49. Chapter 40
Chapter 40
T hat night, Elijah couldn't sleep. He'd slept enough lately for two men, for one thing. And he couldn't stop thinking about Jon. Jon had said the word love . And he'd been affectionate—touching Elijah's back, holding his hand—even with Samuel and Eddie in the room. A huge shift had happened in the way Jon felt about him, and it had happened while Elijah was sleeping.
Now Elijah had his energy back, and he wanted Jon. His body wanted. His skin tingled, and he ached. Memories of what they'd done together Christmas night plagued him.
He told himself Jon was probably asleep and wouldn't appreciate being woken. But it wasn't yet eleven, and Jon was still off chore duties because of his foot. So maybe he wouldn't mind so much.
Elijah pulled on some clothes and let himself out of the house. He walked carefully across the icy driveway to Jon's place and tapped lightly on the door. After a moment, he tried the handle, not wanting Jon to have to get out of bed with his crutches and all.
The door was unlocked. Jon was standing in the opening to the hallway in flannel pants and a white tank top. The nightlight in the kitchen gave his skin a dim glow.
Elijah just stared, not knowing how to say what he wanted. But Jon knew. He leaned lazily against the doorway and smiled. It was a dangerous smile, and it made Elijah feel giddy.
"I was hopin' you'd come," Jon drawled. "Maybe you read my mind."
Lord, he was so sexy, Elijah could barely speak. "Nah. But maybe you read mine."
"That works too." Jon held out his hand.
Elijah crossed to him in a heartbeat. Jon took Elijah's face in his hands and held him tenderly. His kiss was deliberate and thorough, like they had all the time in the world, and Elijah was grateful for every second of it.
Jon broke the kiss. "Come to my bed."
Elijah nodded and took Jon's hand. Jon led the way to his bedroom and tugged Elijah down onto sheets that held the faint aroma of Jon's cedar soap. For a long time, they kissed deeply, and pressed together as if they couldn't get close enough, and rubbed against one another. Elijah spun off into the night sky from the heady pleasure of it. But he finally needed more. He pulled back.
"Can we do that thing we did before? ’Cause I'm about to burst."
"We could," Jon said. "But then I'd have to stop kissin' you. I have a better idea."
"Better than that ?" Elijah couldn't imagine such a thing.
Jon laughed. "Oh, we have much to explore, my E. But right now, I just want you close. Hang on."
He reached into a bedside drawer and pulled out a bottle. He set it on the bed while he pushed his flannel pants down, and that alone nearly did Elijah in, the sight and smell of him so bare and hard like that, but he managed to get his own pants off without losing control.
The bottle contained a miraculous liquid that Jon spread over them both—slippery and warm and tingly. The English did invent some marvelous things. Then Jon pulled Elijah close, took their two members together in his hand, and kissed him deeply.
And it turned out to be, if not better , then darn close to what they'd done on Christmas night. It was purely wonderful to have the pleasure of Jon's tongue in his mouth, and Jon's deft and fine hand stroking him. But it was the feel of Jon's shaft and head against his own that was unbearably sexy. He had to breathlessly ask Jon to stop a few times, and still, the end came too soon. But, oh, it felt so, so good.
He lay in Jon's arm, the sticky evidence of their love between them, Jon's heart thudding hard against his chest, and he didn't want to ever move.
"Can we do that again in a bit?" he asked.
"We can do that until the cows come home. As many times as you like." Jon reached over to grab some tissues to clean them up some, then pulled the covers over them. He settled down with a contented yawn.
Elijah thought there would never be an end to as many times as you like . And he realized Jon was inviting him, without words, to sleep there. Given his druthers, he might never leave Jon's bed. He recalled the dream of the road and of Jon at his side, then walking ahead, smiling and holding out his hand.
Elijah was so grateful. Of all the gifts God had given him, love was the one that truly mattered. And he'd found someone to share it with at last.