Page 20 of Hooking Up

She was waking more. Her breathing changed and her eyelids started to flutter. She rolled onto her side facing them and pulled her knees up to her chest. During the night Quint hadgotten up and removed her boots. They were lined up beside his and Carter’s. Funny how they didn’t look out of place.

“So if she agreed to this insane idea of yours and we both have her in bed...” Quint glanced sidelong at his partner. “How does that work?”

“Um, you’ve seen a porn or two, buddy. I’m sure you can figure it out.”

“But what about…” He waved between them.

“Us?”

“Yeah.”

Carter’s voice was low when he said, “Don’t tell me you haven’t thought about it. At night when I hear you jacking off in the next bed?” When you were as close as he and Carter were—living, sleeping and working together almost every day of their lives, it was easy to let his mind wander to that type of relationship.

“Have you thought about it?” Quint sounded strangled.

“Look, don’t get uptight. We’d focus all our efforts on her.”

They both looked at the bed and their sleeping beauty. She groaned and then grabbed her head as if the sound had hurt.

It probably did.

He jumped to his feet and went to her. She moaned again, cradling her skull.

Carter shot into the bathroom. Running water sounded. He came back with a cold cloth, which he handed to Quint. He folded it neatly and draped it over her forehead.

“Oh God,” she whimpered.

“Does this make it worse?” he asked, leaning over her, careful not to rock the mattress.

“No, it feels good,” she barely whispered.

“I have pain reliever in my bag.” Carter rummaged around until he came out with a pill bottle. He dumped two in his hand and held them out for her.

Cracking a bloodshot eye, she waved a hand. “More. Two won’t do it.”

He gave her four pills and she sat up. Quint grabbed a new bottle of water from the mini bar, uncaring if they were charged five bucks for it. Her comfort was first.

“The room’s spinning.” Damn, she was cute when hungover. She was always such a strong woman who knew her mind, and seeing her remotely vulnerable fed that vein of tenderness in Quint.

After uncapping the bottle, he handed it to her. She sat there in a daze as if unsure what to do.

“Go on and take the pills, sweetheart. Then you can sleep it off some more.”

“What day is it?”

“Friday.”

“We don’t have to compete till tomorrow.”

“That’s right,” he assured, resting a hand on her shoulder, his need mounting just by being near her.

“Thank God,” she grated out and carefully slid a pill onto her tongue. She swallowed it with a sip of water, wincing between pills. “It hurts to drink.”

“Good thing we stopped you when we did then. You’d be in worse shape.”

When she looked at him, all grumpy poutiness, he couldn’t help but smile. “I didn’t get all my free drinks. How did I get to your room? Did we…?” She looked down at her fully clothed body. “Guess not.”

“Of course not. We don’t take advantage of women who aren’t clear enough to make a decision. Now lie back and sleep, sweetheart.”

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