Chapter Fifteen | Noah

When I woke, it was dark in the room. It took me a second to remember where I was, confirmed by the heavy arm of the man behind me holding me against him.

Brody's breathing changed. I'd woken him by moving.

"You all right?" he asked.

"More than all right." I smiled even though he couldn't see it. He kissed the back of my neck. His lips there felt as amazing as I had imagined they would feel.

He hummed against my skin.

God, I loved that sound.

I rolled to face him, ran my hand through his curls, and kissed him. I couldn't understand how I had been so lucky as to have this incredible man wander into my pub.

I pressed my forehead to his. "Why do you put up with me?"

Brody's eyebrows wrinkled against mine. "What do you mean?"

"So far, I've been a shit boyfriend. Upsetting you at the centre. Putting my work first until you set me straight, and practically tricking you into attending my parents' obscene gala."

Brody sighed and traced his fingers through my hair around the curl of my ear.

"You have no idea how perfect you are, do you?"

"Don't say that … I'm far from perfect."

"Not to me." His lips met mine. "To me, you're pure perfection. "

I decided not to argue with him. Being in his warm and gentle arms, inhaling each of his exhalations—so close … this moment here. This was perfection.

"I don't think I like your parents."

I laughed. Always so honest. "You're not the first to feel that way, trust me."

"Did you have a happy childhood?"

"I had a comfortable one."

Brody exhaled hard across my lips as he searched my eyes. "You deserved better than that."

"I was lucky to have Frances and Sean. Still am."

"I like them. And Cheryl and Henry."

I smiled. "Me too. And they liked you."

"I barely said anything."

"You didn't need to. The way you look at me told them everything they need to know about you. They know how happy you want to make me."

"I wanted to say more but I find it hard to jump in on conversations. I always say things at the wrong time. Say things that come off sounding robotic."

I ran my fingers over his lips.

My sweet, sweet Brody.

"I don't see it. When you say things, you've thought them through. There's emotion behind your words even though most people can't see it. You feel things deeply. That's what I see."

Pain interrupted Brody's soft gaze. "Ricky shredded my heart."

I placed my hand on his chest above his heart. "You're so beautiful in here. I can feel it. What Ricky did to you was not your fault. You deserve as much love as you can hold."

Brody looked away from me.

I touched his chin. His eyes found mine again.

"You do, Brody. "

Brody wrapped his arm around me, his hand dragging up through my hair, and kissed me. Once he was finished with my lips, he kissed my chin. Then down my throat and across my collarbones. Each of my nipples was sucked into hard nubs, making me moan and thrust my hips.

He kissed my belly and then each of my hipbones as he shuffled down the bed under the blankets. I reached above my head with both hands, clutching the headboard as Brody sucked my cock into his mouth and proceeded to drive me to complete and utter distraction.

It had never felt this good. I had been with a lot of men over the years, but never had it felt this good. This right. This was so entirely destined and pure.

I separated my legs, giving Brody more space. A few seconds later, the sky cracked open above me and stars poured down on my skin.

He stayed down there a long time afterward, just sucking gently on my soft cock. The serene intimacy must have lulled me to sleep because the next thing I was aware of was light coming in through the curtains and Brody curled up behind me, his nose nuzzled against the back of my ear.

The second thing I was aware of was I had to piss. I lifted Brody's arm off me and slipped away from him. He grumbled clutching at the bed sheets but didn't wake.

After I finished in the bathroom, I pulled on my underwear and left the bedroom in search of the snuggly dog named Bentley. I was met with a few more animals than that.

Holy shit.

Along with Bentley the dog sound asleep on a large dog bed, three cats were stretched out on the couch. I looked down as another circled my ankle, trying to get my attention. I tried not to trip on that one as I took in the well-organized space that I knew would be the norm in Brody's home.

"Asshole. "

I looked into the dining room. In the corner was a large cage with some kind of parrot inside. I smiled. "Asshole to you too."

"Fucker," it retorted.

Then a more pleasant, "Good morning, sweetie." I walked further into the dining room. A second cage containing another parrot. It bobbed its head as I approached. "Kisses." Followed by the most adorable kissing sound. I touched the cage.

"Good morning."

The three cats who had been on the couch had now joined the one at my feet. All of them reached up and tried to puncture the skin on my calves with their sharp nails.

"All right. All right." I headed to the immaculate kitchen and opened the fridge. My doing so seemed to please them immensely. I was on the right track. Inside among a very neat and ordered variety of grocery items was an open can of cat food. I retrieved it, found a fork in a drawer, and dished out a small quantity into four small bowls on the floor.

I was startled by the sound of laughter coming from behind me.

"They have you trained," Brody said. "Did you have pets growing up?"

"No, but my friends did. Spent quite a bit of time around them."

"They like you."

"Because I fed them. Pretty sure those cats would like anyone who feeds them."

"I wouldn't know." Brody shook his head. "It's never happened before."

I rinsed the fork in the sink and put it in the dishwasher. "What do you mean?"

"I've never let anyone in my house before."

What ?

My thoughts tumbled around in my head. I wasn't sure what conclusion to land on. Brody had never had a guy in his home … in his bed before me? How was that possible? What about Ricky?

"I thought you and Ricky lived together."

Brody walked into the kitchen and started making coffee. "That's different. That wasn't here. We lived in a condo back then and Bentley was the only pet I had. Ricky didn't like animals."

"How can you not like animals?"

"I'm glad we're on the same page with that one," Brody replied, flicking the coffee pot on to brew. "In the second bedroom, I have a hedgehog and a gecko."

Cool.

"I've never been around either one of those animals. Can I see them?"

"After I make us some breakfast." Brody proceeded to gather up the makings of bacon and eggs. I took a seat at the kitchen table. I knew absolutely nothing about cooking. I ate at the pub.

"Do you like cooking?" I asked.

"My mom and I cooked together when I was a kid. Still do."

"That's a nice memory. I'm glad you have that with her."

"Me too. We're close now."

"Now?" Brody's back was to me as he fried the bacon, but I could see his body tense. I'd hit on something he didn't want to talk about. "Never mind. I didn't mean to pry."

"No, it's all right." His shoulders rose and fell. "We weren't close for years."

I wanted to ask why not but decided to stay quiet. If Brody wanted to tell me he would. I played with the stack of placemats in the centre of the table as I waited .

"My mom and dad lied to me when I was a kid," he said as he lifted the bacon from the frying pan and set it on a plate covered with a paper towel. He opened the carton of eggs then cracked four of them into the pan and put some bread in the toaster.

"My dad used to be away on business during the week," he said. "At least that's what we were told. He'd be home every weekend to hang out and play with us. Happy family stuff."

He looked over his shoulder at me. "Over easy?"

I nodded. "Sure."

"When I turned nineteen, they told my brother and me the truth." He flipped the eggs. "My dad hadn't been on business trips during the week. The truth was he had another family."

"What the fuck?" I slapped my hand over my mouth. I hadn't meant to speak and throw him off. This was heavy stuff. Brody plated our food and brought it to the table.

He sat down across from me. "My parents weren't together anymore. They'd divorced when I was six. Somewhere in their fucked-up minds, they decided it would be better for us kids if they pretended they were still together. Kept up the ruse of my dad only being home on weekends."

"And his other family?" I needed to know.

"They thought my dad did his business on the weekend."

"That must have been exhausting." Not to give his dad any kind of pass, but holy shit, the effort to keep up that kind of lie for thirteen years must have been insane.

Brody shrugged. "Never asked him."

"Where is he now?"

"In Ontario with his other family none the wiser."

"Jeezus, Brody." I reached across the table for his hand. I felt relieved when he took it. "Did you see a therapist about this? That had to have fucked you up."

Brody shook his head. "I'd rather forget. But it makes it hard for me to trust people. "

I squeezed his hand. "No wonder you didn't want to answer my questions that first night."

"I didn't know you. And I was too distracted by you to read you properly."

"What can I do?"

"You don't have to do anything. It's in the past."

"But it's still affecting you."

Brody sliced through his eggs. "I'm done talking about it now."

Subject change.

"I like how organized your home is," I said.

"I like order. I don't have to think as much."

"Everything in its place."

Brody nodded as he chewed on a bite of toast.

"I need more of that in my life," I continued. "I spend too much time looking for things. I like what you've helped me with at the pub—organizing stuff. It feels good to be more in control."

"You'll notice a difference."

"I hope so. I'd run out of ideas."

We ate in silence after that. When we were finished, Brody showed me the hedgehog and his gecko. They were both super cute and Brody explained so much about them. I liked seeing him passionate about something and speaking in long paragraphs. I became lost in his voice.

After that, we went back to bed. The pub could wait. One of my other managers Carl would have everything under control. Right now, I wanted to enjoy my boyfriend.

After removing our few items of clothing, we crashed onto the bed together. Brody on top of me, our mouths meeting in a new surge of desire. I moaned and clung to him, adrift in the growl in his voice as he sucked on my bottom lip and then set his teeth to it, pulling it away from my gums. He released it and looked down at me .

"Mine."

When I nodded in agreement, my own voice lost, he launched himself at me. He grabbed each of my wrists and drew my hands up over my head, pinning them to the pillow, and kissing me. His chest heaved against my struggling lungs, his cock jammed against mine, his hips thrusting.

We'd both be able to cum like this.

I found my voice.

"Fuck me. I need you to fuck me."

He slowed the assault on my dick and the ferocity of his next kiss.

"Like this," I added when my lips were my own again. "I want to see your face."

He hesitated but then he nodded and moved off me to retrieve supplies. When he came back, the look in his eyes was a mix of intense desire, a desperate need to fuck me and claim me, but also a tentative gentleness that told me what we were about to do, the position, was sacred to him.

I opened my legs and Brody knelt between them, motioning for me to pull my knees to my chest with the use of my hands to keep them there. I groaned, my head jamming back against the pillow as Brody used two lubed fingers to penetrate me, to work me open for him.

I gripped my knees tightly as he added a third finger and pumped it into me. Brody kissed my dangling foot, changed his angle, and brushed the pads of his fingertips over my prostate.

I nearly came.

I reached through my legs and grabbed his wrist.

"Enough." Our eyes connected and held. "I need your cock in me."

Brody shifted, suited up, and stroked a handful of lube up and down his glorious erection, teasing me, a slight crinkle around one eye as he watched me, and a corner of his mouth lifted.

I licked my lips dramatically, and the enticement was enough to get him moving. He hovered over me, supported on one side of my chest with his strong arm, the other, his fist gripping his cock as he circled my hole with his thick cap. I let out a whimper as he pressed inside.

Brody covered my mouth with his as he eased his cock deeper into me, capturing every guttural and exhilarated sound I made. My mind crazed, my pulse thundered like a herd of wild horses, hooves pounding in my ears, kicking, and chasing after each beat of my heart.

He gave me a second to adjust once he was fully inside me, the perfect way he filled me sending messages to my entire body that he was meant to be there—always.

He drew back then slid home. His breath stuttered and he adjusted his position, his forearms flat on the bed to either side of me. He angled one of his knees and thrust into me again.

We both grunted as we shifted up the bed and back.

Another lazy undulation of his hips while he pressed his lips to mine. After a few tender kisses, he looked down at me and increased his pace, burying his cockhead deep inside me.

We moaned in unison each time he filled me, our eyes fixed on one another's, our lips parted, only meeting on occasion, we were so lost in the intensity of our gaze.

Thrust—moan. Together. So rhythmic. So sublime.

Moving as one.

In Brody's eyes, I saw every conversation we'd ever had. I saw every smile he had given me. Every hard-won laugh. Every emotion he held in those beautiful mahogany depths.

He'd let me in. Into his home. Into his life. Into his soul.

I gasped as he rocked into me, my eyes burning. Again—and again. And again. A tear finally made its way down my cheek and into my ear .

My emotions bubbled, filling a balloon in my chest. I was on the verge of speaking, allowing the balloon to burst to release the words building in me.

I searched his eyes and clung to his shoulders. He was my Brody. A man who had walked into my life and turned everything upside down. I ran my hands through his hair, making sure his attention stayed on my eyes as he eased me into the bedding again and again.

So gentle. So loving.

He tracked the path of my tears with his gaze. They were coming fast now. Concern registered in every sultry surface of his eyes, but he simply held my face, rubbed the wet trails away with the soft pads of his thumbs, and kissed my lips until I thought they would bruise.

I wrapped my legs around Brody's waist, his cock hitting everywhere I needed it to. I was chasing an orgasm hard. But I was more interested in what I was seeing in Brody's eyes now.

After wiping away my tears, his eyes and the lines of his face changed.

Thrust—retreat.

His eyes. His eyes were speaking to me. The balloon of emotion inside me pressed against my lungs and began to fill my throat.

Thrust—retreat.

Brody kissed my cheeks where my tears were still leaving tracks, his breath puffing past my skin as he used his lips to let me know we were in this together.

We belonged to one another.

His eyes—I immersed myself in them. They were mine.

His lips—I felt soothed by them. They were mine.

And his heart. I prayed it was mine.

Thrust—retreat. Faster .

Brody's hips caressed my inner thighs again and again. More gentle and heartfelt kisses. As Brody crested, he looked down at me, tears gathered, thick lashes blinking.

It was there. I could see it.

I touched the side of his face as one of his tears spattered onto my lip. I licked it away, panting hard, my climax building. I gathered enough breath.

"I love you," I whispered.

Brody's lips crashed down on mine, possessing them, every emotion in my body being pulled through the eye of a needle until it was free on the other side, launching me into the most mind-altering orgasm of my life. So much love flowing out of me, soaking my skin.

And then.

Coming down the other side, Brody still moving inside me—

I wondered what I'd just done.

Liam clapped his hand on my back. "Oh, I know that look." He smacked my ass and moved far enough away that I couldn't reach him. "Someone got lucky last night."

I couldn't hide the smirk on my face.

"Ha." Liam laughed. "I'm right. All I've got to say is finally ."

I stepped closer to Liam, nudging him into the short alleyway down the centre of the bar. "I'm glad we waited." I closed my eyes and groaned. "It was so fucking good. Like the best ever."

"Wow. The best ever. That's some commendation."

"We were absolutely in sync. I've never felt this way about a guy before." I was stopping there. There was no way I was going to tell Liam I had blurted out an I love you during sex .

"Oh, Noah, buddy." Liam patted my shoulder. "You have it so bad for him."

I leaned against the shelving containing our whiskeys. "I know … and it's scaring me." Again, not telling him the truth. I'd never hear the end of it. Brody and I were still so new.

"Brody's your boyfriend. You're supposed to be really into him."

It was more than that. I had spilled over the edge for Brody. He had set me aloft on a set of glorious wings. Now, I was afraid those wings would get singed and burned. I had told Brody I was in love with him, and he hadn't said it back, but his actions, the way he kissed me afterward and again when we said our goodbyes, narrated a story I hoped I wasn't misinterpreting.

I pulled away from Liam and headed to my office. It was Sunday but Brody had promised to come in for wings tonight. He'd be here soon. I sat at the desk and pulled out my phone.

Me: Missing you.

I waited for three jumping dots but there were none. I tucked my phone away. He was probably driving, on his way to the pub. I checked it three more times over the next hour.

Nothing.

I was subdued as the guys filtered in for the Salish Sea Society meeting. I checked my phone again. Still nothing. Maybe Brody's mom had ended up in the hospital again. But surely after how much he had shared with me this morning, he would phone or text me and let me know.

Me: Brody? Is everything all right?

Nothing.