“Relax, babe. It’s all good.”
An older woman appeared, dressed in a pencil skirt and a silk blouse. Her smile was radiant as she greeted Noah. “Mr. Pearson. So good to see you again.”
Again?
What was going on here?
“Feel free to look around.”
“Thank you.”
Noah didn’t release Dare’s hand as he led him toward the back of the house and right out onto the back patio. The yard was beautiful, with tall trees and thick, green grass. Bushes and flowers lined the back of the house and the deck leading to a stone walkway that ran all the way down to the water.
“What is this place?”
Noah turned to face him, blocking his view of the lake.
“I know this might seem sudden,” Noah began, taking Dare’s hands in his. “But these past couple of weeks have been fantastic.” Noah smiled. “With the exception of us being apart so much, that is. I thought maybe we could solve the distance problem…” Noah swallowed hard and took a deep breath. “I thought we could solve the problem if we were to move in together.”
“Here?” Dare peered over Noah’s shoulder to check out the lake again.
“Here.” Noah nodded toward the house behind Dare. “It’s three bedrooms, three baths, plus a study and—”
Dare placed his hand over Noah’s mouth and smiled. “You had me at ‘here.’” The relief Dare saw on Noah’s face made him laugh. “You want me to move in with you?”
Noah nodded.
“But what about the station? And the roofing jobs?”
“The station is only half an hour away. Since it’s not an everyday commute, that’s no problem at all. And the roofing business…” Noah looked slightly unsure of himself. “It’s something I did in order to occupy my time. It’s not a necessity for me. I make enough to support—”
Again, Dare cut him off. “We.”
“What?”
“We make enough.” Dare pulled Noah forward and kissed him. “I’d love to move in with you. Wake up to you every morning.” He lowered his voice. “Go to sleep every night after banging your brains out.”
Noah’s arms slid around his waist and he held him close, their lips brushing together. “Oh, thank God.”
“You like the idea of me banging your brains out, huh?”
Noah smiled against Dare’s lips.
Dare chuckled. “Did you think I’d say no?”
Noah pulled back and looked at him. “Actually, I thought you would tell me you found a better house somewhere.” His smile grew wider. “I know how competitive you are.”
It was true. Dare was competitive. And yes, Noah had beat him to the whole moving-in-together thing. But he knew there was one thing Noah hadn’t beat him to.
And now seemed like as good a time as any…
Noah hadn’t been sure how Dare would react to him bringing him here. It wasn’t as spur-of-the-moment as it seemed, though. They’d had a couple of conversations in recent days about moving in together. Because their schedules didn’t mesh, and the thirty-minute drive made it difficult to merely drop in, he and Dare had tossed around the idea of finding a place.
Since they hadn’t gotten into the logistics, Noah had simply been browsing for real estate when he’d stumbled upon this house for sale. As soon as he’d seen the pictures, he’d known he couldn’t pass it by. At least not without mentioning it to Dare. Last week he had scheduled an appointment with the realtor, snuck over, and checked it out. He’d fallen in love with it instantly, and something—maybe the lake view—had told him Dare would love it, too.
For the past two weeks, they had made as much time for one another as they could, but it was never enough. Noah had convinced Dare to have dinner at his mother’s house, which had been far less stressful than he’d expected it to be. Sure, it helped that he’d convinced Milly to come along to provide comic relief. Didn’t matter, Noah’s mother still loved Dare, the same as she’d loved him back then. They acted as though not a minute had passed since the last time they’d seen one another. Hell, even Larry had taken a liking to Dare.
Because Dare had to be at the marina every morning, they hadn’t stayed at Noah’s apartment at all. On the nights they did spend together, Noah made the trek out to Dare’s. And he wasn’t complaining about where they slept, merely that they didn’t get to sleep together enough. Noah hated being away from Dare most nights, even if they’d mastered the art of phone sex. That was great and all, but Noah knew he had to do something to bring them closer together.
As far as Noah was concerned, they’d spent the last fifteen years apart, and they had a lot of time to make up for. He didn’t want to wait any longer. He didn’t care about the whole dating thing. He and Dare had long ago done that whole song and dance. The only thing he wanted was to fall asleep with Dare in his bed every night and wake up with him every morning. Well, most nights and most mornings. He would still be working at the fire station, so there would be those to take into account.
Dare pulled back, and Noah searched his face to try and determine what he was thinking.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
There was a mischievous gleam in Dare’s eyes when he released Noah’s hands. Dare took a step back, peered around once more before meeting Noah’s gaze.
The next thing Noah knew, Dare was dropping down on one knee…
“What are you doing?” Noah rasped, reaching for Dare to pull him back to his feet.
“I’ve loved you my whole life,” Dare began, dodging Noah’s attempt to grab him. “Stop. Seriously. I have something to say.”
Dare was grinning from ear to ear while Noah’s heart was pounding like a bass drum inside his chest. He stopped reaching for Dare and stood up straight.
Dare continued. “The only regret in my life has been walking away from you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you, Noah Pearson. I want to be hyphenated.”
Noah laughed. That was Dare. “Hyphenated, huh?”
“Marry me?”
Before he could respond, Dare shocked him when he reached in his pocket and retrieved…
“You did not!” Noah couldn’t contain his laughter.
Dare pulled out a silver chain, which had a ring dangling from it. Noah’s high school class ring. The one that Dare had worn back when they’d been together the first time. High school had been far behind Noah at the time, but Dare had found the ring in Noah’s dresser and insisted on wearing it. Although Dare had done it as a joke, Noah had secretly enjoyed seeing it around Dare’s neck. For the two years they’d been together, Noah had never known Dare to take it off.
“I can’t believe you stole that from me.” Noah had wondered what had happened to that ring. He hadn’t been sure whether Dare had kept it or ditched it somewhere along the way.
“Marry me,” Dare repeated, his tone serious. “We can be Davis-Pearson.”
“Why not Pearson-Davis?” He was teasing Dare. He honestly didn’t care; he was merely buying time to keep from crying. This was more than he’d ever expected, more than he probably deserved.
“Fine. We can be Pear-vis.”
Noah cupped Dare’s cheek, still staring down at him. His heart smiled. “Of course I’ll marry you.”
Instead of putting the chain around Noah’s neck, Dare put it around his own.
“Ask a guy to marry you and you get the ring, huh?”
“That’s the way it works,” Dare noted.
Helping Dare to his feet, Noah pulled him into his arms. “I love you. Even if you are crazy.”
“Speaking of crazy…” Dare chuckled. “It’s time to go meet Grams.”
Forty-One
Dare was giddy. It was a strange feeling, one he hadn’t had in years, but he couldn’t help it. As he directed Noah on how to get to Grams’s house, he was practically bouncing in the seat, likely driving Noah crazy. They were buying a freaking house. Together.
And they were going to be hyphenated.
H
oly shit.
“Since we’re offering full asking price, you think we’ll get the house?” he asked Noah.
“Let’s hope so. The sellers seem eager, so hopefully it won’t be a problem.”
“Are there any other offers?”
“Not that she knows of.”
Dare wanted that house. Mostly because Noah wanted that house. Oh, and also because it was on the lake.
“What is your grandmother going to say when she finds out you’re engaged to be married?”
Dare glanced over at Noah. He forced his expression to be serious. “Well, I’m sure she’s going to sit you down and ask you a million questions. I’m sure she figures she has the right to interrogate the man I’m going to marry.” It wasn’t true, but he loved seeing the panic etched on Noah’s face.
“Like, what sort of questions?”
“Oh, she’ll want to know what your intentions are, how much money you make, how long you’ve been a firefighter, where you see yourself in five years.”
“Those aren’t too bad.”
“That’s only the beginning.” Dare fought to keep from smiling. “She’ll want to know about your family, whether you’ve ever owned any animals, if you prefer to be on the lake or on the shore. She’ll ask your penis size.”
Noah’s head snapped over, his eyebrows slanting.
Dare laughed, feeling even lighter than before.
“You’re fucking with me, right?”
“Oh,” Dare sobered. “And she’ll also want to know how many times a day you plan to play slap and tickle with me.”
Noah snorted.
“I think you should say at least three, but more than likely four.” Dare reached over and took Noah’s hand. This time, he responded seriously. “She’ll love you, Noah. As much as I do. You have nothing to worry about.”
“Thank God.”
“As long as she took her medication.”
Noah grimaced.
“Kidding.” Dare didn’t bother to tell him that she really would probably say slap and tickle at least a dozen times while they were there. He figured he’d let that part be a surprise.
When they pulled into the driveway, Dare noticed Grams sitting on the porch, a huge grin growing on her aging face as she recognized them.
“God, I hope she likes me,” Noah muttered as he got out of the truck.
Dare knew she would like him. Hell, she would love him.
Didn’t mean she wouldn’t give him a hard time. After all, Dare hadn’t been born with his witty personality and wicked sense of humor. He’d gotten them from her.
Knowing Noah was nervous, Dare took his hand as they made their way up onto the porch. Without releasing him, Dare leaned down and planted a kiss on Grams’s smooth cheek.
“Grams, this is Noah. Noah, this is Grams.”
His grandmother’s blue eyes raked ever so slowly over Noah as she took him in. Dare figured she was trying to determine her first impression.
“Nice to meet you…” Noah trailed off, glancing over at him with an expression of terror.
“You can call me Grams,” she said, drawing Noah’s attention back to her. “No need for formalities.” She nodded toward their clasped hands. “If you’re good enough for my boy to bring you here to meet me, you’re good enough to call me Grams.”
Dare smiled. Not once in his life had he ever introduced his grandmother to a guy he’d dated. Not even Noah. So, she was right.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Grams.” Noah’s voice shook with nerves, which was oddly endearing.
“Nice to finally meet the boy who’s been playing slap and tickle with my Dare.”
Noah turned several shades of red. Dare couldn’t help but pull him close and kiss him quickly. “See, I told you she’d love you.”
“Now where’s my food?” Grams asked, watching the two of them closely.
Another horror-stricken look took over Noah’s face. “You didn’t tell me we were supposed to bring food.”
“She’s kidding,” he assured him, laughing. “Come on, Grams. Let’s feed him before he has a heart attack.”
Dare helped Grams get to her feet, then followed her inside.
“While I get the sandwiches ready, why don’t you show this sweet boy your old bedroom.”
“Grams…” He drew the single word out into a whine. He had absolutely no intention of showing Noah that room. Shit. He’d forgotten all about it.
“Hush that. Go show him.”
Crap. She wasn’t asking, she was telling, and Dare knew better than to ignore a command from Grams.
Now Dare was the one feeling a little awkward, while Noah was grinning from ear to ear.
It was definitely better when he wasn’t the one in the hot seat.
Based on Dare’s horrified expression, whatever was in that room was a doozy. Noah wasn’t sure he’d ever seen Dare that panicked before, which only made him want to know why.
“Seriously, we don’t have to do this,” Dare muttered as Noah followed him out of the kitchen. “You can pretend you saw it and she’ll never know.”
“That’s not happening.” He had to know what was hidden in that room, what Dare didn’t want him to see.
Noah couldn’t hide his curiosity as Dare led him down the dark, narrow hallway toward the doors at the far end. As soon as Grams had mentioned the bedroom, Dare had gone a little pale. Now he wanted to know why.
Before Dare opened the door, he turned to face Noah.
“Keep in mind, I moved out of her house right after you and I broke up. I couldn’t bring myself to sleep in this room anymore. Plus, I needed some space from everyone. She has never changed anything about my bedroom in all the time I’ve been gone.” Dare’s hand tightened on the doorknob. “In my defense, that was fifteen years ago.”
Noah smirked. “What? Are you embarrassed?”
“You don’t know the half of it.”
Dare opened the door and allowed Noah to walk around him into the room.
“Holy shit,” Noah whispered. “Obsessive much?”
“Shut it.”
Dark blue curtains covered two long windows, while a twin bed sat in the far corner, the comforter neatly covering the mattress—he figured there were some things Grams had changed about the room in the past decade and a half. The carpet was clean, as were all the surfaces. A small television sat on top of the dresser and a lamp sat on the desk.
Those weren’t what caught Noah’s attention, though.
He stepped farther into the room, taking it all in before he turned back toward the desk. Covering nearly every bit of wall space above the small desk were pictures of Noah. Some including Dare, others of only him. There were so many that it was clear Dare had taken a lot when they’d been together. Noah couldn’t remember Dare ever having a camera, but clearly the guy had.
It was a trip down memory lane. There was a picture of them at the party where they’d met. Others of them playing whatever sport had attracted them at the time—soccer, football, baseball. There were smaller pictures of only Noah, some of him standing around, a lot of them in his apartment. He could probably relive all the months they’d been together if he took the time to look at each and every one.
He was about to give Dare a hard time when he leaned in closer, noticing that the largest of the pictures—the one pinned in the center of them all—had words written at the bottom.
There was an arrow pointing toward Noah’s face and red ink scribbled inside a circle: This guy. The man I intend to spend the rest of my life with. He makes up for all the love my life has been lacking. And then some.
Noah felt the pressure of tears on his sinuses.
He turned to look at Dare. For the first time in his life, Dare appeared to be embarrassed. He was staring at the floor, and he looked so incredibly vulnerable in that moment that Noah couldn’t stop himself from grabbing him and pulling him close.
“God, I love you. I’m so sorry for all the pain I caused.”
Dare buried his face in Noah’s neck but didn’t say anything.
Noah knew that Dare’s mother had abandoned him. He remembered the conversations they’d had about how Dare felt he wasn’t good enough for her to stick around. In fact, Noah had always argued that he was wrong, but the fact that Dare’s mother had never been a part of his life was the proof that Dare had always said he had.
“This isn’t why I brought you here.” Dare pulled back and looked at him. A small smile formed. “If I’d known Grams would suggest this, I would’ve gutted the room before you had a chance to see it.”
“I’m glad you didn’t.” It was a reminder that Noah had taken Dare for granted back then. He’d known at the time that Dare was the greatest love he would ever know, but he’d been too immature to grab hold of it and never let go. And to think, he’d thought Dare had been the immature one.
Luckily, he’d learned his lesson and someone up there was looking out for him. He wanted to believe it was his dad.
“You boys better not be playing slap and tickle back there!”
Noah laughed, but his face heated instantly.
“We’re not!” Dare assured her.
“We should probably go—” Noah didn’t get to finish the sentence before Dare had pushed him up against the door, his mouth coming down over his for a brutal, all-consuming kiss.
“Oh, we’re gonna play slap and tickle, all right.” Dare sounded extremely confident. “I just hope you can keep the noise down, because I’m not gonna lose the opportunity to screw you senseless in the one place I spent nearly two years dreaming about.”
Noah curved his head to the side, allowing Dare’s lips to trail over his skin. “Here?”
“Right here.” Dare sucked on Noah’s neck, making him groan. “Now turn around and put your hands on the wall. And remember, you have to be quiet. Grams’ll never let you live it down if she finds out.”
Noah peered around the room once more while he contemplated what would happen if he gave in. Never in his life had he known a love quite like this one. As he took in all those pictures on the wall, he knew there was no way he would hold out on Dare.
After all, Dare made him feel the one thing he’d hadn’t felt in fifteen years … fearless.
Fearless (Pier 70 Book 2) Page 28
