Captivating

by Onley James

  Calder didn’t answer right away, just looked to Shep who gave a single nod. “No, kid. I have plans of my own. I think Shep can handle the night shift.”

  As soon as the door shut, and they were alone, a shiver slid along Elijah’s spine as Shep walked towards him with purpose. “What’s going on?” he managed, his voice pitchy and breathless.

  Shep captured his mouth in a kiss that curled Elijah’s toes, crowding him against the door and slipping his hands beneath Elijah’s shirt. “You’re cold,” Shep murmured against his lips.

  “It’s cold outside… and raining,” Elijah mumbled.

  “Come on. Let’s get you warmed up.”

  Elijah didn’t protest as Shep led him to the shower. The hot water sluicing over his skin made him moan, but Shep’s soapy hands made him hard. He worked over every part of Elijah squeezing his aching muscles and teasing over his cock. Elijah just leaned against him, enjoying Shep’s pampering. He could definitely get used to being bathed. He smiled at the thought.

  “Tonight’s the night, rabbit.”

  It took a moment for Shep’s words to penetrate. “For what?”

  “Tonight, you’re going to tell me his name.”

  A jolt like electricity shot through Elijah’s body, his heart racing. “Tonight?”

  Shep nodded, pushing his wet hair from his eyes so he could see Elijah’s face. “Yes. Do you agree?”

  Did he? He’d begged Shep to make him tell just days ago, but now… now he wasn’t so sure. He knew Shep would never hurt him physically. He was sure of that. But he also didn’t know if there was any force on earth that could get his tongue to loosen enough to say his name. He’d built a wall around it so high it seemed insurmountable. But he had to try, right?

  “Rabbit?”

  “I agree,” he managed feeling lightheaded from the shock of adrenaline.

  They finished their shower and Shep dried them off, first Elijah, then himself. Elijah just stood there, a statue on the outside, but inside a bundle of nerves. This was the first time he could remember where he wouldn’t have total control during their sexual encounters. It scared him, but it also excited him a little.

  He let Shep lead him to the bed, and they both lay down, Elijah on his back, Shep on his side, his head on his hand, looking down on him. “I will not restrain you. You’ll be able to see me the whole time. I won’t hurt you. But I’m also not going to stop until you give me the name. Do you understand?”

  I won’t hurt you. Of course, he wouldn’t. Elijah nodded, but some part of him couldn’t imagine whatever Shep had in mind working. But there was no harm in trying… he hoped. He didn’t want to disappoint Shep.

  Shep kissed him first softly, then with more intent, before trailing over his jaw and throat, his hand skimming over Elijah’s chest, his thumbnail flicking over Elijah’s nipple until he sucked in a sharp breath. His gasp turned to a moan as Shep bent to lick and suck one stiff peak and then the other.

  “Shep,” he whispered, not even knowing why, just needing to say something in the moment. Shep didn’t answer, he was too busy. He’d shifted to kneel between Elijah’s knees, spreading his legs, dragging biting kisses over Elijah’s ribs, the vee of his hip bones, burying his face in the crease of his thighs, licking at the delicate skin there, the burn of his beard warring with the softness of his tongue.

  “Oh, fuck. That’s… oh, that’s nice.”

  Shep chuckled and Elijah blushed. Nice? It was more than nice, Shep’s rough hands squeezed the muscles of his calves and feet, before dragging his lips over the bones of his ankles, lifting his leg to lick behind his knees. Elijah’s cock twitched at the unexpected assault, his body trembling at the tenderness of Shep’s attention.

  When Shep’s hand finally wrapped around Elijah’s semi-hard erection, he moaned. “Oh, God. Yes.”

  Shep captured his mouth in a kiss, working his cock until it was hard and leaking, Elijah rocking up into his touch. Then his hand disappeared. “What… ” Elijah started before trailing off.

  “I need the name, rabbit. You ready to tell me yet?”

  Elijah whimpered. That. His face crumpled, and he shook his head. “I can’t.”

  “That’s okay, baby. We’re just getting started.” Elijah melted as Shep gave him a much dirtier kiss. “What do you need, rabbit?”

  Elijah’s head swam. “You, your hands, your cock. I just need you to touch me.”

  Shep’s fingertips skimmed along his belly, cupping his balls rolling them in his palm. “Like this? Is this what you need?”

  Elijah sobbed. “No, I want your hand on my cock. Jerk me off.”

  Shep’s lips trailed along the shell of his ear. “I want that too, rabbit. I want to get you off more than anything. But I can’t until you give me what I want.”

  Elijah whined, miserable. He was on fire as Shep touched him everywhere but where he wanted it. “It’s not working. Please, Shep. Please.”

  Shep ignored his cries and started his torture all over again. It was maddening, Shep’s palms skimming over his chest, his thighs, his balls, but never his cock. Shep kissed his way along Elijah’s body, mapping the planes and angles with his tongue, biting kisses along his inner thighs, lifting his legs to trace the backs of his knees.

  Only when Elijah’s cock was swollen and flushed a deep red did Shep take him back in hand. But it was just another tease, he barely touched him, his grip loose, his strokes slow. Elijah was panting, sweating, his whole body felt like one live wire. When he started to rock his hips, desperate for some much-needed friction, Shep’s hand disappeared.

  “Please,” Elijah whined.

  Shep kissed him gently. “Just tell me his name, rabbit. Tell me his name and I’ll let you come. It’s that simple.”

  Elijah opened his mouth but once more his body betrayed him, and words evaded him. He pounded his fists against the mattress, frustration knotting his insides and wetness springing to his eyes. “I can’t.”

  Shep gazed down at him, his face soft, his expression so understanding tears trailed down Elijah’s cheeks. “This isn’t going to work. I can’t do it.”

  “Shhh. We’ve got all night, rabbit. There’s so much more of your body I’ve yet to explore. You’ll give me the name eventually.”

  Elijah’s body flushed as a sob escaped. This was so embarrassing. What was wrong with him? Nobody cried over a hand job. Even if it was the world’s slowest, most erotic hand job ever. Shep gave him another kiss before sliding down to lie between Elijah’s knees to start his erotic assault all over again.

  This time his hands stroked his calves and ankles, his lips dragged along his inner thighs. Shep bent Elijah’s legs, folding them back so he could suck at his balls, lick the space just behind, his tongue teasing over Elijah’s hole. Elijah fisted the sheets, his breath coming in rough pants. It was all too much, and not enough. His cock felt like it might burst, like a strong wind would be enough to send him over the edge, but as the minutes ticked by, it became clear Shep would explore every part of him except his aching erection.

  When one slick finger rubbed against his entrance he moaned, embarrassed by his neediness. “Yes, please. Oh, fuck. Yes.”

  Shep slid a finger into the first knuckle but nothing more, just another tease, another fresh new way to torment him. Elijah’s frustration turned to anger as he tried to push himself down on Shep’s finger, only to have it disappear.

  “Fuck!” He whined, his face contorted with anger, tears streaking down his cheeks. “Please. I can’t do this. I can’t say it. It’s not working. It won’t work.”

  Shep was beside him in an instant, his lips against his ear, his finger still teasing at his hole. That nagging tease. Pushing in just enough, but never where he needed it. “You can. It’s just a name. It doesn’t have any magical powers. There’s nothing to stop you. Just tell me his name and it’s all over.”

  Shep’s finger pushed deeper skirting over his prostate, making Elijah’s cock leak and Elijah whimper. “I ca
n’t. I can’t.”

  Shep kissed Elijah slowly, his tongue probing Elijah’s mouth in time with his finger which would glance over his prostate one moment then massage it the next, with no discernible pattern until Elijah was full on begging, forcing his hips down on Shep’s finger. “Please. It’s not working. Please, Shep. Please. I need to come. I need it. It hurts.”

  Shep kissed his lids and his cheeks, his nose and his lips, but he didn’t let up his assault on Elijah’s senses. “You can do it. You will.”

  He withdrew his fingers, his palm wrapping around Elijah’s cock once more, that same slow, loose grip, only, unlike moments before, he’d sometimes tighten his grip, twisting at the top, swiping the precum from Elijah’s tip and feeding it to the boy.

  “Please, Sam” he sobbed. “It hurts. I need to come.”

  “I know, baby. I know. You will. You will. Just give me the information. Tell me what I want to know, and I’ll let you come.” Elijah whined when Shep’s hand disappeared. “Come on, rabbit. Don’t let him win. Don’t let him have this power over you. Let me make you feel good. Give me what I want. It’s just a name. I will not stop. This isn’t going to stop. I can keep it up all night.”

  “David Cane.” The name tumbled out so quickly Elijah sucked in a breath, certain Shep had willed it past his lips like some kind of wizard.

  “That’s good, rabbit. That’s so good.”

  When Shep wrapped his hand around Elijah’s cock this time it was slick with lube and tight enough that two short strokes had Elijah coming hard enough to coat his own lips and chin with his release. When Shep released him, Elijah burst into tears, mortified but unable to stop himself. Shep wiped his tears away, licking the cum from Elijah’s skin.

  Elijah clung to him, his brain and body exhausted, but still not ready to let Shep go. Elijah felt vulnerable, untethered, like Shep had shaken something loose and now he couldn’t find his footing. “Fuck me, Sam. I need you inside me. Please. I need you.”

  Shep didn’t protest, said nothing at all. He just slipped two fingers inside Elijah, then three, before easing his cock inside. Elijah sucked in a breath at the invasion. Shep was so big, filled him until there wasn’t room for fear or anxiety or pain. There was just the heavy weight of Shep’s body on top of him and the fullness of Shep inside. There wasn’t room for anything but the two of them.

  Shep seemed to understand that this wasn’t about getting off again, it was about needing Shep to chase away the demons he’d forced to the surface. There was nothing hurried about it, Shep just rocked into him, slow and steady, like a metronome, kissing Elijah deep, giving him exactly what he needed. A connection.

  Elijah tried to savor it all, Shep’s damp skin beneath his palms, the sound of his panting breaths against his ear, the way his hips fell off rhythm as he came, growling against Elijah’s ear, “Fuck, rabbit. Fuck.”

  When Shep went to pull free of Elijah’s body, he stopped him. “No, don’t. Not yet. I’m not ready yet. Don’t get up,” he begged, hating how needy he sounded.

  Shep pressed a kiss to Elijah’s sweaty forehead. “I’m not going anywhere, rabbit. I promise.”

  Elijah clung to that promise. He needed to believe it, because despite what Shep said, the name did have power and Elijah was certain that now that he’d uttered it out loud, he’d resurrected him from the past where Elijah had buried him ten years ago.

  Once Shep was sure Elijah was out, he slipped from the boy and from the bed, snagging his phone off the side table. He tugged his sweatpants back on and headed to the living room before dialing Calder. “David Cane,” Shep barked as soon as he heard Calder answer.

  “Spelling?”

  “Unknown, but he’s an acting coach. One good enough to convince Lucifer it would elevate Elijah’s already thriving career ten years ago. There can’t be that many around. I need everything you can find on him including where he is now.”

  Calder was silent for a long moment. “Uh, I’m not saying no, but I need to know exactly what you plan on doing with this information once you have it.”

  Shep shrugged even though Calder couldn’t see him. “That depends on him.”

  “Listen, man. I understand that you probably got a mighty need to separate this motherfucker from his testicles, but you can’t go flying off the handle. You can’t help Elijah if you’re in prison. Also, you won’t be doing him any favors if you beat this piece of shit into a coma. You’ll just make Elijah a social pariah. This guy clearly has connections with people like Leonard Medford and while you probably don’t give a fuck about being famous, I watched Elijah on set today. That boy clearly loves what he does. And he’s good at it. Do you really want to fuck that up for him?”

  Shep grimaced. “I want him to sleep at night without having nightmares. I want him to not break out in a cold sweat whenever he sees flower arrangements. I want him to not have panic attacks in business meetings.”

  “Well, if you make a huge public scene, there won’t be any more meetings. His career will be over.”

  Shep rubbed the back of his neck, pacing now. “What do you suggest?”

  “I say we deep dive into these douchebags, find some evidence against them and put them behind bars where they belong.”

  “The statute of limitations has run out for criminal charges. Besides, his mother took a payoff and helped cover it up. I doubt there’s much evidence lying around ten years later.”

  Calder sighed on the other end of the line. “Listen, man. There’s two things I know about pedophiles. One, they don’t stop just because they get caught. Two, they like to keep mementos… tapes, photos, personal items. Whoever this David Cane fuck is, chances are he’s still offending, and he’s keeping souvenirs.”

  Shep remembered something else Elijah had said. “I think he filmed their sessions,” he muttered.

  Calder made a disgusted sound. “Of course he did. Fucking kiddie diddlers, man. I hate these fucking cases. Let me get this shit over to Webster. This guy could be sharing his tapes on the Darknet. I’ll keep in touch. In the meantime, don’t do anything your boy’s gonna regret.”

  “Yeah, yeah,” Shep muttered.

  Shep disconnected and plugged in his phone before slipping back into bed. Elijah stirred, his lids at half-mast. “Who was that?”

  Shep wondered how much of the conversation Elijah had heard. “Calder.”

  “Was he trying to figure out if the coast was clear?” Elijah asked, a sleepy smile on his face.

  He looked so at ease, Shep didn’t want to put the weight back on his shoulders. “No, he was just telling me he wouldn’t be back until morning, but he’ll be there to take you to set.”

  “What do you do here all day, now that Calder takes me to work and guards my body?”

  He didn’t want to tell him the truth. That he’d been working with Webster, trying to dismantle Leonard Medford’s foundation books to find out if he was really paying people off and, if so, why. Elijah didn’t know about any of it and Shep planned on keeping it that way until they had proof.

  “I just power down until you get home,” Shep quipped.

  Elijah smirked. “Is that another robot joke? Still not funny.”

  “I do what I can.”

  Elijah snuggled closer, tucking himself under Shep’s arm, resting his head on his chest. “Do you think I’m overreacting? About backing out of the franchise?”

  Shep shrugged. “I’m not the person to answer that question. I don’t understand fear or panic or anxiety. I’m not made that way. But if being in that man’s presence will make you feel like you felt that day in the conference room, it’s not worth it.”

  Elijah kissed Shep’s chest. “But it’s the role of a lifetime.”

  There was no passion in his tone. It was just something he’d clearly heard repeatedly, probably from Lucifer. “Do you want to make blockbuster movies? Do you want to be a household name? Are you happier now than when you made your last movie?”

  Elijah fell silent but
Shep knew he wasn’t sleeping because his fingers played in the light dusting of hair just below Shep’s navel. Finally, Elijah sighed and said, “I love acting. I hate being an actor. I hate the PR bullshit. I love telling a story. I like roles where people care more about the substance of the story than how pretty I am or who I’m dating or if what I’m wearing is too gay or my voice is too high.”

  Shep asked the question he wanted to ask almost from the beginning. “Why not just take the roles you want? Dress how you want? Speak how you want? Do what you want? Live like you want?”

  Elijah scoffed. “Lucifer would never allow it.”

  “You know you don’t owe her anything, right? Just because she gave birth to you doesn’t mean you’re beholden to her. When has she ever put you first? Ever?”

  Elijah didn’t answer, just rubbed his face against Shep’s skin like he was trying to absorb him or something. “Sometimes I think I’d be happy on stage in some small playhouse where nobody knows my name or in small budget indie films.”

  “Whatever you want to do, I’m with you. Even if you just want to retire from the world and go live in a yurt.”

  Elijah laughed. “That sounds more like your fantasy than mine.”

  Shep smiled. “Yeah, I suppose.” He kissed the top of Elijah’s head. “Go to sleep, rabbit. Four a.m. comes fast.”

  “You’re telling me he’s running these payments not through his charity, but through offshore accounts?”

  Webster nodded at Shep. “Exactly.”

  Shep examined the papers and spreadsheets strewn across the dining room table. “But why? What is the connection between Leonard Medford and David Cane? Why does he keep bailing this guy out?”

  Webster pushed an errant lock of hair from his eyes, adjusting a pair of dark-framed glasses. “I think I’ve found something. This David Cane douche is a ghost. Until fifteen years ago, he didn’t exist. No birth certificate, no social security number. Nothing. I couldn’t figure it out. At first, I thought maybe he was under the Marshall’s protection. You know, like witness protection? Turned state’s evidence or something, got a new name and a new identity, but then I started looking at Leonard Medford’s charity and noticed that for eighteen years he was paying a Lisa Crawford a fifty thousand dollar a month consulting fee.”