Home

by Dawn Kimberly Johnson

  Dray watched them go.

  “I left some plastic drop cloths in the cellar if you need them, Ilsa,” Tony announced.

  “Here, here! That’s not right,” Dray said, struggling to his feet. “Are you hearing this?” he asked Keith as he re-entered the room.

  “I don’t hear a thing, but don’t get all worked up, Jenkins,” the officer said over the sound of Ilsa expertly sharpening her knives against each other; it was a distinctive, disconcerting sound. “My mates will be here soon to cart your arse to jail. And I’d advise you to sit back down, or I’ll put you down myself.”

  Lyle walked to the front door and locked it. He smiled at Dray as he passed the living room, and Dray gulped and finally fell silent.

  Chapter 36

  ALEC stood watching an exhausted Eli sway in the center of the bedroom. Surrounded by chaos and destruction, he hadn’t shouted or howled or spoken or smashed anything for nearly three minutes. He looked lost, spent, and disoriented: dragging the head of his cane on the floor, his hair wet, and sweat dripping down his face. Alec waited for the right moment, and when Eli went, he rushed forward to catch him. They dropped to the floor in a tangle and clung to each other as Eli sobbed against him.

  “It’s all right, it’s all right,” Alec whispered over and over, stroking his hair.

  Eli didn’t say anything for a long time and then, softly, “I need a new bed.”

  “I understand.”

  “I can’t sleep in that bed again. I need a whole new set, maybe.”

  “Mm-hmm.”

  “Bennett and I picked this set out.”

  “I know.”

  Eli pressed his face into Alec’s chest, breathing in his comforting scent. Alec looked around the room. He didn’t see much that was salvageable. Eli had put two holes in the wall and another crack in the door. He had torn several drawer fronts off and dented most of the others. And one of the last things he did was shatter the mirror hanging on the back of the closet door.

  All of this couldn’t be put at Dray’s feet. He knew Eli was expressing everything he hadn’t when Bennett was killed, and Alec was even more thankful that he’d come in when he did. If not, Dray would have had his way with Eli and—amused with himself—turned his back on him. Eli would have killed him. Alec was sure of it.

  “I used to talk to him,” Eli said in a whisper.

  “What, sweetie? Talk to who?”

  “Bennett… after… he died… I used to talk to him.” Alec remained silent, allowing it to simply come. “Whenever the anniversary rolled around, I’d talk to him more and… and he… he would talk to me.” Eli looked up into Alec’s eyes suddenly. “I wasn’t crazy.” He lowered his gaze again and closed his eyes. “I mean, I knew it was just me… my thoughts, but it made me feel better. And sometimes he would help me work things out.”

  “I understand.”

  He looked up at Alec again. “He helped me work out my feelings about you.”

  “Then I’m in his debt.” Alec continued to stroke Eli’s head. “Do you still talk to him?”

  Eli shook his head as it rested against Alec’s chest. “No. Not since last November, when I came back from his family’s place.” Alec smiled and kissed the top of Eli’s head. “Not since I came back to you.”

  Suddenly Eli inhaled sharply, and Alec thought he was in pain, but then he realized he was reacting to Alec’s injuries.

  “Your hands!” He gingerly touched Alec’s knuckles and grimaced at the dried blood and bruising. Eli tried to get up, but Alec pulled him back down into his arms. “We should get Casey to look at these. You could have broken something.”

  “I’m fine, Eli,” he said.

  “You should ice those. Can you wiggle them?”

  Alec looked at his hands and wiggled the fingers so Eli could see. “Nothing’s broken, and I’ll ice them once you’re taken care of.”

  “I love you, Alec.”

  It was a simple statement—a statement born out of exhaustion and truth.

  “I love you, Eli,” he said, trying to keep the tears out of his voice and holding his man more tightly. My man.

  “D-don’t leave me.”

  “Leave you? Eli, why would I leave you?”

  “I’m a mess.”

  Alec laughed. “You’re my mess, babe.”

  Eli looked around the room. “I’ve made a mess.” They laughed together.

  “YOU shouted for me?” Casey asked when she opened the door.

  Alec nodded, and she and Ilsa entered. “He’s in the shower,” he said.

  “Still?” Ilsa asked as she looked around at the devastation.

  “Yep. He’s vomited a couple of times, but he’s better. I just wanted Casey to look him over… maybe we can find something to help him sleep, and I’ll take him to my room—my old room—for the night.”

  “Sounds good,” Casey said.

  Alec sat on the bed and began to rub his eyes. “What’s going on out there?”

  “They took Dray away.” Ilsa glanced at the bathroom door. “How did Eli do?” Alec looked at her with exhaustion and confusion in his eyes. Ilsa sat on the bed next to him and placed her hand on his knee. “With… with Keith gathering the evidence, his statement, the pictures and… and all?”

  Alec shuddered. “Actually that sent him into the bathroom the first time, but he came back and finished up.” He looked up at Casey and then Ilsa. “But I don’t know if Eli wants to prosecute.”

  Ilsa shook her head and smiled. “Doesn’t matter. Mickey charged Dray with sexual assault.”

  “What?!”

  “Apparently Dray wouldn’t take no for an answer from him, either.”

  Though stunned, Alec nodded thoughtfully. “He was at Tony and Lyle’s party the night Mickey freaked out.”

  “Get this,” Ilsa said. “Dray heard Bishop was a lawyer and tried to secure him as counsel.”

  “You’re joking.”

  “Nope,” she said, smiling. “Bishop calmly told him that he was unable to defend him, but he would be happy to handle his estate were he to die in prison.”

  “Ilsa!” Casey said. She tried but couldn’t stop herself from smiling.

  Ilsa continued as if her girlfriend hadn’t said anything. “And before they took him away, he was mouthing off, saying, ‘they’ll never convict me’ and ‘Eli wanted it’.”

  “How cliché,” Casey said.

  “That son of a bitch!” Alec added. He tried to make a fist, but his fingers were too stiff.

  “I told him he had better be convicted, because I have an ex-girlfriend with a hog farm just outside the city.” Alec just stared at Ilsa, not understanding. “They’ll eat any and everything,” she assured him.

  The ensuing laughter covered the sound of the shower shutting off, so they were surprised to see Eli standing in the bathroom doorway, a towel wrapped around his waist, watching them.

  “Oh, sugar!” Ilsa said, rushing over to him. Casey joined her, examining and frowning at the dark bruise and other marks around Eli’s neck.

  “Here, come sit on the bed,” Casey said as she walked him over to Alec, “Scooch over!” she commanded, and Alec did as he was told while the women hovered around his boyfriend.

  “Could someone get ice for Alec’s hands, please?” Eli asked.

  He sounded exhausted.

  “MMM, you smell good,” Alec said, wrapping one arm around Eli as they began to ascend the stairs to the attic room.

  “I used your soap,” Eli said. “That sandalwoody-chocolate-vanilla stuff.” His eyes were droopy, and he leaned heavily on Alec for support as they slowly made their way up. “You left some in my bathroom last time you showered there.”

  “Mmm, then I do smell good,” Alec said, and Eli smiled.

  Ilsa stood at the foot of the stairs watching them go. She was soon joined by Tony, Lyle, and Casey.

  “Where do you need us, Ilsa?” Lyle asked.

  She looked at him and then at Casey and Tony as they stood wai
ting.

  “Eli’s room.”

  They all stood their ground until Eli and Alec were out of sight. Then they moved into the room and began cleaning up.

  ELI lay in bed listening to Alec in the shower and watching the steam sneak under the door. He glanced at his bruised knuckles from where he’d struck Dray. His hands were nothing compared to the way Alec’s looked. He remembered watching Alec beat Dray. He was afraid he was going to kill him; after all, Eli certainly wanted to when he’d come back to himself. He shivered and glanced at the bathroom door again, wishing Alec would finish and come to bed.

  The water cut off, and he heard the glass door moan as it opened. Shortly after, Alec exited the bathroom with a towel around his waist, vigorously drying his hair with a smaller one. Eli smiled at the gorgeous man before him.

  He couldn’t believe he’d almost let Alec get away by being stubborn over the idea of finding their own place and lying to him about Dray. A flat all on one level and a bed and bedroom he could share with Alec every night was terribly appealing.

  “I thought you’d be asleep by now,” Alec said.

  “I wanted to wait for you,” he said, watching Alec remove the towel from his waist and slip into a pair of sweat shorts before climbing into bed next to Eli. He snuggled down under the covers and tangled his feet with Eli’s. They kissed, and Eli’s hand lingered on Alec’s waist. “I’ve been thinking,” he said, drawing his fingers along Alec’s side, making him shiver.

  “About?”

  “Me moving in with you.”

  “I thought you were against that.”

  “Just fear talking,” he said as he pushed Alec onto his back and slid on top of him. “The fear of things changing, fear of the unknown, but lately, I’ve realized what I fear most is losing you.” He stroked Alec through his shorts and kissed him until they were both breathless. “Make love to me,” he whispered.

  Alec grabbed Eli’s arms and held him at arm’s length. “No.”

  “What?”

  Alec stared into Eli’s confused eyes, then gently drew his finger across the bruise on his neck. Their eyes met again.

  “I need you to understand something,” Alec said softly. “You’re not going to lose me, whether you live here with Ilsa or not. I’m not going anywhere. Do you hear me?” Eli nodded. “I understand you have a lot of history here… history with Bennett and Ilsa, and I don’t want you to let go of that until you’re ready.”

  “I’m ready.”

  “Hear me out—”

  “Alec, I dread the thought of sleeping in that room again, and, honestly, I’m not sure I left much of it standing.” Alec laughed. “I’m tired of sleeping without you, and you can’t drag me up these stairs every night.”

  “If you’re sure—”

  He leaned in again for a kiss, but Alec held him off.

  “What is it?” Eli asked.

  “I will happily hold you all night, but that’s all.”

  He pulled back and stared at Alec. “Why?”

  “I don’t want what happened tonight mixed up in your head with you and me. Can you understand that?”

  He didn’t like it, but he understood it. “You’re the psychologist, love.”

  They wrapped up in each other, and Alec laughed to himself a few moments later when he realized Eli was sound asleep. He pressed his lips to his head, breathed him in, and then drifted off.

  Epilogue

  ELI let the hot water cascade over him, pounding loose the tension and fatigue his body held and rinsing them down the drain. His day had started early with a new client and several of the student’s classes, which involved introducing himself to and chatting with each instructor afterward. Then he worked out at the gym and grabbed a quick lunch before joining Alec, Stacy, and Chuck for a trip to St. James Park.

  He had sat on a bench and watched Alec run himself ragged chasing and playing with his niece and nephew, the children giggling themselves into limp-bodied hysteria. When his boyfriend was properly exhausted, he joined Eli on the bench to marvel at the boundless energy of the two youngsters.

  Unfortunately, a call from Hammersmith Hospital had ended their fun. Now on the call list for sign language interpreters, they apparently needed Eli’s skills right away, so the two men had kissed goodbye, the kids got hugs from their Uncle Eli, and Alec took the little ones back to Ilsa’s to hand back over to their parents.

  The family had settled nicely into the one guest room Ilsa and Casey had completed for their bed-and-breakfast project. There was much more work to be done throughout the property, but with Lyle and Mirabell pitching in, they’d be officially open for business in a couple of months. Ilsa and Casey had both cut back on their hours to devote more time to the endeavor. Eli had never seen them so excited, especially Ilsa, as now she would have a continuing stream of people to take care of and cook for—an ever-changing family.

  He smiled to himself as the soothing hot spray washed over him. The novelty of the different shower settings had worn off after three weeks, but he had his favorites. He wasn’t expecting Alec home for a while because, after taking time out in the middle of his day for their get-together in the park, his boyfriend—his partner—still had paperwork to finish at the university.

  Eli slowly began to soap himself, meditating on the various contours and textures of his skin: the smooth, unblemished areas, the coarse hair, the scars, the hard muscle, and his stubbled face. He closed his eyes and imagined Alec touching him in all his favorite places, grinning as his hands wandered over his skin, eventually lingering between his legs, where he quickly grew hard. He raised his face to take the shower’s blast directly and sighed again, but when his leg twinged—still disagreeable from his workout—he bent to massage the stiffness out of it.

  Surrounded by the hot steam and warmth within the giant glass box, he suddenly felt a temperature drop at his back, but he didn’t turn around. He simply rose up, holding his breath and waiting in nervous anticipation.

  “Hi, babe,” Alec whispered in his ear as he wrapped his arms around Eli, pulling him back against his chest.

  “Hey!” Eli started with a laugh. “You’re still dressed, you nutter!” He spun in Alec’s arms to face him. “What the hell are you doing?” He couldn’t stop grinning as he watched Alec’s shirt and trousers become completely soaked through, his hair hanging wet and limp under the onslaught from the showerhead. Eli reached up and lifted Alec’s hair out of his face so he could see his eyes.

  “I took my shoes off,” Alec explained, pointing down, “but I didn’t want to miss this opportunity.” He reached for Eli again and pulled him in for a quick kiss. “My family’s only been here since Sunday, but I’m already dragging.” Eli shuddered as Alec’s belt buckle—still cooler than the surrounding heat—brushed against his tummy. They kissed again, melting into each other, Eli feeling his insides quiver and his knees threaten to give way as their tongues played off each other.

  “We’ve got Stacy in Paris tomorrow,” he panted during a pause in the action. “Tonight we should take—”

  “—some time for ourselves?” Alec finished.

  Eli nodded, passed the soapy loofah to Alec, and smiled as he began unbuckling his boyfriend’s ruined trousers. For his part, Alec eagerly took over cleansing duties. He drew the sponge over Eli’s shoulders and down his back, and then Alec smiled as he reached behind and swirled it over the firm curve of Eli’s bottom, pressing it briefly between his cheeks and causing Eli to gasp and giggle at the sensation.

  “I didn’t expect you home so soon,” Eli said. “Thought I might have time to make some dinner.” Alec tossed the loofah to the floor, replacing it with several fingers, and began to massage around one of Eli’s favorite places.

  “Were you thinking of me before I got here?” Alec asked, glancing at Eli’s erection.

  “Maybe,” Eli said, just as he managed to free Alec’s cock. “Looks like you were thinking of me too.”

  “Definitely,” Alec whispered b
efore kissing him tenderly. He held Eli’s hands to support him as they moved toward the bench, where Alec shed his clothes, letting them pool at his feet. Eli shoved them out of the way with his foot and carefully straddled Alec’s lap.

  Alec’s hands ran up and down Eli’s sides before coming to rest at his waist. He steadied Eli as his boyfriend positioned himself over Alec’s cock. Their gazes locked as Eli slowly lowered himself onto Alec, his eyes rolling back in his head and fluttering shut as Alec stretched him, his lips parting and a crooked grin playing at his mouth. Alec watched, mesmerized by the beauty of the man on top of him. Then Eli began to rise up and down, gradually increasing his pace.

  When Eli opened his eyes, he found Alec’s shut tightly in concentration, his bottom lip caught between his teeth as he fought to last for him.

  “Look at me,” Eli said.

  And Alec did. They smiled at each other, gasping and moaning to an almost simultaneous climax. Then they kissed hungrily, panting as though only the other held the oxygen they each needed desperately.

  As their breathing returned to normal, Eli caressed the sides of Alec’s face, looked into his eyes, and whispered, “Welcome home.”

  Read the beginning of Eli and Alec’s story in

  http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com

  About the Author

  DAWN KIMBERLY JOHNSON is a graduate of Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia, where she grew up and still lives. For eight years she worked as a copy editor at a daily newspaper before heading west to Oregon in search of adventure. After eight years there, five of them good, she returned home where she is trying to regain her health and still hoping for the best.

  Visit her LiveJournal at http://dawnkj63.livejournal.com/. You can contact her at KimsWritingAgain@yahoo.com.