Dwayne set down his fork. “I told you we’d figure some things out, and we will. I called some friends, and they’ll be here in an hour.”

“There isn’t anything that can be done for me.” Robin swallowed and took another bite. His stomach cramped at first, but then he was ravenous and unable to stop eating. “I’m not worth it.” As he said the words, a spike of grief jabbed him in the belly. “I’m just not.”

“That’s enough of that.” Strong hands rested on his shoulders.

Robin tensed, not even realizing Dwayne had moved. The touch was gentle, caring, not rough or harsh the way he’d expected.

“Of course you’re worth it.” Dwayne leaned closer, his breath on Robin’s skin. He tingled where Dwayne touched him, the skin heating on its own, coming alive. This was weird and crazy. He wanted Dwayne to touch him and even hold him.

He turned deliberately, let his gaze travel upward, and his body followed, the chair pushing along the tile floor as he stood. “Dwayne… I can’t….”

Before he could finish his disjointed thought, Dwayne hugged him gently, cradling his body with one strong arm and running his other hand softly through his hair. It had been so long since he’d been comforted he barely recognized the intention. At first his body reacted with heat, tension, and intensity, his pants tightening. But Dwayne made no move to act on it and the feeling passed just as quickly as it rose. The need for comfort took over, and he held Dwayne in return, burying his face against him.

He inhaled and closed his eyes, warmth and care mixing with Downy and sweat and soap, scents that reinforced the masculine strength holding him. “What am I going to do?”

“First thing, you need to finish your breakfast, and second, you need to stop running. I know you’re hurt, but the dashing about will get you nowhere.”

Robin pulled his head away, rubbing his eyes. “I’m sitting down.”

Dwayne groaned softly. “Sounds like you’re constantly on the go. Your parents hurt you and you ran. That guy last night, the landlord…. You’re doing it all the time.”

“They tried to hurt me.”

“Yes, they did. But when you’re running, you’re trying to get away from something so badly that you often don’t understand where you’re going. You ended up renting a room from a thief and nearly got yourself seriously hurt by a guy who wanted more than you were willing to give.”

“So what are you saying?” Robin pulled away and tried to straighten himself out, instantly missing the warmth but not wanting to let Dwayne know.

“That you need to take a breath and think about what you want instead of just reacting.” Dwayne took a step back. “Finish your breakfast, and when my friends get here in a little while, we can see what they can do to help.”

Book Links

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Dreamspinner Press

a Rafflecopter giveaway