Under My Protection

Chapter 7

For GemmaLuna

"Mitch, you've been living here three months and not one time have you trusted me enough to let David come over to our house." Mitch took a sip of his coffee as Sherry tried to convince him to let David go over to her house. "It could give you and Scott some alone time. Maybe then he won't be sleeping on the couch."

"I don't know." I put my arm around Mitch's waist.

"He needs to be a normal kid." I whispered in his ear. He sighed.

"I guess it wouldn't hurt. Home by eight?"

"Unless you have something that needs more time." She winked and I noticed Mitch rolling his eyes. After David left, Mitch kept pacing at the front door. He was being his overly worried self.

"Mitch." I stepped in front on him, stopping him by grabbing his hips. "Relax." He crossed his arms over his chest. "Take a deep breath. David is going to be fine."

"David's three."

"And you guys are attached at the hip. You need to let him go. Even if it's just for a few hours." That made him laugh weakly. "You're a beautiful person when you smile Mitch. You should do it more often."

"Are you saying I'm ugly when I don't?" My finger outlined his jawline.

"Not necessarily." He bit his bottom lip to try and stop his smile. I went up to my office to start on a project. I heard Mitch come up a few minutes later.

"I'm bored. David usually keeps me company." I glanced over my shoulder to see him laying on the couch. I stopped to take in the scene. Mitch had one of his hands resting against his forehead while the other was hanging lazily over the side. His legs were straightened in front of him. They were long enough to rest on the arm of the couch. I think my eyes were stuck on his shirt that rose up to expose his lightly tanned skin. I heard a mumble of something from him.

"What?"

"You're staring at me." I shrugged, turning back to my work.

"It's hard not to." I jumped when his arms wrapped around my neck from behind.

"What are you making?"

"Here. I'll show you." I put the watch around his wrist. Even though it was child's watch, it still fit around his tiny wrist. "The screw that changes the hour hand, if it's clicked twice...." I clicked the button and my phone went off in my pocket. "It sends me a text with a nine-one-one. And I'll come save you. Both of you."

"Scott...." His hand brushed along my cheek. "How am I going to thank you in the end?"

"Live a long life and be happy no matter what you need to get that happiness." I found myself laughing.

"What?"

"What are you going to do when David goes to school?"

"I'm going to find me another man and get me child." We both laughed at his ridiculousness. Then my smile slipped when I noticed how close he was. My hand went to rest on his shoulder. The sweater he was wearing still allowed me to see his sharp collarbones. I couldn't count how many times in my dreams that I've imagined biting down on those. Or taking his bottom lip between my teeth. I cleared my throat with an embarrassed blush.

"I should get back to work." I took the watch off of Mitch's wrist and pretended to work on it. It was actually finished but I couldn't bring myself to look at him.

"O-okay. I'm going to go take a shower." I nodded, letting out a sigh of relief when he left the room. I have to watch the way my mind takes control. If it had its own way, my desk would not be as neat and tidy as it is right now. I would have Mitch slammed against the surface. I shook my head. Not good thoughts. I went in the bedroom to get another watch. I covered my eyes when I noticed Mitch.

"Oh god. I'm sorry." He only had a towel wrapped around his waist.

"It's fine." He lowered my hand from my eyes but I kept my eye closed. "Open your eyes Scott." I shook my head.

"No. Mitch don't do this."

"You sound like I'm going to kill you. I'm just asking you to open your eyes. We can't be in public and you gawk at me." I could see the point he was getting to but I still didn't want to look. Scratch that. I wanted to look. Every muscle in my body was saying to open my eyes to look at him.

"I won't gawk."

"There was barely a sliver of skin showing and you looked like a kid on Christmas." I grabbed his hands and held them away from me as my eyes were looking into his. I was trying to keep my eyes focused on his beautiful brown ones. I was slipping though.

My eyes would got to his lips. Then to his fragile neck and the hollow of his throat. His chest. His skin was so smooth and sun kissed. Finally I got to where the towel was balancing in his defined hipbones and that led me to wonder what was underneath that thin white towel. I reached a hand forward before snapping into my senses.

"Scott....It's okay." He guided my hand to his towel. I couldn't make myself pull away. I did manage to turn my head away when the towel dropped. Why was he tempting me? I don't think it was to tempt me though. I was tempting myself. Mitch saw this as taking care of his son. Making it so I was use to every part of him so in public it wouldn't come as a surprise. "Look at me." I blushed away as soon as I looked down.

"I c-can't do this." I wanted to take a step back. I really did. But I actually leaned forward to kiss him before stumbling back. There were a lot of things that I was doing today that I couldn't explain. Like the fact that I stayed in the room instead of running out. "Mitch....This isn't right okay? You're my best friend's husband. I shouldn't-" I paused my words to look over his body. I was right about it being way above average. He was so beautiful. "I shouldn't even be looking at you right now but I can't....stop. And don't get me wrong, you're gorgeous. It's just....I can't. I have too much respect for you to abuse my station as your protector."

"I never thought you would. Abuse your station. You care about us."

"Then you understand I can't have sex with you. I can't do anything to confuse you." There was a long silence. I picked up his towel from the ground and wrapped it around his waist.

"Scott?" I hummed to show I was listening. "Don't ever leave us." I looked up to see tears coming down his cheeks. I wiped them away with my thumb.

"Don't cry. You're even beautiful then." I got him to laugh.

"I didn't want to....I didn't want to have sex." I nodded. I totally understood. He was desperate. He was confused. He didn't know what he felt. I placed a kiss on his cheek.

"I know."