He wasn't bluffing; this was no idle threat. If Eli left him behind, Caleb would stop at nothing to find him. Eli belonged to him, and damned if Caleb would simply let him go.
Eli's eyes narrowed. "You wouldn't."
"You don't think so?" Caleb asked. The fight was rising in him now. Hesitation glinted in Eli's expression, the first faint hint of surrender. Caleb slid his arm about Eli's waist and pressed his palm to the small of Eli's back, using the extra leverage to tug him forward. They stood chest to chest now, Eli's body cool along Caleb's front, Eli's wrist still caught tightly in Caleb's other hand.
"I didn't take you for a fool," Eli retorted. Far from disheartening Caleb, the defensiveness in that tone gave him hope, especially when Eli continued in a softer voice. "You are mortal. You have a life and a family. People who love and depend on you."
"Yes," Caleb agreed, though he didn't loosen his hold or allow Eli to retreat.
"You should concern yourself with them, and leave me to my business."
"I'd rather concern myself with you." It was true, Caleb realized with an almost physical jolt. His family would be fine without him, though it would upset them if he truly disappeared. His friends would wonder what had come of him, but Caleb had never been terrific at staying in touch. As for his job, it had brought him here. He found he didn't care about it beyond that simple fact.
He couldn't fathom what following Eli would mean, not in any tangible way, but he was determined to find out.
"You may not enjoy the life you find at my side," Eli murmured. "It will be very different from the one you know." But the subtle tension was bleeding from him, his spine loosening beneath Caleb's touch, his body pressing forward in a way that was almost teasing. There was a different sort of spark in his eyes, and Eli's hand settled over Caleb's heart.
"I don't care." Even if Caleb went back, his own life would mean nothing to him now. He couldn't face a world where Eli was only a dream.
Eli's head cocked to one side, considering, and he said, "I believe you." Then he slid his hand to the nape of Caleb's neck, rose up onto his toes and tugged Caleb down so that he could press a reverent kiss to Caleb's temple. "Very well."
"What do I do?" Caleb asked when Eli withdrew.
Eli gave him a cryptic look, then twisted easily free of Caleb's hold, as though the unyielding grasp were no force at all. He regarded Caleb silently for long, slow seconds. Finally he raised his arm, held his palm up in the space between them. His smile was soft and genuine.
"Take my hand," Eli said.
Without hesitation, Caleb obeyed.
Fin
About the Author
Yolande Kleinn may be a shameless dreamer and a stubborn optimist, but she is also a proud purveyor of erotic romance. Excitable, fastidious and a little eclectic, she spends every spare moment writing the stories she wants to read. These range from the historical to the modern to the downright fantastic, always with plenty of heat along the way.
A Minnesotan by both heart and geography, Yolande has a lot of experience weathering tough winters. The best methods involve hot beverages, warm blankets and a book to devour late into the night. When the story in her head is more distracting than the story on the page, an empty notebook will do just as well.
You can find Yolande online via her website: http://www.yolandekleinn.com
Restless Shadows, Waiting Roads Page 5