by Crow, Baylin
"No? Tell me and find out then," I rasped. My cock throbbed just thinking about what he might taste like.
His chuckle was strained. "Fine. You think you're up for it? I think you're all talk. Let's see if you change your mind with an actual dick in your mouth."
My arms shook with anticipation. "That a green light?"
He held his arms wide, trying to call my bluff. "Consider me an open buffet."
Hunger sparked, hot and needy as I stared into his eyes. "Consider me fucking starving."
His nostrils flared. "Let’s see what you got then."
Dropping my head back to his neck, I nipped his skin before sucking lightly on his salt-tinged flesh. He didn't make a sound, but his breathing came in rapid bursts. Noah could deny the magnetic pull all he wanted, but his body couldn't lie. As my lips traveled down to his collarbone, I lifted his shirt, exposing his stomach. Starting just above where his jeans hugged his hips, I ran my tongue over his warm skin that pebbled with goosebumps.
Following the indent of his lightly toned abs, I traced a wet trail until I ran out of skin and met his unwanted shirt before I deviated my path, placing open-mouthed kisses over his chest until I reached his dark nipples that were drawn into tight buds. Grazing my teeth over one, it quickly became clear that Noah liked his nipples played with. He squirmed beneath me as I drew it between my lips and sucked.
"Enough fucking around, and stop trying to delay it.” His words were harsh, but his eyes…they sparked with heat. “Are you going to suck my dick or not?"
I jerked back with my eyebrows raised. "Someone's eager."
"Someone thinks you're full of shit." He smirked.
A challenge. A dare. It flashed in his gaze. He really didn't think I'd do it. Fuck that.
"Only one way to find out."
Noah held his breath as I sat up on my knees and took hold of his zipper, tugging it down and revealing his hard cock trapped in his red boxer briefs. A wet spot had formed, and I licked my lips.
"You serious?" Even as he asked the question, he lifted his ass, letting me pull down his jeans and boxers. His cock sprang free and my molars ground together. I wanted my lips around him. I needed to satisfy the curiosity about how my best friend would taste and feel against my tongue. And I also wanted to erase every other guy who'd ever thought about his cock. Everything about him was mine, and I was ready to prove it.
Pushing off the bed, I tore his jeans and boxers down his legs, dropping them on the floor in rumpled heaps.
"Your crazy ass is going to do it, aren’t you?" His cock jerked, contradicting the irritation lacing his tone.
"About to suck you off?" I nodded, meeting his gaze as my mouth watered. "Yeah, I'm definitely about to do that."
With eyes wide, Noah stared at me as I maneuvered myself to rest on my stomach between his legs.
I'd touched his dick before but hadn't had it right in front of my face. Unlike mine, his cock was paler and curved. Wrapping my fingers around his shaft, I stroked him, taking in the velvety texture as I watched the come gather enough to roll over his already slick tip.
He was sensitive as fuck. Lifting my thumb, I ran the pad through the sticky fluid and paused.
I released him and he propped up on his elbows, furrowing his brow. "What are you doing?"
I waggled my brows. "Wondering what my boyfriend tastes like and thinking I should find out."
He leaned forward, eyes narrowed in challenge. "You won't."
But I would. And I did. Popping my thumb in my mouth, a dizzying rush washed over me. Noah. Salt. Sex. Fucking euphoric. Different, and yet exactly, what I'd imagined.
He fell back on the bed with a rush of breath leaving his lungs. "Holy shit. I can't believe you just did that."
Gripping his base, I hovered over his tip. "Still think I won't do it?"
Noah shook his head slowly. "Fuck, I don't know what you’ll do just to win anymore."
I wasn't looking to win shit. I was going after what I wanted.
“Watch me,” I growled and waited for him to meet my gaze. “I’m going to make you come so fucking hard.”
He cursed and shifted restlessly. Keeping my eyes locked on his, I paused just before my lips made contact with his tip.
Noah didn't appear to be breathing as my breaths coasted over his cock. Slowly, I opened my mouth wide. The first several inches fit in my mouth, hot and pulsing. My eyes slammed closed as I stopped moving, letting it sit there as I tasted his salty precome. I groaned, and Noah’s legs twitched at my sides.
"You just going to warm it up for me, Oliveira?” Noah taunted, but it came off weak with the breathy pants bursting between the words. “Chickening out? I told— Jesus Christ!"
The hoarse cry ripped from his chest as I tightened my lips and sucked.
New goal: Make Noah forget his own damn name so he'll shut up unless it’s to tell me how good it feels.
With a groan, I forced as much of his cock into my mouth as I could, bobbing my head over his thick length. Mouth stretched wide, I upped my pace with his husky curses and moans pushing me to work him faster. Harder.
Sucking cock wasn't as hard as I thought it might be. Was I an expert? No. What I lacked in skill, I made up for with effort. And when Noah started thrusting, moving his cock deeper in my mouth, I decided I was going to be the one who ruined him for all others.
Noah's moans were intoxicating, and I was drunk on the sound. Strong fingers dug into my shoulders and tried to push me away. "I'm gonna come."
His warning filled me with an unfamiliar hunger. I wanted his come. I slapped his hands away and he asked on gasping breaths, "Rook, are you sure? You don’t have to—"
I groaned around him. Yes, I was fucking sure. I sucked hard and his hips jerked, shoving his cock down my throat. I swallowed.
"Fuck. Fuck, Rook!" My name burst from his lips just before my mouth was flooded with his come.
He sank back into the mattress and stared down at me as I licked my lips and grinned.
"What the fuck just happened?" he asked on heaving breaths. "I can't believe you just did that."
I rose over him and dropped a kiss to his mouth before rolling beside him. Ignoring the throbbing need, leaving a sizeable tent in my boxers, I tilted my head toward him. My brows arched. "You dared me."
He looked at me like I’d lost my mind. "No, I didn't."
My brows crashed together. "Are you sure?"
A sex-drunk laugh shook his shoulders. "I don’t know why I bother with you."
Leaning forward, I gripped his sharp jaw, forcing him to look at me. "Dare or not, I fully intend to do it again. You can put that shit in your damn rulebook."
"Funny story, actually. I have no idea where it went. I packed it, but it seems to have gone missing." He stared at me accusingly. "You wouldn't happen to know anything about that, would you?"
Of course I did. It was at the bottom of my luggage where he couldn't add anything else to the stupid thing. "Sure don't."
Noah hummed. "I don't believe you. But I know a way to make you talk."
"There's nothing to talk about. Even if I did know what happened to it, which of course I don't, I'd never tell you."
His eyes narrowed. "Challenge accepted."
When Noah slid off the bed and then stripped off his shirt, leaving him completely naked, my cock jerked as I took in the miles of lightly tanned skin. His dick hung between his legs. A shower. Not a grower. Mental note taken.
He moved to stand in front of me, and my eyelids lowered as I shook my head. "My lips are sealed."
"Interesting choice of words.” Noah took hold of the band of my underwear, ripping them down my legs and tossing them on the floor. “My lips won't be. And you will talk."
Still, I shook my head. “Not telling you a thing, Stephens.”
The fire in his eyes burned hot as his gaze paused over my cock. His hands pushed at my calves until I took the hint. Bending my knees and parting my legs, I could only watch as he moved o
nto the mattress. He wasted no time grabbing my cock and angling it toward his mouth as he hovered over my tip.
"Where's the notebook?"
His game became clear and I glared. "You serious?"
Noah's eyes lit up with triumph. We both knew I'd crack. The first wet swipe of his tongue made my eyes roll back. The second made my legs shake.
With his lips barely dusting my tip, he paused until I focused on him again. "Tell me, and I'll blow your fucking mind. How do you feel about ass play?"
Excitement raced through my nerves. I'd shoved a finger in my ass once. While it felt good, I'd never done it again, but the idea of Noah doing it… "It’s in my fucking luggage, okay?"
He smirked. "You're a liar and a thief. Good to know."
"You asshole." Anything else I might have said was killed the moment he took my cock to the back of his throat, tightened his lips and sucked hard as he pulled off my length with a pop. “Don’t stop.”
I was not above begging when Noah’s pink lips were so damn close to my cock.
He arched a brow. "Didn't plan on it. Just thought I’d make it interesting."
That's when I felt the pad of his thumb brush against my hole. I clenched, a shiver raced down my spine and a deep groan vibrated my chest. Definitely not the same as when I’d done it to myself. I wanted more, so I shifted, giving him better access.
Noah cursed, continuing to torture me in the best way as he began stroking my cock with the other hand. "Let’s see how fast I can make you come."
“Fuck, yes.” We could take our time later. Right now, I needed fast and intense.
He took me to the back of his throat again and fireworks exploded behind my eyes. Turned out my ass was sensitive as hell. The combined sensations sent me spiraling over the edge at an embarrassing speed. I didn't even get to warn him before my balls drew tight and the orgasm barreled through my body. Every curse word I’d ever learned flung from lips as my head hit the mattress, tipped back as my body shook, jerking over and over.
Noah greedily took every drop while moaning, vibrating my overly sensitive cock.
"No more," I panted, and he released me with a satisfied smile.
"I'll be taking that notebook now."
A lazy smile curled my lips. "Doesn't matter. I have zero intention of following your rules."
“I seem to recall you making your own rule. Whenever we want right?” He arched a brow, but then his bright eyes dimmed. "But if we do that, we need one more rule. No falling in love."
My stomach and throat tightened. But the whispered denial on my lips was left unheard as he scooted off the bed.
His words from the morning he'd started writing in that stupid red notebook came back to me in a rush.
I don’t want it to feel real. I want to make sure we remember it isn’t.
Tilting my head back, I stared at the ceiling as he dug through my suitcase. I hated that fucking rulebook, but I was pondering over the real reason he'd created it. Was Noah protecting our friendship or himself? Had I unknowingly hurt him? I didn't know what to think or how to feel. But I knew I had to find out, because the newest rule? I was almost positive I'd already broken it.
Thirteen
Rook
Wearing a black, tailored suit, the only one I owned, I took my seat in the second row, closest to the aisle as I waited for the ceremony to begin. The on-site venue featured a comfortable theme of rustic elegance with the dark-stained wooden chairs and bouquets of white and red roses that were tied to the seats that lined the aisle. Behind the altar, sheer, white swaths of fabric draped from the rafters that were wrapped with garlands of greenery and twinkling lights.
The room was slowly filling with guests, but I stared out the wide uncovered windows, watching as a light snow fell from the late afternoon sky.
Noah was out there, along with the rest of the wedding party to pose for photos. I didn't envy him, being forced outdoors in nothing more than a tuxedo. While I sat alone, my thoughts drifted to this morning. Waking up with his naked body pressed against mine, I'd known with absolute clarity my heart was in his hands. Whether he wanted it or not.
“Rook, have you seen Noah in his tux? Of course you have." Noah's mom grabbed my attention as she and James took their seats in the row in front of me. "Doesn’t he look so handsome? This is so exciting!”
She rambled and was practically glowing with happiness which made her look even more beautiful in her red-lace gown that matched the wedding colors and dark hair pulled back in a style my mother called a chignon.
I had definitely seen Noah. While we’d dressed to come downstairs, I’d had a hard time peeling my stare away from the figure he’d cut in his sharp tux, red tie and matching pocket square. Of course, she didn't need to know all that. "He wears the tux well.”
She flashed me another grin as her stoic husband simply tipped his chin in my direction. “Rook.”
I nodded back as the pianist struck up a soft, unidentifiable tune that could have been a masterpiece. I wouldn’t know, because at that same moment, Noah entered the room from a side door right behind Trevor. Hand on his brother’s shoulder, Noah gave him a playful shove as they both laughed and stood next to the officiant who already had taken his place at the front of the room.
My gaze was glued to Noah, and as if he felt it, he glanced in my direction, finding me easily as if a magnetic pull had drawn us together. His lips tugged into a grin before he bit his bottom lip.
Heat flared in my belly at the sight. But before I touched him again, I had to tell him how I felt. Pretending I hadn't fallen in love with him was off the table. Noah was mine. Or at least I hoped so.
The smile I'd flashed back faded as my gut twisted with the thought he might not be on the same page. He frowned, and I mentally berated myself for not masking my inner turmoil. I forced a smile that must have been believable enough because he returned it with a grin of his own.
When Brad cut into the space between Trevor and Noah, I tensed. We'd done well to avoid him and his boyfriend, but I'd known this was coming. Seeing the two of them together, standing next to the groom, rubbed me wrong, and I wished Noah could have admitted to Trevor what had happened. But I understood why Noah had chosen not to tell him. If I had any siblings and found myself in the same situation, I’d have made the same call. It still sucked.
The relaxed set of Noah's shoulders eased the tension a bit. He really wasn’t bothered by his ex, I realized—other than wanting Brad to leave him alone.
It had been me that was so pissed at the way Noah had been treated, because he deserved more. Hell, he deserved everything. Not giving that breakup more energy than it deserved—he’d handled it better than I had.
The music shifted, a soft melody chiming from the keys. Noah's mom squealed. "This is the song Kendra chose. Here we go."
Trevor, his best man and two groomsmen took their positions on our side of the room.
Tearing my gaze away from Noah, I turned toward the door just as it opened, letting in the cold as a couple of little dark-haired girls in white dresses with red bows skipped by, dropping velvety red rose petals every few steps. Next came the bridesmaids in long red silk dresses with sheer sleeves.
A quiet beat passed and the unmistakable notes of The Bridal Chorus floated from the piano. A hush fell over the room as everyone stood, facing the door.
Kendra filled the doorway, her father’s arm looped through hers as he walked her down the aisle. In white lace, carrying a bouquet of white and red roses and greenery, she glowed as she walked toward Trevor.
When her father handed her over to Trevor, my gaze found Noah again.
As the officiant spoke, Noah’s ice blue eyes flicked back and forth, meeting mine and then paying attention to the vows being spoken. Me—I hadn't heard a single word.
The longer I stared at my best friend, the more I knew I'd been blind. For years maybe. Or maybe this was the way it was supposed to work out. My gaze roamed from his polished shoes, over the tux th
at had my imagination straying to another imaginative event—where it was me standing beside him, binding my life to his, the way my heart already was—and finally to his eyes. Ones that stared back, lost in our own bubble.
I was in love with Noah. Completely and all-consuming.
I'd loved him in every way possible from the day I'd claimed him as my best friend. My Noah. It had all led to this moment. I just wasn't sure he was aware he owned it all. My heart, body and soul.
The idea of him belonging to someone else, standing at his side while he gave his heart to another, made me sick. The champagne I'd drank pitched in my stomach as a sudden anxiety attack promised to take hold. At least that's what I assumed the violent racing of my heart and cold sweat were.
What if he didn't love me back? What if he meant it when he added the rule claiming we could mess around without consequences? I'd be wrecked if he didn't want me in the way I did him.
I swallowed hard as I focused on my breathing, adopting a technique I'd learned in the many basketball practices we'd had and then perfected during high-stake games.
Noah's brows dipped, and I forced another smile. I refused to ruin his day for him and his family. He didn't need to be concerned about me, but Noah wasn't buying the façade this time. In fact, he appeared ready to leave the altar. That was love, right? Needing to know and fix what was wrong with someone. Damn the consequences and everyone else.
I gave a subtle shake of my head and watched as he squared his shoulders and took a deep breath, forcing himself to stay in place.
"Will you please repeat this vow, saying after me: I, Trevor Stephens, take you Kendra Greene, to be my wife, to have and to hold from this day forward—" The officiant's voice penetrated my silent brooding, and I averted my eyes to the bride and groom as they exchanged vows and rings.
The words were simple, a scripted text. The expressions etched on their faces more complex. They were in love and excited for the next chapter of their lives. It was clear as day. Just like the realization of how deep in shit I was if Noah didn't reciprocate my feelings.
