Page 36 of Just Business
The warmth of the hallway and the press of people were cloying compared to the deck. Some of the looks Justin received—envy, astonishment, jealousy—ripped through Eli.Yes, he’s mine. No, you are not.
This part of the Scene Eli disliked, the desires of others wrapping around him. He chose his own path, much to the dismay of many.
A man reached out to brush his fingers over Justin’s arm—but Eli swung his cane up, knocking the offending hand away. “Don’t even think it.”
Justin faltered, turned.
“Fuck, that hurt!” The man clutched his hand.
“It was supposed to.” This one he knew. Brandon or Brad. Something like that. One of the men who stood too close, flirted too hard, and always smelled faintly of cheap beer when he arrived. “You know the rules.”
“Eli?” Probably too buzzed to have even noticed the other man’s gesture.
“You’re fine.” Eli slid a hand up Justin’s spine and savored the shiver. Everything he’d dreamed about...
B-something opened his mouth. “I was just—”
“Do I need to fetch Master Lyle?”
“You don’t.” Lyle cut through the crowd, opening a swath before him. “I’ll handle this.”
He’d owe Lyle later, even though it was the host’s job to handle such disruptions.
“What... I missed something.” Justin continued forward.
“Someone was about to touch something that didn’t belong to him.” The hallway opened up into the great room, and Eli moved next to Justin, his hand tightening around his waist. “I am not inclined to share tonight.”
“Oh. I don’t think I would have liked that. Not so soon after...” He glanced back down the hall. “Do you share?”
One of so many questions that needed to be asked and answered. Eli pointed farther into the room with his cane. “Couch.”
With the warmth of Justin against his side, his shirt sliding against Eli’s gloves, every step was a delight. Justin was an obedient, blue-eyed thrill. And Eli’s, at least for the moment.
They reached an empty two-seater couch. “Sit, please, Justin.”
He did, though his movements were jerky. Hesitant. Eli folded himself down next to Justin. “How are you feeling?”
Again, Justin looked back the way they’d come. “Did we really just—?” A warble in his voice. “Do you really want...?”
There was the panic Eli felt building in himself, too. One way to fix that. He set his cane on the ground, then stripped off his gloves, aware he had Justin’s undivided attention. He placed the gloves on the armrest. “Every time you fail to finish one of your sentences, I’m going to add a stripe to your backside.”
The lovely blush was back. Justin swallowed, his hands twisting around themselves in his lap.
“That’s four, I believe.”
Justin’s eyes narrowed. “That’s not fair. Two of those were from before you...”
Eli waited for Justin to continue. He didn’t. “Five.”
Justin shuddered. “Fuck.” But he didn’t look away. Didn’t protest.
Perfect. Time to start negotiating. Eli leaned forward and caught Justin’s collar again. So very handy that had been.
“Eli, I...”
A sharp tug and Justin’s mouth was his. As before, every muscle in Justin relaxed when Eli forced his tongue past Justin’s lips. One of them moaned. Justin still tasted of salt—intoxicating. However, they did need to talk. Eli relented and broke the kiss.
In between gasps for air, Justin said, “That better not be six.”
