Page 3 of Protecting his Heart

I thought you might like something NEW for a change.

The word new was in capitals and there was a #2 in the corner, though Owen couldn’t think why, but it didn’t matter. Someone had sent him a gift. A smile crept across his face.

“Who’s it from?”

Owen shook his head. “No idea. There’s no signature.”

“Ooh, you have an admirer,” Evan said, heading for the door. “Are we going or not?”

Owen glanced at his best friend and then back at the scarf. Clearing his throat, he wrapped it around his neck, grabbed his bag and followed Evan. It didn’t matter what he wanted to ask Evan; it was better if he didn’t know. This scarf, whoever it was from, was something for Owen to focus on instead of his unrequited love for his best friend.

When they arrived at the training room, there were already a couple of guards sparring, and he and Evan wrapped their hands before finding a space on the floor.

“Ready?” Owen asked. Instead of answering, Evan took a swipe at him, and Owen leant back in time to avoid it and grinned. “Okay, then. It’s on.”

Their fists punched and swiped as they ducked and parried, moving across the space, sweat streaking down their bodies. It had been a while since Evan had taken their boxing to such a high intensity, and Owen wondered if something was bothering him.

After one such blow that glanced off Owen’s shoulder, he pushed Evan back. “What’s got into you?”

Evan shook his hands out, bouncing on the spot. “Nothing. Just have extra energy to get rid of, that’s all.”

Owen didn’t believe him, but he didn’t argue. “Again,” he said instead. Distracted as he was, after a few minutes, Evan knocked hard enough for him to slam to the floor, his ears ringing.

“Shit! Owen? Are you okay?”

Evan knelt beside him, removing his own gloves before taking Owen’s padded helmet off. His hands ran over his head and neck, while Owen studied his expression.

“I’m good,” he murmured.

Evan sat back and sighed, shaking his head. “I’m sorry about that. I obviously have more strength than I thought I did.”

“You’ve always had more strength; you just never wanted to believe it.” Plus, Owen had deserved the hit after what he’d done. It had been seven years in the making.

Owen pushed himself to a seated position, pulling his hands free from his gloves and beginning the unwrapping process. They sat in silence, the sounds of the other occupants of the room louder because of it.

“Owen—”

Owen stood, gathering his things and heading for his bag. “It’s fine, Evan. Don’t worry about it.” Evan sighed behind him but said nothing else. “I’m going to hit the showers.”

He didn’t wait for a response, hightailing it out of there as quickly as he could. As he rested his bag on the bench in the bathroom, his fingers found the softness of the scarf, and he stared at it.

“Who are you?” he whispered.

As much as he loved Evan, he hoped hedidhave an admirer because it would help distract Owen from what he couldn’t have. He just wished there had been a name or something he could use to contact them with. Even if it was to only say thank you.

“Still mooning over that scarf?” Evan chuckled, and Owen heard him drop his stuff to another bench. “Just don’t use it to jack off until you know who it’s from, yeah?” he said, heading for the shower.

Owen watched him go, the shorts he wore moulding to his ass and slender thighs. He wasn’t misguided by Evan’s looks. Theman might be slender and look like he couldn’t lift a child, but he had so much more strength than anyone could visually see. Owen had once felt those hidden muscles. Had brushed his lips across the skin, his fingers mapping them. Had once had those arms holding him so tightly he couldn’t move even if he wanted to. Not that he’d wanted to with Evan’s cock deep inside him.

He dropped the scarf back into his bag as his stomach churned and thought better of his idea of showering there, but he could hardly get out of it now. Stripping off, he grabbed a towel and headed for the shower stalls, ignoring Evan as much as he could.

“Did you say you were working tomorrow?” Evan asked.

Owen nodded, and then said, “Yeah. Prince Freddie has an appointment, but my shift finishes mid-afternoon.”

Silence, and then, “I’ll see you in a couple of days, then.”

“Night shift?”

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