by Jayne Rylon
“So you think we should do it?” He glared at Sally. Of all of them, how could Mustang want to give Sabra the green light? It’d be obvious to anyone watching that Sally belonged to not one but two of the mechanics.
Eli and Alanso huddled closer to her, each laying a hand on one of her thighs. Damn straight. They’d have to watch her back and each other’s. Not everyone in the world could claim to be as open-minded as their circle of friends.
“Do what?” Tom growled as he glanced between them.
“She wants to turn us into a circus act.” Holden flung his hands out. “Show the world what freaks we are, one hour a week.”
“That’s not how I took it.” Nola stood. “If that’s what you think, maybe you’re the one with the problem, Swinger. Are you ashamed of us? Of how we are?”
He jerked his head as if slapped. “Never.”
“Back the hell up, kids. You lost me.” Tom jerked his chin between them. Roman, who was already standing, obeyed the silent command, easing Nola onto Kaige’s lap, returning her to her lover so they could gain some space to think properly. Nova surrounded his soon-to-be wife with his arms. Though he didn’t feel the need to fight her battles, he was always there, ready to support her if necessary. Then Barracuda sat by Holden, letting him know it wasn’t a case of him versus the rest of the gang.
Carver flanked him.
Being the center of a Meep-and-Roman sandwich calmed Holden, though it also proved his point. How many people would understand this complex bond when they hardly did?
And they lived it. Breathed it. Sweated it.
Hiding it from any careful observer would be impossible.
“What are you saying, Swinger?” Tom prodded him once more.
“Sabra spun some hype, trying to sell us on doing a TV show about the garage,” Holden surrendered. He spread his knees, braced his forearms on his legs and hung his head. Going against everyone would be impossible. If they outvoted him, he’d be along for the ride. He could already feel it coming and knew he’d have a hell of a time keeping himself from breaking an axle given the potholes strewn in the road ahead.
“Oh! Really? I always wanted to be an actress. Do they have red carpets for television starlets?” Ms. Brown squeaked and clasped her hands in front of her, sighing. Another point for Team Sabra. Shit.
“Well, here’s your chance, Mom. I’m sure we could sneak you into an episode or two.” Nola smiled warmly at her mother. “Sabra’s going to showcase the team’s projects, and the mechanics themselves. It’ll be great for business. Advertising like this is impossible to put a price on.”
“But what about the impact to our lives? Nothing’s free, Nola. What will this cost us?” Going down swinging, Holden made one-last ditch effort. “We’ll have to watch everything we do, everything we say. The freedom to be ourselves will disappear. That’s more important to me than success. We already have all we’ve dreamed of, don’t we? Why be greedy?”
Roman put his hand on Holden’s shoulder and squeezed. “I get why you’re worried.”
“You do?” He looked up at the hardened guy. Barracuda, private to the max, had only recently started exploring a bond deeper than friendship with Meep. Would having a camera in his face day in and day out screw with him too?
“Yeah. But—” Roman glanced at Carver, silently begging the guy to help him out.
“Don’t act like you aren’t as ambitious as the rest of us, Swinger.” Meep picked up where his roommate trailed off. “We can keep our hands to ourselves during the day. It’s not like we’re mauling each other in the garage. We work hard. Let’s show people what we’re best at and take this operation to the next level. There were plenty of things in Kaige and Nola’s roadmap for the shop that you were excited about. Doing the show could make everything happen quicker. We’ll reach our goals sooner. Just think about that new double-head laser cutter you want for customizing leather upholstery. Maybe it’s only six months away instead of the three years in the plan. Fewer trips to the junkyard for you, my friend. That’s gotta count for something.”
“I know how impatient you are, Meep, and how you like things to happen fast, but…” Holden tried to explain. “Everything’s changing lately. Nothing feels…steady. Why rock the boat some more?”
“You know, for once, I think Swinger’s actually given this some thought.” Tom surprised Holden by lobbying in his favor. “I’m proud of you for considering the consequences, taking it seriously and thinking with your big head even though there’s a pretty girl involved. However—”
“Shit, Tom?” Holden squeezed his eyes closed and let his head drop back against the couch cushion. “You too?”
“I’m just going to say I think there might be something other than this TV commotion influencing your decisions.” The guy wasn’t often wrong. Maybe this time he wasn’t either.
“Like what?”
“Positive changes don’t make an environment unstable. Growing up, none of you had secure lives. I get that. I tried my best, even though our family was unconventional.”
“No one’s complaining about how things have turned out, Tom.” Holden’s heart ached. Making his dad feel like he hadn’t done his job was definitely not on his agenda for today. “You, Hot Rods…saved my life. I’m not complaining.”
“I know, son. But things were unpredictable at times. We’ve all got issues. They’d flare up. Or, hell, just dealing with the lot of you going through puberty at the same time. Jesus. That was rough. The last few months here have been like that again, but with higher stakes. Turmoil’s always bothered you most, Swinger. Especially when there are genuine connections at stake. Trust yourself and the rest of our gang. No one’s trying to dispose of you. They’re not replacing you with these lovely ladies they’ve found. And if you decide that you’d like what they have, that you’re open to a bond with a woman—Sabra or someone else—you shouldn’t question your feelings. It’s okay. It might work out and it might not, but you’ll survive. Just because things are different don’t mean they’re worse.” Tom paused as if considering whether to continue. Then he did. “I felt like you were on edge already. I suspect Sabra might be amplifying that unrest in you. Do me a favor, would you? Give her a chance. Don’t assume it’s impossible to overcome your biology, okay?”
“He’s got a point, Holden.” Kaige spoke softly, without a trace of the temper he’d wrestled his entire life. Nola stroked his arm, kept him calm. “You don’t have to be like your parents. Your mom, I mean. Nola proved that to me. Hell, I haven’t punched anything in days. And look at Bryce and Kae, they’re nothing like their fathers. The important stuff at Hot Rods isn’t going away. We’re not. Our foundation is solid. A TV show, lovers, or whatever other bullshit that comes our way won’t mess that up.”
As Holden took time to really digest what they were telling him, Nola capitalized on the opening. She looked to Eli. “Look, you hired me because you trusted me.”
“And in your professional opinion…” Eli winced, looking between Alanso and Sally.
“You’d be stupid not to do this.” She crossed her arms.
Holden took a breath, prepared to fight to the death though he knew he was doomed. Hell, he kind of agreed with them. He didn’t have the guts to recall his stand though.
Eli interrupted. “I think you both made your cases pretty clear. I’m not going to choose between you or decide this for everyone. We’ll vote. But there have to be some parameters. If we do this, Kaelyn and Bryce must be excluded. Hundred percent this time. We can’t chance breaking our gag deal with the senator. Also, if Holden or anyone else wants to join those ranks—now or at any time in the future—we’ll make it a stipulation in our agreement with Sabra. Fair enough?”
Holden nodded.
“Okay, then. Who’s for getting Swinger laid by giving his girl good news?” Eli grinned as he rubbed his hands together.
As each person’s fingers raised, even Tom’s and Ms. Brown’s, Holden knew what he had to do. Buck up and be a Hot Rod. He was the odd man out. Even Buster McHightops—their shop mascot—lifted a paw, hoping for one of the treats Rebel and Kae had been rewarding him with during his puppy training.
Holden cursed under his breath, then put his fist in the air. “We’re in it together. Just don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
“Then it’s settled.” Eli smiled, slow and sure, before winking at Holden. “Why don’t you take the morning off tomorrow? Go tell Sabra we’re in. Maybe she’ll be happy enough to forgive you for being such a dickhead.”
“Fuck me.” Holden groaned.
“If you’re lucky, Swinger.” Carver smacked his ass when he stood. “She’s pretty damn hot.”
Chapter Four
They’d milled about in the kitchen for a while, grabbing beers and shooting the shit about nothing important, reassuring each other their bonds were still strong. Holden smiled with tight lips as Tom clapped him on the shoulder then headed down the open-backed metal staircase toward his house, right across the driveway. Ms. Brown had fled before him and already peeled out of the garage’s lot. Swinger wondered what that was about.
As if they wanted to make sure he was okay, the guys huddled around him while they each pulled up a stool at the bar that divided the kitchen from the rest of their massive joint living area.
“Is it the thought of us touching Sabra that’s bothering you?” Roman asked, as if he might be more understanding of a jealous streak than the rest of the Hot Rods.
Holden lifted a brow as he considered what that could mean for them. What if Roman didn’t get off on sharing Carver as much as it had seemed now that the two of them had bonded, drawing even closer than their prior best-friend status?
A problem for another day. They seemed to be piling up.
“Nah.” It truly wasn’t. Kind of the opposite, actually.
“Then what’s going on?” Carver asked from Holden’s other side. He wriggled his fingertip in Swinger’s ear, at least until Holden hauled off and smacked the jerk’s forearm away. They might have devolved into a pile of wrestling dumbasses if Holden could have stopped the question playing through his mind.
“Quit that, asshole.” He sighed, then asked before he could snuff his curiosity, “What would you do if I wanted to watch you fuck her?”
“I’d drop trou and get to work. Same as any true pal.” Meep grinned. “Come on, it’s not like you haven’t screwed around with the other ladies. You know I’d make it good for Sabra and thank you both for getting me laid.”
Carver licked his lips. Roman grumbled something, though not loud enough for Holden to make it out.
“Good.” Holden readjusted his filling cock through his pants. “But what about you?”
When he knocked his elbow into Kaige’s ribs, the other guy smacked the back of Swinger’s head. “Huh? What about me?”
“Would you fuck Sabra?” Holden asked.
“Is that a theoretical question? As in, is she hot enough to turn me on? ’Cause, yeah, she’s smoking. Like she’s got that total badass thing going despite how cute she looks. It’s a certified boner-inducing combination.” Nova glanced at his fiancée to see if she minded him telling the truth. “Or are you trying to figure out what the rules are here? You know, like…now that I’m with Nola, what happens during group stuff?”
“That.” Holden clenched his fingers into a fist. “If you haven’t noticed, we’re running out of unattached guys. And it seems kind of…sucky…to change the rules now. I like sharing. The girls. You guys. Whoever. I want a woman who’s into it too. No holds barred. Or positions.”
“Oh.” Mustang Sally worried her lip as she considered the implications of his question. “I hadn’t thought about swapping partners.”
“You’ve been with the guys lots of times, chica.” Alanso twirled her hair and chuckled. “Feel free to jump them whenever, even though you’re married to Cobra and me.”
“But I haven’t seen you with another woman since Bambi.” She paused. “I’m not sure I could stand it without scratching a bitch’s eyes out for pleasing you. And…”
“That’s totally not fair.” Kaelyn frowned as she finished Sally’s thought. “Poop.”
“Does that bother you guys?” Nola asked the men ringing them.
“I’ve got no complaints.” Gentle caresses on her shoulder accompanied Kaige’s reassurance.
They all looked to Eli. He shrugged, then said, “Why don’t we each take some time to think about this, and the possible repercussions, when we’re less riled up and able to use some logic? Swinger, I think you should call the Powertools crew soon and get their take on it. I feel like they could give you better insights than we could at this point.”
Holden nodded. “I will. Good idea.”
He glanced around, noticing the guys’ cocks hadn’t wilted. In fact, they seemed pumped up by the thought of experimenting, if the bulges in their sweats had anything to say about it. He could relate.
Swinger imagined Sabra surrounded by the Hot Rods. He pictured her laid out and ravished by the guys while he sat back and enjoyed the show. Weird or not, he did have a thing for watching. Would she get off on his laser stare as his friends delivered more rapture than she could stand?
He hoped so.
“Jeez. I think you’re going to burst a blood vessel if you’re not careful. Quit thinking so damn hard and go with it.” Carver hopped off his stool. He glanced at Roman before yanking the back of Holden’s T-shirt until he crashed onto the floor. His friends managed to keep him from injuring himself too badly as they each grabbed some part of him and dragged him backward.
“Oomph.” Half towed and half crab walking, Holden went where Meep tugged him, to the edge of the area rug. Clothes hit the ground beside him as his friends began to shed them without having to be told.
“Wait.” He clambered to his knees, then regained his feet, approaching Kaelyn—the sweetest and most inexperienced of them. If she could handle this, there might be hope. He touched her cheek as Bryce spied on them with eagle eyes. “Just try one little experiment for me. If this sucks, we’ll forget about it without involving anyone else. Please?”
She peeked at Rebel, who smiled his encouragement and nodded.
“You’ve made out with me before, but never Kaige. Why don’t you give him a kiss?” Holden nudged the two unlikely friends toward each other. Nola relinquished her grip on Nova’s tensed forearm, her brow furrowed.
“Don’t worry, there’s a consolation prize for you.” Swinger distracted Nola by angling her toward Alanso. He didn’t want to piss off a pregnant lady—already her hormones were increasing her fierceness to epic proportions. “Same for you. Why not see what Al tastes like?”
“And me?” Sally put one hand on her hip.
“Hey, you’ve had them all. Get to the back of the line, sis.” Kaelyn surprised the friends with her quick retort. Her smile belied any faux-hostility in her accusation.
“You’ve still got me, baby.” Eli slung an arm around Mustang’s shoulders and tugged her close.
“Mmm.” She smiled up at him before they sealed their lips. And as if that one act spurred the rest of them to join, they did.
Kaige took a final look at Bryce, probably judging the brute’s reach, before he cupped Kae’s cheek in his hand and lowered his lips to hers for a sweet kiss. She brought out a degree of gentleness in him that Holden wouldn’t have believed he possessed. Meanwhile, Nola took charge of her encounter, clutching Alanso’s shoulders and mashing him to her before he could protest.
Not that he would have.
She devoured him, as if her passion could burn away any possessiveness that might be stalking her while her fiancé sampled his friend’s woman’s taste. Alanso growled, then cursed in Spanish before giving as good as he got
. He had Nola bent backward over his thick arm in no time.
It was only Swinger’s groan that broke the moment. Cursing himself, he wished he could swallow the sound when the oddly matched couples broke apart with a combination of sighs, dazed blinks and obvious arousal.
Bryce tapped Kaige on the shoulder. “I’m cutting in here, buddy.”
Kaelyn peeked up at her boyfriend from beneath a curtain of platinum hair. “Did that make you mad?”
“Horny, more like it.” He lowered his mate to the floor, where Carver and Roman already had tucked their hands in each other’s pants at the center of the storm of pheromones swirling around them like a twister.
“He’s a great kisser, Mustang.” Nola patted Alanso on the ass and sent him back to his husband and wife.
“Mmm. I know.” Sally didn’t hesitate in reclaiming her guy. She flung herself at him and wrapped her thighs around his waist. “He’s an even better lover, though.”
Always eager, the gang seemed to be racing in high gear tonight. Holden caught Bryce’s eye as his friend inclined his head in an open invitation to double-team Kaelyn. Swinger decided he’d rather survey the action from his place at the center of the gang’s coupling.
Surrounded by lust and shared intimacy, he felt safe, though he’d never admit something so pussified to his friends. The only way it could be better was if he could give that same gift to someone he cared about. Someone cool and sexy like Sabra.
Swinger shoved his sweats down and whipped his T-shirt over his head, flinging it somewhere behind the couch. He reclined so that he was propped on one elbow with his body stretched out on the thick carpet. His free hand wrapped around his cock and worked on turning his half-mast stiffy into a full-blown hard-on. It didn’t take long.
Before he’d managed a half dozen yanks, Eli was already buried balls-deep in his wife while Alanso was feeding her his own thick erection. Nola perched reverse cowgirl on Nova’s lap next to the trio. Holden jerked when she leaned forward and sampled Eli’s parted mouth. The sassy exchange of a quick yet decadent kiss voluntarily crossed the lines they’d artificially drawn.
