had to be sure.
“I don’t know what you’re planning, but I’m quite certain love has nothing to do with it; revenge and satisfaction, perhaps, but definitely not love.” He paused, and Eli squeezed him close to his chest, drinking in the scent and feel of him. “I will never put myself in a position where you could hurt me so badly. So if that is your intent, you might as well try a different tactic, because your pretense of love and desire is not going to work.”
Will frantically tried to get away. He jumped from the bench so quickly that he stumbled and would have fallen if Elijah hadn’t caught him. Will hurriedly regained his balance and pulled away.
“It’s okay,” Eli said in a soothing voice. “Think about my offer before you reject it.”
Will turned, and without a word, ran from the garden. He didn’t stop running until he reached his bedroom.
Around 1:00 a.m., as he lay there still awake, he heard Elijah come down the hall and go into his bedroom. With thoughts of Elijah on his mind, he began to ponder his outrageous offer. His proposal was startling, to say the least. As Will continued to think, he started to feel the emotions that he had forbidden himself to feel ever since that first kiss. He was absolutely right, Will did want him, but not just in a physical sense. He had too much self-respect to settle for that. The piece on the side never came out the winner in a relationship based on sex. He wished Eli really did care for him. He wished, but Eli didn’t; only a child would believe a fairytale story like that. It came to him then, the realization that Elijah never said that he loved him, he only asked him to marry him. He said he could give him money and power, the two things that Katrina would go to any length to obtain, but Will didn’t want either, and Eli definitely didn’t want him. Will managed to fall into a fitful sleep around 3:00 a.m.
Will was awakened just before 6:00 a.m. by a light knock at his door. He sat up and pulled the blankets around him before answering. “Come in.”
Elijah entered and approached him. He was dressed in jeans, a white, cotton shirt, and a canvas jacket that appeared to have seen many days. He stared at Will for quite a while, taking in his hair, his face, and the protective way Will was holding the comforter to his neck. This made him smile.
“Good morning,” he said and walked closer to his side of the large bed. “Sleep well? No bad dreams, I hope?” He is mocking me, of course. Will cringed at the memory of that evening and lowered his eyes.
“No, I slept quite well, considering.” He sat up straighter and allowed the comforter to relax a bit, but found it a little difficult to look at him directly.
“Considering what?” Eli deliberately baited him. He leaned casually against the bedpost at the foot of the bed and waited for him to answer. He noticed the comforter drop to Will’s lap and was amazed at the effect his bare chest was having on him. The sight of his smooth, creamy skin stretched over wide shoulders and a narrow, defined torso caused a tightness in the pit of Elijah’s stomach and an almost overwhelming need to get into bed with him.
“Considering your ridiculous offer last night,” Will shot back, not in the mood to play word games anymore.
“Why ridiculous?” Eli’s voice was soft, but his body language commanded Will to explain. He moved to stand over him. Will felt vulnerable in his present position, so he moved to sit on the edge of the bed. Elijah stepped back momentarily, but then seated himself beside him. Will could feel the roughness of Eli’s jeans as his left leg brushed against his bare thigh, and it sent a tremor through his body, which he stifled by shifting away from him abruptly.
Eli countered by slipping his arm around Will’s waist and resting his hand on his hip. He was distracted for a moment by the sight of Will in nothing more than a pair of boxer briefs, allowing a view of
“I don’t know what you’re planning, but I’m quite certain love has nothing to do with it; revenge and satisfaction, perhaps, but definitely not love.” He paused, and Eli squeezed him close to his chest, drinking in the scent and feel of him. “I will never put myself in a position where you could hurt me so badly. So if that is your intent, you might as well try a different tactic, because your pretense of love and desire is not going to work.”
Will frantically tried to get away. He jumped from the bench so quickly that he stumbled and would have fallen if Elijah hadn’t caught him. Will hurriedly regained his balance and pulled away.
“It’s okay,” Eli said in a soothing voice. “Think about my offer before you reject it.”
Will turned, and without a word, ran from the garden. He didn’t stop running until he reached his bedroom.
Around 1:00 a.m., as he lay there still awake, he heard Elijah come down the hall and go into his bedroom. With thoughts of Elijah on his mind, he began to ponder his outrageous offer. His proposal was startling, to say the least. As Will continued to think, he started to feel the emotions that he had forbidden himself to feel ever since that first kiss. He was absolutely right, Will did want him, but not just in a physical sense. He had too much self-respect to settle for that. The piece on the side never came out the winner in a relationship based on sex. He wished Eli really did care for him. He wished, but Eli didn’t; only a child would believe a fairytale story like that. It came to him then, the realization that Elijah never said that he loved him, he only asked him to marry him. He said he could give him money and power, the two things that Katrina would go to any length to obtain, but Will didn’t want either, and Eli definitely didn’t want him. Will managed to fall into a fitful sleep around 3:00 a.m.
Will was awakened just before 6:00 a.m. by a light knock at his door. He sat up and pulled the blankets around him before answering. “Come in.”
Elijah entered and approached him. He was dressed in jeans, a white, cotton shirt, and a canvas jacket that appeared to have seen many days. He stared at Will for quite a while, taking in his hair, his face, and the protective way Will was holding the comforter to his neck. This made him smile.
“Good morning,” he said and walked closer to his side of the large bed. “Sleep well? No bad dreams, I hope?” He is mocking me, of course. Will cringed at the memory of that evening and lowered his eyes.
“No, I slept quite well, considering.” He sat up straighter and allowed the comforter to relax a bit, but found it a little difficult to look at him directly.
“Considering what?” Eli deliberately baited him. He leaned casually against the bedpost at the foot of the bed and waited for him to answer. He noticed the comforter drop to Will’s lap and was amazed at the effect his bare chest was having on him. The sight of his smooth, creamy skin stretched over wide shoulders and a narrow, defined torso caused a tightness in the pit of Elijah’s stomach and an almost overwhelming need to get into bed with him.
“Considering your ridiculous offer last night,” Will shot back, not in the mood to play word games anymore.
“Why ridiculous?” Eli’s voice was soft, but his body language commanded Will to explain. He moved to stand over him. Will felt vulnerable in his present position, so he moved to sit on the edge of the bed. Elijah stepped back momentarily, but then seated himself beside him. Will could feel the roughness of Eli’s jeans as his left leg brushed against his bare thigh, and it sent a tremor through his body, which he stifled by shifting away from him abruptly.
Eli countered by slipping his arm around Will’s waist and resting his hand on his hip. He was distracted for a moment by the sight of Will in nothing more than a pair of boxer briefs, allowing a view of
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