by Eden Finley
“Where are we going?” Noah asks.
“I saw a coffee shop up here. I want to take advantage of going out while we can. In a few days, it’ll go back to everything being crap.”
“You storm into my room and wake me up so we can go get coffee? Had you let me sleep, it would negate the need for coffee. Also, the more we go out, the higher chance we have of being spotted.”
“I’m taking whatever the world is willing to give me. I can’t stay in your house all day every day. I will literally go crazy. I also need to find a gym close by that has day passes.”
Noah stops walking. “I was going to keep it a secret, because I knew I’d lose you as soon as you found out, but my basement is full of gym equipment. You can work out there while you’re staying with me.”
“How long were you going to keep it a secret?”
“Until you asked me. And, look at that”—Noah checks his Rolex—“you lasted a suck, a fuck, and twelve more hours.”
“You have such a way with words.”
His carefree attitude toward everything is enviable. His life is far from perfect like I thought, but he doesn’t let any of it get to him. At least, not on the outside.
I tug on his hand and bring him close to me. He grunts as he runs into my hard body.
“What are you doing?” he asks.
“Know what else I’ve never done in public?”
Noah’s eyes dart around the street. “You can’t give me a blowjob here … oh wait, you have done that in public before.”
I pinch his ass. “Not that. And the club doesn’t count. The only reason that was public was because of those stupid photos.”
“So, what haven’t you done in public?”
“Kiss me,” I demand.
“Is that a direct order?”
“Just do it already.”
Noah leans in. “That’s what you’ll be screaming later.”
My laughter is cut off by his lips on mine, and it’s pathetic that I get an adrenaline spike from Noah kissing me on the side of the street. I don’t know what it is about his mouth, whether it’s the fact it likes to take charge and control my own or that this guy turns me on so much I’d be happy with any form of physical affection from him, but what I do know is I want more of him. I want anything he’s willing to give me, even if it’ll only be brief.
When Noah pulls back, I try to stop him—I want more—but he doesn’t let me. “I’d love to keep kissing you right now, and though we’re not in some small town in Tennessee, sometimes people aren’t so cool about seeing two dudes make out. Even in New York. Sad but true.”
“Right.” Of course. I may have this new level of freedom, but that doesn’t mean society won’t try to shove me back in my cage.
Noah still holds my hand as we walk, and I love the feel of his smooth skin against my calluses. “Besides, if we kept going, it was going to turn into way more than kissing, and indecent exposure is a crime for some stupid reason.”
I make a mental note to contact Damon and thank him for setting me up with Noah. He’s becoming the exact thing I need in my life right now. His confidence and don’t-give-a-shit outlook on life is enviable, and I want to be like him. Maybe not the relationship phobia, but I can’t say I wouldn’t be the same way if my dad did what his did. Had I been straight and had a girlfriend, I reckon my dad would’ve done everything in his power to make her disappear. Maybe if I was straight, I wouldn’t have made it to the NFL at all, because I wouldn’t have used football to hide behind. Maybe I’d be in the neighboring trailer next to my sister and her boyfriend with a baby momma and six kids.
I shudder at the notion.
Inside the coffee shop, Noah finds a table as I order. When I slide a coffee in front of him, he barely registers my presence. He stares at the table with his head in his hand.
“What’s up with you?” I ask.
He startles and looks at his coffee and then at me. “Sorry. I didn’t sleep well last night. This will help.” He holds up his cup of coffee.
“I had the best sleep I’ve ever had.” Sex probably helped. After last night, I’m kicking myself for not risking being outed sooner. Does everyone know sex is that awesome?
Noah grins as if he can read my thoughts. “What’re you thinking about?” Shit, maybe he can.
I lean in and speak low. “That we have three more days until our cruise comes back and that the only thing on my schedule is to work out and fuck.”
“You know, if you retire from football, I’m pretty sure you could find someone and that could be your entire life.”
“You think I should give up football?” I ask.
Noah shifts in his seat. “No, but if the whole contract thing doesn’t work out, your future’s not so scary.”
“Didn’t seem that way a month ago.” My voice rasps, and I try to hide it. “I had nothing. If I don’t get another contract, I’ll have—”
“An opportunity to do whatever you want with your life. Go back to school and study architecture. Become a football coach. Live the life of luxury on the millions you’ve already earned.”
Noah has a point. I have a finance guy who takes care of my investment portfolio, and my expenses are relatively small. I send money to my parents to help with my siblings, and I have my apartment in Philly which I stupidly bought instead of leased. If I sell the loft and invest the rest of my money the right way, I won’t have to work another day in my life if I don’t want to. But it’s too soon for me to think about that. It’s like I’m preparing to give up if I contemplate it.
“I ain’t ready to say goodbye to football.”
“And you say football isn’t in your blood. Face it, Matt, you are football. Instead of blood, you’re made up of pigskin.”
“That’s … a pretty terrifying picture.”
“You’re welcome.”
After Noah drinks at least half his coffee, I bring up a subject I should probably avoid if we’re going to keep this fake relationship sailing smoothly. “Uh, so … are you going to go see your dad today?”
“That’ll be a big fuck no.”
“Can I ask why you work for him if you don’t want to?”
“Because he doesn’t let me quit, and as I said last night, he won’t risk firing me and have it get out to the press.”
“So, no politicking in your future?” I ask.
“I’m not interested in the games you have to play to get ahead in that world. Politicians aren’t there to help people. They’re there to make themselves and their friends richer while screwing over those who actually need the money.”
“No offense, but I don’t see you donating your money to a good cause.”
Noah’s brow furrows. “I have financial advisors who limit my spending. I donate what I can, but the advisors are on the family’s payroll. They’re not going to let any of us blow our money. Think of me as a grown-ass man being treated like a kid getting an allowance. It’s how things are done in my family.”
“Why don’t you—”
“Can we make this an off-limits topic?”
Knowing it’s not my place, I drop it and lean back in my seat.
Noah finishes his coffee. “Ready to head back? I was thinking if you weren’t so desperate for a workout and could hold off to hit the weights until later that we could go back to bed. And not to sleep.”
I don’t think I’ve drank a cup of coffee faster.
A daily trip to the coffee shop is the only time I see outside of Noah’s townhouse for the next three days.
I get up at five a.m., work out in Noah’s basement for a few hours, run to the coffee shop for my cool down, and then bring back coffee for Noah, and wake him with a blowjob. I learned the first time that coffee isn’t enough of an incentive to wake him up.
“I could get used to this,” he pants as I climb up next to him.
I reach for the bedside table for his cup and hand it to him while I take a sip of my own and lean against his headboard. “You could, b
ut you can’t. I’m going back to Philly today. We have to go pick up my car.”
“Nah, it’s all good. I gave Maddox and Damon the keys before we left the ship. They’re bringing it here.”
The hand holding my coffee pauses halfway to my mouth. “You … you gave them permission to drive my car? And you swiped my keys?”
Noah winces. “I forgot about your rule and your precious Lamborghini, but come on, this way you don’t have to deal with the media. I thought it’d be easier. If he crashes it, I’ll give you my Beemer.” Noah laughs when my eyes widen. “Babe, seriously. It’ll be fine.” We both pause at the slip of his tongue, but he recovers faster than I do. “Don’t worry, I call all my hookups babe. It doesn’t mean anything.”
Oh. “Is that because you don’t remember their names?”
“Not at all, Mike.”
“Funny.”
“And no, it’s nothing like that. I guess babe is my go-to nickname when I’m with someone.”
“Don’t I feel special.”
Noah puts his coffee back down before rolling over and covering me with his hard body. “You are special. I don’t let just anyone fuck me.” His head dips, and he takes my nipple in his mouth. I don’t know whether to be pissed off or turned on. He knows that’s my Achilles heel.
“So, I’m the only guy you refuse to top?”
I’ve asked him. A few times now. He keeps saying he’s fine with bottoming.
“I like what we’ve been doing.” Noah works his way back up and kisses my cheek and then my jaw, and I have to agree, I more than like what we’ve been doing. Maybe I shouldn’t complain. Noah’s skirting the edge of welcoming intimacy and pushing me away. I’m wondering if it’s his way of protecting himself.
When Noah takes my cup and sets it aside, I settle in for whatever he plans to do to me.
Noah moves down my body and tongues my abs. “Mmm, you’re all sweaty.”
“I can shower.” I try to move but he pins me down.
“Don’t. I like the way you taste.”
I groan and lift my hips, trying to get him to go more south, but before we can get to the good part, the doorbell rings.
We both slink in disappointment.
“Did you lock the front door when you came in?” Noah asks.
“Umm, no. You told me I didn’t have to, and I told you that you were crazy because you live in New York.”
“So, you listened to me anyway?”
“Uh, yeah.”
“If it’s Maddox and Damon, they’ll—”
“Yo, Noah!” Damon yells from inside the house.
“Do that.”
“All good. I’m gonna jump in the shower,” I say.
“Don’t jerk off. I want a goodbye fuck.”
“We’ll see each other in two weeks for that benefit thing.”
“And how do you think that’ll go after coming countless times the last few days to nothing for two weeks?”
I purse my lips. “Good point.”
“Hello?” Maddox calls out this time.
“I better go before they figure out we’re up here messing around.” With a quick kiss, Noah makes his way outta the room, and I collapse back on the bed. Guess I’ll go for that shower. A really cold one.
The shower does its job in deflating my erection, but it doesn’t dim the need I have for more of Noah.
By the time I drag myself from the bathroom, I have to sneak into my room and hope Maddox and Damon don’t see me wrapped in a towel going between floors.
When I come downstairs, Maddox and Damon are making out on Noah’s couch with Noah nowhere to be seen. What are they, fucking teenagers? Not that I could say Noah and I wouldn’t be doing the same thing had they not turned up.
“Uh … hi?” I say, and my voice goes unnaturally high-pitched. “What, a week away together and you still can’t get enough of each other?”
Damon and Maddox jump apart. They’re both a burnt brownish-red color.
“Did you guys wear sunscreen at all while you were away?” I ask.
Maddox frowns.
“Where’s Noah?” I ask.
Maddox seems even more perplexed by that question, but I ignore him.
“Kitchen,” Damon says.
“Got me a contract yet?”
Damon cocks his head. “Really, man? I’ve been on vacation. Give me a week to get back into things.”
“Fine.” I make my way into the kitchen where Noah’s making the crappy coffee in his Keurig. He loves the stuff; I’d rather walk to the coffee shop up the street for the real coffee.
“I’m guessing you don’t want one?” he asks.
“No thanks. Need any help?”
“You can go talk to Damon if you need to get business out of the way.”
“Nah, they’re making out on the couch. No one needs to see that, so I’ll pretend I’m helping out in here.” I pull myself up on the spare part of the kitchen counter.
“We eat off that thing, you know,” Noah says.
I raise my eyebrow, because we both know we didn’t eat food on here yesterday when he was bent over it and I was fucking him. Apparently, Noah unpacking Chinese food is sexy. That, and I wanted to shut him up about how boring my brown rice and steamed chicken looked.
“Don’t look at me like that or there might be a repeat,” Noah says. “I don’t care who’s in the living room.”
“Pretty sure this won’t stay a secret if we were to do that.”
The heated stare he gives me has me not caring if Damon and Maddox were to walk in. That is, until Maddox actually walks in and our gazes break away from each other.
“Coffee ready?” Maddox asks.
“Yep,” Noah says and slides over a cup. He takes the other two into the living room, and I’m about to hop off the counter to follow him when Maddox’s hand hits the middle of my chest.
“Can I help you?” I ask.
He speaks low. “How long did you last before you fucked him?”
My face falls. “Huh?”
“Let’s see, you were walking around in a towel; I had to maul Damon on the couch so he didn’t see you. That could easily be dismissed if you were walking from the bathroom to your bedroom, but I’m pretty sure I saw you come from the third floor. Then, the first question you asked when you came down was about our trip, and the second was about Noah. That’s when I knew for sure you were doing him.”
“How?”
“I drove your car. I’m waiting for the questions about if I scratched it.”
“Did you scratch it?” I ask and try to hide the panic in my tone.
“No, but I was still expecting the questions. So, tell me. How long did you last?”
I hesitate, wondering if I should tell him the truth. “Three days.”
Maddox laughs. “I’m so disappointed in you. Three days? Three. It’s Noah.”
I slide off the counter. “There’s nothing wrong with Noah. And don’t say anything to your boyfriend about it because we were supposed to keep it professional.”
“Oops. It slipped in? Is that how it happened?”
I ignore him, and his laughter continues to follow me as I head back to the living room and take the single armchair.
“I have to say I’m impressed,” Damon says from the couch.
“Impressed?” I ask.
“Yeah, that you haven’t killed Noah yet.”
“It’s been really hard,” I say.
Maddox snorts behind me.
“Are you two coming tonight?” Damon asks.
“Tonight?” Noah and I say at the same time.
“Yeah, to that sports bar on Fifth. The usual people will be there. I figured Aron would’ve texted you.” Damon’s tone is half-fishing, half-accusatory, and I wonder how secret Aron and Noah’s tryst really is. He said they were friends, but I didn’t realize they still are or that they’re in the same group of friends. That makes things more difficult.
“Oh, right. That,” Noah says as if he were i
nvited. My guess is he wasn’t. “I might go. Matt’s going home to Philly today.”
“Maybe Matt can stay an extra night and come,” Maddox says, and again, I suspect he knows about Noah and Aron too. And now he knows Noah and I are … doing whatever it is we’re doing, maybe Maddox thinks I should be there. For some reason. I’m not sure. Noah’s contractually obligated to keep it in his pants, but if he wants to hook up with his ex, there’s not much I can do about that.
“I’d be cool with that,” Noah says. “If you want to come that is,” he says to me.
“To a sports bar?” I ask.
“It wouldn’t be a bad thing to have us photographed doing normal stuff.”
“Hanging out with friends isn’t exactly normal for me,” I say.
“That’s because you didn’t have friends until now,” Noah says.
Damon leans forward. “As long as you don’t get drunk or argue with Noah where anyone can hear it, it’ll be all right by your management team.”
“You’re my management team,” I say.
“Exactly. And I can keep an eye on you.”
“I guess I’ve got nothing better to do back in Philly.”
“He’s totally fallen in love with me,” Noah says. “Can you tell?”
Maddox and Damon snigger. “Guess we’ll see you both tonight,” Damon says and stands.
And I guess I’m going out with Noah and his ex tonight. This should be fun.
Chapter Ten
Noah
Inviting Matt tonight was a stupid thing to do, especially when I knew Aron would be here, but for some idiotic reason—I’m thinking my dick is responsible—I was focused on Matt staying another night and not the fact Aron is still pissed over how I ended things with him.
“On a scale of one to ten, how much is this Aron guy going to hate me?” Matt asks on our way into the bar. The paparazzi were surprisingly absent when we left the house, and they’re not here either. I’d like to think it’s because they’ve given up, but I think it’s more to do with the fact they have no idea where we are since we weren’t at the cruise terminal. That’ll change quickly considering we’re about to walk into a sports bar where Matt will no doubt be recognized.