Power Lines

e gold light across the room. The forest outside was

than Voss

felt warm sheets, a bare chest against his back, a

The Catskills. Th

beside him. Noah's curls were a mess, his lips slight

n the light. Peaceful. O

this h

hout blinking. But one night in a cabin bed with Noah Reyes, and

r did. Planning meant control-a

il

as the way Noah had whispered his name the night before. The way they'd moved toge

terrifyi

is eyes blinked open slowl

voice gravel-s

wallowe

"Didn't think I'd wake up

on leaving,"

ss Ethan's bare stoma

this

w more minutes. Then Noah si

s now?" he a

w we figure out if we can live t

working like nothing happened, while

"You make it

said with a smirk. "Bu

him. "Eventually, someone's going t

nd through his hair. "Then we

keep this a s

. "Just... until I can f

little. "It's not j

now

n sa

eyes. "It's no

-more solid now. Like the trut

Now get dressed. We have a leadership breakfast in twenty mi

ow. "Because they'd a

nned. "O

st was pain

synergy. Noah sat next to Olivia Hart, the head of European strategy,

s didn't

table, Noah'

: You look good

AM]: Distrac

I warned you I

]: I'm startin

s plate of eggs a

ntil you see what I we

didn't

nto a barely-there smirk when the presenter

the resort

tered through hidden speakers. Everyone was dressed to impre

with no tie, his top button und

wore

mpeccable.

t even speak for the first hour. But th

near the bar when

s, ri

s, sharp beard, a badge reading

" Noah

Voss's a

Noah corrected,

"You've got his ear.

s head. "Why d

yone. Especially not since his last.

went dry. "Y

an eyebrow. "You

k," Noah sa

ou some advice, Reyes. If you're close to

ref

ed easy. But when they d

ply, Langford disapp

od there

Ethan until he ap

" Ethan as

clear. "Yeah. Just..

owned. "

you don't forgive

tensed. "He'

'm not

now

if you're still scared of being

a lot of things, Noah. But losin

treating this like something fr

kno

he press

didn't

hed his fingers against Noah's under the tablec

an whispered

pulse q

he n

rivate than the rest. Noah slipped in close to midn

o one

a word. He just pulled Noah inside and kisse

ntic. But deeper somehow. Like ever

nce again, the hush between them fu

Ethan

top treating this

urned

e if this breaks, I don't kn

ding their fingers. "Th

try

d softly. "We'll figu

d at him-re

what he'd been hol

just the secrecy. Not ju

he'd been holding h

aid. "As long as

his hand. "

e since it all began,