Chapter 52
Nate nodded, even though Elijah couldn’t see him. He was already walking to the door, ready to leave-
The secretary looked up as he walked through the front office, but she didn’t say anything.
She knew better than to try and stop him.
Nate stepped out onto the sidewalk, pulling his sunglasses on as he went.
An hour until Elijah got here-
Nate would find a way by then.
—
It took Nate fifty minutes to drive to the museum, the sun beating down on his car as he went. He parked in the back parking lot and climbed out, looking up at the building.
It was huge and white, stretching several stories into the air. Nate could see people milling around in front of the doors, and he felt a sense of dread building in his stomach-
What was he doing here? Why had he agreed to come back-
But then Elijah appeared on the front steps, his head turning toward the parking lot.
Nate felt a strange jolt of happiness at the sight of him, his heart skipping a beat. He wasn’t supposed to be happy that Elijah was here-
But he was anyway.
Elijah strode toward him now, his face unreadable.
“What’s this all about?” he demanded as soon as he was within hearing distance.
“I might have a way to prove your friend didn’t set that fire,” Nate replied, squinting against the sun.
Elijah blinked, his mouth opening slightly. “How?” he muttered.
“I’ll tell you inside,” Nate said, nodding toward the museum.
Elijah nodded, following him through the doors.
They walked down a long hallway, people milling about in all directions. There were paintings on all the walls, but they didn’t interest Nate-
Not right now.
“Here,” he said finally, stopping in front of a long row of paintings. They were all the same size, the same shape-
But each one was completely different.
“This is my collection,” Elijah muttered, his eyes running down the line of canvases. “The one that got me arrested.”
Nate nodded silently, studying them. They were like the ones in Elijah’s gallery-
Except darker. More disturbing.
“What am I looking for?” he muttered.
Elijah shifted on his feet, his mouth tilting downward. “I don’t really know,” he admitted.
Nate frowned, studying the paintings again. There had to be something here-
Something that could help them-
Elijah cleared his throat suddenly, and Nate glanced at him.
“I saw what you did,” he said quietly. “When we were walking yesterday. You were crying.”
Nate stared at him, a sudden tightness building in his chest. He had been crying-
But that wasn’t any of Elijah’s business. Not at all.
“It wasn’t your business,” he muttered finally.
“I know,” Elijah agreed. “But maybe it should have been.”
Nate stared back at him, his mouth falling open. He wanted to argue-
To tell Elijah that he didn’t care what he thought. But somehow he couldn’t make the words leave his mouth-
Because they were lies.
“Maybe you’re right,” he admitted finally. “Maybe I should have told you.”
Elijah nodded slightly, his gaze still locked on Nate’s face. “I think so,” he agreed. “I think you should always say what you mean.”
Nate felt the tightness build in his chest even more at the words-
Because they made no sense. They were too simple-
And yet somehow, they felt true.
“You’re wrong,” he muttered finally. “There are some things better left unsaid.”
Elijah shook his head. “No. I don’t agree.”
Nate studied him for a long moment-
He still wasn’t convinced. But he couldn’t deny that Elijah seemed convinced-
Maybe there really was something to what he said. Maybe there were things Nate should have said-
And maybe there were things he should say now-
“I don’t even know where to start,” he muttered after a second.
Elijah shrugged. “I think it starts with the truth.”
Nate blew out a breath, running a hand through his hair. “Okay,” he muttered after a moment. “Okay. But I need some time.”
Elijah studied him for another moment, and then nodded.
“Okay,” he replied.
Nate swallowed hard, dropping his gaze to the floor. He wasn’t sure if he had just agreed to something-
But somehow, he didn’t think he had any choice at all. Not really.
“Okay,” Elijah repeated.
And then Nate felt hands sliding over his shoulders, pushing his hair back from his face. He froze, his breath catching in his throat-
Elijah.
He wanted to ask why-
But then Elijah’s mouth was covering his own, their lips colliding in a soft, gentle kiss.
Nate forgot how to breathe as Elijah’s tongue swept into his mouth, his hands tightening against his shoulders-
He forgot how to think-
All he knew was the warmth of Elijah’s body, the heat of his mouth. The way Elijah’s heart raced in time with his own-
“Elijah,” he breathed into the other man’s mouth.
And then he felt something shift inside himself, felt something give and break-
Nate reached up and wrapped his arms around Elijah’s neck, pulling him closer against him.
The kiss deepened immediately, their mouths moving together in time. And then Nate felt Elijah’s hands slide down his back, cupping his ass through the fabric of his pants-
“Elijah,” Nate gasped again.
He was already hard-
He didn’t even care where they were. Who could see them-
Elijah’s mouth dropped to his neck now, sucking at his skin lightly. Nate gasped again, the sensation shooting straight through him-
He wanted Elijah’s mouth on him everywhere. All of him-
“I want you,” he gasped now, the words tearing from his throat. “I want you here.”
Elijah lifted his head, his eyes blazing with something fierce and wild. “Here?” he demanded hoarsely.
Nate nodded against his shoulder. “Yes,” he rasped. “Right now.”
Elijah groaned softly in response, his mouth dropping to Nate’s once more. The kiss was wild and hot this time, their bodies straining together-
And then suddenly, Nate was being backed toward one of the paintings, Elijah’s fingers still locked around his ass-
Nate felt the painting against his back, the hard surface pressing into him.
Elijah broke the kiss again, his eyes burning with a fierce need. “I’ve been wanting you for days,” he muttered roughly. “For weeks.”
Nate gasped against Elijah’s shoulder. “Me too,” he admitted.
He’d been trying not to think about it-
But he had failed. Miserably.
Elijah dropped to his knees now, his hands moving to Nate’s fly. “Fuck,” he muttered hoarsely, fumbling at the button. “Fuck, I need this.”
And then his mouth was on Nate’s cock, swallowing it down with a groan.
Nate felt himself explode in response, his back arching against the painting as his eyes rolled back in his head.
Fuck-
Elijah sucked him even harder, his mouth moving up and down his shaft. And then his tongue was circling the head, teasing at the slit-
Nate groaned loudly, his fingers tangling in Elijah’s hair. He didn’t care if people could see-
He didn’t care about anything at all.
His cock hit the back of Elijah’s throat, and then again-
He was going to come. He couldn’t even stop it-
“Elijah,” he groaned loudly. “Fuck-”
Elijah took him deeper this time, his throat constricting around him-
And then he was coming, spilling into Elijah’s mouth. His cock pulsed over and over again, Elijah drinking him down greedily-
Fuck.
It had been too long since the last time.
Nate finally slumped against the painting, gasping for breath. He didn’t know how much time had passed-
But he didn’t need to look at a clock to know it hadn’t been long enough.
Elijah finally rose to his feet, his hand sliding along Nate’s jaw.
“You taste like heaven,” he murmured softly.
Nate closed his eyes, his body relaxing against the other man. “So do you,” he muttered.
But then Elijah was pulling away, and Nate felt himself fall backward against the painting-
He opened his eyes to find that Elijah had pulled the canvas off the wall-
Nate stared up at the white wall behind it, and then realized what Elijah was doing-
He was using the canvas as a blanket.
“You’ve got to be kidding,” Nate muttered.
Elijah grinned at him. “You wanted it here,” he said simply. “And this is the only place to lie down.”
Nate stared at the white wall again, and then shrugged. “Alright,” he muttered.
And then Elijah was helping him onto the canvas, his hands sliding over Nate’s shoulders as they lay down. They both turned on their sides, their bodies pressed together-
Nate felt another jolt of desire at the feel of Elijah against him-
It wasn’t going away. At all.
“I want to touch you,” Elijah muttered softly.
Nate swallowed hard against the rush of emotion inside him, the sudden tightness in his chest.
“Touch me,” he said finally. “Touch me wherever you want.”