Page 48 of Lust

I push past him and find Cody in only trunk boxers and socks at the espresso machine in the kitchenette. He glances between Seth and me, concern on his face, like he’s ready for a fight.

“He came by my dorm last night.”

Seth closes the door. “And you didn’t text us?”

To what? Tell you how Luke drove me insane?

How he blew my mind yet again?

How he sucked the cum out of me? And then, after I begged, let me drink his up?

Or does Seth want to hear about how Luke teased me with his ass and I shoved him against the door and started dry-humping him? How I could taste how much he wanted me as I licked his flesh? How I could hear the desire when he moaned, and how he ran his hand through my hair, like his entire body, his every move, was beckoning me to take what was rightfully mine?

Of course that’s not what Seth’s asking about, but it’s hard to think about much else, even when I know there are more important things to get to.

“I figured neither of you is planning to run away from St. Lawrence, so I didn’t see the harm in waiting a few hours.” I can’t disguise my irritation.

“Okay, okay,” Cody says. “We’re all stressed. Brad, I’m making chocolate shakes with espresso for Seth and me. How about I make you one too and then we’ll get into this?”

Unsurprisingly, Cody has a better grasp of what I need right now.

“I’m in,” I say, settling on the love seat in the main part of the dorm room.

Seth joins me, sitting on the arm.

Neither of us speaks as Cody runs the blender for a minute, but every time Seth glances my direction, I can feel his curiosity burning into my skin.

“He obviously couldn’t read most of the book,” I say, “so he came by to ask me what it said.”

“And you told him,” Seth says. It’s not a question; it’s an accusation.

“Of course I told him. He has a right to know.”

Seth spits out, “Maybe we should have discussed that or at least decided what you could tell him, you know, as a group.”

“As far as I’m concerned, he’s in the group already, whether he chose to be or not.”

“That’s not how this works.”

“Seth,” Cody says from the kitchenette. “What did we talk about?”

Seth grunts. “Brad, I’m sorry. I know it seems like I’m not listening to you right now, but it feels like you aren’t listening to us either.”

Sounds like Cody attempted to get ahead of a fight, but I doubt Seth is going along with whatever script Cody gave him, since Cody would have worded this in a way that didn’t leave me annoyed as fuck.

“My issue, Seth, is that you aren’t listening to Luke. Just because he wasn’t a member with us from the beginning doesn’t mean he doesn’t have feelings or that this isn’t affecting him.”

“Oh God. This is that stupid lust thing you’ve been dealing with.”

“Andnowyou’re not listening tome. You can’t dismiss me every time I advocate for him. That’s not fair to either of us.”

Cody steps around the island with two travel mugs in hand and hands one to each of us. “You two make all men look like a bunch of antagonistic asshats. Seth, why don’t you tell him the concerns you shared with me earlier, without criticizing or accusing?”

Sometimes I find Cody using his psych courses annoying, but in this case, it might actually help.

“This is exactly what Luke’s dad and Josh Dobbers were concerned would happen,” Seth says. “The wrong person getting their hands on this stuff.”

“Luke isn’t the wrong person,” I insist.

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