Bored yet? not at all...
As the traffic eased to a halt at a pedestrian crossing, Noah snapped and did the only thing a man in his circumstances could be expected to do; given the surging adrenaline and hot blood being pulsing through his body, coupled with the proximity of this unpredictable wild creature he'd somehow allowed into his life.
He leaned across the central console, slid a hand around the back of Luke's head, meshing his fingers slightly in the silky weight of his hair to better angle Luke's astonished face; and took the slightly gapped lips between his own.
A faint hint of wine still clung to Luke's lips; making him all the more intoxicating. The warm sweetness of his breath as he gasped and sighed and made a little moaning noise before kissing him back, made Noah want him more. The feel of Luke, the rise of this response beneath Noah, suddenly stirred a much more primal urge to take him in a far more concrete way. To mark him. Noah had only known Luke for a handful of hours and yet he felt as if he'd been waiting much longer to kiss him.
Noah deepened the kiss, invaded the mouth, tasting Luke, driving into him. He told himself it was just sexual chemistry; it would burn out soon enough. But right now... Noah wanted Luke. He couldn't get enough and...
The blare of a car horn and Luke's jerking response had Noah releasing him. For a second he was caught in the wideness of Luke's stare; something somehow untamed.
"This isn't a good idea," he breathlessly blurted.
"No?" Luke responded.
The sadness that seeped into Luke's eyes took Noah by surprise and he felt oddly hopeful by it. He couldn't believe what he was thinking. He needed to take Luke home and then forget the whole thing. He would be lucky if nobody filmed the entire car incident on their cell phone.
Noah watched Luke running fingers through his hair, rubbing the spot where Noah's hand had been.
I must be out of my God Damn mind!
Luke seemed to realize what he was doing and pulled his hand back into his lap. The gesture made Noah smile. He would just see Luke home.
...
For a breathless moment, all Luke was able to do was hold still, drowning under the skilled pressure of Noah's lips, but he'd never been a passive lover and, with a little moan, he was meeting Noah's kiss in equal measure.
Apparently men, who caused chaos, didn't scare this guy away. Luke guessed not much could scare Noah. Confidence and certainty didn't seem to be a problem for the man.
When Noah's mouth released his, he found himself panting slightly. Luke hadn't been able to take his gaze off Noah as the blue eyes drifted over his face, down his body to his crotch.
"This isn't a good idea," Noah said, his voice rough.
A coldness swept over Luke's spine. "No?"
Noah smiled then, the brightness of his eyes clear even in the dimly lit car; the spell breaking as another car horn angrily blared at them.
"I think we can go," Luke said, nodding toward the windshield.
Noah shifted back into the driver's seat and set off. Luke watched the man's hands as they handled the vehicle with the same assuredness as they'd handled Luke's hair. Noah hadn't pulled so much as tugged, sending tiny darts of response shooting like arrows through Luke's body.
Luke threaded his own fingers through his hair, trying to recreate the feeling. He snatched his hands away when he realized how that must have seemed to Noah. He sat up a little straighter, feeling all loose and relaxed inside.
Somehow, Noah's action had deadened the knot of anxiety he'd been tied to for so long.
...
Noah killed the engine and without a word to Luke he was out of the car. There had been next to no conversation on the way up the hill; especially nothing regarding what they were doing, if Noah would be staying, where this was going...
Luke climbed out the car but his mind emptied and he remained glued to one spot.
"Shall we go inside?" Noah asked.
"Um..." he nodded, "Yeah. Yes."
Luke picked his way across the gravel, brain conjuring up a million possibilities that might happen when he let this man into his house. He unlocked the door and held it open for Noah to enter.
"Anyone else home?"
Luke shook his head. "Dad's truck isn't outside."
Noah's eyes found his. They were so close he could see the unusual darker rim around the blue irises. The man didn't kiss Luke as Luke wanted him too. But Luke was beginning to realize this man was anything but predictable. Noah was his own man in ways Luke hadn't quite encountered before and it was in equal measure confusing and unbearably exciting.
Noah turned from Luke; footsteps echoing on the stone floor of the entrance hall and Luke's heart and mood once again dipped slightly.
Almost as if reading Luke's mind, Noah stopped and turned to wait for Luke to catch up to him. As he shut the front door, Luke was aware all at once of this strong sensation of strength and solidity about Noah.
Luke's family always relied on him to be sensible; help on the farm, take care of his siblings. While Luke's previous boyfriends all seemed to rely on Luke to give them direction... and financial aid. No one had ever really made Luke feel...safe.
It was more than likely an illusion, Luke knew. Noah was a take-charge, organized kind of guy and he'd been sweet to Luke despite Luke's impulsive actions. No wonder Luke was having visions of emotional rescue.
Luke steered Noah through to the kitchen. Noah stood surveying the room with interest. As he wandered over the counter, Luke followed Noah's long muscled back with his eyes.
"Coffee pot?" Noah turned to ask.
"My... aren't we the eager domestic type?"
Noah shrugged. "Yeah! I'm a regular boy scout."
Luke began opening cupboards, retrieving ground coffee beans and pulling out the coffee maker.
"Cups?" Noah asked.
Luke pointed at one of the cupboards.
"You're very practice," Luke observed as Noah began to make the brew.
"I know how to make a cup of coffee."
"Your mother brought you up right then." Luke smiled.
"Mom died when I was three. Dad was military so not around much." Noah seemed to catch himself as though shocked by what he'd allowed to let slip.
Luke caught Noah's gaze. "Parents, hey?" he said shaking his head. "They sure know how to fuck up their kids."
"Yeah."
Luke noticed Noah spoke matter-of-factually; but could see the hard emotions playing over his face.
"So," Noah began, turning back to the coffee making and changing the subject. "I take it, since you admit you don't work for pay, that you live off Damian?" Noah leaned back against the counter, muscular arms folded across his chest.
"I was," Luke admitted, surprised he wasn't finding Noah's probing questions obtrusive. "But if you've read anything about the Grimaldis lately, you'll know there's not a cent left in the pot."
Noah nodded. "So what is your connection to the Grimaldis? I heard you call the man from this morning Dad? I mean I've seen enough news footage of Damian Grimaldi to know that man this morning standing in the driveway wasn't him."
"He's Holden Snyder,my mom's husband, and the man who raised me. Damian's my biological father. He and I were never close. As much as I would have liked us to be. He fluttered in and out of my life whenever the occasion suited him. Usually when he got bored of all his whores and wanted my mother back."
"I'm sorry."
Luke shrugged. "Like I said... parents... they mess you up."
"Yeah. I get that."
Noah did understand. It didn't really surprise Luke as much as it should have. Noah gave the impression of being quietly observant. He imagined this was as chatty as Noah got and decided to take that as a compliment.
"Did you every stay here as a kid?" Noah asked.
"Once or twice," Luke answered looking around. "When Mom was feeling sorry for Damian. Most of the time they used me as a weapon to hurt each other. Not intentionally." He quickly added when he saw Noah's eyebrows rise. "At least not on the part of my mother."
"And now Damian's in jail for corruption."
Luke nodded. "Amongst other things." He took the offered coffee mug Noah handed him."Before they captured him, Damian signed everything over to me thinking it would keep the State of California from confiscating it."
"He was wrong?"
"Oh yeah. . .big time! He was ordered to pay damages to anybody who could prove they were defrauded. By passing his wealth over to me, he inadvertently passed over his debts, too."
Noah took a sip of his coffee, peering at Luke over the rim of the mug. "I notice you call him by his first name."
"Well... he was never really a dad. What do you call your dad?"
"Nothing. He's dead."
"I'm sorry."
"Don't be."
Again Luke saw a flash of pain cross Noah's features. "Do you have siblings?"
"No. It's just me. You?"
Luke laughed. "You could say we are a bit of a brood!"
"Must be nice. Are you close to them?"
...
As Luke ran Noah through his various sibling relationships, Noah couldn't help but wonder when his decision to come inside and see where this led had turned into a scene of domesticity. Although he reckoned it could have been the look of uncertainty he saw in Luke's eyes, when the blonde stepped out of the Porsche.
For some reason what had flashed through his head was not the vision of Luke lying naked on a bed. Instead, it was the moment the man had stepped out into those traffic lanes and the three minutes it had taken off Noah's life.
There was something about Luke that gave Noah the impression he didn't really know how to be alone - how to look after himself. He suspected the little stunt played out into the street earlier tonight was just the tip of the iceberg. It should have been sending him in the other direction. With the media circus about to start up around the start up of his production company, his every move would be monitored. He'd be insane to bring something like this into his life, even for one night.
"Is this how you usually bag your one-nighters?" Luke inquired, tipping his chin, all signs of uncertainty once again gone. "Rescue them, drive them home and get them drunk on coffee?"
It was like Luke had read Noah's mind. He'd be busy for the next few months and he wasn't looking for a serious relationship. He was looking for what most men wanted - a hot blonde who discreetly disappeared the next morning. At dinner Noah had seriously considered this with Luke. Take the man somewhere extravagant, wine and dine him, enjoy the sweet sensual weight of him in his arms for the night...
He was seriously considering this again.
He watched Luke wonder over to the kitchen table and prop that sexy ass of his up on the distressed oak surface; legs dangling. He abandoned caution to the wind.
Luke was sipping his coffee, amber eyes busy on Noah. It might have been Noah's imagination, but Luke seemed to sit a little straighter, eyes growing warier the closer Noah got. Those expressive eyes did all the speaking for Luke.
He stopped in front of Luke. "I've been giving tonight some thought."
"Oh?"
"Are you busy this weekend?
Luke put down his coffee. "Me?"
Noah reached for Luke's hands, turning them over in his. He smiled when Luke let him. "Dinner?"
"Yes."
"In Paris?" He cleared his throat. "There's a restaurant in Montmartre." He named the famous chef.
...
Luke's eyes widened. "And you can arrange all that at such short notice?"
Noah shrugged.
Luke was impressed. He'd forgotten. Not only did Noah have money to burn, he was famous. Luke wished Noah would stop stroking his hands so that he could think. But, then again, he also wished Noah would never stop.
He tugged his hands away. "No. Not Paris."
The last thing Luke wanted was to wake up in a foreign hotel room on his own: or with a man who had taken what he wanted and was now nothing but a trip back home. Noah had already set the scene for this. Luke was just another trophy. No doubt Noah had a lot of those. But Luke would be damned to just sit on that shelf. He had seen Damian do that to countless women and it left Luke feeling cold.
No. If Noah wanted to pursue him, Luke was going to make him work at it.
...
"No?" Noah blinked. He couldn't remember a time any man had rejected his advances. "Can I ask why? Something personal? Or Paris?"
Noah regarded Luke's glossy hair, his slightly parted lips, his guarded eyes watching him.
"I'd be happy to go to dinner with you here in L.A," Luke slowly suggested.
So much for the disappearing hot blonde. Noah almost smiled. For some reason, Luke's behavior made Noah want him even more. Luke had put the brakes on and Noah could almost see the skid marks .
He didn't have to think about it. Any intention he'd had of a quick one night stand suddenly seemed downright wrong - dirty. Luke was clearly worth so much more than that. Despite his insecurity, the blonde set a high value on his own self-worth. And who was Noah to argue with that?
"L.A. it is then," he said. "I'll pick you up at eight."