Page 76 of Elite Metal: Warriors

“Why?”

“One of my foster brothers had his tonsils out a week before and he got ice cream.”

“They didn’t give you ice cream?”

“No.” A pout.

“Bastards.” She chuckled and lay back down, stroking him gently. His skin was warm and smooth. She splayed her palm on him and soaked him in.

“Michelle?” he said, after a while.

“Mmm?”

“Did you…? Are you…?”

She peeped at him. “Am I what?”

“Are you okay? I mean…” he waved toward the table where he’d shown her heaven.

She snorted a laugh. “I’m wonderful. That was…”

He stiffened. “What?”

“Amazing. Unbelievable. Perfect.” She leaned up and punctuated each word with a kiss.

“I wasn’t…too rough?”

“No.”

His hold on her tightened.

“There was one thing I didn’t like though.”

His eyes flared. His nostrils pinched and his lips worked. “I… What?”

“I wanted to call you by your name and I couldn’t. Because I don’t know it.”

“I told you it’s—”

“Nope. Not calling you that. And you told me not to call you George,” she added teasingly. “Although, you do look like a George.” She stroked his curls.

“I do not.”

“Anyway, I wanted a name.”

He stared at her for a long while as he fought some inner battle. Finally he blew out a sigh and looked away. “No one knows my real name. No one can.”

“Why not?”

His smile was sad. “I’m a ghost, remember?”

“What would you like me to call you?” She huffed a laugh. “Other than Sir.”

His chest shook as he chuckled and then his arms tightened. “You could…”

“Yes?”

“If you wanted to, you could call me…Ben.”