Simple Things(19)

He was laughing through his orgasm, saying stupid shit like, "Woo hoo. Yee-fucking-haw, Red. Fucking dick it down."

Carter would have laughed, only his cock took over and he pounded and  pounded, and his balls drew up. He looked down to where his cock was  disappearing in Jeremy like his fingers were earlier. And that was it.

"Son of a...FUCK!" Carter's orgasm made him curl in on himself, burying  his cock deep, and he rocked himself inside fractionally as he poured  his cum into the condom, deep inside Jeremy.

In the throes of it, both of them convulsing, they moved enough to get  face to face and clash their lips together, more tongue than lips, as  the position only gave so much. The kisses went from desperate to lazy,  then Carter had fallen out of Jeremy's hole and their kissing was almost  gentle as they embraced.

Carter's heart was pounding, his skin alive. And it wasn't from having just had the most intense orgasm of his life.

They looked at each other for a moment. Then Jeremy sat up and helped  Carter take off the condom. "Well, you got that right out the gate, my  friend."

Carter winced at the friend thing and the airy tone Jeremy used. Even if  Jeremy had felt whatever craziness Carter had, he was doing them both  the favor of shutting it down. Carter knew he should be grateful, but  one more minute of it wouldn't have killed him.

You're going back to New York. In weeks. Stop.

Jeremy came back from the bathroom, a sated smile on his face. "Well. You wore me the fuck out."

"Yeah." Carter blinked, sleepily. "That was a work out."

Jeremy winked. "Who needs the gym? That was way better." There was  something shuttered, less open about his mood, though. Not so much that  anyone but Carter would notice. But it was there all the same, reminding  Carter to enjoy what he got while he was getting it.                       
       
           



       

And he'd gotten some grade-A shit, so he sure as hell better buck the  fuck up and enjoy it. He smacked Jeremy's ass, which was wide open when  he bent over as he scrounged on the floor for their pants. Jeremy jumped  up and flipped Carter off before tossing him his borrowed sweats.  "Fucker."

"You'd know."

"That was so lame," Jeremy chuckled, crawling in bed with him.

Carter was tired enough sleep didn't elude him long. He did wake once in  the night to notice Jeremy curled next to him with his hand on Carter's  chest. He leaned down and kissed the sleeping man's temple and drifted  back off.

He'd wanted to escape reality. It had been nice while it lasted.





11





Jeremy narrowed his eyes when he saw the text on his phone's screen. I need to talk to you. Fucking Troy.

He didn't know what the man wanted, but something in him felt like it  would be disloyal to Carter to talk to the man about their  non-relationship weirdness while Carter was around. He looked up at  Carter who was pacing in the dining room, his face serious as he spoke  in quiet tones, looking like he was arguing. Probably with his mother.  Carter caught Jeremy looking his way and faked a smile before walking  out into the sun room.

God, this was starting to get complicated. He wanted to protect Carter  from his parents' shit. He knew well enough that no one had been in  Carter's corner where his parents were concerned, in a long time. These  protective feelings of his were far from keeping things simple, though.

But when he had let Carter fuck him two nights earlier, things had changed, even if he was trying not to admit it.

He hadn't been fucked in a long, long time. Macy liked to watch Troy  getting fucked, but she was not okay with Troy using his dick on anyone  else. It was a strange setup all the way around, so he couldn't really  be upset about it. He'd let it go on too long. He owned that.

He thought it would be easier on Carter to try it first that way. And he  thought it would be his chance to get that little benefit since he  hadn't bottomed in years. He didn't count on it feeling so fucking  special. That it had been Carter's first and the first he could remember  since his own first time-he'd been coked out even then-it definitely  felt next level, like he had said it would.

Jeremy tried to remind himself that he wasn't going to angst. He always  knew he felt things more than he liked to let on, so he'd only been  half-joking when he'd said this would be a silly love affair they would  tell the grandkids about. He hadn't fooled himself into thinking he was  in love, by any means. But this was definitely starting to feel like  more than two friends fucking around.

He'd never been so content just …  being around someone. It could be the  residual high of also getting along with his family again for the first  time in ages. He and his dad even managed friendly words.

On that thought, he definitely felt more like a tool. Thinking back on  his and Carter's long ago conversation about Jeremy feeling trapped on  the outside, meanwhile Carter had no one really, Jeremy realized he had  always been on the inside of his own family. He had just pushed them  away.

He decided it was time to talk to his dad about something he had been  considering. Since Carter seemed like he would be a minute, Jeremy made  his way to the main barn where his dad's office was housed.

As much as it sucked to admit he was a fuck up, he had come home to find  some clarity. Between his family and a certain redhead, he was slowly  getting there. Even if he felt like a lost kid at twenty-five.

He knocked on the office door. His dad called out for him to come  inside. He stepped into the office, which was actually much more ornate  than one would imagine from the outside. It looked like a headmaster's  office at a prestigious private school rather than that of a horse  breeder. His dad said it was to impress the high-end clientele. Jeremy  called bullshit. Dale Beck had been high up the food chain in  Nashville's music scene, doing contract law for a couple major labels  and managers. He was accustomed to his fancy digs and had carried that  over to his new business.

Jeremy walked in, and if his dad was surprised to see him, he didn't  show it. Dale was a big guy, taller than Jeremy by a foot. But at some  point, he'd gotten old. And Jeremy was just starting to notice it.

"Well, howdy, son," Dale said, seeming to not know whether to be  Business Man Dale or amiable friend Dale. The latter kind of surprised  Jeremy, but he had been seeing more of that lately.

"Hey, pop. I had a question."

Dale frowned, again looking surprised, but straightened up in his chair  and put aside his Mont Blanc to show Jeremy he had his full attention.                       
       
           



       

"That's a first."

Dale looked down and caught Jeremy's meaning. His face scrunched up as  he began to protest. "No. Dad, I didn't mean that as an accusation. An  observation. Should have stayed in my head."

Dale subsided. "No. I'll give you, I've always appreciated that I knew where I stood with you, son. Even if I didn't like it."

"Sorry."

"Me too." Dale sighed and leaned back in his chair. "More than you know.  But I have the feeling that's not what you came to talk about."

"Actually … " Jeremy sighed, shoring up his pride. "You were right."

Dale's bushy black brows rose into his hairline. "Oh?" Jeremy almost  laughed, watching the man try to contain that he clearly wanted to jump  up and dance around just at hearing those words from his son.

"Don't look so smug."

"I would never." Dale's lip twitched, but he didn't smile. Much.

"I think I'm done with the band." Dale blinked slowly. Jeremy smiled and  continued, "I'm not sure what my options will be. But I wanted you to  look over my contract with them and our manager. If you don't mind."

"What do you want to do?"

"I'm not a hundred percent on that yet. I may start something else, contract allowing, or I may strike out on my own."

Dale looked over Jeremy's shoulder, yet there was nothing back there but  a wall. He still seemed like he was looking at something. "This a  recent decision?"

Jeremy thought on his answer. "Probably longer in the making than you  think. I guess I don't know if I can't keep growing with them. I've been  enjoying the process on my own. Here."

"Do you have the money to-"

"Dad."

"What?" Dale leaned forward, all business now. Jeremy had to admit, for  now, he was much more comfortable with that. He knew how to handle  Business Man Dale. Dad I don't hate anymore Dale was a work in progress.  "You have to think about startup. And if you're going to stay  independent. Will you look for new representation?"

"That's getting a little ahead. I may stick with D&W. I'm just  weighing my options." He rolled his eyes, and to appease his father, he  added, "And yes, I still have a pretty decent portion from my royalties  and my investment in the original corner bar. I would want you to look  into that, too. To see if they'd prefer buying me out or if it's in the  contract. I won't be broke for a while yet."