Page 77 of Bar Down

I pull back again and breathlessly say, “I love you too, Eli. More than words can express.”

“Show me, then,” he says, voice gravelly and deep.

Our hands grip and tug at every bit of fabric as we make our way to the bedroom. In a rare occurrence, Eli lets me take the lead and I back him up until his knees hit the bed. I push him down and crawl on top of him, kissing his swollen lips andstraddling him. When his hands slip under my sweatshirt, I pull back so I can take it off. Eli lifts up, leaning up on one hand and caressing my back with the other, his mouth leaving kisses over my tattoos, starting with the honeysuckle one over my heart. His favorite one.

His lips find my neck and he sucks at my skin, lightly biting down before soothing the sting with a lick. I grind on his stiff cock in response and he groans against me. I push him back down and take off the rest of my clothes, moving to remove his jeans next. Once I’m done pulling them off, Eli sits up to take his jersey off.

“What did I tell you earlier?”

“What?”

“You keep that jersey on and I give you the best blow job of your life.”

Eli smiles but before I can take him in my mouth, he stops me, a serious look on his face.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, I just—I was thinking maybe?—”

“Maybe what?” I ask confused.

A beat of silence. Two.

Eli bites his lip.

My eyes widen.

Oh.

“Maybe you can fuck me this time,” he says quietly.

I lean down over him and he bends to my will, letting me lead. I press myself flat against him, our cocks aligned and I can’t help but grind on him again. He feels so good, so right. We were fucking made for each other.

My arms rest near his head and I bring our foreheads together. “Are you sure,pretty boy?”

“Yes,” he says, but his shaky voice makes me pause.

“We don’t have to do this if you’re not ready. If it’s some attempt to do it just to make me happy, then you should know I’m happy with anything you give me.”

“No, that’s not it. I want to. You know I’ve never done it before though.”

“I get that, but just know, if you’re not comfortable now or ever, really, then we never have to do it. I mean it.”

He nods along, “I know,kultsi. I’ve wanted to for a while now, and I’m ready. Here. Now. I love you, and I trust you.”

I stare at him for a moment. “Fuck, I love you so much.”

THIRTY-FOUR

ASH

Eli kisses me deeply,tongue swirling with mine and I pull him up so we’re both on our knees on the mattress. My hand finds his cock and I pump him a few times as he groans into my mouth.

“Turn around,” I say, letting go of him and sitting back on my heels. He eyes me intently but eventually does what I say.

As he turns around, I see my last name and number on his back and the feral beast inside me threatens to come out. I’ve never been possessive of anything or anyone in my life, but one look at Eli in that goddamn jersey makes me want to throw him over my shoulder and take him far away from everything and everyone that could ever harm him.

He looks back at me, confused, and I swiftly move behind him, gripping his hips and grinding into him. Eli’s head falls back on my shoulder and one of my hands finds his throat, squeezing lightly.

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