Read Online And Call Me in the Morning by Willa Okati - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Willa Okati
Tags: M/M Contemporary, Source: Amazon
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his mind's eye the strawberry of a love bite he'd left over Zane's pulse. Zane fingered it even as Eli watched. Unconsciously? Perhaps so. Made him want to relent, but some things he couldn't do. Not even for Zane.
Christ, he hadn't thought this far. Should have. Last night, the in-versus-out question hadn't even entered his mind.
Mistake.
Zane turned to Eli, laser stare out in force. Eli found he appreciated it far less than usual at this moment. “Either you tell me or face the consequences. Like maybe I don't come over tonight.”
There. That'd give any man impetus to spit it out. “Not at work.” Eli put a sideways step's worth of distance between them. There. He felt better already.
Not so much when he registered the quick flash of hurt on Zane's face. “Not at work?” Zane echoed, taking back that step.
“I'm not joking.”
Zane frowned. “Didn't think you were.” He sighed and stopped. “Okay, okay, I get it.”
“Do you?”
“Trust me.” Zane fingered the side of his neck. Contrary prick. “It's not as big a deal as you're making it out to be. We're all over each other all the time. It's going to look stranger if we suddenly start playing keep-away.”
At least he understood. Eli relaxed a fraction. “I am what I am, Zane.”
“You and Popeye.”
“Regardless.” Eli wished he could rewind and restart this conversation from the beginning. Maybe not let it unravel on him this time. “I'm not sorry,” he said, lowering his voice to barely above a whisper. “Not about what happened. But it's my business. Not anyone else's.”
“Hmm,” Zane said, without elaborating.
Eli waited. No way Zane could hold anything in for long. He'd suddenly started to get a nasty suspicion that that particular aspect of Zane's character might prove problematic. But they were friends above all. Zane would respect that, wouldn't he? Always had before.
Then again, things were changing, weren't they?
Eli closed the distance between them, as he would have two days ago. “Don't get pissed. You knew how I feel about broadcasting my business.”
“Sure I do.” Zane flipped the chart shut. “Here's the thing, Eli. It's not just your business. It's mine too.”
Eli's words escaped him. Damn. The truth of that couldn't be denied. He should have thought about this. Really, really should have. “Zane—”
Zane had already moved on, the clouds past the sun they overshadowed, leaving blue skies behind. Somehow Eli didn't buy it. “Relax, don't worry. We'll work it out together. That's the deal, right?”
Eli's breath escaped him in a sigh of relief. “Thank you.”
“Don't thank me,” Zane said, proving Eli's suspicion that this wasn't over yet. “Working it out doesn't mean sweeping it under the rug. I've got a theory, and you're going to listen to it because I am your friend as much as you are mine and you know how I am too.”
Eli couldn't say no to that. Fair was fair. He closed his mouth and gestured for Zane to have out with it.
“Here's what I think,” Zane said, slowly and thoughtfully, gazing off into space at his dozen different options and selecting what he wanted. “You've always been private because, frankly, the stuff you keep to yourself isn't that great. Teasing, harassment, all that joyful material. You've never had anything particularly good to keep to yourself before.”
Damn him.
“So just think about it,” Zane said. He clapped Eli on the shoulder, same as he always would have. Friends and nothing more. Well, if you didn't count the quick rub of his thumb in a less than platonic way. “Until then, I'll be here.” His grin emerged, impish and playful, making Eli feel better about himself.
Eli covered Zane's hand with his own, roughly, fast, but enough. He didn't see this changing anytime soon. Or could he? He didn't know. Seemed like confusion was fast becoming the status
Christ, he hadn't thought this far. Should have. Last night, the in-versus-out question hadn't even entered his mind.
Mistake.
Zane turned to Eli, laser stare out in force. Eli found he appreciated it far less than usual at this moment. “Either you tell me or face the consequences. Like maybe I don't come over tonight.”
There. That'd give any man impetus to spit it out. “Not at work.” Eli put a sideways step's worth of distance between them. There. He felt better already.
Not so much when he registered the quick flash of hurt on Zane's face. “Not at work?” Zane echoed, taking back that step.
“I'm not joking.”
Zane frowned. “Didn't think you were.” He sighed and stopped. “Okay, okay, I get it.”
“Do you?”
“Trust me.” Zane fingered the side of his neck. Contrary prick. “It's not as big a deal as you're making it out to be. We're all over each other all the time. It's going to look stranger if we suddenly start playing keep-away.”
At least he understood. Eli relaxed a fraction. “I am what I am, Zane.”
“You and Popeye.”
“Regardless.” Eli wished he could rewind and restart this conversation from the beginning. Maybe not let it unravel on him this time. “I'm not sorry,” he said, lowering his voice to barely above a whisper. “Not about what happened. But it's my business. Not anyone else's.”
“Hmm,” Zane said, without elaborating.
Eli waited. No way Zane could hold anything in for long. He'd suddenly started to get a nasty suspicion that that particular aspect of Zane's character might prove problematic. But they were friends above all. Zane would respect that, wouldn't he? Always had before.
Then again, things were changing, weren't they?
Eli closed the distance between them, as he would have two days ago. “Don't get pissed. You knew how I feel about broadcasting my business.”
“Sure I do.” Zane flipped the chart shut. “Here's the thing, Eli. It's not just your business. It's mine too.”
Eli's words escaped him. Damn. The truth of that couldn't be denied. He should have thought about this. Really, really should have. “Zane—”
Zane had already moved on, the clouds past the sun they overshadowed, leaving blue skies behind. Somehow Eli didn't buy it. “Relax, don't worry. We'll work it out together. That's the deal, right?”
Eli's breath escaped him in a sigh of relief. “Thank you.”
“Don't thank me,” Zane said, proving Eli's suspicion that this wasn't over yet. “Working it out doesn't mean sweeping it under the rug. I've got a theory, and you're going to listen to it because I am your friend as much as you are mine and you know how I am too.”
Eli couldn't say no to that. Fair was fair. He closed his mouth and gestured for Zane to have out with it.
“Here's what I think,” Zane said, slowly and thoughtfully, gazing off into space at his dozen different options and selecting what he wanted. “You've always been private because, frankly, the stuff you keep to yourself isn't that great. Teasing, harassment, all that joyful material. You've never had anything particularly good to keep to yourself before.”
Damn him.
“So just think about it,” Zane said. He clapped Eli on the shoulder, same as he always would have. Friends and nothing more. Well, if you didn't count the quick rub of his thumb in a less than platonic way. “Until then, I'll be here.” His grin emerged, impish and playful, making Eli feel better about himself.
Eli covered Zane's hand with his own, roughly, fast, but enough. He didn't see this changing anytime soon. Or could he? He didn't know. Seemed like confusion was fast becoming the status
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