How to Rebuild (Hearts & Horsepower #4)

by A. K. Evans

  My body shuddered.

  Kieran didn’t miss it and groaned again. It turned him on to know that I was excited about having him spank me.

  Loving that I could do that to him, I beamed at him and said, “I love you, Kieran.”

  His features softened before he returned, “I love you, Elise.”

  Following another kiss, Kieran wrapped his arm around the back of my neck, so his hand was holding me on my opposite shoulder. Then he led me out of the trailer.

  “Thank fuck,” Ryker muttered as we walked out.

  There were a couple of laughs from the gang before Nash asked, “So, are you two over your drama?”

  Kieran’s arm tightened in a way that I had no choice but to curl my body into his. Tipping my chin up, I saw his head was descending. A moment later, he kissed me again. It wasn’t a simple peck either.

  Nope.

  Apparently, Kieran was all about the public display of affection because he kissed me long and hard. It was hot and wet and so freaking delicious. Since I was deliriously happy that he’d accepted my apology, I didn’t care what he did. I wouldn’t have cared if someone was there snapping our picture, and we ended up in a trashy news article tomorrow. I had him back, and that was the only thing that mattered to me.

  When Kieran pulled back from the kiss, Nash declared, “I guess that answers that.”

  There was another round of laughter.

  “Let me check to make sure we’re all good to go on this cylinder head before they take the cars up,” Kieran said.

  “Okay.”

  For the next few minutes, I watched as he worked on the car I found him at when I arrived, and the girls came up beside me.

  “All good?” Avery asked.

  Smiling, keeping my eyes on Kieran, I replied, “All good.”

  “I’m so happy for you, Elise,” Scarlet said.

  “Me too,” Kendall added.

  “Yeah, it feels terrific to have this finally,” I told them as I tore my gaze from Kieran and looked at the three of them. “Thank you, all of you, for being there for me through this. It would have been very easy for you all to walk away from me when I pushed him away. You didn’t, and that means the world to me.”

  “You’re my best friend, Elise,” Scarlet noted. “I’d never turn my back on you.”

  “I had one person in my life that I could trust until Knox came along,” Avery said. “Now, I’ve got a whole family, and it feels amazing. If there’s something I can do to give another woman what I’ve been given being pulled into this group, I’m not going to turn my back on her either, especially when we know that she’s madly in love with one member of our family.”

  My eyes filled with tears.

  “Welcome to the fam, babe,” Kendall said as she slid an arm around my waist and squeezed me from the side.

  “Lady, why are you crying?” Kieran’s voice broke into the conversation.

  I looked up at him and dismissed it. “It’s nothing. Happy tears,” I promised.

  “Ready, babe?” Knox asked, coming up beside Avery.

  “That’s my cue to find Logan,” Kendall declared as she walked off.

  “What’s happening?” I wondered aloud.

  Kieran took me by the hand and started walking with me. “I’ll tell you on the way,” he said.

  For the next few minutes, Kieran and I walked away from the team’s pit toward what he told me were called the staging lanes because Avery, Logan, and one of the LT Motorsports customers were going to be making testing passes down the drag strip.

  I got a quick lesson on what was happening, how it worked, and what the expectations were for the cars today. And as I took it all in, I was mesmerized. Kieran was so knowledgeable and spoke about everything as though he was telling someone his name and where he grew up. It was all like second nature to him.

  After we watched Logan, Avery, and the customer make their passes, I looked at Kieran and said, “This is amazing.”

  “You really like it?” he asked.

  I nodded. “Yeah. It just seems like there is constant excitement and fun. The sounds, the fast cars, the friends… what’s not to love?”

  Kieran grinned at me.

  “Love you, lady,” he said.

  I slid my arms around his waist as we walked back through the pits to meet up with our team again and returned, “Love you, too.”

  A few minutes after we made it back and everyone went about checking over the cars and doing what needed to be done to prepare for another test pass, a thought came over me.

  When Kieran made his way back over to me, he must have noticed that I was deep in thought because he asked, “What’s that look for?”

  “I was just thinking about Nash,” I said.

  An unpleasant look washed over Kieran’s face. “Why are you thinking about one of my best friends?” he questioned me.

  “Are you losing a bit of patience and control right now, baby?” I teased him.

  “I’m completely in control,” he assured me.

  Shooting him a look that told him I didn’t believe him, I explained, “Well, I was just wondering if Nash had a special lady in his life or if he’s still single.”

  “He’s still single,” Kieran answered. “But you’re not, so he’s going to have to find another girl.”

  “What does he do?” I asked.

  “He works with us at LT Motorsports,” Kieran stated the obvious.

  I rolled my eyes and said, “I know that. But you do the engines. What does he do?”

  “Why are you asking?”

  I shrugged. “I was just curious because I saw him crouched down behind the car when I was walking over here to find you earlier. I was wondering what he was doing.”

  Understanding dawned, and he explained, “He’s the chassis tuner. His job is to make sure the cars, at least the ones that are here drag racing, go straight. He’ll make adjustments based on the type of racing. Drag racing setups will require a different type of suspension set up compared to a road racing application, for example.”

  “I see. And does he get angry like Ryker or grumpy like you were the last few weeks?” I asked.

  “Who told you I was grumpy?” he wondered.

  “A little birdie,” I joked.

  Kieran’s lips twitched. “I missed you a lot,” he defended himself.

  “I’m not giving you a hard time about it,” I assured him.

  “Yeah, okay,” he returned. “I don’t believe that.”

  “Okay, maybe I’m teasing you a little bit about it,” I acquiesced. “But I do find it endearing to know you feel so strongly about me. I was pretty grumpy myself.”

  “Good to know,” he replied. “And the answer to your question is no. Nash doesn’t ever get upset. He’s the most laid-back guy in the shop.”

  “Maybe it’s because he’s single,” I suggested. “He doesn’t have a woman to make him crazy.”

  Kieran let out a laugh. “Honestly, I don’t know if that would work,” he started. “Everything in his life could be completely out of alignment, and Nash would still just be rolling with the punches.”

  “Really? How is that possible?”

  Kieran shrugged. “It’s the way he’s always been,” he shared.

  Interesting. Nash was a nice guy. And even though he was clearly delighted with his life as it was, I hoped he found someone to share it with soon. It’d be nice to be on the opposite side of the family, ready to welcome a new member. I wanted to do what Avery had said earlier and give to someone else what they had given to me.

  “So, I have one more question,” I told Kieran.

  “What’s that?”

  “What time does testing end?” I wondered. “And before you answer that, I’m not rushing you. I’m enjoying myself. I’m just trying to figure out how much time I have left until I get what I want.”

  “What do you want?”

  I bit my lip, trying to suppress a grin. “You back in my bed,” I reminded him.
/>   “Probably another four or five hours until that happens,” he warned me.

  My eyes widened. “Wow,” I marveled. “Next time, remind me to take care of business before I attend one of these events.”

  Slipping his arm around my waist, Kieran pulled me close and whispered in my ear, “Next time, I’ll take care of business for you. And don’t worry. The next few hours will pass quickly. I promise. Okay?”

  “Four or five hours is a long time away,” I told him.

  “Patience, lady,” he reminded me.

  Right.

  I should have known.

  “Okay,” I agreed.

  At that, Kieran chuckled and got back to work.

  And sure enough, the next four hours passed in a flash, and before I knew it, Kieran and I were on our way back to my place. As he always did, Kieran proved to me how good the rewards were when I found a way to be patient.

  For the rest of the week, we spent our time reconnecting and rebuilding what had fallen apart between us. Only this time, we did it with no secrets about how either of us felt.

  And it was better than I could have ever imagined.

  Nine Months Later

  “Oh, baby, you feel amazing.”

  “You like that?” I asked.

  “More,” she begged.

  I gave her more.

  Then again, there wasn’t anything I wouldn’t do for her.

  Elise and I were both on our sides, her back to my front. With one of my arms shoved between the mattress and Elise’s body, my hand had curled up and was playing with one of her tits. My other hand was firmly gripping her hip as my cock drove into her pussy from behind.

  The wet warmth between her legs was quickly undoing me. That and the noises coming from her. Luckily, I knew my woman was on the verge of her second orgasm of the morning.

  Just to be sure she got there, my hand at her hip slid down her abdomen and landed between her thighs. I applied pressure at her clit and began circling.

  Elise’s head pressed back harder into my shoulder as she breathed her warning, “Kier.”

  That’s when I knew she was gone. She’d reached the point of no return, and it was always a beautiful thing to witness.

  Several strokes of my cock later, Elise was coming apart, squeezing and clenching around me. The feel of her trembling body and the sounds of her delicious moans combined with everything I already felt for her meant that I was only a few thrusts behind her when it came to finding my release.

  For a long time after, Elise and I stayed like that. Panting and trying to catch our breath as we remained connected at the most intimate parts of our bodies. Even though there were no words, I couldn’t stop myself from pressing light kisses to the bare skin at her shoulder.

  A long stretch of silence had passed before Elise said, “I need to go clean up.”

  “Hurry back,” I ordered.

  “Promise,” she replied quietly.

  Not wanting to let her go, but knowing I had other plans for the day, I gave her one more kiss on the shoulder, followed by a squeeze before I loosened my hold on her.

  That was something I’d found myself often doing over the last several months. It was becoming more and more difficult to find any restraint. I loved her. And knowing that she felt the same about me, I liked being able to give her those displays of affection. I felt honored to be able to do it.

  Although my ability to curb my enthusiasm for showing her how much I cared was waning, I still managed to give her what she needed.

  Reliability.

  Elise found comfort in knowing that she could go into work and be a boss, but she had someone there to take the reins when she came home. I loved that.

  And ever since we got back together, she didn’t hold back in allowing me to give that to her. When she apologized for pushing me away and promised that she’d already given me her heart, she did not ever go back on her words. Elise gave me all of what she had to offer, and she did it without any reservations.

  I saw it every day we were together. I even felt it on the days when we didn’t get to see one another.

  When Elise loved, she loved hard. It was my job to make sure she felt at least that much love in return.

  So, now that she had returned from the bathroom and was curled up with me again, I decided it was time to make sure Elise no longer had to work so hard. I didn’t want her to have to worry about showing me her heart on the days we didn’t get to see one another because I no longer wanted to have days that passed without seeing her beautiful face.

  “Nervous?” I asked her.

  Lifting her cheek from my chest, Elise brought her gaze to mine and answered, “Maybe a little, but I’m mostly just excited.”

  “Good. I don’t want you to worry because they’re all going to love you,” I promised.

  Cocking a brow, she teased, “As much as you do?”

  “Just a touch less,” I noted.

  She sighed, feigning disappointment. “I guess I’ll just have to settle for that,” she proclaimed, acting as though this was her unavoidable, horrific fate. I knew she was teasing, so I couldn’t help but let out a laugh.

  “This is your last chance,” I told her.

  “For what?” she asked.

  “To get out before it happens,” I warned.

  Rolling her eyes, Elise said, “Kieran, you’ve told me about a million times now that once I meet them and they pull me into the fold, they aren’t going to let me go.”

  “It’s true,” I maintained.

  “Maybe that’s what I want,” she returned.

  She did.

  I knew she did.

  But hearing her confirmation only made what I was about to do even more necessary. Because I promised to give her everything.

  “Then it’s your lucky day, lady,” I told her.

  She grinned at me, completely unsuspecting.

  “It’s not just them,” I started. When confusion littered her features, I continued, “It’s me, too. I’m not going to let you go either.”

  Her smile was back. “That’s good because even if you try to let me go, I’m going to come right back to you. And if you try to move on to someone else, I’ll just kick her out,” she teased.

  “Sounds like I should save myself the trouble and just marry you then,” I said.

  Elise’s whole body went solid. “What?” she whispered.

  “Don’t tell me that was all talk again,” I playfully scolded her. “If you aren’t planning to let me go, you should marry me.”

  “Kier…” She trailed off.

  I slid my hand under the pillow where I’d slipped the box when Elise took off to the bathroom to clean up a few minutes ago.

  Pulling it out, I opened it, showed her the ring, and asked, “Elise Flynn, my gorgeous lady, will you marry me?”

  “Yes,” she immediately replied. “Yes, Kieran Decker, I’ll marry you.”

  “There’s my determined fighter always going after what she wants,” I noted, grinning at her.

  Elise swung her leg over my body and climbed on top of me. Then she buried her face in my neck.

  “You are the best thing that’s ever happened to me,” she cried.

  “I could say the same thing,” I returned, engulfing her in my arms.

  After giving Elise a few moments to settle herself down, I urged, “Let me give you your ring.”

  Lifting her face from my throat, she placed her palms flat on my chest. I took the ring out of the box, held her left wrist in one hand, and slid the ring on her finger. Once it was there, I watched her face as she stared at her hand with tears in her eyes.

  “It’s beautiful,” she rasped.

  “I’m glad you like it.”

  Bringing her eyes to mine, she professed, “I love you, baby.”

  Rolling her to her back, settling myself over her body, I said, “I love you too, lady.”

  Then I dropped my mouth to hers and instigated another round of lovemaking.

 
A little while later, after we were dressed and ready to go, Elise walked up to me and said, “This is already the best Christmas Eve Eve ever.”

  “It’s about to get better. You’ve got a whole new family to meet today,” I reminded her.

  “I can’t wait.”

  “Then let’s go.”

  At that, we grabbed our things and left the fancy hotel suite.

  We’d arrived in New York late last night. I had told my family I wasn’t going to be coming in until Christmas Eve and even gave them a fake arrival time to throw them off. They had no idea I was bringing someone home with me.

  Over the last year, I’d talked with them several times, but I held back on telling them about Elise. Even though I knew they would have loved to know immediately about her, I wanted to surprise them. Keeping her to myself might have seemed a bit selfish; however, I knew what I was doing. Being patient always had great rewards. This was going to make their Christmas.

  Fortunately, I knew I’d be able to pull off my plan without a hitch because Christmas week with my family meant long days of everyone getting together in the home I grew up in and spending time with one another.

  Sure enough, when we pulled up outside, I saw all the cars there that I expected to see. Not wanting to risk having someone look out the window and see us, I quickly parked and exited the rental. Meeting Elise on her side, I took her hand in mine and walked her up to the front door.

  I still had my house key, so I slipped it into the lock as quietly as possible. A moment later, I pushed it open and stepped inside.

  Silence fell, and seven surprised faces turned in my direction. Those faces lit up when I tugged Elise in beside me.

  “Holy fuck,” Cam muttered.

  “Watch your mouth in front of the lady, Cam,” my dad scolded him.

  “Kieran,” my mom gasped. “What are you doing here?”

  “I thought I’d surprise you all a day early,” I answered.

  “I don’t need any presents this year,” Nan started. “He finally brought a girlfriend home with him.”

  Figuring it was best to set things straight, I held my hand up and declared, “I need to speak for a minute. First, this is Elise.” My family watched with rapt attention as my gaze went to Elise’s. I smiled at her. She beamed back at me. Then, I pointed to each person in the room as I went along and said, “Elise, this is my mom, my nan, my pop, Shannon, Ashton, my dad, and Cameron.”