Page 28 of Slippery When Wet

What a glorious realization to have finally found the ideal man to be his boy.

“Where do the napkins go?”

Calvin pointed to the laundry room on the opposite side of the kitchen. “In there. You’ll see a hamper to your right as soon as you walk in.”

“Okay.”

Ellery had insisted on helping, and Calvin decided it was more important that Ellery feel comfortable within their dynamic rather than pushing to be his caretaker every minute over the weekend. Once they settled in, he’d give his boys chores to do, but he’d been in pamper mode from the moment he fetched Ellery from his apartment.

Calvin’s lips curled into a smile as he hand-dried the drinking glasses. They were from the nineteen-twenties, and he never put them in the dishwasher. The same went for his Lenox China. His mind wandered as he completed his task, and his thoughts landed on Ellery’s horrific living situation.

Okay, perhaps he was exaggerating a bit, because Ellery had been so creative in decorating and beautifying the space. But at the same time, he hated the thought of his boy living in such a run-down place in what he knew to be a dangerous neighborhood. Even the building itself didn’t seem very safe, as if it might blow over in a strong breeze. And who knew what vermin it might be infested with?

Calvin shook his head. No. It was completely unacceptable for his boy to live in that hovel.

“What’s wrong?” Ellery had returned and was regarding him with a curious expression.

Calvin took a moment to gather his thoughts as he put the glasses away. While Ellery had agreed to be his boy, nothing about his living situation had been discussed. Although, when he considered Ellery’s background, it wasn’t as if Ellery wasn’tusedto boys living with their Masters. Not in every case, of course. Some even maintained long distance relationships.

So, with that in mind, the idea of them living together shouldn’t be all that jarring to Ellery. Perhaps it could be a goal. Calvin hmphed. If he had things his way, it would be a very short-term goal.

“Well…” Calvin turned to Ellery, then leaned against the tiled counter with his hip. “I’d love to settle into a routine with you as my boy. We’ve committed to giving this a try, so why wait?”

Ellery tilted his head. “Wait?”

Calvin cleared his throat. “For you to move in.”

Ellery’s jaw went slack, his eyes rounding. Calvin tried not to wince. He doubted Ellery would run away from him—not anymore—but he supposed he could’ve been less blunt in how he’d phrased his offer.

Calvin placed a hand on Ellery’s shoulder. He’d caused his boy distress, and that was wrong of him. “It’s something to consider for the future, when you’re ready. That’s all.”

Ellery lowered his head and his shoulders dropped. “Oh. Of course. The future.”

Calvin arched his eyebrows. Had he read Ellery wrong?

“How long is the lease for your apartment?”

Ellery let out a derisive chuckle. “Lease. That’s a good one. I pay month to month.”

Hmm. “When is your next rental payment due?”

He glanced down at Ellery’s hands, concern filling him that his boy was wringing his fingers. Clearly, Calvin had hit a nerve.

“Um, next week.” Ellery gave a small shrug as if trying to indicate it was no big deal.

“I see.” Calvin stroked his chin. “Did you give them first and last?”

“Oh yeah. It took me a while to save up for that plus the deposit.”

“Then you could give them a thirty-day notice and not have to pay anything, correct?”

Ellery’s mouth made a small ‘o’. “I could totally do that.”

“And in the meantime, you could come here on the weekends.”Or stay and never go back.

Ellery peered up at him with wide eyes. “And that would be okay with you?”

Calvin couldn’t stand it any longer. He closed the distance between them and yanked Ellery into his arms, claiming his mouth in a hungry kiss. Calvin explored Ellery’s mouth with his tongue, delving deeper with each swipe. They both angled their heads back and forth, teeth clacking as they fought for control over the exchange. But of course, Calvin prevailed.

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