Chapter Seven

WITH EARLY morning sun streaming in the bedroom window and Elliott wrapped around him, Clay started his day with a smile. He was rested, content, and warm—thankfully not hot. The weather had cooled overnight; the humidity was low, and he’d finally been able to hold Elliott while they slept. One sour note was Little Man and his shenanigans, but even that wasn’t enough to diminish the happy. A good night of rest wasn’t the only thing that had him in a pleasant mood. They’d be heading back to town today, something Clay was looking forward to, not because he wanted to be away from the cabin but because the trip would put them one step closer to living there permanently.

He and Elliott were checking off things on their to-do list at a nice pace. The tree hadn’t been something he’d planned on tackling. He still had some logs to split and stack, but he had time to finish it today. The reason behind the unfinished task had been so worth it. Clay certainly wasn’t complaining about Elliott’s procrastination tactics this time. Besides, spending more time together was one of the main things that made going off grid, sacrificing a few modern comforts, worth it and seemed a small price to pay.

In fact, the more Clay thought about it, Elliott deserved a reward for reminding Clay of what was important. He pressed a soft kiss to Elliott’s temple and quietly left the bed. On the way out of the room, he grabbed a pair of shorts and shut the door behind him so as not to wake Elliott. Clay slipped his shorts on, then scrounged around in the boxes marked kitchen until he found what he was looking for. He held up the old percolator in triumph, then grabbed the bag of coffee supplies. He set the items on the counter, filled the percolator from a jug of water, then added coffee. He plugged it in with a huge smile on his face when the red light illuminated.

A fresh pot of coffee was a sweet reward for the hard work it had taken to install the solar panels. He left it to brew and unpacked the rest of the contents of the box, leaving two mugs, a spoon, creamer, and sugar on the counter. The room filled with the pleasing scent of rich beans, and Clay’s mood got even better. Now, if he just had some bacon, eggs, and home fries. Unfortunately, he didn’t have any of those things, but for sure, next time he’d be prepared. They’d have to settle for the last of their rations, which consisted of cinnamon rolls and fresh fruit.

“Oh my fucking god, I love you!”

Clay spun around and burst out laughing. Elliott wasn’t looking at Clay professing his love but at the coffee pot, practically drooling. “Good morning to you too.” Clay chuckled. He’d hoped to surprise Elliott with breakfast in bed, but he should have known that Elliott’s nose would wake him and ruin the surprise. Not that Clay could blame him. They were both major coffee addicts, and going without for the last two mornings had been painful.

Elliott stepped up to Clay and kissed his cheek before grabbing a mug. “You made it for me so that makes you my new special friend.”

“What do you mean, new?”

“Well you did slip down a couple pegs after making me work so hard without coffee, but I forgive you.” He thrust his mug out.

Clay filled it and then his own. “All that hard work is why we now have this.”

“And why I forgive you,” Elliott said with a sly grin.

They added the fixings to their coffees and headed out to the back porch, Elliott naked as a jaybird, his happiness infectious. They sat next to each other, sipping their brew and enjoying the early morning sunshine. The cabin provided so much more than living together. The privacy, the beauty of the landscape, and the peacefulness made it a stunning place to call home.

“So what wicked deeds do you plan on forcing me to do today?” Elliott asked.

“Well my little devil’s minion, I was thinking that while I finish up the logs you could gut that storage room. If we have a clean slate, it will be easier the next time we come up to install the bathroom fixtures.”

“I’m not looking forward to that nightmare, but damn it will be worth it knowing next time I won’t have to shit in the woods.”

Clay arched a brow. “You didn’t?”

“Is the outhouse not in the woods?” Elliott countered. “I fucking hate outhouses, and do you know what else I hate?”

“I’m sure you’re going to tell me.”

“Yup. I hate having to collect water. As much as it’s going to suck working again in this heat, getting running water is all the motivation I need.”

Clay nodded. “Anything else you’re thinking might be worth moving here?”

Elliott stared out over the landscape, hands wrapped around his mug. He looked so damn handsome, relaxed and tanned and just…. Damn, I’m a lucky man to have him. Everything about Elliott, most everything, appealed to Clay. From his rugged good looks, his sense of humor, big heart, hard body, all of it wrapped together made a complete package in Clay’s opinion. Sure, there were a few small things about Elliott that annoyed Clay. Nothing major, and they certainly didn’t dampen Clay’s love for the man.

“This.” One word. It was all Elliott spoke, yet with the smile on his face, his hands wrapped around his coffee, and the quiet beauty surrounding them, it was the only word needed.

Clay understood immediately what Elliott meant. Clay also completely agreed. He was sure mornings at their new home would no doubt be some of his favorite times, at least during most of the year. “I’ll ask you that same question in a couple months when we’re snowbound.”

Elliott cocked his head. “Why you want to be a buzzkill?” He pointed his finger accusingly at Clay. “And I swear to god if you wish my summer away, I will beat your ass.”

“I’m not, I swear,” Clay insisted. “I was referring to me driving you nuts. I can handle the heat better than you, but you handle the cold much better than I do.”

“Oh, that reminds me. I need to stock up on duct tape.”

“Huh? Why would that make you think of tape?”

“It works much better than a gag when you start your damn whining.”

“Oh no, he didn’t,” Clay chastised.

“Oh yes, he did.” Elliott scrambled out of his chair to avoid the swat Clay threw at him. He rushed into the cabin, Clay right on his heels.

Clay had a good mind to spank the taut butt wiggling ahead of him, but he had to catch Elliott first. He kept spinning and dodging each of Clay’s attempts to get his hands on him. Elliott stood on the other side of the couch laughing, shifting from foot to foot, daring Clay to make a move. He refused to be baited.

“You’re so not worth spilling my coffee.” Clay gulped down the last of his cold coffee, then went to refill his mug.

Elliott hesitated. Clay could see him out of his peripheral vision, his expression unsure. Clay ignored him, pretending to stare out the window as he blew into his hot mug, but he kept Elliott in his sights. Elliott continued to stand his ground on the other side of the table, but after a while he must have assumed Clay was done playing, and Elliott’s need for more coffee outweighed the risk of a possible ass whipping.

As soon as Elliott set his mug next to the percolator, Clay pounced. He grabbed Elliott, spun him, and pinned him against the counter. “Now, what were you saying about needing tape?”

“I don’t remember.” Elliott smirked. Instead of fighting to get away, he rolled his hips, humping a little against Clay’s groin.

“Really? Because I do, and stop trying to distract me.”

“What are you going to do if I don’t? Spank me?” Wiggle. Wiggle. Elliott’s growing erection rubbed against Clay’s groin, creating a pleasing friction.

Clay gritted his teeth, doing his best to ignore the tingling below his waist. “I should.”

“Mmm, spank me, Daddy,” Elliott purred.

“You’re so not right.” Clay shook his head at Elliott’s antics. “It would do no good to punish you. You’d enjoy it too much.” Clay released his hold on Elliott. Before he could take a step back, Elliott grabbed Clay around the waist and pulled him close, not allowing Clay to get away.

“Aw, c’mon, babe, punish me. I promise I won’t enjoy it.” He thrust hard against Clay. “Much.”

“I’m going to punish you all right,” Clay assured him.

Elliott’s cocky smile fell when Clay extricated himself from Elliott’s embrace and jumped out of his reach.

“Hey! What are you doing?”

Clay winked. “Punishing you.” It was his turn to spin and dodge, staying just out of Elliott’s reach.

“Not funny, Clay. Get back here.”

“No can do. You’ll take your punishment like a man without your usual bitching and moaning.” Clay plucked a handful of grapes from the counter as he rushed past and stood on the other side of the table, putting it between him and Elliott. “Now I suggest you get some breakfast and coffee pronto. We have a lot of work to do today.” He popped a grape into his mouth, smiling as he chewed.

Elliott stood defiantly, hands on his hips. He looked down then back up to meet Clay’s gaze. “You’re not going to leave me hanging, are you?”

“Nope, because you’re far from hanging, babe.”

“You know what I mean,” Elliott grumbled. He didn’t seem the least bit impressed with the way things had turned against him.

Clay couldn’t help but laugh. He popped another grape into his mouth. “Clock’s ticking, better eat something.” He tapped the imaginary watch on his wrist. “Ten minutes till starting time.”

“Clay….”

“No. I refuse to give in to your procrastination techniques today, mister. We have a lot to accomplish, and daylight is wasting.”

Elliott’s eyes narrowed. He started to move around the table. Clay moved in the opposite direction. However, he misread Elliott’s movements, and Elliott shifted at the last second and got a hold of the waistband on Clay’s shorts. Clay tried to pull away, but Elliott was lightning quick. He put Clay into a bear hug and lifted him off his feet.

“Dammit, Elliott, put me down.”

“Stop struggling. I only have ten minutes.”

“Yeah, I’m using that time to have breakfast,” Clay complained, but allowed Elliott to steer him toward the bedroom.

“Oh, I have a feeling you’ll be getting plenty of protein to help you get through your day.”

Once again, Clay gave in to Elliott’s procrastinating ways, and once again, Clay wasn’t complaining. He just hoped it didn’t come back to bust him in the ass. Elliott was such a bad influence but made it so good.