Ch. 5: preview #1

Jen gaped in alarm as her teammate suddenly went limp in her hands.  Totally, completely lifeless, as if his power switch had just been flipped off.  It freaked her out so much that her grip slipped.  “Oh god!”  She caught him before he fell to the floor, although he thumped his head a bit on the counter.  Ack!  Her heart racing, she lowered him—No, draped him in her arms instead and carried him to the couch.  Sat down, holding him gingerly in her arms.  “Can you hear me??  Oh gosh, please wake up!”

The experience had snapped something inside her.  It was an ultimate wake-up call.  It brought her back to the end of last round when he’d taken that bad tumble; also Amir that morning with those bullies.  Guys like them were so fragile and defenseless now, in so many situations.  She’d gotten so caught up in scolding her teammate and keeping him in line, that she’d lost sight of her first and possibly most important duty: protecting her Mouse.  Any Mighty was a complete failure if she couldn’t do that!

Relief flooded her as the little man came to, groaning, slowly cracking open his eyes.  Oh thank god!  “Are you OK???”

To Theo, that deep voice was still an audial blur, as hazy as his vision. What had happened?  He remembered total panic; terror; … the searing pain of his shoulders being wrung out dishrags …

“Buddy?  Can you hear me??”  His daughter’s voice reverberated in his head like an echo chamber, until his eyes opened and he realized where the fuck he was.  Right in her hulking arms.  On her lap.

“No!” he yelped in absolute terror.  “What--!?!”

“Shhh, shhh!”  The moment he tried to sit up, her palm pressed down on his chest like a clothes iron, pinning him flat.  “Easy… Don’t move yet.  Take it slow.”

The casual ease with which she kept him pinned really hit home.  Jesus Christ!  His back nestled in the crook of her arm; her resilient thighs underneath him, forming a sturdy yet cushioned platform beneath him.  Her body warm, so warm.  Oh Jesus Mother of—!  His arm was trapped beneath her breasts; her giant, warm, cushiony breast …