Dare chuckled. “For food. Not for me. I think it’s pretty damn clear you want me.”
Noah let his head fall back against the wall. He held Dare’s stare. “I want you more than you know. But that’s not what this is about.”
“No?” Dare didn’t look convinced.
“No.” Noah reached for Dare’s hands, linking their fingers together as he lifted them to his chest. “Not yet.”
Making love to this man would require too much, and he couldn’t handle it right now. The emotion would likely drag him under, and he needed to be ready. He wasn’t ready. Yet.
Dare cocked an eyebrow, and when that sinful smirk tilted the very edges of his mouth, Noah realized he was in for it. “Wanna wager how long it’ll take before you attack me again?”
Just like that, the easiness they’d known together sucked some of the tension out of the room, allowing Noah to breathe a little more. And because this was Dare, Noah couldn’t refrain. “I think the better bet is who’s gonna be able to refrain longer.”
Dare nodded as though he was considering that. “You’re on.”
Those two words had Noah’s dick pulsing again, and he didn’t need to be a gambling man to know he was going to lose this hand. But at least he could put forth a little effort.
Maybe.
Twenty-Four
Getting out of that cabin was the only option Dare had. That or he was going to strip Noah naked and ride him until the sun came up. Or vice versa. He didn’t really care which. Okay, yes, he did, but now was not the time for that. He needed to gather his thoughts.
Plus, he needed to return Roan’s key and let him know that he wouldn’t need a place to crash after all.
Then he needed to find food.
God, he was starving. He hadn’t eaten much at the reception because he’d been too nervous. But even if he had, he would still be hungry. That was how he rolled.
By the time they emerged from their cabin, it seemed most of the other cruise-goers had called it a night. The halls were deserted, as was the main deck, where they ended up after making a quick pass through the casino and then deciding against any more gambling for the evening. As it was, the wager between them was steep enough. Dare knew he didn’t have anything else to bet.
So he settled for pizza and soda, which they devoured outside.
For the next hour, they walked around, close but not too close. When he yawned for the third time, Noah suggested they head back, and Dare reluctantly agreed.
He was edgy, he couldn’t deny that. Although they were alone out here—for the most part—being alone in their cabin was decidedly different. No one could happen upon them in there, which meant their clothes could fall off. And then he could… What if he tripped and his dick slipped right into Noah’s mouth? That could be awkward.
Well, the last part wasn’t too bad of an idea, provided it didn’t result in any damage to his dick.
However, that wasn’t going to happen tonight. Not on purpose and not by accident.
Once back in the cabin, Noah excused himself to take a shower, and Dare managed to pull off the rest of the monkey suit he was still wearing, keeping on his boxers before flipping off the light and climbing into bed. Although he was exhausted, he knew he wouldn’t be able to sleep. At least not until Noah emerged from the bathroom. Which he finally did.
“You still awake?” Noah called out softly as he was climbing into the opposite bed.
“Yeah.” Dare stared up at the ceiling in the dark, doing his best not to look at Noah. “Still awake.”
“You okay?”
Dare could hear the concern in Noah’s tone. It had been a long day. Top it off with the emotions that had wreaked havoc on him and he knew he should’ve been asleep by now.
“I’m good.”
“Get some sleep,” Noah told him. “We’ve only got two more full days on this ship, so we’ll have to make the most of them.”
Dare didn’t respond, but he didn’t close his eyes, either. He glanced over at Noah, noticing he had turned away from him.
He tried to relax, but it was useless. Every muscle was tense, his cock was still throbbing, his balls aching, his body humming. Knowing he shouldn’t act on his urges, Dare managed to stay in the bed for a whole ten minutes before finally kicking off the sheet and getting to his feet. When Noah didn’t move, he figured he was asleep, but he joined him on the the tiny bed that was hardly big enough for one person, let alone two. That didn’t stop him from slipping beneath the sheet and spooning up against him.
Noah instantly leaned into him, pressing his back to Dare’s chest. For a brief moment, his breath was lodged in his lungs.
So many memories…
Dare slowly slid his hand up Noah’s thigh to his hip. He gently dug his fingertips into Noah’s flesh, stopping himself from doing anything more. It was enough to feel Noah’s skin, the warmth of his body against his. His cock thought this was going to be a party and it got excited, but Dare ignored it. Or tried to.
Noah rasped his name when Dare pressed his lips to Noah’s shoulder, getting closer. When Noah took Dare’s hand from his hip, pulling it around him and holding it close to his chest, Dare released his breath. Emotion was hot and fierce inside him as his body recalled so many nights like this.
In an effort to relax, Dare slid his arm beneath Noah’s head and inched closer until they were touching everywhere. He twined his fingers with Noah’s, his hand still clutched to Noah’s chest, and he held him. They remained in that position for several minutes, neither of them moving. The sound of their labored breaths filled the room. Strange how simply being this close could cause his pulse to race as though he’d run a marathon.
Noah’s hand squeezed his, but again, neither of them moved. Dare wondered if Noah was as scared as he was. The next step for them could result in never-ending heartache. It had taken Dare long enough to get over Noah the first time; he wasn’t sure he could do it again.
Yet he knew right then that there was no turning back. Regardless of the consequences.
It took a little while, but Dare’s labored breaths finally evened out, and Noah suspected he had fallen asleep, which was a good thing. Although he would’ve given anything to roll Dare beneath him and spend the rest of the night lodged inside the man’s sinful body, Noah knew that wasn’t the best thing for them. Not tonight, anyway.
And this was good.
Better than good, actually.
Having Dare’s arms around him was better than breathing.
Noah expected sleep would eventually come, but until then, he simply lay there, enjoying the warmth of Dare’s body against his. It offered a comfort he hadn’t had in quite some time. Possibly not since Dare. And while he fought the memories of that long-ago time, Noah promised himself that they would take this slow. Granted, slow was relative, but still. After all, they’d been down this road before.
“Why don’t I move in here?”
Noah wasn’t sure he’d heard Dare correctly; only the last few words registering as he fought from drifting off in Dare’s arms.
Move in here?
Was that what Dare had said? Had he heard him right? Or was he dreaming?
His body stilled as his brain tried to come back online. Dare’s next words told him he wasn’t dreaming and he had successfully fucked this up once again.
“Never mind. I’m still high from the sex.”
“Probably.” Not sure what to make of Dare’s statement, Noah joked it off. “Makes you think crazy shit, huh?”
Okay, definitely not what he should’ve said. Dare went eerily still behind him, his hand no longer lingering on Noah’s stomach. What should’ve been a nice, relaxing night at home had just taken an awkward turn, and Noah knew right where it was headed.
“Where do you see this going?”
Yep, another argument was coming.
Noah wished he could go back to sleeping, not wanting to hash this out with Dare right now. As it was, he’d been thinking the sa
me thing himself. They practically lived together already because Dare spent so much time there, but Noah wasn’t ready to move to the next level yet. Not until he knew Dare was ready. But Dare was only nineteen, far too young to be committing to one person for the rest of his life.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t going to go away unless he talked about it. “See what going?”
“Us. I know it’s not just the sex that’s so great between us.”
“But the sex is pretty fucking good, huh?” And it was good. So fucking good.
“Do you love me?”
Noah shifted so he could look at Dare over his shoulder. The question pissed him off. “Of course I do. I’ve told you that.”
“Then what’s the problem?”
He needed to see Dare’s face, so he eased onto his back when Dare shifted. “You’re only nineteen, Dare.”
“Ah, good. Glad we’re both aware of that. I thought for a second you forgot.”
Shit. He hadn’t meant it like that. “Dare…”
“No. I don’t need you to remind me that I’m nineteen and that you’re twenty-three. When you had your dick in my ass, or mine in yours, our ages didn’t seem to be an issue.”
Jesus Christ. Why did they have to keep doing this? “They’re not an issue. The age difference isn’t the problem.”
And it really wasn’t.
“Then what is?”
Okay, enough of the bullshit. He needed to face this head on. He pulled away from Dare and sat up, thrusting his hands in his hair as he tried to formulate his argument.
Dare got to his feet and started pacing the floor. “Are you seeing someone else?”
Noah couldn’t believe his ears. Sometimes Dare’s insecurity shocked the shit out of him. Like right now. “No, I’m not fucking seeing anyone else. Goddammit, Dare, why the fuck would you ask me something like that?”
“It’s the only logical answer I can come up with. You don’t want me to move in here, yet you can’t give me a reason. Maybe there is someone else.”
Noah got to his feet, trying to eliminate the physical space between them.
It wasn’t that Noah didn’t want him there. He simply wasn’t ready for more yet. The keyword being yet. He would be eventually, but he needed time. “No. There’s no one else. I love you. Only you. I thought I’d made that pretty damn clear.”
Dare didn’t respond.
“Look…” Noah cupped Dare’s cheek, needing his full attention. “Things are good between us. I don’t see any reason we should rush it.”
“Rush it? We’ve been together for two fucking years.”
Again, probably not the right thing to say, but now that it was out there, Noah needed to clarify. “I know. And you’re only nineteen.”
“Why do you always say that? It’s always about my age, but I don’t fucking understand. If I were twenty, would that change things? ’Cause in a few months, that’ll be the case. What excuse will you use then?”
Excuse? It wasn’t a fucking excuse. “You’re too damn young to think about settling down with anyone.”
“No! You don’t get to do that. You don’t get to blame this on me. No one gets to tell me what I am and am not ready for. I get to do that. And honestly, I want more than this. I’m talking forever.”
Noah clenched his teeth together. “Babe, you’re just a kid. Forever’s a long damn time.”
Okay, and now he felt like an asshole. He hadn’t meant it the way it sounded. But he had meant it. Dare was too young to be thinking about long term.
“Dare… Come on. I don’t wanna fight with you.”
“You’re right.”
Noah pulled Dare into his arms, wanting to comfort him. There was no reason they needed to go into this right now. Things were good between them. They had all the time in the world. He didn’t understand why Dare was so insistent that they take the next step.
When Dare didn’t say anything more, Noah jumped at the opportunity to put this behind them. Pulling back, he looked at Dare. “You ready for bed?”
“Yeah, sure.”
“Good. I’m exhausted. Come on. I wanna hold you.”
That had been the last time Noah had held Dare in his arms.
Until right now.
Even though Dare had broken his heart, Noah realized he had never gotten completely over him. And here they were.
The true test would come once they were off this ship and the real world had embraced them once again. Fifteen years was a long time. So many things had happened during that time, and they needed to get to know each other again before they moved too fast.
The physical aspect was the least of Noah’s worries. It was clear they were both hot for one another. Then again, that had never been a problem. The big question was whether or not they could make this work.
Unlike back then, they weren’t too young, they weren’t too naïve, they weren’t too immature for what would transpire between them. That meant it was up to them to do this right.
So, as Noah drifted off in Dare’s arms, he made a silent promise that he would focus on doing this the right way. They would take their time and see where this led them.
Finding love once in a lifetime was a blessing. Finding that same love twice … that was rare.
Hudson knew he should’ve gone back to his cabin hours ago, but he hadn’t managed to get his ass out of his chair. The wedding reception had long ago died out, the grooms had disappeared, most of the other guests had made their way back to their cabins for the night. In fact, the only people left were Hudson, Teague, AJ, and Milly. Even the bartender had bailed.
He should’ve done the same, but no. He was still here, waiting. For what, he wasn’t sure. It wasn’t because his brother was in the process of flirting with Milly, either—they were adults; they would do what they wanted to do—though he was keeping a close eye on those two.
No, his concern lay first and foremost with the drunk kid who refused to give up for the night even though the bar was officially closed. Not that Teague was necessarily a kid, but he was acting like one right now, cursing beneath his breath as he fought to sit in his chair while holding on to his empty glass. Hudson had no idea how much he’d drunk tonight, but if his inability to remain upright was any indicator, it was too damn much.
Teague turned in his chair, then stood on unsteady legs.
This should get interesting.
When Teague stumbled and caught himself on a chair, Hudson internally sighed and got to his feet. He approached Teague slowly, waiting for him to acknowledge him. When he did, it was with a frown.
Although he doubted Teague would understand him, Hudson signed: You need to get to your cabin.
“Thanks for the bit of advice, Dad,” Teague replied belligerently.
Good thing was Teague did understand him. Bad thing was that Hudson was going to have hell getting Teague where he needed to be. It was clear he wouldn’t be getting there on his own.
Before he could sign anything more, Teague tripped and practically landed in Hudson’s arms. He helped the kid back to his feet, put his arm around his back, and then guided him toward the door. Apparently, he was going to have to do this the hard way.
“Why the fuck do you have to smell so good?” Teague mumbled as Hudson led him toward the elevator. “And why the hell aren’t you with your boyfriend?”
Since AJ was his brother—not his boyfriend—Hudson didn’t even consider answering. If the kid hadn’t noticed AJ flirting with Milly, that wasn’t his problem. Plus, his hands were tied up at the moment, so he couldn’t respond.
It took ten minutes to get Teague up to his cabin, and that was after they went to the wrong floor. Twice. In Teague’s inebriated state, he had transposed the numbers, but they finally made it. Hopefully.
Hudson signed for Teague to hand over the key card when they reached the door that was supposedly the right one. Teague didn’t seem to understand. That or he was purposely being an asshole. With Teague, it could go either way.
Hudson got his arm around him again, forced his hand into Teague’s pocket, and finally recovered the key.
“I didn’t say you could touch me,” Teague mouthed, his words slurred.
Good thing Hudson hadn’t asked.
With one arm around Teague, Hudson managed to unlock the door, push it open with his foot, and then use Teague’s body to prop it open while he helped him inside.
“I knew one day I’d get you to my room. Didn’t think it’d be so soon.”
Hudson had to assume Teague was talking to him since there was no one else around, but he didn’t put too much stock in what the kid had to say. He was beyond drunk.
Since he couldn’t speak, he couldn’t give Teague instruction, so he had to help things along by guiding him toward the bed. When Teague looked up at him, Hudson nodded toward the bed, hoping to get his point across.
Teague’s eyes slid down to Hudson’s mouth, and he wished he could’ve groaned to show Teague that this really wasn’t a good idea. Unfortunately, no sound would come out, and he was still trying to use one arm to get Teague to the bed. Releasing him would’ve caused Teague to fall onto the floor, which, now that he thought about it, probably wasn’t the worst idea he’d ever had.
“Fuck, I’ve wanted to kiss you for so goddamn long,” Teague said softly, his hand coming up to touch Hudson’s mouth.
His brain instructed his head to turn, to dodge the hand, but for some reason, Hudson wasn’t listening to his brain. Part of him was caught up in Teague’s brilliant blue gaze. His eyes were glassy, but there was so much heat there it was hard to look away.
“Sometimes I wish I could hate you as much as I pretend to.”
The words coming out of Teague’s mouth stunned him. Their relationship—which consisted of working alongside one another from time to time—was volatile at best. Teague didn’t seem to have an issue with anyone at the marina except for Hudson, and he didn’t know why that was. Aside from the fact that he’d seen that same heated look in Teague’s eyes before, and Hudson had always masked his own physical reaction to the kid, he couldn’t think of any other reason Teague would hate him so much.
Fearless (Pier 70 Book 2) Page 18
