Page 74 of Trigger

Myhand was on the door handle when he spoke.

“Youput them up to this, didn’t you?”

Iturned to look at him.

“Whatdo you mean?”

“Shelley,Adam, Bruce,” he replied, walking up to me. “Them helping me out was youridea.”

“Theyoffered.”

“Yeah,but you made it happen. You told them I was moving in. You even spoke to Adamabout it.”

Iopened my mouth to speak when he added, “And for that, I’m going to hug you.”

“No,”I protested, but his arms were already around me. His body followed, and thenit was just his heat, his size, and his scent. God, he was huge. I mean, I washuge, but he was bigger. And he was hard all over, making me realize I neverhugged a man before. It was weird to feel his muscles flexing against me, and…God, that scent of his. What the fuck was it? Part washing detergent, partsoap, but that “good” core of it was a damn mystery. I took a sniff at him,suppressing the need to… how to put it? If he were an apple, I would havelicked him… just to find out what that scent tasted like.

Ishook my head to clear my thoughts, and tried to pull away, but he wouldn’t letme. I counted to three and gave him a pat on the back when he pushed mebackward until my back hit the wall.

“Whatare you doing?” I said, chuckling. “Don’t tell me you opened that wine while Iwas asleep.”

“Mm-mm,”he murmured, sounding strange.

Whenhe rested his forehead on mine, I put my hands on his waist, now a littleworried.

“Areyou okay, man? Do you feel sick?”

Hechuckled, but it lacked mirth. “That’s certainly one way of putting it, Dom.”

“Justtell me. You know you can talk to me.”

“I’mtouched by what you did for me,” he muttered. “Fuck, I’m going to do somethingstupid.”

Ilaughed. “That’s nice, but I have to go. Move your feet, Mount Rushmore. Vic isprobably already here.”

Thatbrought him back from wherever his mind had wandered. He pulled awayreluctantly, avoiding my eyes.

“Yeah…erm… Thanks for everything, Dom. I mean it.”

Ismiled and winked at him. “No problem.”

“Sayhi to Vic for me.”

“Thanks.I will.”

Chapter 15

Nirvana

Thorsen

“Sayhi to Vic for me,” I mimicked, rolling my eyes and throwing an empty pack ofgum out of the car window.

You’relittering.

Well,screw you, voice in my head. I have bigger problems than that.

Seriously,what was wrong with me? First, I almost kissed Carter, which meant I had aserious issue with my self-control. Second, ten minutes after he’d left, I wentto his apartment because I kept wondering what they were doing. When I heardmusic coming from inside and Vicky laughing, I left with clenched fists. So, nowonder I was in a foul mood. And littering.

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