All Bets Are Off

by Marguerite Labbe

  Ash slid his fingers into Eli’s hair again, tugging his head back so he could feast on Eli’s throat. “Damn, your hair is such a turn-on,” he murmured against his skin.

  “I feel the same way about your freckles.” Ash intoxicated him, from the way he smelled to the way he tasted. Desire and need raced in his blood, turning him inside and out. They moved faster, the thrusts becoming harder, and Eli moaned.

  Ash’s mouth heated his skin, and then his other hand tunneled in Eli’s hair as he claimed his mouth in a torrid kiss. Eli groaned, his breath coming faster, his heart pounding wildly. He scratched his nails lightly over Ash’s ribs and smiled as he shuddered and broke the kiss with a low growl.

  Eli smiled into those gleaming green eyes and straightened, crying out softly as the motion seemed to settle Ash’s cock deeper inside of him and it brushed against that spot that sparked pure sensation. “Oh fuck,” he breathed, his head falling back as he rode Ash.

  “You’re so damn sexy,” Ash murmured. He gripped Eli’s hips, fingers flexing against his skin as he rocked up. “Faster, Eli.”

  Eli dragged his hand down Ash’s chest, finding it hard to think and to remember what he was after. He circled his hips, twisting as each hard thrust hit his spot right on and pushed him closer to the edge. Sweat dampened their skin, harsh pants and groans filling the air.

  “Let me watch ya stroke yourself, Doc,” Ash said in a rough voice.

  Eli shuddered as his fingers closed around his cock. He was so close already, and the new friction only added to it. Hot shivers raced through him as his balls tightened. “Dammit, Ash.”

  “Don’t stop,” Ash said, lifting himself up enough to steal a kiss. “You don’t know how hot you look when you touch yourself.”

  Ash was making him come out of his skin. Then Ash’s arms came around him, and Eli cried out as he found himself sprawled out on his back again. How the hell did he keep doing that?

  Ash surged into him hard, and Eli arched against him with a ragged, strangled groan. His fingers dug into Ash’s back as his legs wrapped around him, and with two more hard thrusts, Eli was lost. The tension in him shattered and his orgasm tore through him with stunning force as Ash murmured to him, brushing his lips across Eli’s jaw.

  Eli buried his face against Ash’s neck, his breath coming in quick gasps as Ash continued to roll his hips, rocking faster. “Oh damn.” He’d meant to drive Ash out of his mind, but Ash was doing a damn good job of driving him crazy instead.

  Eli clenched around him, and Ash shuddered in response. “So close,” he whispered against Eli’s ear and kissed his temple.

  Hot shivers raced through Eli as the last vestiges of his climax ended. Ash’s cock throbbed inside him in a sweet torment. It was almost too much, though he didn’t want it to end. He turned his head, found Ash’s mouth, and kissed him hard as Ash’s thrusts became more erratic. The muscles under Eli’s fingers tensed, and Ash groaned against his lips as he came.

  Eli stroked his back, long caresses from Ash’s shoulders down to his taut ass, and slid his fingers along the scars on Ash’s ribs. They kissed again, tongues tangling in a lazy dance as their breathing slowed, and Eli’s heart gradually stopped pounding so hard.

  “Seems like we have a draw,” Ash murmured against his mouth, his arms settling around Eli.

  Eli groaned and lifted his head. “What do you want to do about it, then?”

  “How about another bet between us? If I win, we go to Cooper and tell him everything, even my suspicions about Wayne.”

  Eli frowned and sat up. He hated to even consider that, but he resigned himself to the fact that Ash was not going to let this drop. “And if I win, we hold off until I give the go-ahead.”

  “Damn hardheaded, softhearted….” Ash ground out the words as he shifted Eli to the side and sat up as well. “As for what we’re betting on—”

  “Not baseball,” Eli cut in. “I want to enjoy the last games of the season without jinxing my team.”

  “Actually, I was going to suggest something far more interesting for both of us.” Ash gave Eli a wicked grin and leaned over to steal a kiss. “I’m going to seduce you. As long as you hold out, we don’t go to Cooper. When you give in we do.”

  “You cannot be serious. You want to gamble on something as important as that over sex?” That shouldn’t be too hard—what they were doing up at camp was one thing, but when they went back home, all the reasons why they should stay apart were still there. That thought didn’t have the conviction it should.

  “What, you afraid you can’t hold out against me?” Ash sat back on the couch and smirked at him. Smug bastard, he knew how easy it was to get Eli all worked up. “I promise not to knock you out and tie you to my bed. Does that make you feel better? Otherwise, gorgeous, all bets are off, and I get to try anything I want as long as it’s not public.”

  Eli drummed his fingers on the couch arm, looking between Ash and the note on the table. It was only Friday, so he still had two whole nights and days he could be with Ash, unless he wanted to be an ass about that too. “Do we start now or on Monday?”

  A look of regret crossed Ash’s face as he glanced toward the back room they’d been sharing. Damn him. He didn’t have to say anything for Eli to know his decision. “Now. And come Monday, you’d better not disappear on me. I promise not to come crawling into your bed at your house if you promise that we still meet at Dingers on our nights.”

  “Now? You drive a hard bargain.”

  Ash grinned as Eli glared at him. “What’s the point in waiting?” Ash called after him as Eli stalked toward the back to retrieve his clothes.

  “I was enjoying the weekend and I thought you were too.” Eli came back out, buttoning his jeans, only to find Ash waiting for him in the hallway.

  Ash took Eli’s hand and gave him his most charming smile as he kissed the inside of Eli’s wrist. “I was, I still am. But this is important and since your whole point is a delaying tactic—”

  Eli snatched his hand back, feeling boxed-in and manipulated, right where Ash wanted him. Ash was probably thinking of course they could still screw over the weekend because it probably wouldn’t take much for him to cave, and it frustrated the fuck out of him. “We wouldn’t be going to Cooper until the day after tomorrow, anyway, unless you wanted to send him a smoke signal. In case you’ve forgotten, there’s no phone here.”

  Ash’s expression hardened as he glared right back at Eli. “I haven’t forgotten at all. I seem to remember several worrisome hours trying to get a hold of you. What’s got you so pissed?”

  “Now there’s going to be a conflict between us where there wasn’t any before. And I came up here to get away from that shit.”

  “There doesn’t have to be any conflict.” Ash caught Eli’s hand again and tugged him closer. “Giving in will only sting a little, and I’ll make it up to you.”

  Eli pulled away with a growl of frustration and jerked on his shirt.

  “Where are you going?” Ash asked as Eli stuffed his feet into his sneakers and stalked toward the door.

  “To set up the pup tent. I had planned on doing an overnight hike but that changed when you arrived.” Eli pulled open the door, and Jabbers scrambled toward him with a mournful whine. “Just so you know, there’s only room for one man and a dog.”

  “Eli, don’t be ridiculous.”

  Eli ignored him as he rummaged through his Jeep for his camping equipment while Jabbers pawed at his leg. “Want to go camping, Jabbers? That hardheaded man can have the cabin all to himself and I wish him joy of it.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  Ash got dressed and started to put away the dishes, telling himself that Eli would come to his senses. Sleeping in a tent, please, not when there was a cabin right here and the nights now dipped near freezing. Eli was just waiting for him to back down and apologize, to call off the bet so he could have his fun and still get his own way.

  It wasn’t fucking happening. The way he saw it, his way w
as a compromise. It wasn’t like he was asking to have Wayne arrested. The door opened, and Ash turned around and made an aggravated sound when he saw that it was only Jabbers. The beagle let out a mournful howl and cast Ash an accusing glance. “Hey, don’t look at me, buddy. Your dad is stubborn and prickly.”

  He peeked outside, watching as Eli systematically loaded a backpack with the ease of long practice. “He wouldn’t really sleep outside all night when there’s a perfectly comfortable bed in here, would he?”

  Jabbers barked and then trotted off, using his paws to open the screen door. Ash looked around the now-empty cabin. Damn, maybe he’d miscalculated. By the time he finished cleaning up, the sounds outside had ceased and Ash sat down to wait for Eli to come back in. They’d talk and find a way to smooth things over.

  As the darkness outside deepened into true night, the quiet started to worry him. For the life of him he could not picture Eli sitting in his tent, sulking. It was not his style, so what the hell was he still doing outdoors?

  Ash drifted to the window and frowned when he didn’t see Eli’s tent in the yard. Moments later he had his boots on and a quick recon of the perimeter of the cabin confirmed his fears. The bastard had disappeared, and with his long legs he could cover a whole lot of ground. He could be fucking anywhere.

  Swearing, Ash got some camping gear together for himself and set off after Eli. It took Ash over an hour to track him down, and it might’ve taken him even longer if Jabbers hadn’t met him halfway. When they emerged into the little grove, Ash was cold, hungry, and very glad to see Eli sitting in front of a small campfire.

  “Traitor,” Eli muttered to Jabbers, but there was no real rancor behind it, and the look he gave Ash was more wary than angry. It robbed Ash of his own irritation. “I thought you weren’t going to come crawling into my bed.”

  “I thought you said that tent was only big enough for you and a dog.” Ash slung his pack down by the fire and dug out some beef jerky. “I brought my own sleeping bag, thank you.”

  “You didn’t have to follow me.” Eli reached for a small pot hanging over the fire and a moment later handed Ash a hot cup. “The tea’s a little strong.”

  “Yes, I did. It would’ve been utterly ridiculous for me to stay behind in the cabin while you were out here.” Ash wrapped his chilled hands around the mug and let the heat seep through.

  “I didn’t realize you had so much stiff-necked pride,” Eli murmured.

  “Are you trying to piss me off again?”

  Eli poked at the fire with a stick, sending up sparks. “No. I’m sorry.” He poured himself a cup of his own and stretched out his legs as he sat back against the log. “Tell me you didn’t come out here to argue again.”

  Ash took a sip of the bitter, unsweetened tea. It tasted like crap, but Ash welcomed the spreading warmth in his stomach. “No, I didn’t. Thanks for the tea.”

  They sat in silence, drinking, as Eli petted Jabbers. Ash yawned, feeling more comfortable now that there was something in his stomach and he was beginning to feel less numb. Without a word, Eli doused the fire, making sure he had every last ember out. “You’d be much warmer if you went back to the cabin.”

  “Drop it, Doc. If you can rough it, so can I.” Ash followed Eli into the small tent and laid out his sleeping bag. They rustled around in the dark, shifting for space that wasn’t really there while Jabbers lay in a contented ball at their feet. Ash brooded up at the canvas ceiling, only a few inches away from his nose, and listened to the sound of Eli’s even breathing. How the hell was he supposed to bridge this new distance between them when Eli was so damn cool and remote? Anything he did would make it seem like he was trying to push the bet, which would only drive Eli further away.

  He was on the verge of calling off the bet and figuring out another way of getting Eli to go to Cooper when Eli turned around and brushed his lips over Ash’s face. “That was an apology, not an invitation,” he murmured.

  Ash grinned and curled his arm around Eli’s waist, hauling him closer, sleeping bag and all. “This is an apology too, not a come-on.” He kissed the side of Eli’s neck and drifted off to sleep. When he woke up in the morning, the tent was empty and he could hear Eli moving about outside. His tendency to wake up at the buttcrack of dawn was a serious abnormality.

  He stuck his head out of the tent with a groan and met Eli’s solemn gaze. “You couldn’t have stayed snug and warm for another couple hours?”

  “I’m heading back to Amwich. You’re welcome to use the tent or the cabin if you want to stay.”

  “Eli, we have another night before we have to head home.” Ash dug out his boots. “I thought we apologized last night.”

  “That was for my snide remark, and maybe because I might’ve worried you again when I left.” Eli checked over his gear and then slung the pack over his back. “It wasn’t me giving in, unless you want to drop the bet.”

  “Would you go to Cooper without it?” Ash laced up the boots, sparing a glance for Eli, who looked away. “Thought not.”

  “If you’re going to back me into a corner like that, then you have to work to win that damn bet. I’m not going to make it easy for you.” Eli tied his sleeping bag into a tight roll and attached it to the bottom of his pack. “I’ll see you in class on Monday.”

  Every sound seemed amplified a thousand times in the middle of the night. Wayne pulled his truck to a stop in front of Eli’s house, and the crunch of tires on gravel made him wince. He had to get that damn note. What had he been thinking? He was asking to get into real trouble now.

  Eli had to have read it. That’s why Wayne hadn’t been able to find the damned thing in his office yesterday. He’d waited till the weekend so he could do a thorough search without worrying that someone would catch him. Wayne prayed that Eli had left it at his house before heading off to his camp. He’d be able to search all night.

  Once he found that note he’d burn it and then it would be over. Eli would wonder for a while, until no new demands came, and then eventually he’d forget about the whole incident.

  Wayne fished the keys he’d made out of his pocket and gingerly stepped out of the truck. The house was dark and quiet. The light that Eli usually left on in the kitchen while he was gone must’ve burnt out. A light wind rustled through the trees and through piles of dry leaves, mocking his nerve. He wiped a hand across his sweaty brow and stuck the key into the lock.

  The door swung open, and Wayne paused in the open doorway to allow his eyes to adjust to the darkness within. A skittering of claws on the floor and a happy little bark of welcome was the only warning he had. A black, brown, and white blur barreled through his legs, almost knocking Wayne down. “Oh no!”

  Wayne’s heart skipped several beats as his insides seized up with ice. Oh, for fuck’s sake, couldn’t something go right just once? His heart began slamming in his chest as he eased the front door closed again. Eli had come back early. He never came back early. Any second now Eli was going to come charging down those stairs, and he’d be caught.

  He ran to his truck, shoulders hunched, as if to make himself smaller. Jabbers was nowhere in sight. Damn fool dog. Eli would get him. Jabbers always listened to him. Wayne tore back down the mountain and didn’t start to feel safe again until he’d reached his own home. It was seriously time to give up this criminal bullshit.

  Eli jerked out of sleep from the combined racket of something screaming with an unholy shriek and Jabbers baying his head off. For a moment he was disoriented and it took him a minute to remember that he wasn’t at the camp anymore, nor crammed in his tent with Jabbers. He was back home in the dead of night.

  “Jabbers?”

  Eli tossed back the blankets as the scream intensified, and his heart pounded until he realized that the racket came from outside. How the hell had that dog gotten out again? He ran downstairs and grabbed the shotgun out of the cabinet before flipping on the outside light and heading out the back door.

  The cold slapped him hard, reminding
him that he wasn’t wearing anything more than a pair of thin sleep pants, and the frigid ground bit into his bare feet. Jabbers barks changed to high-pitched yelps of pain, and Eli followed the sound, dashing toward the shed. The door stood ajar, and Eli clearly heard the sounds of a scuffle, paws skittering on concrete, the scream of a fisher cat, and Jabbers’s growls.

  Eli kicked the door open wider so some of the light spilled into the shed as he raised the shotgun. He whistled sharply, his eyes intent on the glittering eyes in the corner. “Jabbers, come.”

  Jabbers must have decided he’d had enough of this battle because for once he immediately turned tail and bolted. The fisher cat scuttled forward a few feet, mouth open and sharp teeth bared. Its little eyes didn’t look rabid, but Eli decided not to take the chance. He slid the shed door closed as the animal screamed again.