Page 123 of Trigger

We ran out of the bathroom, only to find Shelly on the floor,lying in the pool of her vomit. We took her to the bathroom and made her take acold shower, clothes and all, until she came to her senses. I helped her changeinto dry clothes after she whispered in my ear that she was too shy for Carterto do it. In the meantime, Carter made her some coffee.

After I put her to bed and returned to the living room, I foundCarter sitting on the sofa and staring at the wall.

“She lost custody of her daughter,” Carter said without looking atme. “Because of the booze, but only partly. Her asshole ex-husband made herlook like a monster in court. That’s why she’s like this lately. She’sspiraling, and I don’t know how to help her.”

“I don’t know about you, but I’m staying here,” I said, draggingmy hand down my face. “I’m not leaving Shel alone. She’s not in the right stateof mind.”

Carter nodded. “Yeah. I’ll stay too.”

“I reckon we can sleep here,” I mused, looking at the hugepull-out sofa under him. “After all, this is Äldvalen. It needs a properchallenge. You weigh… what? Two hundred pounds? Me, a bit more than that.Hopefully, we won’t owe Shelly a new sofa come morning.”

“It looks sturdy enough.”

What a damn mess this evening was. I wasn’t drunk enough. I didn’tget laid. I failed on all accounts. Well, almost all of them, which reminded meof something.

“How is Adam, by the way? I think I fucked him up.”

Carter snorted. “That guy has nine lives. Don’t worry about him.He was just making a show for Jordan’s sake because that guy is the only onewho can stand him.”

I sat down next to him with a resigned sigh.

“By the way, I think we suck at that friendship thing.” I informedhim of the obvious.

He chuckled. “No shit.”

Well, at least we were on the same page. For the first time ever,maybe.

A few moments of silence ensued, apart from my heart pounding inmy chest like a drum gone berserk. It made me realize I couldn’t do this. Icouldn’t stay here and pretend everything was peachy. I couldn’t spend thenight with him on this sofa while wanting to climb him like a tree. And I sureas hell couldn't be his friend.

I stood up, running my fingers through my hair, as he stood uptoo, almost as if he expected my blowout.

“I appreciate the friendship offer, Carter, but I’ll have toregretfully decline,” I said, trying to think when all I could do was feel. “Idon’t want you to pat me on the back while we’re watching a football game in alocal pub. I don’t want you to fist-bump me after a job well done. I don’t wantus to hang out like fucking mates over beer and chips, not that any of it iswrong. Do you know why? Because I’m sexually attracted to you. I can’t stopthinking about you. I want your dick six ways to Sunday, and I’m being politeabout it. If you knew the things I want to do to your body, Carter, you wouldpull a gun on me. Do you understand what I’m saying to you?”

He raised his hand and looked at his cuticles, seemingly bored.

“Are you done yapping?”

I blinked in disbelief. “Are you kidding me? That’s all you haveto say to me?”

“Kinda,” he mused. “I will also add that I prefer basketball tofootball. I don’t fist-bump anyone unless I’m working undercover. I like beer,but not chips. And also…” He leaned in and whispered in my ear. “I’m not only adirty talker, but I also like a rough fuck. Do you like a rough fuck, Viking?”

Was he for real?

“You have ten seconds to rethink this line of inquiry, Carter,” Ithreatened, hoping he would back off. “If you don’t, I will kiss the shit outof you, I swear to God.”

There. Now let’s see who’s bluffing.

He smirked. “Oh, will you fucking dare, Tye? Because it seems tome you spent all your bravado earlier, telling me what a chickenshit I was.”

And then we kissed. We fucking kissed. I didn’t know who kissedwhom first, not that it mattered. We were like two boxers punching each otherat the same time. Two pythons eating each other simultaneously. Two lions,giving and receiving blows at the same time. As if in everything else, we justfucking clicked. We ended up on that sofa, too. How? No clue. One moment, wewere ruining each other’s lapels and mashing lips together; the next, I waslying on top of him between his wide-spread legs. I wanted to stop kissing himto do something more, but I couldn’t let go of his lips. Undressing him crossedmy mind, but that would require me to let go of his hands. And I wanted to stopthis mindless dry humping, but when my dick nestled against his thigh, it refusedto leave. It refused to stop, too, because it kept grinding against him untilthe front of my briefs was soaked. I wanted to show him how good we could betogether, how good we could fuck. I wanted to show him everything, but I wastoo dizzy, too crazed, too desperate. Only when our hard dicks grazed did hetear his lips away from mine, panting.

“Fuck, Tye!”

I dragged my gaze to his jungle greens that were glazed over,unfocused.

Take it easy. He’s new to this.

“How far are we taking this?” I muttered, trying to think, whileall I wanted to do was fuck.

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