Chapter Eight
How can one man be so hot? Eli sat in the hallway between the restaurant and the main club, the same way he had the night before. Only this time, it wasn’t Ryan he was waiting for.
He idly chewed on his thumbnail, then yanked it away from his mouth. That was when he noticed his leg was jiggling like it had a mind of its own. With a frustrated sigh, he folded his hands tightly on his lap. Nervous fidgeting wasn’t the way to impress his potential Dom.
The bouncer’s eyes shifted in his direction. They didn’t radiate interest, only curiosity. Eli imagined it was because he was grinning like a dork. How could he help it? Lying in Avery’s strong arms all night was better than any fantasy he’d ever had.
He chuckled to himself. Even though we kept all our clothes on.
He’d taken Avery’s advice and put all his troubles aside, doing his best to stay in the moment, to appreciate that there was hope that his situation would get better.
The impulse to call Lenny and tell him everything would work out soon had been a temptation almost impossible to resist. But he’d promised Avery not to say anything until they met with Master Zane and his friend Rogan after work.
Where is he? Eli checked the time on his phone and let out a small groan. The bouncer glanced his way again, and Eli pretended he was watching something on his screen. Unfortunately, Avery wasn’t supposed to pick him up for another fifteen minutes.
He couldn’t have Avery catching him being impatient or fidgety.
Not that he’d been given any specific demands, but Eli wanted to practice, just in case.
The only way he stood a chance of having Avery as his Dom was to be on his best behavior.
Avery hadn’t said he was interested in him as his sub, although Eli thought Avery was dropping hints.
Eli leaned against the wall, trying not to let his fantasies run wild the way they had all night, continuing even after Avery drove him to work. He smiled, his stomach fluttering. Cuddling all night, sharing a nice breakfast at the hotel cafe, Avery driving him to work, then kissing him goodbye.
It had felt so domestic, so right. As though they’d been together for years instead of barely knowing each other. The memory of Avery’s lips against his made heat pool in his stomach all over again.
Eli shifted against the wall, trying to find a more comfortable position. The kiss had been gentle, almost chaste, but it promised so much more. He could still taste the coffee on Avery’s lips, still feel the way those large hands had cupped his face with such careful reverence.
Stop it. He was going to work himself into a frenzy at this rate.
Eli forced himself to focus on the sounds around him instead.
The muffled bass from the club, conversations drifting from the restaurant, the light creak of the door whenever a patron passed through it.
Anything to keep his mind from wandering back to how perfectly he’d fit against Avery’s chest.
“Have you been waiting long?”
Avery’s smooth, deep voice sounded from behind him, and Eli gasped, slapping a hand to his chest. Avery turned him in his arms.
“I’m sorry, sweetheart.” Avery kissed his forehead. “I didn’t mean to startle you. And here I was, thinking I would get here before you were off work. I hope you haven’t been waiting long.”
“No, not at all.” He let out a small chuckle. “I finished my shift early.” He smiled at Avery, working past the wave of shyness that had washed over him. “But I’m glad you’re here now.”
Avery lowered his head, taking Eli’s mouth in a quick but heated kiss. He broke the connection, then brushed his thumb across Eli’s bottom lip.
“Mmm…” Avery’s eyes were hooded. “I’ve been looking forward to that all day.”
“Me too, Sir,” Eli blurted a tad louder than he’d intended. He pressed his palm to his mouth, cursing his lack of restraint.
Avery peeled Eli’s fingers away from his lips. “Don’t be embarrassed by your enthusiasm. I find it charming.”
Charming? Eli blinked several times. No one had ever referred to him like that before.
Eli cleared his throat. “Umm, okay.” He slipped his hand beneath Avery’s suit jacket and slid his palm across the silk dress shirt, wrapping his fingers around Avery’s waist. He wanted to touch skin so bad it hurt. “I don’t want to come across too needy or something.”
Avery drew Eli into his arms. “Don’t be afraid to show me who you are. I need to understand where you’re coming from.” His voice dropped to that low, commanding tone that made Eli’s knees weak. “Your needs, your fears, your desires. All of it.”
Avery’s declaration made Eli want to melt into Avery’s touch, to surrender everything he’d been holding back. But the vulnerability of doing so terrified him.
“I’m still figuring all this out.” Eli kept his voice barely above a whisper, not wanting anyone strolling by to hear him. “I mean, I know I want this.” He gestured back and forth between them. “You. But I’ve never really explored any of it before.”
Avery traced his fingers along Eli’s jawline, and he leaned into the touch without thinking.
“That’s perfectly fine. We’ll discover it together.”
Avery’s eyes searched his face with an intensity that made Eli feel exposed, as if Avery could peer into his heart and soul. Heat crawled up Eli’s neck. Such intense scrutiny should’ve made him uncomfortable. But with Avery, it felt like being valued, like being seen for the first time.
“We should probably head out.” Avery’s hand drifted to the small of Eli’s back. “Zane and Rogan are expecting us soon.”
Reality crashed back in, and Eli’s stomach clenched. For a few blissful moments, he’d forgotten why they were meeting. Thoughts of murder and his uncertain future had faded away. He swallowed hard.
“Hey. Look at me, Eli.” Avery’s voice was soft and soothing, but the thunder in Eli’s chest was overpowering. “Whatever happens, I'll be right there with you. You’re not alone in this anymore, remember?”
Eli nodded shakily. “I remember.” Avery’s promise to be with him through anything he might face seemed as if it were the only thing holding him together. He took a deep breath, drawing in the rich scent of Avery's cologne, an intoxicating aroma that reminded him of cedar and rain.
“Okay.” Eli managed a small smile. “Let’s go.”
Avery’s hand remained steady at his back as they made their way to the exit, and Eli found himself matching the older man’s confident stride.
The cool air hit Eli’s face as they stepped outside into the night.
Eli spotted the hotel’s black sedan waiting at the curb, which he hadn’t expected.
He’d assumed they would be taking Avery's car, not what looked like a company vehicle with a driver.
Eli tamped down the disappointment crawling its way up his throat. It probably meant Avery would be leaving him at Zane’s before going back to his hotel office suite and spending the night there. Avery had told him all about how he barely stayed at his Cambridge home anymore.
“I thought it might be better if we weren’t driving ourselves tonight,” Avery regarded him with a wrinkled brow.
Eli figured Avery had picked up on his worried vibe.
“After we’re finished meeting with Zane and Rogen, we can have the driver drop us off at the hotel parking garage where I left my car. ”
Eli stared up at Avery. “Us?”
Avery offered him a small smile. “Unless you’d rather stay at Zane’s tonight. Whatever makes you comfortable is what we’ll do.”
“What I’d like to do is you.”
Eli dropped his jaw open. Clearly, his brain-to-mouth filter had been obliterated at some point. Not that he was painfully shy or anything like that. But he wasn’t prone to such blatant drooling.
Avery laughed, a warm, genuine sound that made Eli’s heart skip. The sparkle in Avery’s eyes suggested he wasn’t offended or put off by Eli’s bluntness.
“Well,” Avery said, his voice dropping to that low register that was responsible for making Eli’s pulse quicken.
“I appreciate your honesty.” The corners of Avery’s eyes crinkled from his amusement, but in Avery’s gaze, Eli caught something darker, hungrier.
“Though perhaps we should save that particular conversation for after our meeting.”
The driver opened the rear door, and Avery gestured for Eli to slide in first. The leather seats were buttery soft against his back, and he caught another whiff of Avery’s cologne as the man settled beside him. Close enough that their thighs pressed together.
Avery leaned forward. “Zane’s place, Mitch. Thank you.”
He pressed a button that raised the partition between them and the front seat. The ride across town to Zane, Ryan, and Ty’s Beacon Hill home was quiet at this time of night, the steady hum of the engine beneath them and the soft glow of streetlights filtering through the tinted windows.
Eli tried to focus on the city passing by, but his awareness kept returning to Avery’s presence beside him. The way Avery’s hand rested casually on his thigh, his thumb tracing small circles through the fabric of his jeans. Such a simple touch, but it sent heat and calm through his entire body.
They arrived about fifteen minutes later, and Eli had to admit that Avery’s instincts had been spot on about having a driver.
Being able to relax with Avery in the back, to rest his head on his shoulder, and have Avery’s touch was the exact grounding he’d needed.
Before they reached the steps, the glossy black door swung open.
Ryan bounded down to meet them. “You're here!” He grabbed Eli’s hand and tugged him forward. “Hello, Sir. Master said Rogan is on his way.” Ryan broke into a grin. “You guys, Ty made these amazing appetizers. I think you’ll love them soooo much, Sir, that you’ll want Ty to be your sous chef.”
“Ryan?” Avery’s voice was kind but also conveyed that he meant business. “It would please me if we could focus on Eli’s situation tonight. I haven’t forgotten Ty. However, this is the priority right now.”