by Jayne Rylon
Wren hopped off the swing and crushed him in a hug. “Yes. Please. That would be… Yes.”
She surreptitiously swiped her knuckle over the corner of her eyes.
Jordan put an arm around her and nodded. “You might as well join in. We’ve been spending hours every night learning who we are these days and how we might fit together.”
“In the biblical sense?” Kason couldn’t wait to watch them fucking in his very own private live sex show.
“Uh…” Wren’s porcelain skin blushed bright red. “Actually, no.”
Jordan winced. “We haven’t had sex. Haven’t done more than kiss since you hung up on us.”
“What?” Kason said it loud enough that a handful of people turned to look and Buster McHightops, Bryce’s dog, barked excitedly. “Sorry. But…are you joking?”
“Nope.” Wren groaned. “Though I’m not sure how much longer we can hold out. It seemed like a good idea at the time and we really have gotten to know each other so much better than before. We thought it would be best if we didn’t seem like a couple for someone else to tack onto. That’s not what we want. We want an even partner. Someone who’s joining us for the ride, not coming in after the fact.”
Him.
They’d been waiting for him. Holy shit.
“If there weren’t a bunch of kids around, I’d drag you behind that shed and rectify this situation right this second.” He stepped closer to them, then admitted, grudgingly, “Look, I don’t have all the answers. I don’t know how to fix everything between us. I still have the same issues as before. The only thing I’m sure of is that I missed you two a hell of a lot and I don’t want to pretend like nothing happened between us. I couldn’t stand it if this was goodbye forever.”
“That’s a good place to start.” Wren kissed his cheek.
He took her hand and one of Jordan’s as he began to walk toward Van’s truck, where his friends were waiting for him to wrap things up and get on the road.
When they were a few feet away, Jordan imparted a last bit of wisdom.
“I think that’s how I fucked up before,” he said quietly. “I couldn’t see a solution, so I didn’t attempt to work on the problem. Why don’t we take it little by little and see what we can unravel together, okay? If it becomes too much or it’s too hard, then we can always decide to give up later. We shouldn’t quit before we start.”
Van and Kyra exchanged a glance at that. Kason thought the same would apply to them. If it was easy to see about his friends, he was probably missing the obvious himself. So he went for it.
“We have three more shows and then there’s a gap in the schedule to give everyone a break so they can go home, see their family, whatever…” Kason looked over to Van and Kyra, who smiled at him encouragingly.
Wren clasped Jordan’s hand and squeezed. Kason realized, maybe for the first time, that this was important to them too. They were finding their way and giving him a chance. He didn’t want to blow it. “Would you guys like to come check out my place? The one I told you about, Wren, where I write new music? It’s actually not that far from here.”
“How not far?” Jordan asked, as if he had very keen Spidey senses. The man was a special agent, after all.
“Let’s just say I agree with you about the fishing on Lake Logan. I’ve enjoyed it myself many times.” Kason couldn’t help but grin at their widened eyes. They were cute when they were surprised. “That’s how I heard about Hot Rides in the first place.”
“You said the week after next?” Jordan confirmed, shaking his head.
“Yeah. Could you guys maybe find some time to spend with me?” He sounded like he was begging, but fuck it, he was.
“That’s my last week of leave, so yeah. I’m good.” Jordan nodded, then looked at Wren.
“Let me talk to Quinn. Things are busier every day and with Gavyn preparing to be a father, I think we’re going to have to hire some more people. It’s still a long way away, but Amber has her own business to run, so Gavyn’s planning to be a stay-at-home dad for a while and let Quinn take on more responsibility for the shop. He’s been interviewing a couple of guys so we can have more coverage. Anyway…what I’m trying to say is, I think we can figure something out.”
“Great.” Kason grinned. “I’ll see you then.”
He waved, then headed toward his waiting bike, parked beside Van’s truck, thrilled to be riding it home even if it was only because of the illusion of freedom it gave him.
When he was nearly out of earshot, Wren shouted to him, “Hey, Kason! You remember my phone number, right?”
He gave her a thumbs-up. “Talk to you tonight.”
“Drive safe!” Jordan shouted right before Kason put his helmet on.
23
Wren whistled as she passed through the elaborate wrought iron and stone gate then proceeded to drive up the long, manicured blacktop driveway that sliced through the forest. Kason’s “cabin” didn’t have much in common with the place Johnny and Jordan had shared on the opposite shore of Lake Logan.
From the passenger side of her Jeep, which the Hot Rods kept begging her to trick out, Jordan agreed, “Damn. If he owns everything from there to the top of the mountain, this place is worth millions.”
“I’m starting to feel like maybe we don’t belong.” Wren tapped her fingers on the steering wheel. It’d been a while since she was around people with money and the memories spurred her anxiety. Thing was Kason had never made her feel like she wasn’t enough.
Sort of the opposite, really.
Did he have no idea of his self-worth, and not only because of how many digits were in his bank account? “Jordan, I think we have a lot of work to do.”
“Yeah. He’s nearly as hardheaded as I used to be and not thinking straight.”
“Maybe tonight, if we have time to ourselves without interruptions, we can get through to him.” She glanced at her partner as she rounded another bend in the never-ending driveway.
“I’m hoping that’s the case.” Jordan reached over and squeezed her knee. “Are you planning to talk your way around his walls or fuck right through them? I’m okay with either tactic, you know.”
“I feel like we might need to do something a little more drastic than chat. We’ve been doing that for nearly a month already. And…if I’m being honest…it’s what I need, too. We’ve waited long enough, Jordan. If it’s not for him, of course that’s fine. But either way, I want to be with you tonight.”
Jordan cleared his throat and shifted in the seat, not-so-subtly rearranging his package. “Same. I’m dying to make love to you, Wren. If he wants in on that, I’ll be thrilled. If he wants to see what it’s like between us, I’d take that as a consolation prize and put on the performance of a lifetime. If we go home alone, at least we’ve got each other. Right?”
“Yes. You’ll always have me.” She took one hand off the wheel to lace her fingers with his. “I’m so glad you’re doing this with me tonight. Otherwise, I probably already would have lost my nerve.”
“Nah, not you.” Jordan rubbed his thumb in an arc on the inside of her knee that did nothing to make her less riled up. “You’re the bravest person I know.”
“I’m scared of getting my heart broken. It nearly killed me last time.” She stared straight out the windshield as she admitted it.
“I’m sorry,” he said for the millionth time. “But I swear to you, you’ll never have to go through that alone again.”
She might have continued their heart-to-heart, except they finally reached the summit of the mountain and the blacktop gave way to something more elaborate and yet rustic-looking. Hewn stones were laid in a herringbone pattern for the final stretch of driveway and a wide-open lot that would allow dozens of vehicles to park beside the most gorgeous wood-and-stone structure she’d ever seen.
It was big enough that it could have been some sort of exclusive lodge. And anything that wasn’t natural material was glass. Enormous windows spanned entire walls, allowing the g
orgeous surroundings to become part of the home’s décor.
The jewel tones of the fall foliage made the trees surrounding the mountainside mansion a living painting. She was sure from the angle of the building and the slope of the mountain that from the rear, there was an incredible panoramic view of Lake Logan.
She couldn’t wait to see it.
Almost as much as she was anticipating seeing Kason.
“What the hell does he want with us?” she whispered, her mouth suddenly dry.
“You’re more precious than a thousand mansions to me, Wren.” Jordan lifted her hand now that she’d parked, and kissed her knuckles before getting out and rounding the vehicle to open her door. “He’s the same guy we’ve gotten to know. He doesn’t want people who treat him differently. He wants us, I’m sure of it. Let’s go prove it to him if he’s not as positive yet.”
Wren grinned at that. “I like that plan.”
“Good.” Jordan leaned in as if he couldn’t help but kiss her then, both to steady their nerves and to hold him over for the main course.
“Well, hello there,” Kason called from the massive wrap around porch.
They both jumped.
“Don’t stop on my account.” Kason grinned from where he stood at the railing in jeans and a soft cotton T-shirt, his feet bare. “It’s not like I’ve never seen you two make out before.”
Jordan groaned then kissed Wren again, ten times more passionately. She wasn’t complaining, but she at least wanted to make it inside before they got naked. The chill of the changing seasons hung in the air.
They held hands as they turned and climbed the wide stone stairs toward Kason, who opened his arms to them. “Welcome to my humble abode.”
“Humble? I’m going to buy you a dictionary for Christmas,” Jordan grumbled. “You can put it in your library, since I’m sure this place has one.”
Instead of laughing, Kason looked sheepish. “I bought this house because my financial advisor told me I needed to diversify my portfolio with some real estate, and to be honest, once I saw the listing, I fell in love. It’s a hell of a splurge, but…”
“You don’t have to justify your choices, about houses or anything else, to anyone.” Wren went into his arms and hugged him tight. “It’s gorgeous, Kason. Thank you for inviting us.”
“Would you mind if I saved the tour for later?” He hugged Jordan too before facing them both. “Dinner is almost finished and I don’t want to burn—”
Just then a piercing shriek cut through the evening.
Kason’s emerald eyes widened. He sprinted inside yelling, “Shit! Shit! Shit!”
They followed, but he didn’t go as far as the kitchen. He slapped his hand on a security system right inside the door and started talking to the box on the wall. “Hey, Van. Turn that off would you? Do not let the fire trucks come. It’s just me trying to cook.”
The alarms were silenced in moments.
“I told you, you should have hired Devra to do it for you.” Van was cracking up on the other end of the line. “You sure you don’t need me to call for takeout or stay around here tonight?”
“Next time I’ll listen. And yes. Go hang out with Ollie like you planned.” Kason looked over at Jordan and Wren and winked. “You can bitch and moan about how gorgeous Kyra is and how neither of you have the balls to ask her out.”
Van quit laughing pretty quick after that. “One date makes you an expert, huh? Hell, Kyra and I practically did it for you.”
“True.” Kason softened his blow. “Thank you. I’m going to spend the rest of the night enjoying my company. I’m resetting the alarm now. Your guys are down in their post at the gate. We’ll be fine. Take the night off, Van.”
“Not planning on letting them leave, huh?” Van tried to get some of his own back.
“Jordan and I weren’t intending on going home tonight anyway,” Wren spoke up.
From the choking and coughing on the other end of the line, Van hadn’t realized they had arrived yet.
“Oh, hey, Wren,” he said in a tight voice. “I have to do…something. Bye.”
Jordan laughed, the deep, resonating sort she hadn’t heard in years.
Kason winced. “Sorry. I was trying to make everything perfect.”
Wren leaned in and kissed him lightly. “It is. We’re here with you. That’s all I hoped for.”
Jordan nodded. “She’s right. The only thing that matters is that we’re together.”
“Well then, I hope you’re hungry for some dinner made with a lot of good intentions and little skill.” Kason waved them to follow him as he headed through a soaring great room complete with a stone fireplace, more of those glorious windows flanking it, and exposed beams that were like the great grand-daddies of the ones in her cottage.
She’d been right, the sunset made the lake below glow with pastel pinks and oranges, taking her breath away. But it couldn’t captivate her attention for long because she was distracted by witnessing Jordan stare at Kason’s ass as their host escorted them to the open kitchen. A dining table suitable for at least a dozen sat on the other side of a bar made from a slab of a tree nearly wider than her entire tiny home.
Kason took the rolls he’d been baking from the stove and waved a hand towel over them to dissipate some of the smoke. They looked like bricks of charcoal.
“Bread is probably bad for us anyway,” Wren said with a grin as he tossed them in the garbage can.
“Go sit at the table.” Kason pointed. “I’m going to serve you both. I…uh…don’t get to do stuff like this often. Humor me.”
Jordan led the way, pulling out the chair for her at the head of the table, where a place was set. He took the one beside her and left Kason the spot on her other side. The thought of perching between them for an entire meal made her shift in her seat.
It wasn’t long before Kason carried over a wooden tray with three salad bowls and matching plates of pasta with a cream sauce and shrimp on top. There was already a pitcher of iced tea and a saucer of sliced lemons on the table. It wasn’t a five-star meal, but it had obviously been cooked with…love.
“This looks fantastic, Kason.” Wren picked up her fork and prepared to dig in, suddenly ravenous.
The three of them ate in silence for a while, enjoying what turned out to be a really tasty dinner. Jordan finished first and kicked back in his chair, his hands folded on his six-pack. “Damn. If that’s your idea of half-assed, I’d like to see you when you think you’re great at something.”
“You have.” Kason looked up then. “Music is what I’m meant for.”
Wren couldn’t argue with that. “I loved seeing you perform at the concert. I’ve always thought your songs were soulful, but that night…you’re right. You were a superstar.”
Jordan nodded. “And when you sang ‘Secret Love’, I swear I almost lost it right there in the front row.”
“I noticed.” Kason winced. “And so did my manager. They had a photo of that moment in the article he called me out over.”
“Fuck, really?”
Kason set down his fork and wiped his hands on his linen napkin. “Yeah. And you know what? I saved it to my phone and looked at it about a thousand times since then. Want to see?”
He was already hauling his phone out of his back pocket.
Wren held her breath.
When he tapped the screen a few times then turned the device around, she gasped. Jordan cursed. It was plain. Their eyes were locked and the expression on Jordan’s face was overwhelmed with emotion—longing, loneliness, grief, unspent passion. Everything the song was about.
Kason was reflecting it right back as he poured his heart out into the song and into the crowd.
“Damn.” Wren wiped her mouth.
“I can see why your manager was pissed.” Jordan frowned. “This could ruin your reputation as a stud, and I know that’s important to your image.”
“I’ve been thinking a lot about that and I’m starting to wonder if I really care.
In the beginning, my music was only for me. A way to escape the shithole my life was growing up. I’ve done that. Even if I never make another album or sell out another stadium.” Kason stared at the elaborate house around them for a few moments. Then he said, “It’s time to admit there are other things on my bucket list.”
“Like what?” Wren asked.
“Like getting to ride the motorcycles I collect, and traveling to more places outside the country, and having a family someday, and…falling in love.” He looked her in the eyes before turning to Jordan and doing the same. “But I think I might already be on the way to checking that one off. Twice.”
He laid his hands on the table, palms up. Wren put hers on top of one and Jordan did the same with the other. To make sure they were clear, she said, “I am, too. After Johnny, I swore to myself I’d never do that again. Never put myself in a position where I could get burned so badly, but…here we are.”
Jordan cleared his throat. “You know, Kason, we have more in common than you realize. I’m at a crossroads, too. Yesterday, I wrote a resignation letter. Now I have to decide if I’m going to hand it in when my leave is up on Monday. I don’t want to go backward, to keep being miserable, but I’m scared shitless to make the call. If I’m not Special Agent Mikalski, then who the fuck am I?”
Wren leaned halfway across the table. “Seriously? What the hell happened? You used to love being an agent. Has that changed?”
“I guess a lot has. The agency doesn’t stand for what it used to. It’s a toxic environment right now, and although I know that means I should stay and fight, I’m getting sidelined more and more. I’m already in the office instead of the field, and pretty soon they’re going to find a way to force me out. It’s better if I leave on my own terms, I think.”
“What else would you want to do if you had the choice?” Kason asked as he held Jordan’s hand tight, grounding him. If they clung together they would be so much less likely to break apart.
“I’ve been thinking about setting up a security consulting firm.” He shrugged. “I talked to Van about it some and I’ve been emailing with this guy, Andersen, a private investigator who’s helped out the Hot Rods in the past. They think it’s a solid idea. I also had a conversation with Tom—”