Page 4 of Room for Elijah

Dermott nearly made him jump when he reached over and tucked some strands of hair behind his ear. “Sleep well.”

That simple touch had been electrifying. Elijah’s cock stirred with renewed interest. Clutching his cock and balls with a tight fist, he watched Dermott walk back to the bedroom, the man’s muscular ass a sight too tempting to ignore. When he was alone again, he made quick use of the bathroom and emerged with the comfortable yoga pants hugging his body and Dermott’s T-shirt hanging to his knees. As he lay down again and closed his eyes, he breathed in deeply. The man’s scent was somehow still on what he’d assumed was a clean shirt. Perhaps not, but that was fine with him. The smell of his host infused him with a sense of warmth and safety.

Elijah had no trouble drifting off to sleep.

Chapter Three

“Good morning.”

Elijah whirled from the counter where he was prepping food and smiled shyly as Dermott entered the kitchen. The man was still wearing his boxer-briefs, except now some of his magnificent body was hidden by a T-shirt. He was amazingly handsome, even with his tussled hair and more growth in his closely cropped beard.

“Good morning.” Elijah turned back toward the counter. “I hope it’s okay that I’ve prepared to make omelets for everyone.” Since it was a Sunday and almost noon time, he’d figured a brunch would be acceptable, and he wanted to show Dermott and the boys his appreciation.

“That you’re making us breakfast? When I caught the delicious scents, I thought Chef Frankie had gotten an early start in the club’s kitchen. I’m delighted to find they were coming from my own. And you made coffee!” The man’s earnest joy was obvious. “Given that I’m usually the one to man the kitchen in this home, you are more than welcome to pamper us however you want.” Dermott poured a mug of coffee for himself and leaned against the counter. As he drank, he kept his focus squarely on Elijah.

His cheeks heated up, not being used to such unabashed attention from another man. But he didn’t care. There was something about Dermott that made him feel secure. Unlike back home, any noticeable embarrassment wouldn’t be used as a weapon against him. Even after a few hours in their company, Elijah could tell that at least these openly gay men weren’t looking for a weakness to exploit. He couldn’t keep from smiling. “Great. I’ve sautéed onions, green peppers and mushrooms and grated some cheese.”

“That all sounds lovely. I’m a three-egg man, myself.”

“Coming right up.” Confident about his skills in the kitchen, Elijah started on Dermott’s omelet.

“Oh my God, is that coffee?” Rienk came sauntering in and headed straight to the pot.

“I’m making…” Elijah’s tongue got stuck to the roof of his mouth when he glanced at the new arrival. Rienk was completely naked, and just standing by Dermott, pouring his own mug, apparently not the least bit self-conscious. And now it was clear that his lithe beauty was no illusion. His body was smooth and toned. It was almost impossible for Elijah to look away. He’d never seen an uncut cock up close in his life, either. It was fascinating.

Dermott swatted Rienk’s naked butt as he passed the boy to sit at the round kitchen table. “Put some clothes on, brat. You’re making our guest uncomfortable.”

Elijah opened his mouth, then shut it again. There was no way he could honestly dispute that observation. He concentrated on mixing Dermott’s eggs, although he was still able to catch the teasing smile Rienk sent his way before leaving to do as he’d been told. Nico came in at the same time, and like the other two, made a beeline to the coffee. Unlike Rienk, he was dressed, although his off-one-shoulder white crop top and blue thong underwear didn’t leave a lot to the imagination.

“Oh my God, are you making omelets?”

Nico’s squeal caused Elijah to flinch, but as it was entirely friendly, he recovered quickly. He needed to get used to how bold the queens were. “Yup. This one is for Dermott, but I’m taking orders for the next.”

Nico padded over to Dermott and sat on the man’s lap. “Well, of course, Daddy goes first. He needs lots of food to maintain all these muscles.” The boy practically purred as he settled against Dermott’s broad chest, nursing his coffee.

Fascinated by the interaction, Elijah couldn’t help stealing looks as he filled his pan, then swirled the eggs into the perfect shape. “I’ll put some bread in the toaster, too.” He figured Dermott might consume a whole loaf in one sitting. The kitchen and pantry were certainly chockful of food.

“I’ll get that, sweetie.” Rienk sauntered back in, clothed only in yoga pants. The look was almost as provocative as his being naked. The stretchy fabric hugged the boy’s body like a second skin and put everything the boy had on full display. “You’re our guest, not a drudge, after all.”

Elijah didn’t argue the point, happy to have help with the simple part of the meal while he tackled the harder one. For a few minutes, the kitchen hummed with only the sounds of cooking, eating and drinking. It was all so homey that it hit Elijah suddenly that he’d left this very thing with his family and almost certainly would never be able to return. He found himself blinking back tears as he plated his own food.

Arms wrapped around his shoulders from behind. “Oh, sweetie.” Rienk’s voice was soft and filled with sympathy. “Feeling homesick, huh?”

Embarrassed, Elijah could only nod once before getting himself under control. He did allow himself to enjoy the brief comfort of leaning into Rienk’s embrace for a second before gently breaking free. “I’m fine, thanks.” These three men may have been kind enough to give him shelter for the night, but he wasn’t going to burden them with his emotional garbage. He started toward the table before realizing that there were only two chairs. So he leaned back against the counter to eat standing up.

Rienk was having none of that. Picking up his own plate and mug of coffee, he circled around to where Dermott and Nico sat. With little awkwardness, he forced Nico to move onto just one leg, then perched on the other. As big as he was, Dermott easily accommodated both boys. He’d finished his food and he was relaxed against the back of his chair, sipping at his coffee, one arm loosely held around Rienk’s lap.

Dermott smiled at Elijah over the rim of his mug. “Don’t mind us. My boys are like puppies. They like to snuggle with me and each other. And you’ve been on your feet cooking for a while. Have a seat.”

Elijah dropped his gaze to his plate as he walked to the table. “Oh, um, that’s good. I don’t want to put anyone out.” He inwardly winced at how lame he sounded.

No one mocked him for it, however. Elijah was used to bullies and quiet contempt, so he was always bracing for it as a matter of habit. Maybe it was Dermott’s stern influence, but Elijah felt nothing except acceptance by the queens. If Rienk and Nico thought him a hopeless rube, they were excellent at hiding it. Deciding to take everyone at face value, Elijah relaxed and started in on his breakfast. Once he did, he realized he was ravenous.

“When you’re done,” Dermott said, “we’ll go down to the club and fill out the paperwork.”

Elijah could only nod, because his mouth was full. For the first time in days, however, it felt as if his life were headed in the right direction.

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