Page 27 of Elas

I frown, clenching my fists at my sides as he shuffles to the couch. He doesn’t even bother to get his blanket and pillow before he collapses onto the cushions. The alcohol is messing with my head, and I stare at the curve of his spine for far too long.

“At least drink some water,” I finally say, placing a bottle from the fridge on the table beside him.

“I told you I was a lightweight,” he mumbles into the cushion, and I chuckle despite my confusion.

“You aren’t going to be sick, are you?”

“No, I’m fine.”

Reluctantly, I take a step back and nod, even though he can’t see me while he’s face down. “Get some rest, but come wake me up if you need me. Neither of us has to be up early in the morning, so we can sleep it off.”

I turn to walk into my bedroom when he mutters, “Elas?”

“Yeah, doc?”

“You really do have a beautiful smile,” he mumbles, sounding as though he’s already half asleep. I realize I’m grinning like a fool as I stare at his prone body, drowning in my enormous clothing with a head of wild blonde waves going in every direction.

“You do too, August,” I say, but he only responds with a soft snore.

Elas

Pounding.

In my head and on my fucking door. Sunlight burns my retinas as I sit up and rub my eyes with a groan. It’s not even that bright outside, but my body is rebelling. After I watched August pass out on the couch last night, I chugged a few more glasses of liquor to make me fall asleep. It takes a lot to get a Nu’vak drunk, but I was determined.

The knocking starts again, and I snarl as I climb out of bed and grab some sweatpants. If I was petty, I’d answer the door naked. It would serve whoever it is right for interrupting my morning off, but it’s not just me living here now.

Another thudding knock.

“Fucking gods, I’m coming!” I bellow, and August releases a pitiful whine from his nest on the couch.

“Too early,” he mumbles, and I cringe apologetically for my shout, even though his eyes are closed.

“Sorry, doc,” I say. “Go back to sleep.” He nods to himself and tries to yank the blanket over his head, then remembers he doesn’t have one. With a grunt, he grabs the neck of his shirt and tugs it over his face, exposing the tan expanse of his stomach. I freeze, my eyes roaming over the gently defined lines of his abs. A small, soft pudge of a belly bulges below his navel, with a trail of golden hairs leading underneath his pants.

I swallow hard, imagining how it would feel to run my tongue over his stomach, and wondering what waits beneath those loose-fitting pants. If last night was any indication, he’s not lacking in that department. My blood heats as he shifts his hips, letting that flesh on his belly form a soft roll that I want to sink my teeth into. He settles flat on his back, his chest rising in a steady pattern of breaths.

Another knock pulls me from my head, and I growl as I swing the door open. “What?!” I demand, and the soldier standing in the hallway cowers. A quick glance at his uniform tells me he’s only a two row, so I give him a pass as I rub at my temples. “What?” I repeat, more rationally this time.

“Officer Elas?” he squeaks, and I heave a sigh as I nod and wave my hand for him to continue. “The new commander has requested a meeting with you.”

My brows pinch, a headache thudding under my skull as I give my head a small shake. “New commander? I wasn’t aware one had been appointed.”

“The official announcement hasn’t been made yet. There will be a formal ceremony Monday afternoon, but he asked to see you personally before the communication goes out.” This time, my brows nearly meet in the centerof my face as I tilt my head in question, but it’s obvious the person in front of me is nothing more than a messenger.

“Now?” I finally manage to ask, and he glances at my almost-naked body before his eyes shoot back up to mine and he nods.

“He is working from the old commander’s office. I’m assuming you can find your way there?”

I sigh, thinking of all the ass-chewings I’ve gotten from Bravis in that room over the decades. “Oh yeah… I’m familiar with it.”

“Perhaps a change of attire before you head over?”

I snarl, and he backs up a step. “Thank you for your concern,soldier, but I know how to address my superiors. Do you?”

“A-a-apologies, Officer,” he stutters, and I roll my eyes as I slam the door in his face. August groans again, twisting his body to face the back of the couch and showing me the fine dusting of fuzzy hair across his lower back.

“Who was that, El?” he mutters in his raspy, sleepy voice, and a rough exhale leaves me at the pet name. The air in this room is thick with his presence—the heady mix of his scent and mine, and the sexy rumble of noises he’s making. They’re triggering emotions I have no business feeling, and I need to clear my head.

---