Against All Odds Ch. 06

"I'm yours." Riley whispered through shuttering breaths. Never had Riley ever wanted anyone the way he wanted Noah and he was prepared to give himself over to him completely.

"Mine." Noah echoed Riley's words. "All mine."

"All yours." Riley breathed, a soft moan escaping his parted lips. He clung to Noah, gripping Noah's shirt in his hand as though Noah were the only solid thing in the room that Riley had to hold onto. Riley could feel the strength in Noah's arms wrapped around him, holding him in place and keeping him from dissolving completely.

Gently, Noah guided Riley down, laying him on the soft, carpeted floor. Noah allowed his hands to move over Riley, exploring every inch of his body. Noah's light and careful touch sent shivers along Riley's nerves, causing his entire body to tremble. Riley felt breathless, his chest heaving as Noah lowered himself down, on top of him. Noah slid one knee between Riley's legs, his hand slid up along Riley's body, pushing his shirt up, past his nipples then he began to kiss his way along Riley's abdomen.

Riley fisted Noah's hair, the locks felt silky and smooth in Riley's hand. Riley closed his eyes and leaned his head back, exposing his throat. Noah accepted the invitation without hesitation. He slid his hand over Riley's stomach to his chest. His fingers delicately brushed over his nipples, drawing a small gasp from Riley who then arched his back in response. Noah kissed his chest, then moved to his throat, leaving soft, fluttering kisses over his exposed throat, neck and jaw.

Noah kissed along his ear, then each closed eye lid before finding his mouth once more and claiming it as his own.

"You are so beautiful, Riley." Noah told him, between kisses. "The most beautiful person I have ever known. I love you more than anything and I never want to let you go."

"You won't have to." Riley whispered in response. "I'm yours, forever."

Hearing those words made Noah's heart soar. Riley was his, his forever. Suddenly, nothing else in the world mattered to him, only Riley. His only purpose now was to love Riley. To care for him, provide for him and protect him. Riley meant everything to Noah. He was the one thing in Noah's life that had been missing and now that he had finally found him, Noah vowed to do everything he could to keep him.

"I feel so alive when I'm with you." Noah told him. "I never knew that love could feel like this. With you, I feel whole."

"I feel the same way." Riley purred softly. "You make my heart race every time you touch me. Being in your arms feels like home. I never want this moment to end."

"You are home." Noah said, nuzzling into Riley's neck, kissing just below his ear. "And, there will be so many more moments like this in the future. I love kissing you, I want to kiss you forever. Kissing you and holding you is like a dream."

Riley felt tears of joy fill his eyes and just as quickly, Noah kissed them away. Riley wrapped his arms around Noah and pulled him down until their bodies were pressed against each other. Noah claimed his mouth again with urgent need and Riley opened his mouth to the kiss. Their tongues met in a sultry dance of heat and passion. Noah nipped at Riley's lip and Riley cooed his approval. Noah evened out his weight on top of Riley as to not crush him. The combined heat of their bodies created a furnace between them. Their clothes clung to their wet skin, a barrier that Riley was ready to be free of.

He wanted to feel Noah, all of him, free of the confines of their clothing. He wanted to smell him, lick him, and taste him. Riley inhaled deeply, taking in the scent of Noah's after shave, body wash, and the subtle aroma of wine that still lingered on his lips. Again Riley inhaled, breathing him in, that alluring scent that was all Noah. Riley could feel the slightest hint of stubble as it rubbed against his soft skin but it only made his aching need that much stronger.

His hands trailed down Noah's body, finding the hem of his shirt and he began to pull it free of Noah's pants. To his surprise though, Noah stopped him. Riley's eyes fluttered open and he looked at Noah, questioningly. Noah hesitated, the wait agonizing and then he spoke.

"Riley." He whispered, his voice husky with emotion. "I want you. More than anything I want to make love to you but, I still think we should wait."

Confusion and disappointment clouded Riley's eyes as he looked up at Noah, searching for answers to the myriad of questions rushing through his mind. Had he done something wrong? Said something that had upset Noah? Everything had been so perfect. Or so Riley had thought. So, why now was Noah refusing him?

Seeing the hurt look in Riley's eyes, Noah brushed a stray lock of hair from his forehead, his touch tender and reassuring. He sat up, pulling Riley along with him. Noah smiled. The love that he felt for Riley shone through the depths of his gaze.

"I want our first time to mean something. I've always imagined my first time to be in a room lit by candles. A bottle of champagne chilling next to the bed and my true love, laid naked against silk sheets and a bank of pillows, eagerly waiting for me."

Riley's breath caught in his throat. He was on the verge of tears. Was he what was wrong? After all that talk of Noah loving him, was he not the person that Noah had envisioned as his true love? "Am...am I not the one you imagined in your bed?" He asked, almost fearing the answer.

"What?" Noah realized with a pang of guilt how what he had just said must have sounded to Riley. He could have kicked himself for not being clearer with him. "Riley, you are the one that I imagined, you're my true love. You're the only one that I will ever want in my bed. What I meant was that the timing just isn't right. I want to romance you and sweep you off your feet."

Riley relaxed as relief washed over him. He chuckled softly. "You've certainly done all that, Noah. But, I understand what you mean. You want our first time together to be more romantic and sensual. You want your fantasy."

"Yes, in part." Noah took a deep breath, turning his head away from Riley nervously as he was about to confess something that he had dreaded bringing up though it was something that Riley needed to know before they went any further.

"It's not just our first time together." He said, his eyes focused on the carpet as he tried to figured out how to tell Riley the truth, and worried how Riley would react to it. "It's my first time, ever. I've never been...intimate with anyone. I guess, I'm just a little scared. This is all so new to me and I really have no clue what I'm doing. I know this probably sounds a little strange. Me being a twenty-five year old alpha and still a virgin. It's just...well, like you said. Neither of us has ever been in any serious relationships before. Honestly, you're the only person I've ever actually dated. People I've met in chat I spoke to maybe once or twice and that was it. I never spoke to them again. Not until I met you. I hope you don't think less of me, but I wanted to be honest with you. I felt it was important."

Riley sat silently, just staring at Noah for a moment and then he suddenly burst out in a fit of laughter. Noah turned to look at him, wondering what on earth Riley could have found so funny. His heart dropped as he realized what Riley must have thought of him now. A weak alpha that had never had the balls to even sleep with someone. Noah suddenly felt two inches tall. He thought any minute now, Riley was going to stand up and march out of the room and right out of Noah's life, but he didn't. To Noah's utter amazement, Riley just shook his head and then threw his arms around Noah and kissed him.

"That's what you were worried about?" Riley asked, still giggling. "That I'd think less of you for being a virgin? News flash baby, you're not the only one. I'm a virgin too. And, no I do not think less of you. Actually, I kinda like the idea that I'll be your first. I understand about you being scared. I'm scared too. I think that's only natural when it comes to something so important. Neither of us want to mess this up. So, if you're not ready, I'm cool with that. We can wait as long as you need too because I know that when the time is right, and we do finally make love, it's going to be extraordinary."

Noah was speechless. Tears welled up in his eyes and rolled down his cheek as Riley's words played over again and again in his mind. No one could begin to comprehend the extent of the love he felt for Riley in that moment. It was more than he had ever hoped for. Riley accepted him. He understood and accepted Noah in all his eccentricities. There was no ridicule, no snide comments, and no judgments. Riley was a dream come true. And, Noah had to admit, knowing that Riley was a virgin too did make things seem a little less scary. Instead of worrying about messing up, he can Riley could take their time and learn together.

Not knowing what to say in that moment, all Noah could do was scoop Riley up in his arms and smother him with kisses. Riley giggled as he kissed Noah back. "I love you." Noah finally said through happy tears. "And thank you for being so understanding."

"Of course." Riley smiled. "There's no need to rush into anything, right? We have plenty of time to let our relationship blossom."

"Exactly." Noah said, holding Riley against him. "We have all the time in the world."