17. Colt

17

COLT

I ’m sprawled on the couch reviewing choreography notes when Flora appears in the bedroom doorway at six-thirty sharp. My jaw drops because she’s transformed from her usual casual self into something else. Her hair falls in soft waves, and she’s wearing a flowy winter dress and stockings that make her look like she stepped out of a dream.

“Well, well. What’s all this about?” I set my notebook aside, raising an eyebrow.

Nash looks up from his spot at the kitchen counter where he’s been meal prepping. His eyes widen slightly at the sight of her.

“Aurora invited me to movie night with some of the girls in the main tent,” Flora says, smoothing her dress. “Thought I’d make an effort.”

“Leaving us all alone?” Nash puts on an exaggerated pout. “That’s just cruel.”

I clutch my chest dramatically. “The betrayal. We’ll waste away from neglect.”

“Talk about blue balls,” Nash adds with a theatrical sigh.

Flora rolls her eyes, but she’s fighting back a smile. “You two are absolutely insatiable, you know that?”

“We prefer to think of it as having healthy appetites,” I say with a wink.

“I’m sure we can find time when I get back,” she says, kissing us as she heads for the door. “Try not to pine away too much while I’m gone.”

“No promises!” Nash calls after her.

I watch her disappear into the evening, counting the minutes until she returns. But I’m glad she’s making friends, building her own life here at the carnival. Even if it means sharing her attention sometimes.

Nash and I are alone in our shared space for the first time since Flora came into our lives and changed everything. The silence between us buzzes, our eyes unable to meet. We’ve always been careful to keep things platonic, no matter how close we’ve gotten over the years. There are lines we’ve never considered crossing.

Until now, Flora’s presence, her very essence, has awakened something inside both of us. She’s like a spark that’s ignited a fire, threatening to burn down the careful barriers we’ve erected.

The tension existed before she entered our lives, simmering quietly beneath the surface. I ignored it, burying it under layers of friendship and shared passion for our art. But now, with her gone for the evening, it’s becoming harder to ignore. I can feel it coursing through my veins, making my skin tingle and my heart race.

“Jesus, it’s a damn sauna in here,” Nash comments, fanning himself with a tea towel.

“You feeling alright? You’re flushed.” I raise an eyebrow, smirking.

“Oh, I’m feeling fine.” His eyes glint with mischievousness. “Just got blue balls thanks to someone abandoning us this evening.”

My throat goes dry. “Yeah, she does tend to have that affect on a guy.”

“Understatement of the century. The woman’s a walking wet dream.”

I know what he means. Flora gets under your skin and makes you feel things you’ve never felt. It’s a different kind of longing than I’ve ever experienced. An itch that only she can scratch.

I shift uncomfortably on the couch, meeting Nash’s direct gaze. The air between us crackles with tension.

“We should talk about Flora,” Nash says. “About how this works between all of us.”

My heart pounds against my ribs. “What do you mean?”

“That first morning after...” Nash pauses, choosing his words carefully. “I know you were with her. And earlier today, when you were helping Ty, she and I...” He lets the implication hang.

I nod slowly. Part of me had wondered if something had happened between them when I was busy. “And you want to know if I’m okay with that?”

“Yeah. We need clear boundaries here. Are we fine with being with her separately? Together seems ideal, but schedules don’t always align.” Nash runs a hand through his hair. “I don’t want any misunderstandings between us.”

“Makes sense,” I agree, thinking it through. “I’m good with whatever Flora’s comfortable with. Together or separate.”

Nash relaxes. “Same here. Though I prefer it when we’re all involved. It feels more... right that way.”

“Yeah, I know what you mean.” The connection between the three of us is strongest when we’re together. “Should probably talk to Flora about it too, get her thoughts.”

“Definitely. She should have equal say in this.” Nash pushes off from the counter and joins me on the couch. “We’re in uncharted territory here.”

“That we are.” I glance at him. “But I think we’re handling it pretty well so far.”

I shift on the couch, hyperaware of Nash’s presence beside me. The air feels thick with possibility. His knee brushes against mine, and I fight the urge to pull away or lean in closer. I’m not sure which impulse is stronger.

“Guess we’ve got a problem on our hands.”

“What do you mean?” I ask.

“Blue balls aren’t exactly conducive to a restful night. And I can tell you’re feeling it, too.” He bumps his shoulder against mine. “Might as well be honest about it.”

“Yeah, well...” I shift, suddenly very aware of the bulge in my pants.

“We could help ourselves out together,” Nash muses, a devious gleam in his eye.

“What are you suggesting?” I ask.

“Mutual relief if you catch my drift.” He stretches his legs out, crossing one ankle over the other. “We’ve never jerked off together, but hell, it might be fun.”

I swallow hard. “You sure about that?”

“If it gets the job done, why not? Besides, we’ve shared a woman. This isn’t that different, right?”

He’s got a point, and my body is definitely not arguing. But my mind is spinning. It feels like we’re standing at the edge of a precipice, about to leap into the unknown.

“That settles it then.” Nash’s voice is steady, but his eyes glitter with challenge.

I hesitate, my heart suddenly pounding in my chest. “Hold up. Are we really doing this?”

“You chickening out on me now?” He raises an eyebrow.

I glance down at the bulge in my pants and then back up at him. “I’m no chicken.”

Nash chuckles. “Didn’t think so.”

He reaches for the remote and turns on the TV, scrolling through the options until he finds the perfect scene. My eyes widen as I take in the cover image—a guy pounding into another guy’s ass while that guy is fucking a girl. It’s out of my deepest fantasies, a vision I’ve only shared with Flora.

“You read my mind,” I murmur, my breath catching as the scene unfolds.

Nash shifts closer, our outer thighs touching, and I feel the heat radiating off his body. We both reach for our belts, undoing them with deliberate slowness. I’m surprised he can’t hear my heart hammering.

Our hands move in sync, freeing ourselves from the confines of our pants. The cool air washes over my exposed skin, sending a shiver down my spine as I watch the two men on the screen drive each other wild.

Nash leans back on the couch, our arms brushing as we both stroke in time with the scene’s rhythm. I glance at him from the corner of my eye, our gazes locking for a heated moment before breaking away.

“You ever done this before?” I ask.

“Not with a guy. You?”

I nod. “When I was younger, yeah.”

I up my pace, taking my cue from the relentless rhythm of the scene. Nash groans, his hips bucking involuntarily. I sneak another glance at him, taking in the flush of his cheeks and how his cock looks with his hand wrapped around it.

I bite my lip, gritting my teeth as the tension coils tighter and tighter in my gut. Rubbing my precum over my piercing sends a jolt right to my balls. My breath comes in harsh pants, mingling with Nash’s shaky exhales. All I can think about is his beautiful dick plowing into my ass while I’m deep in Flora.

And then we burst, our release spurting over our pants as the two men and one woman on the screen find their own climax. I feel lightheaded, my body electric with sensation, and I realize I’m panting like I’ve run a marathon.

Nash turns his head, his gaze locking with mine. “Well,” he says with a lazy smile, “that was certainly interesting.”

I snort, my face getting hot. “Yeah, that’s one way to put it.”

I bite my lip as I watch Nash lick his hand, his tongue gliding slowly over his skin to lap up his own cum. The seduction in that simple gesture sends a jolt of electricity straight to my dick, which gives another desperate twitch.

But even as the desire thrums through me, something else is building. A nervous tension. An awareness of what just happened between us.

The scene on the TV still plays, the two men and woman moaning in the aftermath of their pleasure, but it’s like background noise now. My brain feels fuzzy, my thoughts a jumbled mess.

“You still look a little unsatisfied,” Nash comments with a raise of his eyebrow, gesturing to my straining cock.

He’s not wrong. I’m not sure anything could fully satisfy this hunger inside me. Not now, with the floodgates of my desires suddenly thrown wide open.

I clear my throat, fumbling for words. “I, uh... think I’m gonna take a shower.”

Without waiting for a response, I push myself up from the couch, my heart pounding so loudly I’m sure Nash can hear it. I need to get out of here and clear my head. Put some distance between us before I do something stupid. Or say something that can’t be unsaid.

I feel his eyes on me as I cross the room, my steps purpose-driven, almost rushed. We’re usually an open book to each other, but this... this is different. Complicated.

I step into the bathroom, closing the door with a quiet click. My hands ball into fists at my sides as I lean back against the door, my breath coming in short, sharp pants. I can feel the pulse pounding in my throat, my whole body thrumming with a confusing mix of desire and apprehension.

Part of me wants to turn around, march straight out of the bathroom, and take Nash in my arms. Explore the possibility of something deeper than friendship between us.

But another part of me is terrified of what this could mean, of what we might lose if we cross that line.

I curse under my breath, stepping into the shower and turning on the water. I crave the release it will bring, the chance to wash away the tension. But I know it won’t wash away the nervous fluttering in my chest.

The water cascades over my head, steaming hot, but it does little to erase the image of Nash licking his own cum from his hand.

The tension between us is like a flame that threatens to consume us. We’re teetering on the edge between passion and destruction. And I have no idea what the hell to do about it.