A Younger Man (47 page)

Zane perked up as if Noah had just offered him the keys to a castle. “I like that.” Up on tiptoes, he settled his arms around Noah’s shoulders and looked up with adoration in his eyes. “I even know what we can all cook together.”

“Oh yeah?” His arm around Zane’s waist, Noah lifted the smaller man for a fast kiss. “Are you going to be the king of the kitchen in our household?” he asked, wearing a mock scowl and glare.

Zane smirked right back. “I’ve seen what passes as an acceptable meal to you, and I’ve seen what you keep in your fridge when I’m not there to stock it. You’re damn straight I’m in charge of the kitchen.” Stepping back, moving toward the hallway, Zane waggled his brows and openly leered at Noah. “Your only job is to sit at my table every night and look pretty for me.”

Following his man, Noah barked with laughter. “I love it. Nobody has ever called me pretty before.”

All the teasing slid out of Zane’s eyes. “You’re more than pretty, Noah. You’re downright beautiful.” A sudden huskiness filled Zane’s voice, and his stare burned with desire and love. “Both inside and out.”

Noah shuddered. Christ, until he’d met this man, Noah had never trembled so much under someone’s gaze and touch. “Fucking hell, honey.” An extra layer of rust coated Noah’s tone, but he couldn’t control that either. With a soft curse, he swooped past Zane, grabbing his hand as he did, and started dragging him toward the porch. “Let’s go home before you achieve a miracle and make me hard enough to drag you down to this floor and have my way with you again.”

“Home.” Catching up to walk alongside Noah, Zane tugged against Noah for long enough to close and lock the door. “I like the sound of that.”

Noah damn well did too. “Let’s go.”

Hands linked together in a gripping hold, they walked around the lake toward their family and future.

Epilogue

So excited he could barely hold still long enough to put the car in park and turn off the engine, Zane popped out of the driver side door like a kernel of corn finally bursting into a piece of popcorn.

Zane ran toward the cabin, itching to tell Noah his good news. As his foot hit the first step the gruffest, sexiest voice he’d ever known halted his ascent. “I’m in the water, honey!” With a spin toward the lake, Zane homed in on Noah treading water a dozen feet out from the dock. “It’s gorgeous today. Come join me.”

Holy God.
Zane’s breath caught, and his heart immediately began to hammer with a different kind of desire. Water hid most of Noah’s body from Zane’s view, but sunlight seemed to beam directly down on him, as if it couldn’t stay away from his perfection, and highlighted his broad tan shoulders and chest. The natural light showed every hard line of Noah’s handsome face in a way that made him even sexier, although Zane did not know how such a feat was possible. Zane’s cock throbbed in response, as it always did when he got in sight of Noah.

They’d been together for just over a year—living together now for four months—and in that time Zane’s passion and ardor for this man had only grown. The depth of love that consumed Zane whenever he merely thought about Noah, let alone got close to him, sank somehow deeper into his bones—his very marrow—with every day they added to their relationship. Patience had definitely been needed in regard to the kids, but they were all in a good place now, most of the time anyway. Duncan and Hailey now accepted Noah as an extension of Zane and gave him the same love and respect they did to Zane. And at Zane’s side—reluctantly at first—Matt had discovered an interest in food that had allowed him to bond with Zane in a way the boy hadn’t anticipated. Seth spent most of his time at school in Raleigh, but he’d been cool with Noah and Zane as a couple from the start. Even Noah’s mother and father accepted and cared for Zane and his siblings now too. And best of all, Noah had his father back in his life, with all the love and respect he’d missed for such a long period of time after coming out of the closet. Zane could not be happier for his man—or for himself.

A year and a half ago Zane never would have believed a future like this was meant for him, but these days he couldn’t wait to wake up every morning. Of course back then he never could have dreamed he would have met a man like Noah, let alone fallen in love with him or have the privilege of sharing a life with such a beautiful person.

A life. My life. Our life.
In a shot, Zane’s news came rushing back to him and snapped him out of his stupor.
I can’t wait to tell him!

“Noah!” Like a giddy kid, Zane kicked off his shoes and began running toward the lake at breakneck speed. He tore out of his shirt and left that on the grass, but didn’t get a single other stitch of clothing off as he shouted, “I got it!” and flung himself off the edge of the dock, straight into Noah’s open arms.

*

Noah caught Zane to him, holding onto the slighter man tightly as they whooshed backward with momentum and dipped under the water. Instinct made Noah close his eyes and hold his breath, but as they broke the surface Zane sputtered and coughed in Noah’s face. Water ran in rivulets from Zane’s soaked hair down his cheeks.

“Are you okay?” Concern filled Noah’s core. He pushed Zane’s hair back, wiped at his face, and kept him above water with an arm anchored around his waist. “You came at me with a ton more speed than you ever have before.”

Zane coughed again, but said, “I’m fine. It’s okay.” He finally took a clean breath, and when he did, his eyes lit like the moon reflecting off clear water; he squeezed Noah’s shoulders while bouncing up and down against Noah’s waist. “I got it, Noah.” He squealed like a little kid getting a rare, coveted, full-size candy bar while trick or treating. “I got it.”

Puzzled, Noah started using his legs to push them toward the dock. “Got what?”

Zane laughed and rolled his eyes. “I know, right? Duh. Sorry. It’s just I wasn’t expecting it so fast either. That’s why I’m so excited.” He bounced against Noah in the most delicious way once more. “Right before I left the restaurant today, Violet pulled me into her office and offered me a full-time job, officially training under Mickey.” Giving Noah a fast hug, Zane added, “She told me Mickey says he needs me there full time if she expects me to be ready to take over his job in a few years. Mickey wants to retire in two years, Noah,” Zane practically vibrated in Noah’s arms as he shared his news, “and he and Violet both want me to have his job when he does.”

Zane’s excitement made Noah’s heart melt right into the water. “That’s fantastic, baby.” He brushed his knuckles against Zane’s cheek, and his voice cracked. “I’m so proud of you.”

“There’s even more,” Zane went on, animated as all get out. “I not only get full time at the restaurant now, but I get a raise in my hourly wage to go along with those hours. And when I take over for Mickey I get even more because I get a salary with holiday bonuses and benefits.” Zane wrapped his arms and legs around Noah and shook him wildly. “Can you believe it?”

Noah nodded, and another lump filled his throat. “Christ, look at me,” he said, chuckling. He goddamn had tears in his eyes. “I’m so fucking happy for you, Zane.” His feet hitting rocks under the water, right beside the dock, Noah crushed Zane to him in a suffocating hug. Pressing a kiss to Zane’s ear, he said roughly, “I know you didn’t talk about this possibility of one day taking over Mickey’s job much. I know you didn’t want to jinx it, but I know how much you wanted this.” Noah grazed kisses down Zane’s cheek to his lips and gave him another soft peck. Noah could not look away from the pure joy glittering in Zane’s stare. “It’s your dream coming true, honey. Nobody deserves this more than you.”

“When Violet told me, the first thing I wanted to do was come home and tell you.” Resting his elbows on Noah’s shoulders, Zane absently played his fingertips around the shells of Noah’s ears and into his hair. “Seeing you happy for me makes me even happier.”

“I’m thrilled for you,” Noah promised, the vow resonating in his core. “I don’t even have the words.”

“Violet wants me to start as soon as I can, but I told her I wouldn’t leave you high and dry without an assistant.” Zane’s features turned sober. “That means you need to start looking for another employee. I’m going to stay with you until you find someone you like and trust.” Zane suddenly changed from playing to pulling Noah’s hair, putting their faces close enough to make their noses touch. “Don’t feel like you have to rush for me.”

Zane’s earnest and faithful nature flooded Noah’s heart with warmth. “Don’t worry about me. Seth will be home next week. He’ll be with us for a while, so he can take over the part-time work you’ve been doing until I find someone else.” Noah licked the tip of Zane’s nose, catching a droplet of water on his tongue. “You let Violet know you can go full time right away.”

A huge grin lit Zane’s entire face, but then a softness suddenly misted his eyes. “I’ll miss our lunches together in the clearing.” In his gaze lived dozens of memories of make-out sessions, including dozens more consummations when they hadn’t been able to put the brakes on their passion.

“Yeah,” Noah lifted a brow, proposing a little fun in that one move, as his prick began to stir in his swim trunks, “but now that we’re open and together, we have all kinds of time to make out.” Already slipping into the sweetest desire he’d ever known, Noah hoisted Zane out of the water and laid him out on a towel on the dock. He came down on top of his partner—the man who owned his heart; there wasn’t really an adequate word for what Zane meant to Noah—and brushed a soft kiss across his warm lips. “The kids won’t be home all night,” Noah reminded Zane as he settled into the V of his parted thighs. Christ, how he loved lying tangled with his man.

“Mmm…” Zane drew Noah down until their lips met. He licked with delicious intent against the parted seam. “Remind me to thank your mom and dad for taking all of them for the weekend.”

Noah groaned and bit playfully at Zane’s mouth. “Unless you want to kill my growing hard-on,” he rocked evidence of his thickening erection against the bulge pushing in Zane’s wet pants, “let’s not talk about them right now.”

With a murmured, “I definitely wouldn’t want to do that,” Zane wound his arms around Noah’s waist and rocked up against him. He parted his lips and invited Noah inside for a deep kiss.

Noah took Zane’s mouth slow and easy, knowing he had a world of time to warm the man up to a point where he was clawing and scratching Noah’s back to shreds in between pleas to make their bodies one. They often still fucked with frenetic speed and force and aggression; the power and passion behind those bouts of mating made it feel as if each of those times they came together was the first time all over again, as if they feared they might never get the opportunity to enter the other person’s body again. But every once in a while now, they would understand and remember they had forever together. On those occasions, if they had the cabin to themselves, they could now maintain enough control to drag out their lovemaking for hours on end. Today Noah wanted to keep Zane on the dock, under him, writhing and pleading for Noah to make him come, for as long as he could. Noah didn’t want to stop pleasuring his man until the sun went down, crickets began to sing around them, and the mosquitoes and lightning bugs drove them inside. Then Noah wanted to carry Zane to their bed and start all over again.

With every gentle bite Noah put on Zane’s lips, he flicked his tongue into the man’s mouth for a quick taste of his unique honey. He braced an elbow on the dock and lifted up a bit to push his hand between their bodies. “I need you naked under me.”

As Noah began to fumble with undoing Zane’s wet pants, Zane murmured, “Noah, you feel so good.” He started a rhythm of lifting his hips to rub their cocks together. “I need all of you too.” He scratched his fingers down the small of Noah’s naked back and pushed them under Noah’s shorts. The trunks hung low on Noah’s hips anyway, and Zane easily eased them down past Noah’s thighs. Sunlight immediately warmed Noah’s bared buttocks, but Zane quickly cupped the hills of flesh and squeezed. He slipped his thumbs into the crease, and a little bit of Noah’s control flew away.

“Christ.” Noah hummed, and he lifted his ass into Zane’s kneading massage. “I love when you do that.” His passage squeezed, needy already, and his dick lifted higher against his belly.

Beneath him, Zane looked up, a twinkle full of lustful cheekiness in his eyes. “I know.”

Noah dipped down to nip Zane in retaliation when a piercing whistle broke through the afternoon air.

“Nice ass, Maitland!” followed in an annoyingly familiar voice.

Noah jerked his head up, glanced to the side, and growled. Yep, he knew that voice and wolf whistle. Grey stood on the pebbled path to his and Sirus’s cabin, a grocery bag in one hand, openly giving Noah a thumbs-up with the other.

Son of a bitch.
Noah shot the asshole, who was actually now one of his dearest friends, the finger. “Fuck you, Cole! Go away!” Noah and Zane had discussed how quiet it was this weekend with the other three cabins on the lake empty, but apparently they weren’t as alone as Noah had thought. Sirus appeared too. He moved off the path, away from a car, a bag in his arm too, and waved at Noah and Zane.

Jesus fucking shit.
Noah dropped his forehead to rest against Zane’s and shook his head.

Zane pecked a kiss to Noah’s lips and chuckled. “Don’t worry about Grey.” His gaze slipped from humorous to downright sinful. He began rocking up into Noah once more and teasing his thumbs along the crack of Noah’s ass. “We’re all right where we are. Sirus has enough manners to drag Grey away.”

Slipping under the enticing spell of this man once more, Noah groaned as he stole another kiss. “Good point. I don’t care what they’re doing right now anyway.” Even as Noah said that, from his peripheral vision, he was grateful to see Sirus hauling Grey toward their cabin. “I only want to focus on celebrating you.” With that, Noah went back to working open Zane’s pants.

The moment Noah slipped his hand inside Zane’s underwear and stroked his shaft, Zane moaned. He arched under Noah and stretched his arms above his head against the dock. “Do whatever you want with me.” Zane looked up at Noah, and in his gaze Noah could see pure love emanating from his soul. “I’m all yours.”