by Rylon, Jayne
Hopefully he hadn’t lost any of that heat.
Somehow, she knew he hadn’t. Heck, he’d practically singed her thighs when he’d buried his face between them earlier. It’d be a million times steamier when it was the thick cock she’d spied tenting his sweatpants filling her instead of his tongue doing the dirty work.
She didn’t even dare to think about that without risking spontaneous combustion.
Distracted, Kaelyn lost count. Glancing back then forward, she tried to remember exactly where the bathroom she’d used had been but the hall was long and the doors looked identical as she traveled deeper into the Hot Rods’ lair, away from the main living space. She picked the next one with no sign of someone inside. The shadows beneath had her fairly sure she’d reached the bathroom. How would she stare at herself in the mirror long enough to wash up, remembering what had happened there?
Fanning her cheeks with one hand, she reached for the knob. Then paused. She delayed by brushing her hair right there in the hallway, slowly, buying some time. After letting it dry naturally, it took a bit to work the knots loose. Then she had no excuses left.
Don’t be so wimpy, she chided herself.
Before she could chicken out, she turned to the bathroom, flung the door open, stepped inside and slapped her hand over the light switch, filling the room with artificial brightness.
Except it wasn’t the bathroom.
Oh. My. God.
Candles flickered in the corners of the room, illuminating a decadent scene that put her romp to shame. One man—Carver, she thought—had been tied to a chair. Black nylon rope snaked around his thighs, pinning them wide open before encircling his arms and trapping them as well. A hint of black plastic protruded between his legs, making her wonder what he might be sitting on besides the seat cushion. Whatever it was hadn’t kept his cock from standing at full attention, thick and pulsing. Wax coated his ripped and inked chest, making it clear the candles were used for more than illuminating his gorgeous, submissive body.
The meek lovemaking she’d been imagining in her future had nothing on the decadence of the ardor she witnessed as another one of the Hot Rods, Roman, stalked the helpless man, who didn’t seem to mind being prey for the sexual marauder hunting him.
“Can you let it go yet, Meep? Or do you need more?” Barracuda urged his partner to relent. “It’s in the past. I’m in control now. Of myself. And of you. There’s no room here for ghosts. Don’t let that old shit ruin what we’ve built. Bryce isn’t your enemy. None of us chose who we were born to. Let it go.”
Her eyes grew wide as Roman offered to replace emotional distress with physical sensations, something both men could clearly handle better. She hoped their extreme loving would sear away the damage she’d inadvertently done to their relationship with each other, and their friendship with Bryce.
The man in the chair wriggled, fighting his bonds or trying to exorcise his demons.
Kaelyn figured she knew which it was.
Roman let him struggle, let him rail at the world without being a danger to himself or others. He provided an outlet for his friend’s aggression. And seemed to be helping turn Carver’s negative energy into something positive. Pleasurable.
They were beautiful as they helped each other through the turmoil the day had rained down on them. She had brought pain to them by accident.
A belt unwrapped from around Roman’s knuckles as he paced, clad only in leather pants. No wonder they called him Barracuda. His predatory strides captivated her, making her stare. She might even have moaned out loud.
Their heads swiveled toward her intrusion.
A yelp escaped her as she realized that she’d barged in on a very private moment. Worse yet, she’d gawked instead of pivoting on her heel and running back out. Heck, she kind of wished they hadn’t noticed her so she could have remained mesmerized by their intensity. But they had.
“Holy shipwrecks! I’m sorry.” She clapped her hand over her eyes. The gurgling she heard tempted her to peek from between her fingers. Just to make sure Carver was okay, she promised herself.
Instead of struggling to escape, she saw him arching toward Roman, who’d turned toward her—their unwitting intruder. He removed his hand from its task, whatever that might have been, between his partner’s legs.
“Swinger. Grab her. Make sure she’s okay.” Barracuda’s commands didn’t make sense at first. Until Kaelyn realized that a third man also occupied the space. Holden rose from his perch in the corner—where he’d obviously been enjoying the show. He tucked himself into the gym shorts that had been pooled around his ankles, fast enough to risk injuring the solid hard-on he whisked out of sight. The bulge in the soft fabric did nothing to disguise his impressively erect penis.
Looking away didn’t do her any good as her wide gaze landed on Roman, who now stood in front of his immobile roommate. Whether the stance was intended to protect her modesty or his lover’s, she couldn’t say. Probably both.
“Come on, Kaelyn.” Holden paused with his hand a fraction of an inch from her elbow before closing the gap. The warmth of his hold made her shiver for some reason. His tight expression worried her.
Was he angry that she’d stormed into their scene?
Why wouldn’t he be? He was missing out on the action by playing chaperone to her.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered again around the ball of fire raging inside her. Except the apology was false, or at least she didn’t offer it for witnessing what she had. In fact, she wished she could rush back and see what Barracuda had in store for his roommate. That was what she’d been missing. Honest responses to base urges. Perfunctory lovemaking, going through the motions without that raw edge…that was what had dulled her eagerness to explore. If Bryce could give her even half that level of engagement, she should sprint to his room and jump him.
Holden grunted. Whether because he was furious or because he dismissed her contrition, she wasn’t sure. It could be painful arousal making him brusque since he’d been so rudely interrupted. He marched her toward Bryce’s quarters. They hadn’t gotten halfway back before his door popped open and he darted into the hallway.
“Is everything okay? I heard a yelp,” Bryce asked Swinger, instead of her.
“Fine. I think your girl got lost, though.” Kaelyn relaxed when she realized he was chuckling, not seething at her mistake. “She busted in on Roman, Carver and me having some fun. Scoring the room next to a bathroom has its good points and its bad points.”
“I’m so sorry…” she started again.
He waved her off. “We should have locked the door. It’s not exactly a habit around here, though.”
Bryce cleared his throat and Holden quit talking. What was he hiding now?
“Well. Here you go.” Swinger nudged her lower back, sending her toward Bryce. “If you don’t mind, I’m gonna get back to…well, you know.”
Kaelyn blushed, but Bryce only nodded.
“You’re sure you don’t want me to stay and help explain?” Holden winked, or at least she thought he did in the shadowy light.
“Get out of here.” A growl from Bryce surprised her. “I can handle this myself.”
“If you change your mind…” Swinger turned serious. “Honestly, I mean that. If you could use someone more impartial or just some back up…maybe one of the girls? I could send Sally over in a bit? Or come back to check on you when I’m thinking straight? Have blood flow circulating to the big brain again.”
“Thanks.” Bryce’s broad hands wrung together before he cupped her elbow and turned her toward his room. “We’ll manage.”
“For the record, babe, you’re fucking adorable when you’re embarrassed. And curious.” Whether he added that last part for her or for Bryce’s benefit, she couldn’t say. He kissed her cheek before darting toward the two guys she’d interrupted. How he jogged with that tent pole in his pants, she had no idea. But he must have wanted to rejoin his buddies pretty badly to endure the discomfort of it bobbing as he r
an.
“Well…that wasn’t how I planned this discussion to go.” Bryce tossed her a wry grin then ushered her into his room and closed the door softly behind her. “Honestly, I’d only started worrying about how to bring it up. You kind of saved me some trouble, I think.”
On the bed, a laptop sat open and voices jumped out at them. “Yo, Rebel! Everything okay? Where the hell did you go? Who screamed?”
“Ah, shit.” Bryce hopped onto the bed, tugging her along with him by their linked fingers. “Sorry. We had a...uh…logistical problem.”
“Who are you talking to?” Despite Kaelyn’s swirling thoughts and the arousal humming through her, she couldn’t help but peek onto the screen where a smattering of men and women peered back at her, equally as inquisitive. She hadn’t been gone more than a few minutes. Flowers sat in mason jars on either nightstand and the lights had been doused except for the soft glow of a lamp. Music played in the background and there was a…videochat…going on Bryce’s laptop.
What the hell?
“Sorry, they called and I wanted to touch base quick. These are our friends. The Powertools gang I mentioned before. Meet Mike, Kate, Dave, Kayla, Morgan, Joe, Devon, Neil and James.”
“Wow. There are a lot of them too.” She tried to repeat their names in her mind a couple times. At least they didn’t have nicknames to keep track of on top of their real ones. Fortunately, she’d spent most of her life at fundraisers, memorizing countless face-name combos that could prove important to her father’s success.
The whole day had been a whirlwind, tugging her one way then another. Surprises lurked everywhere and she was starting to get overwhelmed. It was like the truth poured out of her unfiltered after so many bombshells.
“No kidding.” Bryce laughed. “Let’s just say they’ve been where Hot Rods are, and they’re helping us get our shit together. I thought I had a few minutes to check in with them and let them know about…well, you. And our history. My past. I finally feel like I’m not lying to my friends anymore. It feels amazing to get rid of that burden. I hadn’t realized how much it still weighed on me.”
Kaelyn couldn’t stop herself. She laid a hand on his cheek and wished she could erase some of the tension darkening his gorgeous eyes. Surprisingly, her light touch seemed to have some effect. He leaned into her palm and nuzzled it.
“Worry about you, not us,” the guy she was pretty sure was named Joe counseled Bryce. “We’re not going anywhere. You can call us back later. Or tomorrow, or whenever. After things have settled down. We’ll still be right here. But, for the record, I already like what I see.”
“Remember, Rebel,” Devon, the smallest woman onscreen piped up. “The truth is always your best option. Take this opportunity. I can tell it’s going to be okay. You can do this.”
“You can share anything with me,” Kaelyn promised, stopping short of admitting it wouldn’t change her love for the man in front of her. If ten years of believing he had abandoned her hadn’t destroyed her feelings, finding out about whatever kinky secrets he and his roommates shared certainly wouldn’t either.
She didn’t think so anyway. In fact, she was kind of wary that her love for him could turn to in love with him someday, if she wasn’t careful.
“Okay, we’re hanging up now. Good luck, Rebel, though I’m sure you don’t need it.” Mike waved right before the screen went black.
Bryce carefully closed the laptop and set it aside before taking a breath deep enough to raise his shoulders several inches. She went up behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist, laying her head between his shoulders.
“Can I guess what you’re about to say? Will that make it easier on you? I think if I hadn’t crashed into your life today, you’d be in that room with your friends. Am I right?” she wondered out loud.
“Probably. Yes.” He took it one step further. “Except maybe we’d all be in the living room. With Eli and the rest of the gang too.”
“But I didn’t get the impression you were gay earlier.” Kaelyn didn’t mean it as a criticism. She merely struggled to understand the big picture. There’d been no denying his arousal before she’d slipped from beneath him minutes ago. Where did this leave them?
“I’m not.” He scrubbed his hands through his hair. “Well, I don’t know what I am. What you call it, I mean. I never was attracted to men before them. I like women, though. A hell of a lot. I l-like you, Kae. I want you.”
“And them too?” She wondered if it bothered her that he was attracted to so many people. Digging deep, she tried not to feel less special than he’d made her seem earlier.
Distress creased the corners of his eyes as he struggled to find the right words.
“Hey, look, you don’t have to explain anything to me.” She cleared her throat. “I showed up, unannounced, really unexpected. You didn’t have to take me in. This is none of my business. Maybe we got out of control before. Is that why you needed a minute? To think straight and figure out how to let me down easy? No problem. If you could change my tire, and maybe lend me some gas money, I’ll stay out on the couch in the living room. That thing was enormous. And I’ll be gone first thing in the morning. Out of your hair before I can screw up what’s between—”
“Stop right there.” Bryce turned, leaning in, invading her personal space with his bulk and heat. “Nothing about having you here is an imposition. More like a dream come true, okay?”
She swallowed hard as she stared into his eyes. What she saw there had her nodding.
“I don’t want you to go, Kae. It would kill me if you left. No matter what happens between us on a personal level, you’re welcome here. This is your safe haven too. You’ll always be my friend before anything else. I swear that’s true.” He held his hand out to her. And she took it. “I’m terrified that if I tell you everything, you’ll change your mind about letting me open your eyes to what sex can really be like. Part of me wants to be selfish and share that with you before I admit the rest. I know you deserve honesty, though. Enough bastards have taken that from you. I’m not like them. Not like my father. You should make your choice after hearing everything. The crew was trying to convince me not to be a total bonehead before I really fucked things up. They counseled me not to make a fatal mistake with you when they can see it means so damn much to me.”
“It does?” She waffled, the desire only growing stronger in her as they spoke of a world full of possibilities she hadn’t known existed. She felt like an ignorant noob. And a horny one at that.
“Yes.” He squeezed her hand and tucked her close to him as he lay on the bed again. This time she didn’t hesitate before curling into his embrace. He held her tight, breathing and organizing his thoughts for a while.
Then he said, “It started with Eli and Alanso. They went out to visit the Powertools crew when those guys were having a rough time. To help out with some insurance stuff after Dave had a serious wreck. While they were there, they walked in on the crew. Sharing. Each other.”
“Wow. I can relate.” She giggled, trying to ease the tension cording Bryce’s thick neck.
“I bet.” He glanced down at her and returned her smile. “Except Eli and Alanso apparently stayed. They watched, and maybe fooled around with each other some.”
“Well, if I’d known that was an option…” She wiggled her brows, making Bryce grin.
“Such a minx.” He pinched her ass, helping her stay focused, though she squirmed. The reaction aligned his thigh with her wet and swollen pussy.
She sighed at the incidental contact.
He grinned. “Okay, maybe this wasn’t a bad idea.”
“Keep going. What happened next?” She truly wondered—how did a relationship as complex as theirs evolve? Trying to hook up with Bryce alone had nearly freaked her out.
“Well, nothing for a while. Eli was afraid of fucking up our friendship. But Alanso was smarter and pushed him into taking things to the next level. He convinced Cobra to claim Sally too. Thing was, after so long togethe
r as a group, it seemed odd for them to exclude the rest of the Hot Rods in their developing relationship, I guess. We were curious about what it would be like between them after being friends so long and what it would mean for our gang. I think at first it was reassuring to have proof that it wouldn’t tear us apart. You know, that they weren’t going to go off on their own and leave us behind. And well, shit, Kae… It’s hot to watch them together. So many of us grew up without really knowing what love was.”
She nodded, frowning as she counted herself in that bunch too. Her parents had been hands-off caregivers, her mother drunk or stoned on prescription painkillers until she overdid it one night before Kaelyn had made it to kindergarten. Bryce was the only constant companion she’d had. Until he’d left too.
“To see what was possible when a pair of people, or more, committed to each other. Gave everything—heart, mind, body… It turned me on. Still does, every time. And being included in that sphere of positive energy means a lot to a group of oddballs like us.” He paused. “I’m not going to lie to you. I’ve done more than watch lately. Eli, Alanso and Kaige, they share their women with us. They let the rest of us bring their lovers pleasure—of course the girls have no objections—and know it’s an extension of what they can do themselves.”
Kaelyn sat up. “You mean…”
“Yeah, I’ve fucked Sally and Nola. And loved it.” He clenched his jaw, closed his eyes for a second, then opened them, searing her with the truth there. “I’d get off on letting Holden, Carver or Roman—hell, all three—pleasure you. Just think, Kae… The four of us, we could do so much for you. Give you more than you can dream of taking. No worries here about polite portions of lust. No stuffy preconceptions about a woman’s role in sex either. Take whatever you like. Everything you want and things you find out you desire along the way. You’d be gorgeous as they fucked you. Brought you ecstasy over and over, long after I’d run out of steam.”
She shivered.
“You’d do that for me?” she whispered. “You’d enjoy it?”
