Only now, Noah knew what that meant. And he wasn’t about to let the greatest love in his life go.
Not now.
Not ever.
However, he really hoped they wouldn’t get caught.
’Cause that would just be awkward.
Epilogue
Friday, August 5th
“Dare! I’m home.” The screen door closed behind Noah at the same time Lulu bounded toward him, tail wagging, tongue lolling. She looked as though she’d settled in already. As he greeted her with a rub on the head, he glanced around his new house for the first time.
Well, the first time since they’d officially moved in. While Noah had been at the fire station yesterday, Dare had incorporated the help of his friends, and they’d managed to unload the storage unit that had held Noah’s furniture for the past month, along with everything from Dare’s apartment.
As soon as they’d received the news that the sellers had accepted their offer, Noah had put in his notice with his apartment complex. Instead of waiting for his lease to be up, he had moved his things into storage, then moved in with Dare in the interim. And since that day, they’d been counting down until they could move in here.
Noah had hated not being able to help them, but Dare had insisted. From the second they’d put ink to paper and officially closed on their very first house, Dare had been overly anxious. Noah hadn’t been able to make him wait, so he had relented.
Now, as he dropped his bag in the entryway, he looked around. He fought to keep his OCD at bay, knowing he would get the chance to clean and organize as soon as he saw Dare.
It was already a little after nine in the morning because he had stopped by his mother’s house before heading home, needing to pick up a few things she had set aside for them. Mostly extra dishes—matching, of course—as well as some extra towels and sheet sets she had stored away. Noah had informed her that they didn’t need them, but she’d insisted and he hadn’t been able to tell her no. But, as he’d learned when he arrived at her house, the dishes and sheets hadn’t been what she’d really wanted to give him.
His mother had been almost as excited as Dare that they’d decided to move in together and were planning to tie the knot, although they hadn’t set a wedding date yet. Dare had promised they would sit down and figure that out once they got settled into the house.
When he’d arrived at his mother’s house, she had offered him coffee, then led him into the kitchen. It was there that he’d had his first breakdown in a long, long time. Waiting for him on the kitchen table was a shadow box that held only one thing … his father’s shield. His mother wanted him to have something that was his father’s for his new house.
He’d wanted to say that the tears had broken loose because he hadn’t been expecting it, but he knew that wasn’t true. For the first time since the day his father had died, he’d actually felt whole again. He still missed the man, but having Dare back in his life had righted things in a way he hadn’t expected. And for the first time, over coffee, Noah had talked with his mother about his father. By the end of that conversation, he might’ve still been shedding a tear or two, but he was no longer shouldering the guilt he’d carried for the past fifteen years. And his mother had agreed, it was probably his father who had manipulated things so that he and Dare would find each other again. It was something he would’ve done when he was alive. He simply loved Noah that much.
However, they had both agreed not to share that with Milly, because she was already taking all the credit for bringing the two of them together again.
On any normal day, Noah would’ve assumed Dare was asleep—the guy was not prone to getting up with the sun—but he doubted Dare had slept much, if at all, last night. Based on the fact a lot of the boxes were already unpacked, the empty ones tossed haphazardly in the breakfast nook, he figured he was right.
“Where are you?” he called out, smiling as he noticed the video game system set up in the living room. Dare said he rarely played, but Noah knew differently. In the past month and a half, he’d learned a lot of things about Dare, including his secret video game obsession.
As he made his way toward their bedroom, he heard the shower water running. The thought of seeing Dare in the shower sent a frisson of awareness through him. Rather than barge in, Noah stopped in the doorway, taking in the view of Dare’s sleek, naked body through the glass shower doors.
Holy fuck. Not in a million years would he ever get tired of seeing that beautiful man. He stole his breath every time as though it were the first.
“You gonna stand there and watch?” Dare turned to face him, pushing one of the glass doors open and offering a better view. “Or you think you might want to join me?”
“This watching thing…” Noah noticed Dare’s hand slide down his stomach before grabbing his dick. “It’s kinda hot.”
“Yeah?” Dare’s crooked grin said he agreed.
Noah went into the bathroom and pulled off his shirt, but instead of undressing completely, he leaned against the vanity counter and watched Dare.
One of the greatest things about this house was the oversized shower. Whoever built it had been thinking more than one person should be in there at a time. It ran the entire length of one wall and was as deep as it was long. Between the double shower heads and the tiled bench, it wouldn’t be difficult to spend an afternoon right there.
Or morning. Whichever.
Dare snapped his fingers. “Hey, Pearson. My eyes are up here.”
“I’m not interested in your eyes right now.”
“Why am I not surprised?” There was amusement in Dare’s tone. “I always knew you liked to watch.”
“Oh, I definitely do.” Noah’s eyes were fixated where Dare was teasing his dick with one hand, the other sliding down and cupping his balls. The water was raining down over him, slicking his sun-bronzed skin. It was like a freaking porno, right here in his own bathroom.
“You like when I jack myself off?”
Noah met Dare’s gaze. “Depends. What do you think about when you touch yourself?”
Dare took a step back and leaned against the wall, spreading his legs wide as he fondled his balls.
“I think about you,” Dare explained, his voice raspy. “I think about your hot fucking mouth wrapped around me. Or your hand stroking me.”
Noah released the button on his jeans and lowered the zipper. He slid his hand inside.
Dare’s eyes immediately dropped to where the action was. “Show me yours.”
Standing up straight, Noah pushed his jeans down his hips, pulling his cock out so Dare could watch.
“Now stroke it.”
Noah loved when Dare got bossy. It was sexy as fuck. He leaned his bare ass against the counter and leisurely glided his hand up and down his dick, watching the show in the shower. Dare reached up and retrieved the shower wand. Spreading his legs farther, allowing Noah a fantastic front-row view, he turned the spray toward his balls.
“Oh, fuck…”
Unable to look away, Noah watched every move Dare made. From the way his eyes drifted shut and his head tilted back to the way his abs contracted as he pushed his hips forward. He continued to aim the water directly at his balls while he fisted his dick, his hand working faster than before.
“I wanna watch you come.”
Dare’s eyes opened. “Yeah? Right here?”
“Right here.” And then Noah intended to join him, but first, he wanted to watch Dare bring himself pleasure.
“Then you’ll fuck me?” Dare closed his eyes.
“Absolutely.”
Dare’s hand started moving faster, his grip tighter. “I want to feel you in my ass.”
Fuck. If Dare kept that up, Noah could possibly be the one blowing his load.
“Oh, fuck…” Dare opened his eyes and met Noah’s gaze. “I want to come in your mouth.”
Noah toed off his shoes and shucked his jeans, hopping on one foot to get his socks off as he neared the shower. Without hesi
tating, he stepped inside, pulled the door shut, and dropped to his knees in front of Dare, staring up at him while he stroked himself.
“Yes … fuck yes…” Dare’s hand was a blur as he jacked himself roughly. “Now, Noah… Oh… Fuck… Gonna come.”
Noah wrapped his lips around the head of Dare’s cock as he was coming. He sucked the head hard, making Dare hiss as he unloaded in Noah’s mouth, his hips jerking wildly. Noah didn’t move until Dare relaxed.
Gripping Dare’s hips, Noah urged him to turn around. When he was facing the wall, Noah spread Dare’s ass cheeks, burying his tongue between them while Dare pushed back against him.
“Oh, yeah…” Dare groaned again. “Fuck me with your tongue. Lick my ass… God, yes.”
Noah tongued him for long minutes, wanting to calm down enough to make this last.
“Fuck me… Want your cock inside me,” Dare pleaded, reaching over and grabbing what appeared to be lubricant that he’d stashed on the shelf.
Noah got to his feet and took the bottle. “Prepared, are you?”
“Oh, you just wait. I’ve hidden that shit all over this house.”
Of course he had.
“Plan to be doing more of this?” Slicking his dick up, Noah then guided himself into Dare’s ass, pushing in slowly.
Dare grunted. “In every room of the house. Twice a day.”
Noah groaned when he bottomed out in Dare’s ass. Gripping Dare’s hips, Noah pressed up against his back, holding him still. “Is that all?”
“We’ve also got a hot tub.” Dare moaned when Noah pulled out and pushed back in. “Oh, God, Noah. Fuck me. Please… Fuck me hard.”
“Did you miss me last night?” he grumbled against Dare’s ear.
“So fucking much.” Dare grunted again with Noah’s next thrust forward. “Did you miss me?”
Noah nipped Dare’s earlobe. “More than you can imagine.”
“Show me,” Dare insisted. “Show me how much you missed me.”
Noah pulled Dare’s hips with him as he took a step back. “Bend over.”
Dare reached for the bench, planting his palms flat while Noah began screwing into him. He tried for slow and easy, just to torment Dare a little, but he couldn’t last. The heat of Dare’s body gripping him was too much. Their combined moans echoed off the tiled walls as Noah impaled him over and over, slamming in deep, retreating, then slamming in again. He lost himself to the sensation, his hips colliding with Dare’s ass as he gave him everything he asked for.
“Oh, fuck…” Dare cried out. “I’m gonna come again. Fuck me…”
Noah wanted Dare to come. Hell, he wanted Dare to come a million times just like this.
Dare’s cry of release bounced off the walls, triggering Noah’s climax. He stilled his hips as he pushed in deep, coming harder than he’d ever come before. Luckily they were in the shower already because Noah wasn’t sure he had enough strength in his body to clean up. He would’ve been content to remain just like that for the next … well, forever.
Half an hour later, after they’d lingered in the shower until the water turned cold, Noah and Dare were lying on the couch, a movie playing on the television. Noah had been drifting in and out while holding Dare in his arms, enjoying every single second of being right here with him. It was similar to that night all those years ago, and here they were again. In their new house, their new life.
They’d officially come full circle, back where they were both meant to be.
Together.
It still seemed too good to be true. Only a short time ago, Noah had only wondered what Dare was up to, what he’d made of himself while he immersed himself in work, doing whatever he could to forget the past. And now … now he was sharing a life with the only man he had ever loved.
“What’re you thinking about?” Dare mumbled groggily, rolling onto his back.
Noah inched deeper into the cushions so he could look at Dare. “You.”
Dare smirked. “What about me?”
“About how lucky I am to have you?”
Dare’s smile softened. “See, I was thinking the same thing about you.”
Noah locked eyes with Dare. “Yeah, but I was thinking about it first. So I win.”
“I’ll let you believe that,” Dare mumbled, leaning over and kissing Noah softly. “Since winner gets to make lunch.”
Leave it to Dare to turn this into a bet and to let Noah win, yet still he got to do all the work. “What were the odds of that happening?”
Dare chuckled. “Not sure. But I’ll be glad to look up the statistics after you feed me.”
Noah shifted, crawling over Dare and crushing him into the cushion. “Oh, I’ll feed you all right.”
Dare laughed, his arms wrapping around Noah as he held him tight. “God, I love when you make promises like that. It’s so damn sexy.”
Noah shook his head. He had no idea whether Dare was talking about sex or food, but he knew, either way, it wouldn’t matter.
One way or the other, they’d be having both before the afternoon was over.
♥▫▫▫▫♥▫▫▫▫♥
I hope you enjoyed Dare and Noah’s story. Fearless is the second book in the Pier 70 series. I started writing their story shortly after I finished Reckless, however, I put it away for a little while. One morning, I woke up and Dare was right there, ready to go. Turned out, his humor was exactly what I needed at the time and I had so much fun writing this book. You can read more about Pier 70 and the sexy boys who run the marina here.
Want to see some fun stuff related to the Pier 70 series, you can find extras on my website. Or how about what’s coming next? I keep my website updated with the books I’m working on, including the writing progression of what’s coming up for the Pier 70 series.
Want a simple, fast way to get updates on new releases? If you’re in the U.S., you can also sign up for text messaging - just text NICOLE to 64600 or fill out the form here. I promise not to spam your phone. This is just my way of letting you know what’s happening because I know you’re busy, but if you’re anything like me, you always have your phone on you.
If you want to see what’s going on with me each week, sign up for my weekly Hot Sheet! It’s a short, entertaining weekly update of things going on in my life and that of the team that supports me. We’re a little crazy at times and this is a firsthand account of our antics.
And last but certainly not least, if you’re interested in getting monthly updates and announcements, you can sign up for my monthly newsletter.
And, as always, thank you so much for reading. I hope you’ll be able to leave an honest review as this is the best way to share your thoughts about the book with others.
♥▫▫▫▫♥▫▫▫▫♥
Acknowledgments
I have to thank my husband and my children, for putting up with my craziness. From my sudden outbursts when I think of something that needs to be added or when I question why one of the characters did what they did, to the strange hours that I keep and the days on end when I’m MIA because I’m under deadline or just engrossed in a story… Y’all are incredibly tolerant of me and for that, I am forever grateful. I love you with all that I am.
My street team – The Naughty & Nice Posse. Ladies, your daily pimping and support fills my heart with so much love. You are a blessing to me, each and every one of you.
My beta readers, Chancy and Denise. Ladies, I’m not sure thanks will ever be enough. However, not only are you the ones who catch the weird things and ask the bigger questions, you’ve both become my friends and you keep me going.
My copyeditor, Amy. Punctuation and grammar… well, that’s not my strong suit. But it is yours and you are truly remarkable at what you do. You simply amaze me and I am so glad that I found you.
Nicole Nation 2.0 for the constant support and love. This group of ladies has kept me going for so long, I’m not sure I’d know what to do without them.
And, of course, YOU, the reader. Your emails, mess
ages, posts, comments, tweets… they mean more to me than you can imagine. I thrive on hearing from you, knowing that my characters and my stories have touched you in some way keeps me going. I’ve been known to shed a tear or two when reading an email because you simply bring so much joy to my life with your support. I thank you for that.
Keep reading for an excerpt from:
Ethan
Alluring Indulgence, #5
Nicole Edwards
Gay Romance
Contemporary Romance
Release Date: January 07, 2014
How long did it take you to find your place in the world?
For Ethan Walker, going through the motions of life, keeping his distance and never getting attached has become the mantra he lives by. Success is measured by how many hours he can work and how little attention he can draw. That was until he landed on Beau Bennett’s radar. Until Beau, Ethan had never met a man who could get him to question his own logic and even consider taking a different path.
Beau Bennett knows exactly who he is - now. It might’ve taken him some time to figure it out, but now that he has his bearings, Beau has set his sights on the mysteriously sexy Ethan Walker. Chasing has never been his style, but something is telling him to keep at it because the end result is going to be worth it.
Now that they’ve found one another, how long will it take Ethan and Beau to accept that their place in the world is... Together.
Prologue
New Year’s Eve at Alluring Indulgence Resort
Keeping his distance from Beau Bennett was proving to be harder than Ethan Walker anticipated. Didn’t seem to matter how strong he was mentally or physically, when temptation was greater than all of his combined strengths, he found himself fighting a losing battle. Didn’t mean he wasn’t still trying.
As Ethan moved through the vast, airy room, watching the various couples and threesomes, he wondered how he had ended up there. And yes, he was speaking in the literal sense.
This resort, no matter how swank or how alluring his brothers made it, just wasn’t his thing. He’d rather be at Moonshiners, sitting at the bar, drinking a beer and listening to the jukebox churn out tunes that were handpicked by the crowd. Or hell, sitting on his couch, watching reruns of anything, was more appealing than getting dressed up to watch people in various states of undress in the lavish, kinky, sex resort that wasn’t even open to the public yet.
Fearless (Pier 70 Book 2) Page 29
