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I saw him stiffen at the words. Like he was feeling the stab of hearing them for the first time, all over again.
“Wait… that’s bullshit. He pulled right out in front of your car!”
“Sure did,” Noah confirmed. “But the judge wouldn’t hear it. I got four years. Served three of them up in Elmira. Another eight and a half months in Coxsackie Correctional Facility, with an early release.”
His voice grew so heavy, I had to lower my eyes. It didn’t make any sense.
“Holy shit, Noah. I’m so sorry.”
“Yeah, me too.”
He pushed his plate away. I did the same. Not only because my salad was terrible, but because I could see we were just about done.
“When I got out, I went back to the old neighborhood,” he finished. “I sat down on the curb, took a deep breath, and looked around for a good solid hour. I had my freedom finally, but there was nobody there. No one I recognized, no one I knew anymore.”
I nodded gravely. “Everything changes.”
“You got that right.”
I wanted to hold him. To slide my arms around him, and make him forget the troubles of his past. But he still hadn’t told me. He still wasn’t finished.
“The second my probation was up, I got my passport straight. Then I went down to the docks, and signed onto the first transatlantic freighter I could. Cargo containers. Hard work.” He turned to look at me again. “That’s where I met Chase. The two of us hit it off together, as deckhands. I saw a lot of myself in him. He was a slightly younger version of me, making all the same stupid mistakes.”
“And so you ended up here…” I finished for him.
Noah nodded. “The job sucked. We took our paychecks and jumped ship at the first port we came to. Which just so happened to be Edinburgh.”
The check came, and I grabbed it before he did. He thanked me with a nod as I laid some cash out on the table.
“That’s some story,” I whistled finally, throwing down my napkin.
“Hey,” Noah said, his smile slowly returning. “You asked.”
Twenty-Four
MADISON
I couldn’t believe the butterflies I had, waiting for him to arrive. How much my stomach tied itself in knots every time I thought I heard the door, or a sound out front.
What’s the big deal? You’ve been with him already, right?
I had, of course. But there was something about Chase that set me off my usual game. Not in a bad way, but a good way. He was, in a word, a little intimidating.
It’s his eyes, the little voice in my head offered. The way he looks at you makes you shiver.
Chase was the shortest of my three new lovers, but by far the ‘prettiest.’ He was that guy in high school who every girl fantasized about being with. The one who needed only to throw his smile your way, and you’d be pretty much ready to do anything for him.
In fact, I was so intimidated by the thought of seeing Chase alone, I’d practically begged Noah to come also. My ‘begging’ had included a scorching hot make-out session in the car, before the ride back. One that had escalated to roaming hands and clothes that came partially off, until Noah closed his hand over the one I was using to rub the bulge in his crotch.
“Are you sure you can’t stay tonight also?” I asked, my heart pounding with the possibilities of having them both over. I squeezed his cock gently through his zipper. “I’ll make it worth your while…”
I almost had him. For a split second, I saw his resistance falter, his lips part in an effort to wrap themselves around the word ‘yes’. Then he sighed, and gently took my hand away.
“We really should just wait for tomorrow,” he said regretfully. “But the anticipation will make it all the better.”
I wasn’t sure he was right about that, but whatever he had to take care of at home, it must’ve been serious. Neither he nor Chase talked about it much, but from the looks they exchanged I knew the task wasn’t all that pleasant.
And now here I was, about to spend the night with Chase. Flawless cheekbones, model good looks. Bright green eyes, and a smile I’m sure dropped panties around many an ankle.
