3. Noah
3
NOAH
M y head is throbbing when I wake up the next morning, and the bed is cold beside me. I sit up, squinting into the abhorrent light filtering though the drapes. It’s eerily silent, no matter how hard I strain to hear the sounds of someone else’s presence. I look around. My suit has been neatly folded on the chair between the beds. The other one is still perfectly made up. I give my head a moment for the throbbing to subside before I look around again. On the table between the beds is a small bottle of aspirin and a much larger bottle of water. I smile at the gesture and wash down three of the pills. When I grab my phone and check the time, it’s only about 9:30, so there’s plenty of time before we’re supposed to check out.
The bathroom door is open and the light’s off, though the scent of hotel soap is permeating the air. Eli must have just gotten out of the shower. I put my head in my hands, trying to force the hangover away with willpower alone. It’s not working.
“Eli?” I croak. Damn, what a night. There’s no response. I look around again; his clothes are gone. He must have already left. My heart sinks, but I push the feeling down. I have to get my head in the game. Guilt pulls at my stomach. I genuinely like Eli, and I think he feels the same way about me. We had a really great time last night. And the sex…fuck. My dick starts to get hard just thinking about it—drunk, crazy, hands and teeth everywhere, his dick in my mouth. I can say with certainty that it’s the best I’ve ever had. Where the hell did he go?
I get up and stumble my way into the shower. By the time I’m clean and dried off the aspirin has taken the edge off my hangover. I come out of the bathroom and look around, but nothing has changed. He must have really left. I feel hollow for some reason. A paranoid thought crosses my mind—did he go through my phone? There’s nothing incriminating on there…I’m pretty sure. I glance at my messages anyway.
That’s when I notice the note on the nightstand. All that’s on it is his name and phone number. I narrow my eyes at it. I can’t seem to decide if I should be offended. Not that it matters. Even if I was, it’s not like I can just break up with him. Not that there’s a relationship to break up. This is my assignment. This is why I’m allowed to go to this school. I have to get close to the Carbones. Still, my chest tightens at the thought. Eli doesn’t seem like a bad guy. Rich, arrogant, spoiled, sure, but damn. I take those feelings and shove them down deep enough that I hopefully won’t find them again.
I shift my focus to what the Carbones did to my family. My father just wanted out. He absolutely would have walked away quietly, but they wouldn’t let him. I was only a baby when it all went down, but they threatened our whole family when my father tried to quit his position as an enforcer. He just didn’t want that violent life anymore once his kids were born. One night when he was off with the Carbones, our house somehow caught fire. Mom managed to get us all to safety, but not without suffering serious burns in the process. My father tried to get past the guilt, even going so far as to become a state witness against the Carbones, but he ended up hanging himself while in custody. At least, that’s the official story. Since then, Mom has raised the two of us under witness protection. That’s why this mission is important; that’s why I have to push any feelings I have aside. Who knows how many families have been devastated by these people? They shouldn’t get to live in luxury while the rest of us suffer.
I clench my fists in the towel for a second before using it to dry my hair. I pause for a moment in front of the full-length mirror when I notice the slight discoloration in the skin on my hand as I bring the towel down. It’s the only mark left on me from the fire. I look over the rest of my body, almost as though I’m searching for more marks, more scars, like my mother’s. Over half of her skin is still scarred, and her lungs never fully recovered.
I’ve trained for this my whole life. I’ve known since I was just a kid that I wanted to be a cop, that I wanted to get justice for people like my mom, that I wanted to put bad guys away. My muscle definition reflects that. I’ve spent years training how to fight, to run, to pursue. I’m one of the best marksmen the PD has ever seen. This is my calling; it’s what I was born to do. I can’t let anything get in the way of that, especially a spoiled rich kid like Eli.
With my resolve bolstered, I throw on my suit from last night and leave the hotel, keeping tabs on my surroundings just in case anyone is curious about the man Eli Carbone spent the night with. I have the front desk call a cab for me to take back to campus. On the ride, I muster the nerve to send Eli a text, since I have to keep up this farce if I’m going to succeed.
Once I’m back in my apartment, I get out my notebook and write down everything I remember from the party last night. I write down everyone’s names and what I learned about them, as well as the details of any conversations I remember. The exercise is harder than I anticipated. Eli seemed genuinely happy with me there, like he knew he was sitting in a pit of vipers and I was his safety line. Maybe that’s just me projecting. Wishful thinking is a powerful drug.
Once I’m finished, I dutifully lock everything in the safe behind the lone picture framed on the wall as I’ve been trained. According to Rossi, too many undercover agents have been compromised by careless handling of evidence.
My thoughts trail back to the hotel room. It’s incredibly unprofessional of me to get involved on a physical level like this, and now I have to make sure that I get ironclad evidence, because my word as a witness is going to be unreliable at best. But since that cat’s already out of the bag, I might as well roll with it. My phone vibrates next to me, and I glance down at it. Eli finally texted me back. Just one word: lunch? I take a deep breath and steel my resolve once more. I’m already in the deep end, so I might as well swim.
* * *
I expected to go back to the frat house, but instead we’re at some sort of fundraising event in downtown Montcove. The scent of grilled meats and funnel cakes permeates the air around us, and the streets are blocked off for the milling crowd. I follow Eli as we approach several tents set up with coolers and tableware. Eli grabs a couple of burgers and sodas, then leads me off to the edge of the crowd, where we sit at a bench usually reserved for the bus route.
“What are we doing here?” I finally ask around a mouthful of burger. I have to admit it’s delicious, especially for street food.
“The Phi Alphas are raising money for the Montcove Arts Council.”
“The Montcove Arts Council?” I repeat, feeling baffled. What is this guy talking about?
“Yeah, they provide art instruction for all the schools around here and do a lot of community work. The fraternity set up this festival to give the artists a chance to display their work and hopefully sell some, and to raise funding for the school programs. I’m hoping to make it a yearly event.” Eli looks almost sheepish as he gauges my reaction.
“Wow” is all I can manage in response. I look around at all the tents and booths. There’s even a live band on stage at the end of the block. “I didn’t realize you were that into fine arts.”
“I was put into a lot of art and music classes when I was young. My mom wanted to make sure I was well-rounded.” He chuckles, but I can see something in his eyes that makes my chest hurt. “I always enjoyed it, and it wasn’t until I went to college that I realized how many kids never had that opportunity. It’s a way to give back, I guess, and remember my mother.”
I fight to control my expression. I want to shake my head in disgust that it took until he was a fucking adult to realize that he was a spoiled brat. I take a deep breath to calm my nerves. “What happened to her?”
“My mother?” Eli raises his eyebrows at me, almost as if he’s surprised I mentioned it.
I nod.
“Cancer.” Eli presses his lips together and gazes over the crowd. “We had all the best doctors, drug trials, research. My father sent her all over the world, but there was nothing we could do.”
“I’m sorry,” I say, and nudge his shoulder.
“What about you? Where are your parents?” Eli asks me, trying to change the subject. Now it’s my turn to look at the crowd.
“My father died in an accident when I was a baby, so I don’t remember anything about him. My mom was on her own raising me and my sister.” I turn my eyes back to him and see a look on his face that I can’t quite understand.
“What does she do?” Eli asks. The question makes me uncomfortable, but my training has taught me to stick as close to the truth as possible. That makes it easier to avoid getting caught in a lie.
“She works for a maid service. She actually manages a team now, so she’s doing a lot better than before, but she’s always had to work hard,” I say, shifting in my seat.
“I could talk to my family,” Eli says, and I have to fight to keep my expression neutral. I have a sinking feeling I know where this is going. “We would probably pay a lot more for services like that than most.”
Heat rages through me. I clench my jaw, but wait a beat before responding. The arrogant rich kid thinks he can somehow save my family like we’re some sort of charity case, when it’s his twisted family that put us here in the first place.
“She’d never go for switching jobs,” I say with a forced smile. “She’s been with this company for over fifteen years and they’ve always treated her well. It’s just hard work.”
“Just something to think about.” Eli shrugs.
“Besides, she lives in Portland. She would never move to Montcove,” I continue. It’s decidedly not something to think about. I haven’t even told her about my operation here. She thinks I’m somewhere in the Midwest.
“Oregon or Maine?” Eli’s lips curl into a soft smile, and my anger thaws just slightly.
“Oregon” is my fast reply. I need to put as much imaginary distance between his family and mine as possible.
“Wow,” Eli answers with a lift of his eyebrows. “How’d you end up all the way over here?”
Shit. I hadn’t thought about that. “Ah, a young man’s angst is probably the best answer. Most of the colleges I applied to were on the East Coast.” The lie rolls easily off my tongue.
Eli laughs and rolls his eyes. “If it had been my choice I would’ve ended up on the opposite coast, too.” He claps my back, and I relax a little. “But all the Carbones for the last umpteen generations went to Valmont, so…here I am.” A weight seems to settle on his shoulders, and my ire thaws a little more.
“Well, I suppose I wouldn’t have met you, then,” I say, trying to shift the conversation back to the present. His eyes meet mine and I feel a wave of genuine affection coming from him. My heart actually aches for him. His family may be evil, but it’s not like he was given a choice who his family is.
“What do you say we go see if we can buy some art?” he says as he stands up from the bench.
“I’m game,” I say with a smile.
We spend the next couple of hours perusing the tables of local artists, and I have to admit I enjoy it a lot more than I thought I would. Eli converses with the artists and talks about their processes and inspirations. He’s very knowledgeable, but that shouldn’t be surprising with his privileged upbringing. He points out a few more members of his family, who I carefully tuck into the back of my mind.
Later we have dinner at one of the Italian restaurants in the district, and it’s amazing. Of course Eli insists on paying for me, which is annoying given the conversation we had earlier. Maybe I’m just being sensitive, but it’s infuriating to feel like Eli’s pet project. It’s fine though; I might as well let him burn some of his wealth on little old me. At least, that’s the excuse I give myself.
Somehow we end up back at my apartment. I’m grateful that I’m so methodical in what I do with the evidence I gather that it’s all locked away. My tiny studio shouldn’t exactly come as a surprise to Eli given what he just learned about my financial background. I grind my teeth at the thought. Still, I do a quick sweep of the place as we enter to make sure there’s nothing lying around that could give me away.
I turn back to Eli as he closes the door, my chest tightening in anticipation for his assessment of my living situation. This is probably only going to solidify his desire to be charitable . Eli looks around the room, taking in the brick walls and limited space, and when he turns back to me his eyes are full of something I don’t recognize.
“I like this place,” he says, almost as though it surprises him as much as it does me. “It feels safe.”
I blink a few times in response. I haven’t the slightest idea what he means by that. I open my mouth to reply, but nothing comes out.
“I’m sorry,” Eli says as he takes my hand.
“Sorry for what?” I finally manage to say.
“I know it probably comes across as pompous, but I really like this place. Maybe it’s the company that’s biasing my opinion, but I feel more comfortable here than any of the places I usually stay.” His eyes search mine. For what, I don’t know.
“I don’t understand, I guess,” I respond, averting my gaze.
“I wish I could explain it better without sounding like an ass, so just take my word for it—I like this place,” he says, pulling me closer. I fight the urge to pull back. Eli has managed to demonstrate his complete obliviousness to anything outside of his tax bracket so many times today. It’s infuriating, but I have to keep my composure.
I focus on his eyes, how the sharp green contrasts with his olive skin. His loose curls dip just below his brow. I reach up and slide one of his locks away from his eyes, and they fill with an emotion I don’t recognize. In spite of his arrogance, in spite of his na?veté, he’s beautiful. His strong jaw ticks in response to my touch, and it sets my blood pumping. Conflicting emotions thrash in my mind as his eyes flicker to my lips when I wet them.
He takes my jaw in his hand and traces his fingers along my cheek, which has become rough with stubble. He drags his fingers along my jaw, wraps them around the back of my neck, and pulls me closer. Unlike the rough, fevered kisses we’ve shared before, he moves slowly, gently, as he presses his warm lips to mine. I close my eyes and relax into the kiss, parting my lips slightly as he probes with his tongue. The walls holding my emotions at bay crumble, and unleash myself fully. I take his face in my hands and kiss him harder, reveling in the way his breath catches. I dig my fingers into his scalp and thrust my tongue through his lips. It isn’t possible for him to be involved in his family’s business without knowing how they hurt people.
A sharp moan escapes his throat as I pull his hair harder and tilt his head back, pushing him into the lone chair in the corner. I stand over him, crushing my lips into his to the point of bruising. He seems to think throwing some money around will pay for all the pain his family has caused. I climb on top of him in the chair, straddling him. My cock strains against my pants as I roll my hips against his abdomen. Eli releases another guttural groan into my mouth, and I pull back and look at him. His sharp green eyes tighten at my expression. When he thrusts his hips forward, the bulge in his own pants rubs against my ass. My dick starts throbbing even harder.
“You’re so fucking sexy,” I whisper against his ear before pulling his earlobe into my mouth and scraping my teeth against it. His breath shudders, and my heart starts pounding faster.
“So are you,” he growls, and reaches under my shirt to pull it over my head. He runs his hands over my chest and pinches my nipples, and I roll my head back and close my eyes. He traces his fingers down my abs and unbuttons my pants. I rise up on my knees, the tip of my dick peeking out from the waistband of my boxers as it lines up with his chin. His eyes don’t leave mine until I grab his hair and tilt his face toward my cock. He lets out a dark chuckle and flicks his tongue against the head of my dick, which is already glistening with precum. I suck in a sharp breath and grip his hair tighter. He wraps his lips around just the head and swirls his tongue around my opening, and I roll my head back and close my eyes.
My pants, my boxers, the chair, suddenly everything is too constricting. I abruptly stand up and grab him by his shirt. I yank him to his feet and pull the shirt over his head in the same movement. He tugs my pants down my thighs, and my cock springs free as I unbuckle his belt and unbutton his jeans. I push his pants down his thighs and grab his cock, hard as steel for me. I shove him toward the bed, and we both step out of our pants before tumbling onto my small mattress.
I reach into my nightstand and pull out a bottle of lube. He quirks an eyebrow at me as I open the cap and pour some between us, coating my hands and his ass. I take his leg and hoist it over my shoulder, but when I look down I see a pained expression on his face. Annoyance surges through me, but I hesitate.
“This is a…um…I’ve never done this before,” Eli says, and my whirlwind of emotions comes crashing to a halt.
“Do you want me to stop?” I ask as I grind my hips against him. His dick is still rock-hard beneath me.
“Fuck no,” he breathes, and I take that as consent. I push a finger inside his ass, and he groans.
“Relax,” I whisper, pushing another finger inside him. His eyes are squeezed shut, but his dick is throbbing. I take the lube and coat my cock with it, stroking a few times against him. His breath becomes hurried, and I realize I’m more turned on than I’ve ever been. I align the head of my dick against his opening and remove my fingers. Slowly I push inside as he gasps for air.
“It hurts,” he breathes.
“It’s supposed to,” I growl at him, and his dick flexes beneath me. “Just relax.” As I push deeper into him, his muscles relax around me. I push myself all the way into him through his cries, struggling to hold back my climax. I take his dick in my hand and pull back out before thrusting in again. His ring of muscles clamps down around me, and he cries out as I stroke his dick with my hand. “Tell me you like it,” I say, more of a command than a request. “Tell me you like my dick inside you.”
“I like it,” he says between gasps. “ Fuck , I like it.”
I thrust into him again and start stroking him faster.
“Come for me, Eli.” I stroke him harder and time my thrusts to match. “I want you to come hard for me.”
“Oh fuck!” he cries out as I thrust into him again. I’m not going to be able to hold back much longer.
“Say my name, Eli,” I growl. I’m so close to the edge, but I keep pumping his cock like my life depends on it.
“Oh God, Noah,” Eli gasps. “Fuck! Noah!” His muscles clamp around me as he spurts all over my stomach. I thrust one more time and then I’m coming, too. I empty myself inside of him as his spasms subside.
I feel drained as I pull my cock from his ass. He has yet to open his eyes, and is still struggling to catch his breath. I stand up and push my dick into his mouth. I pull his head onto my dick smiling at the fact its just been right up his fucking virgin ass. I’ve never been more tired on as he gags on my length.
“Take this in your throat for me and tell me you like it afterwards.”