“I will abide by the agreement,” Will said without emotion, “but I maintain little hope. Good night, sir.” He turned on his heel and left the living room, returning to his bedroom. He sat for several minutes on the edge of his bed, staring at the floor. The memory of Eli’s embrace was burned into his consciousness. He would never forget how Eli touched him and how good it felt. Will would also remember how Eli belittled and embarrassed him. He’s a big cat playing with a little mouse, and he will keep playing until it isn’t fun anymore. “Why is it that he can make me feel like this, stirring up emotions and needs that I don’t have time for right now?” he said out loud. It was probably the stress and uncertainty of the entire situation that had him so off balance. Will needed to get his bearings and figure out what Elijah really wanted. Eli is keeping me here for a reason other than collateral. What sort of satisfaction is he after and what part will I play in his quest for such?
Will was suddenly jolted out of his considerations by the telephone ringing. He had a telephone in his bedroom and was duly impressed. Will recognized Katrina’s whiny tone instantly.
“I’m sorry, Will,” Katrina began and then sobbed. “I didn’t know what to do. He was letting me go, but I had to leave before you arrived.”
“That’s not what he told me. He said it was your choice to leave before I got here. I would like to have spoken with you before you hung me out to dry.” Will was sharp and impatient.
“I was afraid he might change his mind if I took too long.” Katrina’s explanation was feeble. “I knew you would do this for me. It’s just until the thirty-first. He really wants you there.” She was rambling, trying to come up with something that Will would accept. “The exchange was his idea. He spoke with you on the phone, and then I told him about you, and then he demanded that I get you to Montana.”
“Why didn’t you warn me that I was going to be a prisoner here?” Will was barely holding his temper.
“I didn’t know that part. I didn’t know he was going to keep you and let me go until today.” She sounded sincere, but Katrina was an impeccable liar. Will remained doubtful of her ignorance.
“He came back to the ranch after helping you change your tire, and he told me to leave.” Katrina’s voice picked up a high pitch that she used when she thought she wasn’t being believed. “I’m telling you the truth. You can ask him yourself.”
“What are your plans?” Will decided to move on to a more practical and important issue.
“I don’t have $500,000. I have no idea what I’m going to do.” Will knew that statement to be the truth. “I have to return to the ranch by the thirty-first and give him all that I have, which isn’t much. My bank account is less than $10,000, and I haven’t much property.”
“Just remember to come back, please,” Will said firmly.
“I’ll figure something out, and I’ll be back. I promise,” Katrina assured him. It was a shallow pledge, but it was better than nothing.
Elijah went to bed earlier than usual. He lay there thinking about nothing except the young man in the bedroom next to him. It was obvious he wasn’t going to get much sleep tonight. His mind continued to analyze Will’s every word, his every action. Will had a lot of anger in him, he noticed. No one knew anger and its destructive capacity more than he did. His thoughts drifted back to the living room. Will felt so right in his arms. If Mrs. Coleman hadn’t interrupted, who knows what might have happened. Will had responded to him; he tried to resist, but it didn’t last. Is he sincere, or is he playing me? He would find out in time. No one could maintain a facade of conservative purity for too long if it was not truly part of their character. He smiled ruefully and drifted to sleep.
In his own room, Will could hear a whimpering sound. Someone was in distress. “Where are you?” he asked. Their cries were so clear, but he couldn’t find them.
“Will, Will, wake up.” Who was that calling for him? There was someone with him. He woke with a start to see Eli leaning over him. He was seated on the edge of Will’s bed, and his hand was stroking his face.
“Elijah? Where am I?” was his first response as he quickly sat up.
“You’ll remember as soon as you’re fully awake, and you can call me Eli,” he said. He moved closer to Will and gently smoothed his hair back from his face. “What were you dreaming?”
Will stared at him for a moment before realization hit him, and with it came a sudden rush of embarrassment. He glanced at the clock; it was 2:48 a.m.
“I‘m sorry that I woke you,” Will said apologetically, his eyes taking in the soft smile that barely curved Eli’s lips yet shone brightly in his eyes. He looked different, gentler, in his cotton pajama bottoms and ruffled hair. Will liked this look, although the sight of Eli’s bare chest, with its dusting of black hair, and the blatant masculinity of his muscles caused his heart rate to quicken a bit. Will averted his gaze back to Eli’s dark eyes that were, at present, studying him closely.
“What were you dreaming?” he repeated.
“I was picking blueberries,” he began, struggling to recall the content of his dream, “I was with my family and then all of a sudden I was alone in the woods and it was dark. Then this black bear came out of nowhere and started chasing me. I kept running and running, but every time I looked behind me, he was still right there on my heels. I eventually found myself lost and alone in a dark forest. I heard someone calling out to me, but I couldn’t find them.” He was slightly breathless from reliving the dream. “Thank you for waking me.” Will gave him a weak, grateful smile.
“You’re welcome.”
Eli slipped his arm around Will and pulled him closer. Will looked up at Eli and instantly knew what was going to happen, and he did not object. Quite the opposite, actually. He brought his hand up and rested it on Eli’s warm chest with its tantalizing, silky-smooth, tanned skin. Slowly he moved his hand across to Eli’s shoulder, feeling the muscles and sensing the tension as Eli lowered his head toward him.
“I promise you, Will,” he said, his voice a husky whisper, “if you’re going to be eaten up, it won’t be by a bear.”
Eli kissed him long and deep, and Will kissed him back enthusiastically. He wrote off his inability to resist him to the weakened state of his mind and body. Having been awakened abruptly from a frightening dream, he simply wasn’t thinking clearly. With his guilt and responsibility pushed aside, he wound his arms around Eli and pressed himself against the hard wall of his chest. Eli reciprocated immediately with arms that bound them together with such force that the breath was squeezed from Will’s lungs. Will’s growing erection pressed hard against his boxer briefs as Eli gradually laid him back against the pillows, his mouth continuing its unrestrained exploration of his face and then trailing down Will’s throat. Will ran his fingers through Eli’s thick, black hair and held him, reveling in the sensations Eli was provoking with his mouth, his hands, and his body as he pressed Will into the lush comfort of the pillows with the weight of his body.
Gradually, rational thought began to overcome Eli’s need. He really did not know this man. He shouldn’t get this involved. As much as he believed he was in control, he knew that Will’s desirability was overwhelming him. His heart was thudding, and he was breathing as if he’d just run a marathon. He shifted as his hard-on brushed against Will’s thigh, eliciting a gasp of pleasure. With great strength of will, Eli pulled himself away, far enough to break the searing contact with his body.
“Oh, Will,” he groaned. “You should never have sent Katrina to do the gold digging.” His words cut across the bleary haze in Will’s mind. “Never send a girl to do a man’s job,” Elijah stated. “You, my darling, are much more adept at the skills required to capture a rich husband.”
Will lay there in stunned silence. How could this hateful man be the same man who was so gentle and loving a few minutes ago?
“Next time, Will, do the gold digging yourself. I guarantee you will hit the mother lode.” With that, he stood up and threw the blanket
up to cover him. He walked toward the door, and Will watched his back in stunned silence, still trying to come to grips with what had just happened. Eli turned around before leaving and said, “Good night, and sleep well.”
“Go fuck yourself, you miserable pig,” Will answered in shockingly strong language, and Eli turned back to regard Will’s cold expression.
“I’ve been called worse.” His tone was no longer sarcastic.
“Color me surprised, now get out of my room,” Will declared, shutting off the light.
Chapter Three
Morning came very quickly. Considering the fact that Will thought he’d never fall asleep again, he actually slept quite soundly. He didn’t wake until the sun came through his window and shone on his face. It took him a few minutes to remember where he was and remember the events of the previous evening.
The memory came on him like a physical blow. He groaned and with effort, pulled himself out of bed to stand at the window. In the yard below, he saw several men standing together talking. One of them was Elijah. He looked up at him as if he knew Will was watching him. When their eyes met, he raised his hand in acknowledgment. When he did that, the other four men instantly looked up at his window. Will glared at Eli, quickly closed the curtain, and stepped back out of view. He went back to the edge of the bed and sat down to think. It was but a few minutes before he heard a gentle knock on his door. It was such a light touch, he assumed it was Mrs. Coleman and said, “Come in, it’s open.” To his consternation, Elijah entered. He was dressed in jeans and a chambray shirt, both of which were worn and dusty. He must start his day very early, Will thought in passing.
“Good morning,” he said and walked over to sit down beside Will on the bed as if he had every right to be there. How dare he act like nothing happened? His belittling words of the previous evening were still very fresh in Will’s mind.
“Good morning,” Will responded as he ran a hand through his hair in order to try and bring it under better control. He didn’t look at Eli; instead he kept his gaze on the floor in front of him.
“Sleep well?” Eli inquired nonchalantly.
“Better than I expected, thanks for your concern.” Eli continued to act as if life was normal, and it annoyed Will to no end, although he refused to let it show.
“Martin and I are going to the south range this morning, and we probably won’t be back until late this afternoon.” He turned to look at Will as if he was waiting for a reply, but Will just continued to stare at the floor.
It was safer that way, or so Eli thought. Will was very far away from him right now, and Eli could feel it. He was cutting himself off and building a wall that would be, in time, impenetrable. Eli wanted desperately to touch him, to lay his hand on Will’s thigh, to put his arm around him, feel his lean torso, anything, but Will would not allow it, he knew that much. Everything about him screamed, “Leave me alone.” He had humiliated Will last night. It had seemed necessary at the time, but now it just seemed… cruel. His thoughts last night that Will was scheming to get him into bed in order to blackmail him as his sister had done to Martin now seemed absurd. The silence hung there for a while. “I’m sorry about last night,” he stated.
Will still did not look at him, but was surprised by his apology. Does he mean it, or is he going to follow this statement with another painful insult? He waited to find out before speaking.
“Not for kissing you,” Eli clarified with feeling. “For those I make no apologies.”
Will appreciated the fact that he didn’t try to touch him, although he sensed that Eli wanted to, but he was probably wrong. I’m not his type, he thought. Eli might enjoy tormenting and embarrassing him, but that was all there was to it, or so he convinced himself.
“I’m sorry for what I said. I’m sorry if my words hurt you.” He didn’t elaborate any further. He got up and started walking back toward the door. Making apologies seemed pretty foreign to him. Will doubted he did it very often.
“Mr. Hunter,” Will called to him as he was leaving. He stopped at once and returned to the room. “May I go to town and pick up a few things? I wasn’t originally planning to stay very long, and I didn’t pack much.” It galled him that he had to ask his permission to leave the ranch.
“Of course,” he said. “Be back by dinner, and please… call me Eli.”
“Yes, master,” he replied sarcastically.
Eli grinned. “And don’t you forget it,” he said as he closed the door behind him. Will had still refused to look at him, and it bothered him more than a little.
“Well, this has certainly been a wonderful beginning to my stay,” Will said out loud to himself in disgust. He showered and dressed casually in simple jeans and a T-shirt. Thoughts of Eli’s kisses, both of them, and his own behavior, invaded his mind constantly. He tried desperately to push them away and think about something, anything else, but they kept returning, as did the unmistakable tightening in his groin. There was nothing he could do to change the past twenty-four hours, but he did have control over the next month, making sure it never happened again. Keep my distance. Remain aloof. Be strong.
He was well aware that it was Eli who had stopped the progression of their encounter last night. If it had been left up to him and his flimsy resolve, he would probably have awakened this morning beside him. Where did that wanton behavior come from? He never acted like that. In the two and a half years that he and George were together, never had he felt heat like that. The sex was monotonous and boring; lots of thrusting, but little passion. Other than that, there was nothing more than a few less-than-spectacular kisses. Why was it that he had so little control with Elijah? I don’t even like the man, so why is my dick still hard thinking about him? “Whoa, slow down!” he chided himself. No way did he want anything like that from Elijah Hunter. The man was cruel and heartless. To become involved with someone like him would be sheer hell. He has made it clear that he has no respect for anyone and certainly no respect for me personally.
“All I have to do is make it through until the thirty-first and then get the hell out of here.” He said this out loud as he prepared to leave his bedroom and venture to the kitchen.
“Good morning, Mrs. Coleman,” he said, more cheerfully than he was feeling.
“Good morning, William.” She looked at Will and smiled graciously. She was washing and cutting vegetables and preparing what looked to be a stew. Must be for dinner, Will speculated as he took a mug from the counter and filled it with wonderful-smelling black coffee. He took the first gulp and savored it. The first cup in the morning always tasted the best.
“Can you sit for a while and talk?” Mrs. Coleman asked.
“Sure. I’m going to town to pick up a few things, but I have all day for that.” Will sat down at the breakfast table, and Mrs. Coleman dried her hands on her apron and joined him.
“I was so glad to hear that you would be staying, at least for a while.” She sounded sincere, but Will had his doubts.
“Do you know why I’m staying?” Will asked, uncertain if Elijah would have shared the entire story with her.
“Yes,” she answered, “Katrina left and you are staying in her place.”
“It all seems pretty weird, doesn’t it?” Will took another long sip of his coffee.
“What do you mean?” Mrs. Coleman asked curiously
“A couple of days ago, I didn’t have a care in the world, and look at me now. I couldn’t be in the middle of more trouble and confusion if I tried.” Will took another sip and then speculated, “If I hadn’t answered the phone last Saturday, I wouldn’t be in the situation I’m in now. I need to get that thing disconnected.”
“It will all work out for the best, I’m sure,” Mrs. Coleman sympathized. “Try to look at it like a vacation and enjoy yourself.”
Will wondered if she was referring to the scene that she interrupted last evening. Will smiled at the simplicity of Mrs. Coleman’s statement. He decided that he liked this woman. She was obviously very loyal to
Elijah and his brother and would never say a word against them, but she also tried to put the best face on what she recognized as an uncomfortable situation. She was loyal, but she wasn’t blind.
“Vacation… hmm… I’ll try to do that.” Will chuckled. What worried him was the part that Elijah Hunter had to play in this vacation of his. He finished his cup and poured another.
“Elijah won’t do anything to hurt you,” Mrs. Coleman stated, as if reading his mind. “He’s worked hard to get to where he is. It has not been an easy road for him… ever.” She sighed. Will kept silent, hoping that she would continue. “He was only eighteen when he took custody of his nine-year-old brother. It wasn’t easy taking on the responsibility for the health and welfare of a child. He raised him well, though, taught him to be strong and honest and to be a man.”
Signed and Sealed Page 5