Page 55 of Just Business
Eli glanced away then refocused on Justin. “Because you remind me that I’m not alone in the world. That I don’t want to be alone, despite what I tell myself.”
Oh.“Definitely need more coffee.” That made his heart full and heavy. Thrilling. Terrifying. A vulnerable Dom was kind of like a unicorn.
“My offer for pancakes still stands.”
All things considered, that might be what he needed. “You make food. I’ll make more coffee.”
Eli slid off the counter, landing on his good foot. “Staying?”
“Yeah.” Whatever the hell this was, it wasn’t the path Justin’s hookups usually took. That meant there was hope that it wouldn’t end like Francis.
Complicated, indeed.
Chapter Ten
Such a strange and tenuous beginning. Eli poured batter on the griddle and watched it bubble then solidify. He couldn’t blame Justin for being hesitant—he was. But he couldn’t run from his own house. Or his feelings. When the sheen on the batter turned matte, Eli flipped the pancakes.
I like this. Too much.Liked the normalcy of breakfast, though there was nothing normal about Justin standing in his kitchen on a Saturday. The fear that had caught him last night surfaced—then submerged. Monsters didn’t make pancakes.
Somehow they would manage. Work. Play. A relationship.
He turned the cakes onto a serving plate and repeated the task. The coffee grinder ran and the scent of fresh grounds filtered through the aroma of cooking batter.
A typical morning, except it was anything but. “How did you end up as a barista?”
Justin tapped the grounds from the grinder into the French press. “I like coffee and I needed a change of pace. When I got to Pittsburgh, I checked Craigslist for jobs, and Brian was hiring.” He gave a small shrug. “I suppose I made a good impression.”
“With the goth look?” It certainly was eye-catching, if messy.You’re starting to like messy.Eli slid the last of the cooked pancakes onto the serving plate. There was charisma, nearly as much as Sam had, when Justin wanted to turn it on.
“Not a fan?” Justin set the electric kettle to heat the water and leaned against the counter, all smirk and black fringe. Still had the chipped nail polish, too, but the eyeliner was gone, washed away with tears, sweat, and a shower.
“I didn’t say that.” Eli carried the plate over to the breakfast bar. “You’re in my kitchen, after all.”
Justin laughed, but there was a catch to it. “There is that.”
He’d hit a nerve. “I don’t imagine you were sporting that look working at ErazaTech, though.” He hobbled to the fridge and pulled out butter and maple syrup.
The kettle clicked off and Justin poured the water into the press. “No. I got tired of being told how I should look, what I should wear, who I should be. I wanted...” He shook his head and pressed the knob on the press down. “The change was a reaction, I know. But this”—he gestured at his face—“is more me than I was in LA. I’m glad Sam hasn’t asked me to change.”
“I won’t, either.” The thought of a neater, boring version of Justin rankled, and no one should be forced into a role they didn’t want to play. He’d left home to be the man he wanted to be. Cut his hair. Shaved his beard. Loved men.
Eli placed the butter and syrup by the pancakes.
Coffee and mug in hand, Justin joined Eli at the breakfast bar. “Good. I...” He laughed. “You aren’t keeping count anymore, are you?”
Unfinished sentences. He actuallyhadkept count. “I’ve noticed, but this is not the time for that game.” As Justin poured the coffee, Eli added, “I’m not sure you want that full-time.”
A shiver ran through Justin. “I don’t.”
“Good, because I’m not the Dom for that.”
Every muscle in Justin loosened as he sat on the bar stool. “Thank God.”
“Been there, done that?” Was there a story there?
Justin winced and took the butter. “I don’t like being controlled all the time. Didn’t work in LA, like I said. One of the reasons I like working for Sam.”
Eli took the syrup. “Sam is rather accepting.” Part of why he’d agreed to work for him when Michael had suggested it. Sam wouldn’t blink at Eli’s predilections. Not when Sam was dating Michael.
