Rebel on the Run (14 page)

She swore she saw the same stars they used to look at together.

They dotted her vision as she shuddered.

And when he finally wilted enough to slip from her, long minutes later, they shared a languorous kiss that mingled the flavors of Bryce and Holden with her own. Kaelyn couldn’t help herself. She laughed with delight. And relief.

“Is that a good sign?” Bryce looked over at Holden.

“I think so.” The other man smiled slow and wide, wrapping his hand around her ankle and giving it a squeeze.

“I was just thinking…good things come to those who wait.” She sighed. “I’m so glad I waited for you to be adventurous. Even if I didn’t know that’s what I was doing.”

Bryce nuzzled her neck, then bundled her in his arms and rolled so that she draped over his still-thrumming body. “So am I, lady. So am I.”

He hugged her tight enough to make her squeak.

“Kaelyn,” he whispered. “I know this is crazy. We only just found each other again. But you have to know I love you, I always have. And if we keep going down this road, we won’t have to go far before I’m
in
love with you.”

She tried to say the words back to him, but nothing could make it past her swollen heart. When she lifted her head to meet his gaze, though, she knew he understood. His sleepy smile reflected her own satisfaction. And hope.

As the ringing in her ears died down enough to permit her to revel in Bryce’s happy hums and Holden’s murmured praise, a scratching came at the door.

Buster McHightops whimpered and tried again to get inside with his master.

Swinger laughed, deep and gravelly. “I guess that’s my cue. I’m gonna go clean up and leave you two alone. See you in the morning, lovebirds.”

Though he grimaced at the mess he’d made of his crotch, Kaelyn caught something else in his gaze. Something a little sad. She would have reached for him except a moment of hesitation stopped her, wondering what Bryce would think. It was just long enough that Swinger turned away.

The dog yipped, making Holden hurry to admit the puppy before he woke the rest of the house. Except Kaelyn now wondered if they weren’t out there in groups or pairs locking the dog out of their own rooms as they pursued similar passions.

She fanned herself at the idea.

Bryce took a breath as if to tell Holden not to go, but he looked down at her, the flowers on the nightstand, and then nodded at his friend. “Thank you, Swinger.”

“Anytime.” The guy’s grin returned. “No, seriously. I’m up for that whenever you’ll have me. Maybe next go around I’ll help you get those sheets sparkly.”

Kaelyn blushed and snuggled into Bryce’s embrace. She couldn’t believe how much she’d enjoyed sex with this man while his buddy watched on. They
had
made a hell of a mess, tumbling across the bedding, transferring the glitter from her skin to the soft, worn cotton.

It was as if having a witness to the immeasurable pleasure guaranteed it couldn’t be fake. Or a dream. It made it more real, and more intense, to share it with Holden.

“Good night, kids.” Holden opened the door and slipped out while Buster McHightops bolted inside. The dog charged the bed and flew onto the mattress. Except, instead of crashing into Bryce, he turned circles on Kaelyn’s pillow, snuffling in her face until she giggled and scooped him up, hugging him close to her.

“I see how it is, mutt.” Bryce grumbled before patting the puppy on his head. “Believe me, I understand.”

The three of them snuggled into the bed as Kaelyn’s eyes drooped.

Sated. Content. Safe.

She drifted off with Bryce anchoring her to his side—a place she hoped never to leave.

Chapter Eight

Bryce rolled over, sweeping his arm out in expanding arcs when he didn’t immediately sense the heat and softness of Kaelyn by his side. He’d liked it too much when he’d woken up sporadically through the night and found her snuggled up to him. He hadn’t been dreaming when he’d watched Holden cradle her as Bryce introduced her to unconventional lovemaking.

She’d looked so beautiful in the moonlight. It was easy to imagine her as some kind of modern Sleeping Beauty. Resisting waking her with a kiss had been impossible.

For someone without a lot of experience, she hadn’t seemed to mind his voracious appetite. In fact, she’d surprised him with ravenous hunger of her own, and he’d been only too happy to let her feast.

Cool cotton met his seeking fingers this time.
Shit
. Had she run?

He sat bolt upright, frowning when he noticed Buster McHightops had abandoned the cozy dent he’d made in the pillow near Kaelyn as well. Maybe she’d taken the dog out for a morning walk?

Peering at the bedside clock, he growled. He’d overslept, though not by much. Hard not to when his entire body felt loose and relaxed. The rest of the guys would be taking their turns in the shower and getting ready for the first shift at the garage. They had a ton of jobs on the schedule for today. 

Not even the promise of working on Jake Schuller’s 1934 Ford could distract Bryce from Kaelyn right now.

He took five seconds to pull on a pair of cotton gym shorts then burst from his room on the hunt. Fortunately, he didn’t have to go far or look hard.

As he stalked into the kitchen, he caught lyrical laughter mixed with the deep voices of his fellow Hot Rods. A delicious smell assaulted him as well. Bacon.

His stomach growled.

Sure enough, when he rounded the corner, a hoard of hungry men sat at the concrete island in their enormous open kitchen-dining-living area. They might as well have been a pod of domesticated seals at an amusement park, waiting for a trainer to fling them a fish. They eyed the cook as eagerly as they drooled over the pig belly she fried. And that was saying something. The Hot Rods had an unnatural love for breakfast meat soaked in nitrates.

Bryce included.

“Yo, Rebel. We’ve voted. It’s decided, Kaelyn’s staying. Make some room in your closet.” Even Mustang got in on the action. Figured—she was as terrible a cook as any of the guys yet enjoyed eating equally as much.

“In favor.” Swinger raised his hand fast enough he was in jeopardy of toppling off his stool. No surprise, considering that he’d witnessed the same phenomenal unraveling Bryce had last night.

“You don’t have to do all the work, Kaelyn. I’ll be your waiter. How about it?” Carver strolled into the kitchen buck naked.

“Did you forget to get dressed?” Roman wondered, crossing his arms.

“I was about to get in the shower, but the smell… Damn, it led me right in here by the nose.”

“I don’t think that’s your nose.” Barracuda seemed kind of disgruntled about his roommate flashing himself to the rest of them.
What’s that about?
Bryce wondered.

Meep only laughed and flipped his best friend off.

Until he caught sight of Bryce, whose spine had gone ramrod straight. What did he say to make things right?

Was there anything that would suffice?

Carver seemed normal again this morning, if you didn’t count the red marks on his ass. He hadn’t fooled anyone, he was showing them off. Proud of the advancement he’d made with Roman, and maybe trying to tell Bryce something too.

Had he worked his hard feelings out of his system?

He shouldn’t have had to.

Guilt had Bryce clearing his throat as he searched for the right thing to say. Meep was like a brother to him. He couldn’t stand to be in the doghouse with the other guy.

“Don’t.” Carver let his mask of amusement drop for a moment. He reached up and put one hand on Bryce’s shoulder. “I don’t want to hear any apologies from you, Rebel.”

“Shit.” Would he ever be forgiven? “I can’t say I blame you. I
am
sorry, though.”

“Damn. Don’t you listen, dude? Sorry for what? For being born to a dickwad bastard who had the chance to give his son every advantage in life but used that power against him instead?” Meep shook his head. “I lost my shit yesterday. I wasn’t thinking straight. It’s just, well… That was a shock. I always imagined your silence meant you’d had it worse than us all. You know how much it hurts me to imagine what Roman and the rest have gone through. Myself included, I guess. I didn’t think about how much more hurtful it would have been to be betrayed by your own father like that. Not at first.”

Was it Bryce’s imagination or did some color stain Carver’s cheeks?

Meep glanced over at Roman, who delivered a grim smile. Bryce stood glued to the floor, with his mouth open, staring at Carver then Roman and back. What the hell had Barracuda done to him last night?

Whatever it was, it had worked. Rebel owed them both, big-time.

He hadn’t realized he’d closed the gap between them and hugged Meep until the other guy grunted.

“Hey, I’m a little sore this morning. Go easy on me, big guy.” He gave Bryce a one-armed squeeze, then separated them.

“What the hell is this, breakfast and a show?” Kaige burst into their moment before it could get awkward. “Quit your sniveling so we can eat.”

“I gotta say one more thing. Then we don’t need to talk about it anymore.” Bryce cleared his throat.

“No rush,
cabron
. We’re only starving.” Alanso might have teased him, but he meant the reassurance sincerely, Bryce was sure.

“For so long, I’ve felt like I had this cancer inside me. I couldn’t really tell you guys everything. It was eating me. I felt like I wasn’t good enough, because I hadn’t been fucked over as much by life. I guess I didn’t think I measured up even in the raw-deal department.” He paused to catch his breath, afraid to make eye contact with Kaelyn, whose tiny gasp reached him just fine. She might have offered him the solace of her arms if Carver hadn’t blocked her passage behind the counter.

Eli jumped in before he could finish. “That’s total bullshit. You’re one of us, you always have been and you’ve got the tattoo to prove it. That thing isn’t washing off anytime soon so you better get over your inferiority complex.”

Bryce swallowed hard and nodded toward their boss and the head of the gang.

Then he faced Carver once more.

“Anyway, I just wanted to say thanks for taking me in and making me yours. From the start. No questions asked.” Bryce ran out of gas. “It’s meant everything to me. I wouldn’t have survived without you guys and the reminder of how strong you all were. If you could get through the day, so could I. I admire every one of you assholes.”

“Amen.” Swinger slapped the counter with both hands. “Now cook me some breakfast, wench!”

“Hey, don’t talk to Kae like that.” Bryce found some of that spirit within him as he took a seat at the counter with the rest of the gang.

“Huh?” Holden laughed. “I meant Meep.”

Kaelyn appeared to be finishing dabbing the corners of her eyes with a paper towel when he could finally stand to look at her again. Then she was chuckling as Carver sauntered to her side and asked how he could be of service.

“Maybe you should sit this one out. I’d hate for you to scorch your sexy parts.” Kaelyn blushed and Bryce knew it was because she found Meep attractive, not because she was embarrassed. The hard tips of her nipples, visible beneath his Hot Rods T-shirt, were a pretty big clue. Her restless shifting from bare foot to bare foot was another as she pressed those long, lanky thighs together in the process. Maybe they could have her for breakfast instead.

“Oh, no worries. I have my uniform right here.” Carver snagged an apron they never used from a hook on the inside of the pantry door and tied it around his waist. Unfortunately, that only framed and highlighted his tight ass, complete with decorations courtesy of his wild night. Roman squirmed in his seat.

Kaige reached across the counter, snagged a spatula out of the utensil holder and smacked Carver hard enough to make him jump as he passed by. First shock, then something like desire, crossed his face. He grunted. And then he bent over, stuck out his reddening ass and said, “Please, may I have another?”

“Sorry, but I need fuel first. Hurry up and bring our food.” Nova laughed before tossing the utensil in the sink. Nola only rolled her eyes at her boyfriend’s antics.

When they returned their attention to Kaelyn, they found her frozen, staring at the exchange. Carver shrugged. “What? You’ve never seen a man get spanked before?” 

“Ummm, nope,” she whispered.

“Honey, you’re living in the wrong house if you’re trying to keep that innocent Goldilocks thing going.” Meep winked at her, though Bryce was certain his friend didn’t need to persuade Kae to join them on the rowdy side of life. Not after last night.

“I didn’t say it was by choice.” She laughed when Carver snorted. The sound made it seem as if he believed she could have gotten down and dirty any time she chose. Meep didn’t understand where she’d come from or how influential—and intimidating—her father truly was. Men would have treated her as a possession of her father. Only Bryce could really know what that level of oppression felt like. For a moment he was proud he’d granted her an outlet.

His friends would provide others.

From the way she looked at him, she was thinking the same. His chest puffed up.

When Kaelyn dished out her fabulous creation, he realized she’d whipped up a hell of a lot more than simple bacon and eggs. Each plate held an assortment of artfully arranged fresh fruit. From the oven, she withdrew cupcake tins—where the hell had she even found those?—filled with some kind of egg-vegetable frittata-looking thing which she wrapped in the bacon she’d prepared. When it was assembled, quickly and efficiently, it looked more like a sculpture than breakfast. Toast, crusts removed, browned with a geometric pattern across the surface of the bread, finished off her presentation.

As she completed each serving, Carver delivered them with an exaggerated flourish—offset by his still-bare ass hanging out the back of his apron—to each person down the line at the bar. Refusing to miss out, Bryce snagged a plate and prodded the food with his fork but he couldn’t suppress the discomfort rising in him. His appetite diminished.

“Holy shit,
lady
.” He emphasized the half-joking title as he poked at the meal Meep placed in front of him. “This is a lot swankier than the bowl of Fruity Pebbles I usually chow down on my way out the door. Who the hell are you trying to impress? I thought you understood this isn’t how things roll around here. Scale it back, would you?”