Chapter Twenty-Nine
Harley
I was collapsed on the bed, too wiped out to even care that the wet spot under me was growing cold against my skin – the head of my dick must have poked free of the jock without me noticing- whenI noticed a shift in Scott's demeanor. He was still right next to me, our hips pressed together, but he seemed stiff and there was a chasm between us that I wasn't sure how to bridge.
As we lay there in the silence, I replayed everything we had done. Had I been too demanding? Too eager? Too…something? He'dseemedto enjoy it – certainly hadn't complained during the act – but after…
When I couldn't take it anymore, I took a deep breath.
"Did I do something wrong?"
"What?" Scott was obviously startled as his head swiveled toward my face. "No, of course not." His eyes softenedand he laid his palm on my chest. "You were perfect." When I didn't respond, he sighed. "The condom broke."
I couldn't help but laugh. "Really? That's all?" When he didn't laugh with me, I nudged his shoulder with my own. "I mean, we're both clean, aren't we?"
Scott drew in a deep breath and released it slowly, relaxing next to me. "Yeah, baby. Of course we are." He burrowed one arm under my body and rolled me over on top of him. "I didn't mean to freak you out."
I spread my legs, letting them fall to cradle Scott's and snuggled closer. "I'm not, really. You got so distant that I thought maybe it wasn't good for you."
"Silly." Scott stroked my head and then smoothed his hand down my back. Then, with a wry chuckle, "You made me come so hard that I blew through the condom and you didn't think it was good?"
I laughed with him, rubbing my face against his chest hair. "I guess I should get up and fix you actual food, hm?"
Scott tightened his arms around me. "Soon. For now, I just want to hold you."
~*~
"So, what's our plan?" I set the plate holding both of our food in Scott's lap and crawled back under the cover with him, leaning against the wall. In retrospect, I probably should have asked more questions when he suggested that we sneak out of the hospital and run, but, honestly, I felt so safe with him that it really had seemed like a no-brainer. After that first time at the cliff's edge, I hadn't even had an episode when he was with me.
As corny as it sounds, he was my safe place.
My anchor.
"Well," Scott wolfed down half of the first sandwich in two bites. "I didn't tell that damned detective, but I'm guessing he was right that you were at the club trying to find out what happened to you."
It wasn't a question, but I nodded anyway.
"So I thought that we'd take another run at tracking down the men you were chatting with. See what they know."
"Really?" The potato chip I'd put in my mouth turned to sawdust and I had to take a drink to wash it down. "You're not mad at me for that?"
"For what?" The rest of the sandwich was demolished. "Talking to other men?"
"Well, yeah," I tried to keep from cringing but failed. "I really wasn't going to hook up with him, I swear."
"I know." Scott looked at me curiously. "Har, it never even occurred to me that you were."
The breath I didn't realize I was holding escaped in a rush and I laughed, nearly giddy with relief.
"That said," Scott set the empty plate aside and tugged me onto his lap, "I would really prefer it if you never took that kind of risk again." He nuzzled into my neck. "You can tell me anything, Har, and I'll always have your back. When I saw all those creeps swarming you.." he trailed off, sucking lightly on the tender skin behind my ear. "Please don't scare me like that again."
A familiar panicky feeling crept over me, making me think I'd pronounced myself cured of the episodes too soon.
"Hey, hey, none of that, Harley," Scott crooned into my ear, holding one of my hands to his chest and stroking my back firmly with the other. "Deep breaths. Stay here with me, baby."
I tried to match my breaths to his and quickly noticed that same increase in the scent that was so totally him.
"I'm not mad at you, Har," he continued to murmur softly in my ear. "I never was."
