Page 91 of Just Business

Eli shuddered underneath him, and broke their kiss. “Just.” A plea, a request, and an order.

He wrapped his hand around Eli’s cock and stroked in time with the rhythm they’d found. Begging spilled from both their mouths, blended together, and pushed Justin closer to release. Eli kissed Justin’s shoulder, breath hot against Justin’s skin, staccato in his ear. “I’m close. I’m—” Teeth scraped against Justin’s flesh, then a blaze of pain rocked though him when Eli bit his shoulder and came.

Justin’s shout probably woke the neighbors. Eli tightened around him and pressed teeth harder into his muscle. Agony blended with euphoria as he spilled into Eli, burying as deep as he could over and over until the white heat in his body faded into exhaustion and awe. They both collapsed against the bed and each other.

For a long time, they just held each other. Justin trembled. Or maybe Eli did. Hard to tell. Breathing took effort. Movement and speech were out of the question.

Eli brushed his lips against Justin’s shoulder, over the spot he’d bitten, and dragged out a spike of pain Justin felt in his toes.

He finally found the ability to form words. “Can’t wait to see the bruise.”

Eli’s chuckle rocked both their bodies. “Sorry about that.”

“No, you’re not.”

Another laugh. This one moved Justin’s soul. He forced the lump in his throat down. He didn’t deserve this moment—these emotions—or Eli’s happiness.

“Justin.” Eli stroked his back. “It’s all right.”

He couldn’t stop shaking, couldn’t breathe right. “I don’t want this to end.”

“It doesn’t have to.”

He pushed up to peer into Eli’s face. “But—”

Fingers against his lips. “It doesn’t have to end. No, it won’t be easy, and yes, we’re going to have to—to start all over in some places. But I’m willing. I’ve never been more willing.”

“Why?” He knew the answer; Eli had said it before. Still, it came like the sweet fall of leather on his skin, shocking him to his bones.

“Because I love you.”

And he loved Eli. Just couldn’t say that yet. The whole concept was too new, too raw. “Give me time.”

Eli kissed his cheek. “Always.”

Nothing Justin could say would convey the tumult in his head. He pulled his softening cock from Eli, careful not to lose the condom. “I need to...”

Eli let him go. He climbed off the bed, tossed the condom, and washed his hands. He paused in the master bath doorway. Eli lay on the bed, eyes closed, but a smile across his face. Semen glistened on his stomach. “Do you want tissues or a towel or something?”

“Either.” He placed his hands behind his head, same as he had when they started. “Or your tongue.” He opened his eyes and grinned. “Whichever.”

If he hadn’t just come, he’d have been hard again from the glint in Eli’s eyes and the turn of his lips. Justin crossed the space and crawled back into bed with Eli.

There wasn’t anywhere else in the world he wanted to be.

Chapter Eighteen

The ringing of the telephone had Eli stumbling out of bed and falling into the chair by the phone before he was entirely awake. Not his most graceful maneuver, and fuck, did his leg hurt—everything hurt—but he’d managed to shut the thing up by answering it. “Hello?” His voice was unexpectedly hoarse.

Lavi jumped off the bed, his displeasure at being disturbed evident in the flick of his tail before he vanished under the bed.

“Eli?” Sam. The man on the other end was Sam.

“Yeah, it’s me.” He scrubbed a hand over his face and blinked. “What the hell time is it, anyway?” On the bed, Justin rolled over and looked at him.

Justin.Eli took one breath, then another.Oh.

“It’s almost noon.” Sam’s voice sounded puzzled. Frazzled.