by Jayne Rylon
Nova, Holden and Bryce lined up on one side of the trio of honor while Carver, Barracuda and Eli’s cousin Joe—representing the crew—flanked them. An intimate gathering of friends, key clients, neighbors and Tom’s buddies cheered as they formalized a bond that had existed forever.
Even Buster McHightops—who escaped his crate and dashed into the ceremony with a wildflower stuck under his collar from where he’d tore through the beds—refused to abandon his new owners. Odd as it was, their family kept growing…bigger and closer.
Kaige glanced up, his stare meeting Nola’s. They smiled at each other. He wondered what it would be like to make the same promises to her one day. Could she be as accepting of their unconventional ways?
So far she hadn’t shied away once.
Nova promised himself they’d discuss it tonight. Maybe while snuggled in bed after some terrific sex. He hoped. The need to be intimate with her, not only physically, nearly brought him to his knees in the midst of the supercharged commitment ceremony.
In his heart he pledged himself again to his garagemates. And maybe to the woman watching him as intently as an eagle.
Bryce nudged him with his hulking elbow despite the ceremony going on around them. “You next, huh? Remember, this guy doesn’t do tuxes. How about you go really informal? I’d appreciate that.”
“Settle down,” Holden hissed. “Hang in a few more minutes and we’ll get you a glass of wine or three. Soon you won’t care that you’re dressed up.”
“Forget the fancy shit. I’ll take a beer.” Bryce laughed as Sally subtly gave him the finger behind her back.
Kaige couldn’t help but join in. And a few minutes later they were downing a couple cold ones as the reception shifted into gear, a welcome relief even in the fading sun of the late afternoon. Food, great company and plenty more drinks loosened Nova enough to dance with Nola when the music kicked up after dinner.
“Your sister did an amazing job.” He leaned in so she could hear his compliment, and hell, just to smell her tantalizing hint of peach. “This is a great party. I’m glad you agreed to share it with me.”
She reached up, surprising him with a firm grip on his dreads as she guided his mouth to hers for a taste of heat and chocolate wedding cake. “Me too. My family thinks you’re great, by the way. Amber and my mom might already be getting ideas. I’m sorry if they’re overbearing.”
“Nah.” He genuinely liked the women, who obviously had Nola’s best interests at heart. “They’re terrific. Hell, I think Tom and your mom might be besties. They’ve been over in that corner talking while they watch the crew’s babies for the past two hours.”
“Have they?” Nola stood on tippy-toes to peek over his shoulder. “Holy crap. I haven’t seen my mom say more than a few sentences to a man socially since…”
A cloud came over her pretty face.
“What?” Nova steered them out of the tent and into the garden. With the ballad at a more manageable level, he sat on the stone bench and pulled Nola into his lap so she didn’t get her dress dirty.
“She and Tom aren’t so different, I guess.” She didn’t resist the magnetism between them. She curled into his chest and let him protect her with the banding of his arms. At least as best he could against the unfairness of the universe. “My dad died in a car wreck when I was six. She never got to say goodbye. None of us did. My mom believed he was run off the road by guys who didn’t exactly approve of a white man marrying a black woman. I can’t imagine someone caring that much about who you love or how you love. Still, she always assumed it was her fault. For a while she…fell apart, left Amber and I to fend for ourselves and her.”
“I’m sorry, Nola.” He rubbed his chin over the crown of her head, wondering how far her acceptance could stretch. “That had to be hard.”
“Of course. But who of you—” she drew a heart around the Hot Rods tattoo on his neck, “—didn’t suffer the same? Hanging out with you guys these past two weeks has opened my eyes. So many people have lived through loss. Learned to move forward however they could. I want to be like you. Not stuck, like my mom was for so long. Maybe still is.”
Kaige squeezed her tight. “Everyone handles things in their own way. Hell, if it hadn’t been for Tom, I think most of us would have fallen apart. And I suppose, without us, he might have done the same. We got lucky, that’s all. Maybe it’d be good for your mom to spend more time with him.”
As long as it didn’t turn out to be bad for the lonely man. Gloomy memories still haunted him sometimes. Though usually not for long. He was always quick to remind them that he’d had the best gift in the world, and that an entire lifetime of his wife’s love wouldn’t have satisfied him completely. He considered himself blessed to have had a taste of heaven.
They sat in heavy silence for a while, neither of them feeling the need to speak. It was only when Kaige noticed the goose bumps on Nola’s arms that he realized it had been longer than he thought that they cuddled together in solitude.
“Nola…”
“Yeah?” She walked her fingers up his spine to toy with his dreads.
“I think the guests are leaving.” When had it gotten so dark out? Stars twinkled above them as crickets and frogs took the place of the DJ’s songs. “Want to get out of here too? With me?”
“Where will we go?” She shrugged. “I live with my sister and I have a feeling your apartment is going to be a party pad with the crew in town. I’m kind of in the mood for something…quieter.”
“I’ve always wanted to stay at the fancy hotel on Route 33.” He took a shot. “Why don’t we see if they have any vacancies?”
She lifted her chin, smiling at him until he accepted her invitation. He guided her lips to his for a warming kiss. They stared into each other’s eyes as they exchanged long, gliding passes of their mouths over each other.
“Good idea, Nova,” she whispered breathlessly.
“I’ll even let you drive my car there if you want.” He didn’t know where the offer came from. For the first time, the possibility of a non-Hot Rod behind the wheel of his Nova didn’t freak him the fuck out. He pulled his keys from his back pocket as he stood, steadying her on those wicked heels, and dangled them in front of her.
She snatched them from his grip. “Hell yeah!”
And like that she was trotting to the tent. The crew guys were in the process of untying the rain flaps, dense canvas that blocked the openings of the pavilion and covered the garden views with opaque fabric. They must be packing up for the night, making things as secure as possible until cleanup began in the morning.
Nola’s mother and her sister had already departed along with the rest of the party. He suspected they’d left around the time Tom disappeared into his house to put Abby and Nathan to bed. He’d gladly assumed honorary grandfather duties to let the crew enjoy their rare time in Middletown.
Only the new trio, the crew and the Hot Rods remained, milling about the space. Tables were being folded and stacked in the corners. A surprisingly plush rug remained, taking up the bulk of the tent where the dance floor had been less than an hour ago. Maybe it had been beneath the polished wood to pad the surface.
“Can I talk to you for a second?” Eli approached, cutting between Kaige and Nola.
Nola loosened her grip, allowing their fingers to unmesh. “I want to say goodbye to Sally. Go ahead, I’ll be over here.”
Nova nodded, hating not having her by his side. “What it is, Cobra?”
“What are your plans for tonight?” The garage owner didn’t answer exactly.
“I’m taking Nola somewhere private.” The statement rang between them.
“Are you sure that’s what you want?” Eli swallowed hard. “Look, we didn’t say anything because we didn’t want to fuck with your head or make you think we were trying to get you to choose sides, but you have a right to know… Alanso, Sally and I have decided to share our day with the Hot Rods. And the crew. This polyamorous lifestyle we’ve chosen is about more t
han just the three of us.”
“What?” Kaige took another look at the rearranging going on. The guys weren’t simply putting stuff away. They were bringing extra goodies out from beneath a sheet. Soft beanbags, thick mats and something that looked like a glorified hammock now hung in one corner. Extra candles. Holy fucking shit.
They were turning the tent into something out of Arabian nights.
A pleasure palace.
“Yeah.” Eli put his hand on Kaige’s shoulder. “You know you’re welcome here, Nova. And so is Nola. Sally insisted I tell you that. You’re part of us and so is anyone you love.”
“Love?” Kaige swallowed hard. Things were happening too fast. He needed to put on the brakes, but he couldn’t. Dangerous curves zoomed at him from every direction and he felt like he was barely keeping himself on the road.
“I wasted a lot of time denying something I knew was true because I was afraid to believe my gut had it right.” Cobra was as serious as Kaige had ever seen the guy. “Don’t fuck up like I did. Stay. Ask your girl to hang around too. You don’t have to be in the thick of it. Sharing yourself or Nola. That’s a lot to ask. Something to work up to. No one will say a word if you’re doing your own thing on the outskirts. But you’ll be here. With us. And that will be enough for now. I don’t want you to leave. It won’t feel complete without you, Nova.”
Kaige didn’t know what to say. His mouth had gone dry. He met Nola’s gaze from across the room. It practically singed him. How could he navigate around these potholes and keep everyone happy?
“I’ll understand if you have to go.” Eli sighed. “Though I wish it didn’t have to be that way. We’re with you whatever you decide. Always. It doesn’t have to be a forever choice either. If you leave but you’re ready later, cool. If you stay and decide it’s not right for you two, fine.”
For the second time that night, someone touched Nova’s Hot Rods tattoo. Frozen, he looked between Eli and Nola—who had begun her trek back to him from across the tent—as the ink nearly scorched his carotid artery, heated by Eli’s hand.
“I think I’ve got to take things slow and not try to jump from first gear to fifth, you know?” Kaige despised each word. It seemed as if someone put his insides through a rusty engine and pummeled him with the pistons. “I can’t scare her off.”
Eli didn’t speak. Instead he held out his curled fingers, waiting for Kaige to mirror him in a fist bump. “Thanks for being part of the best day of my life. We won’t forget about you, even when you’re gone. I promise. Come home when you can. With Nola, if she’ll ride shotgun with you.”
“I have a feeling she’s the one in the driver’s seat.” Kaige laughed.
As if she could hear them, she jingled his keys.
“Are those yours?” Eli’s eyes grew wide.
“Yep.”
“Well. I guess you’re serious, then.” Eli grinned.
One more time, they clapped each other on the back before he took a step toward Nola then another. Part of him howled inside even as another portion cheered. He might have grasped her hand too tight, but he couldn’t bear loosening his grip as they waved to his friends—who now huddled around the center of the tent, waiting for the chance to get the real party started—then ducked beneath the canvas.
Outside. On their own.
Kaige tried to suck in a deep breath and then another. By the time they reached his car, he thought his guts had been shredded. He hoped he wouldn’t bleed to death before Nola could make him forget about everything he’d sacrificed to spend the night with her.
He felt like shit for not appreciating her as much as he should.
And for leaving his gang behind.
Stuck. He spun his wheels.
“Oh, crap.” Nola drew his attention as she darted toward the tent. “I forgot my purse. Be right back.”
“Wait!” He tried to stop her, but she’d caught him flat-footed. Or maybe some sick part of him wondered what Nola would do if she discovered their secret.
Would she be horrified? Or horny?
Hell, it was too big of a risk to take. What was he thinking?
Kaige sprinted for the pavilion, passing her at the last second. He shouted as he ducked beneath the thick material, “I got it. Go back to the car.”
On the other side of the canvas, a whole new world awaited. Half-naked already, a bare-chested Eli smiled. “Changed your mind? Where’s Nola?”
“She left her purse. Hurry. Toss it to me.” Kaige pointed to where her clutch sparkled from the bar area. He glanced over his shoulder then back, wishing he could snag it and run. Someone had probably moved it from their table when the crew and Hot Rods had worked together to put away the seating more efficiently than the team of set up people had managed.
“Kaige?” Nola was almost right behind him.
Too late, he tried to block her view and usher her out again.
“Stop. What’s going on?” Nola’s almond eyes grew humongous. “Are you guys…? Wait. I thought it was just Eli, Alanso and Sally who…”
Kaige’s heart slammed in his chest as if he’d mashed the pedal to the metal on a supercharged ride. He couldn’t find the words to explain.
So Sally did it for him. “Nola, there are some things you don’t know about us yet. But we’d love to show you. We’re more than friends. All of us. Kaige included. Watch. It’s simpler than talking it out. Easier to understand when you see for yourself.”
“My wife is right. Why don’t you stay, chica?” Alanso extended an invitation in his seductive accent. “Make Nova a lucky guy, would you? Share tonight with us.”
“I swear, Nola, I didn’t know this was going down. Not really. Not until a few minutes ago.” Kaige turned toward her as he wiped his free hand over his mouth. Was he drooling? Maybe a little. Torn, he didn’t know if he should run forward and join the throng or grab Nola and race to his car before temptation stole her from him. He wanted to promise that they could walk away and that she would be enough. He couldn’t force himself to lie when he didn’t know if it was the truth.
He didn’t want to hurt her.
He didn’t want to hurt the Hot Rods.
He didn’t want to hurt himself.
The odds of managing all three of those things seemed about as likely as him ever working on an Alfa Romeo Carabo.
How the hell was he going to fix this?
Chapter Ten
Nola blinked to clear her mind of the abundance of gorgeous men, who ranged from fully clothed to naked and every stage in between, spread like a feast on the plush rug. She could hardly believe that the women they loved were so…indulged.
And yet she could.
Hadn’t she seen the evidence of the Hot Rods’ relationship day after day in the shop? Hadn’t she known, on some level, that they were more than friends? Easy touches, intimacy that extended beyond best pals or even siblings…she’d seen it, but hadn’t allowed herself to recognize it for what it truly was.
If she had, the revelation would have crushed the burgeoning hope that she and Nova had a special connection. How could what they nurtured compare to that?
A pang of regret and loss nearly had her doubling over with cramps.
Because she knew there was no way she could let Kaige turn his back on his gang, even if he’d been willing to walk away. For her.
Nothing he was saying could have shown her more how much he cared about her, desired her, than that had. Unfortunately, that meant she had to repay him in kind. And let him go. Otherwise, when the chrome of this new link they’d formed dulled, he’d regret it. Maybe even resent her for taking him from his friends.
Her heart cracked as the fairytale ending to their whirlwind affair evaporated. She couldn’t picture Kaige happy if he lost the Hot Rods.
Nola took a huge breath, hoping to reverse the crushing pressure on her chest. Then she looked into the gleaming blue eyes of the best man she’d ever almost had.
“It’s okay if you’ve changed your mind. About the
hotel.” She smiled a bit as she reached up to kiss him gently. “You should be with them, not me.”
He didn’t deny that he craved joining with the people surrounding them. Instead, he considered so long his neck was in jeopardy of wearing out as he looked at her, then the action already heating up beneath the tent, then back to her again.
Over and over.
Nola let him think it through. She would support him, show him that she understood, that he was a deserving man, even if things didn’t work out between them.
Damn it, she cared for him. A lot.
“What if I want both?” He squeezed her hands as if afraid to let go.
The urgency in his gaze caused her heart to skip a few beats. Participating in an orgy had never been on her bucket list. But when she thought about the guys that had surrounded her for the past two weeks, she couldn’t deny their appeal.
Would it be worse to have joint custody of Kaige than to lose him? Better, could she enjoy their decadent proposition instead of tolerating it for her partner’s sake?
As she watched Eli and Alanso flank Sally, she couldn’t deny her fascination.
What would it be like if Kaige were so generous? If he let Bryce or Holden or any of his friends do the same for her?
She shivered.
“Am I really invited to this after party?” She surprised the hell out herself—and Kaige too, judging by his slack jaw, when she double-checked with Eli.
“Absolutely,” Sally answered for everyone.
The rest of the Hot Rods nodded furiously. The Powertools crew stood guard around them, as if protecting their distant friends from whatever might happen next. Kaige took her hand and laid it over his heart so she could feel the beat there kick into overdrive, pounding so hard a faint echo of the drumming showed in his throat.
“I’m sorry I can’t give you only myself. That this is something I need right now. I never meant to deceive you.” Nova tried to make her understand his compulsion. “It’s kind of a new thing for us. Though it’s not like we haven’t always been close. It’s another way. Another tie. You shouldn’t have to sacrifice traditional expectations because I’m a freak by nature. I can’t explain good enough—”
