Page 11 of Specter
A giggle escaped Noah.
Duke nibbled his neck. “Nom. Nom. He tastes good too. Like a gummy bear.”
Noah’s laughter doubled. His fingers found Duke’s hair. He held on and held him in place. Duke’s nibbles turned to sucking. Noah’s body immediately responded. He gasped and writhed beneath Duke’s attention. Duke’s mouth found Noah’s. Life felt like an amazing dream. It hit Noah. Duke was alive and Noah was safe. Everything he had prayed for had come true. They had their entire lives free and clear. There was nothing stopping them from being just like this for the rest of their lives. He felt amazing.
Duke’s mouth moved to Noah’s ear. He lightly kissed the shell. “I have to ask you something.”
An uneasy feeling washed over Noah. “I don’t like how ominous you sound.”
He felt Duke smile against his skin. “Don’t worry. It’s about our future, and that’ll be happy no matter how you answer. Do you want to go back to the ranch? Or would you rather stay here?”
Noah pushed at Duke’s chest until Duke met his gaze. “What do you mean? You can’t leave me again.”
Duke stroked his hair and face, while making soothing sounds. “No, baby. That’s not what I’m saying. You’re never getting rid of me. What I’m asking is if you’d rather we stay here… together.”
Noah blinked. He was still confused. “But this isn’t our home.”
“It is if we choose it. Silas has offered to let us stay.”
“When did you talk to Silas?”
“Early this morning, before the sun came up. He brought up some valid points. If you don’t want to face the ranch again, I get it. I won’t make you. Wherever you are, that’s where I’ll be, but I need you to decide. I can’t stay in limbo.”
Honestly, Noah hadn’t thought about it. Last night, he had been in shock when Duke came through the door. Then he had been on a rollercoaster of emotions before falling into the sleep of the dead. He hadn’t considered how he might feel about setting foot on the ranch again. The worst days of his life had happened there.
A loud knock landed on the door. “It’s Christmas. It’s Christmas. Santa came.”
Benji’s bright voice and chuckles floated through the door, making Noah smile. Another knock came before they could even exchange a glance. “It’s Kage. I grabbed Duke’s luggage from the hotel. It’s outside the door. Don’t dawdle. Benji is already climbing the walls, wanting to open gifts.”
Their gazes met. A hint of disappointment wormed its way into Noah’s happiness, despite his excitement over opening gifts. He wasn’t ready to share Duke yet. “I guess we have to get dressed.”
Duke smiled. Noah couldn’t look away. The deep lines around his mouth and the way his eyes crinkled in the corners, Noah hadn’t thought to see it again. The dark hair covering his jaw and head, Noah hadn’t thought he would feel those against his skin again.
“I love you. More than life. More than the sun. I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to handle you leaving my sight again. I might ride your back like a monkey everywhere you go. Get ready for some awkward trips to the bathroom.”
A sexy laugh rumbled from Duke at Noah’s claim, making Noah smile. He knew then what he wanted. “I want to go home.”
Duke’s smile faltered. “Are you sure?”
Noah nodded. “I miss our bed. Before everything fell apart and too many times to count, I dreamed of it being mine full-time. In my heart, I always knew you would save me one day and we would grow old together on our ranch with our horses. You would finally teach me how to ride and I would sit on your lap after dinner each night. I love these people. I hope I get to see them again, but this isn’t my home.”
Duke nodded. “That’s what we’ll do then. First, you should spend Christmas with your friends. Now, show me your big boy pajamas.”
With the excitement of getting to go home racing through him, Noah scrambled from the bed, laughing. He made a show of pulling out a pair of skintight two-piece red racing pajamas. Duke watched him with pride in his eyes while Noah dressed. Noah knew then everything would be okay. He had no reason to fear going home to Montana. Maybe some nightmares still lived there, and it was possible he might get home and discover he couldn’t stay. But no matter what happened, Duke would be at his side. Noah’s personal Christmas miracle had come to life… literally. It was the first best day of his life. There were countless more to come.