“Damn,” he muttered.
“Yeah,” Rowe agreed, tightening his arms around Noah hard.
They caught their breaths, lying there and recovering. Noah’s entire body felt lax as he sprawled on Rowe, feeling his heart beating against his own chest. Rowe stroked his hands up and down Noah’s back, and he turned his head to kiss the corner of his lips. “Love you,” he whispered.
“Love you, too.”
“I’m so glad we’re on the same page when it comes to what we want together.”
“We just have to learn to talk about things sooner. Not let them fester.”
“You sure you won’t think I love you any less without marriage?”
Noah lifted his head to stare down at Rowe. “If there is one thing I’m sure of, it’s your feelings for me. You show me in everything you do, in how you touch me, look at me. I’ve never felt more loved in my life.”
Rowe’s brows furrowed. “You do know JB was in love with you. I think he still is.”
“I knew his feelings were growing, but no, I didn’t know. Not until he told me a few days ago. I didn’t know what to say. There’s no chance of anything ever happening between us again. I’ve got what I want in my life. Exactly what I want. You.”
“You say the sweetest things.”
Noah rolled his eyes and pushed off to lie next to Rowe. He slid one thigh over Rowe’s leg and tugged him close, ignoring the mess that had smeared all over the both of them. They could shower and wash the sheets. Connecting with Rowe felt more important right then. He wrapped one arm around him and kissed his shoulder. “Let’s make a pact to talk about the things we’re worried about from here on out. No wondering or stewing. If you’re concerned, you talk to me. If you’re angry, you talk to me. Even if you’re just happy—tell me. As long as we’re being up-front with each other, this is going to be exactly what we both want.”
“Already is,” Rowe said softly. He rolled onto his side, keeping their legs tangled together, and kissed Noah again. It was a soft, sweet kiss that made butterflies flutter in Noah’s belly. Two and a half years and he still got them. He imagined he always would. He smiled against Rowe’s lips.
“What?” Rowe whispered.
“Just imagining Ian’s face when we tell him there won’t be another wedding to plan.”
Rowe laughed. “Eh, he’ll get over it.”
“Think our friends will understand our feelings?”
“They’ll have to. This relationship belongs to you and me and nobody else. I know they like to get involved in well…everything, but this is none of their business. We’ll tell them and that will be it. Ian still has Snow’s wedding to plan, and he can turn that into something that will drive the man crazy.”
It was Noah’s turn to laugh. “I still can’t believe those two are tying the knot.”
“Yeah, I was pretty damn surprised myself, but they are happy and that’s all that matters to me.”
Noah pulled back to look at him. “And what about you? Are you happy?”
Rowe rolled on top of him and cupped both sides of his face. His green eyes were filled with emotion and honesty. “So happy. I’ve got all I need right here. Right now.”Chapter Twenty-Two“Hey, Rowe!” Snow called. “Get over here and tell Hollis about the time we cornered a perp in the bathroom, and you threatened him with something warm and wet.”
Rowe’s shoulders shook with laughter at the memory of the time they were trying to track down the fucker who was threatening Lucas’s life, and they’d grabbed a guy while he was reporting to his boss. He shut the cooler and walked back to the long patio table, putting one of the beers in his hand in front of Noah.
Noah looked up at him with a wide grin. “Why don’t I know about this story?”
Leaning down, he pressed a kiss to the middle of Noah’s forehead. “It was about a year before we got together, and I don’t remember the story too well because we got totally wasted at Lucas’s afterward. I woke up on the floor of the penthouse, halfway between the living room and the kitchen, with the mother of all hangovers. The freaking doc and Ian were hogging the couch.”
“Ian was all warm and snuggly,” Snow said as if that answered all of life’s questions.
Ian perked his head up and smiled. “I am snuggly.”
Rowe shook his head. That night, Snow had fallen asleep wrapped around Ian’s smaller frame like he meant to shield the young man from any and all threats. Or maybe Ian had been the shield Snow needed to protect him from the demons that battered his mind and soul each day.
Their lives had changed so much over the past few years, it was more than a little shocking.