“That goes for all three of you.” Eli grinned. “You’re family now, and the sooner you accept it, the less awkward it will be.”
Laurel beamed and Jace shook hands with the garage owner. “Thanks, man.”
Nolan could tell from the gleam in Eli’s eyes that he wasn’t joking, though. Nolan wished his implications were more than a hunch and that he could end up as fortunate as his friends living this twisted-fairytale life.
For the first time in a long time, Nolan thought it might be possible that his dreams could come true, with a bit of luck.
Laurel ducked under Nolan’s arm and held her other hand out to Jace, who laced their fingers together as the three of them made their way to Nolan’s truck and…he was pretty sure…straight to bed when they arrived home.
Screw the bugs.
17
Jace leaned toward Nolan so that their shoulders rested against each other as Laurel splayed out across their laps on the not-quite-big-enough couch watching some dumb movie that couldn’t hold his attention when he had them to stare at instead. He didn’t mind one bit. Nolan’s warm muscles flexed against his every time he laughed, and he wondered if tonight might be the night they finally gave in and fucked each other instead of lavishing their combined attention on Laurel.
Not that he’d minded nearly a month of worshiping her and building her confidence, acclimating her to the physical aspects of their affection. But he’d be lying if he said he hadn’t been eyeing Nolan’s tight ass in his skintight shorts when he’d returned from a bike ride that had provided his daily dose of cardio earlier. Sure, they kissed. Had jerked and sucked each other off plenty, but for some reason neither of them had made a move to sink into the other.
Maybe it was because keeping Laurel satisfied once she’d unleashed years of pent-up passion took every drop of their energy, but for whatever reason they’d set some kind of boundary and it didn’t seem like they were going to be able to move forward until they smashed through it.
He surveyed Nolan from the corner of his eye and sighed. It had taken him damn near twenty years to figure shit out with Laurel. He didn’t want to make the same mistake with Nolan. Not when things had been going so smoothly that he’d nearly forgotten this was only temporary.
Fuck.
Jace clenched his jaw.
Nolan turned toward him and frowned. He put his hand on Jace’s stubbled cheek and brushed his thumb over his lips. “What’re you thinking about?”
Jace drew a deep breath as Laurel blinked up at him, catching on to the atmosphere between the two men. It was time for him to come clean, to admit that he hoped they could keep things going for more than however long it took to finish their job here.
But he should have made that decision sooner.
Because just then someone pounded on the door.
Before he’d registered the repeated thumping, Nolan had already slipped from the couch and tucked Laurel into Jace’s arms, then crouched and whipped his phone from his pocket to check the surveillance camera aimed at the porch.
He grunted, then flung the door open. “Shit, James, what’s your problem? You almost got your ass kicked.”
James brushed Nolan aside, his smaller stature no hindrance when his energy was so overwhelming. He snuck inside and turned to face the three of them. “We’ve had a breakthrough. It’s go time.”
Jace had known Nolan was a warrior from the first instant he spied the man stalking Laurel at Heels. He drove it home when he straightened, every muscle and instinct on high alert, like a predator very comfortable at the top of the food chain. Nolan was a trained killer, as lethal as he was easygoing day-to-day and generous in bed.
“You came in person to tell me that? Why?” Nolan’s shoulders locked into place, his stance widened and every glorious muscle in his body went rigid.
James flicked his gaze between Laurel, Jace, and Nolan, then took a deep breath before saying in a rush, “You remember the woman you and Sola talked to during the cannery raid? Turns out she is pretty incredible. She had a chance to go free, but instead decided to come on as a mole. She’s been the one feeding us info from the front lines.”
“Wait, do I know her?” Laurel stood, so Jace did too, all of them forming a ring around the coffee table in the small space.
“I think so. She told me where to find you.” Nolan winced.
“Her name is Cherri,” James told Laurel with a sigh. “And she needs our help. She arranged for Draven to be alone, separated from most of his goons for a brief window, tomorrow.”
“Cherri!” Laurel clasped her hands, then brought them to her chest. Jace’s guts twisted. She’d been their friend. Volunteered the knowledge that had led Nolan to them. And she’d refused the chance to get the fuck out? What the hell?
“How exactly did she manage that?” Nolan was obviously a few steps ahead of Laurel and Jace on this one.
“She might have promised him something.” James cleared his throat and looked away at Dottie sunning herself in her cage-castle on the kitchen counter.
Oh no. Jace knew whatever it was, he was going to hate it.