AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Just as I debated whether to step in or make myself scarce, Percy let go of the slip of paper he and Clark had been tugging back and forth. Clark stumbled backward at the sudden move and tripped over the leg of his chair.
I moved on instinct, lunging forward to catch him against my chest.
His body was slim and fit perfectly within my arms, though he was a bit heavier than the last person I’d held close. I stumbled back one step, then steadied us both. I’d thrown an arm around him in the process of catching him, my forearm crossing his breastbone and my fingers resting on the warm skin of his neck, my thumb brushing the edge of his bowtie.
It felt weirdly intimate to be touching that tie, even more than holding his body pressed to my front. But gradually awareness of that seeped in as well. His ass was pressed to my groin, his back to my chest, all of him firm and oddly…not unappealing.
“Are you okay?” I asked, my breath stirring the hairs on the back of his neck.
He shivered in response and pulled away. “Yeah, I…” His head whipped toward me as if he’d just realized who had caught him. “Hunter?”
“Hi,” I said stupidly, half of my brain still focused on that little shiver that had passed through him. I hadn’t been close enough to anyone to affect them that way in a long time. It should bother me that Clark was a man, right? But it didn’t. In fact, it was preferable to Loretta’s clumsy groping.
Clark laughed nervously as everyone at his table stared at us with varying levels of shock or amusement. “Thanks for the save.”
“No problem. I just—”
“Someone still needs to turn in the trivia answer before it’s too late,” Percy cut in sourly, “and since I’m not allowed…”
Clark glanced down at the slip of paper in his hand as if he’d forgotten it was there.
“Toby can run it over.” I plucked the slip from Clark’s fingers, secretly pleased when he made no move to resist, and waved over my kid, who’d been watching me from his spot by the wall.
For once, Toby came when called, probably too curious to be defiant. “Run this to that DJ stand over by the bar,” I said. “Tell them it’s from… What’s your team name?”
Wes Potter, one of the guys who ran the landscaping company in town, said, “It’s the Ho and—”
“Just say Mr. Fletcher’s team,” Clark interjected quickly. Once Toby was gone, he gave me a strained smile. “The team name isn’t really kid appropriate.”
“Oh?” My lips quirked with amusement. “What is it?”
“Ho & Bros,” Bobbi said proudly with a flip of her hair. “I’m the ho, in case you couldn’t guess.”
“I kind of figured,” I said with a chuckle.
Her smile widened, her fingers trailing over her collar bone toward her cleavage. “You should stay and join us.”
I wasn’t surprised by the invitation. I’d gone to high school with Bobbi, and she’d always been flirty.
“Thanks, but I’ve got to get my son home,” I said. “He’s cranky enough at school without staying up too late.”
“And you’re cranky enough at work,” Tucker said with a grin. “We’ve got that grant presentation with Duke and LeRoy to look forward to, so you’re gonna need to be well-rested. They’ll keep you on your toes.”
I grimaced. “Yeah, I can’t wait.”
The other team members were making conversation over their beers, but Clark still stood close enough that his body heat leached into me, and Percy glared from across the table. I felt reluctant to leave with the animosity coming off him in waves.
I turned to Clark. “You’re sure you’re okay then?”
He gave me a distracted smile. “I’m fine. Thanks to your quick reflexes, I didn’t hurt anything but my pride.”
My chest warmed as I soaked in the small bit of praise like a plant left unwatered too long. Clark had been patient with Toby in the first days of his after-school program. It was nice to give something back, even something as small as being in the right place at the right time.
Percy pushed back his chair and stood. “I don’t think this dating thing is going to work out, Clark. Since my input isn’t valued here, I’m going to head out.”
“Oh.” Clark’s face was pretty much an open book, and I saw surprise, irritation, and finally, relief in his expression. “Okay, if you’re sure…”
Percy was sure enough that he walked away without another word.
