Dreamspinner Press Year Five Greatest Hits

by Tinnean

Eli drew Will up close to him as they descended the staircase. “How are you getting along with my taxes?”

  “I should finish by Saturday,” he informed him coldly, and then his mind began to wander. Eli looked so handsome in his tight, black jeans and his white, cotton shirt. Will also remembered how handsome he had looked last night in his pajama bottoms and bare chest. His breath caught, and he quickly changed his thoughts away from visual images of last night. Why did I have to fall in love with him? he thought as they entered the dining room together. This could be so easy if I just felt nothing, but it’s not going to be easy. No matter what happens, it’s not going to be easy.

  Dinner was surprisingly quiet. Elijah made a mundane comment about Will’s job back in Michigan. Will defended his position with the farmers’ cooperative without sounding too defensive, or so he hoped.

  Elijah then looked at him with a strange, longing quality to his expression. “What is your dream, William?” His question seemed odd.

  “Personal or professional?” Will asked carefully.

  “Personal,” he replied and pinned Will with his dark gaze as he waited for his answer. The room became deadly still in anticipation of the response. Even Martin was watching him as if truly interested.

  Will contemplated his answer and then stated, “True love and happiness are my personal goals.” He then skidded into his professional goals before anyone could comment. “And my professional goal is to someday own my own business.”

  Will’s candid response surprised him. “Love and happiness.” Elijah repeated his words, savoring the sound they made and the implications they represented. Will looked away, fearing that with those two words, he had accidentally shared too much.

  “Isn’t that what most people hope for?” he covered.

  “No,” Elijah said without hesitation. “Most people are looking for money and fame.”

  “Those would be professional goals, not personal,” he countered, but both Elijah and Martin were emphatically shaking their heads.

  “For many, those are personal goals,” Elijah stated, and Martin agreed. Will didn’t want to go down that road again. It was obvious they were referring to Katrina, so he tried to steer the conversation in a more inoffensive direction.

  “I visited with Kathy Graham this afternoon,” he announced and then went back to his meal. “She’s a very interesting lady, I enjoy talking with her.”

  “I’m glad to hear that,” Elijah stated, barely suppressing a laugh. Will wasn’t very good at changing the subject, but he let it go.

  After dinner, Martin excused himself, and Elijah asked Will to take a walk with him. Will had hoped to disappear back into the study and continue his work for the remainder of the evening, but that dangerous, risky part of him had readily accepted the invitation. The sun was just beginning to set, and the darkness was taking over. It was Will’s favorite time of day. He liked the darkness; it was liberating in the way it cloaked and protected. Darkness was detachment and freedom. Will never understood fear of the dark. You can’t see what’s in the dark, sure, but what’s in the dark can’t see you, either. He smiled at the rambling of his own thoughts, and suddenly realized that Elijah had no difficulty seeing him in the dark.

  “I love it when you smile.” Eli’s arm went around him, and he was held snug to his side once again. They walked on in the direction of the large stable, but instead of going in, they skirted the edge and followed a narrow path. The path went through a cluster of trees and ended near the small paddock. Elijah leaned on the fence and stared out at the night sky. Will stood beside him and stared at him.

  “Why are you doing all of this?” Will’s bravery was coming to a head, so he ventured this question one more time.

  “All of what?” Eli evaded.

  “Threatening Katrina and keeping me captive, for starters,” he said sarcastically.

  “Because I can.” His answer shocked Will. That was what he thought, but he never considered Eli would actually tell him the truth. “That’s what you believe, isn’t it?” Eli voiced Will’s own thoughts, and he was again startled. His tone had taken on a sharpness, but Will didn’t really care. He wanted to have this out.

  “That is exactly what I believe,” he told him with equal scorn.

  Elijah slammed his hand against the fence and turned on Will, facing him with a look of fury so powerful that Will stepped back from him.

  “Why is it impossible for you to accept the fact that I truly care for you?” he demanded, but did not touch him. He remained near the fence, giving Will space but keeping him in one spot. He would have to walk past him to get away or risk running through the woods. The path ended where they stood.

  “Because it is absurd,” he spat. “I have nothing, I am nothing to you, there is nothing here that you could possibly be interested in.” His voice rose to a fevered pitch as his emotional control let go. “I know that you let Katrina go. I spoke to her this morning. I also know what you did to John Gerard, he told me the whole story, so please hold your declaration of undying devotion and use it on someone who is more foolish and more apt to believe it.”

  He stepped closer to Eli as he continued on his tirade. Elijah remained still and silent, yet his rage was evident in his eyes, and it hung heavy in the air. “I know what your game is. But believe me, I’m not going to fall like John. He was unfortunately too stupid to see the truth, or too blinded by the wealthy prospects to even consider the truth. I am neither stupid nor blind, so whatever you have planned, I guarantee it won’t be half as satisfying as you’d no doubt anticipated.”

  Will’s heart was beating out of his chest when finally he fell silent. He saw Eli then, very clearly, and he was instantly filled with dread. He’d gone too far, he’d declared too much. Will tried to step past him, but Eli grabbed his arm and hauled him up against him. Elijah turned him and pushed his back up against the fence as he leaned into him, pinning him there with the weight of his body.

  “For someone who claims to be nothing, you seem to think rather highly of yourself,” he gritted out between clenched teeth. “Personally, I think you are blind and stupid, but then that is probably why I find you so irresistible. Brainy men never did hold much attraction for me.” His sarcasm and put-down hit Will hard, but he said nothing. Eli was on the edge, he could feel it.

  “You have something I want, William, and I will have it.” He crushed Will to him as his mouth took his in a kiss so devastating and painful that all Will could do was hold on to him. His fingers gripped Will’s shoulder and back as he forced his lips apart. He bruised and plundered on his way to satisfaction. Will whimpered and pushed on his chest, but Eli was oblivious to his struggles. He was taking what he wanted. Whether or not Will was willing was of no consideration. His hands were rough and demanding against Will’s skin, but the heat they generated was intoxicating. His hands were everywhere, running up Will’s back, caressing his face, and then slipping down to cup his thigh and pull him into his hardness. Will could feel his lips, hot and swollen, under Eli’s insistent pressure, but he did not demand release. He stopped pushing against Eli and instead gripped the front of his shirt. His ability to take what he wanted was undeniable. Will tried to turn his head, tried to escape the burning, sensuous attack of Eli’s mouth on his.

  As a pained, frightened gasp escaped Will’s lungs, Elijah immediately stopped, startled and appalled by his own behavior. How was it that he’d allowed himself to be pushed to this point? He held Will tenderly as he surveyed the swollen, tender flesh of his lips and his large, dilated eyes, which stared at him as if he were a wild dog. He released him so abruptly that Will stumbled against the fence.

  Will, deeply affronted by Eli’s assault on his already ravaged nerves, pushed past him in an attempt to return to the main house and escape his scrutiny. He didn’t want to hear anything more he had to say. He knew the truth. Elijah stepped in front of him to prevent him leaving, but did not try to touch him. He had something to say. Will waited, but only silen
ce ensued.

  They stood there immobile for several moments before Elijah stepped back and allowed him to go. He watched Will as he ran from him around the side of the stable and back to the house.

  Will composed himself before entering the house, and as casually as possible, headed for the stairway. Please don’t let anyone speak to me, he pleaded as he hurried up to his room. Will desperately needed to be alone. He needed time to think, to cry. He was crying again. I need to get away from here so I will stop crying. I want my old life back. It was boring and predictable, but at least I wasn’t tormented. I want to not feel again. Will sat at the small desk by the window and dropped his face in his hands. As forceful and domineering as Elijah was, he wasn’t really afraid of him. Eli’d had plenty of chances to treat him badly if he’d wanted to. He always backed off when he did; he never pushed it further than Will was prepared to go… until tonight. He kept himself under a tight control where Will was concerned.

  Tonight, Will had felt that control slip, and still he wasn’t afraid. He was angry and insulted, but he wasn’t frightened. Why does he cause me such emotional torment, such anguish? Why can’t I just push him away? He knew that answer as clearly as he knew his own name. As desperately as he’d sought to protect his heart and avoid any emotional involvement, he’d been lost since the first touch. The moment Eli looked at him, the moment he kissed him, the moment they made love, the moment he asked Will to marry him, he had been lost. Will needed to accept that fact and accept the fact that Elijah would never return his feelings. There was nothing more utterly crippling than that overwhelming need and desire to be close to someone. Will had never been in love before and he hoped it would never happen again. He wiped his eyes and stared blankly out his bedroom window. The only recourse he had left was to leave. Elijah wanted retribution and he was prepared to do whatever he needed to, no matter how despicable, in order to achieve it. Will needed to gather what remained of his dignity and walk away. Eli could have his home and his land—at this point, he didn’t care.

  When Will saw Elijah walking across the yard toward the house, his heart skipped. If it wasn’t for that small scrap of dignity that he had left, he would be down there, imploring him to let him stay, to please love him, to please forget Katrina and the contract and the deceit, but that wasn’t possible. Their entire relationship had been based on lies and tricks, and nothing could be built on such a foundation as that. In Eli’s eyes, he was no better than John Gerard. Elijah stopped abruptly when two of his men approached. He seemed angry for the interruption. They were speaking to him, but he didn’t appear to be listening. Finally, he started to yell and pointed at one of the stables. The men looked uncomfortable and off-balance, as if his outburst was something they hadn’t expected and didn’t understand. Elijah looked up at Will in the window and then turned and headed in the direction of his men.

  Will took his empty suitcase from the closet and placed it on his bed. It was definitely time to go. One more day would prove nothing. He began gathering his things from the drawers and tossing them into the suitcase. He took his few things from the closet, but left the black Armani suit. It wasn’t his to take. He decided that he would leave early in the morning, avoiding any scene that might arise from a later departure. He finished packing and set his suitcase in front of the closet door. He left out his pajamas and a change of clothes for the next day, but everything else was packed. He carefully and quietly snuck down to his car and stowed the luggage in the trunk. There might be no time to haul out luggage tomorrow. He was resolved, and he was ready.

  He changed into his pajamas and reluctantly crawled into bed, tension gripping him as he lay there, thinking. Usually once a decision was made, life got easier and clearer; it was indecision that caused all the havoc, but that wasn’t happening. He had made the decision to leave and yet he still ached with confusion. He was finally on the verge of dozing off when someone started to knock urgently at his door. It wasn’t Elijah’s usual one hard knock followed by him entering. This person was persistent in their knocking, but was not bold enough to enter without permission. Will got out of bed and put on a cotton robe before going to the door and slowly opening it.

  “May I speak with you, William?” It was Martin, and he looked very serious. His mouth, which was usually full with laughter, was compressed into a hard line. His eyes, usually bright and snapping, were clouded and dark. Will stepped back and allowed him to enter. He closed the door behind him. “I just saw Elijah,” he began. Will took a seat at the small desk, and Martin sat down on the edge of the bed. They were facing each other, but were several feet apart. “He’s very upset.”

  “What does that have to do with me?” he asked, confused by Martin’s behavior and his comments. Why does he feel the need to discuss Elijah’s moods with me? And why at this hour of the night?

  Martin laughed harshly and stood up crossing to the window and staring out. “My God, open your eyes!” Martin fired at him. “It has everything to do with you.” Will, too, stood up and met Martin eye to eye. He was sick of people questioning his intelligence. He wasn’t afraid, even though it looked as if Martin had more of his brother’s temperament than people realized.

  “When I say he is upset, that is putting it mildly,” Martin continued. He turned around and sat down on the window seat. “It’s one in the morning, and Elijah’s in the garage rebuilding the engine on the old Oliver tractor. Does that sound like a sane man to you?”

  “I don’t know?” Will was cautious in his response.

  “I’ve known my brother all of my life, and believe me when I say that his behavior over the past few days is something I’ve never experienced. I’ve never seen him so helpless and frustrated.”

  “What is this game you’re playing, Martin?” Will cut in rudely.

  “This isn’t a game, William. I admit, as far as Katrina was concerned, it was a game. He was torturing her for a purpose. He wanted her to suffer, and financial pain was the only pain that girl could feel. She is impervious to everything but money,” Martin spat out, but Will did not take offense. Martin’s observations of Katrina were correct—she valued nothing but money and the status it could buy. Will had no doubt that one day Katrina would find and marry the rich man of her dreams. She would settle for nothing less than millions, and she would probably get it someday, because she was willing to do anything for it.

  “But for you, William,” Martin persisted, “it really has never been a game. Elijah brought you here because you infuriated him on the phone. He couldn’t believe your audacity, and yet he respected you for it. He hasn’t been leading you on or pretending to be interested. Everything he said that he is feeling for you is the truth.” Martin was intent on making him understand. “Even the marriage proposal. He said it was a test, but I know for a fact that if you’d said yes he was prepared to marry you. His feelings for you are such that he doesn’t care anymore whether you were part of the blackmail or not. He wants you, William. He loves you.”

  “You’re almost as good an actor as he is,” Will stated without emotion. “If you guys are intent on espousing trust in people, you have a funny way of showing it. I’m done with the games, and I’m done with this ranch. I would appreciate it if you left now.” Will walked over to his door and opened it, waiting for him to walk through it.

  “You’re not John Gerard,” Martin said suddenly. “John is very much like Katrina. Elijah dealt with him. It was harsh, but that’s the way he is. John knew what he was getting into, and he was willing to take the risk. Elijah did what he did in order to protect what’s his.” Martin stopped at the door and looked Will hard in the eyes. “Be honest with yourself: you love him too.”

  Will did not respond. Martin quickly left the room and shut the door behind him. Will could hear his boots reverberating on the hardwood flooring in the hall. His assertions are preposterous. Elijah does not love me. He might be fooling Martin and everyone else here, but he isn’t fooling me.

  Will paced the ro
om over and over. If he left, Eli would take his home and his property. If he stayed, Eli would probably take his home and his property. This game he is playing, he thought, is just an aside to his real intent. He wants to take my home and humiliate me. The truth boils down to simple revenge. He needed to keep his focus on that one fact, because everything else was just a smoke screen.

  WILL WAS asleep at the small desk when the rising sun shone through his window and touched his face. His neck was stiff, and his back was sore as he stretched and stood up. Last night, leaving seemed like the only thing to do, but this morning, it looked like less of a good idea. If he stayed until tomorrow, then he would have fulfilled his part of the agreement. There was a very slim chance that Eli would release him, but a slim chance was better than none.

  His attention was drawn to the sounds in the bedroom next to him. Elijah was getting up. Will wondered what time he’d gone to bed. According to Martin he was hard at work in the garage for most of the night. He probably needs to avoid me for a while. That thought brought a new consideration and a smile to Will’s features. If Eli could avoid him, then he could avoid Eli. He could get through this entire day and not have to see or speak to him. His hopefulness was escalating; if he could manage to dodge Eli for the entire day, he could be out of here without incident by tomorrow. It wasn’t going to be easy; Eli had shown that he was willing and able to find Will whenever he wished. He’d found him at the mall, he found him when he fell asleep by the stream, and he found him when he was visiting Kathy. Eli had no difficulty locating him, but he realized that all of those times he hadn’t been trying to hide. And who knows, maybe he is just as willing to avoid me today as I am him. The game might already be over. Will was jerked from his considerations by a knock at the door. So much for him wanting to avoid me, he thought. Will hurried into the bathroom and turned on the shower before Eli had a chance to enter.

  Elijah heard the shower once he entered the room, and walking over to the bathroom door, he knocked and stated, “I’d like to speak with you when you have the time.” His words were short and blunt. Will wasn’t in the shower, so he covered his mouth with a towel in order to sound muffled and replied, “Yes, sir.”