Unnecessary Roughness (16 page)

“Connor, it’s not working. Give up the charade.”

At the overt comment regarding his sexuality from his best friend, Connor faced Kyle full on and studied his expression. “Are you being insightful or are you drunk?”

“Both? I’m way ahead of you.” Kyle gave him a silly grin.

Connor waited as a few people passed them to get inside the frat. “What’s not working? What charade? Care to elaborate?”

“Connor, Connor, Connor,” Kyle clicked his tongue disapprovingly.

About to delve further into where Kyle was going with his chiding, someone greeted Connor.

“Hey, Connor.”

Connor spun around to one of his teammates, Donald Mulhouse. “Oh, hi.” He remembered Kevin’s comment about Donald looking at him naked in the locker room and began to feel nervous. After all, everyone was stoned on everything from pot to ecstasy, drunk on booze or going completely insane at the moment. Anything was possible, including a pass from a gay teammate. Connor had no idea what he would do if Donald made one.

After Kevin’s accusing locker room gossip, Connor investigated the people around the area to see which one could be Donald’s boyfriend. Was Donald openly gay?

“You ready for our next game?” Donald asked.

Kyle shifted his weight from leg to leg as if he needed to sit down. Since they were outside the frat house and there was no place to sit. Kyle leaned on Connor before he fell over.

“He’s drunk,” Connor explained nervously as his roommate held onto him.

Donald laughed softly. “Who isn’t?”

Someone handed Donald a joint as they walked by to the front of the frat house’s open door. After he took a long inhale he offered it to Connor.

“I don’t smoke. Virgin lungs,” Connor said, adding, “and ass.”

Kyle doubled over with laughter.

“What?” Donald cracked up. “Shit. Did you say you had a virgin ass? I should hope so.”

A few of the people lingering out front stepped nearer to ask what Connor had said to make Kyle laugh so hard. Kyle was laughing so much he was choking, slapping his thigh and howling with hilarity.

Connor grew nervous and repeated, “He’s completely toasted.”

“Anyone want a toke?” Donald offered the joint and someone quickly took it off his hands.

“Argh!” Connor gasped and spun around at another pinch to his bottom. “Stop that,” he scolded a tipsy female.

“Hey, now your ass has been de-virginated,” Donald said and the group finally started to catch on and joined the laughter.

A girl put her arm around Donald’s waist, asking him, “What happened? Why are all you guys laughing so hard?”

“Connor’s ass seems to be getting a lot of attention,” Donald explained, then said, “Connor, this is my fiancée, Cyndie.”

“Your fiancée?” Connor gasped.
Well, there goes the accusation of him being a fag out the window.
Connor felt like a moron. His preconceived notion was just as ignorant as Kevin and his groups’.

Hannah and Vicky showed up. “Oh, hello, Connor.” Hannah gave him a snobbish glance.

“Hello, Hannah,” he said in exactly the same manner.

“Okay. This is gonna go downhill quick,” Kyle slurred.

Hannah took a closer look at Kyle. “Are you drunk?”

“He’s smashed.” Vicky giggled.

“Looks like you have a double-standard when it comes to your male friends getting stoned.” Hannah made sure it was loud enough for everyone around to hear.

Donald hooked his fiancée’s elbow, obviously wanting no part of what was coming. “See ya, Connor, Kyle.”

“Bye, Don.” Connor watched them enter the frat house.

“Hey, Kyle. Are you here at the party alone?” Vicky wrapped her arm around Kyle’s waist.

“No. I’m with him.” Kyle pointed at Connor, nudging Vicky’s hold off.

Oh crap
. Connor knew this didn’t look good. He stepped right in front of Kyle to shut him up. “Maybe I should take you home.”

“Good, I was hoping to get lucky.” Kyle gave Connor a sly grin.

Hannah said, “Maybe you’ll have better luck than I did.”

Connor turned on her in rage. “You watch your mouth, Hannah. I’d be very careful if I were you.”

She laughed. “Why? It was your problem you couldn’t get it up, not mine.”

Connor felt his face burn in humiliation. There were too many witnesses to this conversation. Under his breath he warned, “I never hit a girl before, but there’s always a first time.”

“That’s one method of proving you’re a man, isn’t it? You flunked the other.”

No way was Connor going to win this battle with his ego intact. “Let’s go, Kyle.” Connor nodded to him.

Kyle swayed and blinked his eyes slowly.

“Christ, Kyle. How much did you drink? It was only five frickin’ minutes that I was away from you.” Connor escorted Kyle to the car.

“I want my dick sucked.” Kyle gripped Connor tighter around the waist.

“Jesus.” Connor made it to the car and leaned Kyle against the fender, reaching into Kyle’s front pocket for the key. “I’m driving, you idiot. How could you get this drunk on beer?”

“I did tequila shooters, or something like that. I want my dick sucked.” Kyle pushed his pelvis out to emphasize it as Connor’s hand rooted around inside his pocket. “Touch me. Come on, Connor.”

After he took the keys out of Kyle’s pocket, Connor mumbled, “Get in the car.” Connor opened the passenger’s side door and helped Kyle drop into the seat.

“Did you hear me?” Kyle asked when Connor was behind the wheel with the key in the ignition.

“Yeah, I heard you.” Connor struggled to pull out of the tight parallel parking space in a strange car.

“Will you suck it?”

Connor raised a wary eyebrow to Kyle. “I never knew you’d be so horny when you were drunk.” Connor finally got them headed to their apartment after inching up and back a few times to get free from two tight bumpers.

“Will ya? Will you suck my dick?” Kyle asked excitedly, then moaned and rubbed his face.

“Unreal, Kyle. I can’t believe you’re asking me this when you’re complete toast. Great timing, buddy.” Connor kept peering at Kyle as he drove, making sure he was okay. “If you have to puke, tell me.”

“No. Not yet anyway.” Kyle slouched, legs splayed out. “Sorry, Connor.”

“Don’t worry about it.” After a fifteen minute drive, Connor parked at their apartment building and paused before he got out. “Hey.”

With an effort Kyle turned to face him, his eyelids appearing heavy.

“When you’re sober, ask me again.”

“What?” Kyle inhaled sharply.

“You heard me.” Connor opened the car door, walking around to help Kyle.

When Kyle was standing, Connor held onto him and escorted him to their lobby door.

“Did you say what I think you said?”

“Yeah. See if you remember it in the morning.”

“Are you kidding me?”

Connor smiled.

“For real?” Kyle asked.

Connor winked at him.

Finally managing to get his friend inside their tiny two-bedroom abode, Connor turned on a light and tossed Kyle’s keys on the table.

“I need to be sick now.”

“Shit. I figured this was coming.” Connor grabbed Kyle and raced with him to the toilet.

Once Kyle was on his knees before the porcelain throne, he threw up the contents of his stomach. Connor knelt next to Kyle and stroked his back softly until he was through. “You dork. Don’t you know never to drink the stupid concoctions at a frat party?” Connor flushed the toilet as Kyle recuperated.

Kyle sat back on his heels and squinted over at Connor, looking like hell. “Remind me never to drink this much again.”

“No problem.” Connor pushed Kyle’s hair back from his face, feeling his sweat. “Why don’t you rinse out your mouth at the sink?”

Kyle stared at him and sighed. “I love you.”

Connor smiled softly. “I love you too. Now let’s get you to bed.” He helped Kyle stand. Once he had the water running in the sink, Kyle leaned down and gulped it, spitting it out again.

“You want toothpaste?”

“No.” Kyle cringed and leaned back as if the idea revolted him.

“Okay.” Connor brought him to his bed.

Like a cannonball, Kyle landed on it heavily. “I feel like shit.”

“You look like shit too.” Connor took Kyle’s tennis shoes and t-shirt off.

While Kyle peered down at him, Connor opened Kyle’s top button of his jeans, then his zipper. Once Connor slid his pants down, he nudged Kyle. “Get some rest.”

Kyle groaned as Connor lifted the sheet over him. “Connor, wait.”

Connor paused.

“What you said. About me asking about a blowjob.”

“Let’s talk about it tomorrow, Kyle.”

“Connor…” Kyle bit his lip, then said, “Thanks for taking care of me.”

“No problem. Goodnight, Kyle.”

“Goodnight, Connor.”

Connor shut off Kyle’s light and returned to the bathroom to wash his face and brush his teeth. Exhausted, he stripped for bed. As he lay in the darkened room, listening to the sounds in the units around him, he thought about Kyle and beginning a sexual relationship with him. Was he insane? He knew what he wanted but was petrified of taking it. “Enough denial. You are going to do this.”

The weariness catching up to him, Connor closed his eyes and fell asleep.

Chapter Nine

The morning hit hard and Kyle rubbed his aching head. His mouth tasted like a sewer. He tried to maneuver himself upright, then sat still, pretending he wasn’t dying. He managed to get to his feet and felt his way to the bathroom, shielding his eyes. He urinated and washed his face, brushed his teeth, and gargled with mouthwash, then looked for his roommate.

He found Connor awake, his hands propped behind his head, staring at the ceiling.

“Hey.”

Connor turned to look at him and smiled sadly. “You look awful.”

“Well, it matches the way my head feels.” He sat on Connor’s bed and groaned.

“Don’t drink that much next time.”

“Oh, don’t worry. That was the first and last time.” He flopped back across Connor’s body and moaned pathetically.

“Poor baby.” Connor stroked Kyle’s hair softly as Kyle’s head rested on his lap.

Kyle closed his eyes and concentrated on Connor’s hand in his hair. “I didn’t forget what you said last night.” Kyle paused, loving Connor’s caress. “Were you hoping I would?”

“No.” Connor ran his index finger down Kyle’s sideburn, then combed his fingers through his hair again.

Kyle rolled over to see his face. Connor let his hand rest by his side. “I’m very attracted to you, Connor.”

“Likewise.”

Kyle made himself more comfortable on Connor’s lap, loving the solid thighs under him. He studied Connor’s jaw with its incredibly dark shadow of a night’s growth. “What should we do? Should we try it out?”

“I want to. Believe me.” Connor cupped Kyle’s cheek.

Kyle wanted Connor so badly he ached. They gazed at one another in silence. Kyle refused to release the hold of Connor’s crystal blue eyes. He gently removed Connor’s hand and turned it over, kissing his palm.

With his free hand Connor dug through Kyle’s hair again. “You’re a real good friend, Kyle. I mean that. But…can we do this? I mean, go gay?”

“How do I know? I can’t answer for you. I’ve known I was gay since I was seven.”

“Me too.” Connor smiled sadly, averting Kyle’s gaze.

“You think it’s fate? The way we met and get along?”

Connor kept petting him gently. “I’ve never had a friend like you before. I feel I can tell you anything, and you’ll listen without criticizing me. That you’ll defend me, and even protect me if I need it, that you give me confidence when I have none.”

Kyle whispered, “That’s what a lover is supposed to do. Isn’t it?” Kyle waited for some kind of response. When Connor nodded slightly, Kyle added, “Do I turn you on?”

“Hell yeah. Like crazy.” Connor stroked his way down Kyle’s neck. “I don’t want to sound like an idiot, Kyle, but even now, just laying here like this. I mean, if anyone knew we did this, they’d kill us for being queer. I don’t know what I’m supposed to do. I mean, it feels natural to touch you. Does it make you uncomfortable?”

“No. I don’t mind you touching me, Connor. On the contrary.”

“I’ve never felt this comfortable with a girl. I always feel like I have to pretend I’m in control and play the leader. But I can be myself with you. You let me.” Connor’s expression darkened. “I know my family would freak if they knew. That’s why I keep trying to go with a woman. But in my heart I know it’s useless.”

Kyle wanted him. He never wanted anyone else in his life like he wanted this man. “Connor…we can keep it quiet. No one has to know.”

“If our teammates or my dad finds out, Kyle,” Connor hissed an anxious breath through his teeth, “I’m dead.”

“I know. I hear how the guys are on the team. That check you got to the groin, the crap they give Donald Mulhouse? You think I don’t know?”

“They’d beat the crap out of us. And I’m talking on and off the field, Kyle. They already kick my ass during practice and scrimmages. Do you have any idea the amount of illegal checking I get? I’m a mass of bruises.” Connor met his eyes once more.

“Yes. I know.” Kyle shifted his weight so he was beside Connor instead of on his lap. “So? Are we too intimidated to do this? Or what?”

“I want you.” Connor’s eyes filled with tears.

When Kyle noticed them, he didn’t realize how upset it made him. He sat up immediately and took Connor to his chest, rubbing Connor’s back. He dug his hands through Connor’s hair, rocking him. Kyle felt a catch in his throat. “You have me.”

Connor sat back and pecked Kyle’s lips. “I do need to take a piss and brush my teeth first though.”

“I’m not going anywhere.” Kyle released their embrace.

“Good.” Connor smiled at him, then headed to the bathroom.

Kyle was surprised Connor wasn’t naked. He was wearing a pair of blue briefs. Once Connor had left the room, Kyle peeked down at his own briefs. His hard-on was tenting the fabric and a small damp stain was visible. “Damn.” He heard the water running in the sink and felt his heart beating faster at the idea that he and Connor Worthington were about to have sex, or do something sexy anyway.