Buzz (The Riley Brothers Book 1) (6 page)

Monday passed without word back on the offer. None of them expected to hear back until Tuesday, when the owner would have to accept or reject it. It was a frustrating distraction, but also good since Cam had his date that day.

He forgot about all his stresses when he spotted Noah waiting outside.

As always, he was
gorgeous
. His light blond hair was wispier, gelled up in a nice textured cut that Cameron kind of envied. He'd always kept his hair close-cropped to keep him safer in fights. He greeted Noah with a cheery, “Hey. Nice haircut – did you just get it done?”

Noah spun on his heel, then beamed. “Thanks! Yeah, I went out on my lunch break today,” he admitted, shifting from foot to foot. Adorable.

Cameron tried not to let on that he was just as nervous.

“Let's head in,” Cameron told him, opening the door to the trendy new bar and restaurant.

“You chose a good place,” Noah told him. They approached the maitre-d's station and waited for someone to seat them. “I come here sometimes after work.”

“Oh, yeah? You work nearby?”

“At the gallery just down the road.”

“The national gallery?” Cameron's eyebrows rose. “Nice.”

“Thanks,” Noah smiled.

“Evening, gentlemen. A table for two?” the waiter greeted as he approached.

Cameron nodded. “Thanks.”

They followed along to a cozy, romantic private corner booth with a lit candle on the table. “Will this do?”

“Great, thanks,” Cameron approved. Had the waiter guessed that it was a date?

“Let me run over the specials with you.”

After hearing about a warm cheesy chicken pasta, Cameron safely tuned out. His mind was made up. He asked for something local on tap, and Noah guided his choice.

Once they had their beers and were settling back in the booth, they finally got a proper chance to see each other.

Noah had a delicate build with a thin face, full lips, thick brows, and a beautiful angular jaw. Jesus, he looked like a model.

Cameron's heart skipped a beat. He was a sucker for a pretty face like anyone else, as much as he was trying not to make this about a rebound. Noah had been studying him at the same time, and Cameron wondered what he saw and if he liked it.

“So,” Noah broke the silence with a smile. “How was your day?”

“Uneventful,” Cameron admitted. “I was waiting around all day in case a real estate agent called...”

“Oh, are you house hunting?”

“My brothers and I found these properties we think are great,” Cameron told him. “We should hear back by tomorrow, and I fly out Thursday to pack up and move out of Toronto.”

“So you're coming here,” Noah said with a marveling smile. “What a time to run into you.”

“Yeah, I know,” Cameron chuckled. “It's kinda nice. I'm not moving here knowing nobody.”

“Are you from around here? I'm not,” Noah admitted. “My uncle wound up moving here to buy a business about a decade ago, but I was born in Alberta and raised in Ottawa.”

“Oh? I'm from here, yeah. How'd you end up in Ottawa?”

“My parents' jobs.”

Cameron liked the smoothness on his palate followed by a hint of a bitter twist at the end of his beer. It wasn't the bland stuff he drank at team parties just to get drunk. “What do they do? Or did they do?”

“My mom was an art gallery curator.”

“Oh, so you're following in her footsteps,” Cameron smiled. That rang a bell. “Hey, are you curating a show at the arena?”

“That's the one! You heard?”

“Saw it in the paper.”

Noah pumped a fist and Cameron laughed, nearly spilling his beer from surprise. “Sorry,” Noah blurted, holding out a hand to steady the glass.

Their fingers brushed.

Cameron's hand burned, a tingle shooting straight up his arm. His heart squeezed with warmth and even his thighs tingled, a shiver running down his spine.

Holy shit, they had chemistry.

Noah's lips were parted as he drew his hand back slowly and sat straight again, their eyes locking.

Fuck, he had pretty eyes.

“Well,” Cameron chuckled under his breath. Better to acknowledge the moment than pretend it hadn't happened.

“Yeah.”

“I'm trying to be good,” Cameron admitted, bracing his elbows on the table. “I mean, I was never the type to just... you know, go home with anyone... but I broke up not long ago.”

Understanding flickered across Noah's face, but instead of being wary, he just smiled. “Aw. Yeah, I get it. Sorry.”

“No, it's fine. That's part of coming back home. I'm moving out of the place I was living with my ex. But I don't want to dump all that on you.”

“Were you living together for a long time?”

Thank God, no.
“No. The last year, off and on, but only steady for the last two months,” Cameron told him. “But we're through now for sure,” he assured Noah. “It wasn't working out. I want something more... mature, but it doesn't have to be right away.”

Noah nodded along. Those sweet dark eyes flickered between Cameron's as he fidgeted with the hair at the back of his neck with a couple fingers. His wrist bent loosely across his shoulder. The intense focus of his gaze made Cameron almost trip over his tongue.

“What about you?”

“I've been single for about a year and a half, I guess.”

“Is that a long time for you, or are you the infrequent dater?” Cameron asked.

“I... well, I dated through college, and then I sort of stopped when I got here. Like I said, I tried to go on dates but nobody here wanted to come out, and those who're out already have boyfriends.”

Cameron nodded. “It was a lot like that growing up, but even more strict. Things are better now. But after Ottawa...”

“Exactly,” Noah chuckled. “But I like it here. The slow town pace... there's just something enchanting, you know?”

Cameron nodded. He would have nodded even if he had no idea what Noah meant, his voice was so persuasive in its subtle, gentle tones. “What about family? Mine are all here. Yours still in Ottawa?”

“Yeah,” Noah sighed. “That's my one regret. We haven't always got on perfectly, but things have been better lately. But I had to come out here for my career. Curation jobs don't always open up, especially in the capital.”

Cameron didn't notice time passing, their conversation was so smooth. Over supper, they talked about Noah's experiences at the art gallery and Cameron's memories of the city.

It was just
easy
to spend time with Noah. He kept thinking about how much he wanted to crowd into Noah's space and pin him against the bedroom wall and kiss him so slowly he begged for it...

Heat staining his cheeks, Cameron pulled himself out of the thought to choose a dessert.

By the time they were done, they were loose and relaxed around each other. They joked easily and brushed their hands together as they left the restaurant.

Noah was nice and normal – especially compared to certain exes. He was sweet, career-driven, loyal to his family, a little self-absorbed about his appearance, but clever when it came to art. Cam had no idea what he meant when he talked about trends and movements, but he tried to learn.

For his part, Noah could hardly keep his eyes off Cameron, either.

As they reached the sidewalk, Cameron cleared his throat. “So, you've got work in the morning, huh? I should walk you home. You live nearby?”

“Yes. Oh, that's
sweet
!” Noah's lisp was so strong even Cameron had to laugh. Noah joined in with a sheepish expression.

“The lisp's cute,” Cameron assured him. “Not something you hear around here a lot. I
can
use it, I just... you know. Don't.”

“Gay as the day is bright,” Noah shrugged with a carefree smile at Cameron. He nodded down the street towards his house and they started to walk. “I like it that way.”

Cameron glanced over. He'd been contented to spend years in that space between the closet and public knowledge, but Noah faced things he didn't every day. At least Fredericton was better now. Jackson had gotten suspended four times one school year while he paved the way for Cam's class. “Yeah? You don't ever get annoyed with people... I don't know, assuming things?”

“Of course. They assume things when they look at you, too, don't they? That you're a big, fit, straight guy with a sweet girlfriend... you work on a farm or the oil rigs...”

“I hope not,” Cameron laughed with surprise. Before he even drew breath, Noah's hand was slipping into his. His heart squeezed as he laced his fingers with the thinner ones between his own. Noah's hand was cold, and he wanted to radiate warmth even as his skin tingled with pleasure at the contact. “Yeah. That's true.” It was a weird conversation for a first date, but he appreciated Noah's direct, sly humor.

“So, you're not closeted, or...?”

“No,” Cameron assured him. “My family all know. I've always been kinda quiet at work, but not because I'm hiding. Everyone knows. I think they just don't want to make comments because I'm usually bigger than them. Then they stopped caring.” He'd been one of the bigger, tougher guys on the team. It had only taken a couple months for the mildly homophobic bros to learn better.

They turned the corner towards the graveyard and cut through it.

“That's good,” Noah approved. “So, why leave Toronto if you don't have a job lined up here?”

“I want to be around my family. I've got some savings so I can float 'til I find something. I'm a decent carpenter so I can find work through my brother's business if I have to. If the beekeeping thing with your uncle works out, so much the better. I have some skills I can teach. I'll figure things out,” Cameron told him with a confident smile, and Noah mirrored it.

“It's nice to be around a guy who isn't moping about work, you know.”

“Yeah, the same about you,” Cameron agreed. “Hearing you talk about the... post-Atlantic-fishery periods, or whatever...”

“Close enough,” Noah chuckled as he squeezed Cameron's hand. They waited to cross the street on the other side of the little park. “I'm glad it's not too nerdy.”

“Nah,” Cameron assured him.

“I live right over there.”

“Cute little house,” Cameron approved. It was only a fifteen-minute walk from Jackson's place and ten minutes from the potential new house. Noah's white-sided house had a small front yard and three floors. “An apartment?”

“Nope, the whole thing.”

“Cool.” They crossed the street to stand in front of the stairs, still holding hands. Cameron finally moved to drop Noah's hand and face him. “Man, this was a great first date.”

“Wasn't it?” Noah agreed, his teeth flashing in a sincere smile. “I liked it, too.” Noah looked him up and down.

Cameron's groin tingled with the desire to slip his hands around Noah's narrow waist and down his straight hips to the curve of his ass.

It wasn't his imagination: Noah's breathing was heavy. His gaze slid down to Cameron's lips and he licked his own in a clear invitation.

Cameron leaned in, cupping Noah's cheek in his palm as their lips met for the first time.

Oh, fuck.
He wanted to turn their fascination with each other in conversation to curiosity about each other's bodies and pleasures...

Noah's lips pressed hard against his. When his tongue pressed at Cam's lips, Cameron plunged his tongue into Noah's mouth and Noah moaned under his breath.

Smooth hands cupped Cameron's face in a clear signal not to pull back. Cameron stepped closer instead, slotting his thigh between Noah and pressing their chests together.

“Mm,” Cameron murmured, pulling back from the kiss for long enough to catch his breath and make eye contact. He wanted to make sure Noah was good with this.

Noah was
more
than good with this. His breathing was harsh, his body angled towards Cameron's. His eyes were wide and dark with hunger. Cameron loved the pink flush across Noah's cheeks, and it was easy to feel his grip on the back of Cameron's neck.

Noah yanked Cameron back in to kiss him. Cameron laughed with surprise before warm lips sensually slid against his own again. They breathed together through their noses, their bodies melting together in the cool spring evening.

Cameron's cock hardened in his jeans. Noah's hands were wandering and it made his stomach clench with arousal.

The images flashing through his mind were hard to control. This man was a goddamn great kisser. Noah's lips pinched around Cameron's lower lip to suck it before letting it gradually pop free from the kiss.

Cameron yearned for an invitation inside, but this
wasn't
a rebound. He had to control himself.

When Cameron finally pulled back, sparks still flew between them. Noah's eyes were on Cam's lips like he wanted to lean in for a third round.

It was a sentiment Cameron shared. This was the hottest chemistry he'd felt for
years
.