Angel's Redemption (12 page)

For the first time, Jack talked about Ben and even though he hurt for him, the stories about the survivor's guilt Jack felt was exactly what he needed. Instead of feeling jealous of the love Jack and Ben shared, it made him realize how much Elijah wanted Jack to feel the same way toward him. Elijah already loved Jack. How could he not love such an incredible man and loyal friend? Loving Jack was actually the easy part. Sometimes showing it was another matter.

But as they held each other and talked, Elijah soon came to the realization that his feelings were not one-sided. Sure, he knew Jack really cared about him, but in all honesty hadn't known the depth of those feelings until hours ago.

His stomach growled, reminding him that he didn't eat dinner last night. He looked at the alarm clock on the small nightstand. Just after nine. God, he must have been really tired to sleep in this late, or maybe it was for the first time in… well, forever, that Elijah was able to sleep. The knowledge that something truly special had developed between them made him feel loved and safe.

Loved and safe… hmm… those were some feelings Elijah could easily get used to.

Never in his life had he felt so wanted, needed. Elijah remembered feeling so full and happy that he couldn't resist giving Jack a small kiss. As soon as their lips met, Elijah's heart felt like it was going to overflow from the wondrous feeling of Jack's lips against his own. It was ironic, considering the amount of men he'd been with in his shady past, but for the first time in as long as Elijah could remember; it was a kiss he desperately wanted.

Now he knew he was already becoming addicted to those sweet lips and the way Jack's firm body fit so perfectly against his own. He wanted more of it, more of Jack, and Elijah was excited by the future prospect of it. He hadn't had sex in over two years, and for a while Elijah began to believe that he wouldn't have it ever again. He was tired of being used and seen as some kind of sex object, but with Jack he didn't feel that way and it made butterflies in his stomach from anticipation.

He hopped out of bed with a little spring in his step and walked to the bathroom. He washed his hands and face, grinning at his reflection in the mirror. His hair stuck up at all angles, giving him a serious case of bed-head. He ran his fingers through the thick mass and tried to get it back into some semblance of order.

In the kitchen, Shep was standing at the door, looking at him through the glass with welcoming eyes. Elijah slid open the door and was immediately given a lot of doggie kisses, which made him laugh.

His left ass cheek vibrated and he jumped from the unexpectedness of it. Elijah reached into his back jeans pocket and pulled out his cell phone. He smiled, seeing Jack's number. Quickly, he hit the talk button and brought it to his ear.

"Hey Jack, how are you this morning?"

"I'm great thanks to you, my sweet Eli." Jack's deep voice sounded pleased over the phone.

"I'm sorry I didn't wake up with you this morning."

"I'm glad you didn't. You looked so peaceful I didn't want to wake you. Did you sleep okay?"

"I did, thank you."

"I'm glad. I have a proposition for you," Jack stated.

Elijah's eyebrows raised and he was immediately intrigued. "Oh yeah? What's your proposition?"

"This is going to be my receptionist Lena's last week before maternity leave. I need someone I trust to answer phones and make appointments for me. Are you interested?"

Jack wanted his help? The thought of spending most of the day with him excited Elijah and made him smile. "Are you serious, Jack?"

"Damn serious, cutie. What do you say? Care to work with me for a while?" He could hear the smile in Jack's voice, and his heart fluttered with happiness.

It was wonderful to be appreciated and needed, and Elijah didn't think he'd ever get enough of that joyous feeling.

"I'd love to, Jack. When do you want me to come in?" Elijah did a little happy dance, and Shep barked at his funny antics.

Jack laughed. "I hear we have Shep's approval."

"He's barking because I'm doing a little jig in the living room." He chuckled.

"Hey, no dancing with our dog before you dance with me first, okay?"

Oh my God… he said our dog.

Hearing those words made Elijah dance even more, making Shep run around him barking loudly.

"Okay."

"Can you come in this morning? That way she'll have a couple of days to show you the ropes." Jack sounded tickled.

"I'll get ready and be there within the hour. Is that quick enough?"

"That's perfect. Be careful, Eli. I can't wait to see you."

"Me too and I will."

"See you soon."

"Bye, Jack."

Elijah pressed the end button and ushered Shep back outside. He walked out of the house, locked the door, and jogged quickly to his house. Within thirty minutes he had his teeth brushed and had shaved, showered and dressed. He jumped into his car and headed toward Jack's office, excitement running through his veins and making him sing along with the radio. Soon, he was parking his car beside Jack's Altima. He forced himself to take a deep breath and walk, not run, to the office.

Lena gave him a smile from her desk when he walked in. "I hear you're going to be my replacement for a while."

Elijah grinned back and nodded.

"He's been waiting for you," she teased, winking at him and motioning him to go on back to Jack's office.

He thanked her and walked past her desk to find Jack. As soon as he approached, Jack grinned and walked toward him. Soon, he was enveloped within Jack's welcoming embrace. He wrapped his arms around Jack's middle and held on tight.

He never wanted to let this man go.

After several moments, they pulled away from each other. Seeing those sparkling eyes and kissable lips, Elijah stood on his tiptoes and pressed his lips against Jack's in another chaste kiss.

Jack pushed his lips a little harder against his for a few short seconds before they withdrew. Even though Elijah knew they both wanted a deeper, sexier kiss, this wasn't the time or the place for it.

"Thank you for doing this for me, Eli." Jack grabbed his hands and linked their fingers together.

Elijah loved this happy and affectionate Jack. He silently vowed to keep that sparkle in his green eyes and that smile on his face as much as he could.

"Do you honestly think I would turn down the chance to spend as much time with you as possible? It's I that should be thanking you," he said, giving him a flirty wink.

Jack was smiling so much, his eyes crinkled a little at the corners. "As much as I would love to hug you and kiss you all day, Lena's probably wondering when you're going to return, so she can show you a few things."

"You're right," Elijah acknowledged. He stood on his tiptoes again. "Can I have one more kiss before I go?" He lifted his head up for another kiss.

"You never have to ask, Eli. You can have as many kisses as you wish." Jack leaned down and gave him another soft peck before they pulled away reluctantly from each other.

"I wish for many, Jack, but I need to get to work." He knew he probably had his heart in his eyes, but he didn't care. For once in his life, he was happy and excited by the love he had for this amazing man.

He gave Jack's fingers a slight squeeze before he let them go. He winked and walked out of Jack's office with the memory of his lover's smiling, happy face in his mind.

****

The rest of the day flew by quickly. All day, he sat with Lena and watched her do her job. It didn't look hard. All he had to do was answer the phone, make appointments, send out some correspondence to clients, and do some filing. Elijah watched her and by the afternoon, started to do her duties with her supervision. At lunchtime, Jack ordered a couple of medium pizzas and they all ate together in the spare office. They listened to Lena's excitement over the baby, while giving each other smiles and winks on the side. It was fun being with Jack this way. Flirting with him and just being in his presence made Elijah's day that much brighter.

At five o'clock, a very pregnant Lena was out the door, locking it behind her with a saucy wink. Elijah looked up and saw Jack was standing at his new desk, smiling. "Well? What do you think? Do you think you'll like it?" Jack lightly traced the top of his ear with his fingertip. Elijah nodded and shivered at the ghost of the touch.

He looked up at Jack and nodded. "I hope I do a good job, Jack."

"You will."

Elijah's heart swelled at the confidence Jack had in him. His past wouldn't give many people a lot of confidence in his abilities to do anything but get naked in front of the camera, and he was happy that Jack was able to see beyond his previous mistakes and actually have some faith in him.

"Thank you for believing in me, Jack. I'm not sure I deserve it, but I appreciate it," he whispered. He looked down at his lap, humbled and almost afraid that he would disappoint him.

Jack knelt and looked up at him with a determined gleam in his eyes. "Eli, if we ever want our relationship to evolve into something more, we have to trust in each other, and we also have to trust in ourselves." He placed one hand on Elijah's knee and lightly rubbed it with his thumb. "We both have baggage; we both have things to work through. But I think if we learn to communicate these feelings, we'll start to build a solid foundation to build our relationship on."

Elijah gazed into Jack's open, vulnerable face and nodded. "I know you're right, Jack. On one hand I'm happy and excited to have something special with you. On the other hand, I'm also scared to death."

"Me too," Jack agreed, giving him a sad smile. "I worry that I'm too old for you, and that one day you'll wake up and realize you can do better than a middle-aged widower like me… And that's what I am, Eli. A part of me will probably always miss Ben. I loved him and always will, but I also have a very big heart because there's enough room in there for you too."

Elijah placed his hand over Jack's and they entwined their fingers tightly. "You're not too old for me." He reached out with his other hand and pushed a wayward strand of hair, which had somehow managed to work its way out of the rubber band, behind Jack's ear. "I've never been attracted to men my age, ever. And even if we are in different places in our lives, we'll make it work. As for Ben, I don't want to replace him in your heart. From what you've told me about him, Ben would want you to have happiness and not live a lonely existence. I'm happy to share a part of your heart with him."

Jack's eyes swelled with unshed tears. They were soon in a tight embrace, holding onto each other with a new determination to move forward with their relationship. "I know this is soon," Elijah whispered in Jack's ear, inhaling the faint fresh scent of his cologne. "But I love you, Jack."

Jack pulled away enough to look deeply into his eyes. "I love you, too."

Pure joy radiated through Elijah's body. "We'll take things one day at a time, and everything will work out in the end."

Jack smiled and nodded. "Sounds like a perfect plan to me."

"I want to kiss you, Jack… really kiss you. Will you let me?" This probably wasn't the proper place for their first real kiss, but it was definitely the time for it. Unable to keep from touching Jack's mouth any longer, he reached up and traced Jack's lips with soft fingertips. Jack's green eyes darkened, and a rosy flush colored his neck and face. Jack's gaze locked on Elijah's mouth and then slowly traveled up back up to his eyes.

"Please…"

Elijah slowly moved his fingers away from Jack's lips, across his slightly scratchy cheek to the back of Jack's neck. Elijah held it gently, possessively in his hand and pressed his lips against Jack's with a tender touch. Jack's lips were warm and pliant against his, and Elijah felt the sudden need to touch and taste him further.

Jack slid his arms around his waist, and Elijah spread his legs, as he pressed his body fully against him, and nipped at Jack's bottom lip and then traced it with the tip of his tongue, needing more from the man who held him so tightly.

Jack opened his mouth, and Elijah slid his tongue deep within the recesses, enjoying the wetness and warmth, and moaned as their tongues started sliding around each other's in a slow, sensual dance.

Elijah held Jack even closer to him and his body tingled with the anticipation of them touching and rubbing together. He could feel his prick harden and press against the soft fabric of his underwear. Elijah needed to rub against Jack, to move and tease their arousals against each other. He wanted the delicious feeling of Jack's cock moving with him, taking them both to a place Elijah instinctively knew they both craved.

He slid off of the chair and down Jack's body, moving his hips provocatively against his lover's cock as Jack now clutched his ass. They started to grind and move their bodies against each other with a wanton intensity. With each passing moment, their kiss became more heated. Needing more, Elijah slid the rubber band out of Jack's hair and tossed it aside. He ran his fingers through the mass, enjoying the soft, silky texture. Elijah disengaged his mouth and pulled Jack's head back by his hair, revealing his vulnerable neck.

Elijah slid his tongue over it, relishing the slightly salty taste of Jack's skin. Jack shivered in his arms and began to pant as a single bead of sweat rolled from his temple to his cheek. Elijah sucked it into his mouth, briefly savoring its essence before he returned his mouth Jack's goose bumped neck, nipping and sucking at his Adam's apple.

"I… I… Eli… fuck…"

"Hmmm." He moved his hips with more force. Not wanting their clothes to hinder them, both men hastily unfastened their pants so nothing could be felt between them. Sighing with pleasure, they moved their cocks against one another in an almost erratic rhythm. Elijah knew that both of them were quickly approaching the release they both were desperate to achieve.

Elijah ran his tongue back up to Jack's mouth and was immediately welcomed by his lover's. They explored and devoured each other's mouths. Jack moaned into his mouth and began to shake as he orgasmed in Elijah's arms. Feeling Jack's climax, Elijah cried out against his mouth as his cock began to spurt with his own release.