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"No." Noah had never thought that he would refuse Camille's advances, not in a million years. But this…it felt forced instead of the sincerity Noah wanted. "I won't be a part of your experiment."
Camille drew back like Noah had slapped him. "That's not what I meant."
"Then say what you mean."
"I think you might be the closest thing to a mate that I'll ever get. You can't deny that our lives seem to be magnetically attracted to each other. This is the third time we've met, and I fully believe in the whole 'numbers mean things' system."
Noah lifted an eyebrow. "Three times? There's the two hospital times, but I don't think we've met outside of that."
Camille laughed under his breath. "We met in a club, though I doubt you remember. You mistook me for a girl, probably because of what I wear to work and how I do my hair there. You got so mad when you realized that I was, in fact, not a girl."
Noah facepalmed. That did sound like his old self, only interested in the female omegas and looking down on every male omega. "Oh, my god. I am so sorry. "
Camille shrugged with a little smile. "You were hammered. I don't hold it against you." He leaned toward Noah, bracing his hands on Noah's knees. "So?"
Noah felt the blood leave his brain and rush down his body. Not good for making smart decisions. "You say I'm the best thing right now, but what if someone better comes along?"
"I'm not a cheater," Camille retorted. "And I don't think anyone else would overlook my past the way you do. I believe that you are the best person for me, now until forever."
Adrenaline was making it hard to keep his thoughts straight. "Why didn't you say that earlier?"
"That was before I saw you with Aiden and got slapped in the face by the fact that you're such a good person." Camille's hand tentatively came up to brush against Noah's jaw in a feather-light touch. "I was being stubborn and prideful earlier. And maybe I was a little scared."
"But not now?" Noah murmured, enthralled by the patterns Camille's fingers were tracing on his cheek.
Camille shook his head. "You would never hurt me, just like you would never hurt Aiden. You'll go out of your way to avoid hurting me. You back off when you think you're being too much. You've shown me more respect in these past few months than anyone has shown me in my entire life. I have no reason to fear you."
"So I can kiss you?" Noah whispered the question, almost scared of the answer.
Camille's teeth flashed faintly in the gentle light. "Please kiss me."
Noah carefully cupped Camille's face in his hands, admiring the beauty in front of him for a long moment before slowly leaning in and pressing his lips to Camille's in what he was fully intending to be a chaste kiss.
But Camille did not have the same intentions. He opened his lips immediately, inviting Noah in. And, as Noah deepened the kiss, he slid closer and then up into Noah's lap. His every movement was intoxicating, especially when he wound his thin fingers into Noah's braids.
Noah took that as an invitation to do what he had been dreaming of ever since he had re-encountered Camille. He took a handful of Camille's golden curls and used it to direct the kiss. As an ER doctor, he had been in plenty of situations that sent insane amounts of adrenaline into his system, but nothing compared to the energy flowing through his body right now. It was the perfect dream he had imagined a hundred times happening in real life. He hissed as Camille grabbed his hair by the roots and took charge of the kiss. "Do you like to fight for dominance?" he asked playfully as he pulled their lips apart.
The smile on Camille's face was sharp, almost evilly so. His grip on Noah's hair tightened. "What do you think?"
"Do you usually do that?"
Camille cocked his head. "No. But I want to with you."
Noah let his hands cradle Camille's face again. "I'll play this little game, but you do know how this will end, right?"
Camille just smiled in response, and that was enough.
Noah got them off the couch and up the stairs without breaking the next kiss too often. "My room or yours?" he asked breathlessly once they reached the top of the stairs.
"Mine," Camille replied, the same breathless lightness in his tone. "Yours is a mess."
Noah laughed and pushed Camille backward into the selected room. He was not surprised when Camille flipped them and Noah was the one who hit the bed first. He had, after all, agreed to this dance of dominance and it was kind of hot. "I feel bad for messing up your nicely made bed."
Camille trailed his lips along Noah's jaw. "Beds are made to be unmade."
Noah closed his eyes and enjoyed Camille's barely-there kisses along his jaw and neck. He smiled as an idea came to mind, and waited for a minute before grabbing Camille's waist without warning and flipping their position so Camille was the one flat on his back on the bed.
The rush of breath that left Camille's lungs hit Noah's cheek. Camille's hands slipped under Noah's shirt to brush against his bare skin. "Are we ending?" he asked softly.
Noah pulled off Camille's shirt and then his own. "What do you think?"
Camille lifted his hips when Noah reached for the waistband of his pants, his hands roaming over Noah's exposed torso. "I think I might already be in love with you," he replied in a whisper.
That made Noah's heart stop for a moment. Then it restarted at twice the speed. "You can't just say stuff like that."
"What are you going to do? Fuck me for it?" Camille's eyes were sparkling dangerously, and Noah realized he had stepped squarely into Camille's trap.
Noah tipped Camille's chin up with a finger. "You're clever. I think you know the answer." He did not even wait for Camille's reply before stripping himself fully and used his knees to push Camille's open.
"What do you want me to do?" Camille's whisper came out ragged. "Do you want me to be normal?"
Noah paused. "Normal? Do I want to know what 'normal' is in your book?"
Camille smiled faintly. "Normal means I touch you and let you hear how much I like what you're doing to me." He gasped when Noah pushed a finger into him without warning.
"Like that?" Noah questioned, his tone only slightly naughty.
"F-fuck," Camille breathed out. "I might be a whore, but you have to warn me."
Noah added it to the mental list he kept of things he did to keep Camille stable. "I'm sorry. I won't do that again." Then he grabbed Camille's face in a gentle, but firm grip. "But don't call yourself a whore."
Camille blinked slowly as he stared up at Noah. "Then what am I?"
"My boyfriend?" Noah suggested.
Camille's lips parted, but that might be because Noah was working him below as he spoke. "You really want me to be your boyfriend?"
"Don't sound so shocked," Noah admonished. "We're about to fucking sleep together. Do I strike you as the kind of guy who would want a friend with benefits?"
"Yes." The answer came so quickly it burned. "You're a fuckboy. Everyone knows it. What's so special about me that I'm the exception?"
"You're you," Noah replied, cupping Camille's cheek with his free hand. "And I haven't been a fuckboy in a while. My last partner's death kinda fucked me up."
Camille's eyes widened. "Am I triggering you?" he whispered in a horror-struck voice, starting to push back.
"What? No, of course not!" Noah bent down and kissed Camille softly. "You're not triggering at all. You're beautiful in every possible way."
"You can't say that. You haven't fucked me yet."
Noah laughed quietly. "Do you think I'll be disappointed?"
"I think you're romanticizing me," Camille retorted, his eyes sharpening. "I don't think you understand what a past like mine does to the body."
Noah leaned down and rested his weight on his elbow, bringing his face so close to Camille's that they were practically touching. "I'm a doctor whose degree is technically in specialized omega healthcare. Don't patronize me, my angel."
Camille's eyes widened. "Angel?" he whispered. "You think of me like that?"
Noah nodded. "Ever since we met…the second time."
Camille tried to laugh, but a half-choked sob came out instead. "Angels are pure and full of light if you believe the religious people, you fucking idiot. What about this–" He gestured to his whole body with his hand. "–makes you think that I'm anything like that?" He slammed his hand over his eyes as a tear slid out of the corner of his eye. "I hate you!" he sobbed out.
Noah knew he did not mean it, and he said as much. "You don't mean that. Don't say things you don't mean."
Camille swiped his hand across his eyes, smearing the tears into a glistening salty trail. He lifted his red-rimmed eyes to Noah's face. "Can you help me believe I'm that beautiful to you?"
Noah smiled and caressed Camille's face. "Now until forever, my angel."
"Don't you dare make me cry again," Camille threatened. "I swear, I'll–" The rest of his threat was swallowed up in another kiss. He whimpered into Noah's mouth as Noah gently added a second finger.
Noah pulled away long enough to ask, "Okay?"
Camille glared.
"You told me to ask!" Noah protested.
With a roll of his eyes, Camille shoved his heels down into the mattress and rocked his hips up into Noah's hand. "I mean the initial breach, dumbass. I know what you're doing now. I'm fine." He did it again and closed his eyes with a breathy sigh. "You'd better not make me do all the work."
Noah smirked and matched Camille's next movement with a curl of his fingers that found a good spot based on Camille's sweet little gasp. He did not wait long before adding a third finger. He could feel that Camille was right in one aspect: the omega's body very quickly adapted to sex, much more than even the hookers Noah had slept with in the past. If he was not so enraptured with the scene currently playing out, Noah would have fumed at the thought of what Camille had endured before today. As it was, he lived in the moment and chased the beauty that hid in every hitch of Camille's breath.
Camille had something witty to comment every time Noah paused until Noah gripped his hips and pushed himself in. Then it was a conversation composed entirely of exchanged breaths, desperate moans, and burning kisses. Camille bit down on his own hand to stifle his last cry when Noah pushed him over the edge.
Noah pulled Camille's hand away as the sweat on his back began to cool. "You don't need to do that," he said softly. He wrapped his arms under Camille's shoulders and around his back, easing him up into a gentle hug. "You can always be honest with me."
Camille chuckled against Noah's shoulder, the sound vibrating pleasantly through Noah's chest. "I don't think our neighbors want my honesty, though."
Noah laughed. "Are you always this witty post-orgasm?"
Camille pressed his nose against Noah's neck like he was scenting him, which he very well might be. "I guess you'll have to fuck me again to find out."
Noah threaded his fingers into Camille's sweaty curls. "I assume you don't mean tonight?"
Camille sighed, letting his head rest heavily on Noah's shoulder. "Yeah, no. Not tonight. I'm tired. I want to clean up and go to bed." He lifted his head and looked at the mess they had made of his bed and grimaced. "Not in here. I don't have the energy to change the sheets."
"Do you want to use my shower so we can go right to sleep in my room?"
Camille nodded and slid off Noah's lap with a practiced grace. "I'll grab my towel."
"You can use mine," Noah offered.
Camille looked over his shoulder with a smirk. "I appreciate the offer, but I don't think one towel is enough to dry both of us."
Oh, fuck. Camille was inviting Noah to shower with him.
Noah scrambled off the bed and followed Camille out of the room and down the hall. This was getting marked down as the best night of Noah's life. Period.