Page 77 of Piece Us Together
“You keep doing that and I fucking will.”
Nolan had wanted to know what I was doing to unravel the man inside him, Hunter telling him it’s not his business, like he and I were doing something separate. Doing something that was just forus.
There isn’t supposed to be ajust us. It’s supposed to be all about Nolan. But having Hunter look at me like that, nearly begging me to keep touching his cock inside our boy’s hole—it was fucking intoxicating. When Nolan started mindlessly babbling about all the want he has, I couldn’t help but agree. I want, too. I’m starting to want so fucking much it hurts.
I don’t know what to do.Will continuing this ruin us, or will ending it be worse? What does Nolan want? What does Hunter want?
What the fuck do I even want?
I can’t help but feel like the other shoe is going to drop. Instinct tells me to drop it myself before the universe gets the chance to. Instinct tells me to grab the man I love and run like hell before I lose him.
“What are you making?” Hunter asks Nolan, seeming perfectly calm and not at all caring that what we did only hours ago felt like so much more than just sex.
“A twist on tuna casserole, with only salt and pepper, sliced sandwich cheese, and Ritz crackers instead of breadcrumbs.” He gives Hunter a very pointed look. “No promises on what it’ll taste like.”
Hunter smirks. “I don’t enjoy grocery shopping.”
“Probably because you look at every food like you’re going to interrogate it,” I tease.
“Hey now, you saw me when I was trying to be more conscious about the ingredients in my food. My friend made me watch an awful documentary that had me paranoid that I was secretly poisoning myself with junk.” He shrugs, that smirk still in place. “I gave up a few days later. Junk isdelicious.”
Nolan makes a disgusted sound, then freezes with a can of something yellow in his hand. “Wait, when did you see him shopping?”
My face burns, which makes Hunter laugh. “He didn’t tell you? He accosted me in the grocery store when he first came to me for help.”
“Accostedis a little strong,” I argue.
“I’m fairly certain you growled.”
Nolan laughs, the sound awfully bright and weightless and beautiful. His blue eyes are full of it as he looks at me. “Aw, babe. You do tend to growl.”
“I don’ttendto,” I argue, trying very hard not to growl any of the words. Unfortunately, that makes me sound pouty instead. I cover my face with a groan. “I hate you both.”
They laugh together this time. I stare at them until my heart hurts. I’m just starting to tear my gaze away when my eyes lock with Hunter’s. They’re full of mirth, the green in them more prominent beneath the recessed lights.
“You love us,” Nolan teases.
Do I?
Hunter’s smile fades before he turns his focus back to Nolan. He clears his throat as his eyes settle on Nolan’s turned back. The urge to reach for him washes over me. I curl my hands into fists.What would I even do? Hold his fucking hand? Wrap him in a hug? And then what? Tell him I don’t love him while trying to make him feel better? Or worse, tell him I do love him, and shatter my whole world in the process?
Hands still fisted, I look at Nolan too. It’s much safer.When did I start forgetting that?If I’d never stopped focusing on him, maybe I would have been safe from all of this shit in my head now.
“Where did you learn to cook like this?” Hunter asks.
Nolan’s shoulders pull in before he releases the tension with a slow breath. I feel Hunter still beside me, the man far too observant not to know he just stepped on something sensitive.
“My mom and grandma,” Nolan says without looking at us. “I always preferred helping in the kitchen over all the chaos of my cousins running around. And it got me out of having to go outside and throw around the football, which I liked.”
“Not a big sports fan?” Hunter asks tentatively.
“Uh—no. Not really.” He shifts on his feet, trying to decide how much more he wants to say. I’m curious myself. He’s already given more than I thought he would to someone who doesn’t know everything.But this is Hunter,a little voice in my head says, as if that means something, as if he’s different.
Because he is.
“I used to play football. Before…” Nolan turns, his eyes on me instead of Hunter. Instinct makes me shake my head. He can’t fuckingtellhim. It’s classified. It could put so many people in danger. It could put Nolan in danger. Carter in danger. That’s unacceptable.
But it’s Hunter.