Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

JULIEN

Rose petals stick to the soles of my bare feet as I walk around the condo to double check everything. Faint, flickering light from the various candles I set out add to the romantic ambience. At least, I hope they do. I tried to recreate our first Valentine's together. The night Elijah and I spent in the hotel room and made love for the first time.

When I hear the unmistakable sound of keys unlocking the front door, I rush into position and anxiously wait to see Elijah's reaction.

Elijah's footsteps falter when he sees me standing there.

"You scared the crap out of me."

My grin is a mile wide. "Hi."

I hungrily drink in the sight of him. His tousled hair looks artfully mussed as if the wind played its fingers through it, messing it up. The humidity that never goes away during the summer brings out his natural curl. His face carries the sun-kissed glow of being outside all day, and a few new freckles have appeared across the bridge of his nose. I'll make sure to kiss each one later.

Elijah hasn't come to any of my afternoon practices this week. He's been spending a lot of his time at David's new place. The football team—American, not soccer—does their stuff in the morning to avoid the heat of the day. Am I jealous? Yes, but not because of that. It's because the guy who still has a crush on my boyfriend sees him more than I do.

I'd like David more if he wasn't panting after my man. He's a solid guy. I just don't trust him. He wants Elijah, and I have a deep-seated premonition that if he glimpses the tiniest of cracks in our relationship, he won't hesitate to move in and stake his claim.

Elijah drops his phone and keys into the small bowl on the side table. "I thought you had that thing with the team tonight."

"I did. I didn't go."

An opportunity for an evening alone with him opened, and I was not going to miss it. Jay said he'd be at the boxing gym, and Ryder was meeting up with Fallon. They wouldn't be back for hours.

Elijah kicks off his shoes and slides them over to the baseboard. "Why not?"

I hold my hand out to him, but I may as well be offering him my beating heart. "I miss you."

It doesn't matter if we sleep in the same bed every night or if I wake up with him every morning. I fucking miss him.

Since pre-season began a few weeks ago, my day-to-day has been a whirlwind of practices and team outings. Time when it's just the two of us without anyone else around is seldom and far between. And once classes start, things will only get crazier.

His lips curve in that sexy way I adore. "You saw me this morning."

With playful exasperation, I gesture around at everything that he is apparently oblivious to. "You're making it very difficult to romance you."

Finally noticing the rose petals scattered along the floor, Elijah's beautiful hazels widen with surprise, then his expression goes dreamy.

"Is that what's happening?" he says, messing with me.

"I sure as hell hope so."

The cutest blush tints his cheeks. "Well, then, romance away, Mr. Jameson."

When he slips his hand into mine, I roughly yank him to me, then back him up against the coat closet. His steady breaths turn into shallow pants when I graze my lips up the column of his neck, placing soft kisses as I go. He smells incredible.

"Are we alone?" His fingertips convulse on my hips, digging in and pulling me flush with his body.

"We are." I lick along the shell of his ear and feel the shiver that overtakes him when I gently nip the lobe with my teeth.

"I can't think straight when you do that."

I love hearing that tiny hitch in his voice, so I do it again.

"I know."

I know every inch of his magnificent body. What he likes. What makes him moan. What makes him scream my name—which he'll be doing very soon.

He punches his hips forward, grinding his erection against mine. "I want you," he entreats.

God, how I want him, too. After years of dating, I still can't get enough. When we make love, it's like the first time all over again.

Our kiss turns sloppy, full of tongue and passion and need. I want nothing more than to strip his clothes off and fuck him right here, right now, but tonight isn't about that.

I place a tender kiss on the corner of his mouth. "Come with me."

With our hands entwined, I lead him down the hallway and into the bedroom. Sandalwood-scented candles cast shadows along the walls and dance with the umber-hued silhouettes created by the setting sun. Music from a mixtape he made for me in eleventh grade plays at low volume from the wireless speaker I keep on the dresser.

Elijah walks over to the bed and picks up one of the rose petals that I had strewn across the duvet cover. "This is just like Valentine's. It's beautiful, Julien."

My pride does a celebratory fist pump. He noticed.

"I'm glad you like it."

He pivots around, eyes glossy with brimming tears. "What did I do to deserve all this?"

I despise those tiny whispers his mother planted in his subconscious that tell him he's undeserving of love. Elijah is emotionally the strongest he's ever been. More self-assured. Mentally strong. He has worked so damn hard to get to that place, but those invasive thoughts still remain like a dormant virus ready to unleash itself and wreak havoc at any given moment.

Taking him in my arms, I press my cheek to his as I lead us in a slow dance.

"You gave me your heart and your love."

Just as I say it, "Halo" starts playing. One of the songs I consider ours because the lyrics speak the truth of how I feel about him.

"Just so you know," he hushes, laying his head on my shoulder, "I miss you, too."

We let the song surround us as we sway from side to side. Elijah's lips seek mine, the first stroke of his tongue like velvet and has my heart rate accelerating. Every time he kisses me is like lightning in a bottle. That instant jolt of pure electricity that sings through my blood, heightening every synapse until all I feel is him.

"Raise your arms for me, baby."

He lifts them over his head, and I bunch the fabric of his cotton shirt, sliding it up and off. Warm, tanned skin greets my hands when they gravitate to the vees that demarcate his tight, defined abs.

"You are so fucking gorgeous," I tell him, using the pads of my fingers like a paintbrush to chart the ridges and valleys of muscle.

He bites down on his full bottom lip when it starts to wobble. "I love the way you touch me."

Grazing his nipples, I reply, "I love touching you."

I temper my own runaway desire and take my time undressing him, allowing my hands and lips free rein over his body. His moans grow louder as I lick up his inner thigh to his impossibly hard cock.

"So wet for me."

I thumb over the tip, smearing the precum that drips out like pearls of candy. I lap up every drop.

He fists my hair. "Julien, for fuck's sake," he whimpers.

I brace his trembling legs and tongue his shaft. "Yes?"

I take him into my mouth until he hits the back of my throat. I swallow, and he moans my name. Loudly.

His grip tightens in my hair, holding me in place so he can fuck my face.

But I don't let him come. Not yet.

He releases a flurry of obscenities when I suddenly pull away and band my arms around his thighs.

"Such a dirty mouth from my sweet angel."

He grunts when my shoulder connects with his stomach.

"You're a cock tease," he grumbles.

I spank his ass, and he squirms. Another kink he likes.

Easily bearing his weight, I rise to my feet with him in a pseudo fireman's carry.

He shakes with deep laughter. "You need to stop carrying me everywhere."

"Easiest way to make you do what I want," I reply and haul him into the bathroom.

More candles. More rose petals. Bending slightly, I test the temperature of the bath I had prepared just before he came home. Still hot. Not as hot as I'd like, but it'll do.

He contorts so he can see behind him. "You made me a bath?"

I set Elijah on his feet, grinning at his disbelief, and strip out of my shirt and shorts.

"Part of the pampering."

I take his hand and help him into the tub, then step in after him. The garden tub is big enough to accommodate the two of us—one of the reasons why I claimed the back bedroom. It's the master. More square footage, larger walk-in closet, bigger en suite with double sinks, a shower, and a big-ass tub.

Bending my legs, I situate him between them.

"Lavender?" he asks.

I added lavender-scented bath salts to the water along with some rose petals.

"Yep."

He reclines back with a sigh. "I would have loved the blow job, but this is really nice, too."

"Brat."

I flick water at him, and he chuckles. He's laughed more in the last fifteen minutes than he has all week.

Kissing the top of his head, I tell him, "Close your eyes."

His arms are two limp noodles when I lift them to prop on top of my knees.

He tips his face, peering at me upside-down. "Thank you for this. I love you so much."

Will never get tired of hearing that. I soak it in like parched earth after it rains.

"Love you more, sweetheart."

Grabbing a small bottle of liquid soap from the tray that sits on the lip of the tub, I pour some into my hand. A sharp explosion of citrus hits my nose when I lather it into his hair.

" Oh, my god ," he moans, going boneless when I massage the shampoo into his scalp.

"Good?"

Air whooshes out with a breathy, "Amazing."

I play with the suds, making foamy peaks and faux mohawks as I wash his hair.

"Going to rinse it out. Keep your eyes closed."

Taking the cup I put on the tray, I scoop up bath water and repeat the process until all the suds are gone. Finger-combing a hefty dollop of deep conditioner into his hair, I let it sit for a few minutes. The argan oil helps tame the frizz caused by the humidity.

"How was your day?" I ask.

"Good. How was practice?"

I cup a handful of frothy bubbles, and he blows them away like dandelion fluff.

"Coach showed up with his Stalker II radar gun. Aadesh made this amazing shot. One-hundred and thirty-six kilometers per hour. Puts him in the top fifteen fastest kicks ever. It was amazing. We went berserk."

"You should have stayed with them to celebrate."

Dipping my fingers into the water, I watch the droplets drip from my fingertips and trickle through his chest hair.

"I'm exactly where I need to be."

Reaching over to retrieve the washcloth I left out, I dunk it into the bath before adding soap.

"This or That."

It's a game I used to play with Liz, Jay, and Ry when we were kids, and one Elijah and I played in high school when we would cuddle in bed.

Another laugh. That makes six, I think.

"You haven't given me any choices."

"Rural or urban?"

"Rural," he replies, but I already knew that one. Elijah hates big cities.

I sift the wet strands of his hair through the gaps between my fingers. "Boy or girl?"

"Context?" he asks.

I kiss his shoulder. "Do you want to have a boy or a girl?"

His chest stops moving when he literally stops breathing. "What?"

"Kids. Do you want a boy or a girl? If it was up to me, we'd have both."

He tries to flip position, but I lock my thighs to keep him in place.

"That came out of left field."

Not really. We've discussed it in passing a couple of times along with the options of adoption or using a surrogate.

"This or That?" I prod.

"I'd want both. A boy and a girl, who we could spoil rotten."

I know we're both still young and have so much more growing to do. College, careers, adventures to have before we start a family. But it's nice to think about that life we want to build together.

"Surfing or hiking?" he asks.

Anything outdoors or involves sports of any kind, I'm all for. But the beaches of North Carolina hold a special place for me, especially the southern Outer Banks.

"Surfing," I reply.

He reaches back and caresses my neck. "Seeing as the beach is only thirty minutes away, we could go tomorrow after your morning workout and be back in time for your afternoon practice."

"Sounds like a plan."

Getting back to washing him, I run the terry cloth over each of his shoulders, his chest, and down his stomach to his groin. His cock jerks at my touch, and water sloshes over the lip of the tub.

" Shh. " I let the washcloth float on the surface and circle his shaft with a firm grip. My lips dip to kiss the side of his neck. "Relax, baby, and let me take care of you."

His back arches, and his fingernails score the tops of my knees. "Difficult to do when you're…"

He moans my name as I stroke him hard, increasing the pressure just how he likes it and pumping his length with rough pulls. His entire body shakes from the exertion of holding back the orgasm I'm desperate to give him.

He's so close to the edge, it doesn't take long for me to have him freefalling into a fast climax. I grab his face and force his head back, capturing his groan of release with my tongue. His thick cock pulses in my hand as he convulses beautifully with wave after wave of unrelenting ecstasy.

Sinking chest-deep into the water, a sated smile spreads across his face. "I made a mess."

I burst out laughing because that's almost exactly what I said our first time when I came all over the headboard of the hotel bed.

"I love you messy." His skin is slippery, and water goes everywhere when I push him onto all fours. He braces against the end of the tub as I go to my knees and line my cock up with his entrance. "Things are about to get messier."