Buzz (The Riley Brothers Book 1) (20 page)

Ouch.
Cameron laughed again and closed his eyes as he rolled his head back to stare up at the ceiling. “Okay.”

“Good,” Noah chirped in that adorable upbeat voice that always made Cameron smile.

Cameron's fingers tingled: Noah's hand slid into his own again. This time, Cameron squeezed hard, and Noah squeezed back.

“I don't think I can play against Moncton.”

Noah wasn't even a little surprised to hear Cam say that. It had taken him three days to work up the courage. Since being sent home from the hospital that same afternoon on Saturday, Cameron had had a lot on his mind. Even going to get tested and getting clean results together hadn't broken his funk.

Last night, Cameron had skipped their usual Tuesday evening hockey practice, and he was no doubt guilty about that.

All Noah could do was give him time to get through it.

“No problem,” Noah said. They leaned into one another on Noah's living room couch. “Neither can I.”

“What?”

Noah bit back a smile at Cameron's shock. “Not every guy can or wants to to play in them, you know.” The thought clearly hadn't even occurred to Cam. “That charity show I'm doing in August is on the same day – same time, even.”

“Oh. I never realized...”

Noah chuckled and ruffled Cameron's short hair. “I know. You've been wrapped up in your own issue, and that's understandable. It's good, even. Better than trying to ignore it.”

Cameron groaned. “I wasn't ignoring it...”

“You were just putting yourself into stressful situations to prove you could beat it, right?” Noah teased, and Cameron's blush made him laugh.

“Stop being my fuckin' psychologist. I've had a sport one before. I hated it.”

Noah laughed. “Okay. But you can just agree to help me out with the charity event – or be my plus-one. I'll tell the team I can't do it and... you know, maybe step back from organizing a little. All I wanted to do was play.”

“Mm,” Cameron nodded. “But you have to organize everything around you, don't you? You'll get physical pains if you don't.”

It was Noah's turn to be taken aback, then laugh. “True. I'll talk about it with Kevin.”

They sat in silence for a few more moments, watching a yogurt commercial. By unspoken agreement, they both leaned in at the same moment to press a kiss to each other's lips.

After a minute of gentle kisses, Noah's body pressed into Cameron's muscular side, Noah pulled back. “Still coming to the hockey exhibition Saturday?”

“Wouldn't miss it for the world.”

Noah patted Cameron's chest lightly. “Good. Hey, I know the doctor said to keep vigorous sexual exertion to a couple times a week--”

“Now that was just bullshit,” Cameron grumbled.

“--but what if I did the exertion for you?” Noah teased, sidling over Cameron's lap to straddle it. He leaned in to press a kiss to Cameron's lips, then his collarbone and neck and chest...

His knees hit the floor and his lips landed on the bulge in Cameron's jeans. Cameron already pushed up into Noah with soft, needy moans.

Noah knew the feeling: it had been a long week since their last hot and heavy moments together. They'd made out plenty, but they'd been too focused on everything else for sex. Cameron had been running around taking care of shit whenever Noah couldn't get him to sit still. The house was due to close tomorrow.

God, he loved sucking Cameron off.

Noah pulled Cameron's jeans down enough to slide Cam's thick cock out into the open air. He licked his lips pointedly and Cameron choked off a quiet sound in his throat.

No holding back.
He leaned down to lick the thick length from base to tip and back down again. He enjoying the throbs of pleasure as it stiffened the rest of the way in his hand. Then, he closed his lips around the tip and sucked in the musk of Cameron's manhood as he bobbed his head down.

The thick, warm length in his mouth throbbed with need as Cameron moaned again and pushed his hips up.

Cameron's cock slid down to the back of his throat. Noah sucked and darted his tongue along the underside of Cam's cock. He pulled his head back up to the tip and back down again, setting into a quick rhythm.

Noah loved it all: Cameron clenched and shivered. His thighs twitched and feet curled and hands dug into Noah's shoulders and hair...

Most of all, he loved the sounds. Cameron grunted and moaned with overwhelmed pleasure. His harsh breaths and the wet lapping of Noah's tongue against the shaft were a background track.

Cameron's balls draw tight in Noah's hand. His shaft swelled and Noah kept his head down to swallow the quick, strong jets that hit the back of his throat. He rubbed Cameron's thigh, gazing up at those intense eyes half-closed in ecstasy.

“Jesus, Noah,” Cameron whispered, his voice hoarse. His hips settled back down and Noah pulled his lips up and off his cock. “Christ, you're good. And fast. And... good.”

Watching all that had made Noah's dick so hard it hurt, but he was ready to take care of that himself.

Turned out he didn't have to.

Cameron pulled him up onto the couch until he lay flat on his back and crawled over him to kiss at his groin.

“Oh, fuck, Cam,” Noah breathed out. He grabbed Cam's shoulders and squeezed hard. “You're hot when you're coming.”

“Yeah?” Cameron murmured. He unzipped Noah's tight jeans, wiggling the fabric down. Noah's hard cock popped free and bobbed stiffly up in the air.

Then, Cameron attacked it, grabbing and stroking the length sensually. He leaned down to kiss the side of it and rub it against his bristly cheek, a sting that Noah
adored
.

“Christ!” Noah whimpered. His stomach tensed with hot, tight need. Then Cam's hot, wet mouth wrapped around the sensitive head of his cock. That tongue tapped against that certain sensitive spot... once, twice, three times, flickering back and forth across it.

Noah's hips bucked as his head pressed hard into the arm of the couch. “Fuck – oh, fuck, yes...”

Cameron moaned, the sound sending a little vibration of pleasure through Noah's whole body. Noah's fingertips buzzed with pleasure. His cheeks burned and he pushed up into Cameron's mouth.

His cock head rubbed against Cameron's palate and Cameron didn't protest for a moment. Cam sucked his cheeks and lips in tightly and bobbed his head down until he took all of Noah in.

Having his cock enveloped by Cameron's skilled mouth was one thing. Watching the pink length slide between Cameron's even pinker lips... And the way Cameron's looked up and down his shaft hungrily...

Noah throbbed and pushed up again, encouraging Cameron to get to work.

Cameron's lips sucked up and down the shaft. He rubbed the base now and then whenever he pulled his head up to focus on the sensitive head.

“Christ, I'm only gonna – Cam, fuck, watch out...”

Noah could hardly put words together. Cam's mouth on his cock was his whole world. He slammed his hips forward as his cock pulsed and throbbed and jetted out his sticky passion straight to the back of Cam's mouth.

He still tasted Cam, and Cam was eagerly swallowing him. The tip of Cam's tongue teased his slit until he
ached
with how hard his body throbbed.

“Cam, I – fuck, Cameron... you're...” Noah trailed off. Cameron pulled his head off his manhood with a quiet, slick
pop
. “You're perfect.”

A half-loopy smile spread over Cameron's face. He scooted up the couch until he braced himself over Noah, then leaned down to kiss Noah.

Noah didn't care that they tasted themselves on each other's lips; he just wanted to share the moment with him. He wrapped his arms around Cameron and kissed him hard.

I can't live without this man.
The thought made him catch his breath and kiss harder, until Cameron reached up to run his callused thumb along Noah's jaw like he was touching something precious.

Noah's tension melted, his eyes sliding closed as Cameron silently told him everything would be okay.

With just three keys on it, the keyring was light, but its significance lent it weight in his palm. A quick look at Thomas and Jackson told him his brothers felt the same as they approached their houses.

“This is it. Those papers were it.”

Cameron elbowed Jackson. “Thanks, Captain Obvious.”

Even Thomas chuckled. “No, but... it's so weird. I've never
not
rented.”

Cameron and Jackson both looked at their younger brother, then each other. They nodded with an unspoken agreement:
He should be the first one.

“Come on, you open up your house first.”

The moving truck behind them was on a clock, and they didn't have much time to be sentimental. Cameron was forced to stick to lighter boxes or sharing loads. Jackson and Thomas handled the heavier shit. It made him itch with frustration. Every time he wanted to push himself too far, though, Noah's words rang in his head:
hyper-macho bullshit weakness complex
.

Pretty accurate, even if it stung.

So Cameron took it slow as they moved Thomas in first, unloading his truck with the help of moving dollies. A few of Jackson's buddies showed up, followed by Noah and some guys from the hockey team, and Thomas's friends. People were free to come and go, but they'd promised food to anyone who stuck around to the end.

With eight of them, there were almost too many for one moving truck. They had the truck unloaded before noon. Then, they split into two groups to finish moving stuff from the sidewalk inside while the others loaded the truck with Cam's and Jackson's stuff. By the time they sent Cam for pizza, they were almost finished.

When Cam came back with a stack of four pizzas and a flat of pop, he heard them holler his name from the backyard, though he couldn't tell which.

He let himself through the side gate, then burst out laughing. A few boards had been kicked out from the fence between the three houses. “Did someone fall through or was that deliberate?” He ducked into Jackson's yard.

“Nah, that was on purpose.”

“If you're sure you wanna be around my bees, then your'e welcome to my yard,” he winked as he set pizzas out on Jackson's lawn furniture.

“Bees?” Jackson exclaimed. “You want them at home?”

Cameron glanced over at Noah, who was glowing at him. “They've kinda won me over. Besides, they won't sting unless you're a dick to them. You can ask Bill – he's gonna be at the show on Saturday. Are you all going?”

“Duh, I'm going,” Jackson snorted.

Cameron slapped the back of Jackson's head as he reached for pop. “Well, duh. I didn't mean you, attention hog. Notice Noah didn't answer?” Jackson's buddies cracked up and he grinned at them. “The rest of you?”

“I am,” Thomas promised. “I know Mom and Dad are, too.”

“We might,” Kevin added, raising a slice of pizza. “I heard it's quite a show.” He exchanged looks with Noah.

As they settled into eating pizza and drinking pop, Cameron couldn't wipe the stupid grin off his face. These guys were a ragtag bunch, each of them friends with just one of the brothers, but it was a sign of things to come.

It was a new life for Cam to share with his brothers... and maybe someday soon, Noah.

As he glanced at his own house, then Noah, he caught his boyfriend gazing over there, too. He leaned in to murmur, “You should stay the night Saturday. Not 'til I have the place set up.”

Noah pouted. “I gotta wait?”

“Yeah. I want things to be set up first,” Cameron told him.

“I already saw inside.”

“Not set up yet.” Cameron reached out with a napkin to dab tomato sauce off Noah's cheek and licked off his own fingers. “Trust me.”

“Fine,” Noah groaned, but there were others groaning, too.

Cameron looked over at their buddies, then laughed at the faces they were all making. “Hey, if you're jealous, you can go get a love life of your own,” he teased them.

Thomas made a face. “I'll get right on that.”

Jackson just laughed, then elbowed him. “So where's the beer?”

“Hold on. I put it in your fridge.”

Cameron rose to his feet to grab the case of beer and bring it outside, his heart soaring.
What a weird goddamn month.
But summer was almost here, and it was gonna be a thousand times better.

“You look gorgeous.”

“You look like you belong on my gorgeous arm.” Cameron grinned at Noah as he leaned against his freshly-washed car in the shadow of the arena. “Like a curator who's done incredibly against all odds and people who hate change.”

Noah swatted Cameron's thigh and laughed. “Okay. The evening's already started. Come on in.” He held out a hand for Cameron to take, then led him around to the front of the building.

Cam had been busy learning how to diagnose varroa mites until forty minutes ago, when he and Bill had realized the time. Bill hadn't arrived yet, but Cam had barely had time to shower, change, and wolf down a peanut butter sandwich. He'd broken a few speed limits on the way to the show.

“Don't look around until I tell you to.”

So bossy.
Cameron laughed and nodded. “I'll avert my gaze from anything you don't want me looking at. Except your ass. Those trousers--”

“
Cam
,” Noah hissed, but he was laughing. He paused outside the door before he opened it to take Cameron in one more time as if memorizing his expression.

Cameron smiled and leaned in to peck Noah's lips, then past Noah to open the door. “Lead on, Mr. Clark.”

“Keep your eyes to the left.” Cameron obeyed and made his way to the wall where new and beautiful artwork hung.

One painting and sketch and mixed media piece at a time, Noah took him around the exhibition, explaining the significance of each piece. Cameron half-listened to his boyfriend – enough to answer a quiz about what he'd just said. Mostly, his attention was caught by the detail in each piece. It didn't make his heart ache as much as he'd thought to see these passionate representations of his sport.

Some pieces made him smile more than others. In particular, he loved the series of watercolors from that local artist Noah had mentioned several times. It showed different hockey teams playing – university teams in the oh-so-familiar university stadium, local kids on the river, even their little club on the field.

He paused for a long time by a series of painted pucks, taking in each miniature scene carefully. They were intimate portraits behind the scenes – a locker room, a janitor picking up a popcorn box in the bleachers, a Zamboni driver climbing aboard... The pucks were joined together by thin, flexible needles, producing a story out of interconnected vignettes.

“You like that one?” Noah asked, finally catching Cameron's attention.

“Yeah. A lot,” Cameron admitted. There was another guy standing next to Noah in a short-sleeved black collared shirt and trousers, his arms full-length tattoo sleeves. “Wow, nice tats.”

“This is Chase, the artist who did them.”

“Wow. Nice,” Cam whistled, glancing between Chase and the pucks. “I really like this, man.”

Chase glowed with pride at the compliment and reached out to shake hands. “Cam, right? I've heard a lot about you.”

“Jesus, I'm not that late, am I? Should I sneak out the side door?” Cam grinned.

Chase laughed. “Nah. Your big brother had a lot to say about you. And Noah...”

“I bet they did,” Cameron laughed. “It's all lies.” His eye was caught by the short
about the artist
bio. “Wait, you're a tattoo artist?”

“Yep.”

“And you paint?” Chase gave him a look and Cameron winced after a moment. “Sorry – I didn't mean to imply you can only do one or the other.” Jackson clapped his arm. “Hey,” he added.

Chase relaxed again and chuckled. “No, it's fine. A lot of people don't figure I would. But I have to know art to freehand.” He smiled and nodded at Jackson as Jackson approached.

“No, I understand. I've never gotten a tattoo, but now I know who to go to,” Cameron nodded. Noah's hand slipped into his own, and he glanced at his boyfriend. “Is this one for sale?”

“To the right person, it might be,” Noah winked, exchanging glances with Chase.

“Oh, yeah,” Chase agreed. “This isn't one of the pieces they're keeping.”

Jackson shook his head. “They ought to. I mean, I want it, but it's good enough to stay here, too...”

Noah cleared his throat. “No, I think they're happy with their choice. The only thing here left for you to see... is Jackson's piece.”

“Wait, they're buying yours? Great work,” Cameron grinned at his big brother, reaching out for a manly half-hug and back slap. “Do I get to see it?”

“Turn around,” Noah invited and let go of his hand.

When he spun around, Cameron wasn't even sure what he was seeing at first. The bronze and steel sculpture was so fluid and smooth that he knew it was his brother's work. It seemed to have been poured molten into a mold instead of hand-shaped by long hours at the forge.

It was a hockey player skating hard, his back foot up as if he were about to push his foot in and halt in a spray of ice. Cam could tell the puck danced on the edge of his blade, ready to fly into the upper corner of the net...

And it was him.

Cameron's jaw dropped.

“That's the same face you made,” Jackson teased Noah in the background. Cameron ignored him and walked closer to the piece.

It was large as life, the stick a glimmering silvery steel while his face was bronze. The jersey was a loose practice jersey, each tiny hole imprinted in the metal. It made him want to tug the hem just to make sure it was solid.

“I was planning on modeling it after you from the start, but then after everything... I especially thought it should be,” Jackson murmured, coming up beside Cameron to look up at it. “You like it?”

Cameron barely had words. He nodded and squeezed Jackson in a hard hug instead, the air rushing out of his big brother's lungs.

Jackson squeezed him back with those blacksmiths' arms, a game he always won. He slapped Cam's back. “Love you, bro',” he muttered into Cam's ear and pulled back before the moment was
too
soppy.

“You, too.” Chase was still lingering and watching with a broad smile.

Jackson nodded to Cam and strode off to join Chase and talk about tattoos. He was clearly on a high from Cameron's approval and hiding it as much as a cuddly, overexcitable hothead could. He clapped Chase's back now and pointed out spots on his arm, then Chase's. Was he thinking of getting a tattoo?

Noah grabbed Cameron's attention when he took Cam's hand again. “So, that's the main attraction.”

“That's... that's stunning,” Cameron told him. “I can't believe you made me wait until the end of your tour to see it! Is Jackson gonna be all right?”

Noah laughed. “I think so. He's been waiting for your reaction for freakin' months now is all. Chase will help cool him off.”

Cameron laughed. “That's... That's so cool.”

They'd already met most of their friends and family, but there was someone new approaching: an older guy in a suit. He nudged Noah.

“Oh, hi, Frank.”

Frank... Oh, right. The asshole on the board of directors who Noah thinks was the one dragging his heels.
Cameron smiled lightly, glancing between them. Frank had played for Montreal two decades ago, and he thought it gave him a name in Fredericton. Maybe it did – Frank had come to talk to his junior and senior teams about the life of a pro hockey player.

“Congratulations, Noah. This is a great exhibit.”

“Thanks. You like how it turned out?”

“I had my doubts,” Frank admitted. Cameron could tell Noah was resisting the urge to punch Cam in the arm and hiss,
Told you so.
It absolutely
had
been him dragging his heels. “But the way it came together... it works. It'll be a great show for the next month, and keeping this around just seemed fitting. It was a unanimous vote on buying it.”

“Oh, Jackson's gonna flip,” Cam grinned.

“You're his brother, aren't you? Cam Riley? You were spectacular this season. I was sorry to hear the news. It's hardest when we lose young guys, you know.”

Cam nodded. “Thanks. I'm alive and well, and I got to play for Toronto, even if only the minor leagues. A lot of people never get that far.”

“Good perspective,” Frank approved. “Anyway, I've gotta go, but I wanted to congratulate you, Noah.” Noah and Cam shook hands with Frank as they saw him off.

Then, Sarah approached. She wore a distinctive dark outfit like Noah's that just screamed 'curator' plus a name badge. “Hey, Noah. That's it for all the local celebrities, then. You should head home.”

“What? There's still another half hour, and then cleanup, and the – the empty cups and cheese trays...”

Cameron grinned. Noah couldn't stand leaving others to clean up, either, apparently.

“No, we've got it,” Sarah assured Noah with a laugh. “You've put a lot of hours into organizing this. Go and relax now. You've more than earned it. First solo show – great job.”

She leaned in to hug him and Noah let go of Cameron's hand to hug back. “Thanks, Sarah. Fine. We'll go.”

Sarah smiled at Cam, too, and nodded. “Thanks for coming out. I'm sure I'll see you at the next event, if not sooner.”

“Of course,” Cam agreed with an easygoing smile back at her. “I'll make sure he rests.”

“It'll be easier now that I'm not fretting about keys and paperwork and – oh, but I still have to do Jackson's paperwork--”

“I've got it,” Sarah assured him with a laugh. “There's nothing that can't wait anyway.”

Cameron gripped Noah's hand. “Besides, I have a new house to show you.”

“So I heard!” Sarah agreed. “Go show off your new house. Congratulations on that, too, by the way.”

“Thanks. See you,” Cameron waved. His parents were chatting with Thomas, Jackson still talked to Chase over in the corner, Jackson's buddies mingled with Kevin from the hockey team...

He'd see everyone else some other time. It was time for him to be alone with Noah.

Even Noah sensed it; he led Cameron out of the arena without any further protest, his expression calmer than it had been in weeks.

“That was great,” Cameron murmured with a fond smile once they reached the car and he started it up.

“Next project: your house.” Noah clapped his hands together. “Let me see what I'm working with.”

Cameron laughed and turned on his headlights. If Noah needed a project, he'd give him one... but that would come later.

He had other plans for tonight.

***

Just as he'd hoped, Noah's first reaction upon seeing the living room was a quiet, “Wow.”

He'd swapped out the chandelier for a better one – a cascade of glass shards on a dimmer circuit. Now Cameron could turn the living room lights to just a gentle, romantic glow that bathed the main floor and the upper hallway. He'd set up his newly delivered furniture cozily around the living room fireplace. Even the kitchen was neat and tidy, though he'd only finished unpacking that this morning before work.

“I got something to celebrate your show, too... and the house.” Cameron left his shoes and jacket by the door. He brought Noah to the kitchen island where he'd set up a thin vase with a single rose and two wine glasses.

“Oh, you didn't have to!” Noah relaxed into the bar stool at the kitchen island.

“Want anything?” Cameron added. “I think I filled up on cheese and crackers and fruit at the show, but I've got nibbles...”

“I did, too,” Noah laughed. “I'm fine. Just... a glass of wine, and you.”

Cameron smiled and leaned in to press his lips against Noah's. He popped the cork on the wine bottle and poured them each a glass.

“You learned fast. This is my favorite,” Noah murmured as he swirled his glass around and raised it to his nose.

“I made a note of it in my phone,” Cameron confessed, and Noah laughed. “I'm a meticulous romantic.”

Noah smiled, raising the glass to his lips to sip. He closed his eyes in the kind of pure enjoyment Cameron loved seeing on his face. “I like all your romantic habits.”

Cameron sank into his seat and sipped his wine. Their knees bumped as the two of them swiveled in the chairs to look around.

“This is already a beautiful space,” Noah admitted. “But with that vaulted, open ceiling... there's so much I can do with the living room. And I already see the perfect spot for that hockey puck piece.”

“Yeah?” Cameron smiled.

“Mmhmm.”

They finished their glasses of wine in contented silence, sometimes reaching out to touch each other's arm. Each time they did, Cameron's nerves buzzed with a pleasant tingle.

By the time their glasses of wine were done, he had a good idea he knew what Noah wanted, too. “Shall I take you on a tour?”

“You can skip the rest of the house and bring me to the bedroom,” Noah teased. “The rest of the tour can come tomorrow after I've slept.”

“Aye aye, sir,” Cameron winked. He took Noah by the hand to lead him up the open staircase to the bedroom, pausing at the top of the stairs for a quick kiss.

When they reached the bedroom, Noah nudged the door closed and glanced around the room. The walls were a soothing, yet sexy burgundy. The elegant, low bed frame Cameron had chosen emphasized the spacious room and glossy hardwood floors. “This is nice.”