face.”
“Come over.” Chase’s heart thudded heavily. His fingers felt tingly as adrenalin
coursed through his veins. “We can talk on the porch. How long until you get here?”
“Um.” Chase heard other voices in the background, and one of them, a deep, silky
rumble, shot straight to his balls and set off fluttering in a part that certainly wasn’t his heart.
“It won’t be just me, I don’t want to leave Billy here, and I kind of promised Xavier—”
Chase didn’t hear the rest of that sentence, because he was too busy hearing the blood pound in his ears as it rushed down to his cock, apparently abandoning his brain entirely. He grunted something when Liam said they were on their way, then shoved the phone in his pocket. How long he stood there, he wasn’t sure, but the hand that landed on his shoulder startled him enough that he spun around and lashed out before he thought about it.
“Yipes!” Bo shouted as he skipped backwards, smacking into the counter top. He had
his hands up in front of him, palms out as if in surrender.
“It’s just me! Shit! I’m sorry!”
Bo looked on the verge of panic, and Chase immediately felt ashamed. He knew Bo had
been beaten severely a while back, and here Chase was snarling and lunging before he fucking thought!
“It’s okay, I shouldn’t have startled you,” Bo said, looking a lot less scared as he took a tentative step towards Chase. “I did call your name a couple of times, guess I should have www.total-e-bound.com
A BIT OF ME
Bailey Bradford
69
realised when you didn’t answer that your mind was elsewhere. Sometimes I just don’t think.”
Chase’s shoulders slumped as he shook his head. “You shouldn’t have to think about
whether or not it’s safe to approach me. It’s fucked up that you do , though. I’m sorry.” He didn’t know if he could change that, or if he should bother trying since he intended to leave here when his therapy was done. No sense ditching the survival skills that had kept him alive so far. He’d just have to be more attentive, because he didn’t want to hurt Bo or anyone else here.
Bo’s steps were more assured as he closed the distance between them and laid a hand
on Chase’s biceps. “Nah, it’s not fucked up. Don’t beat yourself up over it. It was an accident on your part and a heavy dose of not thinking on my part. Stuff like that happens.”
“Yeah, but stuff like that on my part could end up with someone else dead,” Chase
muttered before he could censor himself. He blanched as he started to step back, afraid Bo would think he was threatening him. Bo’s hand tightened for a second on Chase’s arm, then he patted it once and slid his hand down to brush his fingertips over the back of Chase’s hand. There was nothing sexual about the touch—it was comfort, something Chase was
slowly learning to accept from a few people, in small increments.
“You wouldn’t have hurt me,” Bo assured him, linking their hands together briefly.
“You stopped almost before you even started. It was me that freaked out a bit, but we all have stuff to deal with, don’t we?” He squeezed Chase’s hand then let it go. “You expecting someone? Think I hear an engine—”
Bo started to walk past him. Chase dared to touch the man’s shoulder. Bo blinked at
him owlishly, obviously surprised by Chase’s action.
“I am,” Chase explained, even as he pulled his hand back. “Liam, the FBI agent, called and said he had some information for me. Uh, and he’s bringing a couple of people…”
Bo’s eyes narrowed and he planted his fist on his narrow hips. “Why is he bringing
people with him? Do you want me and Max to wait with you?”
Chase felt an odd pressure in his chest that he suspected was gratitude at the concern evident in Bo’s voice and expression. And, he knew, at being given a choice. Even so, he www.total-e-bound.com
A BIT OF ME
Bailey Bradford
70
shook his head.
“Come over.” Chase’s heart thudded heavily. His fingers felt tingly as adrenalin
coursed through his veins. “We can talk on the porch. How long until you get here?”
“Um.” Chase heard other voices in the background, and one of them, a deep, silky
rumble, shot straight to his balls and set off fluttering in a part that certainly wasn’t his heart.
“It won’t be just me, I don’t want to leave Billy here, and I kind of promised Xavier—”
Chase didn’t hear the rest of that sentence, because he was too busy hearing the blood pound in his ears as it rushed down to his cock, apparently abandoning his brain entirely. He grunted something when Liam said they were on their way, then shoved the phone in his pocket. How long he stood there, he wasn’t sure, but the hand that landed on his shoulder startled him enough that he spun around and lashed out before he thought about it.
“Yipes!” Bo shouted as he skipped backwards, smacking into the counter top. He had
his hands up in front of him, palms out as if in surrender.
“It’s just me! Shit! I’m sorry!”
Bo looked on the verge of panic, and Chase immediately felt ashamed. He knew Bo had
been beaten severely a while back, and here Chase was snarling and lunging before he fucking thought!
“It’s okay, I shouldn’t have startled you,” Bo said, looking a lot less scared as he took a tentative step towards Chase. “I did call your name a couple of times, guess I should have www.total-e-bound.com
A BIT OF ME
Bailey Bradford
69
realised when you didn’t answer that your mind was elsewhere. Sometimes I just don’t think.”
Chase’s shoulders slumped as he shook his head. “You shouldn’t have to think about
whether or not it’s safe to approach me. It’s fucked up that you do , though. I’m sorry.” He didn’t know if he could change that, or if he should bother trying since he intended to leave here when his therapy was done. No sense ditching the survival skills that had kept him alive so far. He’d just have to be more attentive, because he didn’t want to hurt Bo or anyone else here.
Bo’s steps were more assured as he closed the distance between them and laid a hand
on Chase’s biceps. “Nah, it’s not fucked up. Don’t beat yourself up over it. It was an accident on your part and a heavy dose of not thinking on my part. Stuff like that happens.”
“Yeah, but stuff like that on my part could end up with someone else dead,” Chase
muttered before he could censor himself. He blanched as he started to step back, afraid Bo would think he was threatening him. Bo’s hand tightened for a second on Chase’s arm, then he patted it once and slid his hand down to brush his fingertips over the back of Chase’s hand. There was nothing sexual about the touch—it was comfort, something Chase was
slowly learning to accept from a few people, in small increments.
“You wouldn’t have hurt me,” Bo assured him, linking their hands together briefly.
“You stopped almost before you even started. It was me that freaked out a bit, but we all have stuff to deal with, don’t we?” He squeezed Chase’s hand then let it go. “You expecting someone? Think I hear an engine—”
Bo started to walk past him. Chase dared to touch the man’s shoulder. Bo blinked at
him owlishly, obviously surprised by Chase’s action.
“I am,” Chase explained, even as he pulled his hand back. “Liam, the FBI agent, called and said he had some information for me. Uh, and he’s bringing a couple of people…”
Bo’s eyes narrowed and he planted his fist on his narrow hips. “Why is he bringing
people with him? Do you want me and Max to wait with you?”
Chase felt an odd pressure in his chest that he suspected was gratitude at the concern evident in Bo’s voice and expression. And, he knew, at being given a choice. Even so, he www.total-e-bound.com
A BIT OF ME
Bailey Bradford
70
shook his head.
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