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His cellphone vibrating on the nightstand woke him and he scrambled to pick it up, dragging a hand over his face ashe did so.
“’Lo.”
“Noah? It’s Jax.” Noah snorted. As if he’d evernotrecognize the man’s voice. “Areyou okay?”
“I’m fine. Just woke up from a nap.”Now why the hell did you have to go and tell him that?TMI, man!
“Summer sun got to you too, huh?” A quiet chuckle accompanied those words. “Just wanted to check in to see if you’d like to go for a drink later.” When Noah didn’t answer at once, Jax added, his tone carefully neutral, “If you’re not already occupied, of course.”
Noah huffed. “What exactly do you think I would I be doing? I already told you I’m alone.” He hadn’t meant to sound quite so pissy. It really was beyond time he reined in the drama queenattitude.
“So, is that a yes?”
And why did Jax have to be so patient with him, like a mature adult, while he sounded like a brat? Biting back the urge to be defiant—because why would he refuse?—he said, “Yes. Where do you wantto meet?”
“Jim tells me there’s a really nice pub in the hotel by the lake on Overlook Way.”
“I know the place.” Depending on the night, it would be great for an intimate date … but he wasn’t going to give voice tothatsentiment because thiswasn’ta romantic date. It wasn’t even a regular date. It was just two people catching up, hoping to renew an old acquaintance and perhaps establish a new friendship.
“I’ll meet you there at eight?”
A pause … was he about to change his mind? “How about I come and get you so we don’t both have to drive?”
“If it’s no trouble, sure.”
“It’s no trouble, Noah.” Jax’s voice was almost a purr that Noah could feel stroking his nerve endings. “Text me youraddress.”
That’s how Noah found himself rushing to shower and run the razor over his stubble before standing in front of his closet stressing over what to wear out for drinks with his former lover. His former still-sexy-as-hell lover. Jax would look good in anything he chose to wear, while Noah was sure he would look like a hot mess, like the way he felt, anticipating Jax’s arrival. Eventually, with fifteen minutes left to go before Jax showed up, he settled on a pair of stonewashed jeans and a band T-shirt. His dark hair needed a trim, but he wasn’t about to try to style it with product now. A quick comb through and a damp hand over top to smooth the flyaways, and hewas ready.
And not a moment too soon as a knock and the doorbell sounded at thesame time.
“Coming!”
He felt his cheeks warm at where his thoughts took him with that word. He hadn’t cum in the shower, banishing thoughts of Jax before he did something stupid like jack off to memories that should be long dead by now. He would bet good money that Jax would never jerk off to thoughts of him. Doing his best to calm his fluttering pulse, he opened the door and tried for a nonchalant smile.
“Hey!”Smooth, Noah, real smooth!
“Hey yourself! Ready?”
“Yeah. Gimme a sec to check onKlinger.”
He didn’t really need to check on the dog, who’d raised his head curiously but hadn’t moved. He did need the time to talk himself down so he could make it through the evening.
“You be a good boy until papa gets back, buddy,” he told the dog, stroking his head for a few seconds before heading outthe door.
The sight of Jax’s car unglued his tongue from the roof of his mouth. “Wow! I’d forgotten that you had this sweet ride, Prof!”
He didn’t even register that he’d used the nickname because he was so busy checking out the muscle car’sexterior.
“How old is she again?” he wanted to know after he was strapped intohis seat.
“Fifty-three.” Pride colored Jax’sresponse.
“She sounds like a girl half her age,” Noah said. “How long have youhad her?”
He sensed a shift in the air even before he turned to look at Jax’sprofile.
“Almost three decades. My dad gave her to me as a birthday gift when I was sixteen. I learned to drive stick shift with her and how to repair anything that went wrong, even the big stuff like replacing the clutch when I burned it out. She’s my baby,for sure.”
