Evan discovered he had worried about evil men keeping Noll and his people captive for nothing. The compound appeared to be a ranch with acres and acres of land and houses. As soon they passed under and tall wooden archway leading onto the grounds, people appeared from the trees and stepped out of a few houses. Some were naked, and others were minimally clothed. All greeted Noll with respect, whether it was a bowed head or a wave. Where the hell have I landed?
Evan pulled up to the biggest house at Noll’s directions, and Noll climbed out. After he parked and shut off the engine, Evan stepped out of the car. Right away men and women surrounded him. He didn’t know what he had expected. Curiosity maybe, but not anger.
A slender, beautiful woman without a stitch of clothing on moved up to him and jabbed a finger into his chest. She drew back pink rosebud lips into a sneer. “Why are you here? We’ve never allowed your kind to tread on our property.”
“My kind?” He glanced over the faces. Most were Caucasian, but there were many races represented—Asian, African American, Native American. Evan had never held any one race above another, and here was this woman calling him a kind? He wasn’t even sure what the prejudice was about. “I’m white just like you. What is your problem?”
A few of them laughed, but it was a cold sound without humor. Aggression radiated from them, and he had the feeling one false move on his part, and the woman would try to tear him apart. Try, he thought, because she was rather small. If he weren’t gay, he might find her attractive and enjoy the sight of her sizable breasts.
Noll appeared beside him and pushed the woman back to move in front of him. Now desire did stir in him having Noll so close, an aching need that hadn’t as yet been satisfied, damn it. Here on Noll’s grounds, he would work doubly hard to get the man to give in to sex the way he wanted it.
“Back off,” Noll commanded in a voice that brooked no arguments. “He belongs to me. No one touches him.”
“Ugh.” The woman scowled at Noll. “He wants you! I can smell it on him.”
Several others echoed the woman’s words, and Noll wondered how they knew. Was it a guess or just something she said because she thought it would offend him? He was pretty sure the desire didn’t show on his face because he’d had years to learn to school his features. How many hours, days, weeks, and so on had he lusted over Harrison and the man never knew it?
“I said back off!” Noll’s words were almost a roar, and the crowd fell from him, the woman the hardest. At his shout, Noll had raised his hand, but Evan didn’t see him hit anyone.
Evan grabbed Noll’s wrist and wrapped an arm about his waist, dragging Noll back to him. “Hey, ease up. You don’t hit a woman!”
Noll’s eyes bugged, and so did all the rest of them. More confusion clouded Evan’s mind at their reactions.
Noll straightened and jerked away from his hold. “I didn’t touch her,” he bit out between clenched teeth. “Inside. Now.”
Evan studied the sea of faces again. Everyone stood in silence, their gazes swinging from him to Noll and back again. He followed Noll toward the house and thought he saw someone familiar at the edge of the building. When he looked again, the figure was gone. Deciding it had been his imagination that he had seen one of the men who had attacked Noll, he followed the man inside the house.
As soon as they crossed the threshold and shut the door, Noll rounded on him and crushed him against the door. Evan decided not to fight back but rather wait to hear Noll out.
“Don’t ever question my authority in front of my people again.” Noll’s forearm pressed against Evan’s throat. Evan raised a hand to wrap around it, but he didn’t try to move it away.
“I’m sure they haven’t lost respect for you, but I understand your concern.” He spoke in a calming tone that did nothing to settle Noll.
“And don’t...don’t grab me like that either.”
This time, Evan grinned. “You surely don’t expect to hide your sexuality with me in your house.”
Their cocks just brushed from the way they stood, and Evan had already gone hard. He felt Noll’s shaft growing. They were both hard up, having spent nights in each other’s arms, kissing but nothing more.
“There’s no way I could hide it from them,” Noll complained, “but it’s not going to be an issue soon.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Evan leaned in to kiss Noll, but the man turned his head. Evan’s lips landed on his cheek, not satisfying in the least. “So no more kisses now that we’re with your family and friends?”
Noll released him. As soon as they stepped away from the door, it opened, and another beautiful woman with fiery-red hair ran up to Noll. At least she wore a dress if not shoes, Evan noted.
The woman encircled Noll’s neck with her arms and pressed her body to his. She parted her lips and stuck her tongue into Noll’s mouth in a hungry kiss. Evan punched the wall, and plaster crumbled to the floor, powder coating his hand. “What the fuck?” he shouted.
Noll pushed the woman back, and she pouted up at him, then looked at Evan. “Why is he so jealous?”
“Get out,” Noll commanded the woman. “I just got here, and I’m tired.”
She grinned up at him, still clinging to his chest. “I can make you feel better like I always do.” She spun away from him and brushed her ass against his thigh. “Call for me tonight, and I’ll make it all better, alpha.”
Noll said nothing, but he strolled behind the woman and locked the door after she left. Evan stared at him. He saw the tent in Noll’s pants and wondered if it was for him or for her. “Is that how it won’t be an issue? Once you sleep with her, you won’t want me anymore?”
“I told you I go both ways.” Noll started past him, but Evan grabbed his arm, stopping him. Evan refused to be intimidated by the dark warning in Noll’s expression.
“Yeah, but all of them out there seemed shocked that you’d brought home a man who wants you. How the hell did they even know I want you?”
“You look haggard,” Noll said. “It’s been a long day. You can sleep in the bedroom at the top of the stairs on the right.”
“Which one is yours?”
Noll slipped from his grasp. “Doesn’t matter. We’re not going to be lovers.”
“Because you’ve never been with a man?”
Noll froze, and his shoulders tensed. Then he continued up the steps to the second floor. Evan followed. He said nothing as Evan showed him his room, but Evan stood in the entrance to watch where Noll went. Amid the line of doors along the hall, Noll chose the one at the end, somewhat kitty-cornered. He imagined this must be the master suite.
For now, Evan thought. He was exhausted. He had driven a ways, and tension between Noll and him had drained him. He’d get a few hours shut-eye. Then he and Noll would have a conversation.