Page 25 of Sir Avery's Wish
Eli shifted closer to Avery until their bodies were almost flush. Eli worried his bottom lip, and he couldn’t seem to keep still. Avery found himself leaning in, drawn by Eli’s clear fascination with the scene unfolding before them. The violet wand crackled again, its electric blue light casting momentary shadows across the room. Kyle’s muscles tensed and released with each contact, his breath coming in controlled bursts.
“Are you all right?” Avery kept his voice low, private between them despite the collective gasps and murmurs aroundthem as Master Gavin demonstrated an intricate pattern with the wand.
Eli nodded, not taking his eyes off the demonstration. “It’s so intense to watch.”
Avery angled his body a bit to create a barrier between Eli and the rest of the room. “We can step out if it’s too much.”
“No, that’s okay. I don’t want to leave yet.” He peered up at Avery. “But can we talk some more afterward?”
Avery’s heart rate kicked up a notch. “I’d like that.”
They exchanged a smile, and this time, Eli moved close enough that he was leaning his small frame against him. Accepting the action as a silent invitation, Avery rested his hand on Eli’s hip.
For the rest of the demonstration, Avery found it increasingly difficult to concentrate on Master Gavin’s technique. Instead, he found himself captivated by the man next to him. The subtle pressure of Eli’s body against his own was much too tempting. He tightened his fingers on Eli’s hip, his thumb finding the narrow strip of skin where Eli’s shirt had ridden up. The contact was more electric than anything happening in the scene.
When Master Gavin finally concluded the demonstration to enthusiastic applause, Eli seemed to come out of a trance. He blinked a few times and straightened, creating a small space between them that seemed like miles.
“What did you think?” Avery kept his voice low.
Eli tucked a curl behind his ear, a gesture Avery was beginning to recognize as a nervous habit. “It was actually pretty stunning.” He chuckled, shaking his head. “I can’t believe Master Gavin is here. The night Lenny and I went to Kiss of Leather, he wasn’t—”
Eli gasped, his jaw dropping open. Before Avery could register that Eli had confessed to going to Kiss of Leather, he waspushing his way through the crowd, once again running away from him.
Shit.
Avery rushed after him, excusing himself as he quickly moved past everyone, anxious to catch up to Eli. Running from him wasn’t his main concern. He didn’t want Eli to freak out and leave the safety of Zane’s home. Fortunately, there was only one elevator, and Eli wasn’t familiar enough with the club layout to know there were two stairwells at either end of the hallway.
Avery caught up to the elevator right as the doors began to close, sliding inside before Eli could protest. The confined space seemed to amplify everything—the sound of Eli’s rapid breathing, the faint tremor in his hands as he pressed himself against the far wall, the wild look in his eyes.
“Eli, everything’s okay. You can trust me.” Avery’s heart ached for him.
“I can't believe I said that.” Eli’s voice cracked, and he raked his fingers through his hair. “I’m so stupid.” He smacked his forehead. “And me reminding Lenny not to say a word, but here I am, blabbing away like a moron.” He covered his eyes. “I keep messing everything up.”
Avery pressed the stop button. He hoped Zane wouldn’t ride him too hard for bringing everything to a halt on such a busy night. But he needed a few minutes of peace and refuge to calm Eli down.
“Breathe, sweetheart. In through your nose…exhale slowly. That’s it.” Avery smiled. “Keep looking at me. Very good.”
“I’m sorry, Sir.” He drew his eyebrows together. “That’s what I’m supposed to call you, right?”
“When we’re in the club, yes.” Avery held Eli’s gaze, noting that he seemed to be relaxing a bit. “Would you still like to talk? It doesn’t have to be about what just happened. I’ll leave that up to you.”
Eli lowered his eyes, and Avery held his breath. The agony of not being able to help Eli was eating away at him. Even if he was typically a patient man, there was nothing typical about Eli or how he felt about him.
Eli lifted his head. “Is there somewhere more private?” He fiddled with the yellow bracelet. “I don’t mean one of the playrooms. Just someplace we can talk where no one else is around.”
Relief washed over him. There was a chance he could help Eli with his terrible secret after all.
“Let me see what I can do. I’ll check with the dungeon master and see if there are any openings.” Avery pressed the green button, and the elevator continued its downward journey.
The doors opened to the main floor, and Avery stepped out first, scanning the crowd for Zane. He spotted him near the bar, deep in conversation with Kurt about something that held the bouncer’s attention completely. Avery placed his hand on Eli’s lower back again, steering him through the clusters of people toward his friend.
“Zane,” Avery called out as they drew near.
Zane turned, eyebrows raising slightly at the sight of him and Eli so close together. “Everything all right?”
“We’re looking for somewhere quiet to talk. Any of the consultation rooms available?”
Zane’s questioning expression shifted to understanding. The consultation rooms were designed for this exact purpose, private spaces where Doms and subs could negotiate scenes or work through issues without the distractions of the main floor. They were soundproofed, located apart from the other rooms or main area, yet provided the same welcoming and comfortable atmosphere as any place in the club.
