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“That’s okay,” Hutch told me without a shred of judgment. “It took me a while to get the hang of it. Can I give you some pointers?”
“Please.”
He retrieved my poor axe from the floor and brought it over to me. “Okay, grab the handle with both hands, and since you’re right handed, place it on top.” I did as he said, and he nodded. “There you go. Now, lift it just like this…”
Hutch posed my arms in the air, bending them back at the elbows. I appreciated his knowledge, and when he shared it with me. I liked when he gave me directions, especially if it involved touching me. His firm care and hands-on approach grounded me and gave me security.
“Now step forward and bring your hands in front of you, letting go when your arms are straight out, but be careful not to lock your elbows.”
I repeated his words in my head, and when Hutch gave me space, I put his tips into motion. I took a step forward and flung the axe forward. This time, the blade actually hit the target, but it did not stick, and still fell to the floor.
“That was much better,” Hutch told me with a wide smile. “This time, try not to flick your wrists; just relax your hands and let it loose.”
He retrieved it once more and gave it over. I placed my hands as he’d shown me, and took a deep breath before squaring my shoulders. I stepped forward and in a fluid motion, released the axe. It circled and spun, and sank into the target. It missed the bullseye entirely, sticking instead in the outside circle, but it was still exciting.
I pumped my fist in the air, and Hutch was quick to my side. He exclaimed, “You did it! That was great!” before taking me in his arms and lifting me from the ground. When he placed me back on my feet, I didn’t step away.
The first time he hugged me the day before, I was too surprised to fully enjoy it. But this time, I was ready. I wrapped my arms around his neck and squeezed him, as he did the same around my waist.
I held him tightly, focusing on the feel of his hard body against mine; the way his chest swelled when he breathed in, and the flutter of my hair when he breathed out. I stood there, secure in his arms, not caring who was looking. All I cared about was Hutch. Besides Andrew, he was the first person I'd ever cared for; including myself.
Worried that I was clinging to him too long, I stepped back, and was relieved to find him smiling at me. Every time I looked at him, he became more handsome to me; I noticed just how much his denim-colored eyes caught the light, and the way they seemed to look into me.
After several long moments of just staring at one another, Hutch reached out to trace his hand down my arm and asked, “Are you ready to play?” As much as I was enjoying just taking him in, I was excited to take part in something he enjoyed.
“I’m ready.”
I assumed that our time would consist of tossing the axes at the targets and hoping for the best score, but there was more to it than that. Hutch and I played several different games; in one, we tried to only land on even numbers on the target. In another, we tried to score twenty-one points exactly.
But no matter what game we played, Hutch wiped the floor with me. He was incredible, and sank every shot perfectly. I wondered if his keen vampire senses gave him an unfair advantage, but I didn’t mind; I just enjoyed being with him.
“What did you think?” Hutch asked as we placed our weapons back into the bin.
“I loved it.” I had so much fun, that our hour time slot seemed to fly by.
“I hope you’ll do it again with me someday.”
His words made my pulse race. He wanted to spend more time with me, as I did with him. “Definitely.” Hutch smiled and I chewed on my lip in question. “What do we do now?” I was excited to see what he had in store for us.
“I need to take you home now.” Oh. Well, shit. I wasn’t ready for our time to end, but I wasn’t about to argue with him. “I need to inspect your residence for my reports.”
My stomach knotted with nerves over having him in my space; I didn’t have anything illegal in my apartment, but the place itself wasn’t that nice. It was small, I didn’t own much furniture, and I couldn’t remember if I even made my bed that morning.
But I knew it was part of his job. I kept forgetting that we were connected by his duty; that he was essentially in charge of me. While his job brought us together, something beyond that was growing between us. I felt it in his gentle touches, embraces, and the way he looked at me. I just prayed I wasn’t wrong.
