Free Contradiction by Salina Paine

to look at me and my whole body reacts to the wicked grin on his face. I slowly reach up to touch it and pull my hand back.
    "You can touch it." He says with a smirk. The contact of my fingers to his skin makes him shiver.
    "Is this a Caduceus?" I ask.
    "Yeah, just modified." He says, voice strained.
    I slowly trace the contours taking in every detail of the artwork in front of me. As I make a second pass over the middle of the tattoo he shivers again.
    "You keep that up and you just may find out just how much of a bad boy I really can be." He said winking at me.
    I feel the heat radiating off my cheeks as he turns to me and pulls me into him. All I can say is "Oh".
    "My, what a lovely shade of red your face has turned." He says looking down at me trying to stifle laughter. I pull away and cover my face with my hands. "Now why did you do that? It is really cute, and quite a turn on." He said with that wicked grin once again crossing his lips. I look up into his soft green eyes and just smile, red cheeked and all. He shakes his head and laughs as he kisses my forehead.  "Surely you've seen a man without his shirt before."
    "Yes. But not one nearly as perfect as you." I reply shyly laying my head on his chest.
    "Sweetheart, I am far from perfect, and I have many flaws. One of them being the inability to leave you alone."
    "I don't want you to leave me alone." I counter, far too quickly. He smiles and holds me tightly. I could die right now, in this very moment and be perfectly content with it.
    We laugh together as he holds me to him, my heart hammering out of my chest. In a rush to break the heat building within me I abruptly ask, "So what exactly did you do in the Navy?" He smiles, realizing what I'm doing and releases his grip on me.
    "I was a Navy corpsman. Basically a Marine with medical training. I went out into the field with them. I did everything that they did, rifle range and all, but I also had to take care of them if they got hurt or needed immunizations. I fought alongside them and if they got shot I would run to them to save their life."
    I can't help but to smile. A hero that's what he is. He takes my hand and pulls me to him with a delicacy one would use holding a newborn baby. Leaning down he gently kisses my forehead.
    "You know you are more than welcome to stay here if you want."
    "Thank you, but I don't think I should." I say laying my head back the comfort of his chest.
    "Ok let me get another shirt on and we can get back to the movie."
    I sit down and grab the popcorn, hitting play. Brandon comes back in a tank top and I can't even concentrate on the movie. Keeping my face forward I find my eyes constantly looking over at him. I see him smile out of the corner of my eye and I know I've been caught. "Screw it." I say facing him.
    "What?" He asks.
    "You're just too damn hot in that shirt that I can't even keep my eyes on the movie."
    His eyes grow wide and he fights the smile on his lips. "And the truth finally comes out. I knew I was more than just cute." He says with a smirk.
    Smacking his arm I can't help but grin like an idiot. Brandon puts his arm around my shoulders and pulls me as close to him as he can. Lifting my head up I softly kiss his neck and he sighs.
    "Are you trying to make me crazy, because if so you are succeeding." Pulling me onto his lap he brings his forehead to mine, his lips only centimeters from mine. My heart hammers in my chest and my cheeks begin to blush. "What is it about you?" He whispers. 
    I smile because I feel the same way. In the past two weeks I've grown to feel something a bit more than like towards him. It could be love, but I don't feel like I'm ready to admit that. "I know what you mean. Brandon, I really like you and you have been nothing short of a miracle to me, but I'm damaged. I don't know what to feel or how to say what's on my mind."
    P lacing his hand behind my neck he leans. When his lips touch mine I melt, everything in the world disappears and he is all I