Chapter Forty-Five Los Angeles
The room in the back of the plane was spacious for a private jet, a bed, a nightstand, and a closet. He dropped his bag on the floor.
The door behind him closed.
A hand hit the back of his shoulder, “Miss me, sexy?”
Noah was standing behind him in jeans and a gray sweater, holding a bouquet of flowers from Ralphs grocery store. Cheap and half-wilted. Paper wrap from the checkout. “Did you notice my playlist?”
“Fucking weirdo.” Piper stood in the doorway staring into Noah’s eyes.
Noah said, “Hi.”
“Hi.”
Piper put his arms around him and his face against Noah’s shoulder and stopped being able to breathe for a second.
Noah held on to him tightly. The flowers were still in Noah’s hand, pinned between Piper’s back, and he could feel the paper, the stems, and he didn’t move to push them out of the way because he did not want to let go.
Neither of them said anything.
Eventually, Noah took a step back and held out the flowers.
“Ralphs on Olympic. Sorry I had no time to stop at Erewhon. What do you get the guy who has everything?”
“I love them, they do look like they need some water.”
Noah laughed, “I don’t have a speech.”
“Good.”
“I’m not going to have one either.”
“Good.”
“I couldn’t handle being without you. I have a few days before the conference round.”
Piper set the flowers down as Noah put his hand on the back of Piper’s neck.
Piper said, “I didn’t know you were going to be here.”
“Vivienne said if I told you, you’d tell her no.”
“She was probably right.”
“Yeah.”
They sat in silence for a moment.
“I saw him today. Jayson.”
Noah’s hand stayed flat on his neck.
“I know.”
“He came to the house, and tried to kill me.”
“I know.”
“He had a gun.”
Noah said, “Vivienne told Carmen. Carmen told me. In the car on the way here.”
“Piper?”
“Yeah.”
“You’re okay?”
“I’m okay.”
Noah exhaled. He kept his hand on Piper’s neck. Piper kept his on the flowers.
After a while Noah said, “What are we doing?”
“I don’t know.”
“You don’t know, or you’re not allowed to say?”
“I don’t know. Vivienne said she’d tell me on the jet. She hasn’t told me anything yet.”
“Okay.”
“Are we going to some fucking bunker?”
There was a knock at the bedroom door. Vivienne said, through it, “We’re ten minutes from wheels up. Carmen is on board. I’m going to come in. You’re both dressed, right?”
“Fuck no,” Piper said.
“Bitch, don’t be cute.”
“I’m not being cute, Viv.”
She opened the door. She came in halfway, leaning against the doorframe, not stepping fully into the room.
Carmen was behind her in the hallway. They both looked at Piper and Noah sitting on the bed, and Vivienne looked at the flowers, and she said, “Are those flowers from Ralphs? Jesus Christ Carmen, get your boy some taste.”
“I love them, Viv. Stop being a bitch for a minute,” Piper said.
“Sorry, Noah. I will be better,” Vivienne said rolling her eyes and turning to Piper, “So here is the big reveal, we are going to Iceland.”
Piper looked at her. “Fucking Iceland.”
“Yes fucking Iceland. We rented a small house in a village about an hour from Reykjavík. We will figure out next steps there, but Henry is building the case with the help of Caleb Ward’s investigation.”
“But Noah has the conference championship game four days from now, so you better make it fucking worth it.”
Piper looked at Noah and laughed.
“You agreed to this.”
“I sure did.”
“You left the facility to do this.”
“I left because I need you, and I need you more than you will ever know,” Noah said as he leaned into Piper and put his head on Piper’s shoulder.
“Your coach?” Piper asked.
“Saw the photographs,” Noah said. “Told me to take a couple days. Said if I came back ready for the San Francisco rematch, we’d figure out the rest. Carmen worked it out. I’ll be back at the facility Monday morning.”
“Sandwiches are coming. Try acting like people whose lives are not on fire for five fucking minutes. I need a martini,” Vivienne said as she closed the bedroom door.
“Bitch, get the shaker out, let’s get shitfaced. Let the boys reunite for fuck sake. Where is the food?” Carmen yelled from the main cabin. Vivienne shut the door.
“Vivienne scares me. Personally. Because I’ve been thinking about you for four months and she’s been thinking about you forever. She knows every dumb thing I’m about to do before I do it,” Noah said.
“Yeah.”
Then Piper said, “Thank you for the flowers. Seeing you is what I needed after the day I had.”
“You’re welcome, sexy.”
***
Los Angeles
The plane took off ten minutes later. Piper was on the bed with Noah next to him.
Vivienne and Carmen were in the front cabin with their laptops open and martinis shaken.
The flowers from Ralphs on Olympic were in a coffee mug held together by a rubber band.
The cabin lights went down as the plane pitched up. Piper felt Noah’s hand on his knee.
“I haven’t slept in four days,” Piper said.
“I don’t need you to sleep. You sure you’re okay?”
“I am going to be okay.”
“That chandelier shot was insane by the way. Vivienne told me it was the price of a fucking mansion in Texas.”
Piper laughed and turned his head on the pillow. Noah was looking at him. “Last time I saw you I walked out.”
“I remember.”
“I’m not walking off this plane.”
“Please don’t, Piper, that would be messy.” Noah laughed.
“You. Inside me. Right now,” Piper said, pointing at Noah.
Noah smiled and nodded.
They didn’t bother taking off all their clothes. Piper shoved his sweats and briefs down in one motion. Noah got his jeans open and pushed them down. Piper was on all fours, ass up, and Noah knew exactly what Piper needed, settling between his thighs like he belonged there forever.
Noah got Piper loose with his tongue, and pushed his cock inside his asshole without warning. Piper moaned in ecstasy as he entered him.
“Still so fucking tight,” Noah muttered, voice wrecked. “Even after everything.”
“Shut up and fuck me before I change my mind.”
Noah kissed the back of Piper’s neck, messy and open-mouthed, spit sliding.
“Jesus Christ,” Noah breathed against his throat.
He stayed there, buried, letting Piper adjust, letting the jet carry them higher while Piper’s hole clenched around his cock. Piper’s nails digging into the pillow.
Noah started to move faster. It was not the frantic hotel marathon sex.
This was rawer. Noah fucked him in long, deep strokes that matched the low rumble of the engines, every thrust shoving Piper up the mattress inch by inch.
The headboard knocked softly against the bulkhead.
Piper’s cock leaked steadily. Noah hooked one of Piper’s legs higher, changing the angle, and Piper made a loud grunt and the sound echoed in the tiny cabin.
“Quiet,” Noah whispered as he laughed, smiling against Piper’s ear. “They’ll hear you up front.”
“Don’t fucking care,” Piper gasped. “Harder.”
Noah gave it to him hard and passionately.
Skin slapping against skin, wet and obscene under the white noise of the jet.
Noah’s hand slid down Piper’s body, wrapped around Piper’s cock, and stroked him with passionate thrusts, tight, perfect, relentless.
Noah came first, intense and shattering, cum pulsing on Piper’s ass as he pulled out.
Piper came next in a long violent stream of cum painting the bedding.
“Welcome to the mile-high club, Ashton,” Noah said as he kissed the back of Piper’s head.
Piper laughed, a real one, cracked and exhausted and alive. He wrapped both arms around Noah’s back and held on. “Shut up and stay inside me until we land.”
Noah sucked on his ear, slow and soft. “Bossy, even when you’re getting fucked. I love it.”