Midnight sun

43 | Dylan

I tighten my hold on Noah's head and yank him forward so I can cup his face. "You're a damn good man, Noah Summerville."

"No."

I kiss him. "Yes. You make me believe in things I never thought were possible."

Noah moans as my tongue enters his mouth. I suck on his lightly and he lets out a gratifying whimper of need. "You make me believe in love again," I whisper when we part.

Noah closes his eyes. And he seems to understand. The joy in his face lights up the room. Whatever else might happen between us, I know that what we have together is worth fighting for.

"I'm just so fucking scared," his breath trembles as I kiss his ear.

"I know, baby. I know."

"What are we going to do? We have to get out of LA."

"I'm buying us a plane ticket to Alaska. We're going first thing in the morning."

"We can't. He'll find us there. He knows where you live."

"We won't go to my house," I reassure him. "We'll lay low somewhere else for a little while until things settle down."

"Dylan..."

My palm meets his cheek. "I'd go to the end of the world for you. With you. Trust me on this, I can keep us both safe. Where we are going nobody will find us."

"But I don't want us to hide. That's not fair to you. Your whole world is turned upside down because of me." Before I can form a reply, he continues, "I'm quicksand, Dylan. I'll just take you down with me."

I sigh. "I have some money, it's not a lot but it's enough to get you a lawyer. If the lawyers can't help us, we'll run. We'll go somewhere where he can't find us."

He sits cross-legged so he can be even closer to me, thinking hard before he speaks again. "Money is not the issue. Apparently, there is a trust fund."

"Your dad's?"

"Yeah. My mom said he left me quite a lot of money that I can claim now as I'm older than twenty one. But what if not even money can't help us? Because Valentine has even more than that and I can't even imagine what he would do when he figures out that I ran off."

I wait patiently for him to continue. "Running is so damn hard, Dylan. It's not something I would wish on even my worst enemy. Are you really willing to risk giving up the home you built, your father, to spend the rest of your life looking over your shoulder? Do you really want to worry that every second of every day you could do or say something, slip up somehow, and put not only me at risk, but yourself and our families?"

Did I want to do what he was saying? Of course not. Just like I didn't want him to have to do it. But would I do it? Hell fucking yes, I would.

But I can see in his eyes he won't accept my words as truth at this moment. If I'd learned anything about Noah in these past few months, it was that he was unfailingly stubborn. But that didn't mean I was throwing in the towel. And I'd meant what I'd said–if I can't get Noah out of trouble, I will follow him to the ends of the earth. I don't mention the fact that I have my own ideas about how I'd be spending the next few days. I'll be talking to every lawyer under the sun to see what can be done. The reality is that both of us are in danger and we can't afford to stay here. Valentine knows where I live in Alaska but he doesn't know Alaska the way a native knows it and that is my advantage.

Noah begins shaking his head, but I lean down to brush my lips over his. God, now that I have him back I can't seem to stop touching him, kissing him.

"Don't fight me on this," I say as I kiss his shoulder. "We'll figure it all out, I promise."

"Ok," Noah's hand goes to the side of my neck. His finger brushes over the shell of my ear.

"You should get some sleep before the flight."

"I don't think I can."

"Food?"

He doesn't seem to like that idea, considering the way his brows dip. I think I see the problem now.

"Do you need it?" I brush my thumb over the inside of his arm, where I remember seeing his marks. He looks away.

"I need you to know that I haven't been with anyone else. That guy at the party, he was just buying drugs from me, I wouldn't have left with him. The other night, the condoms, it's because I wasn't sure the needles I used were sterilized." He bites his lips embarrassed by it.

"I know, I understand," my heart breaks for him. "How bad is it?"

"I'm ok now. I'm not... I'll get through it. I've been taking small doses so withdrawal won't be too hard. I'll just be a miserable person to be around for a while."

"Hey, whatever you need, just let me know."

He takes my hand and kisses my palm, eliciting a shudder from deep within my soul. "Shower would be nice."

"We can do that."

After we enter the bathroom I turn the shower on. I finally take a second to appreciate the way he looks tonight. I've only ever seen Noah in his working uniform and the casual clothes he used to wear at home. But this. I can understand why would this Valentine Black pick him to infiltrate Hollywood celebrities' homes. Because he looks like he belongs right there with all that glitz and glamour. The black silk shirt unbuttoned provocatively halfway down his front is allowing me to see the swell of his perfectly defined pecs. Those sexy nipples peak and tempt and fucking make me lose my mind. The rest of him is affecting me just as much.

After I help him strip, we both step inside, crowding each other with the lack of space. It's not a small shower stall, but both of us clearly have no desire to put distance between ourselves. Noah moves beneath the spray of water and I lather up body wash with my hands, running them gently over his chest. My insides clench at the sight, suds gliding over all the divots in his muscles, that dark ink spelling out my name. I can hear Noah's breathing as I wash him, taking care of his every inch. Noah's eyes droop when I reach between his legs, stroking him in my fist, massaging his balls until he whimpers.

I manage to keep myself from taking this further, and although he desperately needs a distraction and comfort I can sense the gravity of the moment. This is bigger than I imagined, this is a life and death situation and I need to be on high alert in order to be able to protect my man.

I squirt more body wash into my hands, rubbing them together before sliding them tenderly across Noah's back. My touch is undoubtedly cherishing, as if I'm trying to put his broken pieces back together, and I just hope it works. It has to...

Moments later, we're in bed waiting for the morning and the flight that I just booked on my phone. Noah is shivering in his sleep. I'm surprised he was even able to pass out after the debacle a couple of hours ago. Maybe it was the conversation about things he's been keeping inside, combined with a hot shower. It must have worn him out, because eventually after borrowing my clean underwear he crawled into the bed, turned the TV on at low volume, and drifted into an uneasy sleep.

But not me. I've been up the whole time, brushing my fingers through his hair where his head rests in my lap, just staring at the muted TV. Blankly... My mind has been sifting through everything. Not just what happened in that house tonight, but everything Noah just told me.

There is no doubt in my mind that I am doing the right thing. I know it's risky, I also know that Noah has been under constant pressure from this evil man and can't see things as clearly as I can. Hard times are in front of us, but I am convinced that the worst is behind us.

______

A/N

My lovely people! 100K already! That is so so cool, I love you I love you I love you. Thank you again for reading and being together with me on this Alaskan adventure.

Are you happy or sad that it's coming to an end soon?!

🤍