Page 75 of Hard Count
There were reasons not to go to The Beverly Hills Hotel, clear ones.
He wanted to go.
He reached for the keys, then stopped with them in his hand.
This was the point he was over this version of himself, so he left anyway.
The drive passed in a blur of traffic and red lights that changed at exactly the wrong time, and the ride felt like it was happening in slow motion. He handed the car off at the hotel entrance without seeing the valet’s face and walked inside the side entrance with a hat and sunglasses on.
The lobby was quiet and empty. Part of him assumed someone would stop him, but there was no one there to notice who he was.
The elevator closed around him. He stood alone inside the elevator and saw his own reflection.
He stood in the hallway, forgetting why he was so concerned about making the trip to the hotel. Then he knocked once. The door opened before he could knock a second time. Noah stood there, one hand still on the door knob, looking at him with a steadiness that made everything feel perfect to Piper in that moment.
Noah had no shirt on and sweat pants that could not hide his semi-hard cock.
“You came,” he said with a huge smile that almost ended Piper.
Piper stepped inside, just past the threshold. The door closed behind him. Noah was close enough to reach and still not touching him.
Neither of them moved right away.
The distance between them wasn’t large, but it felt like crossing a border, which they had obviously crossed before.
Piper noticed several tiny flames flickering in the suite kitchen.
“Happy Birthday, Piper.” Noah grabbed Piper and embraced him.
“You know I don’t eat carbs, asshole.” Piper laughed.
“Well just blow, you don’t have to swallow,” Noah looked back with a wink. “Guess where I bought it?”
Piper looked over at the cake, knowing full well where it came from. “Is that a fucking Erewhon cake!!”
“Blow the candles out?” Noah asked, holding his hand on Piper’s back.
Piper took another step in, then blew, but did not wish for anything because he was where he wanted to be.
Jayson shot through Piper’s mind.
“Shit, I should not be here,” Piper said as he turned to Noah.
“I know.”
“That’s not why I came.”
Noah’s mouth shifted very slightly.
“I know that, too. Why have you been ignoring me?”
Piper looked away first, he was not ready to tell Noah the deep dark secrets that orbited his world.
“I needed some time.”
“Piper, I will always give you time.”
Piper crossed the room toward the window. Still, Noah said nothing.
