Page 33 of Sour Candy (Sour Candy #1)

Somehow, Benji managed to hold in the tears for the whole Uber ride.

He didn’t cry when the front door stuck and he had to wait five minutes for someone to come out of the building so they could let him in. He didn’t cry when he got to the elevator and the doors slid open to reveal not the empty space he’d been hoping for, but the property manager, Jerry.

Benji debated using the stairs. Then he pictured himself crumpling into a sobbing puddle halfway up and got in the elevator.

“Hey, Jerry,” he croaked as the doors slid closed.

Jerry nodded at him, bored. He looked like Mario from the Mario Brothers if he had a drinking problem and smoked three packs a day. If he noticed Benji’s thick throat, he didn’t give enough of a shit to say anything.

Benji swallowed, trying to sound like he wasn’t a wreck. “Thanks for fixing the elevator, by the way. Only a month this time. Must be a record.”

Jerry rasped, “Yeah, yeah. Would’ve taken us longer without that donation.”

Benji paused in the middle of wiping his sleeve on his totally not-burning eyes. “What?”

“You didn’t hear? Anonymous donation. Let us replace some of this crap messing up its guts.” Jerry knocked on the metal wall of the elevator as it slowly made its way up the floors. “It doesn’t even whir anymore. Used to whir so loud you couldn’t hear yourself speak.”

“Anonymous donation,” Beni repeated slowly. “Did they say anything?”

Jerry shrugged. “Said he knew someone who lived here. Wanted to make his life a little easier.”

The realization hit Benji like a bag of wet cement.

For a moment, he just stood there, numb.

Of course, Noah did this for him. Of course, he didn’t even bother taking credit for it, because that was just the kind of guy he was.

Benji had been hoping for a good, sweet guy to find him his whole life, and he’d just stomped on his heart and run out on him.

He was seized by a sudden and powerful urge to laugh. He burst into tears instead.

“Let me tell you,” Jerry continued, oblivious to Benji’s shoulders heaving. “I don’t have ANY friends I’d shell out that much money— whoa . Uh. You good?”

“Fuck off,” Benji sobbed.

Jerry snorted. “All right. Jesus.”

The elevator dinged. The doors slid open onto the eleventh floor. Benji stumbled out, yanking at his shirt buttons. The material was soft and crisp and smelled like Noah’s goddamn cologne, the campfire scent only making him sob harder.

His shirt was hanging off of him when he burst into the empty apartment.

He ripped it the rest of the way off, throwing it onto the carpet.

He reached down to undo his slacks. Then he paused.

He was still wearing the panties, the plug snug inside of him.

He’d been so excited when he got dressed, the anxiety about the gala washed clean in anticipation of what Noah was going to do to him.

Served him right for getting excited about something.

“Fuck,” Benji muttered to himself. He scrubbed a wet hand down his face.

Was it weird if he jerked off right now?

Fast and brutal, while Noah’s scent was still on him.

Thrusting the plug inside him, pretending it was Noah bending him over the sink.

He had wanted it. He’d wanted it so bad his teeth ached, but the words one last time kept running through his head, and he couldn’t hold back the tears.

Benji reached a hand inside his panties, tracing the plug. Wishing Noah would’ve fucked him while he asked what was wrong, kissed Benji’s wet cheeks until the tears turned into pure pleasure.

But before he could move the plug inside him, there was a knock at the door.

Benji whipped his hand out of his panties, shaken. Was it Michael, come to deliver more threats? Was it Max forgetting something for the sleepover? No, Max had a key. Which meant…

“Benjamin,” Noah said. “Are you in there? I need to talk to you.”

Benji’s face crumpled. He couldn’t do this. Couldn’t justify himself a second time while Noah looked at him with those gorgeous caramel eyes. Seeing him.

He sniffed, slapped his cheeks until he wasn’t actively crying. “I told you not to contact me.”

“I needed to see if you were okay,” Noah said through the door.

Benji held back another sob. This stupid, sweet man was going to be the death of him. How dare he dangle everything Benji wanted in front of his face when they both knew he couldn’t have it for long?

“Look, this was fun,” Benji said, voice breaking. “But we were never going to last. Just accept it.”

“Alright. If you say that to my face.”

Benji dropped his forehead onto the door. He couldn’t do this—but he had to. He’d make it through thirty seconds of lying his ass off, and if Noah kept trying to push, he’d just cut him off. He’d have to respect Benji’s wishes. He was that kind of guy.

He threw the door open, making his face as steely as possible.

“Come on,” he spat. “Let’s not do this. Michael told you what I did, right?”

“He did,” Noah said, so soft and breathtaking that Benji could hardly stand to look at him. His perfect hair was in disarray, the oil combed out like he’d been running his fingers through it on the way here. His gaze dropped to Benji’s bare chest before dragging back up.

“Were you only with me for the money?”

“ No ,” Benji said, knee-jerk. Then he winced. “I mean?—”

“I believe you.”

Benji flinched. “Noah.”

But Noah was stepping into the apartment, so close that Benji itched to drag him in.

“I trust you,” Noah said simply.

Benji’s throat closed up. He swallowed, finally managing to croak, “What the fuck is wrong with you, then? You can’t?—”

“Tell me to leave you alone,” Noah said, closing the door behind him, “and I will.”

Benji’s heart writhed in his chest. He thought about Michael’s cocky grin vanishing as he threatened him.

About Max getting kicked out of school, Benji getting kicked out of school.

Losing the apartment on bogus charges that Michael made up.

I’ll ruin your life , Michael had promised.

Benji believed him. He and Noah always had an expiration date, so why not end things sooner rather than later?

“I want out,” Benji whispered, a tear jolting down his cheek. “It’s—it’s too much for me. You’re too much.”

Noah didn’t flinch, like he expected. Those beautiful eyes didn’t go dark and flat. He didn’t even move back. Instead, he stepped closer, his clothed chest brushing Benji’s bare nipples.

“You’re lying,” he said softly.

“I’m n-not,” Benji insisted weakly.

Noah took his chin. Benji heard himself moan, the willpower slipping away from him with every second that Noah held him.

“Tell me to leave you alone,” Noah said, his gaze cutting through every inch of Benji’s bullshit to see his quivering core. “And mean it.”

Benji sobbed. “Fuck, Noah. What the fuck are you doing? Go find someone else! I’ll fuck it up, you’ll get sick of me, I’m a liar and an asshole!”

Noah’s grip tightened. “I get to decide if I’m done with you. And I want to keep you, Benjamin. As long as you let me. Are you gonna let me?”

Benji broke. He surged forward, wrapping his arms around Noah and burying his face in Noah’s shoulder. Noah held him as he shook, stroking his hand through Benji’s curls. He smelled like fire and woodsmoke and home .

Noah pressed a kiss into Benji’s hair. “What did he say to you?”

“He said he’d get Max kicked out of school,” Benji said, muffled into his suit jacket. “Said he’d ruin my life.”

“I won’t let him.” Noah pulled back, tilting Benji’s face so he was staring deep into his eyes once more. “You’re mine. I take care of what’s mine.”

It sounded close to something Michael had said to him.

But where Michael made it low and dangerous, Noah made it so protective and gentle that Benji shivered against him.

If anyone else had told Benji they were his, he would have broken the speed barrier running away.

Part of him—small, scared, a little feral—still wanted to.

But Noah’s arms were so solid around him, his fingers moving soothingly over his scalp.

Benji sagged against him. He’d been a lot of things. He wanted to be Noah Stern’s for a little longer.

“My aunt was sick,” he mumbled. “We needed to pay the medical bills.”

Noah shushed him. “I know, baby. Figured out the timeline in the car.”

“I never told anyone,” Benji admitted. “Even Daph.”

Noah made a low noise into his hair. He rubbed Benji’s naked back, his hand stopping just before the swell of Benji’s ass—just before the panties that Benji had worn for him, hidden under his slacks.

Benji’s breath hitched. His hips flexed unconsciously into Noah’s, his hardening cock making Noah’s hand still against his back.

“I’m still ready for you,” Benji said. “If you—if you want?—”

Noah pulled back. For a moment, Benji thought he’d misread this, that Noah was going to tell him they shouldn’t right now. Then Noah kissed him, so deep and wet that Benji moaned.

“I always want you,” Noah said. He reached into Benji’s slacks, circling the plug over his thong. “I didn’t give you what you needed back at the gala, did I? We’ll have to fix that.”

Benji whined. He was already shaking, adrenaline and hazy relief rushing over him as Noah pulled the plug out, then pressed it back in, right up against Benji’s prostate.

Benji groaned against his shoulder, mouth open. But before Noah could thrust it in again, there was a second knock at the door.

They froze.

“Max,” Benji called, hoping like hell it wasn’t Michael come to deliver. “Did you forget something?”

A raspy throat cleared from the hallway. “Hey, Caulfield.”

Benji frowned. He untangled himself reluctantly from Noah’s arms, adjusting himself in his slacks before he went to open the door.

Jerry, the property manager, looked uncomfortable even before he noticed Benji shirtless and flushed with a hot guy behind him. Not good news.

“Jerry,” Benji said cautiously. “Whatever it is, can we do it later? I’m kinda busy right now.”

Jerry eyed Noah with narrowed eyes. Then he went back to looking deeply uncomfortable, shifting from foot to foot.

“Right,” Jerry said. “Well. Thing is, ‘s kind of time sensitive.” He pulled a stack of paper from his jacket.

Benji took it, going cold as he saw the bright red lettering up top: NOTICE OF EVICTION.

“Sorry, Caulfield,” Jerry said. “You’ve got three days.”