Total pages in book: 184
Estimated words: 186756 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 934(@200wpm)___ 747(@250wpm)___ 623(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 186756 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 934(@200wpm)___ 747(@250wpm)___ 623(@300wpm)
I study him again. “She is, isn’t she? So what, she has a crush on you. Is she dangerous?”
“Get the fuck gone, okay?” he bursts out again. “Just get lost.”
Still I take my time and then, “Do you need my help? With her, I mean.”
Words sound foreign on my tongue.
I can’t remember a time when I would’ve asked him this. I’ve of course helped him out where I could but I don’t think I’ve ever offered my help to him. As in I’ve never showed him my concern like a good brother should have.
He probably realizes that and some of the tension leaches out of his frame. As he shakes his head and replies, “No. This one’s all mine. I’ll handle her.”
Exhaling a long breath, I nod in acceptance and finally leave.
To go to New York.
To her parents’ house.
When they took me away last night, I knew she’d be in trouble. People would hear about it, meaning her mother would hear about it. And instead of taking it out on the actual culprit – me – she’ll take it out on her. Which is why when they first took me to the police station, I was agitated. I was uncooperative. I wouldn’t answer any of their questions until I got a phone call.
Which I did and I called Conrad, telling him everything.
What I did. What happened and about her mother. I made him promise me that he’d take care of it, keep an eye on her, make sure that she was okay.
Like always, he came through.
He called her father and told him about her mother’s abuse. From what Conrad told me, her father had no idea about it and when he found out, he was angry. He assured Conrad that nothing would touch her, least of all her mother.
But I don’t trust her father.
I don’t trust anyone with her safety but myself.
And even though there’s every chance that she must hate me right now, I’m going to somehow convince her to… let me.
Just let me.
Protect her.
Love her.
Keep her.
Chapter 2
“Batman.”
“What?”
“Your secret,” I said to him one night. “That’s what it is, isn’t it? You’re Batman.”
It was midnight and as usual, we were together. I can’t remember the city we were in because I’ve never traveled this much in my life and I can’t say what the hotel room looked like. But I do remember that this one had a balcony.
Not a huge one but big enough that I wanted to go out on it.
Because it was snowing.
And because I was only wearing my favorite Minnie Mouse boyfriend t-shirt, he insisted that I wear a coat. When I denied and said that he should come with me to keep me warm, he agreed and came out in only his drawstring pants. Hello? Where was his t-shirt or a coat?
Looking to his side and back, he flexed his grip on my thighs that were wound around his hips. “No.”
In response, I flexed my arms around his chest and shoulders. “Spiderman?”
He chuckled lowly. “No.” Then, flexing his grip again and looking back, “You could be a spider monkey though.” A pause followed by an explanation, “Although they’re both two very different things that only share the term spider.”
I dropped a kiss on his bare shoulder and licked a snowflake from his skin. “Oh, Stellan. My poor, clueless baby. You scare me sometimes.” Another kiss. “Only you would poke fun at me and then worry about explaining it right. Besides,” another kiss and a lick “the correct term is piggyback. See how I’m wrapped around your back and shoulder? It’s called piggyback. So I guess I’m a piggyback monkey if anything.”
I finished it with another kiss but this one on his cold hard cheek.
And I was.
Wrapped around his back and shoulder I mean.
Because I wanted to.
Because he looked so warm and strong and I wanted to see the snow, the stars perched on his back. Plus of course I wanted my front pressed against those dense muscles.
Before we could get back to the topic at hand though – figuring out his secret – in a very powerful display of athleticism and grace, he both got me off his back and wrapped around his front in not only less than ten seconds, but also without me having to put my feet down on the balcony.
Then, with one arm around my waist and using the other to take the cigarette out of his rose mouth, he said, “Now you’re just my pretty Dora.”
I brought my face close to his and parted my lips, drinking his smoke in.
Which thankfully he made no objection to.
It took me days to convince him, but he at least agreed to let me drink in his smoke from his mouth aka shotgunning. Which worked out because I didn’t care about the smoking. I only cared about him.