Drawing in a deep breath, I tried to will my dick to deflate so I could get some sleep. I’d been teetering on the edge of arousal since we’d kissed. I’d contemplated jerking off while he’d been working, but again, it hadn’t felt right to be fantasizing about him when he was in the house.
Then he’d shown me that damn video, and my balls ached from how hard I was. The clip was less than ten seconds long, but every one of them had been hot as fuck.
He’d taken it in the bathroom at the house, in the stand-up shower. The water running down his tight body was hot in and of itself, but the video was next level. He’d given the camera a sexy smirk, then lowered it so the frame cut off just as his pubic hair popped into view. Then he’d rolled his hips, mimicking fucking someone, and thrown back his head like he was in the throes of passion as he’d gripped the metal frame of the shower doors. His muscled torso and tight pecs had been hot as fuck, but it was the way he moved that had been burned into my brain. Confidence and raw sexual energy had radiated off him.
It was so different from the sweet, needy man who’d been so turned on from kissing me that he’d come hands-free in my arms. Both sides of him were hot, but I loved how I was the only one who got to see his true reactions. He hadn’t been acting or performing while he’d kissed me. He’d been in the moment, and I’d loved every second of it.
And it appeared he had to.
Groaning, I slid my hand into my boxers and gripped my cock.
“Fuck.” I was so hard that touch was nearly too much.
I hadn’t been this turned on in… forever. I’d always had a healthy sex drive, but no one had ever gotten me hot enough that my control had been in danger of slipping.
No one except him.
The soft sounds he’d made echoed in my ears as I shoved my sheets and boxers down. I needed to come.
The chilly air seeped over my heated flesh, and I closed my eyes. I tried to conjure up a random fantasy, but the only thing I could think of was Eli. The way he’d clung to me, how eager he’d been. How he’d tried to get closer and had locked his arms and legs around me like a spider monkey.
No one had ever responded to me like that, and my arousal went beyond just liking how his kiss had felt or how he’d tasted.
How would he look spread out on my bed and staring up at me with those big, wide eyes? How would he taste if I went down on him? Would he squirm and wiggle and fuck my mouth? What if I slipped a finger inside him? Would he like having his spot played with while I blew him?
Would he want to do the same to me?
My dick pulsed. A vision of him kneeling over me, one finger screwed deep in my ass as he jerked me and that sassy smile on his lips, swam before my eyes.
Heat flooded my balls, and my lower body tightened. I clenched around nothing, feeling empty and so fucking close.
“Fuck,” I panted, my chest heaving. Pleasure coiled deep inside me, tightening my muscles until they were as taut as guitar strings and just as likely to snap.
Fantasy Eli bent and sucked my dick into his mouth, and I was done.
Every muscle in my body released and contracted in a dizzying flurry of pleasure and need as I shot over my hand and all over my chest.
Aftershocks quaked through me as I stroked the last of my orgasm out. My skin flushed hot, and my thighs ached as I lay there, spent and breathing like I’d just finished a five-mile run.
Wincing, I let go of my dick and looked down at the mess on my chest. Not wanting to get up, I yanked off my shirt and cleaned myself up with it. When I was done, I balled the shirt up and tossed it onto the floor. I’d deal with it in the morning.
Now that my body was finally sated, a happy, sleepy haze fell over me. I rolled over, pulled the blankets up, and snuggled into my pillow.
I needed to sleep. I could overthink about everything tomorrow.
“West?” Eli peeked his head out of the living room as I used my hip to shut the front door.
“Hey.” I put the bags I was holding down and sighed.
“Are you okay?” He hurried over, concern on his face. “It’s late.”
“Yeah. Just tired.” I rolled my shoulders.
“Let me get my shoes on, and I’ll bring in the rest of the groceries.”
“It’s okay. I’ve got it.”
“You just got home after a thirteen-hour day.” He gave me a stern look. “Take your boots off and go take a long shower.”
My chest tightened.
“Did you eat?” he asked.
“Not yet. But there’s a rotisserie chicken in one of the bags in the truck. It won’t take me long to make some sides.”
“Nope.” He crossed his arms over his chest. “Your job is to go upstairs and take a shower. I’ll have dinner ready by the time you’re done.”
“Are you sure? I don’t mind cooking.”
“I’ve done nothing except read and go for a run today. And explore the house. I hope that’s okay.” He bit his lip.
“Yeah, of course. I told you to make yourself at home.”
He grinned, his face lighting up in a way that nearly stole my breath. Goddamn, he was beautiful.
“The least I can do is cook, since you were nice enough to do the shopping. Now get your butt upstairs and take care of yourself. I might need to start without you because of the timing with my medication, but take your time. Dinner will be ready when you are.”
“Thanks.”
He scooped up the bags. “You don’t have to thank me for doing my part. Especially not after you put in a long day.” He nodded to the stairs. “Go.”
He carried the bags into the house. I unlaced my boots, kicked them off, and trudged up the stairs. It had been a long-ass day.
I walked into my room, stripping my clothes off as I did. I tossed them into the hamper, then made my way into the bathroom to take a shower.
I had no idea how long I stayed under the spray, but when I shut off the water and pulled a clean towel from the heated rack, I was more alert.
When I was dressed in sweats and a hoodie, I made my way to the kitchen.
“That smells good,” I said.
Eli was sitting at the island with what looked like a half-eaten plate of lettuce wraps in front of him.
“I forgot to ask if you like fajitas.” He smiled shyly.
“Love them.”
“I put some tortillas out for you in case you wanted something more substantial after working all day.” He hooked his thumb over his shoulder at the counter next to the stove.
“Thanks.”
Bowls of seasoned chicken and veggies sat next to ones of chopped tomatoes, guacamole, and shredded cheese, along with lettuce leaves and the tortillas. I made two of each and brought them to the island. I slid into the seat next to him, where he’d already set out a plate, cutlery, and a tall glass of water.
“Did you have a good day?” I asked.
“I did. This house is amazing.”
“It is.” I picked up one of the wraps and took a big bite.
Flavor and spices exploded on my tongue. I didn’t bother biting back my groan of pleasure.
Eli flushed pink and turned back to his plate.
“These are incredible. The seasoning packets I buy are always so salty. What did you do to fix that?”
“I make my own. Cuts the sodium way down.”
“Really?”
“You had all the spices handy. It’s not hard.”
“I’ll have to get your recipe. And the recipe for the guac too.” I took another big bite.
He smiled and finished his food as I scarfed mine down. I was too hungry to pause long enough to talk, but Eli seemed amused by my enthusiasm.
“That was one of the best meals I’ve eaten in a long time.” I patted my stomach. “My mouth wants more, but my stomach is at its limit.”
He stood and gathered the plates. “I know the feeling. Gray makes these low-carb cheesecake bites, and they’re incredible. I could eat a whole batch of them, but they’re rich, so my stomach is always full before my mouth is done.”
“Those sound good.”
“They are. Not too hard to make, but time-consuming. They need to be chilled overnight.”
I went to the cupboard and got some containers for the leftovers as he loaded the dishwasher.
“You explored the house?” I asked.
“A little. I was looking for the laundry and thought it might be through there.” He motioned to the closed door to our left that led to the informal living room. “But every time I opened a door, I kept finding more rooms.”
I chuckled at his bewildered expression. “I did the same thing when I moved in.”
“This house is amazing. The rooms are all so unique, and the craftsmanship is incredibly detailed. I love the round room upstairs. The one in the turret.”
“That’s my favorite. If this were my house, I’d set up a library or some sort of study in there.”
“Why didn’t you make it your office?”
“Because offices are for work, and a room like that should be for fun.”
“Makes sense. Do you use it for anything?”
“Sometimes I read or bring my computer in and watch something on the chair in front of the windows.”
“I imagine the view is spectacular at sunset.”
“It is.” I rubbed a hand over my face.
“You look exhausted.”
“Just tired. It was a busy day.”
“It was?” He took a container from me and scooped the leftover chicken and vegetables into it.
“Yeah. We were able to set up fans and dehumidifiers now that the power is back. I spent most of today organizing crews to do the cleanup and repairs once it’s dried out. And dealing with the insurance company. Apparently, a two-day power failure with limited cell service isn’t a good enough reason to leave standing water on the floor overnight. Not according to them. I wasted hours talking to different departments and submitting forms and photos to get approval for the work that needs to be done.”
“How are you supposed to drain a flood with no power in the middle of a storm? Gravity is a thing. It’s not like you can stick a hose in it and will it to go out the window.”
“You and I both know that, but Kyle from the claims department doesn’t.”
“Kyle’s a dumbass.”
I snorted. “He is. But he signs the checks, so I had to play nice. The good news is it should be dry enough to start the cleanup process in the morning.”
“How bad is the damage?”
“The walls will be easy enough to fix, but the floors could be a problem. We don’t know how badly the subfloor was damaged, so we can’t start any work until an inspector comes in and declares it safe.”
“Sounds like it’s going to be a lot of work to get it fixed.” He carried a stack of containers to the fridge.
“It’ll probably take the whole week. At least it was contained to a small area.” I glanced at the clock on the stove. “Are you working tonight?”
“Yeah. I should probably get set up.”
“I have some forms I need to go over and emails to send while you do.”
“It’s almost eight on a Sunday night. Don’t you think you put in enough hours today?”
“They have to get done. No rest for the wicked, as they say.”
“You’re wicked?”
“Well, yeah. Have you met me? I’m intimidating and get shit done.”
He smirked. “That’s not what wicked means.”
“It doesn’t?”
“Nope. It means you’re evil or morally wrong.”
“Really?”
“Mmmm-hmmm. That’s not you. Even if you are a landlord.”
I grinned at his teasing tone. “Excuse you. I’m a property manager. I work for the evil landlord. Would that make me wicked adjacent?”
He snickered. “More like third-party wicked. But even that doesn’t fit. You’re about as unscrupulous as a puppy.”
“I’m not sure how to take that.”
“It’s a compliment.”
“If you say so.”
He bit his lip and toyed with the sleeve of his sweater.
“Eli?”
He crossed the room in four quick strides, gripped the front of my hoodie, and yanked me down. His kiss was hard and hot. Gone was the hesitant and unsure man from the night before. This Eli was filled with passion and confidence as he licked into my mouth and deepened the kiss.
Heat moved through my chest, and blood rushed to my junk. I wrapped my arms around his slender frame and tugged him closer, molding our bodies together and letting him explore my mouth.
Soft sighs and little moans filled the space between us, and I swallowed each one of them down. He pressed against me, his dick as hard as mine, and slid his hand through my hair. Goosebumps exploded on my skin.
Zzzzz. Zzzzz. Zzzzz.
I groaned.
“Do you need to get that?” He pulled away from our kiss.
“Not sure.” I dug my phone out of my pocket and checked the screen. “Fuck.”
“What?” He stepped back and touched his fingers to his lips, a wondrous expression on his face.
“It’s the company I hired to check the floor and walls tomorrow.”
“It’s probably important.”
“Yeah.” I sighed. “I’ll be in the living room when you’re done if you want some company later.”
He smiled, his cheeks flushed. “I’d like that.”
I answered the call before it could go to voicemail. “Hello?”
“Mr. Daniels? It’s Bobby from On-Site Restoration.”
“Hi, Bobby. How can I help you?”
Eli gave me a little wave and pointed to the ceiling.
I nodded and waved back.
With one more shy smile, he rushed out of the room.
“I heard from Curtis you’re needing a full crew tomorrow for water damage?”
I tore my eyes away from Eli’s retreating form.
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“Would it be okay if I came by for another assessment around eight so I know what you’ll need from us?”
“I went over everything with Curtis earlier when he did his assessment.”
“Some of the stuff in his report is confusing. I’d like to see what we’ll be working with for myself.”
“Yeah, that’s fine.”
He asked a few questions about what I was looking to have done and what kind of shape the area was in. I’d already gone over this with his business partner but answered them anyway.
It wasn’t his fault he’d cockblocked me, but I couldn’t help feeling a little salty toward the man for bothering me with this now.
The other half of my brain was stuck on how Eli had kissed me again.
All day, I’d tried not to think about what had happened between us last night. Not because I didn’t want a repeat, but because I’d convinced myself it had been a spur-of-the-moment thing and he wouldn’t want more.
Did he want more?
“Great. I’ll see you in the morning,” Bobby boomed in my ear.
I jumped. Shit. Hopefully, he hadn’t said anything important while I’d zoned out. “See you then. Have a good night.”
I ended the call and went to the fridge to get a beer. We needed to talk about whatever this was. Eli wasn’t just some guy, and his lack of experience changed things.
We might have only reconnected a few weeks ago, but he meant something to me. I couldn’t just wing it with him, especially with how his brain worked and he overthought and overanalyzed everything. The last thing I wanted to do was inadvertently hurt him or push him into doing something he wasn’t ready for.
