Thario came over and sat in the chair next to her. She wished they had some kind of relationship already, because curling up next to him would be the only thing that would make this night better.
Chapter 26
They’d just turnedon the movie when the power went out. Calla jumped beside him, and he reached out and put his hand on her knee.
"It's okay. It's just the storm."
She laughed, but sounded nervous, so he moved closer and took her hand. When her shoulder brushed against his, warmth spread through him.
Elowen stood along with Knuckles, who looked concerned. "I guess I need to go check on the big cabin and make sure the generator popped on."
“You stay, I’ll go,” Griz said.
“Nonsense. We can both go.”
Griz held out his hand, and she took it. It was nice to see that Griz had found someone. Thario had lost hope of having a good relationship. He shouldn’t have squandered his youth. But then again, if he had found someone, he wouldn’t be here with Calla. He might not have ever found her, and she could still be living under Brent’s thumb.
“Knuckles can stay with us,” Thario said.
Griz’s laughter bounced around the room. “Good luck making her stay. I swear she is glued to Elowen in the evenings.”
“Yeah, she doesn’t like me going out after dark.”
"Good dog," Thario said. Both Frog and Knuckles looked back at him, and he reached forward, scratching both of them.
The pair left, with Knuckles in tow. The dog was dedicated to Elowen.
He stood and watched them get into the car under the metal carport, all three of them entering on the driver's side so they didn't get wet.
“He’s a good man,” Calla said.
“He is. I think his size and overall appearance scares people.”
She nodded. “I could see that.”
Lightning lit up the sky, and thunder rolled over the land. He could see her reflection in the glass, and he knew she could see his.
About a minute after the truck had disappeared from view, Calla glanced up at him. He turned to look at her.
The lights were still off, but the storm was going off enough that he could hold eye contact with Calla. She had pretty eyes. Her nose was cute and perky. And her lips were full, but not too full.
He shouldn’t push her for a relationship. She needed time to heal, and he wasn’t the best guy out there. He’d never really had a long-term girlfriend.
She placed her hand on the center of his chest, and his heart sped up. Could she feel how hard his heart pounded?
Though he didn’t want to push, he cupped the side of her face and leaned in, not close enough for a kiss, but closer than he’d been before.
“You have soft skin.”
“I like the warmth from your hands.”
Her words spoken in hushed, husky tones did a number on him. His dick would be obvious if he didn’t move away from her.
She ran her hand down to his waist and squeezed. He sucked in air, trying to stay calm, but with her touching him, it wasn't possible.
Heat filled him, and desire spiked. No way would he push her to do more than kiss. She was too special, and he didn’t want to ruin his chances.
Calla likedhow touching Thario made her feel. She wanted to pull him closer but feared that her inexperience would be thought of badly by Thario.
