Chapter 20
Foreplay
Carter
I settled into the driver’s seat, frowning when sunlight streamed in through the window, blinding me.
“Fucking hell,” I muttered, putting on my sunglasses because a migraine was killing me.
I checked my phone to see if Vicky got back to me because I called her a few times last night in my drunken stupor. Or a million. Bottom line, I called her a lot. It happened after I jerked off in the shower, coming so hard that I nearly broke my fist when I hit the wall, but before I got myself so drunk I couldn’t think straight. Why? Because I fucked up. Royally. Inexcusably. Inexplicably.
Your fucking partner? Who has a dick?
The more I asked myself that, the less I could explain it.
And you weren’t even drunk.
I whined internally and started the engine, only to hear the knocking on the passenger window. When I looked up, I spotted Tye standing outside the car with large, black sunglasses hiding his eyes.
“My car broke down. Can I ride with you?”
I pointed my chin at the passenger seat, as he opened the door and got into the car.
“My head hurts like the devil,” he said, putting on a seatbelt. “Do you perhaps have—”
When I threw a bottle of Advil at him, he caught it and breathed a sigh of relief. “Thanks, man.”
“You should read this,” I said, tossing the folder Bruce brought last night into his lap. When I saw it land, my cheeks warmed. Fuck, he has a semi. I couldn’t not notice it, because it was there, just like the tightening in my groin told me I had one too. Please God, don’t let him see. Please, God.
So now we couldn’t take a ride together without our pants tenting? Fucking hell.
Tye frowned, leafing through the folder. “What does it say?”
“That your colleagues in New Mesa had a case similar to Roxie Brokowich. No evidence, no witnesses. The victim was also a sex worker.”
“Damn it. I’ll call Bazooka and see what’s up, but I don’t like this.”
“Me neither,” I admitted, turning right into a crowded avenue.
“Anyway,” Tye murmured, and I tensed up in my seat. “About last night—”
“I heard from Vicky.” I interrupted him, pushing my sunglasses up my nose. “She says the weather is awesome in Switzerland.”
He smirked without looking at me. “Does she now?”
“Yeah. She said she should be back in a few weeks or so.”
I didn’t even know why I lied. Probably because I didn’t want to talk about whatever he wanted to talk about. Not today. Or ever.
“Mhm,” he said absentmindedly. “Can I see it?”
I frowned in confusion. “See what?”
“Your phone.”
“My phone? Why? You mean… you don’t believe that I talked to her?”
He shrugged and tossed a piece of gum into his mouth. “Of course I do. But if you talked to her, why wouldn’t you let me see it?”
“Because I don’t have to explain myself to you?” I exclaimed, staring at him. “What the fuck?”
He tossed another piece of gum into his mouth. “Yeah, whatever, Dominic.”
“Whatever yourself, asshole. What has gotten into you today?”
“The same as you. Absolutely nothing.”
The rest of the drive passed by in silence, at least until we came to the station and Tye opened the top drawer of his desk.
“Who THE FUCK was opening this drawer while I wasn’t here?” he bellowed, slamming the drawer shut. “Who was messing with my things?”
Now I knew why they called him Viking, and it wasn’t because of his size. It was because he sounded like Zeus when angry. Or his Viking pal, Odin.
Bruce almost choked on his donut, staring at him in disbelief. “What things?”
“And where the hell is my mug?” Tye exclaimed, sending a stack of papers flying off his desk. “Who do I have to fuck around here to get a cup of coffee?”
I was watching the papers flying around and scattering across the floor when Shelly looked at me, wide-eyed.
“What crawled up his ass?” she whispered. “I have never seen him like this.”
I shrugged, avoiding her eyes. “How the hell should I know?”
Naturally, Adam used the opportunity to raise hell.
“I’m guessing you haven’t gotten laid in a while, Viking. Your partner there looks sullen, too. A disappointing night for the SPD’s best and brightest, eh?”
Tye paused by his desk, smiling sweetly. “Why do you always have to be such a pissy cunt, Adam?”
Adam grinned. “Because you lot are making it so easy. So, what happened? Who stepped on your toe? A beautiful, statuesque blonde? A slutty brunette? A bratty boy toy looking for daddy?”
“Are you jealous?” Tye asked him, caressing his cheek. “Because to be honest, you’re just not my type.”
I was out of my seat before he finished his sentence because I couldn’t stand the sight of his hand on that scarred face.
“What is your type, then?” Adam said, glancing my way. “Because I have an inkling.”
“I like them tall, dark, pretty, and with a big dick,” Tye replied. “Everything you’re not, my man.”
Adam burst into laughter. “You’re funny. I’ll give you that.”
“I’m more than funny,” Tye countered and whispered something in Adam’s ear that made him laugh even harder.
“Thorsen!” I exclaimed, stomping toward him.
Tye looked at me in surprise as I pulled him by the arm toward the kitchenette.
“What?” he said as I closed the door behind us with a slam. When I locked it, he grinned. “What’s on your mind, partner? Because I don’t put out on a first date, just so that you know.”
“Stop fucking around,” I bit out. “What did you say to Adam?”
Tye cocked his eyebrows. “First, why should I tell you? Second, are you sure you want to know?”
“Yes,” I hissed. “Because he was looking at me funny. Why was he looking at me funny?”
“How the hell should I know?”
“Then tell me what you said to him.”
He pretended to think about it. “Hmm, what did I say to him? I think it was something about how you can’t dance for shit… or something like that.”
I rubbed my forehead in frustration. “You didn’t tell him that.”
“Or maybe I told him you’re a bad drunk, a worse liar, and the worst fucking friend,” Tye said, smiling sweetly. “How about that?”
“Just tell me the truth.”
The smile left his face.
“Maybe I told him you’re a fucking fantastic kisser.”
I brought my hand to my chest, rubbing the spot above my heart.
“Don’t ever say that again.”
He shrugged. “Why not? You are. You gave me an erection that night, Dominic. Hell, you gave me an erection last night, too. It’s nothing to be ashamed of.”
I fisted my hands, feeling the need to hit something.
He leaned in and whispered in my ear. “You know what else? I even jerked off at the thought of you last night. As soon as you left. In my bed. You gave me the orgasm of a lifetime, and you weren’t even there, Dominic.”
“Stop it,” I said, gritting my teeth.
“Were you jerking off at the thought of me too, hmm?” he whispered, his hot breath scalding my ear. “Did you put your hand on your pretty cock, imagining I was with you? Were you in your bed? Shower? Spying on me from your balcony? Did you imagine me on my knees, my mouth filled with your d—”
I pushed him away, my ears burning.
“Why are you doing this?”
“Because you lied to me!” he shouted, finally showing his anger. “You lied to me about Vicky to avoid another conversation. And I may be a lot of things, but I’m not a hypocrite, Carter.”
I grabbed him by the neck and pinned him against the wall.
“Are you calling me a hypocrite?”
He sneered. “Your words, not mine. But if you keep sporting an erection around me, like the one I can presently feel against my hip, you will need a better excuse.”
My fist hit his face before I could do anything about it. Then I wanted to hit myself, because I remembered the bruise on his cheek was still fresh, and now I have made it worse.
“Nice,” he said, rubbing his jaw with a painful expression on his face. “But it won’t make this thing between us go away.”
“This t-thing,” I stammered. “T-this… this argument—”
“Argument?” he exclaimed, laughing. “This is not an argument, Dominic.”
“What is it then?”
He leaned in until I felt his lips against my earlobe. “It’s foreplay.” Then he licked my ear, bottom to top. “Fuck, you taste good.”
“What did you just say to me?” I exclaimed, pushing him backward until he hit the table behind him. He bolted a second before I could catch him, using the table as a barrier between us.
“I said, foreplay, baby,” he said with a cheeky smile. “What are you going to do about it? Kill me? Or kiss me? Or God forbid…” He brought his hand to his mouth in mock outrage. “Fuck me?”
I threw myself at the table to reach him, seeing red, when the door burst open, and Bruce, Shelly, and everyone else barged inside. I felt multiple arms pulling me back as Tye blew me a kiss.
“See you later, partner.”
I cursed under my breath and tried to free myself, but the arms holding me wouldn’t let me.
“What the hell did you say to him, Tye?” Shelly said, hitting Thorsen in the arm on his way out.
“Something he wasn’t ready to hear, Shel.”
“Erm, guys…”
At the sound of Officer Slade’s voice, everyone turned to look at him.
He smiled awkwardly. “Erm… Carter… Tye…”
“What?” we both said at the same time.
“Someone wants to talk to you. Someone named… Luz.”