by Andria Large
Tripp’s head shot up, his eyes wide with shock. “You don’t?”
He shook his head then wished he hadn’t. He groaned and pressed his fingers to his temples.
“Headache?”
“Yes. Horrible one. I already took something, but it hasn’t kicked in yet.” He shuffled over to the coffee maker and poured himself a cup. He fixed it how he liked it, then went to sit down across from Tripp; who was watching him cautiously.
He took a sip of his coffee, then lifted his gaze to meet Tripp’s. “I don’t know what’s going on with me. I’ve never been attracted to a guy before.”
Tripp cocked an eyebrow. “You’re attracted to me?”
He nodded and let his gaze flit over Tripp’s handsome face. Yeah, he was definitely attracted to the guy. Last night when he was touching his chest and stomach, it made his blood run hot. The man was built really nice, all hard, sinewy muscle. Tripp was a couple inches shorter than him, and he couldn’t help but notice how well they fit together last night when he had Tripp pressed against the wall. It was like they were made for each other. Just thinking about last night had his cock growing hard in his shorts.
“What did you want to do about it?” Tripp asked hesitantly.
He sighed. “Nothing. At least not until the divorce is final. I’m technically still married, and I don’t think it’s fair to you or Mallory to start something.”
Tripp nodded. “Okay. What happens after the divorce is final? You want to explore this?”
He frowned. “I don’t know? It could really fuck up a lot of things, like our partnership and our living situation. It may not be worth it if we just plan on fucking around. I’m not looking to get into another relationship, ya know?”
“Sure.”
“Maybe we should just leave it.”
Tripp pursed his lips and nodded. “Okay. Whatever you want.”
Tripp didn’t look like he fully agreed but he wasn’t arguing either.
“Okay.”
“Good talk. I’m gonna go take a shower, then we can run out and grab your truck,” Tripp said and pushed up from the table.
“Yeah, okay.”
Tripp patted him on the shoulder as he walked by to leave the kitchen. Jayme sighed heavily as he watched Tripp’s broad back retreat toward the stairs. Why did he feel like he made a huge mistake in telling Tripp that they should just remain friends and not explore the attraction between them?
CHAPTER FOUR
Jayme
THE NEXT Saturday, Jayme sat in an Adirondack chair in front of the fire pit on his brother, Seamus’s, back patio nursing a beer. Seamus’s boyfriend of two years, Mitch, stood at the grill cooking up some burgers and hot dogs for the family.
Tripp stood off to the left of Mitch, beer in hand as they talked about God knows what. He didn’t even think twice about inviting Tripp to his little family gathering. It seemed like the natural thing to do. They were partners and friends, and he had wanted his family to get to know him; just like they knew Brendan.
His family had taken Tripp in like he was one of their own. He fit right in, unlike Brendan, who was much quieter and more introverted when it came to new people. It took Brendan more time to be comfortable with Jayme’s outgoing family. Not Tripp. Tripp’s outgoing personality blended right in.
“Dude, is something going on with you and Tripp?” Seamus whispered from his seat next to Jayme.
Jayme frowned at his brother and shook his head. “No, why?”
“You haven’t taken your eyes off of him since you got here.” Seamus smiled knowingly.
Jayme sighed and dropped his head back to the chair and closed his eyes. Dammit. “We kissed last week after a night out of drinking. I can’t stop thinking about it.”
“Let me guess, you decided to just be friends and forget it happened?”
“Basically.”
“How’s that working out for you?” Seamus snorted.
“Horribly. But, Man, I’ve never been attracted to a guy before. It’s weird.”
“Well, you are now. It’s best to just roll with it. That’s what I did, and look how it worked out for me? I’ve got Mitch.”
He glanced over at Seamus' smiling face. Seamus was totally smitten with his boyfriend, that much he knew.
“I’m thinking about asking him to marry me,” Seamus whispered.
Jayme’s eyes widened. “No shit?”
Seamus nodded, a soft smile on his handsome face. Seamus was the only brother that got away without the red hair. Although, he did get the pasty complexion and all the freckles like Ian. Jayme lucked out there, he had a darker complexion and no freckles.
“Mitch is a good guy, and you are great together. I approve.” he grinned.
“Thanks.” Seamus chuckled. “And Tripp seems like a decent guy. Maybe you should rethink the whole "just friends" thing.”
“I don’t know. What if we fuck around, realize it’s not working; then have to go back to being just friends? We work together, I think it would make it weird.”
“What if you guys are really good together though, and he’s the one?”
“I’m not looking for another relationship. I’m not even divorced yet.”
“I don’t know then. You can’t keep pining after him though.”
“I’m not pining after him.”
Seamus gives him a bored look. “You are.”
“Am not.”
“Are too.”
“Am not.”
“Are too.”
“Boys, stop arguing,” said Mary, their mother, as she stopped behind their chairs, giving them each a light smack on the back of the head.
“Food’s ready!” Mitch called.
Mitch was a good-looking guy. He could actually pass for Tripp’s brother. They both had blond hair and were about the same height. Mitch had darker brown eyes though, not the honey color that Tripp had.
Jayme and Seamus shoved out of their seats and went to the large picnic table where the food was being placed. Everyone went about fixing their burgers or hot dogs the way they liked, then found a seat. Jayme ended up next to Tripp. It was a tight fit for all of them at the table, Tripp and his thighs were pressed against each other as they sat at the table. Their elbows bumped as they both tried to hold their burgers to eat. He loved every minute of being close to Tripp, even if he hated it at the same time.
After he finished eating, he went back to his Adirondack chair with a fresh beer. He stoked the fire that was going in the pit, then leaned back and relaxed. A few minutes later, Tripp plopped down in the chair next to him. He glanced over to find Tripp smiling at him.
“What?” he asked, a small smile curling his lips.
“I like your family.”
“Good, I’m glad.”
“Thank you for bringing me.”
“Anytime.”
“Mitch said he has a single friend that he wants to hook me up with.” Tripp chuckled.
Jayme’s heart skipped a beat. “Oh yeah?”
“Yeah. He’s a good-looking dude too. Mitch showed me his picture.”
“You’re thinking about going out with him then?” he asked, trying not to sound jealous.
“Yeah. I think I might. What could it hurt? Maybe I could even get laid.”
He swallowed hard. He didn’t want to think about Tripp being with someone else. He clenched his jaw and nodded. “Yeah.”
Tripp studied him for a moment. “Unless you have a reason that I shouldn’t?”
His gaze flipped to Tripp’s. “No, why would I?”
Tripp pressed his lips together and nodded. “Okay, then. I’ll get his number from Mitch and give him a call.”
He didn’t bother responding. He took a sip of his beer even though his stomach was rolling. He didn’t want Tripp to be with anyone else, but they weren’t together, who was he to stop Tripp from seeing other people? The thought made him sick to his stomach. Tripp with someone else. Kissing someone else. Sleeping with someone else. Jayme
shook his head to clear the imagine. He didn’t like it. Not one bit.
~~~
Tripp
Tripp stood with his arms crossed over his chest, frown firmly in place. Jayme was a few feet away squatting down next to a dead deer on the side of the road. They got a call from someone thinking that maybe it had been poached and not hit by a car, they were now investigating it.
The smell was horrendous in the Texas heat. The thing had been dead for at least two days going by the bloating and maggots. He didn’t know how Jayme was handling being so close to it. It was making him nauseous.
“Looks like it’s just been hit. I don’t see any bullet holes,” Jayme mused and straightened up, looking at him.
“Great,” he grumbled.
It’s been a few days since he went with Jayme to his family’s barbecue. He already called Mitch’s friend, Mason, and set up a date for Friday night. He sounded like a really nice guy on the phone, they talked for a little while and he had a feeling that they were going to have a good time. It had been a while since he’d been out on a date.
He’d rather it be him and Jayme going on a date though, but he couldn’t force the guy to date him. From the way he made it sound, Jayme wasn’t interested in advancing their relationship past friends. Well, he wasn’t going to wait around for him, no matter how attracted to Jayme he was.
“Help me get this in the truck,” Jayme said, reaching down to grab the deer’s back legs.
“What? Why?” he asked, his frown deepening.
“We need to dispose of it the right way. We can’t just leave it here.”
“Sure, we can. The maggots will eat it.”
“Tripp.”
He sighed and grabbed the front legs, helping Jayme heft it into the bed of their truck. The stench wafted over him as they did, and he gagged.
“Oh God,” he croaked and covered his nose with his arm.
“What’s the matter, Rookie, can’t handle a dead animal?” Jayme teased.
“It’s the smell, man. How can you stand it?”
“Used to it, I guess.” Jayme shrugged.
He gagged again and backed away from the truck. He swallowed hard, but it didn’t help. The smell was stuck in his nose.
“Get in the truck, Rookie.” Jayme chuckled.
They both climbed in and he immediately felt better with the cool air from the vent blowing on his face. He pulled in a deep breath and blew it out. He was seconds away from puking his guts up, and he was sure if he did that; he’d never hear the end of it. He might not hear the end of it anyway with just the gagging.
After they disposed of the deer, where he almost threw up again; they headed home for the day. He was glad, because he felt like he smelled like the dead deer; and needed a fucking shower. He headed right for his room when they walked in the house. He stripped out of his uniform and got a nice, long, hot shower.
When he was finished, he put on some gym shorts and went downstairs. In the kitchen, he found Jayme wearing a pair of sweatpants, and nothing else. He fought back the desire to go over and run his hands all over Jayme’s hard muscles. Jayme was standing at the counter, cleaning up some raw chicken breasts to cook for dinner. He got lucky with Jayme as his roommate. The man liked to cook, and he did it well.
Jayme glanced at him, his gaze wandering over his naked torso before going back to what he was doing. He wasn’t convinced Jayme didn’t want him. The man was constantly checking him out. It was only a matter of time before the dam broke.
His phone chirped in his pocket. He took it out and looked to see that he had a text from Mason. It was a funny meme about a first date. He laughed and shook his head, sending back an ‘LOL.’
“What’s so funny?” Jayme asked.
“Oh nothing, just something Mason texted me.”
“Who the fuck is Mason?”
“Mitch’s friend that I’m going on a date with on Friday?”
Jayme sneered, his top lip lifting in disgust. The guy couldn’t make his distaste any more obvious. But shit, if he wasn’t going to do anything about it, there was nothing Tripp could do.
“Jayme,” he said and leaned against the counter next to him.
“What?”
“What’s your problem?”
Jayme shook his head. “I don’t have a problem.”
“You don’t want me to go out with Mason.” he stated.
“I never said that.”
“You didn’t have to. It’s pretty obvious.”
“I don’t give a shit who you go out with,” Jayme grumbled.
“You want us to stay just friends.” Jayme’s jaw bulged. He studied him, folding his arms over his bare chest. “Am I wrong?”
“No.”
“Then stop acting like a jilted lover.”
Jayme’s head whipped around to glare at him. “I’m not!”
“You’re all broody about me going out with Mason.”
Jayme huffed out an annoyed sound and turned back to the chicken. “It’s not like I’m suddenly not attracted to you anymore, Tripp. I still am, and okay fine; it bothers me that you’re seeing someone else. There’s nothing I can do about it, and that pisses me off too.”
“We could explore this attraction between us, ya know? The offer is still there.”
Jayme shook his head. “It’s not a good idea,” he mumbled.
He sighed. “Whatever. You’re being stubborn.”
“I’m not trying to be in another relationship right now.”
“Who said it has to be a relationship? Can’t we just fuck and leave it at that?”
“What if...what if I don’t like being with a guy, and want to go back to fucking women?”
“Then you can do that.” He shrugged, ignoring the uneasy feeling that statement caused.
Jayme shook his head again. “No. No, I don’t think we should cross that line.”
“Fine. Then I’ll go out with Mason, and you can stop acting like a bitch about it.”
Jayme clenched his jaw and nodded. After he finished with the chicken, Jayme stuck it in the oven and went about making a large salad to go with it. Tripp left him to it and went to check his email and Facebook while he waited for dinner to be ready.
~~~
Jayme
Jayme laid awake in his bed, staring up at the ceiling. He had no idea how long he’d been lying there, but it’d been a while. Tripp was on his date with Mitch’s friend, Mason, and he couldn’t stop thinking about it. What were they doing? Did Tripp actually like the guy? Were they having a great time? Jayme felt sick to his stomach. It should be him that Tripp was with, not that yahoo.
He glanced at the clock on the nightstand. Two-thirty am. Damn. They must be having a good time if they were still out. Just then he heard what sounded like a thump downstairs, then the front door opening and closing. Another thump, and some hushed voices. Did Tripp bring the guy back here? What the fuck?
He was out of bed before he could think better of it. He none too gently made his way down the hall to the stairs. When he reached the bottom, the sight before him had all the air leaving his lungs. In the dim light coming from the one lamp in the room, he could see Tripp was sitting, sprawled in the corner of the couch, his legs spread wide while another man, presumably Mason, knelt between them and was sucking his dick.
Tripp’s ecstasy filled gaze lifted and met his. His eyes widened comically, and he pushed at the other man’s head as he tried to sit up. “Jayme!”
Mason whipped around, saw Jayme standing there; then jumped to his feet. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, his head ping ponging between Tripp and Jayme.
“Who’s this guy, Tripp?” Mason asked.
“My roommate,” Tripp answered. “Jayme--“
“What the fuck, man?” Jayme bit out.
“Ooookay. I’m gonna go,” Mason said, starting for the door. “Tripp, call me.”
Tripp didn’t respond as the man walked out the door. Tripp stared at Jayme, who was vibrating
with anger and need and longing. Jayme’s fists clenched at his sides, as he stood rooted in his spot at the bottom of the stairs.
Tripp narrowed his eyes at him. He leaned back against the couch and spread his knees wide again. Tripp took his still hard cock in his hand, and started stroking slowly. He used his free hand to shove his jeans down his thighs. All while watching Jayme.
“Guess I’m not getting my blowjob. Might as well finish myself off. You just gonna stand there and watch?” Tripp rumbled, his eyes dark with desire.
“Do you want me to watch?” Jayme croaked.
The smile that curled Tripp’s lips, was sensual and a bit cocky. “Either that or come help me.”
Jayme’s heart skittered. Help? He didn’t think he was ready for that. He only kissed a guy once. He stayed rooted in place while Tripp jerked off in front of him. He watched Tripp’s hand glide up and down his thick shaft, twisting a little when he got to the head. Jayme then realized he was standing there in his boxer/briefs, his own cock hard and pulsing. He reached down and palmed himself through his underwear. He sucked in a sharp breath. He’d love to join Tripp on the couch, but he didn’t know if he should.
“You can come sit,” Tripp said, reading his mind.
He hesitated for a moment before moving toward the other end of the couch. He shoved his underwear down then sat, taking his already leaking cock in his hand. Tripp moved next to him and he turned to find Tripp getting up. He frowned for a moment before he realized Tripp was just kicking out of his jeans and underwear. He shucked his shirt, then a very naked Tripp shocked the hell out of him by straddling his lap.
“Wh--what are you doing?” he choked out.
“You’ll see.”
Tripp spread his legs and lowered himself down so that he could fist both their cocks together. Jayme’s eyes practically rolled back in his head as he moaned. Tripp began stroking them together, and Jayme thought he’d died and gone to heaven. He dropped his chin to his chest, so he could watch as their cocks slid against each other in the circle of Tripp’s fist. Both their hips rocked, as their breathing kicked up a notch.
