Chapter 18
CHAPTER
EIGHTEEN
BUT THOSE FEW INCHES ARE THE DEADLIEST FEW.
Dash
Damn, there’s nothing like that first morning stretch. For some reason, it feels extra good today. Reaching my arms above my head and my toes down into the mattress, I let out a small groan as I slowly open my eyes to welcome the day.
It takes me a second to realize where I am.
I’m waking up in Sterling’s room.
That fact alone has my morning wood turning into something tangible.
Twisting, I look over at them.
My best friends.
My best friends who I’ve both now seen naked.
I’ve helped Juniper come.
I’ve seen Sterling—my best friend and roommate— nude and soft and… naked and hard. I’ve seen him come. Hell, I’ve felt his cum on my cock.
For Christ’s sake, I’ve tasted his cock and cum on Juniper’s lips and tongue.
My mind whirls as I sit up, sitting on the edge of the bed, twisting back so I can still see them.
Sterling is on his back, his shirt off, the sheet bunched at his waist, one long leg sticking out. One of his hands rests on his stomach, the other is beneath Juniper somewhere. She’s rolled up, clutching Sterl’s pillow to her face, knees tucked to her chest. Sunlight pokes in from the edges of the curtains, spilling over his leg and her bare toes. Outside, a bird chirps loudly and someone in the distance hollers about something. Juniper groans, stretching, rolling over right into Sterling’s chest, her eyes never fluttering. His neither.
They’re so comfortable.
Looking down, I find my cock has breezed past morning excitement straight to let’s fuck . I cup myself, stroking through the thin cotton sheet, hoping to alleviate some of the aching throb. Sterl shifts, collecting Juniper in his arm as he sleeps, but as he moves, the sheet lowers.
Not all the way, just a few inches. But those few inches are the deadliest few.
From out of the bedsheet, lying against his stomach, pokes his cock.
Hard.
Thick.
Pink.
Hungry.
In my hand, beneath the sheet, the ache intensifies. I could stare at the tip of his cock endlessly, and yet I force myself to look at Juniper. Her pink lips parted just slightly, long lashes resting beautifully on her cheeks, one of her long, lean legs now thrown over Sterling’s larger one.
Gripping myself, I find the ache intensifying still.
I want both of them in every way imaginable.
I scratch the back of my head, heart palpitating, causing my vision to blur for a moment as I quietly stumble to my feet. I’m all turned on and confused after last night. What I need is a good workout, some protein; I need to hydrate, have a good jerk and a hot shower.
A reset.
That’s what I need.
Then we’ll clean up the sites and veer back to business as usual. Sterling and Juniper can explore their relationship and I can… I don’t know. Move out? Maybe Deuce will rent one of his spare houses to me? Focusing on having something that isn’t mine to have is only going to make me feel like shit.
I tiptoe out of Sterling’s room, down the hall, and pad my way into my space. Quickly I toss on some basketball shorts and sneakers, throw on a t-shirt, and head into the garage, nabbing a jug of water on the way out.
A good pump will fix everything.
Down to my last set on the bench, I get to my feet, adding more weight to the bar. Sweat soaked my shirt, so I took it off a few sets ago. This pump is fucking solid. I’m feeling the burn, and pushing past what I thought I’d be able to do. Sexual confusion, apparently, makes a great pre-workout.
“Yo.” Sterling’s voice comes out of nowhere, but when the hinges on the back door squeal, I know he’s just popped his head out. He does that sometimes when I’m working out. The only difference is, this time, I don’t stop and drop everything to look at him.
“What’s up?” I call, my back to him as I slide another plate onto the bar. A familiar urge burns in my groin at just the sound of his voice. The image of his cock peeking out of the sheet flashes through my mind, and I squeeze my eyes shut, reaching for the next plate.
“I looked at a map on my phone. I’m thinking we may need two days to hit all these sites. Can you call out for two days? I already have Edgar working my routes for two days, and he’s gonna get some OT at the plant, too.”
Edgar is one of the few men hired by Sterling to work at the sanitation plant. I know he’d prefer to keep to himself and run it alone but he can’t. Bluebell is small, but not a one-man garbage route small. But he’s always liked being alone, unless he’s with me or Juni.
The subtext hidden in that statement suddenly appears, and as I’m adjusting my hands on the bar, I stop. Does Sterling feel the same way that I do?
“Yeah, that’s fine,” I reply, wanting him to leave so I can have my hard-on and get my pump in private. It doesn’t matter that we’ve seen each other orgasm and seen each other naked. I’m hard because of the thoughts I’m having for him, and letting him see me feels too vulnerable.
“Hey,” he says, his tone full of sleep, sexy and raw. I lower myself to the bench, ready for my last set.
“10-4, I’ll call out when I’m done,” I confirm again, my tone clipped. He doesn’t deserve that.
As I’m lowering the bar to my chest, two large hands appear above me, followed by Sterling’s face. His hair is mussed from sleep and he’s still shirtless, but his eyes are lined with concern. He shows no strain and he lifts the bar and reracks it, preventing me from finishing my rep.
“You okay?” he says from upside down over the top of me.
I blink up at him. “Yeah.”
He blinks. I blink. He nods, motioning for me to sit up, and I do. He takes a seat on the bench next to me, a space between us big enough for another whole Sterling. It irrationally upsets me that he left so much space, when a week ago it would be supremely strange if he didn’t.
“If your role with the police department?—”
“Sterl,” I interject, “I’ve told you three times. I’m good.”
Our eyes idle and heat spreads through my veins, hot awareness bleeding into my groin as I focus on the gold fleck near his pupil. I noticed it the first time we met. I find it and make it my focal point at times like this, where I want to look deep into his eyes but I’m afraid of what I might feel if I do.
“It’s fine,” I reassure him one more time, softening my tone.
“I just, I don't know. I know you must be full of turmoil over this.” His hazel eyes swarm me, making my chest tight. “I just want to make sure you’re okay.”
I let out a sigh, heavy and long. “You know, Sterl, that should be the thing I’m focused on. But honestly, it’s not.”
His brows pull together, furrowing as lines of concern appear along his forehead. “What’s bothering you, then?” He blinks, staring into my eyes as he patiently awaits a response. Does he not know? Has he not felt or seen my turmoil and restraint? Has he not felt the same things?
I take my head in my hands and let out a sigh, studying my Nike trainers. “I?—”
The hinges squeal, and Juniper appears in the doorframe, still dressed in Sterling’s clothes. “I thought we could eat together,” she says, her gaze moving between us. Her little nipples poke at the soft, faded cotton shirt she has on, causing another rush of desire to flood my groin.
Grabbing my water jug, willing my slutty cock to obey, I get to my feet and smile at Juniper across the garage. “Let’s have breakfast and plan our day,” I say, smiling. Looking down at Sterling I drop my voice an octave. “I’ll call out at the station now.”
He nods, but his brows are still cinched in confusion. I clap my hand on his shoulder as I walk past him. “C’mon, I know you hate cold eggs.”
Inside, I slip into my room to make the call to the station. It takes all of two minutes, but I pop my head out and tell them I need another five. Then I ball up a t-shirt, shove it into my own mouth, drop to my knees in front of a splayed out bath towel, and jack off until my gag absorbs my moans as I come like a fire hose, thinking of waking up next to them again.