A Younger Man (32 page)

“That was different.” Pausing with toothpaste on his brush, Noah looked straight at Zane with sudden clarity piercing his eyes. “I hope like hell you actually wanted to do what you did to my cock and balls, and that it gave you pleasure too, or else I don’t want you doing it.”

As Noah started to lean his weight against the sink, Zane came in and braced him upright again. “I did want to, and I did love it.” With a fast dip down, Zane pressed a kiss to Noah’s strong chest. “But now I want to take care of you in a different way.”

In between scrubbing his teeth and spitting out paste, Noah shared in a grumble, “In a way that involves having to supervise me while I take a piss, seeing me barely able to walk fifty feet on my own, and cleaning out bowls filled with my vomit because I couldn’t even get to the bathroom in time to spare you that nastiness. I reiterate,” Noah tossed his rinsed toothbrush into a cup on the sink, “it’s mortifying.”

Helping Noah to pivot, Zane got them moving in the direction of the living area. “I guess I know not to call you when I get sick.”

“You already bragged that you never get sick.”

“But if I did,” they reached the couch, and Zane helped ease Noah down to sit, “I know now I shouldn’t call you, because you’d be thinking it’s nasty and mortifying to clean up after me the entire time you were taking care of me.” Crossing his arms, Zane cocked a brow down at Noah. “Right?”

Noah growled like a bear. “Point taken.” He made the concession, but he didn’t sound or look happy about it. “I would want to take care of you, and I wouldn’t think any part of it was a chore. You don’t think it is either—with me.”

Zane clasped his hands together and lifted them toward the heavens. “Finally the smart guy who uses his common sense appears.” As a reward, Zane leaned down and smacked a loud kiss to Noah’s stubbly cheek. “Thank you.”

“Christ, you know how to dig in, in your own way. I’m never going to win a fight with you. I can feel it already.” Grousing still lived in Noah’s tone, but a lopsided smile appeared and ruined the effect.

“Exactly. Which means, don’t argue when I tell you to lie down and rest.” Normally harsh looking on a good day—in a way that made Zane’s insides fluttery—today Noah appeared haggard and washed-out. “Don’t try to tell me you aren’t tired,” he added, giving in to the urge to brush his fingers through the man’s hair. “I can see it.”

Without any further complaining Noah shifted to lie back on the couch. “Can I try something to drink again, or have an ice pop or something?” He rubbed his throat, and he looked as if he had a difficult time swallowing. “I feel like I need something cold.”

“I can help you with that.” Before walking away, Zane arranged the blanket to cover Noah’s bare feet. “Be right back.”

A quick check in the freezer showed that the apple juice Zane had put in trays to freeze was still too soft for Noah to suck on. Zane didn’t love the amount of refined sugar in a Popsicle but if Noah needed something cold then Zane wouldn’t deny him the icy treat.

After grabbing one and then filling a glass with ice so Noah’s juice would stay cold, Zane headed back to the living area. He came to a stop at the foot of the couch, his heart tugging at the sight before him. In such a short time Noah had already drifted off to sleep. He still didn’t look peaceful, though, and Zane imagined that he was still a bit surly over losing an argument due to logic.

“Damn it though,” out of Zane’s control, a pleasant twitch teased in his cock, “even sick and mad you are still way too sexy.”

The front door opened right then, and all fantasies about sex with Noah flew from Zane’s mind.

Seth tossed keys and a baseball cap on a slab of wood that served as an entry table, ran his fingers through his dark hair, and then glanced up. “Oh, hey. My mom said you’d be here.” Once Seth reached Zane’s side, he shook Zane’s hand, and then looked down at his sleeping father. “How is he doing?”

Zane moved his hand in a so-so gesture. “He tried to eat too much too fast and had a little setback. I was just about to go clean the mess in the kitchen.”

“Still puking, huh?” Seth followed Zane to the kitchen. When he made his way to the sink and saw the mess, he crinkled his face. “Fun.”

After putting the Popsicle and ice back in the freezer, Zane said, “Here, I’ll get that.” He took the bowl from Seth and headed for the bathroom. At the halfway point he changed direction and walked to the sliding door that led to the back half of the wraparound porch. Noah had to have a high-powered hose somewhere, and Zane would use it to wash out the drying vomit before cleaning the bowl with dish soap. “Your father is not exactly an easy patient,” Zane shared as Seth followed him outside.

“You got that right.” Seth chuckled, the sound deep like his dad’s, but smooth as high-quality whiskey, whereas Noah always sounded as if he had gravel in his throat. “He is not fun to be around when he’s sick.”

As Zane headed down the steps at the corner of the back porch, he glanced over his shoulder at Seth with a grin. “I’ve already smacked him down once. Just call me on over if he starts acting up again.”

Grinning back, Seth shook his head and hooted softly. “Be careful what you offer, man. When it hits two in the morning and he can’t sleep, and he starts dragging himself around the house looking for something to keep busy, and then makes himself puke again because he eats something he’s not supposed to,” eyeing the bowl in Zane’s arm, Seth made a face, “you’ll be getting that call for sure.”

An idea lit right in front of Zane’s face, and he zeroed in on Seth. “Or I could stay with Noah all night. That is, if you’d be open to sleeping over at my place to keep an eye on Duncan and Hailey.”

Seth sobered in a shot. “I was just joking about my dad. I didn’t mean to make you feel guilty about leaving him with me.”

“But I wasn’t kidding.” The more the idea filled Zane, the more it settled in just the right place in his core. “I need to leave to go get my brother and sister from town soon. I’ll bring them home, make them dinner, tell them what’s going on, and then you could come over to spend the night with them in case they need anything. They’ve hung around you a couple of times now, so they know you. And they like you; they’ve both said so. I think they would be fine.”

“Seriously?” Seth’s voice rose high.

“I don’t have much for you to do over there,” Zane warned. “I don’t have a computer or any gaming system. And the TV only gets the local channels, and sometimes Hailey wakes up in the middle of the night—”

Seth held up a hand, shutting Zane up. “Dude. Keep an eye on my dad in a bad mood, who’s probably going to throw up at least once or twice more tonight, or grab Matt’s PS3 and go play video games with your brother and sister all night.” Seth lifted one hand, then the other, as if he held scales, like lady justice. “Yeah, I’m taking that deal before you change your mind.”

“Okay, cool.” Zane beamed; he couldn’t help it. “Let me get this cleaned up first, and then I’ll go get Duncan and Hailey, explain about Noah, and about what’s going to happen tonight.”

With a quick nod, Seth backed up to the open sliding door. “My mom said my dad has bedding and stuff that needs to be washed, so I’ll get that going for you.”

“Sounds good. And, Seth,” Zane called out, waiting for Seth’s hazel gaze to meet his. “Thanks for being open to switching this up. I appreciate it.”

“Nope. Seriously,” the young man’s eyes twinkled in a way that surely made his girlfriend want to hug him all the time, “thank you.” Seth then slapped his hand against the glass a few times and went inside.

As soon as Zane was alone, he thought about what he’d just committed to, and he couldn’t help the little tingle that went through him. He would be spending the whole night with Noah. Sure, the guy was sick as a dog and probably wouldn’t be conscious for most of the night, but those were just details. They would be together, leaning on each other, commingling their lives, the way Zane figured people who had feelings for each other and were sleeping together were supposed to do. Beyond that, Noah was sick, and he needed somebody. Zane didn’t want that someone to be anybody but him.

He’s mine now. It’s my right to be here.

With that truth sinking into Zane, right into the area near his heart, he got back to cleaning Noah’s mess.

* * * *

Blinking, opening his eyes, Noah scrubbed his face, focusing on his beamed, high ceiling. A long rectangle of moonlight cut across the dark wood, indicating the curtain across the back door had not been pulled closed for the night.
That’s all right.

The reason why the fabric had stayed open came back to Noah, and a soft place inside him swelled and warmed his belly.
It’s Zane first night here with me.
The sweet man surely didn’t realize the natural light from the moon and stars would fill nearly the entire cabin and make it difficult to sleep.

Noah shifted to his side and started to roll his legs off the couch, when Zane’s voice cut through the night. “Don’t even think about sneaking into that kitchen for junk food.”

Instead of getting up, Noah looked over the side of the couch. His gaze traveled the length of Zane’s body, the lower half hidden under a dark blue sheet. When he reached Zane’s face, the man’s pinpoint stare waited for Noah.

I don’t know if I have a nurse or a warden.
Noah bit back a grin as his belly fluttered and his balls pulled pleasantly in his sac.
Doesn’t matter. I like him here either way.

“I wasn’t going for food,” Noah shared, “although my stomach does feel much better, just so you know.” Since the afternoon, Noah had thrown up twice more, but had also managed to eat some more soup later in the evening and keep it down. “I was going to pull the curtain on the sliding door. The light won’t let a person sleep all night.” He shot Zane a pointed look. “And not for nothing, but I’m sure you are well past needing some decent sleep.”

With his hands stacked behind his head, Zane stared toward the sliding glass door. “I’m not awake because of the light.”

Eyeing Zane again, Noah felt guilt creep into the myriad of other things playing in his gut. “You shouldn’t be sleeping on the floor. Damn it,” Noah looked from Zane up to his loft bedroom, “I told you I’d be fine down here, and to take my bed. Somebody might as well use it.”

Zane’s eyes twinkled to compete with the stars outside. “Noah, between you on the couch and me on the floor we have every blanket, sheet, and comforter in your cabin split between us—and I have most of them.” Zane smoothed his hand over the pile of fabric beneath him. “This floor is probably more comfortably padded than any bed in the county.”

“Then why aren’t you asleep?” Noah asked while tugging a pillow under his head so he could rest more comfortably on his side.

The soft light in Zane’s eyes grew to a wistful little grin. “I can’t stop thinking about the fact that I’m here with you,” he admitted, his voice all soft and sexy in the shadows. “All night.” His rolled his head and met Noah’s stare. “Just you and me.”

Twin lines of awareness shot north and south within Noah, both heating his depleted body. “And I’m still too fucking weak to take advantage of it.” He rubbed his chest to ease the pain; getting anywhere near his cock would only cause discomfort he couldn’t yet assuage.

From his position, Zane lifted up and pressed a kiss against the top of Noah’s bare foot. “It’s okay. I just like looking to my side and being able to see you.”

“I know.” Noah reached down and squeezed Zane’s hand. “Me too. It was a bad attempt at humor.”

“You sound better.” Scooting closer to Noah’s upper half, Zane sat up and pressed the back of his hand to Noah’s forehead and cheeks, each touch sending lines of sweet pleasure into Noah’s core. “Your voice sounds stronger, your head isn’t quite as hot as it was earlier, and color is coming back into your lips.”

Noah snagged Zane’s hand and twined their fingers together at his side. “You’re a good doctor. Once I could taste the chicken soup and keep it down, I realized how flavorful and filling it was, without it being so much that it tore up my stomach. And everything I’ve wanted or needed, you’ve had it right here for me, before I could even think to ask for it.” Noah sought the connection of Zane’s eyes and couldn’t look away. “Thank you for taking care of me.”

“We’re not done yet,” mirthful warmth filled Zane’s gaze once more, “but you’re welcome.”

“You clearly know what you’re doing.” Snippets of some of their earliest lunch conversations in the clearing tickled in Noah’s mind, spurring his next question. “How long did you take care of your stepfather before he died?” Noah knew a little bit about Burt and the difficulties with his defective heart that had subsequently led to his death. With how efficiently Zane had handled Noah today, Noah could now see how much Zane hadn’t said about the time during his stepfather’s illness. Every moment Noah spent with Zane made him ache to know more about the younger man’s complex history. “I’d like to hear,” Noah added, “if you’re comfortable talking about it.”

Zane only stiffened for a moment. His eyes remained clear as he said, “By the time Burt passed—a few months after I turned nineteen—it had been almost four years.”

Noah whistled low and long. “Good Christ, honey. You never got to be a teenager. Then with Duncan and Hailey…” It didn’t take a genius or a calculator to do the math. “You’ve had nothing but responsibility on your shoulders for ten years.”

“It’s all right.” The sudden twist to Zane’s lips was a bit wry. “But now you know how I could get to twenty-four and not have any experience or any real idea about my sexuality.”

“Yeah, when you weren’t taking care of someone you were too fucking exhausted to do anything but sleep.”

“I don’t mind,” Zane said quickly. “I’m not bitter. I don’t regret it. Burt might not have ever been in the best of health, but from the moment my mom brought him into our lives he took me under his wing and made me feel like I was his in every way that mattered. His heart didn’t have the strength to run around a park or to coach me in a sport, but he did other things that stayed with me longer.” Pausing for a moment, Zane swallowed, and his Adam’s apple bobbed visibly. “Things,” his voice went scratchy, “things that meant more to me.”