Chapter 9

Mav

I shouldn't have looked at the picture.

I'd known even as I'd walked towards the bookcase, my eyes zeroing in on the overturned picture frame, that it would destroy what little trust I'd managed to build with Eli. But I'd done it anyway because as beautiful and perfect as the last few minutes with him had been, none of that negated my first priority.

His safety.

I hadn't planned any of what had happened with Eli. Maybe it was because he'd initiated the kisses between us that had started it all. Maybe it was hearing him admit that I'd been the first one to kiss him. I hadn't known and I hadn't cared. All I'd cared about was getting my hands on him. I'd been close to coming myself as Eli had bucked and jerked beneath me as I'd pulled his orgasm to the surface, but the prospect of being able to watch him as he came had made it possible for me to hold off. Sure, I'd been painfully uncomfortable afterwards, but it had been worth it because I'd never seen anyone be so completely consumed with pleasure the way Eli had been.

But all that pleasure was gone now and the old fear was back. And even if it hadn't been written all over Eli's face, the way Baby was pressed up against Eli's legs, his big tongue licking over Eli's lax fingers, was evidence enough.

We both held there for several long seconds and then Eli finally stepped forward and took the picture from me. He didn't look at it as he returned it to its spot on the bookcase. But instead of turning it over, he left the picture upright.

"Why couldn't you just leave it alone?" Eli whispered.

"Look Eli, I get it," I said as I reached out to put my hand on his shoulder. "He's your father…"

"Stepfather," Eli cut in and then he was stepping away from me. "And you don't get anything."

"Then explain it to me," I said. "If he's done this before-"

"No," Eli bit out. "I told you it was a misunderstanding. It was a one-time thing. He was upset."

"About what?"

But Eli shook his head and then wrapped his arms around his body. "I want you to leave," he said softly, though he refused to look me in the eye when he said it. I ignored him and closed the distance between us, but the second I touched him he yanked himself away from me and shouted, "Get out!"

"Eli-"

The young man was clearly in a rage because he shoved at me hard with both hands and bit out, "I don't want you here!" I managed to grab Eli's arms before he could lash out at me again, but when he whispered, "I don't want you," something inside of me cracked and I released him. The pain in my chest began radiating out in waves and I actually had to bend over and force in several deep breaths before I could get control of myself.

"Mav…"

I ignored the mix of shock and worry I heard in Eli's voice and began hurrying towards the door.

"Mav, wait, please!"

Eli went around the other side of the loveseat and placed himself in my path, but I was in such a fury that I easily pushed past him. Even as the wound inside of me began to bleed, I managed to stay calm .

Until Eli grabbed me.

"Mav-"

I turned on him without warning and grabbed him by the upper arms. Fear flashed in his eyes as I forced him back several steps until his back hit the wall near the hallway leading to his bedroom. But he didn't fight me or try to escape and I could feel his fingers biting into my arms where he was holding on to me.

"I'm sorry," Eli whispered as he shook his head.

Anger flooded my entire system, but more so because of the pity I saw in his eyes. He knew what his words had done to me.

"Fuck you, Eli," I spat and I quickly released him and tried to step back.

But Eli held on to me and dragged me as close as his limited strength would allow. "Mav, please, I'm sorry," he murmured and it wasn't until I felt his hand close around the back of my neck that I realized at some point he'd let go of my arm and I hadn't even noticed. The pads of Eli's fingers began massaging the base of my neck, and it wasn't until my lips were hovering near his that I realized I hadn't fought his effort to pull my head down.

"I didn't mean that," Eli said softly and then his lips skimmed mine. "I swear I didn't mean it."

He kissed me again, but as much as I wanted to take what he was offering, his dismissive words still rang in my ears.

I don't want you.

When Eli went to kiss me again, I turned my head to the side so his mouth couldn't make contact with mine. I could tell my actions were distressing him because as I pulled back, his eyes filled with tears.

"Mav," he whispered pleadingly.

I shook my head. It was too late.

It was too fucking late.

"Eli?"

Eli and I both turned at the sound of the man's voice as the front door swung open. While I'd never seen the man who filled the doorway in person, I knew immediately who he was and as his gaze shifted from me to Eli's tear-stained and still bruised face, I knew exactly what he was thinking.

"What the fuck is going on here?" the man snarled as he stormed into the apartment. I didn't bother resisting as he grabbed me by the shirt and shoved me backwards against the wall. "What the fuck did you do to him?"

"Dom!" Eli shouted and then he was trying to put his body between mine and the other man's. Part of me wanted to tell Eli to back off because I was actually itching for a fight and Dom Barretti was clearly the kind of man who could give me what I wanted, but I remained quiet as Eli got the other man's attention.

"He's a friend, Dom!" Eli said quickly.

Dom released his hold on me just a little bit as his eyes drifted to Eli's face. "He hurt you," Dom muttered.

Eli shook his head emphatically. "I'm upset because I said something to him I shouldn't have."

"And that bruise?" Dom said as he finally released me and stepped back. Eli kept his body between us.

"Some guy tried to mug me last week. Mav" – Eli motioned over his shoulder at me – "stopped him."

Dom was clearly still suspicious, but he gave me the slightest nod and took several more steps back, presumably to give me and Eli a bit of privacy to finish our conversation. But since we were already finished, I pushed past Eli, ignoring the way he whispered my name, and left the apartment. My insides burned as I hurried to my rental car.

I don't want you.

My throat felt tight as I climbed behind the wheel. I tried to draw in several deep breaths so I could get myself under control, but my anger won out and I slammed my hands down on the steering wheel. The fact that I was this out of it was proof enough that I was in too deep and as I pulled the car away from the curb, I fished out my cell and hit the speed dial. I only drove around the corner so my car would be more hidden, but had enough of a view that I could still see Eli's apartment .

"What's up, Mav?" I heard Ronan say when he answered my call.

"I need you to have someone look into something for me," I said.

Ronan was quiet for a moment before saying, "Okay."

"Subject's name is Eli Galvez," I said even though my mind rebelled at using that word to describe Eli.

"Is this the kid who visits Matty?"

"Yeah," I said. I gave Ronan a rundown of the attack on Eli and that he'd admitted the man was his own stepfather. To Ronan's credit, he remained silent, but I didn't take that for lack of interest on his part. "He said the guy doesn't have a history of abuse – that it was a one-time thing."

"You don't believe him?" Ronan asked.

"Can you get someone over here to sit on his place?" I asked, ignoring Ronan's question.

"You're there now?"

I nodded and then said, "Yeah."

"I'll see what I can do," Ronan finally said. "You good there for a bit?"

No.

"Yeah."

"Okay, I'll call you back in a few."

I nodded. "Ronan."

"Yeah?" Ronan asked softly and I didn't miss the curiosity and concern in his voice.

"Can you talk to Memphis about putting me on a case?"

Ronan was quiet for a moment before saying, "Seattle no longer appealing to you?"

"You know me," was all I said. Within seconds of hanging up on Ronan, I saw Eli's door open, but instead of Dom leaving the apartment, it was actually Eli himself who was trotting down the stairs. It had been less than five minutes since I'd left.

I kept my distance as I followed Eli's car and I was surprised to find that he was driving much more aggressively than he normally did. I felt my heart drop out of my chest when I finally realized where he was going.

My hotel.

I pulled the rental car to a stop along the curb across from the hotel and shook my head in disbelief. Having Eli search me out was the last thing I'd expected. I waited several minutes to see what would happen when Eli realized I wasn't in my room, but instead of seeing his little sedan sputtering out of the parking garage, there was nothing and after fifteen minutes, my concern started to ramp up and I got out of the car and hurried into the hotel. It took just minutes to get to my room, but I was on edge the entire time as I worried that I might have missed something. What if Eli had been intercepted between my room and his car? What if his stepfather had confronted him again?

But all my panic dissipated when I saw Eli sitting on the floor in front of my hotel room door. His head was hung and he was resting his arms on his bent knees. The position reminded me of the day I'd found him in the stairwell. When he looked up at my approach, I saw a mixture of relief and concern go through him and he scrambled to his feet. I came to a stop within a couple feet of him, but I couldn't find my voice.

"I…I thought you might have left town," Eli murmured.

"What are you doing here?" I finally asked as I searched out the room key.

"I wanted to tell you how sorry I was-"

"You did that," I cut in and then moved past him to open the door.

Eli shifted back and forth on his feet. "I didn't mean what I said."

"It doesn't matter," I said, but to my surprise, Eli moved between me and the door, grabbing the handle from me, but not pushing the door any farther open.

"I don't believe you," Eli whispered. "I think it matters more than you want to admit."

I didn't respond as I studied Eli, but he never took his eyes off of me. I braced my hand against the door and added enough pressure to force Eli to release his hold on the handle. I leaned down just enough so I could keep my voice low as I said, "Make sure you understand what happens if you walk through this door…what you're agreeing to."

I nearly groaned when Eli parted his lips just a little bit so his tongue could dart out and wet them. "You'll want answers," he finally said.

"For starters."

Eli's breathing ticked up a notch before he turned and walked into the room. I felt my cock swell with anticipation as I followed him inside and closed the door. He jumped a little when the door locked, but then he turned to face me.

"Sit," I murmured as I motioned to the couch.

Eli did as I told him which had my body ratcheting up with need so I went to the fridge and got him a bottle of water. Because I didn't trust myself to sit next to him on the couch, I sat in the armchair after handing him the water. Since my warning to him about other things besides just talk happening between us had been an empty threat meant to scare him off, I willed my body to settle down. I'd get the answers I needed, pass the information on to Ronan and get the hell out of this place.

"Tell me about your stepfather," I said.

Eli dropped his eyes and remained quiet for several seconds before finally speaking. "His name is Jack Cortano. Colonel Jack Cortano."

"He's in the military?" I asked, more to keep Eli talking than anything else since I already knew the basics about the man.

Eli nodded. "He used to be the base commander at JBLM before he took a job in DC."

I knew that JBLM stood for Joint Base Lewis-McChord, a joint Army and Air Force base south of the city. "How did he and your mom meet?" I asked since Eli had fallen silent again.

"My mom worked in the accounting department at Dom's company. He was meeting Dom for lunch one day when he met my mom."

"He and Dom are friends? "

Another nod. "They were in the army together. He stayed in after Dom got out to start his business but they stayed friends."

"How old were you when he and your mom started seeing each other?"

"Fifteen. He proposed to her a few months after they met."

"Did you two get along?" I asked.

A pained expression crossed Eli's features before it slipped away and he nodded. "I'd never had a dad before and he reminded me so much of Dom." Eli rubbed at his eyes and although I didn't see any tears falling, I had no doubt the move was meant to deter them. "Even though he had kids from a previous marriage, he treated me like his own, you know?" Eli whispered. "He took me to ball games, fishing trips, all of the same stuff he did with his real sons. I even started calling him Dad. And my mom…"

Eli shook his head.

"He made her so happy. He encouraged her to get her GED, helped her learn English. She got to quit her job so she could go to school full time and get a degree in psychology. She works with veterans and their families now."

"In D.C.?" I asked.

"Yeah. She and my stepfather moved there after he got a job at the Department of Defense."

"Was that when you were enrolled in Johns Hopkins?"

Eli nodded. "They moved down there my sophomore year."

"You mentioned other kids?"

"I have two stepbrothers. Nick and Caleb."

"Do they live with their mother?"

"No," Eli said as he shook his head. "She died in a car accident about a year after Jack married my mom. Caleb and Nick came to live with us after that."

"Did you get along with them?"

"They never seemed to like me much. I think they knew about my past because Nick used to call me a cocksucker whenever our parents weren't around."

I stemmed the anger that went through me. "Did your stepfather know about your childhood? "

Eli swallowed hard and nodded. "He used to always tell me it didn't matter. That no one would ever touch me like that again. Dom…Dom used to say those exact words to me."

I nodded in understanding. Jack Cortano had clearly become the father Eli had wanted Dom to be…had needed him to be. "Had your stepfather ever hurt you before?"

"No," Eli whispered, his eyes downcast. "He never raised a hand against me, never yelled at me, nothing. What happened in the stairwell…"

Eli shook his head.

"What set him off? He said something about ‘staying away from him.' Do you know who he was talking about?"

"Caleb."

"Your stepbrother?"

Eli nodded. "Caleb called me the day before and left a message. The connection was really bad because I couldn't understand most of what he said, but I could tell he was crying. I tried calling him back but it kept going to voicemail. So I called Jack and asked him if Caleb was okay. He told me Caleb was having some problems right now, but that he was getting him some help. He…he asked me to give Caleb some space."

Eli lifted his eyes to look at me. "But I couldn't stop worrying about him so I called my mom. She's in Germany right now doing some work at the military hospital over there. She couldn't tell me much except to say that my stepdad was dealing with it. I called Caleb back and left him a message telling him to call me if he needed to talk. That was the morning of the attack."

"Jack confronted you in the stairwell," I ventured.

Eli nodded. "He was waiting for me by the door that led to the floor my car was parked on. He started screaming at me for not listening to him. I tried to tell him I was just worried about Caleb and he grabbed my arm and twisted it. Said he didn't want his son around someone like me. Then he hit me and told me to stay away from him. He hit me again after we heard you call out and then he left. "

Even now the image of a battered Eli huddled in that stairwell had my stomach twisting in anger.

"What about your other stepbrother? Nick."

Eli dropped his eyes again. "Nick overdosed a few weeks ago."

"I'm sorry," I whispered. I could tell that even though they hadn't been close, Eli wasn't unaffected by the young man's death.

"I thought that was why Caleb was calling me. He took Nick's death pretty hard. He was the one who found him."

"How old is Caleb?"

"Seventeen. Nick was nineteen."

"Do you still have Caleb's message?"

Eli nodded and pulled his phone from his pocket. He pressed several buttons and then handed me the phone. I put the phone on speaker and then hit the play button. The voice that came on was garbled, but it was clear the speaker was crying.

"Eli? Eli…Nick, it wasn't…I don't know…"

Several long seconds of pure static followed where there was no other audible noise before the young man's voice cut in again. "Eli, I'm sorry. Please."

I reached for my own phone and dialed Daisy's number. When the young woman's voice came on the line, I said, "Daisy, I'm going to send you an audio file. Can you see what you can do to clean it up?"

"Sure, you've got it."

"I also need you to run a trace on the phone. See if it's been used in the past couple of weeks and where it is right now."

"Is there a case number?"

"No," I said simply and was glad when she didn't press me.

I hung up and forwarded the voicemail message along with Caleb's number to her. I returned my attention to Eli who was looking at me with a mix of awe and hope.

"We'll find him, Eli. Make sure he's okay."

Eli nodded. "Thank you."

"So after your stepfather assaulted you in the stairwell, did you hear from him again?"

"No," Eli said .

"Until the attempted break in," I reminded him.

"It couldn't have been him," Eli said. He reached for his phone again and began looking for something. "My mom sent me this picture this morning of the two of them at an event that night. She flew home from Germany for it because it was a fundraiser she'd put together."

Eli handed me the phone. The picture showed the very well dressed couple posing for cameras and I scrolled up to check the date.

"He couldn't have been at that event and here just a couple hours later trying to break into my place," Eli said hopefully. "It had to have been just some random thing."

I didn't bother to mention that Jack could have hired someone since all it would do was scare Eli and I had no proof. And from what Eli had told me, it sounded like the man had been the perfect father up until a couple of weeks ago. With the death of one son and the breakdown of another, he clearly could have been driven over the edge with grief and fear and had taken his anger out on his stepson.

"So you didn't go to Dom because of his friendship with your stepfather," I ventured.

Eli nodded. "You saw him tonight. Dom's always been protective of me. It would kill him to know Jack was the one who hurt me."

I understood perfectly, but it wasn't something I necessarily agreed with. I was saved from having to say anything because my phone beeped. I scanned the message from Daisy and glanced up at Eli. "Caleb's phone is turned on. It's near 5 th and Washington in Alexandria, Virginia."

Eli let out a sigh of relief. "That's Jack and my mom's house. That's good, right?"

I nodded absent mindedly as my mind worked. The kid's voice in the message hadn't just been upset – he'd been terrified. "You have a picture of Caleb on your phone?"

After a moment's hesitation, Eli said, "Um yeah." He got his phone back out and scrolled through it until he found what he was looking for. When he handed me the phone, I scanned the family picture in which Eli was conspicuously absent. My gaze settled on the younger of the two boys. He looked like the all-American boy next door with streaky, styled blond hair and bright blue eyes, but something about his wide smile wasn't quite right. I glanced at the older boy who looked a lot like his brother. But unlike Caleb, Nick was doing nothing to hide his disdain. For what, I wasn't sure.

I sent the picture to myself and then went a step further and programmed my number into Eli's phone. I left it on the contact screen when I handed it back to him and when he saw my name, he sent me a slight smile that made my insides jump.

"I'll have someone check this out," I murmured as I motioned to the picture on my phone.

Eli nodded. "Thank you."

We both fell silent for a moment and when I finally got up the nerve to tell him it was time for him to go, Eli shifted so he was sitting on the edge of the couch and said, "Mav, do you think we could try dinner again sometime?"

The hopeful tone in his voice had me cursing myself. "I'm not so sure that's a good idea," I hedged, hoping he'd get the hint.

He didn't.

Eli's face fell and he started twisting his hands around the water bottle he had yet to even open. "Is it because of what I said?" I flinched when Eli's pretty brown eyes held mine. "Because I didn't mean it. I do…I do want you."

Fuck. We were exactly where I'd been afraid we'd end up after I'd kissed him the first time. I dropped my hands and ran my fingers through my hair. I hadn't even noticed how loose it had gotten from the rubber band I used to tie it back. I pulled the band free and dropped it on the table. "We want different things, Eli," I finally said, hoping it would be enough to get my message across.

Eli bobbed his head slightly as he got what I was saying and I felt like a complete shit.

"You only want to fuck me," he whispered.

I waited for the many reactions I deserved. Outrage, hurt, disappointment. But Eli didn't say anything as he got up and carefully put the water bottle down on table. Except he didn't leave.

"If that was all you wanted, why didn't you do it when you had the chance?" Eli asked and I held my breath as he moved until he was standing in front of me.

Over me.

"On the table," he murmured as he placed his knee on the cushion between my slightly splayed legs. I was forced to lean my head back as he put his hands on either side of my head to brace himself. "I wanted you to," he said huskily as he lowered his body until he was straddling my groin and his mouth was just inches from mine.

"Wanted me to what?" I asked stupidly as I struggled to keep track of the conversation.

"Fuck me," Eli breathed against my mouth. "It never felt so good before."

"What didn't?"

"Having someone touch me like that. Like all you cared about was making me feel good."

I let my hands slide up Eli's jean-covered thighs and felt him tremble in response. But his lips stayed where they were and as much as I wanted to lift my mouth to meet his, I was desperate to hear what he had to say next.

"Can I touch you like that, Mav?"

Fuck, I wasn't going to survive this. Even now it felt like the impression of the zipper of my pants would be permanently imprinted on my dick.

I think I managed a nod, but I wasn't actually sure until Eli let go of the chair with one of his hands and skimmed his fingers over my lips. He teased my flesh for several seconds before trailing his hand down my chin and along my throat. He let the pad of his finger press against my pulse and another smile drifted across his mouth. "Your heart's racing."

If he only knew. My entire body felt like it was on fucking fire.

Eli's hand eventually left my throat and I both saw and felt him thread his fingers through my long hair. I nearly came on the spot when he grabbed my hair and twisted his hand enough so my hair was wrapped around it twice. The idea of him doing the same thing to me while he was fucking me had me bucking my hips up against him and I had no doubt he knew my train of thought because, just like that, his eyes glazed over with lust.

"Would you let me do that to you someday?" Eli whispered against my mouth as he gave my hair a little tug. The bite of pain had me closing my eyes as a groan of pleasure escaped my lips. I managed a nod and was rewarded with Eli lowering himself all the way down onto my lap. He rocked back and forth a couple of times as his lips pressed against mine, but he didn't actually kiss me. Instead, his mouth followed the path his fingers had taken and when he reached my pulse, he let his tongue slide over my skin.

"Jesus," I ground out as I dug my fingers into his thighs before sliding them around to cup his ass. I tried grinding his hips back and forth against me in a desperate effort for relief, but Eli resisted my moves and pulled free of my hold. Before I could even process what was happening, he lifted enough so he could slide his hand over my erection. I dropped my head back against the cushion as he caressed me and I held my breath when I felt his fingers working my button loose. I managed to come to my senses enough to watch him lower the zipper, but the second his hand closed around my cock, I reached up and dragged his mouth down to mine for a searing kiss.

Eli kissed me back without hesitation as he began stroking my dick with long, heavy drags. I forced myself to pull back from the kiss as I remembered the incident in the parking garage when we'd been in a similar position. I held his face still as I studied him closely.

"It's me," Eli murmured as his gaze held mine. Relief flooded my system and I yanked him down for another kiss. But when I tried to sit up so that I could have more control over the situation, Eli suddenly slipped from my lap.

But not to get up.

Not to escape.

No.

He dropped to his knees in front of the chair and reached for the waistband of my pants. I was too stunned to react right away, but when he looked up at me expectantly and gave me a little tug on my pants, I lifted my hips. Eli worked my pants down just enough to release my dick and then his tongue was blazing a path along my upper thigh. I watched in rapt fascination as my cock twitched every time Eli's lush tongue made contact with my heated skin, but when he just continued to tease me, I couldn't stop the hoarse plea that escaped me.

"Eli, please."

Eli lifted his eyes to watch me for a second and he held my gaze when his tongue reached out to lick my leaking crown. I jumped at the electricity that shot through my balls and it took what little control I had left not to grab Eli's head and shove into him the way I wanted. Since I had no place to put my hands, I grabbed the armrests and held on for dear life as Eli teased me with little licks all over my aching shaft. When he finally did take me into his mouth, I was shaking with unbridled lust and I knew I wouldn't last long.

Unlike his first kiss, there was no hesitation as Eli sucked me deep into his throat, his tongue exploring the heavy veins that ran the length of my flesh. Concern went through me and I lifted my head and said, "Look at me."

Eli immediately looked up at me as he continued to torment me and when I saw only passion and desire in his gaze, I relaxed. "Keep watching me," I ordered gently as I lowered one of my hands to his head before letting it drift farther down until it was resting against his throat. My insistence that he keep his eyes on me made it more difficult for him to deep throat me the way he had been, but I didn't care since the sight of his pleasure-filled eyes was doing to me what no blowjob ever could have.

I managed to keep the connection with Eli as I felt the first tremors of my orgasm start to hit me, but when Eli suddenly closed his eyes and sucked me in as hard and as deep as he could, I let out a hoarse shout and jammed my hips forward, ramming into him before I could stop myself. I tried to pull back, but Eli's fingers curled around my hips and then drifted lower until the tips were biting into my ass and his entire upper half was wrapped around my groin. My control snapped at that point and I wrapped my hands in his hair and held on as I began fucking his mouth in earnest. My orgasm spiraled beyond my control very quickly and even my warning that I was going to come didn't slow Eli as he hollowed out his cheeks with every drag. The climax hit me so hard that I actually felt tears sting my eyes as the pleasure flooded my entire system all at once. I knew I was being way too rough with Eli as I held him in place while I rammed my cock down his throat as jet after jet of cum shot out of me, but I couldn't stop the need to empty myself inside of him, to claim him…to mark him. I managed to ease my hold on him when the orgasm finally released me from its grip.

"Eli," I whispered as I used my hand to lift his chin. His mouth was still wrapped around my half hard cock and while his skin was flushed red from the rough taking, he made no move to release me and my whole body shook when his tongue curled lovingly around my length. The sight of my cum dripping down his chin where it had escaped his mouth was beyond erotic and I reached down to catch the sticky fluid. Eli released my dick long enough to wrap his mouth around my finger and then his tongue was doing to my digit what it had just been doing to my cock. Even as aftershocks continued to wrack my body, I was getting turned on all over again. I leaned down and wrapped my hands around his upper arms. My mouth was on his before he even made it back onto my lap.

Eli kissed me fervently as his hands closed around the sides of my face to hold me in place. I palmed his ass as we kissed and then searched out his erection. I'd been too far gone to notice if he'd come, but one brush over the hard flesh nestled behind his zipper gave me my answer and I quickly got his pants loose and down. I gave him a couple of hard tugs which had him moaning in my mouth.

"Lift up a little," I murmured as I lowered my body on the chair. It took Eli several seconds to understand what I wanted, but the moment I looked up at him and opened my mouth expectantly, he sucked in a breath and then reached for his swollen cock and maneuvered it to my waiting mouth. He wasn't as big as me, but his thickness still stretched my lips wide and I had to fight my gag reflex as he pressed all the way to the back of my throat. He found his rhythm quickly, but I could tell from his desperate pants that it wasn't enough and I pulled off his dick just long enough to whisper, "Fuck my mouth, Eli."

Eli stilled and looked down at me. His hands were braced against the back of the chair as he held himself above me.

"I want it," I said reassuringly when I saw the hesitation in his gaze. My Eli knew more than he should about giving pleasure but next to nothing about taking it.

When he finally nodded, I sucked his cock back into my mouth and gave him several brutally hard drags that had him moaning. Pre-cum leaked onto my tongue as he began to fuck me carefully. I'd pulled his pants down enough so that I could feel the firm skin of his ass beneath my fingers and since he was still holding back, I ran one finger through his crease until I found his pucker. The second I brushed the pad over it, Eli froze. I was worried I'd gone too far, but when I looked up, I saw him watching me with a mix of raw need and confusion. I continued to play gently with him as I showered his cock with attention. When he finally began rocking back on my finger before thrusting forward into my mouth, I applied more pressure to his hole as I massaged him.

"Oh God," Eli whispered as he became more frantic and his cock thickened deliciously in my mouth. I loved how he kept his eyes on me as he began fucking me in desperation. I released his dick just long enough to wet my finger and then I sucked him down again and he instantly resumed his hurried pace. When I returned my finger to his entrance, Eli put enough pressure on it that his hole collapsed and I was able to push my finger in to the first knuckle. He let out a guttural shout and shoved into my mouth hard, his slit hitting the back of my throat. Since my finger wasn't very wet, I didn't push it any farther into Eli's trembling body, but he didn't notice or he didn't care because he was eagerly fucking my finger and mouth now and when he came a minute later, he screamed my name as his cum filled my mouth and spilled down my throat. I played gently with his dick as the aftershocks rippled through him. I carefully eased my finger from his body and as soon as it was free, Eli lowered himself and sealed his mouth over mine. He only kissed me for a minute or so before he dropped his head onto my shoulder and wrapped his arms around me. I let my hands rest on his ass, unable to stop myself from massaging the smooth flesh. Eli's breaths came in heavy drags against my throat as he tried to recover, but I didn't realize until a good ten minutes later that he'd actually fallen asleep against me. I needed to wake him up. To send him on his way. To tell him it had been fun, but that it couldn't happen again.

I didn't do any of that.

I didn't do anything but close my arms around him and enjoy the feel of his heart beating against mine.

There'd be enough time to deal with reality later.