the smile, he said, “You know, I prefer a guy as hot as you undressing me instead.”
“Later. If you’re lucky.” Eli produced a medium-gray sport coat. “There.”
“Well?” Eli asked as Quinn stood in front of his mirror a minute later.
Although Quinn was viewing the whole experience as an odd kind of performance, he had to admit Eli had an eye for putting things together.
“It looks nice. Classy.” It felt odd to not be wearing a tie, the V-neck of the sweater exposing his throat.
Eli met his gaze in the mirror. “And not too queer, right?” His lips quirked, then his eyes widened. “They do know? Your family?”
“Yes.” At least the ones who counted as family.
“Well, they will if you walk in with me.” Eli’s eyes narrowed. “Is that why you wanted me to come?”
Christ, he was sharp. Did being a photographer give him an ability to see things better? Quinn smoothed a narrow lapel along his chest. “Will you still come if I say that’s part of it?”
Eli studied him for a minute, their eyes both on the mirror. “They know, but it’s a don’t-talk-about-it thing, is that it?”
Quinn nodded.
“Sure.” Eli smiled. “I like being the center of attention.” He turned away from the mirror and looked directly at Quinn. The assessing stare felt uncomfortably pointed without their reflections as a buffer. After a few seconds, Eli’s eyes softened and he put his hands on Quinn’s shoulders. “I wish I could do something about your hair, but I’m afraid that exceeds my ability.” He reached around to flick at the tiny curl in the band.
With time and a lack of parking an issue, Eli left Quinn driving around the block, promising to be out in fifteen minutes. So Eli almost dropped his towel on his pass through the living room when he found Quinn taking up a huge amount of the tiny space.
“I found a parking spot. Marcy let me in.” Quinn nodded at Eli’s new roommate.
Eli’s friend Casey had gone down to North Carolina to finish her masters in some kind of ology. Eli was glad she’d figured out what she wanted to do, but her replacement had seriously screwed up the household dynamics. If he had to attend another house meeting that turned into a discussion on the proper disposal of feminine supplies—which, hello, he ought to be excused from—he was going to puke. Eli forced a smile for Marcy and darted into his tiny bedroom.
Now that Quinn had admitted why he was dragging Eli along to the family event, he’d already planned what he’d wear, and it only took him a few minutes to throw it on. Long enough though for Marcy to move from the couch to a few inches from Quinn’s nose. God, was she that clueless or just pathetic? Eli came out and slipped his hand into Quinn’s.
Quinn threaded their fingers together. His eyes sparkled as he brought Eli’s knuckles to his mouth to brush a kiss on them. “Ready?”
Eli grinned back. “If you are.”
“Did you forget your eyeliner, Eli?” Marcy’s smile showed teeth.
It was on the tip of Eli’s tongue to ask if Marcy had forgotten the name of a salon to get her eyebrows waxed, but he was trying hard to be nice.
“Thanks for letting me in, Marcy,” Quinn offered, and then they were through the door and down the stairs. “Your housemate. I—”
“Go ahead, say it.”
“God, she’s really a bitch.”
“Damn, now I owe you two blowjobs.” Eli stopped on the stair above and gave Quinn a quick kiss that turned into something a lot longer and nicer than he’d planned. Quinn let Eli do the work, and it felt strange to be the one hanging on and pushing his tongue into a different texture and taste. Strange but good enough to make his gut flood with heat and want. He let Quinn go, studying his face as he straightened. His eyes stayed shut for a second, and when they opened, their attention went right to Eli’s lips.
The look stayed soft as Quinn put a thumb on Eli’s mouth. “I think I’ll try for a week’s
“Later. If you’re lucky.” Eli produced a medium-gray sport coat. “There.”
“Well?” Eli asked as Quinn stood in front of his mirror a minute later.
Although Quinn was viewing the whole experience as an odd kind of performance, he had to admit Eli had an eye for putting things together.
“It looks nice. Classy.” It felt odd to not be wearing a tie, the V-neck of the sweater exposing his throat.
Eli met his gaze in the mirror. “And not too queer, right?” His lips quirked, then his eyes widened. “They do know? Your family?”
“Yes.” At least the ones who counted as family.
“Well, they will if you walk in with me.” Eli’s eyes narrowed. “Is that why you wanted me to come?”
Christ, he was sharp. Did being a photographer give him an ability to see things better? Quinn smoothed a narrow lapel along his chest. “Will you still come if I say that’s part of it?”
Eli studied him for a minute, their eyes both on the mirror. “They know, but it’s a don’t-talk-about-it thing, is that it?”
Quinn nodded.
“Sure.” Eli smiled. “I like being the center of attention.” He turned away from the mirror and looked directly at Quinn. The assessing stare felt uncomfortably pointed without their reflections as a buffer. After a few seconds, Eli’s eyes softened and he put his hands on Quinn’s shoulders. “I wish I could do something about your hair, but I’m afraid that exceeds my ability.” He reached around to flick at the tiny curl in the band.
With time and a lack of parking an issue, Eli left Quinn driving around the block, promising to be out in fifteen minutes. So Eli almost dropped his towel on his pass through the living room when he found Quinn taking up a huge amount of the tiny space.
“I found a parking spot. Marcy let me in.” Quinn nodded at Eli’s new roommate.
Eli’s friend Casey had gone down to North Carolina to finish her masters in some kind of ology. Eli was glad she’d figured out what she wanted to do, but her replacement had seriously screwed up the household dynamics. If he had to attend another house meeting that turned into a discussion on the proper disposal of feminine supplies—which, hello, he ought to be excused from—he was going to puke. Eli forced a smile for Marcy and darted into his tiny bedroom.
Now that Quinn had admitted why he was dragging Eli along to the family event, he’d already planned what he’d wear, and it only took him a few minutes to throw it on. Long enough though for Marcy to move from the couch to a few inches from Quinn’s nose. God, was she that clueless or just pathetic? Eli came out and slipped his hand into Quinn’s.
Quinn threaded their fingers together. His eyes sparkled as he brought Eli’s knuckles to his mouth to brush a kiss on them. “Ready?”
Eli grinned back. “If you are.”
“Did you forget your eyeliner, Eli?” Marcy’s smile showed teeth.
It was on the tip of Eli’s tongue to ask if Marcy had forgotten the name of a salon to get her eyebrows waxed, but he was trying hard to be nice.
“Thanks for letting me in, Marcy,” Quinn offered, and then they were through the door and down the stairs. “Your housemate. I—”
“Go ahead, say it.”
“God, she’s really a bitch.”
“Damn, now I owe you two blowjobs.” Eli stopped on the stair above and gave Quinn a quick kiss that turned into something a lot longer and nicer than he’d planned. Quinn let Eli do the work, and it felt strange to be the one hanging on and pushing his tongue into a different texture and taste. Strange but good enough to make his gut flood with heat and want. He let Quinn go, studying his face as he straightened. His eyes stayed shut for a second, and when they opened, their attention went right to Eli’s lips.
The look stayed soft as Quinn put a thumb on Eli’s mouth. “I think I’ll try for a week’s
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