Page 118 of Trigger

When his scent reached me, my dick hardened, despite the pain andthe rage, and my heart smashed into pieces. I looked into his eyes, hopefullyconveying it was time for him to leave, or there would be consequences. Thosemeant my fist in his face and my tongue down his throat, and maybe even my dickin his ass, not that he deserved it.

Could he read my mind? Because he turned red in the face. Could hesee it? The fucking? The cock sucking? The ass eating. The cum sliding down thedoor, both his and mine? The mindless rutting… fucking climax after climax.Could he see it as I saw it?

He got some of it because he mumbled, “Was I supposed to throwaway three years of a relationship just like that?”

I had to smile because he was just… hilarious.

“Of course not,” I said, finally finding my voice. “You fuckinghypocrite.”

Chapter 24

Small Beginnings

Carter

“Isn’t it funny how it turned out that MayorBoggs and Daddy are old friends?” Vic said, putting the diamond earring intoher ear.

I hummed noncommittally. All I could think about was how I wouldsee Tye tonight, and I hadn’t seen him since he came back from New Mesa twoweeks ago. I was nervous about it, but I promised Shelly I would come to herbirthday party, and besides, being a coward didn’t sit well with me. And Iturned into one after getting back with Vic, but it seemed that I was too oldfor change. Maybe even too scared because I couldn’t keep Tye at a distancelike everyone else, and it made me feel as vulnerable as if I was facing thebarrel of a gun.You’re also scared because you’re attracted to a dick.Avoice in my head informed me, and maybe it was right, too.

In any case, when Vicky came back from Switzerland, pretending asif nothing ever happened, I took the easy way out. I didn’t want to say it toTye over the phone, so I waited for him to come home, but it only made a biggermess of things.

“You did good when you cut ties with him,” Vic said, not statingwho “he” was because we both knew. “If Mayor Boggs says he’s bad news, youshould definitely steer clear of him.”

The reason I hadn’t seen Tye for two weeks wasn’t because I’d cutties with him but because he refused to talk to me. Also, Chief Bibb put him ona case with Adam and Jordan, and they went to Grangetown for two weeks. Theytemporarily joined their task force, something to do with the cartel smugglingdrugs across the border.

Vic walked up to me, looking great as always in a red Dior dressand golden strap sandals. She was probably a bit overdressed for the occasion,but that was her thing.

“You’re very handsome, but I don’t like it when you lose weight.It means you’re stressed out.” She stood on her tiptoes to whisper in my ear.“Maybe we can deal with your stress later tonight.”

I shivered, but not in a good way. Yeah, no. Our sex life has beenstale for months, and I felt no need to change it. And it was a bad thing. Afutureless thing, but I was a futureless guy, so I guess it suited me. I evenread somewhere online that she hooked up with some guy in the Alps or whereverthe hell she’d been. Did I care? For that second only, and it was mostly mybruised ego that cared. The rest of me was numb.

When we finally reached Shelly’s flat, the party was already infull swing. Everyone from the department seemed to be there, and I could seeall the familiar faces except one. I didn’t know whether to feel happy ormiserable about it when Shelly came to welcome us, already half-drunk.

“Didn’t you two break up?” she blurted, her gaze darting from Victo me. Her red hair was tied into a messy ponytail, and she smelled as if shehadn’t showered for a few days.

Vic smiled sweetly. “Of course not. What a silly thing to say. Wewere just separated for a while. It was like a couple’s therapy.”

“A therapy?” Bruce repeated, appearing next to her. “Soundsinteresting. Vicky, you look amazing tonight.”

She looked at him with distaste, only to smile widely when shespotted someone behind him.

“Tye! I’m so glad to see you again.”

My heart dropped to the fucking ground—just like that. I couldalmost see it there, lying between a cigarette butt and an empty beer can.

“Hey, Vic.” A low voice rumbled.

He was standing behind me. I knew his exact position because I gotgoosebumps on that part of my body. And I could smell him—that good,indescribable scent of his that always made me gulp air like a fish on dryland.

“Carter,” Tye said in passing, but his voice was colder than aglacier in Alaska.

“Thorsen.”

I tried to act indifferent, but that numb part of me… it wasn’tnumb at all. And those feelings that I thought were gone weren’t gone either.They were bubbling in my gut. Stabbing at my chest. Burning in my groin.

I kept my gaze on the floor while Shelly and Vic talked, but Icould feel the blue glare from across the room. When I couldn’t stand itanymore, I looked up and found that glare. Frosty blue this time. And as westared at each other, the room around me disappeared. The voices and the noisefaded too, apart from my heart thumping in my chest like crazy.

“Isn’t that right, Carter?”

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