their ability to negotiate their world by trial and error.
“But I never learned that, so the therapists told me. No matter what I did, I always got the result I didn’t want. Every choice I made ended up being the wrong one. So I learned to make as few choices as possible. I learned to leave the decisions to others, to minimise my chances of being wrong.
“Tonight I stepped away from that behaviour by going to see Marquez. And at first it seemed like, yet again, I got the result I didn’t want: fa... Hays punishing me.”
She paused and smiled across at him, her eyes alight with a glow that took his breath away. “But you made me persevere, made me keep choosing, and those decisions started to get me the results I wanted. For the first time, I started getting the results I wanted. That’s huge! You have no idea.
“Yet I need to go home. Even though everything you’ve told me makes perfect sense. And feels right. I...I still have things to process. And... I just need to go home.”
She took his hand that gripped the arm of his wheelchair. “I've got your number on my new encrypted burner phone. I know where to come if things get bad. I'll be in touch tomorrow to check in. So please, give me space, Cooper, okay?"
What could he say to that? "I'd give you the moon if I could, my beautiful girl. Sleep well."
He leaned in and kissed her chastely. If he tried to do more his cat would get into the act, and this was no place for their cats to come out.
For a moment, Amy seemed conflicted. She looked into his eyes doubtfully. "Tonight. You didn't set all that up to make me feel better about myself did you?"
He laughed. "Believe me, I'm not that masochistic. I knew there'd likely be some interest in the new girl, I didn't realise how much. Did you hear what those fellas said? They called you the pick of the bunch. That at least confirms my aesthetic appreciation wasn't skewed because you're my mate."
She smiled. "Everything is an experiment to you, isn't it?"
"Not really. But I tend to talk in scientific terms. Habit, I guess." He grimaced.
"Sweet dreams, sweet prince. Thank you for everything. Thank you for showing me that I'm not a circle with corners that need to be ground off. Squares are so much nicer than the circles I've met. So I have to think that maybe being a square is way better. You showed me that. I'm proud to be your mate." Her eyes shone with unshed tears and his throat closed up with them too.
"You are more than welcome. Be safe."
And with that she was gone, leaving only her subtle rose fragrance behind her. His cat raged, trying to follow his mate, but Cooper wrestled him into submission. Even though he feared what would happen to her if she got caught sneaking back into the house at this time of the morning, Amy had to be allowed to do what she felt was right.
What she said made sense. He’d learned to trust himself and his decisions because his parents had been a consistent, loving force in his early years. Except for her nurse, Amy had never known that. So he had to allow her to find her own way. Had to trust her so she could learn to trust herself. And be willing to let her fall, if that was what it took.
But as he tossed and turned in bed later that night, he wished a hundred times that his world didn't embrace Women's Lib so fully. He wished the old caveman techniques of throwing a woman over his shoulder and carrying her away could have worked with modern women. Right now, both he and his cat wanted Amy lying next to him. Even if he couldn’t offer her the kind of sexual fulfilment one of the others might provide, he could still give her the erotic pleasure of the bite. That at least didn't require legs.
CHAPTER NINE
Sneaking into the house would be more problematic than sneaking out, Amy realised immediately. She couldn’t be sure where the outside guard would be on his rounds. If he caught sight of her coming in, even if he didn’t confront her, he would most likely report
“But I never learned that, so the therapists told me. No matter what I did, I always got the result I didn’t want. Every choice I made ended up being the wrong one. So I learned to make as few choices as possible. I learned to leave the decisions to others, to minimise my chances of being wrong.
“Tonight I stepped away from that behaviour by going to see Marquez. And at first it seemed like, yet again, I got the result I didn’t want: fa... Hays punishing me.”
She paused and smiled across at him, her eyes alight with a glow that took his breath away. “But you made me persevere, made me keep choosing, and those decisions started to get me the results I wanted. For the first time, I started getting the results I wanted. That’s huge! You have no idea.
“Yet I need to go home. Even though everything you’ve told me makes perfect sense. And feels right. I...I still have things to process. And... I just need to go home.”
She took his hand that gripped the arm of his wheelchair. “I've got your number on my new encrypted burner phone. I know where to come if things get bad. I'll be in touch tomorrow to check in. So please, give me space, Cooper, okay?"
What could he say to that? "I'd give you the moon if I could, my beautiful girl. Sleep well."
He leaned in and kissed her chastely. If he tried to do more his cat would get into the act, and this was no place for their cats to come out.
For a moment, Amy seemed conflicted. She looked into his eyes doubtfully. "Tonight. You didn't set all that up to make me feel better about myself did you?"
He laughed. "Believe me, I'm not that masochistic. I knew there'd likely be some interest in the new girl, I didn't realise how much. Did you hear what those fellas said? They called you the pick of the bunch. That at least confirms my aesthetic appreciation wasn't skewed because you're my mate."
She smiled. "Everything is an experiment to you, isn't it?"
"Not really. But I tend to talk in scientific terms. Habit, I guess." He grimaced.
"Sweet dreams, sweet prince. Thank you for everything. Thank you for showing me that I'm not a circle with corners that need to be ground off. Squares are so much nicer than the circles I've met. So I have to think that maybe being a square is way better. You showed me that. I'm proud to be your mate." Her eyes shone with unshed tears and his throat closed up with them too.
"You are more than welcome. Be safe."
And with that she was gone, leaving only her subtle rose fragrance behind her. His cat raged, trying to follow his mate, but Cooper wrestled him into submission. Even though he feared what would happen to her if she got caught sneaking back into the house at this time of the morning, Amy had to be allowed to do what she felt was right.
What she said made sense. He’d learned to trust himself and his decisions because his parents had been a consistent, loving force in his early years. Except for her nurse, Amy had never known that. So he had to allow her to find her own way. Had to trust her so she could learn to trust herself. And be willing to let her fall, if that was what it took.
But as he tossed and turned in bed later that night, he wished a hundred times that his world didn't embrace Women's Lib so fully. He wished the old caveman techniques of throwing a woman over his shoulder and carrying her away could have worked with modern women. Right now, both he and his cat wanted Amy lying next to him. Even if he couldn’t offer her the kind of sexual fulfilment one of the others might provide, he could still give her the erotic pleasure of the bite. That at least didn't require legs.
CHAPTER NINE
Sneaking into the house would be more problematic than sneaking out, Amy realised immediately. She couldn’t be sure where the outside guard would be on his rounds. If he caught sight of her coming in, even if he didn’t confront her, he would most likely report
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