Fearless (Pier 70 #2) (30 page)

“I can’t believe you stole that from me.” Noah had wondered what had happened to that ring. He hadn’t been sure whether Dare had kept it or ditched it somewhere along the way.

“Marry me,” Dare repeated, his tone serious. “We can be Davis-Pearson.”

“Why not Pearson-Davis?” He was teasing Dare. He honestly didn’t care; he was merely buying time to keep from crying. This was more than he’d ever expected, more than he probably deserved.

“Fine. We can be Pear-vis.”

Noah cupped Dare’s cheek, still staring down at him. His heart smiled. “Of course I’ll marry you.”

Instead of putting the chain around Noah’s neck, Dare put it around his own.

“Ask a guy to marry you and
you
get the ring, huh?”

“That’s the way it works,” Dare noted.

Helping Dare to his feet, Noah pulled him into his arms. “I love you. Even if you are crazy.”

“Speaking of crazy…” Dare chuckled. “It’s time to go meet Grams.”

Forty-One

Dare was giddy. It was a strange feeling, one he hadn’t had in years, but he couldn’t help it. As he directed Noah on how to get to Grams’s house, he was practically bouncing in the seat, likely driving Noah crazy. They were buying a freaking house. Together.

And they were going to be hyphenated.

Holy shit.

“Since we’re offering full asking price, you think we’ll get the house?” he asked Noah.

“Let’s hope so. The sellers seem eager, so hopefully it won’t be a problem.”

“Are there any other offers?”

“Not that she knows of.”

Dare wanted that house. Mostly because Noah wanted that house. Oh, and also because it was on the lake.

“What is your grandmother going to say when she finds out you’re engaged to be married?”

Dare glanced over at Noah. He forced his expression to be serious. “Well, I’m sure she’s going to sit you down and ask you a million questions. I’m sure she figures she has the right to interrogate the man I’m going to marry.” It wasn’t true, but he loved seeing the panic etched on Noah’s face.

“Like, what sort of questions?”

“Oh, she’ll want to know what your intentions are, how much money you make, how long you’ve been a firefighter, where you see yourself in five years.”

“Those aren’t too bad.”

“That’s only the beginning.” Dare fought to keep from smiling. “She’ll want to know about your family, whether you’ve ever owned any animals, if you prefer to be on the lake or on the shore. She’ll ask your penis size.”

Noah’s head snapped over, his eyebrows slanting.

Dare laughed, feeling even lighter than before.

“You’re fucking with me, right?”

“Oh,” Dare sobered. “And she’ll also want to know how many times a day you plan to play slap and tickle with me.”

Noah snorted.

“I think you should say at least three, but more than likely four.” Dare reached over and took Noah’s hand. This time, he responded seriously. “She’ll love you, Noah. As much as I do. You have nothing to worry about.”

“Thank God.”

“As long as she took her medication.”

Noah grimaced.

“Kidding.” Dare didn’t bother to tell him that she really would probably say slap and tickle at least a dozen times while they were there. He figured he’d let that part be a surprise.

When they pulled into the driveway, Dare noticed Grams sitting on the porch, a huge grin growing on her aging face as she recognized them.

“God, I hope she likes me,” Noah muttered as he got out of the truck.

Dare knew she would like him. Hell, she would love him.

Didn’t mean she wouldn’t give him a hard time. After all, Dare hadn’t been born with his witty personality and wicked sense of humor. He’d gotten them from her.

Knowing Noah was nervous, Dare took his hand as they made their way up onto the porch. Without releasing him, Dare leaned down and planted a kiss on Grams’s smooth cheek.

“Grams, this is Noah. Noah, this is Grams.”

His grandmother’s blue eyes raked ever so slowly over Noah as she took him in. Dare figured she was trying to determine her first impression.

“Nice to meet you…” Noah trailed off, glancing over at him with an expression of terror.

“You can call me Grams,” she said, drawing Noah’s attention back to her. “No need for formalities.” She nodded toward their clasped hands. “If you’re good enough for my boy to bring you here to meet me, you’re good enough to call me Grams.”

Dare smiled. Not once in his life had he ever introduced his grandmother to a guy he’d dated. Not even Noah. So, she was right.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Grams.” Noah’s voice shook with nerves, which was oddly endearing.

“Nice to finally meet the boy who’s been playing slap and tickle with my Dare.”

Noah turned several shades of red. Dare couldn’t help but pull him close and kiss him quickly. “See, I told you she’d love you.”

“Now where’s my food?” Grams asked, watching the two of them closely.

Another horror-stricken look took over Noah’s face. “You didn’t tell me we were supposed to bring food.”

“She’s kidding,” he assured him, laughing. “Come on, Grams. Let’s feed him before he has a heart attack.”

Dare helped Grams get to her feet, then followed her inside.

“While I get the sandwiches ready, why don’t you show this sweet boy your old bedroom.”

“Grams…” He drew the single word out into a whine. He had absolutely no intention of showing Noah that room. Shit. He’d forgotten all about it.

“Hush that. Go show him.”

Crap. She wasn’t asking, she was telling, and Dare knew better than to ignore a command from Grams.

Now Dare was the one feeling a little awkward, while Noah was grinning from ear to ear.

It was definitely better when he wasn’t the one in the hot seat.

Based on Dare’s horrified expression, whatever was in that room was a doozy. Noah wasn’t sure he’d ever seen Dare that panicked before, which only made him want to know why.

“Seriously, we don’t have to do this,” Dare muttered as Noah followed him out of the kitchen. “You can pretend you saw it and she’ll never know.”

“That’s not happening.” He had to know what was hidden in that room, what Dare didn’t want him to see.

Noah couldn’t hide his curiosity as Dare led him down the dark, narrow hallway toward the doors at the far end. As soon as Grams had mentioned the bedroom, Dare had gone a little pale. Now he wanted to know why.

Before Dare opened the door, he turned to face Noah.

“Keep in mind, I moved out of her house right after you and I broke up. I couldn’t bring myself to sleep in this room anymore. Plus, I needed some space from everyone. She has never changed anything about my bedroom in all the time I’ve been gone.” Dare’s hand tightened on the doorknob. “In my defense, that was fifteen years ago.”

Noah smirked. “What? Are you embarrassed?”

“You don’t know the half of it.”

Dare opened the door and allowed Noah to walk around him into the room.

“Holy shit,” Noah whispered. “Obsessive much?”

“Shut it.”

Dark blue curtains covered two long windows, while a twin bed sat in the far corner, the comforter neatly covering the mattress—he figured there were some things Grams had changed about the room in the past decade and a half. The carpet was clean, as were all the surfaces. A small television sat on top of the dresser and a lamp sat on the desk.

Those weren’t what caught Noah’s attention, though.

He stepped farther into the room, taking it all in before he turned back toward the desk. Covering nearly every bit of wall space above the small desk were pictures of Noah. Some including Dare, others of only him. There were so many that it was clear Dare had taken a lot when they’d been together. Noah couldn’t remember Dare ever having a camera, but clearly the guy had.

It was a trip down memory lane. There was a picture of them at the party where they’d met. Others of them playing whatever sport had attracted them at the time—soccer, football, baseball. There were smaller pictures of only Noah, some of him standing around, a lot of them in his apartment. He could probably relive all the months they’d been together if he took the time to look at each and every one.

He was about to give Dare a hard time when he leaned in closer, noticing that the largest of the pictures—the one pinned in the center of them all—had words written at the bottom.

There was an arrow pointing toward Noah’s face and red ink scribbled inside a circle:
This guy. The man I intend to spend the rest of my life with. He makes up for all the love my life has been lacking. And then some.

Noah felt the pressure of tears on his sinuses.

He turned to look at Dare. For the first time in his life, Dare appeared to be embarrassed. He was staring at the floor, and he looked so incredibly vulnerable in that moment that Noah couldn’t stop himself from grabbing him and pulling him close.

“God, I love you. I’m so sorry for all the pain I caused.”

Dare buried his face in Noah’s neck but didn’t say anything.

Noah knew that Dare’s mother had abandoned him. He remembered the conversations they’d had about how Dare felt he wasn’t good enough for her to stick around. In fact, Noah had always argued that he was wrong, but the fact that Dare’s mother had never been a part of his life was the proof that Dare had always said he had.

“This isn’t why I brought you here.” Dare pulled back and looked at him. A small smile formed. “If I’d known Grams would suggest this, I would’ve gutted the room before you had a chance to see it.”

“I’m glad you didn’t.” It was a reminder that Noah had taken Dare for granted back then. He’d known at the time that Dare was the greatest love he would ever know, but he’d been too immature to grab hold of it and never let go. And to think, he’d thought Dare had been the immature one.

Luckily, he’d learned his lesson and someone up there was looking out for him. He wanted to believe it was his dad.

“You boys better not be playing slap and tickle back there!”

Noah laughed, but his face heated instantly.

“We’re not!” Dare assured her.

“We should probably go—” Noah didn’t get to finish the sentence before Dare had pushed him up against the door, his mouth coming down over his for a brutal, all-consuming kiss.

“Oh, we’re gonna play slap and tickle, all right.” Dare sounded extremely confident. “I just hope you can keep the noise down, because I’m not gonna lose the opportunity to screw you senseless in the one place I spent nearly two years dreaming about.”

Noah curved his head to the side, allowing Dare’s lips to trail over his skin. “Here?”

“Right here.” Dare sucked on Noah’s neck, making him groan. “Now turn around and put your hands on the wall. And remember, you have to be quiet. Grams’ll never let you live it down if she finds out.”

Noah peered around the room once more while he contemplated what would happen if he gave in. Never in his life had he known a love quite like this one. As he took in all those pictures on the wall, he knew there was no way he would hold out on Dare.

After all, Dare made him feel the one thing he’d hadn’t felt in fifteen years … fearless.

Only now, Noah knew what that meant. And he wasn’t about to let the greatest love in his life go.

Not now.

Not ever.

However, he really hoped they wouldn’t get caught.

’Cause that would just be awkward.

Epilogue

Friday, August 5
th

“Dare! I’m home.” The screen door closed behind Noah at the same time Lulu bounded toward him, tail wagging, tongue lolling. She looked as though she’d settled in already. As he greeted her with a rub on the head, he glanced around his new house for the first time.

Well, the first time since they’d officially moved in. While Noah had been at the fire station yesterday, Dare had incorporated the help of his friends, and they’d managed to unload the storage unit that had held Noah’s furniture for the past month, along with everything from Dare’s apartment.

As soon as they’d received the news that the sellers had accepted their offer, Noah had put in his notice with his apartment complex. Instead of waiting for his lease to be up, he had moved his things into storage, then moved in with Dare in the interim. And since that day, they’d been counting down until they could move in here.

Noah had hated not being able to help them, but Dare had insisted. From the second they’d put ink to paper and officially closed on their very first house, Dare had been overly anxious. Noah hadn’t been able to make him wait, so he had relented.

Now, as he dropped his bag in the entryway, he looked around. He fought to keep his OCD at bay, knowing he would get the chance to clean and organize as soon as he saw Dare.

It was already a little after nine in the morning because he had stopped by his mother’s house before heading home, needing to pick up a few things she had set aside for them. Mostly extra dishes—matching, of course—as well as some extra towels and sheet sets she had stored away. Noah had informed her that they didn’t need them, but she’d insisted and he hadn’t been able to tell her no. But, as he’d learned when he arrived at her house, the dishes and sheets hadn’t been what she’d really wanted to give him.

His mother had been almost as excited as Dare that they’d decided to move in together and were planning to tie the knot, although they hadn’t set a wedding date yet. Dare had promised they would sit down and figure that out once they got settled into the house.

When he’d arrived at his mother’s house, she had offered him coffee, then led him into the kitchen. It was there that he’d had his first breakdown in a long, long time. Waiting for him on the kitchen table was a shadow box that held only one thing … his father’s shield. His mother wanted him to have something that was his father’s for his new house.

He’d wanted to say that the tears had broken loose because he hadn’t been expecting it, but he knew that wasn’t true. For the first time since the day his father had died, he’d actually felt whole again. He still missed the man, but having Dare back in his life had righted things in a way he hadn’t expected. And for the first time, over coffee, Noah had talked with his mother about his father. By the end of that conversation, he might’ve still been shedding a tear or two, but he was no longer shouldering the guilt he’d carried for the past fifteen years. And his mother had agreed, it was probably his father who had manipulated things so that he and Dare would find each other again. It was something he would’ve done when he was alive. He simply loved Noah that much.

However, they had both agreed not to share that with Milly, because she was already taking all the credit for bringing the two of them together again.

On any normal day, Noah would’ve assumed Dare was asleep—the guy was not prone to getting up with the sun—but he doubted Dare had slept much, if at all, last night. Based on the fact a lot of the boxes were already unpacked, the empty ones tossed haphazardly in the breakfast nook, he figured he was right.

“Where are you?” he called out, smiling as he noticed the video game system set up in the living room. Dare said he rarely played, but Noah knew differently. In the past month and a half, he’d learned a lot of things about Dare, including his secret video game obsession.

As he made his way toward their bedroom, he heard the shower water running. The thought of seeing Dare in the shower sent a frisson of awareness through him. Rather than barge in, Noah stopped in the doorway, taking in the view of Dare’s sleek, naked body through the glass shower doors.

Holy fuck. Not in a million years would he ever get tired of seeing that beautiful man. He stole his breath every time as though it were the first.

“You gonna stand there and watch?” Dare turned to face him, pushing one of the glass doors open and offering a better view. “Or you think you might want to join me?”

“This watching thing…” Noah noticed Dare’s hand slide down his stomach before grabbing his dick. “It’s kinda hot.”

“Yeah?” Dare’s crooked grin said he agreed.

Noah went into the bathroom and pulled off his shirt, but instead of undressing completely, he leaned against the vanity counter and watched Dare.

One of the greatest things about this house was the oversized shower. Whoever built it had been thinking more than one person should be in there at a time. It ran the entire length of one wall and was as deep as it was long. Between the double shower heads and the tiled bench, it wouldn’t be difficult to spend an afternoon right there.

Or morning. Whichever.

Dare snapped his fingers. “Hey, Pearson. My eyes are up here.”

“I’m not interested in your eyes right now.”

“Why am I not surprised?” There was amusement in Dare’s tone. “I always knew you liked to watch.”

“Oh, I definitely do.” Noah’s eyes were fixated where Dare was teasing his dick with one hand, the other sliding down and cupping his balls. The water was raining down over him, slicking his sun-bronzed skin. It was like a freaking porno, right here in his own bathroom.

“You like when I jack myself off?”

Noah met Dare’s gaze. “Depends. What do you think about when you touch yourself?”

Dare took a step back and leaned against the wall, spreading his legs wide as he fondled his balls.

“I think about you,” Dare explained, his voice raspy. “I think about your hot fucking mouth wrapped around me. Or your hand stroking me.”

Noah released the button on his jeans and lowered the zipper. He slid his hand inside.

Dare’s eyes immediately dropped to where the action was. “Show me yours.”

Standing up straight, Noah pushed his jeans down his hips, pulling his cock out so Dare could watch.

“Now stroke it.”

Noah loved when Dare got bossy. It was sexy as fuck. He leaned his bare ass against the counter and leisurely glided his hand up and down his dick, watching the show in the shower. Dare reached up and retrieved the shower wand. Spreading his legs farther, allowing Noah a fantastic front-row view, he turned the spray toward his balls.

“Oh, fuck…”

Unable to look away, Noah watched every move Dare made. From the way his eyes drifted shut and his head tilted back to the way his abs contracted as he pushed his hips forward. He continued to aim the water directly at his balls while he fisted his dick, his hand working faster than before.

“I wanna watch you come.”

Dare’s eyes opened. “Yeah? Right here?”

“Right here.” And then Noah intended to join him, but first, he wanted to watch Dare bring himself pleasure.

“Then you’ll fuck me?” Dare closed his eyes.

“Absolutely.”

Dare’s hand started moving faster, his grip tighter. “I want to feel you in my ass.”

Fuck. If Dare kept that up, Noah could possibly be the one blowing his load.

“Oh, fuck…” Dare opened his eyes and met Noah’s gaze. “I want to come in your mouth.”

Noah toed off his shoes and shucked his jeans, hopping on one foot to get his socks off as he neared the shower. Without hesitating, he stepped inside, pulled the door shut, and dropped to his knees in front of Dare, staring up at him while he stroked himself.

“Yes … fuck yes…” Dare’s hand was a blur as he jacked himself roughly. “Now, Noah… Oh… Fuck… Gonna come.”

Noah wrapped his lips around the head of Dare’s cock as he was coming. He sucked the head hard, making Dare hiss as he unloaded in Noah’s mouth, his hips jerking wildly. Noah didn’t move until Dare relaxed.

Gripping Dare’s hips, Noah urged him to turn around. When he was facing the wall, Noah spread Dare’s ass cheeks, burying his tongue between them while Dare pushed back against him.

“Oh, yeah…” Dare groaned again. “Fuck me with your tongue. Lick my ass… God, yes.”

Noah tongued him for long minutes, wanting to calm down enough to make this last.

“Fuck me… Want your cock inside me,” Dare pleaded, reaching over and grabbing what appeared to be lubricant that he’d stashed on the shelf.

Noah got to his feet and took the bottle. “Prepared, are you?”

“Oh, you just wait. I’ve hidden that shit all over this house.”

Of course he had.

“Plan to be doing more of this?” Slicking his dick up, Noah then guided himself into Dare’s ass, pushing in slowly.

Dare grunted. “In every room of the house. Twice a day.”

Noah groaned when he bottomed out in Dare’s ass. Gripping Dare’s hips, Noah pressed up against his back, holding him still. “Is that all?”

“We’ve also got a hot tub.” Dare moaned when Noah pulled out and pushed back in. “Oh, God, Noah. Fuck me. Please… Fuck me hard.”

“Did you miss me last night?” he grumbled against Dare’s ear.

“So fucking much.” Dare grunted again with Noah’s next thrust forward. “Did you miss me?”

Noah nipped Dare’s earlobe. “More than you can imagine.”

“Show me,” Dare insisted. “Show me how much you missed me.”

Noah pulled Dare’s hips with him as he took a step back. “Bend over.”

Dare reached for the bench, planting his palms flat while Noah began screwing into him. He tried for slow and easy, just to torment Dare a little, but he couldn’t last. The heat of Dare’s body gripping him was too much. Their combined moans echoed off the tiled walls as Noah impaled him over and over, slamming in deep, retreating, then slamming in again. He lost himself to the sensation, his hips colliding with Dare’s ass as he gave him everything he asked for.

“Oh, fuck…” Dare cried out. “I’m gonna come again. Fuck me…”

Noah wanted Dare to come. Hell, he wanted Dare to come a million times just like this.

Dare’s cry of release bounced off the walls, triggering Noah’s climax. He stilled his hips as he pushed in deep, coming harder than he’d ever come before. Luckily they were in the shower already because Noah wasn’t sure he had enough strength in his body to clean up. He would’ve been content to remain just like that for the next … well, forever.

Half an hour later, after they’d lingered in the shower until the water turned cold, Noah and Dare were lying on the couch, a movie playing on the television. Noah had been drifting in and out while holding Dare in his arms, enjoying every single second of being right here with him. It was similar to that night all those years ago, and here they were again. In their new house, their new life.

They’d officially come ful
l circle, back where they were both meant to be.

Together.

It still seemed too good to be true. Only a short time ago, Noah had only wondered what Dare was up to, what he’d made of himself while he immersed himself in work, doing whatever he could to forget the past. And now … now he was sharing a life with the only man he had ever loved.

“What’re you thinking about?” Dare mumbled groggily, rolling onto his back.

Noah inched deeper into the cushions so he could look at Dare. “You.”

Dare smirked. “What about me?”

“About how lucky I am to have you?”

Dare’s smile softened. “See, I was thinking the same thing about you.”

Noah locked eyes with Dare. “Yeah, but I was thinking about it first. So I win.”

“I’ll let you believe that,” Dare mumbled, leaning over and kissing Noah softly. “Since winner gets to make lunch.”

Leave it to Dare to turn this into a bet
and
to let Noah win, yet still he got to do all the work. “What were the odds of that happening?”

Dare chuckled. “Not sure. But I’ll be glad to look up the statistics
after
you feed me.”

Noah shifted, crawling over Dare and crushing him into the cushion. “Oh, I’ll feed you all right.”

Dare laughed, his arms wrapping around Noah as he held him tight. “God, I love when you make promises like that. It’s so damn sexy.”

Noah shook his head. He had no idea whether Dare was talking about sex or food, but he knew, either way, it wouldn’t matter.

One way or the other, they’d be having both before the afternoon was over.