Page 31 of Frog Hog

“It was,” I agree, releasing a long breath and rolling to the side so I can look at him. One of my legs is thrown over his, and the comforter is a complete, wet, mess. “No condom.”

“No condom,” he deadpans. “And it was amazing. Can we do it again?” Now, his reticence of using condoms in the past makes total sense. A lot of things hold a new clarity.

“We can do it a million times,” I reply.

“How was your milkshake?” he asks, grinning.

I can’t help but laugh in reply. Clearing my throat, I say, “It was brilliant. The flavor nuances were really something to write home about. Next time if you eat some pineapple it would add some sweetness.”

He laughs and rubs down my arm with his warm hand. I tingle. I know what that dirty hand is capable of. “I’ll eat whatever you want if you’ll eat the beefsteak, girl.”

I sigh, relieved and fulfilled. “Everything is good now?” I ask.

He doesn’t answer for a beat or two and my chest tightens. “Right?” I ask again.

“Everything is perfect, Valen. Perfect. It’s all falling into place and I never thought it would happen for me. Not again. How can a bastard like me hit the lottery twice?” He tells me the story about how he felt when he saw me the first time. Hutch speaks of his feelings the first time we made love, the first time I cooked for him, how his hesitance to love me only fueled his desire to keep me forever.

There’s a sadness in his voice, but there’s also hope, and a joy I can’t ignore. No response is good enough, so I stay silent, and smile at him. With one finger I trace his biceps and the frog tattoo on his neck. It represents everything I thought I wanted.

I never knew how much I neededhim, though.

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