surliness."

"I had a late night."

She sighed. In her favour, she didn't mention that I wouldn't be working so late if I was working for the family law firm. "Darling, your father and I are putting on a gala."

"Who is it for?'

"Underprivileged children."

God.

"You know we have those in the LGBTQ community too, right?"

"Of course, dear. "

"The youth centre had all its computers stolen."

"We've had this discussion before. Your little organization doesn't hold the same appeal for the donors as what it does for benefitting normal children."

"Fuck, mother! Normal? You didn't seriously just say that."

"I'm sorry. Slip of the tongue."

Yeah, but she bloody well meant it. My mother was an A-class-level bitch. Not sure why I cared so much about what she thought of me.

"You're expected to be there," she continued.

"Am I now."

"Noah, don't be difficult. The whole family will be there including your sister's fiancé."

I jammed my hand through my hair. My sister and I were close, but I hadn't spoken to her in weeks. I hadn't even met the guy she was engaged to. I felt like a shitty big brother.

"Who will you be bringing?" she asked.

Now, I'm not sure what came over me, but I blurted out, "My partner."

"As in a serious partner?"

"Of course we're serious. I'm in love with him." Then insanity poked its head up. "We've been living together for months. We're talking about getting married."

I instantly wished I could retract everything I just said.

"Why haven't we met this young man?" My mother's voice sounded brighter. No doubt she'd be telling everyone at the country club that her last remaining single child had seen the light.

"I haven't wanted to subject him to you yet."

"Noah, please." She paused. "What does he do for a living? "

Okay, I hadn't thought that far ahead. I was going to have to bring someone to my parents' gala. Maybe I could hire an escort. Or maybe—

"He's a crown attorney."

Again. Wished I could retract it. What were the chances I could find an escort with a criminal law degree? Not impossible. But not probable either. My parents would want to talk shop. There was only one person I knew who could play the role of my criminal lawyer partner.

Jeezus you're an idiot.

Brody would never go for this. Nor would I ask him to.

"When is the gala? My partner might be working." That was the answer. Tell my parents he couldn't make it. Then conveniently split up with said partner before my parents suspected anything was amiss. Such as the fact I was a goddamned liar.

"Oh, that would be a shame. It's next weekend. Saturday night at the Pacific Grande ballroom. Be there by seven. No later. We want to have the family together to welcome everyone."

"Wouldn't want to miss that. I'll drop my tux at the dry cleaners."

"I'm glad you're taking the idea of starting your own family seriously."

"I never said we wanted children."

She sighed. "I don't understand why you always have to be so contrary."

"Because it's my life. I'll come to your gala but please stop trying to interfere."

"We only want what's best for you."

She had no idea what that was. I barely knew what the hell that was. I did know that with each passing day, I felt like the best could only be achieved with Brody at my side.

"Goodbye, mother. "

She hung up without saying anything else. I'm not sure my mother ever told me she loved me. That's what people did though, right? When they parted ways. Exchanged words of love.

My friends and I certainly used the word a lot. I wondered if someday I'd tell Brody I loved him. And whether he'd say it back. My heart was either going to soar or be crushed. Already, my heart pounded out of control for him. Yearned for him. I was getting ahead of myself.

I rolled over and stared at the ceiling. My mother had made me panic. She always made me panic. I decided it would make for a good story. The day I had told my mother I was in love with, living with and talking about marrying a man who was essentially Brody.

Later, when I was at the pub waiting for Brody to arrive for his G lips parted.

I wanted to dismantle every piece of him from his lips to his fingertips—down to his toes. I wanted to strip him down to his basest parts and then lovingly stitch him back together, having memorized the breathtaking composition that made Brody who he was inside and out.

I held his face in both hands and pressed out foreheads together, our combined breath mingling between us in warm seductive gusts. "Where on earth did you come from?"

I felt Brody's brow wrinkle.

"I've never met someone so perfect," I clarified.

Brody whimpered and I couldn't hold back a second longer. His hands moved to my hips, clutching tight as I kissed him. Harder and more desperate this time, as if Brody might escape me or somehow cease to exist. I couldn't imagine a world without this man. The loss of someone so beautiful and pure would be an epic travesty of nature. It would cripple me.

He hummed against my lips, vibrating them, chasing them for more. I pressed Brody against the door and dug my fingertips through the curls at the nape of his neck. He moaned and pulled my hips to him, then rode the top of my pants with his hands, past my belt, and onto my ass—and tugged. Desperate need rolled through my gut, lust rippling to my groin, as our hard cocks thrust together, sending us both reeling. Passion ignited, our hands became frantic, seeking out skin .

I sank to my knees. I wanted him in my mouth. He carded his fingers through my hair, gazing down at me as I unbuttoned and unzipped his pants, exposing thin cotton fabric. I rubbed my lips across his bulge, inhaling the scent of him. He was clean and dirty all at once. Like the man, there were shades of him I had yet to discover. I reached up behind him and locked the door.

His gaze smouldered into mine as I kissed and licked his underwear, savouring the rock-hard girth beneath my lips and tongue. He groaned and tipped his head back, his fingers still in my hair. I snagged his waistband with my hands and tugged it down, releasing his cock. Glorious. It was thick and long and weeping from the tip. I extended my tongue and had my first taste of him.

My world shifted.

I moaned and moved closer, my knees tucked between his feet, and painted my lips with his slit, one hand grasping his length, the other slipping beneath to cup his substantial balls.

I drew a lazy circle around his glans with my tongue, tickling him, memorizing every scent and feel of him before I slipped him into my mouth. As I sucked, Brody made a guttural animalistic sound that made my dick throb and pulse in response. I relinquished his balls and made quick work of exposing myself to the air at Brody's feet. I caressed my cock slowly as I sucked and thrust Brody's erection in and out of my stretched lips, using my tongue to keep him wet.

I slurped on his cockhead and jacked his shaft while I peered up at him. He watched me intently but didn't say a word. I didn't need him to. The blown pupils in his eyes and the soft touch of his fingers in my hair told me everything I needed to know. We were taking a step together. A significant one. This wasn't just lust winning out. This was a commitment between us.

And that didn't scare me in the least .

I sucked him to the back of my throat and swallowed around his girth. Brody groaned and gripped a chunk of my hair in his fist, balling it up. His hips thrust forward.

God, yes.

He lowered his hands to either side of my head. I made what I hoped was a sound of consent. He took it as one because he jammed his hips forward again.

Yes.

More.

He angled his hips away and snapped them back, his cock hitting the back of my throat. I relaxed and gripped his thighs. Each thrust came faster than the last until he was fully fucking my face. I was in heaven. I tugged and stroked my aching cock, saliva running down my chin, and tears collecting in my eyes. As Brody jerked and flooded my throat, my dick pulsed, matching his release with my own. I was left feeling like a quivering puddle on the floor.

As I dropped onto my ass to recover, Brody tucked his cock away, squatted in front of me, gripped my face then leaned forward and kissed me.

So soft. So gentle.

"I didn't hurt you, did I?" There was such sincerity and concern in his eyes. Anyone who said Brody was expressionless obviously hadn't been paying attention.

I touched his face. "No. I loved it."

Brody nodded and rose to his feet. He held out a hand to me and helped me up. I leaned back against my desk. I was feeling a little lightheaded.

"Do I need to rent a tux?"

Full tilt back into reality. "Yes. The gala is next weekend, Saturday. I'll pick you up at 6:30. My mother wants everyone there at seven so we can play happy family for the guests."

"And you told her we're engaged. "

"I told her we were thinking about getting engaged. I'm sure she heard engaged , though."

"And we live together."

"Brody, you don't need to worry. They probably won't even ask for details."

"I want to be ready."

"The only thing they're going to focus on is that you're a lawyer."

"That'll make them happy?"

"Happy? No. Slightly more confident that I'm not a total fuck up … maybe."

Brody wandered over to me and wrapped his arms around my waist. "You're not a fuck up."

"Did someone sell you a pair of rose-coloured glasses?"

"I don't need glasses. I can see you just fine and you're not a fuck up."

I placed my arms around him, adjusting my height, and snuck another kiss from his lips. "You make me feel like that's the truth. No one, not even my friends, has made me feel that way."

"I'm incapable of lying. Genetic defect."

I smiled at him. "Is that so? I may need lessons in that after we're through with this whole mess I've placed us in."

"I'm happy to give you lessons in all sorts of things."

And then he bloody well smirked at me and chuckled.

Cheeky bastard.

I grinned then ran my hands through Brody's hair, pulled him to me, and kissed him, doing my very best to keep all the fireworks shooting off in my head from distracting me from the incredible man who had placed them there and lit the whole goddamned box of them.

Swoon.

Seriously swoon.