Page 132 of Body and Soul

Tell Eli I’m sorry. –Az.

I sighed and closed the journal. Maybe it would be better to make Azreal do his own apologizing, but he fronted so rarely that it might be some time before he got the opportunity. I’d do my best to convey his apology to Eli.

But that was a conversation for another day. Right now, I wanted nothing more than to see Eli's face, to hold him in my arms and bask in the warmth of his presence. I quickly dressed, opting for a simple black sweater and jeans, and made my way out of the bedroom.

The house was quiet as I came down the hallway. I found Eli in the kitchen, humming softly to himself as he stirred scrambled eggs in the pan, just the way I’d taught him to do it. The sight of him, rumpled and relaxed in flannel pajama pants and one of my old t-shirts, made my heart swell with affection.

“Good morning,” I murmured, coming up behind him to wrap my arms around his waist and press a kiss to the side of his neck.

Eli startled slightly, then melted back against me. “Good morning…” He tipped his head back to look up at me. “Shepherd?”

I smiled and nodded, nuzzling into the soft skin of his neck. “Yes, it's me.”

Eli turned off the stove and twisted in my arms to face me, his blue eyes sparkling. “I missed you.”

“I missed you too,” I breathed, dipping my head to capture his lips in a slow, sweet kiss. Eli sighed into it, his body melting against mine as he deepened the contact. The taste of him, minty toothpaste and something uniquely Eli, was intoxicating. I could have gladly lost myself in that kiss forever.

But eventually we parted, both slightly breathless. Eli rested his forehead against my chest, his fingers toying with the hem of my sweater. “How long have you been back?”

“Just woke up a little while ago,” I replied, carding my fingers through his hair. “I read the journal entries from while I was gone. It seems like you had a good Christmas with the others.”

Eli nodded, a small smile playing over his lips. “It was nice. Quiet, but nice. Bryce took me to see the lights in the park and we watched a bunch of cheesy holiday movies. And Dex...” He chuckled. “He wore me out. As usual.”

I chuckled. “He does have that effect on people. I'm glad you two got to spend some quality time together, though. He adores you.”

Eli hummed in agreement, his fingers still idly playing with the hem of my sweater. There was a beat of silence, the air between us charged with unspoken longing. Then Eli lifted his gaze to mine, his blue eyes darkening with desire. “I missed you, Sir. A lot.”

I tightened my arms around him, pulling him flush against me. “I know.”

I captured his mouth in a searing kiss. Eli whimpered and opened for me, his hands fisting in my sweater as he arched into my touch.

The kiss quickly turned frantic, days of pent-up longing pouring out between ragged breaths and bitten-off moans. My hands roamed over Eli's body, slipping under the thin fabric of his t-shirt to map the familiar planes and angles of his torso, the pebbled nubs of his nipples. He shuddered and gasped into my mouth, grinding his hardening cock against my thigh.

“Bedroom. Now,” I growled against his lips, nipping sharply at his pierced lip. Eli nodded fervently, and I wasted no time hoisting him up, his legs automatically wrapping around my waist as I carried him down the hall.

I laid Eli out on the bed like an offering and stripped his shirt away with ruthless efficiency.

I paused for a moment, drinking in the sight of Eli's naked torso, his skin flushed and heaving with each ragged breath. He was a work of art, his lean muscles and colorful tattoos painting a canvas I would never tire of exploring.

“Give me your wrists,” I commanded, my voice low and rough with desire.

Eli hesitated only slightly before crossing his wrists above his head. I leaned forward and tugged free the restraints kept hidden between the headboard and the mattress, part of a state-of-the-art under the bed restraint system.

His eyes widened. “When did you get that?”

“Christmas present to myself,” I replied with a smirk as I secured his wrists. “Not too tight?”

Eli tugged against his bonds, testing them, and let out a shaky exhale when he found he couldn't move. “I’m good.”

“Good boy. Do you remember your safe word?”

“Icarus,” he repeated.

We’d done a little light bondage in the past, but never quite on this level. After everything that’d happened, I was somewhat worried it might be a trigger for him, but Eli’s pupils were blown wide and his cheeks flushed. He had his safe word if he needed it, and so I was keen to push him a little further and see what he could handle.

I let the last of my restraint fall away and descended on him like a man possessed, my mouth and hands roaming over every inch of exposed skin I could reach. I sucked bruising kisses along the column of his throat, reveling in the needy little whimpers that spilled from his lips.

My fingers found his nipples, already pebbled and straining for attention, and I rolled them between my fingertips, tugging and twisting until Eli was writhing beneath me, his chest heaving. I laved my tongue over one sensitive bud, then closed my teeth around it in a sharp nip that had Eli arching off the bed with a strangled cry.

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