Not that Noah was afraid of the neighborhood or anything. Having lived in this particular Los Angeles suburb for so many years, he knew it was safe. But it was also unusually chilly, so he ran to the house across the street and two doors down from Charlie’s.
He threw the butt plug package on the couch, no longer interested. What he was, though, was hungry. He headed for his freezer in the hopes some frozen dinner might actually look appealing.
* * *
Charlie turned off his computer in disgust. With Sly Cat.
But with himself mostly. Sly Cat hadn’t shown up, and he’d 5
PULLING AWAY
been stupid enough to send Noah away.
He knew why Noah had come by and it wasn’t to pick up his package. Ever since last weekend, when Charlie had practically attacked Noah in the kitchen, Noah had been coming back for more. Last night Charlie really hadn’t felt well, so when Noah called, he’d told him he was sick. But tonight, Charlie had just been stupid.
Sex with Noah was good. He liked it. A lot. Sure, it was a little surprising how good Noah had been in bed. Charlie hadn’t expected that. He guessed he’d expected it to be somewhat average. Like Noah.
Charlie went into his kitchen and took out another can of soda. That wasn’t entirely fair. Noah kind of looked like the clichéd boy next door. Or what Clark Kent looked like with the glasses. Clean cut, neatly trimmed hair, pert nose that didn’t hold those glasses well at all. Sort of short for a guy.
Like maybe five-foot-eight in shoes. If you looked behind the glasses, you could see Noah had very striking hazel eyes.
Charlie had once asked him why he didn’t wear contacts, and Noah had mumbled something about laziness.
Charlie liked Noah. He was a afraid Noah was getting a little too involved, though. More involved than Charlie wanted to be. He didn’t feel like getting close to anyone right now.
Even though two years had passed since the death of his family, the pain was still so raw it clawed at him. He just couldn’t handle a full-on thing right now. Not with someone he’d known all his life. He didn’t want to hurt Noah, though, so he wondered if he shouldn’t keep the distance between 6
PULLING AWAY
them.
Too bad he was now horny as hell. Charlie leaned against his kitchen counter and tried to decide if his horniness could be taken care of by his own hand. Not his preference, but until the recent sex with Noah that’s all he’d been using for a while.
He didn’t do gay bars or any of that.
He’d been able to keep himself carefully hidden away in his house and in his mind pretty well until he’d started talking with Sly Cat a couple of weeks ago. What started out as just a gamer conversation had soon turned to be so much more. Sly Cat understood him and his pain and loneliness. Or he seemed to. He’d told Sly Cat things he hadn’t told anyone since his parents’ death.
Charlie knew Sly Cat had a day job because he never came on until evening. But usually he showed up eventually. Not so tonight and Charlie felt the loss.
He could continue to be stupid and go to his empty bed with his hand, or he could walk across the street and tell Noah he changed his mind and wanted sex. He didn’t even need to get into his car. How difficult would it be?
Charlie tossed his now-empty soda can into the recycle bin and went to his hall closet to take out a windbreaker. Did Noah have condoms and lube? They’d always had sex at his house, so he didn’t know for sure. If Noah was into sex toys it was likely, but there was no point taking any chances. He walked to his bathroom, opened a cabinet and scooped up the supplies.
A short time later, when he stood in front of Noah’s house, 7
PULLING AWAY
he paused. The house looked dark, which was unusual for Noah. Charlie glanced at his watch. 8:30. Surely Noah wasn’t already in bed? He rang the bell.
Charlie heard footsteps approach, then Noah pulled back the front curtains and peered out the
He threw the butt plug package on the couch, no longer interested. What he was, though, was hungry. He headed for his freezer in the hopes some frozen dinner might actually look appealing.
* * *
Charlie turned off his computer in disgust. With Sly Cat.
But with himself mostly. Sly Cat hadn’t shown up, and he’d 5
PULLING AWAY
been stupid enough to send Noah away.
He knew why Noah had come by and it wasn’t to pick up his package. Ever since last weekend, when Charlie had practically attacked Noah in the kitchen, Noah had been coming back for more. Last night Charlie really hadn’t felt well, so when Noah called, he’d told him he was sick. But tonight, Charlie had just been stupid.
Sex with Noah was good. He liked it. A lot. Sure, it was a little surprising how good Noah had been in bed. Charlie hadn’t expected that. He guessed he’d expected it to be somewhat average. Like Noah.
Charlie went into his kitchen and took out another can of soda. That wasn’t entirely fair. Noah kind of looked like the clichéd boy next door. Or what Clark Kent looked like with the glasses. Clean cut, neatly trimmed hair, pert nose that didn’t hold those glasses well at all. Sort of short for a guy.
Like maybe five-foot-eight in shoes. If you looked behind the glasses, you could see Noah had very striking hazel eyes.
Charlie had once asked him why he didn’t wear contacts, and Noah had mumbled something about laziness.
Charlie liked Noah. He was a afraid Noah was getting a little too involved, though. More involved than Charlie wanted to be. He didn’t feel like getting close to anyone right now.
Even though two years had passed since the death of his family, the pain was still so raw it clawed at him. He just couldn’t handle a full-on thing right now. Not with someone he’d known all his life. He didn’t want to hurt Noah, though, so he wondered if he shouldn’t keep the distance between 6
PULLING AWAY
them.
Too bad he was now horny as hell. Charlie leaned against his kitchen counter and tried to decide if his horniness could be taken care of by his own hand. Not his preference, but until the recent sex with Noah that’s all he’d been using for a while.
He didn’t do gay bars or any of that.
He’d been able to keep himself carefully hidden away in his house and in his mind pretty well until he’d started talking with Sly Cat a couple of weeks ago. What started out as just a gamer conversation had soon turned to be so much more. Sly Cat understood him and his pain and loneliness. Or he seemed to. He’d told Sly Cat things he hadn’t told anyone since his parents’ death.
Charlie knew Sly Cat had a day job because he never came on until evening. But usually he showed up eventually. Not so tonight and Charlie felt the loss.
He could continue to be stupid and go to his empty bed with his hand, or he could walk across the street and tell Noah he changed his mind and wanted sex. He didn’t even need to get into his car. How difficult would it be?
Charlie tossed his now-empty soda can into the recycle bin and went to his hall closet to take out a windbreaker. Did Noah have condoms and lube? They’d always had sex at his house, so he didn’t know for sure. If Noah was into sex toys it was likely, but there was no point taking any chances. He walked to his bathroom, opened a cabinet and scooped up the supplies.
A short time later, when he stood in front of Noah’s house, 7
PULLING AWAY
he paused. The house looked dark, which was unusual for Noah. Charlie glanced at his watch. 8:30. Surely Noah wasn’t already in bed? He rang the bell.
Charlie heard footsteps approach, then Noah pulled back the front curtains and peered out the
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