by Tinnean
Eli stared at him with humor, ease, and admiration in his expression. “So why were you playing such dire and depressing tunes?”
“Mrs. Coleman told me you were returning in the morning,” he said, hitting back.
“Thoughts of me inspire the funeral dirge?” He started laughing and pulled Will into his arms for a firm squeeze. “I missed you. I missed you quite a lot. My days were not the same without your sharp tongue and… your hard body.” He kissed Will on the top of his head and let his hand slide down his body, molding him to him. “Didn’t you miss me, William?” he teased.
Will didn’t know what to say. He was busy fighting his reactions to Eli’s embrace and feared he might say the wrong thing. In the end he decided to tell him the truth. “If I say that I missed you, then you will believe that I am simply trying to work my way into your affections and your bank account. If I say no, then you may take offense and decide to forego any agreements and take my property.” He leaned back from him in order to look in his eyes. “I don’t know what to say to you that would be acceptable.”
Eli simply stared at him for a few moments before responding. “For now, I will accept your indecision.” Eli marveled at his honesty. It would have been easy for Will to simply say yes or no, but he told him the truth, even though it highlighted his own vulnerability. Ask Will a direct question, and you will either get silence or the truth, but you will never be told a lie. Now if only he would trust me the way I have grown to trust him. “I will ask you again later, and then I want a definitive answer, either yes or no.” He laughed but he was completely serious. He let Will go and stepped back. “Good night, sweetheart, I’ll see you in the morning.”
He watched Will as he ascended the stairs. Will glanced back several times with a look of chagrin, but said nothing more. Eli had learned a lot about him these past few days. He had spoken with several contacts who had dug up a considerable amount of information for him. He had learned that Will had excelled in school, was highly thought of by everyone who knew him, and that no one could understand why his parents treated him the way they did. He’d been cleaning up his sister’s messes for years and had never asked for or received anything in return except more grief.
Eli had returned early from the business meeting because he hadn’t attended the business meeting. He’d left Martin to handle whatever arose and gone off to Michigan to speak with the lawyer who handled the Drakes’ last will and testament. He also met with some of the extended family and old business acquaintances. The lawyer had given him a copy of the will. It hadn’t been entirely legal, but wealth and connections do at times come in handy. Eli had not read it. He felt it was not his business, but he wanted William to read it—no matter what it said, Will needed to see it if he wanted to move on with his life. The lawyer also gave him a strong box that was locked. Apparently his parents had left him the box and its contents, but he had never accepted it. The lawyer had tried on several occasions to deliver it, but William kept putting him off. What does he fear? Eli wondered.
Elijah was acting very strange tonight, Will thought as he readied himself for bed. His manner was playful and easy even after he insulted him. He’s planning something, he concluded. “Tomorrow will bring another battery of tests, no doubt,” he mumbled and pulled the blankets up to cover his head.
THE KNOCK was hard. It sounded as if the door might give way if the knocking persisted. Will woke with a start and sat up in bed. “Come in.”
“Did I wake you?” Elijah strode in with that same smile.
Will squinted up at him. “Yes, but I should be getting up anyway.”
“Good… pull yourself together and have breakfast with me.” His smile remained, and his eyes traveled over him several times. “Meet me in an hour,” he stated hopefully. Will nodded.
Will went through the motions of showering and dressing, his mind in another time, in another state. Last night, for some reason, he had begun to think about his parents’ will. Elijah had put the idea in his head that perhaps he should read it; perhaps there were things in it which he should be aware of. Finally, Will pushed it all from his mind; the pain of the past was too much right now. He had other matters to deal with—his parents and his past could wait. Right now he needed to find a way to get away from the Hunters and still keep his home. So many games, so many tests. Will I pass them all? Or will I somehow fail and lose everything? The pressure was so intense; he found that he woke this morning with a pounding headache.
It concerned him, how easily Elijah was able to read him and get under his skin. Will would have to guard himself much more carefully than he was already doing if he wanted to leave here unscathed. His thoughts then roamed to the evening of the proposal.
Elijah’s proposal was preposterous, but for a few moments he had been taken in. Eli had admitted it was just a test to see how desperate Will was, but he had sounded so sincere… or maybe Will just wished it so. I must keep in mind that men like Elijah Hunter don’t fall in love with ordinary guys like me. He could have and probably had had every man he ever wanted. There was no rational explanation for why Eli would pursue him except that he wanted retribution. He wants to make us pay, somehow, some way, and painfully. He considered all the ways Eli could hurt him if he allowed himself to fall in love with him. The thought caused him to physically shudder, and his headache intensified.
Eli was waiting for him at breakfast. Will looked in the mirror and saw a very worried and tense individual. It had been nearly one hour since Eli’d left, and he had just now finished getting dressed. Would he wait longer than an hour or would he just leave? Will wasn’t sure why this concerned him.
It was almost an hour and a half before he finally made his way to the kitchen. He didn’t immediately see Elijah so he thought he had probably left. “Good morning, Mrs. Coleman,” he said as cheerfully as he could.
“Good morning, William.” Mrs. Coleman quickly poured him a cup of coffee.
“Thank you.” He took a long drink and savored it. “Tastes wonderful,” he commented.
“May I get you some breakfast?” Mrs. Coleman asked.
“No, thank you. The coffee is all I need.” He smiled and took another drink. “The coffee I make at home never tastes this good.”
“It’s the well water. Makes it smoother, I think,” Mrs. Coleman said and sat down with William at the table. “Elijah had to leave,” she remembered after a few moments. “He was waiting for you, but there was a problem of some sort that he had to attend to. He asked me to apologize for him.”
“Sure, that’s fine,” Will told her. “It makes no difference.” Will appeared unaffected, but that was far from how he was feeling. Why is it upsetting me that Elijah didn’t wait? Why should I care? It’s all just one big test, a game. He had to be careful and remember not to take anything as truth.
“He is rarely ever in the house at this time. I was so surprised to see him here waiting for you.” Mrs. Coleman was attempting to reassure him of his interest, or so Will assumed. “He is very taken with you, William.”
“I doubt that,” he stated too coldly. “He’s just entertaining himself at my expense.”
Mrs. Coleman’s expression was shocked. “Elijah is certainly not entertaining himself,” she stated firmly. Will was confused as to why Mrs. Coleman would take offense at his comment.
“I’m sorry if I offended you,” Will interjected.
“I’m not offended.” Mrs. Coleman stood and refilled Will’s mug. “Elijah cares for you. I have known him most of his adult life, and I can tell you that he has never treated anyone the way he treats you. He wants to get to know you better. He’s truly sorry for believing you and Katrina were in on the blackmail scheme together. He knows that you are innocent, and believe me, William, his are not the actions of a man entertaining himself.” Mrs. Coleman made her point clearly, but Will was still not buying the package.
Of course she would defend him. He was her employer, and she had a lot of respect for him. She woul
d justify anything that he said or did, so Will decided to change the subject.
Will asked if there was anything that he could help her with, but Mrs. Coleman assured him that everything was taken care of and that he should perhaps tour the grounds and get a better perspective of the ranch and the people who lived here. Obviously she doesn’t like my current perspective, Will thought, as he took her advice and went for a walk.
The air was fresh and clean, and the sun shone brightly. It was a beautiful day. Will was walking past one of the outbuildings when he noticed a young man running toward him, and he stopped to let him catch up.
“Mr. Hunter would like you to meet him in the large stable,” he said and pointed toward the building to which he should go.
“Why?” Will asked, unconcerned. He refused to be at Elijah’s beck and call.
“Not my business, sir,” he responded casually, but with a small grin. He then tipped his hat and headed in that direction.
He expects me to follow him, Will thought stubbornly. It’s not going to happen, he stated to himself as he headed in the opposite direction. “If Mr. Hunter wants to see me, then he can come to me. Besides, as far as he’s concerned, I’m just an angry, bitter, isolated brother of a blackmailer. He doesn’t trust me or respect me, so why try to kiss up now? Everything I say or do will be held against me,” he said loudly to the empty path in front of him. His thoughts continued to rage on about Elijah’s condescending and controlling attitude until he found himself at the edge of a small stream. Checking his watch, he realized that he’d been walking in one direction for nearly forty minutes.
I might as well rest for a bit before heading back, he thought and found a comfortable tuft of grass beneath a large willow tree to relax. It felt so good to be by himself with no one watching, no one judging. The sound of the rushing water over the rocks and the wind through the treetops lulled him into closing his eyes, and gradually sleep overtook him.
From far off in the distance, he could hear a dog barking. It seemed like a dream at first, but the sound grew nearer and nearer and louder and louder until he was brought back to awareness and came fully awake. Disoriented, he jumped to his feet and looked around. It was a few moments before he remembered his walk and the stream. Will checked his watch and was startled to realize he’d been asleep for nearly two hours.
“William!” He could hear Eli calling, but he couldn’t see him, until suddenly a large, dark horse burst out of the underbrush and leapt toward him.
Will stepped back, losing his balance, stumbling against the tree and landing on the ground with a thump. Elijah quickly dismounted and immediately helped him up, hauling Will up against him.
“Do you have any idea how long you’ve been gone?” he asked. His voice was tense with worry but he did not seem angry, which surprised Will. He felt a little guilty for causing Eli concern. “I went for a walk, and I sat by the stream for a while.” He was scrambling for a plausible explanation. “I fell asleep, I’m sorry.” He looked like a complete idiot, and he knew it.
“Am I always going to be looking for you?” Eli said with a hint of humor. He released him and stepped back a few feet; Will missed his support. He leaned back against the tree to steady himself as Elijah moved toward the stream and just stood there looking out at it. “I was worried about you,” he stated without turning around. Will did not respond. “I’m sorry for standing you up at breakfast.” Will stared at Eli’s back, wondering why he would feel the need to apologize to him for that.
“Doesn’t matter,” he said absently. “It’s not important.”
Eli swung on Will, pinning him to his spot with eyes that flashed and burned. “It damn well is important!” he nearly shouted. “Do you really think so little of yourself that you don’t care how you are treated?” Eli was directly over him now. Will was flat against the willow and wishing there was some way to get around it and away from Eli. He was so close that there was no way for him to move without having Eli move first.
“Of course I care! That’s why I didn’t meet you in the stable,” Will answered hotly.
He smiled smugly. “I thought so.”
Will realized then that Eli had trapped him into admitting his motives. Another game, another trick; it never ended.
“That’s why you took off, too, isn’t it?”
Will just glared; there wasn’t any need to answer him.
Eli’s eyes traveled Will’s face, studying every nuance of expression. “You are important, and you matter very much.” Eli continued to watch him, and Will met his gaze but said nothing. This man was trouble. He was too smooth, too knowing. Will could lose himself in this man. His pretense of love and desire was truly ridiculous; Will’s rational mind told him this, but his heart was aching, and his senses needed what Eli was offering. Will wanted him so badly that his hands were shaking with the need to touch him. How was he to defend himself, and how was he going to survive until the thirty-first? None of this was real to him.
“I’m sorry for worrying you and for making you interrupt your day to come find me.” He repeated his apology laced with sarcasm.
“I thought you might have gotten lost. Rob told me that he gave you my message.” Eli smiled down at him. “He also told me that you walked off in the opposite direction. I’ve been riding around looking for you for a while now. Jake, here, is the one who rooted you out.” Elijah patted the large hound sitting at his feet. “Go on home, Jake,” he commanded, and the dog instantly took off.
“Your dog is well trained,” Will commented.
“If only I could say the same for my men.” Elijah laughed at his outraged expression.
“I’m not your man,” Will seethed.
“Ask anybody on this ranch or in this county, for that matter, and they will tell you that William Drake is Elijah Hunter’s man.” He laughed even more deeply and pulled Will up into his arms until he was practically off the ground. “Fight as you may, you cannot escape.”
“You are out of your mind,” Will declared and demanded to be released. He could feel the lean strength of Eli’s body pressed so tightly to his and fought the urge to succumb to him. Every fiber of Will’s being was screaming for Elijah to ravish him, but his mind kept him in check.
Suddenly, Eli picked him up completely, and cradling him in his arms, began walking toward his horse. “Let me go!” Will yelled.
“No,” Eli answered.
“What are you doing?” he said as Eli threw him up into the saddle.
“I’m taking you to lunch,” he answered as he swung himself up onto the horse, directly behind Will. Eli put his arms around him and drew Will up very close to him. “Are you comfortable?” he asked.
“Not very,” he answered unconvincingly. “I feel like I’m sitting on your lap.” To his consternation, he soon found himself rocking back and forth against Eli with every movement of the horse. This shouldn’t be erotic, he told himself, but his dick wasn’t listening at the moment.
“You are,” Eli declared.
He walked the horse through the dense underbrush, but once they were on clear ground, he brought him to a full gallop. Will noticed that his knuckles were turning white due to the solid grip he had on the horn. Elijah held the reins with one hand and held Will tightly around the waist with the other. The faster the horse went, the tighter Eli held him. Will could feel Eli’s breath on his neck and the beat of his heart against his back, and he seemed so calm. His breath was even and steady, as was his heart. Whereas Will’s heart was racing and his breath was catching due to a combination of Eli’s nearness and the speed of the horse. Eli slowed the horse back to a trot after a mile or so, but did not loosen his grip on him.
“I have to meet with my men working on the south fence,” he said, “and then we will have lunch.” He squeezed Will playfully. “Okay?”
“Sure,” he answered hesitantly. Where’s lunch going to be? he wondered. They were miles from anywhere.
They rode up to a group of four men working o
n replacing a section of fence. They seemed very surprised to see Will with Elijah, but made no mention of the fact. Eli jumped down and handed the reins to Will.
“Hold him for me. His name is Buck. I will be right back,” Eli said and walked away toward the men. Will loved being in charge of the horse, although if Buck decided he wanted to leave, Will highly doubted that he would be able to stop him. He was a beautiful animal. Will wished he had the skill to ride him by himself unaided, but he didn’t know the first thing about riding. He watched as Elijah gave directions and some commands to his men and then returned to deftly swing back up into the saddle behind him. He was agile and in command, that was clear. He tightened his grip on Will once again, and they rode off. So what is the game today? he wondered.
First it was the bank card and then the marriage proposal, what did he have planned today? What sort of test of his merit had Eli designed? He seems genuinely happy to be with me, but he is also a very good actor. That proposal the other day could have melted the heart of anyone stupid enough to believe it. It affected me, too, but I’m not that stupid. Rational thought and logic eventually gained the upper hand, and he was yanked back to the reality of his situation. All he could do was play along and hopefully not be taken in by Eli’s false sincerity. One wrong move and he would be paying the price for Katrina’s crimes.
Eli took him to a beautiful location for lunch. It was a large grassy knoll that overlooked a sparkling stream and miles of open range. Elijah spread out a blanket that he’d brought with him and laid out the lunch that Mrs. Coleman had prepared. Will was quite hungry and welcomed the sandwiches and the coffee. They sat there, side by side in silence, for some time before Will, as usual, was compelled to speak.
“What is it you really want from us?”
Eli didn’t answer. He continued to look out over the valley and eat his sandwich.
“You don’t want Katrina to marry Martin. You told me as much on the telephone. You said, ‘She will marry Martin over my dead body’,” Will reminded him. “Katrina does not have $500,000; you know that she has run through all the money and assets that Father left her.” Eli continued to eat and didn’t respond. “My property is not worth $500,000. It might be worth $250,000, but once you subtract the cost of litigation, you will probably end up with less than $100,000 to the good.”