Chapter 6

6

Nick

After the mind-blowing sex, Joey crashed in my room. Wrapped around each other, I slept better than I ever have. I’m a little nervous at how dependent I’m becoming. How am I going to explain how attached to him I am already? The last person I got attached to was ripped away from me in the dead of night and I never knew what happened to her.

Joey quickly became insatiable. Not just wanting to fuck, but to touch, stroke, cuddle, explore. I guess we better get it out of our systems now before Neal returns and Joey has to get back to hockey. I can’t wait to go to a game, though. Watching him handle his teammate on Sunday night was sexy as fuck.

It’s Wednesday morning, his fucking alarm is screaming, and he’s still snoring against my chest.

“Joey,” I grumble, pushing him.

“Huh?” He’s not awake yet.

“Alarm.” My eyes are still closed, and I want nothing more than to fall back asleep, but I know it’s not going to happen.

Joey reachs up and shuts off the screaming alarm. It’s actually a scream. Not a normal alarm sound, but like that screaming goat sound that was all over social media a few years ago. He’s a psycho. It’s jarring every time.

He shoves his arms above his head and stretches. The muscles in his back bunch and flex in the light peeking through the blinds. Sliding a hand around his torso, I kiss his shoulder and pinch his nipple just to make him hiss. He slaps at my hand, and I chuckle as he rolls away, rubbing at his now sore nipple.

“You’re a dick.” He sits up and we both swing our feet over the edge to the floor.

I smile at him, all sleep-rumpled and sexy. “Yeah, I am, but you’re still here so you don’t hate it.”

“It’s because you dick me down.” Joey stands and moves between my knees, lifting my chin so he can kiss me. It’s a quick press of lips since we just woke up, but it’s enough to heat my blood. “Get dressed.”

He steps back and uses the bathroom as I dig out some workout clothes. I’m pulling on a shirt when he stops in the doorway and leans against the frame with his arms crossed.

“What’s on the schedule today? Cardio? I have a much more fun way to get that in.” I waggle my eyebrows, and he shakes his head, but he’s smiling.

“It’s leg day.”

I pull on my shoes, grab my crap, and we head upstairs to wake up Bryce. Joey swears the guy can’t make it to the gym unless he drags him, so the last few days we’ve been waking him up. Bryce hasn’t asked why Joey isn’t sleeping in their room yet, but I’m waiting for it. Maybe he texted the question?

We get off the elevator on the fifth floor and when Joey opens the door, I rush past him and jump onto Bryce’s bed. Standing on his bed, I jump on the mattress and shake the fuck out of him.

“Hey, man!”

Bryce startles, yelling and covering his head so I stop bouncing.

“Time to get up.” I’ve got a shit-eating grin on my face when I pat his shoulder.

He looks up at me, glaring. “You’re an asshole.”

Joey barks out a laugh as he changes into workout clothes, and I jump down.

“Yeah, I really am.”

Bryce grumbles something about dickhead seniors, but he gets up to go take a piss. Joey lifts an eyebrow at me, smirking as he finishes getting dressed, and I shoot him a wink.

The bathroom door opens, and Bryce quickly gets changed, then we head down to the gym.

We get warmed up and move to the leg machines as the door opens and two guys come in, a redhead with longer hair and one with brown hair and a backward ball cap. Is it a hockey thing to have longer hair?

They come to stand in front of Joey, and I take my earbud out so I can listen to what’s going on. I’m a nosey bastard.

The one with the hat on crosses his arms, and a muscle in his jaw jumps.

“Have you seen Carmichael?” Oh, he’s pissed.

Joey looks between them, then stops his workout.

“No, why?”

“We can’t find the dumbass and he’s—” Hat Guy looks at Redhead, and he shrugs a little. “He’s not doing well.”

“We need to find P Dawg,” Redhead says, and I try to hide my snort, but since Joey glances at me, I know I failed. “But we don’t know Denver well enough to drive around and look for him.”

I stand from the machine I’m using. “I can help.”

Everyone turns to look at me. “I’ve lived here for a few years. I know how to get around the city. Any idea about what type of thing this guy would be doing?”

“Self-destruction,” Hat Guy says and Redhead nods.

“Since when is Carmichael self-destructive? Dude is crazy about working out, his diet, and sleep. He won’t even eat pizza.” Joey stands up, looking at his teammates. The two share another look, and I’m starting to put some pieces together.

“Bad breakup or something?” I offer, watching them closely. Redhead pales a bit and bounces on his toes.

Hat Guy straightens his shoulders but shakes his head. “It’s…complicated.”

“You don’t mind?” Joey asks me. This is Captain Carpenter, not my Joey, making sure everyone is okay.

“Yeah, I don’t mind. If your guy is in trouble, I’m happy to help if I can.” I shrug and look back at the duo. “Let me get changed, give me, like, ten minutes.”

Hat Guy holds his hand out for me to shake. “I’m Paul,” he says before pointing at his buddy. “That’s Brendon.”

“Nick.” I shake his hand and duck out of the gym.

Once I’m changed, Paul and Brendon meet me at the curb in front of the dorms already in a blue Corolla. Now I see why Joey didn’t volunteer to come with us, there’s no way 5 of us are fitting in this car if we find their guy.

I climb in the back, and Paul heads to the exit.

“Okay, tell me about your guy. What kind of shit is he likely to get into? Bars? Strippers? Drugs?”

“My best guess is he literally ran somewhere, but he’s been gone for hours, so the likelihood of him being injured is pretty high,” Paul says and leaves the university campus to head toward downtown. “If he’s high or drunk, I’m going to beat his ass.”

“What’s the deal? Why are you babysitting him?”

Brendon looks at Paul for a minute before turning to search out the window.

“Look, I get that you don’t want to spill secrets that aren’t yours, but if I have at least a vague idea of what’s going on, it’ll help me figure out where he would have gone.” I look out my side of the car and watch for joggers. “Is he from here? Family around or local hangouts he would know that you don’t?”

Paul sighs before he starts talking. “He’s not from here, though his dad lives here now too. It’s not a good situation, if you know what I mean.” His eyes meet mine in the mirror, and I give him a nod. “He’s dating our friend, Jay. Jay went back home for Christmas, and Carmichael is not handling it well.”

Interesting.

The wheels start turning, and I’m thinking about the paths out of the school and where he might head. He’s new to the area, probably wants to be alone and clear his head…

“Does he like getting lost in the crowd or prefer solitude?”

“Solitude,” they say together.

“We’re going the wrong way then.” I give Paul directions to get us going the right way, and we drive around the industrial area for a while but don’t see anything.

“Hey, since we’re here, can we stop at that bakery? Debbi has the best cinnamon rolls.” And I want to eat one off your captain’s dick.

Brendon pops up. “Cinnamon rolls?”

Paul sighs but agrees. We get parked and head inside, the bell on the door alerting the amazing woman inside that customers have entered.

She’s not out in the front, but I can hear her down the hall. Paul and Brendon look around and wait patiently.

“Nicky!” The middle-aged woman smiles wide and opens her arms for a hug which I don’t hesitate to give her. “It’s been a while, how have you been?”

“Good, busy.” I step back when she lets me go. “You know how it is.”

“Of course.” She pats my cheek, and I introduce Paul and Brendon. It’s not until this moment that I notice we’re all wearing the same thing. Jeans and Darby U hoodies. Wow. What a bunch of dorks.

A guy in black workout gear comes from the back of the shop, dripping sweat, beet red, and obviously exhausted. Paul looks over and freezes, his jaw tightening as he turns to face the newcomer.

“What’s going on, Carmichael?” Paul crosses his arms. Brendon and I turn to face him too.

Preston Carmichael is a beast of a man. He’s taller than me by a few inches, wider than me, and looks like there’s not any fat on his body.

“We’ve been looking for you,” Brendon says sternly, and there’s something about the way he says it that makes me feel like he doesn’t speak that way very often.

Preston’s jaw hardens and his fists clench. He looks like he’s trying to get some control over himself before he speaks.

Paul looks between Preston and Debbi before he asks, “Do you know her or something?”

“No, she’s just a woman who was nice to me. Are you heading back to campus?”

“Yeah, just grabbing some cinnamon rolls. Debbi’s are the best,” I pipe up, and the big man looks at me for the first time.

Debbi rings us up, and we head out of the small shop to the car. Paul and Brendon take the front seats again, and I climb into the back with Carmichael.

“I’m Nick.” I offer my hand and he shakes it with a very forced smile.

“Preston.”

I chuckle, “Oh, I know who you are.”

Paul and Brendon are having some kind of conversation in the front with just looks, so I start rambling while Carmichael looks out the window. No one is paying me any attention and that amuses me. I could be talking about starfish orgasms, and no one would know.

Paul pulls up in front of the dorms, and I climb out with a quick “Bye” and head inside. I have a very important thing to do with Joey’s dick and this amazing cinnamon roll that’s still warm.