Page 11 of Risky Taste
“So? You gonna tell me what happened up there?” Declan muses, stuffing another one of those candy cigarettes into his mouth.
“He’s going through a rough time.” I run my hands through my hair, not wanting to rehash the few details Sebastian slipped me before telling me that Noah was safe. “His best friend took his own life and Heath is gone.”
Declan pushes off the wall. “Ronny’s gone? Fucking hell and Heath? I never liked that fucker anyway.” I had no idea he evenknew about Ronny but it seems that we all kept some kind of tabs on Noah.
My friend’s eyes darken a few shades as he angrily crunches on the rest of his candy, his fists tightening at his sides. I don’t expect that reaction because while Heath never fit into our mold, I didn’t particularly have any thoughts about him. “Something you want to share with the class?” I ask, turning to face the guy.
“Just that Heath didn’t treat Noah very well. Shit, don’t look at me like that. That black eye before we left—”
Declan doesn’t even finish his sentence before I whip around and thrust him against the wall, squeezing his neck roughly. “The fuck did you say? Heath was—fuck—abusing Bunny?”
I release him immediately, stumbling back, realizing two things. One, those lingering feelingsdefinitelyhaven’t gone anywhere, despite how many times I have tried to kick them to the curb.
And two, I just uttered our pet name for Noah aloud. It had been a stupid, silly thing in college, the way that Noah was all wide-eyed and soaked up every bit of information he could. He was so easily excited with a damn smile that could light up the room. I think we called him that once or twice before our connection fizzled out and we started spending more time with Kurt.
Declan blinks a few times and then lets out a deep breath. “We’re in deep shit, aren’t we?”
“No,” I spit out.
“Yeah, ok. Says the guy who said our sacred word out loud. Kurt’s going to have a heart attack.”
My eyes widened. “You’re not going to tell him.”
“Excuse me? That’s his brother!”
I shake my head, knowing that if we spill all this shit to Kurt, including that we are in love with his brother, we’ll all be on the fast track to hell. Not to mention that I have no idea how Noahis going to cope with all this shit. He is barely coping now. This probably goes against bro code and every unspoken rule in the book, but I’m leaning on the side of not caring.
“We’re not telling Kurt anything. We talk with Noah, figure out where we stand, and then he can share that shit by himself. I’m not ruining him like that. Don’t ask, Declan. You didn’t see the pain in his face when I went upstairs. He’s had his heart broken one too many times, and fuck, I’m not going to add to that list.”
Declan nods and I step back, silently apologizing but he just shrugs it off. “I do wonder how he’s going to take all this, though. Telling him that three men are in love with him? Did you not think about that part? Because Beast is currently with him and whatever we had in college, while we might want to restart where we left off, I’m not entirely sure Noah is a three-man kind of guy.”
I hadn’t really thought about that aspect. It just always made sense in my head. Sebastian, Declan, and I do almost everything together. Whether it’s circling Kurt, trying to find a house together, or thinking about the forbidden fruit—our best friend’s little brother. Never in all that did it occur to me that Noah might not be ready for what we’re offering.
But hell, I’m hoping he is.
Chapter seven
NOAH
Waking up in Sebastian’s arms is a fleeting slice of heaven. His warmth seeps into my skin, his steady breaths stirring the curls at the back of my neck. For a moment, I forget the wreckage of my life. The ache in my chest. The hollowed-out shell I’ve become. Then a brutal knock shatters it all, Kurt’s rough voice following.
“Yo, sleepy head. Why aren’t you up yet?” He jiggles the handle and on finding it locked, a sharp laugh barrels through the door. “Since when do we lock doors? Baby bro, open up.”
The blood drains from my face and I lurch upright, sheets tangling around my legs as I fight to scramble from the bed. Sebastian stirs beside me, his movements less hurried, a sleepy kiss landing on my forehead. The gesture is tender, achingly so, but it does nothing to rid the panic currently surging through me.
I’m on the verge of freaking out, but Sebastian just slides from the bed and saunters toward the bathroom without a flicker of concern. I stare at him, jaw slack, both of us stark naked and exposed should Kurt find his way in here.
Last night, I needed the comfort Sebastian offered and I can’t deny that I loved it but Kurt can’t find him here.
However, there are two unbearable truths in this moment. One: Kurt is a relentless bastard who’ll pick the lock without a second thought if I don’t open my door. Two: Sebastian doesn’t seem to give a damn. He’s calm, almost infuriatingly so, as if he’s telling me that regardless of what my brother says and does, he still wants me.
That the only threat to this thing between him and me, is myself.
“Bast!” My whisper is a frantic hiss, barely audible over the sudden roar of the shower. What the fuck is he doing? I stumble toward the bathroom, panic clawing at my chest.
Sebastian turns just as I reach him, his hand shooting out to grip my wrist. He yanks me inside the bathroom with a force that steals my breath, the door thudding shut behind us. Before I can protest, he pins me against it, his body a solid wall of heat and muscle. Every hard ridge presses into me, his chest against mine, his thighs caging my hips, his thickening length nudging my stomach. The sensation is overwhelming, a cruel tease against the terror spiraling in my gut.
“Deep breaths, Noah.” His voice rumbles through his chest, the sound vibrating through mine.
