Page 93 of Just Business

“Pity.” There was something magical about the white scene outside and the warmth of Justin behind him. To have it interrupted with something so mundane as work seemed wrong.

Eli’s chest hurt, but the pain was—different. Not overwhelming despair or guilt. Like the clouds above, something sweeter seemed to be breaking through the haze.

He hadn’t felt anything but anger and fear at snow in so long.

Justin drew him away from the window. “Eli, is there someone I should call?”

That was a bit like a bucket of cold water. Good. Too much focus inward and he would spend all day contemplating his navel. He sat down on the edge of the bed. “Do I look that bad?”

Justin scratched the back of his head. “You look distant. Scattered.”

Eli shrugged. “That’s not far from the mark. But it’s not—” He searched for the right words and came up a bit empty. “I’m a bit out of it, but I’ll be fine. I’ll call my therapist tomorrow.” He took Justin’s hands in his. “I didn’t lie to Sam. It’s going to be fine.”

Justin nodded. “Why don’t you catch a shower, and I’ll make coffee?”

Something of the fire that usually burned in him came back. “Are you telling me what to do, Mr. White?”

His grin was utterly perfect. “And if I am?”

Eli stood and pulled Justin into a kiss—one just long enough to shift Justin’s breathing. “I’ll take a shower. You make coffee, and we’ll see, shall we?”

“Yes, Eli.”

Music to his ears. “Good.”

***

While Eli showered, Justin borrowed a pair of sweats from the closet and headed to the kitchen. This time, the smell of freshly ground coffee brought a tangle of lust and guilt. The guilt he pushed away. There would be time and ways to deal with that later.

The water in the kettle boiled about the same time the shower upstairs shut off.

The glimpse of Eli’s half smile, his voice changing from unsure, back to in control. One moment, Eli had been lost—the next? Justin thought Eli might bend him over and tan his ass right in the bedroom. That shift fucked with Justin’s brain and heart.

When Eli entered the kitchen, there were still traces of the stress of the night before—the flashback, the aftermath, the confusion of this morning—but that lifted brow was familiar and it drove a spike of desire through Justin.

“Are thosemysweats you’re wearing?”

Of course Eli had noticed. “I only have my suit, nothing else... It is a bit cold in the house.”

“I see.” Eli took a seat at the breakfast bar, but his focus remained on Justin. It was the Eli he knew so well, the confidence, the razor edge that could mean passion or pain. Eli’s sense of command had returned.

“I’m sorry.” Justin pressed the plunger down on the coffee, then grabbed two mugs from the cabinet.

“You are not.” Cool words, but the smile belied the tone.

Justin matched it with one of his own. “I apologize?” He poured the coffee and carried both mugs to the breakfast bar.

Eli nodded. “Better.” Eli cupped the side of Justin’s face. “And that’s one, by the way.”

He couldn’t help the shiver. Nor another then Eli stroked his thumb over his jaw.

“Though neither of us is in the space we need to be for sceneing yet.” Eli let go and hefted his coffee mug.

Reality crashed down around them. Eli was recovering from his flashback, and he... Justin sat down on the stool next to Eli. “I should tell you about Francis.”

Soft, sweet voice. “When you’re ready.”

Being ready wasn’t something that was ever going to happen. Only one thing to do. Justin took a sip of his coffee. “After I graduated from Stanford, I got a pretty decent job with ErazaTech.”