Page 64 of Body and Soul

Eli nodded slowly, but I could see the questions swirling in his mercury eyes, the way his fingers twisted the hem of his shirt. He wanted to press for more details, but he restrained himself. Always so obedient.

“Okay,” he said quietly. “If you're sure there's nothing I can do to help.”

I smiled reassuringly at Eli, reaching out to smooth a hand over his sleep-tousled hair. “I'm sure. Focus on your chores for the day. Once you’ve finished that, perhaps you could call Gavin and go shopping. Get a few new clothes.” I extracted a credit card from my wallet and placed it on the table for him to use. While Eli had his stipend, I didn’t want him to blow it on clothes. I’d rather he put it in savings or put it toward his art supplies. “I'll be back this evening and we can talk more then.”

“Yes, Sir. I'll make sure everything is in order for when you return.”

“Good boy,” I praised, letting my fingers linger on the nape of his neck. I could feel the tension there, the coiled energy thrumming beneath his skin. He was trying so hard to be good, to be patient and obedient, but I knew the toll it was taking on him.

I let my hand drop, trailing my fingertips along the elegant line of his throat, over his collarbone peeking out from the loose neck of his shirt. Eli shivered, goosebumps rising on his pale flesh. His lips parted on a soft gasp and he looked up at me with those stunning mercury eyes, pupils blown wide and dark with need.

I knew I should step away, put some distance between us before I was tempted to take things further. But looking down at Eli, seeing the raw vulnerability and longing etched into every line of his delicate face, I couldn't bring myself to deny him this small comfort.

I leaned down, cupping Eli's face in my hands. His skin was soft and warm beneath my palms, his pulse fluttering wildly at his throat. I brushed my thumbs over his cheekbones, marveling at the contrast of my tanned fingers against his ivory complexion.

Eli's breath hitched, and he gazed up at me, his mercury eyes wide. “Sir?”

I shushed him gently, leaning in until our foreheads touched, our noses brushing. I inhaled deeply, breathing in his scent—a heady mix of sleep-warmed skin, mint toothpaste, and something uniquely Eli. It made my head swim and my blood heat. I wanted nothing more than to crush him against me, to claim that tempting mouth with my own until he was breathless and trembling in my arms.

But I restrained myself. Eli deserved gentleness, deserved to be cherished and savored. I ghosted my lips over his, a barely there caress that had him shivering. His eyes fluttered shut, andhe tilted his head back in silent offering, a gesture of complete trust and submission that made my heart clench.

I pressed my lips to Eli's in a slow, tender kiss. His lips were petal-soft and pliant beneath my own, parting on a shaky exhale. I kept the pressure light, barely more than a brush of skin on skin, but it was enough to send sparks of electricity skittering down my spine. Eli made a soft, needy sound in the back of his throat and swayed into me, his slender hands coming up to clutch at the front of my shirt.

I deepened the kiss, my tongue flicking out to trace the seam of his lips. He opened for me instantly. He was sweet and warm, with a hint of mint from his toothpaste. I couldn't get enough.

Eli melted against me, his body molding to mine like he was made to fit there. My hand slid into his hair, my fingers tangling in the silky platinum strands. I angled his head, slanting my mouth over his and kissing him with all the pent-up hunger and need I'd been suppressing for weeks.

Eli whimpered into the kiss, his fingers tightening their grip on my shirt. I swallowed down the breathy little noises he made, heat coiling tight in my core. I'd almost forgotten how intoxicating it was to have such a responsive submissive trembling and eager in my arms. To know I could take Eli apart with my mouth and hands, reduce him to a writhing, desperate creature wholly focused on chasing whatever fleeting pleasure I deigned to allow him.

I nipped at the piercing in Eli's bottom lip, soothing the sting with a slow sweep of my tongue. He shuddered against me, a full-body tremor that I felt in my bones. I wanted nothing more than to lay him out on the kitchen table and take my time with him, learning every secret place that made him gasp and arch and beg so prettily for more. I wanted to taste every inch of his porcelain skin, suck dark claiming marks into the pale column of his throat, the sharp jut of his hipbones.

But now wasn’t the time. My family needed me. With great reluctance, I gentled the kiss, easing back until only our lips brushed, sharing panting breaths in the scant space between our mouths. Eli made a bereft little sound, his lashes fluttering open to reveal glassy, unfocused eyes. His lips were kiss swollen and slick.

I forced myself to pull back, to put some distance between us before I lost all semblance of control. Eli swayed after me, chasing my retreating mouth with a soft, desperate noise. I steadied him with my hands on his shoulders, feeling the rapid rise and fall of his chest beneath my palms.

“Easy,” I murmured, my voice rougher than I intended, scraped raw with barely restrained desire. “We'll have plenty of time to explore this further when I return this evening. For now, I need you to be my good, obedient boy and focus on your tasks for the day. Can you do that for me, Eli?”

Eli blinked rapidly, his glazed eyes slowly clearing as he processed my words. He licked his lips, chasing the taste of me, and nodded. “Yes, Sir. I can do that.” His voice was breathy and thin, but there was a determined set to his jaw.

“That's my good boy,” I praised, allowing my fingers to linger on his neck for a moment longer before forcing myself to step back. “Now eat your breakfast.”

A soft, pleased flush bloomed across Eli's cheeks at the words.

I allowed myself one last long look at him before heading out the door.

I drummed my fingerson the table, listening to my family argue with the mercenaries. Everybody wanted something, but few were willing to sacrifice for it.

Take Warrick. Since he was young, my brother had dreamed of one thing: a family. Over the years, that dream shifted from a nuclear family to children of his own. He believed the best way to achieve this was to compromise, living in a loveless marriage with a man he ultimately resented. Only when he let go of that singular desire did the universe hand him Paxton Cooper and his two little girls.

Now, my brother's happy ending was within reach, costing him the blood of a man who deserved to die. No one would miss Simeon the Immortal or his mafia henchmen. Warrick would get what he wanted, but only because he’d suffered for it first. If he'd met Paxton a year earlier, under better circumstances, they wouldn’t have worked out.

Warrick and Paxton weren’t destined any more than River and Theo. Their relationships depended on chance and a lackof effort. They just had to be themselves, and the universe delivered the right person. But if either brother had to search for happiness, neither would have found it. They weren't willing to do the work.

A lesser man might see their relationships and think it unfair. After all, I’d worked hard searching for someone who could love all the conflicting parts of me. It was tempting to think it too easy for them, while I struggled with my complicated relationship with Eli, especially with Bryce and Keres involved.

Yet wallowing in self-pity would accomplish nothing. I had to learn to content myself with what I had—Eli, my family, more family than most. The Laskins were gathered around the table negotiating my brother’s happiness. And then there was Dani.

Except I didn’t have her—not yet.

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