Chapter Thirteen | Noah

I waved my hands in the air to get everyone to talk quieter. The meeting of the Salish Sea Society had erupted into chaos, and I was afraid our loud voices were spilling into the rest of the pub. Liam had inferred that being a bottom was a needy position and Owen and Ethan had endeavoured to rip him a new asshole that Liam would never in a million years agree to have penetrated.

"Just take it down a notch," I said.

"I get it, Liam" Ethan carried on. "You're the only top here and you refuse to partake in the joys of bottoming. But that's on you and your prejudice. You see your bottom's faces. Hear the sounds they're making. Maybe you're jealous and deep down you want to know what it feels like."

"I'm done with this," Liam replied. "I'm sorry I said anything."

"See," Owen said. "Evasive manoeuvre. He refuses to talk about it."

"Let's talk about Noah," Liam said. "He gave Brody a blow job in the office."

I smacked Liam's arm. "You weren't supposed to tell everyone."

"You went into crisis mode when Brody told you he wasn't coming for wings the next night. I think we need to explore that as a group."

I rolled my eyes. "Fine. I thought I scared him off. I was freaking out."

"How much do you like this guy?" Owen asked .

"Too much, apparently," I replied. "I asked him to be my boyfriend."

A collective eruption of teasing but appreciative sounds filled the small space.

"When was the last time you had a boyfriend?" Ethan asked. "Like six years ago at least."

"Five. But yes, it's not a great record. I don't even know what Brody sees in me."

"We've been through this already," Owen said. "You're a great catch."

I shook my head. "I don't know how to be a good boyfriend. I told him yesterday that I don't love him. I could have handled it better."

"Wait!" Ethan put his hands up. "Did Brody tell you he loves you?"

"No. No. Nothing like that. A kid at the centre saw the way we were looking at each other. Made a comment about us loving one another. I set him straight. I may have been curt."

"You hurt Brody's feelings?" Liam patted me on the back. "Is that what happened?"

I nodded. "See. Shitty boyfriend." I waved my hand. "Who's next?"

Ethan crossed his arms. "We're trying out some new pastries at the shop. A beautiful cream puff and a nice baklava. So far sales have been good."

"And the dreamy Daniel," Owen said. "How's it going with him?"

Ethan shrugged. "He stopped coming in."

I caught Ethan's eye. "I'm sorry. You had high hopes for that one."

"A good man escaped," Ethan replied and smiled. "Must be losing my touch."

"Never." Owen reached over and squeezed Ethan's hand. "Maybe he's straight. "

"Or married," Liam offered. "Or both."

"I don't care," Ethan said. "He's gone … so, whatever."

I hated seeing Ethan distraught. He was trying to cover it up by flashing his smile around, but none of us were falling for it. He'd really liked this guy.

"Maybe he's away on business," I said, plucking reasons for the guy's disappearance from the air. "Maybe he's sick or he has a friend or family member who needs him."

"Noah, stop," Ethan said. "I'm all right."

None of us mentioned it again. Instead, Owen brought up an app he was using to order groceries and other items. It was a delivery service that shopped for you at quite a few major stores up and down the South Island. He seemed excited. We listened.

The group wound down early. The initial discussion bomb that Liam had set off had worn us all out. Funny thing about getting older. Any kind of stress made you tired.

I went to my office to finish a few things. Maddy was closing tonight. I could leave as soon as I was done. My half-finished, abandoned dinner was still sitting on the desk.

I took it down to the kitchen after finishing some paperwork and then left for the night. It was just past eleven, but I was exhausted. I looked at my phone. I had sent Brody a hey, handsome message hours ago and he hadn't answered. I debated sending him another. Maybe he had missed the first one. Maybe he just needed his phone to ding again to notice both messages.

I spiralled.

Despite the sweet and seductive kiss he'd given me afterward, maybe me blurting out aggressively that I didn't love him had upset Brody more than he had let on.

I was a shitty boyfriend.

I stuffed my phone back in my pocket.

Tomorrow was Monday .

My answer would come in the form of him either showing up or not.

I jammed my hand into my hair and propped up my head on the desk. For the first week ever, the pub had lost money. I could blame it on the fact it was the slow season, or I could give my head a shake and admit the fact that it was my fault. There was no denying, I sucked at this.

I typed a few things into the search field on my computer and found myself on the Queen's University website. I scanned through the list of classes for the business law degree. I had completed two years of study before I switched to business management at a different university.

I leaned back in my chair. Maybe my parents were right.

Maybe corporate law was in my blood. I'd need to study harder and employ more tutors. I'd barely made a passing grade in some of my classes. Going back to school would take me out to Ontario. Half a continent away from Brody, but my relationship with him shouldn't be a deciding factor. We were still so new. But those looks we'd given each other while I was on my knees—.

I took a sip of the G&T I had made for myself.

We'd committed to one another that day. I was his. I could feel it in my bones. Paying homage, his cock in my mouth, I'd let him know with my eyes that I belonged there.

I turned away from my browser and reminded myself that practicing corporate law would be like a slow death. I would go to work each day knowing the success of the firm was guaranteed. That I only played a small part in its success. It would be a soul-destroying grind.

A knock on the door broke me from my thoughts .

Liam popped it open. I'd left him out at the bar on his own, so wrapped up in the most recent financial numbers. "I have someone here who's been waiting for you to emerge."

Dammit. Brody.

I'd been so worried Brody wasn't going to show tonight that I'd barely slept last night. Then I had become so wrapped up in my head over the losses, he had slipped my mind.

"Is he with you?"

Liam stepped out of the way. "Yup, he's right here. Figured I should bring him back."

"Thank you." I rose to my feet and came around the front of the desk as Brody walked into the office. He was worried. I'd done that to him. "Brody, I'm sorry. I lost track of time."

Brody held up his phone, displaying a string of text messages. "I just got your text while on my way here. My phone died when I was at the hospital last night. I've been there all day. It wasn't until I was charging my phone in my car that your text came through."

I would've sighed with relief if it hadn't been for the reason his phone had been away from a charger. I rushed forward and grabbed Brody's arms. "Hospital? Why were you at the hospital?"

"Mom took a turn."

It suddenly struck me how little I knew about Brody. He hadn't told me anything about his mom or his brother. I knew he had one of each but that was it.

"What's wrong with your mom?"

"Emphysema."

"I'm so sorry. Is she going to be all right?"

"She's back home. We've arranged for a care worker to come in and check on her."

I sat on the edge of the desk and let my hands slid down to Brody's then gripped them and brushed my thumbs over his knuckles. "I wish you'd found a way to call the pub. "

"I didn't want to bother you."

"Brody." I rose to my feet and brushed some dark curls away from his eyes. "You're never a bother. If you need me, I'm here for you. Always. I need you to know that."

Brody moved closer to me, pushing my ass against the desk. I shifted my hands onto his hips and tugged him tight against me. He smiled at me. "The same goes for me. You're mine now."

An exhilarated shiver ran the length of my spine. Where had that come from? Possessive Brody was hotter than his usual steaminess. I parted my lips as I stared at him—inviting him to show me how much he wanted me. He moved in, cupping my face, and commanded my mouth.

This time it was my turn to whimper. I had never felt as desired as when Brody's mouth was on me. When Brody's hands were on me. When his body was close to mine.

"Lock your door," he whispered after releasing me. "I want to taste you."

After I locked the door, Brody spun my chair until it was facing away from the desk and indicated I should sit in it. I thought he was going to give my knees a break. Instead, he undid my pants and hauled them off my hips almost dumping me onto the floor on my ass.

My cock was on board with whatever Brody's plans were. The gorgeous man, who somehow thought I was worthy, dropped to his knees in front of me and kissed the inside of my thigh. His lips were feather light and the stubble along his jawline thrilled my skin.

He looked up at me. "Mine."

He kissed the other thigh and then looked up at me. "Mine."

His palm encased my rock-hard dick and stroked it a few times. Again, he looked up at me, capturing every breath I had left in me. He choked my cock in his fist. "Mine. "

"All yours." I licked my lips. "I'm all yours." I felt it right down to my toes. I'd never wanted to belong to someone as much as I wanted to be Brody's. And him to be mine.

He started with my glans, circling his tongue around it then flicked across my slit. We both groaned in unison as Brody sucked away the precum and then ran his tongue over his lips.

I gripped the arms of the chair, my ass clenching, as Brody sucked my entire shaft into his mouth until his nose was buried in my pubes. I whimpered again when he didn't move.

Ever so slowly, he dragged his lips and tongue along my cock until it popped out of his mouth. His hand moved from encircling the base to caressing my length in long lazy strokes.

He pressed my erection against my stomach with the flat of his hand, shifted me forward, and lay down a swathe of wetness with his tongue across my left sac. He sucked it into his mouth and tumbled it around inside the warmth, released it gently, and moved to the other, moaning as he slicked it up. His eyes peered up at me, nearly undone by pure euphoria.

He slid my cock into his mouth again, bobbing slowly, sucking hard each time he reached my tight weeping cap. One hand jacking me, he thrust his other up my chest, past my chin, then pressed a finger inside my mouth. I moaned and mewled as I sucked on it, yearning for it to be his cock.

My eyes closed in absolute bliss, and he vacated my mouth, prompting me to emit a sound I'd never heard myself make before. It was a wail of pure desperation and longing.

I descended further down in my chair when Brody slid his wet finger between my thighs, still working my dick in and out of his mouth—and pressed his finger against my crease.

I took my knees in both hands and lifted them, so my feet were dangling, nearly losing any purchase my ass still had on the chair. Brody grunted his approval and went in search of my hole. When he found it, he pressed the tip of his finger against it, dropped my cock from his mouth, and looked up at me. There was something wild in his eyes that had my heart thundering.

He caressed my hole. "Mine."

Oh, sweet Jeezus.

I nearly came. My hole had never belonged to anyone but me. I don't know if was pure lust or a desire to give him everything I possessed but my words felt sacred.

"Yours," I whispered. "Only yours."

That seemed to please him. He hummed and slid my dick back into his mouth, sucking my entire length more vigorously this time. I was so close. I used one hand to card through the thick curls on his head, his shoulder holding me from slipping off the chair.

"Yes, Brody … yes."

Brody groaned and hummed as my cock lifted between his lips. My body tensed, and I gripped Brody's hair in my fist, biting my tongue to keep from screaming as I spilled into him.

The beautiful man between my legs kept sucking on my spent dick until my thighs started quivering and my back began to object. He helped me lower my legs then took the back of my neck in his hand and brought me down for a kiss. I could taste what I had given him on his lips.

Even my cum was his now.

"That was so hot." I scooted back in the chair. I pulled on him to stand. "Your turn."

Brody shook his head. "No." Then struggled to his feet. "I wanted to taste you."

"I want to make you feel good too."

Brody shook his head again. "You did. Tonight, you gave me what I needed."

I felt the moment he caught sight of the Queens University website I still had open on my browser. His back stiffened and he looked at me with such concern it made my heart ache.

"What's this?" He pointed at the computer screen.

I pulled my pants up around my knees, stood, and redressed myself. "I was just looking."

"Why?"

I sighed. "We lost money this past week. I'm considering my options."

Brody's brow furrowed. "You'd hate doing that kind of work."

"But maybe it's what I'm meant to be doing."

"Bullshit." He gathered me up in his arms and kissed my head. "You love this pub."

Burrowing into his embrace, I wrapped my arms around his waist and hung on. "I don't know what to do. I don't know what I'm doing wrong."

Brody squeezed me tight. "We'll figure it out together, all right?"

I nodded into his shoulder, relief coursing through my body, and let the tears that had been threatening to fall all afternoon soak his shirt.

I wasn't alone anymore.

Saturday rolled around after a week that had me feeling more hopeful. Brody had convinced me that staring at my computer screen did not constitute figuring things out. The income and expenses for the past week weren't going to change. Done deal. Move on to what I did have control over.

Instead of sitting at the bar, Brody had been eating his buffalo wings in my office, discussing how we could get a handle on costs. I had a business degree, but Brody was an organizational genius. There's a saying, don't work harder, work smarter. Brody knew how to encourage me to put my schooling to use and set up systems that would produce less waste.

We'd even been on a couple of dates. Something Brody called a work/life balance. It was a foreign concept to me. My parents had never demonstrated any such thing.

Even the gala tonight was largely in aide of impressing their business clients.

I looked at myself in the mirror. The tux still hung on me well. Although, if my mother had given me more time, I would have taken it to a tailor to ensure it was the perfect fit.

My gaze wandered everywhere, trying to figure out what Brody saw when he looked at me. Objectively, I was attractive. A bit more rugged than my parents liked but Brody had expressed that the slight wildness in my appearance turned him on. I had attempted to tone that down for tonight. I didn't need my mother fussing over how I hadn't even tried to be presentable.

If I looked anything close to Liam, my parents would probably be happier. Compared to his beauty and sophisticated presence, I was average. Yet, Brody had chosen me and not Liam.

My phone rang and I groaned, assuming it was my mother checking on me to make sure I was indeed coming and that my lovely partner was coming too.

The screen read, Pipsqueak .

I smiled. I'd been meaning to phone my sister, Frances. She was three years younger than me but seemed to have it all together. She'd been at the family firm for almost eight years. She used to phone to lament but since she and her boyfriend became serious, our relationship had cooled.

I put on my sternest voice. "What do you want?"

Frances squealed with laughter. "Oooo. Scary. For a second, I thought you were Father."

I hissed through the line at her .

Frances sighed, letting her glee bleed off. "Are you coming tonight, big brother?"

"Those are my marching orders."

"Mother says you're bringing your fiancé. Which is upsetting, because you never even told me you were in a serious relationship."

I groaned. I had to tell her. I couldn't lie to my sister.

"He's not my fiancé. He's not even my live-in partner."

Frances gasped dramatically then chuckled. "You lied to Mother? For shame."

"She's always on my back. Now that you're engaged, she's even worse."

"So … who is this guy you're bringing?"

"He's my boyfriend. His name is Brody."

"So, not an escort like last time."

"Nope. The real deal."

"Is he a criminal lawyer?"

"That part is true."

"Praise be for that. Father is going to want to talk shop. You do know that?"

I heaved out a sigh. Brody and I had been talking about this. How his anxiety was going to stay in check while around my parents and all those people. He had assured me he could do it.

"Not sure how you managed to sway them into accepting a doctor."

"Oh, they have not accepted him. Henry still has a lot of work to do to win them over."

"I'm sorry I haven't met him yet."

"We've all been busy. You'll meet him tonight. Maybe the four of us can take off and smoke a fatty in a back stairwell or something."

"Pretty sure Brody wouldn't be into that. "

"Huh. Can't believe you hooked yourself up with someone responsible."

"I've had plenty of responsible boyfriends."

"Oh, please."

"You're going to love him."

"Do you … love him?"

"We haven't even known each other a month."

"So?"

"So, keep your mind on your relationship. When's the wedding?"

The banter continued back and forth until I felt better about going to the gala. Brody and I were going to be fine. With Frances there to back us up, all eyes wouldn't be on me.

And the man who had claimed me.