Page 47 of Little Boy Toy

“Yeah.”

“Wow, you’re kind of my hero right now.”

“Don’t say that.”

“Why not?’

“I’ve never hit anybody in my life.”

I stared down at my bear, thinking. “It was so fast I didn’t even see it. Next thing I knew, Travis was on the floor.”

“I did some boxing in college. My hand just came up and moved forward as if on some automatic spring. I know better. I don’t do things like that.”

“You didn’t really hurt him. There was no blood.”

“I didn’t pull back, though. He’ll have a bruise to show for it all.”

“It just happened?” I kept my voice low, careful. “Without thought?”

“Yeah. Yeah, like that.”

“He provoked you. Saying things about me.”

Zale didn’t answer.

“You wanted to protect me.”

“He didn’t actually threaten you.”

“Yeah, but he hurt my feelings. Words hurt just as much as physical threats.”

No reply.

“Seriously, Zale, you automatically reacted to protect me. Wow.”

A heavy sigh was my only response from him.

He was all too quiet on the way home. I hugged Alexander to my chest and tried not to be sad. This night had been perfect until the very last minute.

When we got to his house, Zale got out as he usually did, came around the car and opened the door for me. I got out slowly, looking down. His hand came up and touched the top of my head, then slid down the back.

I bent my head back and lifted my gaze to his. He had parked right next to my car. If I reached out, I could touch it.

“I guess maybe I should go home for the night?”

His eyelids lowered. “Only if you want.”

We had been spending every night with each other for over a week now. Of course I didn’t want to. But did he want me to?

“Do you?” I shivered. The day had been quite warm, but the night air had gotten cooler since we left.

In answer, he pulled me to him. My head only reached between the undersides of his pecs. I pressed my face to his chest. Below, he was hard all over, including where it counted. His erection nudged my stomach.

“I had something I was going to give you tonight,” he said.

“Other than Alexander?” Right now, the bear was squashed under my arm.

“Better. I hoped.”

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