I was going to kill whoever was at my door.

As I pulled on the most restrictive briefs I could find and some loose-fitting jogging pants, all I could think of was that sharp ache of denial running through my body. My dick was still hard, my balls felt full and tight, and my heart raced with the effort to get myself under control.

With every step I took, I was reminded of what I could be doing right now. What I should be doing. I should have Noah pinned against the shower wall, his legs nudged apart, his body open and waiting. I should have been driving my aching cock into him, over and over. Hitting his prostate with every stroke, driving us both crazy.

Instead I all but stomped across the living room to my front door, guilt tugging at me as I realized it was probably important. Most people called or even texted these days--it was rare that somebody actually came over. But if it was a delivery guy who'd gotten the numbers mixed up on his order...

There was another loud knock just as I reached the door, and I couldn't help grumbling, "Yeah, I heard you the first--"

As I opened it, the man standing on the other side definitely wasn't a delivery guy. Ice blue eyes stared back at me, taking in everything they needed to know in a matter of seconds. Of course my boss would show up when I was in the middle of fucking the guy I was supposed to protect.

"--time," I finished weakly, pushing the door open the rest of the way so he could come in.

"I wasn't sure, seeing as how it took you so long to answer," Grizz said evenly.

"I was in the shower." My jaw squared, and I looked up at him the same way I looked at my old man when I was a teenager.

In my defense, I was battling a serious case of blue balls, and Grizz's appearance meant I wasn't going to find relief any time soon.

"Your phone went straight to voicemail, or I would have just called," he said, not bothering to come through the open door.

I tried to remember what I'd done with my phone in the time between finding Liz at the park and ending up back here with Noah. I honestly couldn't remember, and cursed myself for being unprofessional.

"It won't happen again," I said, still feeling like I was talking to my father.

Grizz just nodded. "Senator Billings called me right after your little experiment. He's convinced we're keeping his daughter from him, and he's given us forty-eight hours to hand her over before he involves the authorities--and the media."

My eyes fell closed and I scrubbed a hand through my wet hair. Of course he felt comfortable issuing demands to get his daughter back. He was probably used to getting what he wanted by throwing his weight around.

"Could you get a read on how he was feeling about the phone call?"

The last thing I planned to do was give Liz back to a father who wasn't going to support her as she was. I didn't care if the senator brought this whole thing to the press and painted us as the bad guys. I wasn't handing Liz over to someone who was going to hurt her.

But then, I wasn't the one who had everything to lose if people started taking a close look at the way Caldwell Investigations did things.

"I'm not sure," Grizz admitted, "and when I brought it up, he redirected the conversation. Right now he's just desperate to have her back. It's possible he'll calm down once she's there and the two of them can work things out, but I honestly don't know."

Dammit. That wasn't the answer I wanted to hear. I looked past Grizz in the hall, my mind fixed on Liz and, by extension, Noah. I hadn't taken this case for him. It was just a job like any other.

Until now.

If I let Liz go back to that man without knowing he was going to listen to her and support her, Noah would take it upon himself to get her out of that situation a second time.

My gaze returned to Grizz, but I found him looking over my shoulder. When I turned that way, I saw Noah, half-dressed and hurrying from the bathroom to the bedroom.

Slowly my eyes met Grizz's, and I knew he was fully aware of what was going on. His jaw tightened, his eyes narrowed as they focused on me, but he didn't say anything.

Good thing, too, because I was suddenly feeling too protective and combative for my own good.

"We talked to Liz after she hung up. She agreed to try again tomorrow," I said quietly. "If the same thing happens..."

"If the same thing happens," Grizz finished for me, "we'll all have to make some decisions we'd rather not make. So whatever you have to do to get her to have an earnest conversation with him, I suggest you do it."

"And if he tries to tell her she just needs to come home? If he makes an example of her, uses her as a case study on how to bring back 'traditional values' in his own home?"

Grizz's expression hardened, and for a moment it was all too easy to see how he'd gotten that nickname. He was a giant of a man under normal circumstances, but right now he felt almost oppressive.

"Then we'll handle it. But just so we're clear, I'd rather not set us up for a public battle with a well-respected state senator," Grizz said, his eyes boring into me. "I'm trusting you with this, McCabe. Don't fuck it up."

I gave him a sharp, respectful nod; the kind I would have given my commanding officer.

"I'll let you get back to your shower." His attention flicked behind me, and I knew he was looking at the hallway where Noah had appeared.

For the briefest moment, I swore I saw his lips twitch upwards, but it was probably just a trick of the light as he stepped back from the doorway.

"And charge your damn phone," he added, turning away from my apartment.

I closed the door behind him, my palm resting against the smooth wood for a moment, my head hanging below my shoulders. My mind raced with worry, and all of it centered around one person: Noah.

The floorboards creaked before I felt his arms slip around me. His lips brushed my shoulder, and despite the tension coiled within me, my body came alive again under his touch.

"It'll work out," he said softly.

I turned to face him, my arms encircling his waist as I pulled him to me. His skin was flushed from the heat of the shower, and a few beads of water still clung to him, tracing lines down his body I wanted to follow with my mouth.

"How can you believe that?"

He just smiled at me and lifted his shoulders in a shrug. "Because my experience isn't hers. I'm not going to let it be hers. And I know you won't, either."

He was right about that, but the quiet confidence he exuded in that moment was enough to calm any doubts I might have had. It was also sexy as hell, and I couldn't resist capturing his mouth with mine in an effort to feel that warmth, that trust as it emanated from him.

Noah melted against me, his body pressing to mine. Bare chest to bare chest, thin cloth the only barrier between our lower bodies. My cock responded eagerly, not for one second forgetting where we'd left off despite the fact that I'd managed to curb my erection while talking to Grizz.

It was Noah who broke the kiss this time, pulling away from me with mischief in his eyes. His hands hooked into the waistband of my pants, and he used that grip to tug me toward him. I followed willingly, trying to kiss him again. But each time I closed the gap, he just grinned and widened it even more, moving us toward my bedroom.

"Fucking tease," I growled, my dick already throbbing painfully in my briefs.

"Oh, please. You could've fucked me three times over already if you hadn't been trying to torture me."

His words were playful, and there was a fire in his eyes that told me exactly what he thought of that particular brand of "torture." It helped me slide back into that role I knew he loved, and the next time he tried to pull me to him, I gripped his shoulders with a firm touch and pushed him down.

"You think that was torture, huh? Get on your knees," I commanded.

He went willingly, his gorgeous eyes glazing over with lust as he lowered himself to the carpeted floor. He immediately leaned forward, his hot, wet mouth pressing against the front of my pants, his lips closing around the thick ridge of my erection. I hissed in a breath, but curled my fingers into his hair to pull him back.

"That's not how this is going to work."

I didn't say anything else. Instead, I hooked my fingers into the waistband of my pants and briefs, pulling both down past my hips. My cock sprang free, and I watched intently as Noah's gaze fixed on it, his tongue coming out to slide across his lips.

"Open that mouth for me, baby." I traced his jaw almost reverently, and Noah slowly opened. "More." His mouth opened wider, his eyes dark with lust as he looked up at me.

I rewarded him by sliding the head of my dick past his lips, reveling in the feel of him around me. My eyes rolled back in my head and I nearly lost it at that alone, but I pushed in deeper.

"Relax for me, baby," I said, stroking his jaw.

Noah looked up at me with wide, adoring eyes, and I felt his throat relax as I slid in deeper, all the way to the root. I groaned, a shudder lacing through me at the sensation of being completely surrounded by him, and still he just held there, giving me that same look.

Drawing back slowly, I pulled out of him until only the head of my cock was nestled between his swollen lips, then I thrust deep into his mouth again, only to draw back and repeat the process faster, harder.

I could tell he wanted to wrest control from me, just as much as he wanted to give it up. Every now and again, the flat of his tongue pressed against the sensitive underside of my dick, and I nearly lost control, my hips bucking against him as I fucked his mouth.

"Show me, then," I growled, and Noah took it as permission to suck me with every intention of finishing me off.

His lips pressed tight to my shaft, his tongue working in tandem as he took me in deep. A moan vibrated in his throat, sending shockwaves of pleasure through me before he drew back to suck on the tip, his tongue teasing the sensitive slit. Just when I thought I was about to lose my mind, he took me all the way, until he was nearly flush with my pelvis, my cock buried deep in his throat.

My fingers dug into his shoulder and I moaned with abandon, having to wrestle control back from him before I came from that alone. Gripping his hair again, I tugged him back. We were both panting as he looked up at me, his eyes wild with lust, his cheeks flushed and lips swollen.

"Fuck, I want you so bad," I said.

"Do something about it, then," he challenged. "Unless you just want to stand here and have a little chat about how much you want to fuck me."

My lips curved into a smirk. I knew he was trying to bait me, and I wasn't ashamed to say it worked. Pulling him to his feet, I silenced him with a fierce kiss. My hands went to the waistband of his pants and I tugged them past his hips in one fluid motion. Unlike me, he hadn't bothered with briefs, and his beautiful cock sprang free, needy and begging for attention.

Attention I didn't give.

I kicked out of my own clothing and Noah followed suit, his hands gripping my shoulders as he pulled his body flush with mine. I groaned against his mouth, letting us both indulge in this battle of wills for a moment, his mouth and tongue giving as good as he got. My hands moved down to his tight, pert ass, and I got my fill of his pliant flesh, squeezing greedily. Noah let out a breathy moan, and I couldn't take it anymore.

I needed to be inside of him.

Moving my hands to his chest, I shoved him back onto the bed. He bounced once, grinning up at me even as his eyes burned with desire. I had half a mind to just reach for the lube and condom right away, but I needed him nice and ready for me. Once I was inside him, I didn't plan to show any mercy.

"Turn over," I commanded, and he did so, lifting his ass into the air just to spite me.

I moved to the edge of the bed, gripping his cheeks and then giving him a firm smack. Noah hissed in a breath, but immediately pushed his body back toward mine, demanding more. My palm connected with the other cheek, leaving behind a red mark that quickly faded. Noah's thighs trembled, and I took the opportunity to make the most of his prone state.

Leaning over the edge of the bed, I spread him open. He clenched and relaxed, practically begging me to attend to his tight hole, and I did just that. There wasn't any gentle lead-in. No lazy kisses or slow strokes of my tongue. I delved into him, working my tongue in and around his hole, making him squirm and moan against me. Every time he pulled away from me, his thighs quaking like he couldn't take any more, I pulled him right back.

"God, Cam," he cried out, my name on his lips sending a pulse of hot lust thrumming through my veins. "Quit teasing me."

I pulled back and looked at him, his perfect body just waiting for me. My dick throbbed, my pulse pounding through every inch of me, demanding I give in. Gripping the shaft, I squeezed hard at the base, but even that wasn't enough to stem the desire for him. Knowing I didn't have a choice anymore, I yanked open the drawer on the bedside table and pulled out a bottle of lube. I pumped a good amount into my palm, spreading it to my fingers until they glistened in the lamp light.

"Tell me what you want." My voice was a low rumble as I leaned over him, one of my knees pressing into the bed.

"I want--"

I didn't give him a chance to answer before I slid a well-lubricated finger inside of him, one knuckle deep, then the next. He moaned wantonly, pushing back against me, pulling me in deeper. I added another finger, stretching him as I leaned further over his body.

"Say it," I whispered, pressing a kiss to his spine as he arched his back.

"Fuck me," he hissed, "please. Please, Cam. I need you to fuck me."

Drawing back slowly, I went for the condoms on the bedside table. Slippery fingers weren't much help in opening the packet, but I managed to get a tear started after some fumbling, and I rolled the condom down over my dick, slicking it up with a generous amount of lube. The rest I spread around and inside his hole, pressing my finger in again before withdrawing.

The whole time, Noah squirmed and whimpered incoherently, making it impossible for me to draw this out any longer, even if I wanted to. My body was just as demanding as his, and I pressed both knees into the mattress, settling myself behind him. One hand gripped my dick, the other rested on his shoulder as I pushed my hips forward.

That first, blissful moment, as the head of my cock slid past his tight hole, was unlike anything I'd ever experienced before. It was a homecoming--the obvious conclusion of years of waiting. And when I pressed deeper into him, his body clenching around mine, it felt like I'd found a piece of myself I'd been missing all this time. Emotion slammed into me, nearly overwhelming in its intensity, and I just stilled inside of him, feeling him stretch for me, reveling in how goddamn perfect he felt around me.

"Fuck," I gasped, breathless.

I was willing to bet Noah felt some of the same things I did, because he'd stopped trying to get me to go faster, deeper. He shuddered around me, and I lowered myself against his back, pressing slow, lingering kisses along his shoulder blades. Noah turned his head to look at me, his eyes filled with the same emotion that was lodged in my throat. The words were nearly on the tip of my tongue, but instead of speaking them, I showed him how I felt.

Our eyes locked as I moved inside of him. Slowly. Deliberately. Every inch of my cock buried inside of him, until I withdrew nearly all the way, only to slide back in. Noah's lips parted in a soundless moan, his eyes half-lidded as he struggled to keep them open. One of my arms came around the front of his shoulders, and I used that leverage to angle my strokes until he cried out in pleasure.

"Oh, God," he whimpered, "don't stop."

"Never," I promised him, muffling his moans with my mouth on his.

My hips rolled as I pumped into him, trying desperately to keep the kiss going for as long as possible. Eventually I had to pull back, and I took that opportunity to flip him again so he was on his back, those big violet eyes staring up at me with complete trust. My heart squeezed in my chest as I looked down at him, lowering myself onto my hands and knees so I could kiss him again.

I wanted that moment to last forever, but I knew my body wouldn't let me have that. I had to strike a balance between the intimacy I craved, and the release I desperately needed. So, adjusting for the new angle, I drove into him again, not stopping until his thighs were flush with mine. Noah let out a deep moan that vibrated through me, his powerful legs wrapping tight around my hips, his heels digging into my ass as he tried to lock me in place.

I moved within those constraints, hips rolling, my cock pounding into him in a continuous, relentless pattern of thrusts. Noah buried his hands in my hair, and as I picked up speed, I couldn't maintain the kiss any more. My head dropped to his shoulder, breath ghosting over his skin as I pumped into him again and again, determined to hold out as long as possible.

I felt his muscles clench and tighten around me seconds before he let out a choked cry. My mouth came down on his, capturing that sound, taking it inside as his body spasmed with his release. His tight hole squeezed my dick again and again, and it was too much for me to endure. With one last, powerful thrust, I let myself topple over that edge, coming hard enough that my thighs shook with the effort of it.

I was a slave to my body as my dick pulsed and jerked inside of him. Noah and I traded breaths more than kissed, his hands clutching at my sweat-slick shoulders, my elbows pressing into the bed as I did everything in my power to hold myself up. Eventually I couldn't manage it anymore, and I collapsed against him, my weight resting on top of him as my release finally subsided.

We lay there, just listening to each other breathe, Noah gently stroking my hair. Even as my dick softened, I stayed inside of him for as long as I could, needing that feeling of being connected to him for just a little bit longer. My hands framed his face, and when I looked down at him, his expression mirrored mine.

Neither one of us said it, but in that moment, I knew it as much as I'd ever known anything in my life: I was in love with Noah Blair, and there was no way I was letting him go.