Hard Ride: Powertools: Hot Rides, Book #3, page 15
Before they’d reached the front door, it opened and Trevon welcomed them inside.
“Hey, you made it!” He shouted over his shoulder, “Someone go tell Wren that everyone on her list is here!”
“What exactly are we late to?” Ollie wondered. “And should I be more dressed up? I don’t really have fancy clothes, but I could probably find something a little nicer than this…”
He gestured to his standard long-sleeved shirt and jeans. They kept him from getting too scratched up on salvage runs but weren’t especially fashionable.
“Nah. They told us to come as we are.” Trevon shrugged. “To be honest I have no idea what’s up their sleeves. But they said something about an early holiday party and paid Devra to make a shit ton of food. Hell, even the Powertools crew came over.”
Trevon finished his explanation as they reached a few of the other guests milling around.
“My bet is Wren’s knocked up,” Dane said with a grin. “Based on the number of times I’ve walked in on her, Jordan, and Kason going at it in the back room or heard it from over at Quinn’s place, I’m thinking I’ve got good odds.”
“A baby?” Kyra squeezed Ollie’s hand. “Really? That would be amazing!”
Walker shot his partner a glare and slapped him in the back of the head. “You can’t just say shit like that. Someone who doesn’t know better might think you know what you’re talking about. Especially about something so important. A kid isn’t a joke, asshole.”
Dane flipped Walker off, then went to grab a refill on his plate of appetizers.
“Sorry about that.” Walker shook his head. “He’s a dumbass. Please don’t listen to him.”
“Well, whatever it is must be important since they went to all this trouble.” Van scanned the room and Ollie knew he was verifying everything was secure. Members of his team were positioned near several of the doors and they’d had extra guards stationed at the gatehouse.
Jordan wasn’t taking any chances with the safety of his lovers or their friends.
“Maybe I should go check with my team…” Van started to take a step toward them when Kason appeared at the railing.
Ollie still couldn’t get over how fancy his place was. Overlooking the great room, the balcony was only two thirds as tall as the mammoth pine tree, sparkling in front of the three-story glass windows. On the far wall a floor to ceiling stone strip encapsulated a gorgeous fireplace, complete with a snapping and crackling fire.
He skipped quickly past that, trying not to think about how the entire place was made of timbers or how near the flames were to the Christmas tree. Kyra held his hand tighter, her grip reassuring.
A few older kids he recognized as Mike’s and Joe’s from the Powertools crew played with Nola and Kaige’s daughter, and a couple of the other mini Hot Rods. It was hard keeping track of them all. The rest of the local gang, their friends from out of state, plus Tom and Ms. Brown, collectively gave their attention to Kason.
He had a way of capturing people’s focus. Ollie guessed that was what made him a star.
Kason projected so everyone could hear him even without his usual microphone. “Good evening, everyone. Thank you for coming!”
“Not that I don’t enjoy a good party, but…what are we here for?” Tom asked what everyone was thinking. As the honorary patriarch of their group, he spoke for them all.
“To celebrate my wedding.” Kason had never smiled as wide as he did when he shocked the crowd. “I asked Jordan and Wren to marry me and they both said yes. We don’t want to wait. So…let’s do this.”
“Shit, I am underdressed.” Ollie looked at his scuffed boots and grimaced.
“If you are, everyone is,” Kyra pointed out. “Even Kason is wearing jeans.”
Okay, that was a fair point. Besides, he knew Wren wasn’t the sort of woman to stand on tradition. It did surprise him when she emerged behind Kason, wearing a sexy red satin dress. Jordan was with her and, not so different from how Ollie had come inside with Kyra and Van, he clasped one of Wren’s hands and one of Kason’s before leading them both down the sweeping circular staircase.
Their friends swarmed them, offering congratulations as they made their way to the base of the Christmas tree, where they stood in a triangle and everyone crowded around.
Wren smoothed down her dress, still nervous about having on something other than her welding gear in public, he was sure. Though she shouldn’t have been because she looked incredible.
She said to Devra as they hugged, “I thought I’d carry on your tradition and wear red.”
“I approve.” The woman swiped a happy tear from the corner of her eye as Quinn and Trevon looked on, shaking hands with Kason and Jordan while they offered their congratulations.
Ollie smiled as he thought back on the time he’d tried to flirt with Wren and had imagined she might be someone he could love, before Kyra—and Van—had crash-landed in his life. What he’d felt for Wren had been intense, more powerful than anything he’d experienced before. Still it paled when compared to how he felt about the woman, and her lover, who now shared his bed.
Wren had known what he hadn’t—they were meant for other people.
When she looked his way, he grinned and nodded. “So happy for you.”
Kyra wasn’t having any of that. She charged across the gap between them and flung her arms around Kason. Van piled on. Ollie knew they’d seen the man through some rough times. This was a victory for them too.
He edged closer, wanting to be near them and share in their joy.
Jordan didn’t miss it either. He raised his brows at Ollie, then said quietly, “Maybe it’ll be your turn next.”
“Uh, I doubt it.” He wasn’t sure what else to say. Though he’d dreamed about their fling lasting, it was still far too fragile to declare his desires so openly.
Except Kyra chose right then to turn toward him. She frowned at his response.
Shit.
He knew she battled her own insecurities about being desired, and now that he had more information about her upbringing, he could see why that might be an especially sensitive spot for her. Before he could clarify, they were being swept aside by more of their friends edging in to give their well wishes to the established trio, who were declaring their relationship official and permanent that night.
Ollie stood by Kyra and Van, watching as Kason, Jordan, and Wren exchanged simple promises, though ones that counted for so much. They slid matching gold bands on each other’s fingers and sealed their vows with a threeway kiss that made Ollie’s mouth go dry.
Though he tried desperately not to glance over at Van, he did anyway. A shock of awareness jolted him when he saw the other man staring back, equally as intent.
Kyra glanced up and caught whatever it was passing between them. She smiled and leaned her shoulders against them, forcing them to step closer to keep her upright.
Together, they held her as their friends promised each other forever.
And when the impromptu ceremony was over and people had dispersed throughout the massive house to eat, drink, laugh, and dance to Kason singing “The Real Thing” for his new wife and husband, Ollie excused himself from Kyra and Van, then went off in search of his boss.
If he wanted to try for that kind of happiness in his life, he was going to have to make some major changes.
Fortunately he stumbled across Quinn, the Hot Rides shop manager, chatting with Gavyn. They were nestled into a sitting nook away from the majority of the merrymaking. He came up from behind them and swung around the end of the enormous leather sofa they were lounging on.
“Hey, Quinn, Gavyn, can I talk to you guys for a second?” Ollie leaned against a nearby case that displayed at least a dozen awards Kason had won for his music.
Which was when he noticed Amber sitting on her husband’s lap, surrounded by Gavyn’s thick arms. Her head rested on his shoulder as if she could barely stay awake.
“Oh, sorry. Didn’t realize this was a family meeting. I’ll catch you another time, when we’re back at Hot Rides.” He turned to leave them in peace.
“Ollie, wait.” He glanced over his shoulder at Amber, who got to her feet more gingerly than usual with one hand pressed to her baby bump. She was really starting to show now, six or seven months into her pregnancy, he guessed.
Rather than make her come to him for whatever it was she wanted, he crossed to her, saving her the trouble. She wrapped him in a warm and surprisingly tight hug.
“What’s that for?” he asked, peering over her shoulder at her husband and Quinn, both of whom were smiling softly instead of looking like they would rip his head off for touching her.
“I’m hoping someday you’ll realize that you’re part of our family now.” Tall and athletic, she didn’t need to go up on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek. “Now I’m going upstairs to commandeer one of those ridiculously comfortable-looking bedrooms to take a nap. Come get me whenever you’re ready to go home, Gavyn. No rush. I’ll get out of your way so you boys can discuss…whatever it was you had in mind.”
“Sure you don’t want me to tuck you in?” Gavyn asked, a hopeful note in his tone.
“If you do, neither of us will get any rest, and I’m not sure we know Kason quite that well yet.” Amber chuckled as she wandered toward the stairs, stopping to talk to a few of their friends on her way.
Gavyn slumped on the couch before shooting Ollie and Quinn a lopsided grin. “If she wasn’t so damn exhausted after helping Wren and Devra organize everything tonight, I would have done it anyway. It’s a good thing you’re going to take over running Hot Rides for me, Quinn. Once the baby comes, she’s going to need my help to keep her event planning business strong.”
“Are you looking forward to being a stay-at-home dad?” Quinn asked.
Ollie listened intently as he sank onto a chair facing the two men, who’d known each other for years.
“Yeah. You know how it is, Quinn. Family first. Amber is everything to me and soon there’s going to be a new person who’s part her and part me. How can that not be the most amazing thing in the universe? I can’t wait to meet our child.” Gavyn seemed utterly content. “You’ll see someday, I’m sure. Assuming that’s what you, Devra, and Trevon want.”
“She talks about having kids, yeah.” Quinn drew in a deep breath then blew it out. “I’m just not sure what kind of father I would make. I mean, I don’t even know who mine is and…well…we all know my mom wasn’t Parent of the Year material.”
“Shut the fuck up. You would be a fantastic dad.” Ollie blurted it before he thought too much about the fact that Quinn was his boss and he was here to ask a favor. Probably not the wisest way to speak to the guy. But they were friends too, and maybe Amber had it right…maybe they were starting to be his family.
Fortunately, Quinn only laughed.
It was Gavyn who didn’t. “Quinn, that’s some serious bullshit. You’re already the natural leader of the Hot Rides and take care of everyone at the garage. You’re nothing like your mother. Did she ever have a lasting, loving relationship?”
Quinn shook his head.
“You do.” Ollie pointed to where Trevon and Devra were mingling with Sally, Alanso, and Eli from Hot Rods and James, Neil, and Devon from the Powertools crew. Every few seconds, one or both would glance over at Quinn as if making sure he was real. They were smitten, both of them.
“Still kind of in shock about that.” Quinn shook his head slowly. “But glad and so damn grateful. Same with the shop stuff. Thanks for trusting me, Gavyn.”
“You earned it, kid,” Gavyn said. “So why don’t you see what Ollie wants?”
“What do you want, Ollie?” Quinn grinned. “I’m in a pretty good mood at the moment, so it’s a good time to ask for a raise or whatever.”
Ollie choked. “Nothing like that. I mean, you already pay me very well.”
“You’re worth it.” Quinn seemed dead serious.
“Okay, so hopefully you can work with me on this.” Ollie drew a deep breath then made his proposal. “I want to stick close to the tour bus when Kason, Kyra, and Van are on tour.”
“I fucking bet you do.” Gavyn smothered a chortle behind his hand. “You weren’t even gone for two whole days. Sounds like it was a productive outing, though.”
Ollie couldn’t help but grin in return. It had pretty much been the single greatest time of his life. “Yup. So, I was thinking maybe Kyra and Van could stay with me and when they’re prepping for shows, I could salvage places nearby. Since they travel the entire country, I could hit up places I don’t normally go and haven’t already rummaged through.”
“Let me get this straight…” Quinn deadpanned, making Ollie nervous as hell. “You want to ride around with Kyra and Van in your van?”
Gavyn howled with laughter, doubling over and clutching his gut. “Van in his van. Oh God, how didn’t we see that coming? Van in his van!”
Ollie smacked his palm against his forehead. Screw it, he laughed too. “Um, yep. Except I’d much rather be riding Kyra in the van, if you know what I mean.”
“I do.” Quinn slapped Ollie’s knee. “Hell yeah, that’s a great idea. Of course you should do that. And don’t come back until you’ve joined the club.”
“Which club would that be?” Ollie wondered if Quinn was referring to the fact that he and Trevon as well as Kason and Jordan were lovers in addition to sharing their women. It might not be the worst idea ever…
He instinctively sought out Van across the great room, their gazes colliding before he jerked his away and refocused on Quinn and Gavyn.
“The Happily Ever After Club, of course.” Gavyn looked at Ollie like he was dense.
“Ah, yeah. I don’t know if I can pull that off. But…I’d like to try, at least.” His stomach flip-flopped as he thought about how high the stakes were getting and how fast. Everything about it felt practically fated, though, so he plowed ahead. “I think they’re the perfect people for me. I just don’t know what I am to them. Maybe I’m a novelty. Maybe Van will get tired of sharing his woman with me.”
“Don’t let Kyra hear you say dumb shit like that.” Quinn shook his head. “She’s no one’s. Maybe she’ll be good enough to share Van with you.”
“Well, I don’t know anything about that.” Gavyn shrugged. “But you all seem happy tonight, more than I’ve seen you before, so that’s a great start.”
“Hey, don’t knock it ’til you’ve tried it,” Quinn teased his friend.
“Pretty sure Amber would slice my dick off if I did. I mean, at least if I didn’t invite her too.” They all laughed at that. Mostly because it was true.
“What’s so damn funny over here?” Van asked as he approached with Kyra.
Ollie gulped, wondering how much the guys would divulge.
“The fact that it looks like you three are going to have to learn to squeeze into one bed on the road.” Quinn didn’t betray the most sensitive details of their discussion.
“We are?” Kyra asked, her voice definitely excited and not full of dismay.
“Would you like to try it?” Ollie asked her and Van. “Quinn says it’s okay if I follow along with the tour and salvage as we go. So if you want…you could stay with me. Both of you.”
“Wow. That’s…great!” Van picked Kyra up and spun her around. “A huge upgrade from separate bunks and zero privacy on the bus.”
None of them said it, but Ollie was pretty sure all three of them were thinking it. And liberty to get it on whenever we want.
“Seriously, Ollie. I would love that.” Kyra leaned down and kissed him, right there in front of their friends and anyone else who cared to look. Then she did the same to Van.
Quinn and Gavyn bumped fists like they had a plan and it was coming to pass exactly as they’d intended. Ollie eyed them suspiciously, but he was too damned ecstatic to care if they’d somehow played him.
“Guys, if you’ll excuse us. I think there’s something we have to do.” Ollie didn’t care if everyone knew that something equaled fucking. He needed Kyra, and to be closer to Van through their mutual enjoyment of her. Right then. He couldn’t wait for the reception to die down. With this crowd, it was likely to continue for the entire weekend anyway.
“Yeah, each other.” Quinn snorted. “Have fun. Be safe.”
Ollie nearly tripped at that. It occurred to him that they hadn’t been. Safe, that was. Neither he nor Van had worn a condom the day before and he’d been distracted enough that he hadn’t questioned it.
He grabbed one of Kyra’s hands and one of Van’s, in what was becoming his signature move, then practically dragged them outside. When they were alone, he said, “Um, it’s kind of late to be having this talk now, but…”
His concern must have been evident in his expression.
“It’s fine, Ollie. I’m on birth control. Other than Van, I haven’t been with anyone in pretty much forever.” Kyra groaned. “So can we please go make up for that right now?”
“Hell, yes.” Van picked her up and tossed her over his shoulder, making both Kyra and Ollie laugh. He strode toward the campervan with a shout over his shoulder. “Keep up, Ollie. I’m not going to be able to wait.”
And he didn’t.
The sex was fast and furious and even more satisfying than the first time they’d experimented with a threesome. He wasn’t sure how their lovemaking could improve, but he couldn’t wait to see what it might be like the next time and the time after that as they continued to discover how to delight each other and shed their inhibitions together.
A long, long time later, Ollie flopped onto his back in bed between Kyra and Van. From that position he was only a few feet away from his mami’s gift, tucked safely in its drawer. He couldn’t say exactly what it was that made him think of it—maybe being with two people who had inspired him to love again, and witnessing Wren, Jordan, and Kason’s pledges earlier, had him overly sentimental—but once he did, he couldn’t shut it down.
“Guys…” Ollie cleared his throat.
“Yeah?” Kyra shifted and settled her head on his shoulder.
“What’s up?” Van asked.
