“I . . . don’t remember. I was always tinkering with things I shouldn’t.”
“You had purpose, and you worked hard, and you were always kind. Never failed to say hello or goodbye or have fun.”
“I’m sorry, I didn’t . . .”
“No. I’m glad you never thought of me like that, then.”
“I do have one very clear memory of you. I’d left the bathroom and accidently dropped my towel—”
“I didn’t mean to look!” Noah felt his neck redden.
Wade laughed and tugged Noah down into a kiss. “I know. But . . . I wouldn’t mind you staring at me like that now.”
Noah bit his bottom lip. “I’ll do more than stare at you.”
And he did.
Their hot skin slid together, covered with a light sheen of sweat. Fingers pushed through Noah’s hair and grasped his neck and Noah positioned himself, teasing Wade with little nudges. He’d been thorough with the lube, had opened Wade carefully, mouth working him at the same time until Wade insisted his tongue would do him in too soon. He didn’t want too soon. Neither of them did.
Noah nudged again, throbbing.
Wade pleaded, sucked on Noah’s tongue, sent heat tingling through him. Swiftly, he pinned Wade’s chest with his forearm and steered inside, watching himself slowly sink in. Wade’s chest heaved on a gasp, his legs widened, his cock jerked, and desire throttled Noah. He pushed in all the way, swivelled, coming out a couple of inches, and thrust again. Wade gasped and arched into it, legs locking loosely around his hips.
Wade swore. He never swore. But right now he was swearing like he was reciting the urban dictionary.
Noah drove into him, relishing each uttered word. This was what passion felt like. All carefulness abandoned for minutes of unravelling and bliss.
Hands urged Noah harder, faster, closer.
Noah pinned Wade’s wrists above his head and fucked him slowly, drawing a moan from them both. “We’ll make more memories. All of them.”
His next fuuuuuuck wrapped around Noah, tight, and their thrusts became urgent as they rose toward climax, like birds on a high wind—
“Noah.”
Noah wrapped a hand around Wade and stroked him; Wade stuttered and stilled, and came, his shudders sending Noah tumbling, tumbling, tumbling, his toes curling against Wade’s, and Wade held him through it, catching his breath.
Noah collapsed onto the wet pool of come between them. “You feel amazing under me.”
Wade knocked their noses together and held his gaze, his eyes still half-lidded. “I’ll feel you forever.”
Noah drew back slightly, carefully checking his expression. “Are you alright? Was I too—”
“God, no. I meant . . . actually, it’s really corny, so if I don’t have to repeat myself . . .”
Noah laughed. “Oh, you have to repeat yourself.”
Wade flushed. “I just won’t forget this, is all. I’ve never felt so . . . taken care of in my life. Will you kick me out of bed if I sing Your Body is a Wonderland?”
Noah laughed, another wave of gravity swooping through him, and kissed Wade again.
Arms and legs tightened around him and a soft kiss brushed the stubble at his jaw. “We should get out before they get back.”
“Imagine.”
They winced, and laughed, and Noah helped pack. He took great care taking down the painting. Even greater care arranging it into the Mustang.
“You’ve got that look on your face,” Wade murmured. Noah turned his back to his house and pulled out the keys to Brandon’s car. He didn’t feel quite as empty, leaving now. Like this had been . . . a way to say goodbye to the past.
A way to say hello to the future.
Wade leaned against his car and raised a brow. “What are you thinking?”
“Plenty, but . . . Luc and Robby? How did that . . .”
“I don’t know.” Wade’s brows crunched with the puzzle. “They spent a lot of time together at university. I always thought they could barely stand one another; Luc’s always taking the piss out of Robby, and Robby doesn’t hold back either. But . . . Robby kept apologising in the car and Luc just stared at him, like he’d never truly seen him before. Robby said seeing Luc attacked by Franny and Mum, he couldn’t . . . he couldn’t hold back anymore. He said, the only reason he moved down here was because Luc had, and it killed him he’d done it to follow me.”
“Do you think Luc has feelings for him?”
“I haven’t a clue. But . . .”
“So you do have a clue.”
“I’m not sure how much of a clue it is, but Luc went very red, and he didn’t push Robby away, and when I was dropping them off I thought I caught him smiling at his reflection in the window.”
“Pretty decent clue, I’d say.”
“I’m sure we’ll find out.”
Noah shuffled on the curb. “And, if he doesn’t? If he still . . .”
