Love Means No Shame - Andrew Grey

his arms, kissing him, holding him tight, and that was all that mattered.
    The sharp sound of the back screen door closing brought him back to the here and now, and he slowly pulled back from the kiss, looking into Eli’s eyes. “Are you really back? This isn’t some trick or something? I’m not imagining this?”

    “No, no trick. And it’s not your imagination.” Eli’s eyes clouded. “I’m here for as long as you’ll have me.” There was a touch of nervousness in his voice. Geoff just held him, reveling in the feel of having Eli back in his arms.

    Len breezed into the kitchen. “I’m headed out to get the guys started on those fences.” Geoff nodded and looked up from Eli’s shoulder, not ready to let him go. “Are you going to stay?” Len asked.
    “Yes.”
“Good.” Len put his mug in the sink. “Don’t hurt him again.”
“I won’t if I can help it.” Len glared at Eli, and then a small smile crept onto his face before he left the kitchen, the screen door slamming behind him. Geoff was torn between pulling Eli upstairs and tearing his clothes off and finding out what happened and why Eli was here. The sound of the men in the yard helped him decide, and he released Eli and directed him toward the living room.
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Love Means … NO SHAME
“I never expected to see you again. Not that I’m complaining, but what happened?” Geoff sat on the sofa and tugged Eli down next to him.
    “I was miserable the entire time I was gone. Whenever I wasn’t busy, I’d think of you. So I worked the entire time.” Eli leaned against Geoff, needing to feel his lover as much as Geoff needed to feel him. “When I got home, everyone was happy and welcomed me back. Initially, things were good. I was back among people I knew, and everything was familiar. But you weren’t there.” Eli stopped and wiped his eyes. “I can’t tell you how many times I turned to tell you something before realizing you weren’t there. A few times I actually said your name. Luckily Papa didn’t hear me.” Eli stopped and took a deep breath. “Papa was so happy I returned. He put me to work with him, helping him in the shop, and scheduled my baptism in the church. In his mind, I was back with the family and everything was perfect.” Geoff nodded slowly. “Len said your uncle told him that you were becoming an adult member of the community. When he told me, that was when I gave up hope of seeing you again. Until then I’d kept looking, thinking maybe you’d change your mind and come back to me. But after that, I stopped letting myself hope.”
    “I’m sorry.”
Geoff shook his head, not able to say anything, so he let his kiss speak for him. Eli went with it, letting Geoff press him back against the sofa cushions. Geoff could barely think. Eli was here, that’s all that mattered. Explanations could wait, talking could wait; his body and mind were screaming for Eli. He needed to touch him, feel him. Geoff forced himself to get up from the sofa and tugged Eli to his feet, practically dragging him up the stairs and down the hall to the bedroom.
    He hooked the door with his foot, closing it with a bang. The noise hardly registered as he advanced on Eli like a cat stalking its 195 Andrew Grey
    prey. Geoff worked the buttons on his shirt, opening it, slipping it off his shoulders before dropping it to the floor. His eyes never wavered from Eli as he moved forward. He saw Eli back up until his legs bumped the bed, but Geoff kept prowling closer. His fingers opened his belt, pulling it off, dropping it with a clunk. Shoes thumped as they bounced after flipping from his feet. His pants opened almost on their own, denim fabric kicked off, another addition to the trail on the floor.
    Eli hadn’t moved, his eyes following every movement, and Geoff swore he could see his own passion mirrored in those eyes. Geoff reached his prey, taking the hat Eli still carried and tossing it away before grabbing Eli’s shirt and using it to pull him forward.
    Their lips crashed together, need and passion swamping Geoff’s already lust-clouded mind. His hands pulled, and buttons pinged to the floor as they popped off the shirt. Fabric tore as he pulled the shirt off his lover’s body before crushing their chests together. Only then did his feral yearning begin to subside into needy passion.
    His hands devoured the skin on Eli’s back, gripping and palming as much as he could. His chest heaved as they moved together. Eli’s nipples, pointy