Angel's Redemption Read online

  Maybe I should go out on a date.

  Just the thought of going out with someone new made Jackson shudder. God, he really hated the dating game.

  Maybe I should ask Elijah for a date.

  Maybe not.

  At least he didn't have his erection anymore.

  Thank God.

  He pulled out his favorite white t-shirt and put it on. He walked out of the bedroom with a new determination to push his attraction to Elijah aside and to maybe start looking for someone else… someone closer to his age.

  Chapter Four

  Elijah sat in Jack's outside oasis and took a deep, healing breath. Ever since he woke up this morning, Elijah had felt a little off kilter. But looking around the lush greenery that surrounded him, he knew Jack's backyard would now be the new place Elijah would think of while he did his relaxation therapy. In the past, when his previous therapist had asked him to visualize somewhere peaceful, Elijah could never pick a specific place. It was always some beach or field of imaginary flowers; it was never a place where Elijah truly felt at home or at peace.

  Like Jack's place did.

  Elijah briefly reflected back on the difficult day he had. He'd met with his new therapist, Jay, and it had been hard rehashing his past. Elijah was lucky though, because by the end of the hour, they ended up having a good rapport and session, even though it drained him emotionally. For the time being, they had agreed to meet twice a week. While Elijah knew it wouldn't always be convenient to meet with him so often, if he wanted to continue to heal and grow following the difficulties of his past, it would be worth it.

  Elijah sat in the middle of the yard where the old shade trees and the fragrant flowers bloomed. Beside him, the manmade waterfall trickled as the water ran down from two different levels. Huge goldfish swam around and nibbled at some of the water plants. In amazement, he watched a pretty red cardinal fly down and land on one of the rocks that outlined the pond, and then take a couple of deep drinks of water.

  Elijah took another swig of his drink and grimaced at the slight feeling of nausea he had from the sugary drink. He tried to shake it off as Shep ran around the backyard like he was a cop patrolling the neighborhood. The chatter from angry squirrels above grew louder, making him chuckle.

  Apparently, not everything appreciated Shep's efforts.

  Since Elijah had met Jack, he'd tried to get his sexy neighbor out of his mind. It bothered Elijah that he was attracted to the handsome, older man. After all, Elijah moved to Charlestown to focus on himself and his well-being, not to become infatuated with a man who wouldn't give him the time of day if he really knew about his past.

  To his chagrin, last night while Elijah masturbated in his lonely bed, he had even tried to push Jack out of his overactive imagination. But even as Elijah stroked himself to orgasm, he couldn't blot out Jack's handsome face and the softness of his creamy skin.

  Even now, Elijah could easily picture Jack's hot, wet mouth on his cock. Just thinking about it made him want to unzip his cargo shorts and beat one off right now. Elijah figured that Shep and the squirrels might not appreciate the view—definitely not a good idea.

  In the distance, the sliding glass door opened and shut. He looked up, and butterflies flew around in his stomach as Elijah watched a very casual Jack walk up to him with a relaxed expression on his handsome face.

  Elijah's gaze roamed over Jack's form, and he bit his bottom lip to keep from moaning. Jack's crisp, white t-shirt clung a little too snugly to his chest, and the hem barely reached below the waistband of his jeans. Elijah just knew if he could get Jack to lift his arms up, he would be gifted with the vision of that soft, pale flesh. He tried to push away thoughts of running his fingers over that silken skin. His gaze traveled farther down to Jack's long legs, covered in faded, holey jeans.

  Elijah fought the urge to squirm in his seat. Between him envisioning Jack sucking his cock and now seeing the man himself, looking all comfortable and sexy within his own skin, Elijah's prick began to harden. He quickly pulled his t-shirt over his groin and hoped Jack wouldn't notice his arousal.

  Elijah was confused by these feelings he had for his sexy neighbor. Later in the week, he would talk about it with Jay.

  "God, it feels great out here today, doesn't it?" Jack asked. He practically collapsed into the comfortable lawn chair beside him and propped his feet up on a large rock.

  Elijah looked at Jack's bare feet and swallowed.

  Even his feet are sexy.

  "Elijah?"

  He dragged his gaze from Jack's feet up to his pretty eyes and nodded. "It does."

  Elijah wanted to cringe at his two-word answer. Jack was probably riveted by his conversation skills.

  Not.

  "How was your day?" Elijah managed to croak.

  Jack tilted his head to the side, a concerned expression on his handsome face. "It was pretty good. How about yours? Did you get much accomplished today?"

  Elijah gave a one-shoulder shrug. "It was okay. I finished unpacking, and I had my cable turned on."

  Jack took a long drink of beer and leaned back in his chair. "That's good. Even though I have almost five hundred channels, I still complain that there's nothing on television. But I couldn't live without my cable TV."

  "Yeah, me neither."

  Jack reached behind his head and pulled out the black rubber band, freeing his thick, black hair. His sexy neighbor was obviously happy to let his hair down, judging by the slight groan he made and the look of relief on his face. Elijah watched in awe as Jack's midnight-colored hair shone in the afternoon sun and lay in gentle waves on his shoulders.

  Heat and desire ran through Elijah's body down to his groin. He stifled a moan as his cock pressed hard against the material of his cargo shorts, and he brazenly watched Jack comb through the mass, loosening the tangles with his fingers.

  Elijah loved long hair on men, but he had a strong suspicion that when it came to Jack's hair, it was turning more into a fetish than anything else. He fought the urge to stand up, walk over to Jack, straddle his hips, grab that silky soft hair, and fuck him until they both passed out from exhaustion.

  "Are you all right?"

  He took another swallow of his rapidly warming soda and nodded. "S-sure," Elijah stammered. He cleared his throat, lifted his t-shirt right under the neck, and fanned it back and forth from his body. "It's hot out here… is it hot out here? Um… yeah, I'm burning up. Maybe I need to get inside and cool off for a while."

  Elijah knew even if he sat naked on a big block of ice in subzero weather, he'd still be burning up and hornier than hell. What was it about Jack that drove him crazy? Elijah had met and even fucked better looking men than Jack, but it was something about the older man's gentleness and his sexy nature that really fascinated him. He couldn't remember ever being attracted to someone like he was to Jack, but it was too soon to jump into anything with him. Right?

  Jack put his well-manicured hand right above Elijah's knee and gave it a light squeeze. "You look flushed, Eli. I'm worried you're having a heat stroke." Jack released his knee and stood up. "Let's go inside for a while and cool off."

  I don't want to cool off, Jack. I want to heat you up!

  Elijah stood up and made sure his t-shirt hid the bulge in his shorts and then followed Jack into house.

  The cool air conditioning made Elijah's overheated body break out in goose bumps.

  "Are you feeling okay?" Jack set his beer on the kitchen counter and placed his hand on Elijah's forehead. "Are you feverish?"

  Jack's hand, slightly damp and cool from the beer bottle, felt wonderful against his flushed face. He heard himself moan from the contrast of it.

  "Eli, you feel hot. Maybe you should sit down and relax while I fix us something to eat." Jack lightly grabbed his arm and pulled him into living room. He sat him down on the couch and looked at him with a critical eye. "I'm going to bring you some water. I want you to take it easy while I cook supper."

  Elijah opened his mouth
to protest, but Jack was already headed to the kitchen before he could get a word in edgewise. Elijah leaned back and quickly adjusted his pants into a more comfortable position over the bulge.

  He took a deep breath and closed his weary eyes.

  Elijah couldn't remember the last time someone had actually cared about him. Everyone always wanted something from him. His mother wanted money for her drug fix. His manager/boyfriend just wanted him to make more movies. The director only cared if Elijah would come on cue, and the other actors and his supposed friend were usually too wrapped up in their lives to really give a shit whether Elijah was happy, sad, sick, or healthy.

  Elijah wasn't sure how to feel about someone actually taking care of him. On one hand, it was really nice to just sit back and relax while Jack coddled him. On the other, Elijah couldn't help but think maybe Jack really did want something from him after all.

  Elijah didn't quite know how he felt about it.

  He prayed that Jack was actually concerned for him. If wishes came true, his deepest wish would be that he and Jack would become friends and in time lovers… partners. But fairy tales and happy endings didn't come true, especially for people like him.

  Elijah didn't give a shit what the Disney princesses said.

  "Elijah," Jack whispered.

  He opened his eyes and gazed into concerned green ones.

  "Here's some water. Take small sips so you won't get sick, okay?" Jack handed him a tall glass of ice cold water.

  He took the glass from Jack with shaky hands.

  What the hell was his problem? Why was he suddenly feeling sick and so exhausted? People didn't overheat from a hard-on did they?

  Jack sat beside him and watched him with a worried look on his handsome face. Under Jack's watchful gaze, Elijah made it a point to take several small sips of the ice cold water. He saw Jack's gaze wander to the scars on his wrist and then quickly back up to his eyes.

  Shit.

  He looked warily into Jack's face, once again expecting to see revulsion and confusion at what he had done. He held his breath and waited for the bombardment of questions the older man must have.

  Instead, Jack sat there silently with a calm, thoughtful expression on his face. After a few moments, Elijah took another drink and handed the glass to Jack. The older man gave him a sweet smile and set it on a coaster on the coffee table in front of them.

  "Elijah, you look worn out. Why don't you rest for a while?" Jack put his hand on his shoulder and gave it a light squeeze. "It'll be a little while before supper is ready."

  Elijah nodded and closed his eyes.

  He heard Jack stand up and walk out of the room.

  For the first time in ages, Elijah knew he was safe and cared for.

  Maybe he would rest his eyes for a little while.

  ****

  Jackson grabbed the large container of frozen beef stew out of the freezer and set it on the counter. He tried to ignore the well of tears that blurred his vision. As he placed the sealed contained in a bath of hot water in the sink, his hands shook uncontrollably. He hastily wiped at a stray tear and tried to take a deep, calming breath before he starting bawling like some damn baby.

  Jackson cringed as he thought of the vertical scars on Elijah's wrists. It was hard to understand why his new friend had at one time actually tried to take his own life. Even though the scars didn't look real recent, they didn't look that old either.

  One hard lesson that he'd learned from Ben's untimely death was that life was short and every moment he had on Earth, whether good or bad, was truly precious.

  Jack had known Elijah for a short time, but he shuddered at the thought of this world without someone as sweet and sexy as Elijah in it.

  He took a deep breath and tried to control his emotions. The last thing the young man needed was Jackson turning into a basket case in front of him. Though there were many questions he wanted to ask, their budding friendship was still too new to broach such a subject. Maybe in time, Elijah would confide in him and tell him on his own.

  At least he hoped so.

  Jackson determinedly shook off his dark thoughts.

  Right now, Elijah needed a good friend and someone to look out for him.

  Being a friend to the younger man was something Jackson wanted to be. He was determined to fight his attraction for him and concentrate on building a close friendship instead.

  Now all Jackson had to do was to convince his besotted heart of it too.

  Chapter Five

  "Elijah."

  The soft-spoken, masculine voice invaded Elijah's deep sleep. He frowned and tried to ignore it, preferring to stay safe in the slumbering darkness.

  "Elijah," the voice persisted. "Supper's ready, sleepyhead. It's time to wake up and eat, okay?"

  Elijah frowned and slit his eyes open. The bright light of the living room was a stark contrast to the comfortable darkness of sleep, making Elijah's eyes water as he fought to keep both open and focus on Jack's concerned green ones.

  "Sorry, Jack. I didn't mean to sack out like that," he mumbled while trying to ignore the ache starting to pound relentlessly within his brain.

  "It's all right, Eli." Jack pitched his deep voice low while he pressed a cool hand to Elijah's forehead. "Honey, you're burning up. Why don't you get comfortable and lie down awhile? My guest bedroom is full of clutter right now, but my bed has clean sheets, and you can rest until you feel better."

  Although the thought of lying down in Jack's bed held a lot of appeal, there was no way Elijah was going to be an imposition to his new friend. "No, that's okay. I'll just go home and go to bed." Elijah stood on shaky legs, felt a sickening wave of nausea, and immediately sat back down.

  "Are you going to be sick?"

  Just as he gave Jack a quick nod, he was immediately swept up off of the couch and rushed down the hall into a large bathroom. Elijah kneeled in front of the toilet just before losing the contents of his stomach.

  After several moments, Elijah could feel the coolness of a soft washrag against the nape of his neck, and Jack's comforting hand running up and down his back. It felt so good to be taken care of and cared about; Elijah wanted to push himself into Jack's welcoming arms forever.

  Jack flushed the toilet and helped him to his feet. He opened a drawer and took out a new toothbrush and handed it to him with a sweet smile. "Here, Eli, let's get that nasty taste out of your mouth, and then we'll get you comfortable, okay?"

  Elijah nodded and before he knew it, his teeth were brushed and he was led to a nice-sized bedroom with a large, king-sized, four-poster bed. Soon, he was stripped down to his boxer-briefs and was gently laid down on the warmth and comfort of soft sheets.

  Jack placed a cool washrag on his forehead and sat on the edge of the bed, lightly rubbing Elijah's arms. "Rest now." Jack sounded as if he were soothing a sick child. "I think I've got some Theraflu in my medicine cabinet you can take, and I'll get you some cool water to drink."

  Elijah closed his eyes and gave a slight nod.

  As nasty as Theraflu tasted, right now he'd take anything to feel better.

  Elijah must have dozed for a few minutes, because he was soon awakened by Jack replacing the now-warm cloth on his forehead with a nice cool one.

  Elijah opened his eyes and saw Jack leaning over him, holding a red mug in his hand. "Honey, can you sit up for a few minutes and take this medicine?"

  Elijah pressed his hand against his forehead to hold the cloth in place and sat up. Jack propped some pillows against the headboard and gently eased him back against them. "Are you comfortable, Eli?"

  "Yes," he managed to croak out. God, he sounded like a hoarse frog.

  Jack gave him a compassionate smile and handed him the warm mug. He took a sip and grimaced at the bitter, lemony taste.

  "I know it tastes nasty, but it'll help you feel better and sleep," Jack coaxed.

  Elijah tried to give him a reassuring smile but had the sinking suspicion that it looked more like a frown than any
thing else. He forced himself to drink the contents of the mug and then handed it back to Jack with a shaking hand.

  "Do you want to lie back and sleep, or do you want to try to sit up for a while and maybe watch a little television?" Jack gestured to the mid-sized flat-screen television hanging on the wall.

  "I think I'll sit up for a while."

  "Okay." Jack took the empty mug from his hands and lightly ran his fingers through his sweaty hair. "I'll be right back after I eat a quick bite, okay? If you need anything, just let me know."

  Elijah clasped Jack's arm. "I'm sorry to be such a bother, Jack."

  Jack shook his head and patted his hand affectionately. "Honey, you will never be a bother," he soothed. "Just rest and relax, and I'll be back in a few." Jack gave him a sweet smile, turned on the television, and handed him the remote.

  He called me honey.

  For the first time in years, Elijah felt warm and safe. He settled back against the soft pillows and closed his eyes, as he listened to the quiet sound of the television with a smile on his face.

  ****

  Jackson sat at his lonely kitchen table and quickly ate his beef stew. He was anxious to get back to Eli to make sure the younger man was doing okay. Even though Eli had insisted on going home, he was glad he'd convinced the sick man to stay at his place. Being as sick as Eli was, the younger man didn't need to be home alone. Besides it felt good to be… well… needed again.

  As he took the last bite of his stew, Jackson tried to squelch the guilty feelings he had over feeling needed again. Ever since Ben's death, no one depended on Jackson to help take care of him anymore. Hell, even when Ben was alive, his partner was so independent, he usually didn't want Jackson to hover over him or help him out in any way. Jackson was a caregiver at heart, so it always hurt when Ben pushed him away.

  Finished, Jackson carried his dishes to the kitchen sink, rinsed off the bowl, and placed it in the dishwasher. Knowing Eli needed something that wouldn't upset his stomach any more than it already was, he hunted through his cabinets until he found a package of saltine crackers and a small bottle of ginger ale. He grabbed them both and headed toward his bedroom with Shep right on his heels.