A pang of happiness tinged with longing moved through me as I turned off my truck and looked up at the house. The living room window was aglow with light, as was the ornate stained-glass front door, giving the house a warm and welcoming feel.
Coming home when it was already dark wasn’t anything new for me. Neither was leaving while the sun was still rising. Seeing signs of life in my house and knowing someone was waiting for me was.
Being alone was my default, and so was being lonely.
I climbed out of the truck and trudged up to the house, sadness and despair churning in my gut.
Eli was here because he couldn’t stay at his place, not because he wanted to be. Hell, he’d hated me until a few days ago, and we could never be more than secret friends because of his brother.
Even that couldn’t last. Eventually, this secret would wear him down. The pressure of lying to his brother would be too much, and he’d have no choice but to choose his family over me. He wasn’t built to lie to the people he loved, and I hated how being with me meant he had to.
“West?” Eli appeared in the doorway to the living room, a smile on his face and a thick book in his hand.
“Hi.” I unlaced my boots and winced as my back twinged.
“Are you okay?” A look of concern replaced the easy smile from a moment ago.
“Yeah. Just tired.”
He pursed his lips. “Are you sure that’s all it is?”
“I’m sure.” I kicked off my boots, managing to keep my face neutral as my back spasmed. “How are you? Did you have a good day?”
He clutched the book to his chest. “I spent the day loafing, so I can’t complain.”
I smiled and pulled off my jacket. “Good boy.”
He rolled his eyes. “Did you eat?”
I shook my head.
“Are you hungry? I made beef stew.”
“Is that what that is?” I sniffed the air. Spices and the tang of cooking meat tickled my nose. “I couldn’t place it, but it smells good.”
He pointed to the stairs. “Go take a shower. Dinner is ready when you are.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Sir.” He quirked his eyebrow playfully. “I like that.”
“Don’t get any ideas, Sport.” I ruffled his hair. “I’m not calling you sir.”
He ducked out from under my hand with a laugh. “We’ll see. Now go shower.”
Thirty minutes later, I sat in the kitchen with a big bowl of stew and thick slices of crusty bread in front of me.
“This is amazing. Where did you get the bread?”
“I made it.”
“You made it?”
“My mom and I used to make bread every Sunday morning when I lived at home. It’s so much cheaper and has fewer preservatives and additives than store-bought. Eating healthy is expensive if you don’t cook from scratch.”
I chewed on another big bite of bread, too hungry to keep up a conversation.
Eli sipped a glass of water as I scarfed down my food, then had seconds.
“Hungry?” he commented when I was done.
“Starved. All I had was donuts and coffee today.”
“That’s not enough fuel for a day of physical labor. You didn’t bring lunch with you?”
“I usually pick something up.” I helped him clear the dishes from the table and put them in the dishwasher. “I forgot being on-site means I’m dependent on everyone else’s schedules, so breaks aren’t guaranteed.”
“You didn’t take a break today?”
“No time.” I pulled a container out of the cupboard and put the leftover stew in.
“Do you have any coworkers?” He took one of the containers from me.
“Nope. Just me.”
He frowned and scooped the leftover stew out of the crock pot. “How many properties do you manage?”
“Thirty-five.”
“That’s too much work for one person.”
“Tell my father that. To him, working yourself to the bone builds character and shows initiative.”
“You have enough character.”
“Not according to my dad.”
“Your dad is an asshole.”
I chuckled. “He is.”
“I’ll make you something to bring tomorrow.”
“I can’t ask you to do that.”
“You didn’t.” He snapped the lid on the container. “I always cook in bulk, so there are tons of leftovers. It’s no trouble to pack some up and put it aside for you to grab in the morning.”
My throat tightened.
No one had ever given a shit if I ate properly or didn’t get my breaks at work. His concern stirred something in me I wasn’t ready to unpack and examine.
“And before you say something about me not having to cook for you too, I like doing it. It would be stupid for you to come home after work and make your own food. It’s easier to cook big meals than it is to cook for one.”
“Thanks. I appreciate it.”
He put the stew in the fridge and closed the door. “No need to thank me for being a decent human and not letting you starve.”
Swallowing down the lump in my throat, I unplugged the crock pot and pulled the ceramic insert out.
“Shit.” My back screamed in protest. I winced and slipped it back into the metal base.
“Are you okay?” He rushed over. “Did you hurt yourself?”
“Just sore. A lot of heavy lifting today.”
He pursed his lips. “Do you need some painkillers or a muscle relaxer?”
“I’ll be fine.” I turned back to the crock pot.
“Nope. Get yourself something to drink and go sit down. I’ll finish cleaning up.”
“I don’t mind helping.”
“You’ve done enough today. Go relax. It won’t take long.”
“Is that an order?” I arched my eyebrow.
“It is.” He met my stare with a pointed one of his own.
I was about to protest when his expression melted into a playful one. My dick twitched.
“Good boys get rewarded,” he said, his tone full of teasing and promise.
“A reward, huh?”
“Yup.” He licked his lips.
“I thought I was the one who was doling out rewards?”
“Nope. It’s my turn.”
“So, what do I get if I go relax?”
“I’m really good at massages.”
“Really?” My voice cracked, and my dick chubbed up.
“Uh-huh.” He glanced at the bulge in my sweats, smiling coyly. “So what’s it going to be? Massage or clean up?”
“Not both?”
“Nope.” He popped the p and tilted his head. A lock of hair fell in his eyes.
Jesus. Confident and playful Eli was hot as fuck.
“I guess I’m grabbing a beer and going to relax.”
He grinned and patted me on the shoulder. “Good boy. There’s a time restriction on my offer. It expires in thirty seconds.”
“Can’t let that happen.” I crossed the room and pulled a beer out of the fridge.
“Eighteen seconds left,” he warned in a teasing tone.
“I’m gone.” I rushed out of the room, making a big show of hurrying. Eli’s laughter floated after me and warmed me from the inside.
I sat on the couch and sipped my beer, trying to get my dick to calm down. It was nice to sit and relax after today.
A creaking floor alerted me that Eli was done cleaning, and I turned toward the doorway.
“Are you working tonight?” I asked.
“No. I only work weekends.”
I finished my beer and put the bottle on the floor.
He looked at me, an impish grin on his lips. “Ready for your reward?”
“Definitely.”
He held out his hand. “Come with me.”
“Where?”
“Upstairs.” He motioned for me to follow him.
“Upstairs?”
“I don’t do anything half-assed. You should know that by now. If I’m giving you a massage, then you’re getting the full experience.”
“The full experience?” I trailed after him.
“Happy ending optional.” He winked at me over his shoulder.
I tripped on a step and grabbed the railing so I didn’t go sprawling.
He laughed, the melodic sound echoing in the cavernous foyer.
Stunned, I followed him up the stairs and into my room.
“Get the biggest, fluffiest towel you have and put it on the bed,” he instructed. “Then get naked and lie on your stomach.”
“Naked?” My heart skipped a beat.
“How else am I going to give you a full-body massage?” He arched an eyebrow. “You can put something over your waist if you’re shy.”
“I’m not shy.”
“You have no reason to be.” He looked me up and down, heat filling his eyes. “Get the towel and get your fine ass on the bed.”
“As you wish.”
He chuckled and unzipped his bag. “That’s one of my mom’s favorite movies. I’ve seen it so many times I still have the entire script memorized.”
“One of my nannies loved it. I watched it every Sunday afternoon for an entire summer.”
“You’re not naked yet.” He shot me a pointed look.
“Better fix that.”
Ignoring the stiffness in my back, I hurried to get a towel and nearly swallowed my tongue as I came out of the bathroom. Eli stood next to my bed in nothing but a pair of thin boxers, a small brown bottle in his hand.
He glanced at the bulge in my sweats and smirked.
“You get comfy, and I’ll make a fire so we don’t freeze our nuts off.” He put the bottle on the bed.
Trying not to stare at his tight muscles and miles of smooth skin, I stripped off my clothes and spread the towel out. I lay on it and put my folded hands under my chin as he lit a fire with quick, efficient movements.
“Ready?” he asked when he was done.
“Ready.”
Moving slowly, deliberately, he came to stand next to the bed, his gaze roving over my body. My eyes were glued to his cock, which thickened and tented the front of his boxers.
“Your body is incredible,” he said.
“So is yours.”
He climbed onto the bed and knee-walked over to me. “Where does it hurt most?”
“Up near my shoulders.”
He straddled my lower back. “Is this okay?”
“Yeah.” My voice cracked, and my dick throbbed as he settled his weight on me.
“This might be cold.” He stroked slick hands over my skin.
“Holy shit,” I moaned. “What is that?”
“Sweet almond oil.” He rubbed his hands over my shoulders. “It’s a great moisturizer in the winter. Now hush and relax while I make you feel good.”
Eli’s strong, efficient hands were pure magic as he rubbed, squeezed, and kneaded my muscles. Every stroke sent a pulse of both relaxation and arousal through me.
No one had ever touched me like this. I’d gotten a few halfhearted massages from my ex-boyfriend, but those had been a hint he wanted sex, so the actual massage had been cursory at best.
Most of my partners had been happy to lie back and let me take control, and none had been especially nurturing when it came to activities outside the bedroom. That had worked for me, but this… this was everything I’d always wanted but never knew I could have.
Eli cared, even if it was only as a friend. He made me feel seen, like I was living and not just existing. I’d spent all day at work thinking about him. Wondering if he was relaxing, if he was having a good day, even what he was doing at any given moment.
But it couldn’t last. He’d go home in a few days, and I’d go back to being alone.
“Relax,” he whispered, rubbing the back of my neck and soothing the tightness with his incredible hands. “Let me make you feel good.”
Breathing out, I did as he said, sinking into the sensations and banishing all thoughts of the future or past out of my head.
Moans and sighs and low groans fell from my lips in a continuous chorus of pleasure. He worked my back and shoulders like he was in my head and knew exactly how and where I needed his skilled touch.
Every time he moved or leaned over me, his hard dick pressed into me, turning me into a puddle of need and bliss. When he was done with my back, he focused on my arms, rubbing and working every inch of them. He settled on my calves and ran his oil-slick hands over the backs of my thighs.
“Eli.” I sighed.
“Does it feel good?” he asked softly, working the tight muscles under my ass.
“Too good,” I choked out. I was so hard it hurt.
He chuckled and slid his hands lower. “You’re so hot like this. All spread out and helpless under me.”
“I’m only helpless because you’ve turned me into a puddle,” I mumbled. “Where did you learn how to give massages like this?”
“I read a few books. Seems I’m a quick study.”
I wasn’t sure what to do with the little pulse of happiness shooting through me at the knowledge that I was the first person he’d touched like this.
He slid his hands between my thighs and brushed my balls, then dragged his finger over my taint. A bolt of electric pleasure detonated deep in my body.
A moan tore from my chest. “Holy fuck.”
“Oopsie.” He pulled his hands from between my legs. “Gotta finish your massage before the fun stuff.”
“Tease,” I grumbled.
“Yup.” He climbed off me, kneeled next to me, and rubbed every inch of my legs.
When he finally pulled his hands off me, I was a barely conscious mess, my dick the only part of me that wasn’t liquid.
“You’re so gorgeous.”
I turned my head and found him staring at me hungrily, one hand clutching his erection through his boxers.
“And what are you going to do with me now that I’m all helpless?”
He met my gaze, his eyes flashing with lust and desire. “What am I allowed to do?”
“Anything you want.”
“Anything?” he asked, his voice dripping with vulnerability and a little fear.
“Anything,” I said softly. “Trust yourself and let go.”
He bit his lip.
“I’m yours to explore. I want whatever you’re ready to give me.”
“I want…” He got up on his knees and pushed his boxers down, then off.
He wasn’t big, but his cock was perfect. His girth was average, but he made up for it by being a little longer than I would have expected. His skin was flushed dark, and precum gathered on his tip. My mouth watered. He would feel so good pushing down my throat.
After a moment’s hesitation, he straddled my thighs and gripped my ass cheeks in his hands.
“Oh, fuck,” I moaned.
“Does this feel good?” He squeezed the globes and rubbed them, massaging them like he had the rest of me.
“So good.”
He worked me over, then gentled his touch until it was less clinical and more exploratory. He traced his fingertips over my skin, mapping out the curves of my ass and hips.
“Is this okay?” He slipped a finger between my cheeks and dragged it over my hole.
“Fuck!” I clenched around nothing, my body screaming for stimulation and the desire to have something inside me. “Yeah. I like it.”
“I want to…” He split me open with his hands, exposing my hole to the cool air.
“Do it. Whatever you want,” I panted, digging my face into the towel as I clenched involuntarily.
“Fuck, that’s hot.” His voice was tinged with wonder and laced with lust.
“Please.” I rocked my hips, desperate for some friction. “I need something. Anything.”
He made a strangled sound. Then his length was between my cheeks, and he was fucking my crack.
“Holy shit,” he panted, his pace fast and his thrusts hard.
His dick dragged over my hole, and bolts of need and pleasure shot through me with every catch of his cockhead on my rim. My cock leaked and throbbed beneath me.
“Yeah, that’s it. Get yourself off.” I squeezed my legs and ass cheeks together to not only force myself to stay still but also to create a tighter passage for him. I wanted to feel him come, to know he’d gotten off by using my body. “Pull me tight around you and pretend you’re fucking me.”
A loud cry echoed in the room, and his rhythm stuttered.
“You want to fuck me?” I glanced over my shoulder.
He was breathtaking. His lithe, strong body over mine, his intense look as he stared at where our bodies were joined. Everything about him turned me on.
He looked up, and our eyes met. “You’d let me?”
“Yeah. If you want it, my ass is yours.”
“I… holy fuck.” He gripped my cheeks and squeezed them around his cock. “West.”
“That’s it, sweetheart. Fuck me hard. I want to feel you come all over my hole.”
He gasped and shuddered over me, closing his eyes and throwing his head back in ecstasy. Wetness pooled in my crack as he came hard and used his release to slick the way as he fucked me through his orgasm.
I was barely holding on to my arousal when he finally stilled over me.
“Holy shit,” he muttered and pulled his dick out of my crack. “Get on your back.” He lifted himself off me.
I did, and the sight of him kneeling over me, his dick spent, his cheeks flushed pink, and that glassy, satisfied look he always got in his eyes when he came was too much.
I grasped my cock. I needed to come.
“No.” He batted my hand away. “I want to suck you.”
“What?” I gaped at him.
“I want to blow you.” He shoved one knee between my legs. “Wanna make you come.”
“You don’t have to—”
“I want to.” Using his other knee, he pushed my legs apart enough he could settle between them.
“You can just jerk me.” I gripped the towel in my hands. Bossy Eli was hot as fuck.
“Don’t want to jerk you.” He held the base of my cock and squeezed. “You said I could do anything I wanted. I want to blow you.”
I closed my eyes and nodded.
“Look at me.”
I did. No way in hell could I deny him anything. Not then, not ever.
“Do you not want me to?” he asked softly.
“It’s not that.”
“What?”
“I’m not used to being on the receiving end,” I said truthfully.
He frowned. “You don’t like it?”
“It’s not that I don’t like it. I just feel weird when I’m the focus. It’s easier to get myself off while I do my partner.”
He folded his lips inward, determination and maybe a little anger flashing in his eyes. “I’ll stop if you don’t want it. But I want to do this for you. I’ve fantasized about it.”
“About sucking dick?”
“About sucking your dick.” He stroked his hand up my length, swiped his thumb over my tip, and spread my precum. “I came home from my run today, and I was so horny. All I could think about while I jerked off in the shower was how much I wanted to taste you. How good you’d feel in my mouth.” He bent down and dropped a quick kiss on my tip.
A zing of white-hot fire shot through me. “Fuck!” I jerked.
He licked his lips and moaned softly. “You do taste good.”
“Sweetheart…”
“Can I suck you?” he asked, his voice whisper soft.
“Yeah.”
“I’m probably going to be bad at it.” He grimaced. “Sorry.”
“None of that.” I pushed up so I was sitting and pulled him up with me. “Everything you do to me feels incredible, and this will be no different.”
“But if you have trouble coming this way.” He bit his lip. “I might not be able to get you there.”
“You will.” I pressed my lips to his. Damn, we hadn’t kissed yet.
He sighed and parted his lips for me, meeting me kiss for kiss. When we finally pulled apart, he was smiling.
“Lie back down.”
I did. He gripped my base, then leaned down and swiped his tongue over my tip.
My sigh of pleasure seemed to embolden him. He licked around my head a few times, then gave it a sucking kiss.
“That’s it, sweetheart. Take your time and enjoy this.” I carded my fingers through his soft hair.
He moaned and pressed soft kisses up and down my shaft, then switched to licking every inch of my dick and balls.
“Fuck,” I muttered, fisting the towel in my hands so I didn’t grab his head and shove him down on my cock.
He lifted my balls with his fingers and jabbed his tongue against my taint.
“Fuck!” I nearly rocketed off the bed, my entire body jerking like he’d electrocuted me.
“So hot,” he whispered.
He drew my cockhead into his mouth and closed his lips around my shaft. His movements were sloppy and off-rhythm, and his suction was too soft, but knowing I was his first made every bob of his head and pull of his mouth incredible.
Pleasure and need pooled in my body, tightening my muscles and making my head fuzzy.
I had good control, but edging had never been my thing, and I was skirting close to the line.
“Fuck, that’s it,” I panted. “So good, sweetheart.”
He made a pleased sound and moved lower. As he moved back up, his teeth scraped over my shaft, pinching the sensitive skin hard enough that a stab of pain broke through the haze of pleasure.
I jerked away, and a soft cry tore from my lips before I could stop it.
“I’m so sorry.” He sat up, his eyes wide with panic, and tried to scramble off me.
“Wait.” I snagged his arm. “Stop.”
He froze.
“Look at me.”
He slid his gaze to mine, his eyes glassy with tears.
“Don’t feel bad, sweetheart.” I sat up and cupped his cheeks in my hands. “It happens.”
“I hurt you.”
“You surprised me more than anything. It hurt,” I admitted when he gave me a look. “But only for a few seconds. I’m fine. I promise.”
“Are you sure?”
“I’m sure.” I pulled him close for another soul-searing kiss.
He melted against me.
“Do you want to keep going?” I asked against his lips.
“Do you want me to?”
“Yes.”
He pressed a quick kiss to my mouth. “I want to.”
I lay back. He tentatively gripped me and leaned down.
It took him a moment to find his confidence again, but soon he was bobbing over me, his suction a shade too light to get me there.
“That’s it.” I slid my fingers through his hair. “You don’t have to go deep. Just like that is perfect.”
He moaned and sucked a bit harder.
“So good. You feel so good.” I groaned and fought to keep my hips still as he stroked his hand in time with his mouth. “You’re going to make me come so hard.”
He sped up.
“You want that?” I let go of his hair before I could pull on it or yank him down. “You want me to come?”
He moaned, the vibrations moving up my shaft. A bolt of pleasure shot through me.
“A little harder. Fuck, yeah. That’s it, sweetheart. Now twist your hand a bit. Fuck. Holy fuck.” My thighs quaked with the effort of holding still.
Every nerve ending in my body was on fire as pleasure coursed through me. I didn’t want it to end, but I was powerless to stop my impending release, which sliced closer and closer.
“Fuck!”
As my orgasm slammed into me, I pulled him off my cock. He made a noise of protest. A rope of cum landed on his cheek, and he bent back down. His hot mouth closed around my cockhead, and my cry echoed in the room as he drank me down.
“Holy shit,” I panted when the pleasure finally passed and my brain was working again.
“Why did you pull me off?” He leaned over me, his hands on either side of my shoulders.
“Huh?” I blinked up at him.
“You didn’t want me to finish you?”
“I didn’t think you’d want to.”
“I did. Next time I want it all. Got it?”
“Next time?”
He grinned. “Oh yeah. We’re so doing that again.”
I let out a huff of laughter. “No arguments here.”
He kissed me, and something wet dragged over my thigh. He was hard again.
“On your back. It’s my turn,” I said when he pulled away.
“Are you sure?”
“Fuck yeah. Remember how you said you’ve thought about sucking me? I’ve been dreaming about sucking you too.”
Smiling shyly, he gripped his length and gave it a slow, lazy stroke. “You want it?”
I grabbed his hips, flipped him off me and onto his back, and knelt over him, caging him in with my arms.
“Holy shit. Why was that so hot?” He blinked up at me.
“Spread your legs so I can get between them.”
He did, and the sight of him under me, his eyes full of trust and anticipation, was just as hot as his dick, which stood straight up, flushed and ready.
“You can pull my hair, fuck my mouth. Whatever you want. I’ve got good control over my gag reflex, so you won’t hurt me.”
“I might not last long enough to do anything but lie here.” He laughed softly.
“That’s fine too. Do whatever feels natural. Ready?”
He nodded.
Not wanting to go too fast, I held his base and kissed his tip. He gasped and bucked up into my touch. Going slow, I sucked on his cockhead, coaxing more of those soft gasps and little thrusts out of him, and teased him with the tip of my tongue.
“West,” he whispered.
I loved sucking cock, but going down on Eli was next level. Something about the stretch of my lips around his girth, the weight of his shaft against my tongue, the taste of his precum just did it for me. And I wasn’t ashamed to admit I enjoyed the feeling of power it gave me.
Doing this for Eli, being his first, was everything.
“West, please. Need more,” he begged softly as I tongued the little notch under his head. “Want you to make me come.”
Taking that as my cue he was ready for more, I sucked him as deep as I could and swallowed around his head.
As much fun as it would be to tease his orgasm out of him, I didn’t want to draw it out too long. He spent so much of his time edging himself when he was working, and I didn’t want to do that to him now. I wanted to overwhelm him with pleasure so he could let go and shut his big brain down for a few minutes.
“Fuckfuckfuckfuckfuck.” He gripped my hair with both hands and thrust up into my mouth. I held still and let him, swallowing and using my tongue to tease him.
“So close,” he bit out.
I shoved his hips down and held him in place. I wanted to be the one to make him come.
I went to town on him, moving hard and fast as I sucked him like my life depended on it. He yanked on my hair, my name falling from his lips over and over like a prayer.
“Fuck. West. I’m coming!”
I let go of his hips, and he thrust down my throat as his dick pulsed and his release filled my mouth. I swallowed it all. He continued to fuck my mouth, his cries of pleasure filling the room.
When he was finally still, I pulled off his softening cock.
He grabbed me around the waist and yanked me on top of him, his kisses hard and needy. Taking care not to crush him with my bulk, I kissed him back, letting him set the pace and take whatever he needed from me.
Soft hands ran over my back. He slowed our kisses and languidly sucked on my tongue. When we finally pulled apart, we were both breathing heavily and slicked with sweat.
“Holy crap, you’ve got skills. I had no idea it could feel so good.”
“You liked it?” I rolled us over so he was tucked up against my side.
“Liked is an understatement.” He laughed and snuggled into me. “That was… I have no words. That never happens. I think you broke my brain.”
Laughing, I pulled him closer and kissed the top of his head.
“How’s your back?” He propped himself up on one elbow and looked down at me.
“It’s fine.” I tucked a lock of hair behind his ear. “All cured.”
He dropped a kiss against my lips. “Do you have another day of physical labor tomorrow?”
“Shouldn’t be too bad.”
“That’s good. You need to take another shower. You’re covered in oil.”
I pulled him back down and held him close. “I will. But cuddles first.”
“You’re a cuddler?”
“I am. Are you?”
“I think so.” He threw one leg over my hips and snuggled as close as possible. “I’ll need a bigger data set before I can come to any conclusions.”
“Feel free to cuddle me anytime you want. I like holding you.”
I didn’t tell him I was only a cuddler for him. Not because I wanted to keep it a secret but because I wasn’t sure what it meant. I liked a little contact after sex while I was coming down, but I’d never been one to lie in bed and snuggle like I was craving now.
“I like it too,” he whispered and kissed my chest, right over my heart.
This was dangerous. It was stupid to get used to having him like this. Even knowing that, I found it hard to care and focused on how good he felt in my arms and how perfect the moment was.
