Cherished (McKenzie Brothers, #5)

I need answers and, before we leave this cabin, I’m going to get them. But I can be patient for right now…as much as it frustrates me. I’m going to try my best not to badger him for information while he looks so beaten, but my patience won’t hold out for long.

Noah’s stomach has ruled some of his decisions in the past so I’m hoping that if I supply him with breakfast, he’ll feel more like talking after he’s eaten. It’s a start I suppose.

Grabbing the toast as it pops up, I coat it with butter before splitting it between the two plates. I lean against the countertop while waiting for the eggs to scramble in the microwave and smile when I think about the hard cock that Noah had displayed while lying in bed. There was only a sheet between my eyes and his skin, so the hard ridge had been obvious. It had caused an uncomfortable twitch inside my sweats.

Noah’s dick has always lain flat against his stomach when he’s in full arousal. Mine, when I’m fully aroused sticks out and away from my body. Like it has started to do with thoughts of a naked Noah. Shaking my head, I sigh; this really has to stop.

If Noah is to be believed, he hasn’t been with anyone since me. No matter what I told him, I’ve not been with anyone else either.

Which brings my thoughts to Sylvia and my messed up feelings for her. I heard the hurt in her voice when she answered the phone the other day. It was clear when I immediately asked for Sebastian so I could let him know that I was delayed. I didn’t want anyone to worry but I should have stopped and talked to her a little bit.

But Sylvia is a complication that makes me nervous because I’m attracted to her. Every time I think of her, my body reacts but there isn’t any thud in my chest as though my heart is rolling with love. Not like what happens when I think about Noah.

The night of the gala, I’d thought about taking her back to my place until I remembered that all Noah’s things were still there. I’d thought about inviting myself into her apartment, which I knew she’d have gone along with, but something held me back. My body that night had wanted release from all the heartache I’d suffered since Noah had left, and Sylvia was so damn beautiful that my body was hypersensitive to her touch. My cock ached to dip between her thighs, but something had stopped me, and the disappointment Sylvia couldn’t hide made me feel like a first class jerk.

I’ve been a coward since that night…partly because I’m confused about my feelings and partly because I don’t want to see the hurt on her face. I’ve done my best to avoid her but that won’t last forever. I need to head back to Lexington soon. I’ve been gone too long as it is.

First, I need to deal with the man who’s screwed me up for anyone else.

Hearing the shower switch off in the bathroom, I quickly grab a T-shirt from the back of the chair and yank it over my chest. I saw his eyes linger on my body earlier and, although I don’t mind seeing the heat in his eyes, we need to talk without any distractions. I just wish my dick were as easy to hide as my chest.

With that in mind, I quickly pull breakfast together, and slam it on the table before dropping into a chair just as Noah enters.

My mouth drops open, and my dick springs back to full attention. I swallow around the lump lodged in my throat, but nothing clears the lust taking over my body.

While he’s dry, small droplets of water trickle from his still damp hair and fall to his naked chest...beckoning me to lap up the droplets and taste him. He leans against the doorframe in nothing but the sweats I left out for him. His sculptured chest is even more defined than it used to be, although the black and blue bruising along his ribs is still vivid. The sweats hang as loosely on him as they do on me, and leave little to the imagination. The outline of his dick grows larger the longer my eyes stay fixed on him, which is when I realize I’m staring as though I’ve not eaten in a very long time.

Closing my eyes, I inhale and his scent fills my nostrils, causing them to flare. I exhale that scent as I open my eyes but I avoid looking at Noah as I try to find my strength. My cock throbs beneath the table and I need a distraction from Noah. I take a hefty mouthful of eggs before biting into a slice of the buttered toast, swallowing it down with a drink of the fresh orange juice.

“Eat, before it gets cold.” I point at the food opposite mine.

He shuffles forward and drops into the suggested chair. Our eyes meet before he offers me a wry smile and starts eating.

The two of us sitting together like this should feel uncomfortable, but it doesn’t. I feel settled, as though I’m where I’m supposed to be. Judging by how at ease Noah is, I think he feels the same.

“Who do you have?” Noah asks out of the blue.