11
Kyra could have slept for days.She hadn’t realized how poorly she’d been resting at night lately, with too much on her mind.In Ollie’s arms, none of that had bothered her.It was like he sheltered her mind the way Van protected her body.
The sun coming through the camper windows hadn’t roused her, and neither had Devra’s promise of breakfast shouted through the wall—she was still stuffed from the night before—but the unmistakable growl of Van’s truck coming up the Hot Rides driveway…well,thathad her returning to reality fast.
Ollie crawled from bed and tugged on a pair of sweats and a long-sleeved shirt.She was sad to see his tan skin disappearing beneath his clothes, but she figured it wasn’t worth him getting frostbite simply so she could admire him some more.
“Van’s back.”He stood near the doorway, looking through the window over his shoulder, presumably at Van’s giant monstrosity of a truck and then at her.
“I heard.”She drew in a deep, shaky breath.Like they’d talked about, there was no taking back what they’d done, not that she’d want to anyway.“I guess we’re going to see if he was telling the truth when he said he didn’t care if I slept with you.I swear, I won’t let him put his hands on you again—I mean, in anger.”
Ollie didn’t laugh at that.Instead, he frowned.“That’s not what I heard him say.I think you’ve been reading things wrong, and I hope what we did doesn’t cause more problems for you.Do you want me to lie?Tell him it never happened?”
“No, of course not.”Kyra stood and crossed to him.“I’d never ask you to do that.Aside from the fact that I’m not a fucking liar and neither are you, I think it’s pretty obvious.”
His hand went instinctively to the hickey she’d given him, making her grin.
“Not only because of that.”Kyra avoided eye contact by getting dressed herself.She waited until her face was hidden by her shirt going over her head before she said, “Anyway, it would be good if you don’t leave me alone with him right away.Until I can see how mad he is about it.”
Kyra held her hand out and Ollie was there, as always, to hold it tight.
“You know he’d never hurt you, right?”he said, without a sliver of doubt in his tone.
“Physically?No.Never.”She squeezed his fingers tighter.“But words can hurt too, and so can actions.If he’s indifferent or chooses to walk away…”
“I promise,” Ollie gave her a tight nod.“I’m not going to let go until you ask me to.”
“Thank you.”She stood, rising from his bed to greet her other best friend and lover.
Ollie handed her down from the sanctuary of his home and crossed the lawn with her.Van met them in the middle, far enough away from the open garage bays to—hopefully—be out of earshot.When Kyra noticed Walker and Dane popping their heads up and peeking out at the showdown about to happen, she somewhat discreetly shot them the finger with her free hand.Although, it might be for the best to have the duo chaperoning from afar in order to keep anyone from getting another black eye if Van went after Ollie.
The clang of metalworking resumed as they minded their own business, or pretended to.
Like she wasn’t going to tell them, Devra and Wren, and the rest of the guys about the outcome of this showdown later anyway.Jeez.
“How did it go?”Kyra asked Van.
“I would ask the same, but I think I already have some idea.”He flicked his gaze between her and Ollie, lingering a bit on the dark mark she’d left on his neck.
Ollie fidgeted as if he’d like to rearrange his scarf, but he didn’t.Somehow that gave Kyra courage.
“You do.”Kyra stood tall and dared Van to go back on his word.
Then she extended her free hand to him and prayed he didn’t slap it away.
Opposing instincts warred in Van.Part of him howled in loss, but another wanted to live up to his promises.He’d had a lot of time alone to do some serious thinking, enough that he’d realized he had really fucked up when it came to Kyra and how he was treating her.
He didn’t plan to keep making the same mistakes.
If that meant he had to deal with Ollie too, so be it.
He felt a million times better when he took her outstretched fingers and linked them with his own, which were shivering and not from the cold, either.
It had been pretty clear what he’d find when he returned.He just hadn’t known exactly how he’d feel and if Kyra would be willing to give him another chance once she’d realized what a huge crush Ollie had on her too.Hell, Ollie was probably the better bet.He was kind and easygoing.A lot more understanding than Van had been.
“Can we—all three of us—talk somewhere out of the cold?”he asked quietly.
Kyra glanced at Ollie, who nodded.“Yeah, of course,” she said.