“You can’t leave now. You drank too much. My car’s right over there. Give yourself time to sober up,” Mitch reasoned. Where had those words come from? Actually, where was all this coming from? Cody had participated tonight, but he was clearly uncomfortable, and Mitch never got involved with self-conflicted types. That just reeked of drama and who had time for that?
Okay, Mitch was seriously arguing with himself. When had that ever happened?
Actually, this all probably came from Cody’s physique. He was built like a brick house. In all likelihood, that much hotness scrambled Mitch’s brain. But, damn, would they fit well together tonight. Guys like Cody didn’t come around every day. It would take a lot for Mitch to wear him down. But there was something different about Cody. Hell, he sensed it the moment their eyes connected. He wanted to fuck him, no question there, but now he also wanted to know his story. He needed to get to know Cody and not just physically.
Shit! No, he didn’t want to know more about Cody. That was just dumb.
This whole internal battle he waged irritated him and he scowled. It would be in his best interest to let Cody walk away. He still had time to find someone else to fuck tonight. Closeted, Dudley Do-Right types took too much time and patience. He liked his sex to be mutually hard, fast, and aggressive. Multiple times, no strings attached. Hell, what were a few bite marks in the name of a good time?
Surprising even himself and mostly definitely going against his current inner thoughts, Mitch reached out and grabbed Cody’s car keys, snatching them away, then started to walk toward his car. He placed the keys he’d just swiped in his front pants pocket. Cody would have to follow to get them back. No matter how badly he wanted to, Mitch never looked over his shoulder to see how Cody had reacted to that one.
“Hey, you can’t just take my truck keys,” Cody yelled, and the best Mitch could tell, he hadn’t moved from where he’d been standing. He would though, Mitch was certain.
“Looks like I did,” Mitch called back. “You’ll thank me later.” He clicked his own car’s key fob, unlocking both the doors and guiding himself to his rental by the flash of taillights, because right this minute, he couldn’t even remember what the car looked like.
He was still a few cars away when he heard Cody’s rushed footsteps approaching him. He braced himself for a tackle, because hell, he would have tackled whoever took his keys, but Cody didn’t.
“Give ‘em back,” Cody said from right behind him.
“Give yourself time to sober up, then you can bolt. You’re clearly law enforcement. It wouldn’t be good for you if you got yourself a DUI,” Mitch explained, rounding the trunk of his rental, still not looking back at Cody. “What are you, a police officer?”
“No, I work for the Texas DPS,” Cody replied, standing near the trunk, but not moving any closer. Mitch opened the driver’s door, and before he sat down, he glanced back. Mitch could see the leeriness in Cody’s eyes, that he wasn’t sure what to do next.
“Hmm…does that mean you’re a sexy state trooper?” Mitch asked, resting both arms on the roof of the car.
“I just got assigned to mounted detail, but I really want to be a ranger. I only have another year before I can test,” Cody said in probably the most honest and in-depth exchange they’d shared tonight. Mitch smiled at the bowed up chest that accompanied those words.
“Army or Texas?” Mitch asked.
“Texas,” Cody answered as if that were the only logical choice. It wasn’t, and it was damn hard to become a Texas Ranger.
“Good, get in,” Mitch said, nodding to the passenger side.
“Good, why?” Cody called out but didn’t move from his spot.
“That means you weren’t lying about your age, and you’re older than I originally thought you were.” Mitch ducked his head inside the car and closed the door. He made a show of making sure the car was unlocked and then put the key in the ignition and turned the car on. “Crawling” by Linkin Park blared on the radio, and he reached up to lower the volume. When Cody still hadn’t come to the car, Mitch cut his eyes to the rearview mirror and watched and waited. Surely Cody wouldn’t leave. Mitch chuckled at the thought. If Cody knew what was good for him, he’d take off and call a locksmith, because if he got inside this car, Mitch planned to do everything it took to tap that hot Texas trooper’s ass good and hard tonight.
~~~
He shouldn’t get inside that car. Everything screaming through his head made it clear, he should turn around, walk away, and get AAA out there to get his truck started, lesson learned. He needed to stay in his little secluded part of the world and not venture out to the big city anymore until he grew a bigger set of metaphorical balls.
Cody removed his cap, scrubbed a hand over his face, then started cracking his knuckles, a bad habit he’d never broken himself from. But the action helped settle him, and he needed to clear his head. Mitch knew exactly what he was doing, and the guy seemed to get off on pushing at him. Besides, it would take hours to get someone out here to start his truck.
FML!
On an exaggerated huff, Cody stalked to the side of the car and tugged open the door. “Give me my keys,” he huffed, bending down, glaring at Mitch.
“Get in, shut the door. It’s cold out there,” Mitch said as his eyes remained focused on something out the front windshield. He hadn’t even bothered to look his way.
“It’s not cold out here. Give me my keys,” he demanded, bending in farther this time, his head all the way inside the car. Mitch said nothing as he slowly turned toward Cody and gave a fake shiver. The minute their eyes met, Cody’s foot slid off the curb, and he toppled a little.