CHAPTER 3 - RAW HONEY
raw honey
CHAPTER three
David had plenty of massages as a professional athlete, but a couples massage was a thousand times better. He snort-laughed at the sounds Noah made when the masseuse took care of a difficult knot in his shoulder, but quickly stopped when his masseuse started in on his own lower back knots. By the time they finished the hour and a half session, David felt like a different person. He hadn’t noticed how much tension he’d been carrying in his shoulders.
When they stepped into Noah’s flat, David had Noah out of his clothes and in bed in less than a minute. Their skin was still warm and smooth from the massage oil, and Noah made all of his silly noises in a very different context.
David loved fucking him. He knew how crass that was, but he had no other words to describe the way it felt to be inside the person he loved most. He loved when Noah wriggled on the sheets, the way his mussed hair fell in his eyes, the way his stubble rasped against David’s neck between needy kisses. David savored every moment, every time.
He’d nearly lost it all.
“Remind me to book one of those every time you visit,” Noah panted once they’d both finished. “Fuck, Jochmann.”
David smiled against Noah’s neck, kissing his way up to his mouth. He laughed when their lips met, and Noah nipped his bottom lip.
“I was that good, hm?” David teased, reaching to smooth his palm down Noah’s thigh. So muscular. Noah had been keeping up a rigorous workout routine despite not being able to drive. He was committed to coming back and had to stay race-ready. David joined him sometimes, but his physical training wouldn’t pick up to full volume until two weeks from now, when he went back to Los Angeles.
“Shut up,” Noah said. “You always blow my mind.”
David laughed. “Is that an invitation to blow you?”
“I’m all yours, baby,” Noah teased, ruffling his hair. “Maybe after we shower off, though. Or in the shower.”
“In the shower sounds nice,” David said with a smirk, but neither of them moved to get up. He kissed Noah’s cheek and nuzzled into his neck instead. He never wanted to quit racing until moments like this. The thought of having Noah every day for forever made him want to quit and follow Noah around the world. He wanted to see that handsome smile every morning and listen to the excitement in his voice when he talked about fabric.
Noah’s finger trailed up the line of David’s spine, sending shivers through him alongside the aftershocks of pleasure. David let out a soft moan, still too overstimulated to go back to sex just yet.
His phone buzzed on the nightstand, but he ignored it in favor of making out with his boyfriend.
“I love it when you’re needy,” Noah said in his ear, his voice rumbling through David’s chest.
David couldn’t stop himself from letting out a whine. Embarrassment clawed up his throat, but Noah washed it away when his hand wrapped around his cock, stroking him with the perfect balance of speed and tightness for his recovering body.
“Don’t ever stop doing this,” David groaned, digging his fingers into Noah’s back as the waves of pleasure lapped up his belly.
Both his and Noah’s phones buzzed at the same time, and David’s eyes snapped open. There were very few reasons why anyone would be texting them both. Finlay Black, Noah’s teammate and childhood best friend, was usually the culprit, but he’d been off the grid since last week to hang out with his wife’s family.
David gently touched Noah’s hand, and Noah released his cock, snapping into protective mode. David grabbed him before he could go rolling off for their phones. “Wait.”
Noah froze immediately, watching him with concern. David moved up to his elbows and took a deep breath. He already knew what the text would say. He’d gotten the same one almost a dozen times since the final race.
“I can handle it,” Noah said.
David shook his head. “No. I’ll do it.”
Heeased himself out from under Noah and grabbed his phone on the nightstand to read a blaring text alert:
THIS IS A SECURITY NOTIFICATION: Attempted entry by a restricted individual to your apartment. Individual entered the lobby requesting keys. Security was notified and escorted the individual away from the premises.
A lump formed in David’s throat just as the phone started ringing. Noah put an arm around him, kissing his shoulder.
“Hello?” David answered.
“Mr. Jochmann?” a voice asked.
“Yes, that’s me.”
“Mr. Jochmann, this is Officer Rodriguez with Realtime Security. I’m calling in regards to a security notification sent to us from your apartment in Marina del Rey. First, I need to ask you for your verbal password.”
“Wagyu,” David replied, clutching Noah’s arm with his free hand. Noah’s father used to raise American crossbred Wagyu cattle. Since there was no way in hell Klaus would ever know that, it was a perfect password.
“Thank you, Mr. Jochmann. Just so you are aware, this call is being recorded for quality assurance. We were notified of an attempted entry by a restricted individual to your apartment complex. You should have received a text alert.”
“Yeah, I did,” David said. “This isn’t the first time. If you could report it to the Los Angeles police so they have it for their records and CC my legal team, that’s all I need right now.”
“Security intercepted the individual—a Mr. Klaus Jochmann,” Officer Rodriguez continued, as if he hadn’t spoken. “Our records indicate you have a restraining order issued in the state of California for—”
“Yes, I’m not there right now. I’m in Europe,” David said, thumbing Noah’s wrist.
His dad knew he was gone. He also knew snooping around his apartment complex wasn’t against the law unless David was around. David always feared what would happen if any of the security guards at the apartment complex gave him the emergency key without checking the records. Klaus was very good at convincing people to listen to him, and if someone was checking IDs, they had the same last name. Not many sons had restraining orders against their dads.
“Okay, thank you for confirming. According to California law—”
“I know,” David interrupted. “Report it to the police and CC my legal team, please. All of the instructions are in my account in your database.”
Noah gently pulled his arm free and grabbed his own phone. “I’ll text Josie.”
“Absolutely, Mr. Jochmann,” Officer Rodriguez said. “Would you like us to request that security take a look at your unit?”
David hesitated. He knew his dad hadn’t been inside—his security system would have gone off. David didn’t fear him being inside his apartment anymore, but he did fear stepping out of the breezeway to find his father waiting for him.
The first time Klaus came around, he’d been carrying a baseball bat on the security footage. He claimed he was there to pick up his son to go to the batting cages, even though David had never played baseball in his life.
“Have them check the breezeway, please,” David said. “I have a security system in my apartment. He hasn’t been in there.”
“Evening, Josie,” Noah said behind him, rolling into his back. He kept his knuckles against David’s spine, gently rubbing back and forth to remind him he was there. “Yeah, Klaus was just there.”
“Great, I’ll text you to confirm once the sweep is done. Please contact us once you’re back in the States so we can act accordingly if this happens again,” Officer Rodriguez said.
“Thanks,” David said. He hung up without saying goodbye, only to find his hands shaking. He turned over, and Noah took him into his arms.
“This is getting out of hand,” Noah said into the phone in a stern voice.
“I know, but our hands are tied legally,” Josie, his US lawyer, said over Noah’s phone speaker. “The best we can do right now is to continue be vigilant and collect all records.”
“What about trespassing? Can’t we get him on that?” Noah asked.
“I’ve considered it, but the problem with issuing a no-trespass notice is that we won’t have record of his whereabouts unless he violates the notice. While that sounds good, it’s clear Klaus is very aware of the law. He will likely come exactly within his limits, and we won’t have any record of him because we won’t have the apartment complex camera footage.”
David shook his head. “No. I want to know where he is when he comes by.”
Noah kissed his forehead, but it didn’t soothe the terror in his bones. “Yeah, I guess that’s a good point. Thanks, Josie. Have you spoken with Oxbow legal about when David comes back?”
“Yes, meetings are ongoing. Klaus has been banned from the pit lane, and track security staff as well as race stewards will have special briefings to watch out for him before each race weekend. Oxbow has agreed to hire private security for the media area and team hospitality.”
“Good. They’re the real deal, right? Not mall cops?” Noah asked.
“Former military contractors,” Josie replied. “All of them speak German as well as English, so they’ll be able to intercept anything English-speakers may miss.”
David closed his eyes. He hated this. It all seemed like overkill until the memories of the hatred in his father’s eyes came back to him. David knew he was only alive because his father had wanted to pin the blame on Noah that day at Road Atlanta. His own father wanted him dead.
David understood, in a way. His dad raised him, trained him, coached him to be a champion, and David turned around and cut him out of his life right before winning it all.
Klaus had worked his whole life to be a champion in the European circuits. He never made it to Formula 1, but he always told David that was a result of poor coaches. At the time, David believed every word out of his mouth. Even now, he didn’t know what was true and what was his father trying to guilt him.
“Good,” Noah said. “And I want to be CC’d on every daily report while I’m not there.”
A fucking baseball bat. A steel one. David could only imagine what that would do to someone’s head.
“Once David confirms—”
“I confirm,” David said loudly, opening his eyes. “I want Noah on everything. I already said that.”
“Well, once the documents are notarized, you’ll be on everything, Noah,” Josie said. “I’m sorry this happened, but it’s just another piece of evidence we can use against him.”
David shivered despite the warmth under the blankets. Noah said his goodbyes and ended the call. The moment he hung up, he wrapped David in his arms for a tight hug.
“I’m right here,” Noah whispered into his hair.
“Thank you for doing that,” David rasped into Noah’s chest.
Noah rubbed his back. The muscle was already sore from the deep-tissue massage, but David didn’t mind. A bit of pain helped stop the stabbing anxiety in his chest.
“We’re going to be ready to throw his ass in jail the second he breaks that restraining order,” Noah said. “He’s not going to get close enough to hurt you. I promise.”
“I don’t want to stay at my place when you’re not there,” David said. “Even with the security system. He’s going to find out about the baby any day now, and I don’t know what he’ll try.”
Caroline had agreed to keep things quiet for now, but she’d be showing soon. Basic math would make it pretty clear who the father was, and Caroline’s family was already preparing their own restraining orders to keep Klaus away from her.
“Okay, we’ll talk to Josie about options,” Noah said. “We’ll figure everything out before you go back.”
David forced himself up onto his elbows and gave his boyfriend a kiss. “Let’s shower.”
Noah kept close for the whole walk to the bathroom, keeping a hand on him at all times. David lost himself under the hot water, but it didn’t wash away the anxiety. Right now, his father was in LA. Tomorrow, he could be in Europe. He could easily harass Caroline in France—her family knew about Klaus, but would they catch on in time if he came to their estate? They didn’t have security, and the closest cops were kilometers away.
It was all his fault. David had chosen his relationship with Noah over his career just once, and now everyone in his life was in danger.
“I want you to have security in Colorado,” David said suddenly, turning around to face his boyfriend. Water streamed down Noah’s face and dripped from his wet curls in a way that made David want, but fear clamped down on any attempt at desire.
“Then I’ll have security in Colorado,” Noah said with a kiss.
“And at races,” David added. “I’ll pay for it. You need private security too.”
“I’ll call my people and set it up,” Noah said. “You don’t have to pay a cent.”
“I will. It’s the least I can—”
Noah kissed him, silencing his argument. “You’re dealing with enough. I’m a glorified intern right now; I’ll take care of it.”
David swallowed hard. Hot water ran down his back, but he could only think of how hot his blood had been as it gushed from his nose after his father almost broke it and left him to die behind storage containers at Road Atlanta. He’d actually felt the life leaving his body until Noah showed up to save him.
He never told Noah about how close he’d been to dying that day.
Once they were showered off, David changed into comfortable house clothes while Noah changed the sheets. David watched the people outside while cupping a hot tea, marveling at the Christmas lights strung up in the narrow streets.
Noah was missing Christmas in Tennessee for the first time in his life. He insisted it was because of the demands of his internship, but David wasn’t stupid. If Noah went to Tennessee, David would go with him, and that would put Noah’s parents at risk if Klaus found out.
David gripped the mug tighter. His vision blurred as tears welled in his eyes. Noah had to abandon his own family because of him —the guy who’d snapped at him that morning. The guy who everyone hated for good reason.
“Ready for bed?” Noah asked in his ear, and looped his arms around him from behind.
“I’ll finish my tea first,” David said softly, blinking the tears away. “Thanks.”
“Can I taste?”
David turned to hand over the mug, but Noah kissed him instead.
“Mm. Sweet, just like you,” Noah said with a smile that made David wish he was a better person.
“It’s honey,” David explained dumbly. “I like a lot of honey.”
“Why do you think I bought some?” Noah teased, settling against his back.
“Oh, right.”
Noah kissed his cheek, and David took another sip of tea to stop himself from saying something even more stupid. The tea warmed him from the inside out, and the honey coated his throat, smoothing over the sandpaper texture from all of the talking about his father.
Noah stood with him until he finished, both of them watching the city in silence. David’s eyelids were already drooping by the time Noah took his mug and set it in the sink.
“C’mon,” Noah soothed. “I put extra blankets on.”
A few moments later, David snuggled under the comforter with the love of his life. He buried his nose against Noah’s chest and fell asleep to the sounds of the city, Noah’s steady heartbeat, and the quiet of home.