Page 47 of Sir Avery's Wish
“Tell me more tomorrow,” Lenny said. “And I’m serious about visiting. I could use some of that magical Dom penis myself.”
Eli rolled his eyes. “Dork. I’ll call you, bye.”
He ended the call right as Avery appeared in the threshold of the den. After tossing his phone on the table, he threw the blanket aside and jumped up to greet his Sir. Avery laughed, opening his arms as Eli ran into them.
Avery wrapped him in a firm embrace. “How’s my precious boy?”
“I missed you, Sir. When’s your next day off again?”
Avery laughed. “Tomorrow. I’ve been working with the manager to set up a new schedule for me. I’ll be less hands-on going forward.”
Eli froze. “Wait. Is that my fault? I don’t want to mess things up for you.”
Avery pulled back and tsked. “You’ve done the exact opposite for me. Until you, I was drowning in sorrow without even realizing it. How pathetic is that?”
“Don’t say that.” Eli ducked his chin. “I’m not allowed to talk bad about myself, so you shouldn’t either.”
Avery paused, then gave him a quick kiss. “You’re right. Point taken. From now on, I’ll be more mindful of what I say.” He let his hand fall to his side and laced his fingers with Eli’s. “But I want to ease your mind by saying that stepping back from the day-to-day responsibilities at the hotel is my decision. It’s what I want, okay?”
Eli could barely contain his joy. As long as it was what Avery wanted, then he’d enjoy every second of having his Sir at home with him.
“Sound great.” His cheeks hurt from smiling so hard. “I made a meatloaf using your mom’s recipe. Hopefully it turns out all right. This is my first time making something like that.”
Avery drew his eyebrows together, then scented the air. “I thought something smelled good when I came in.”
Eli tucked a cluster of curls behind his ear. “It should be ready in about thirty minutes.”
Avery loosened his tie as he led Eli from the room. “Perfect timing.” When they reached the entryway, he gave Eli a kiss before releasing his hand. “Let me change and I’ll join you in the kitchen.”
“Sure. Umm…”
Eli paused, the urge to tell Avery about Lenny right away tugging at him. Avery regarded him with a wrinkled brow, waiting.
“Go ahead, sweetheart.”
Eli cleared his throat. “So… I was talking to Lenny earlier. He’s been having a rough time. Everyone thinks he’s making up the whole murder story, and my mom is still furious with him.”
Avery sighed, shaking his head. “That’s unfortunate. He was only trying to protect you.”
“Right? And now he’s thinking about visiting Boston.” Eli fidgeted with the hem of his shirt. “I kind of suggested he could stay in the guest room you offered before. And maybe work at Club Sensation or even at your hotel restaurant.” The last part came out in a jumbled rush.
A flicker of either surprise or annoyance crossed Avery’s face before his features smoothed out. Eli’s stomach clenched. Had he overstepped? He knew it would take a while before he was any good at interpreting Avery’s different expressions.
“I should’ve asked you first.” Eli’s words tumbled together. “I’m sorry, Sir. I got excited about the possibility of having him here and I…” He could barely take in a breath. “I spoke without thinking.”
Avery stepped closer, then gently placed his palms on Eli’s shoulders. “Take a slow and easy breath, boy. Like I showed you.”
Eli inhaled slowly, trying to calm the anxious flutter in his chest. He’d been so focused on helping Lenny that he’d forgotten the basic rule about communicating with his Dom.
“Better?” Avery smiled, and Eli nodded. “Good. Now, I'm not upset about what you said to Lenny. Your friend is welcome to a room at the hotel, and I'd be happy to help him find work. What concerns me is that you’re apologizing for something that doesn’t require an apology.”
The knot in Eli’s stomach eased a bit, though confusion took its place. “I don’t understand.”
Avery clasped Eli’s hand, moving them closer together. “One of the things I want to help you with is understanding when you’ve done something wrong versus when you’re merely being cautious. This falls into the latter category. You didn’t promise Lenny anything definite, did you?”
“No.” Relief washed over him. “I said I’d talk to you first and call him tomorrow.”
“Then you handled it perfectly.” Avery brushed his thumb across Eli’s cheek.
