by L. A. Witt
Reggie threw his head back and laughed. “You know, I should be offended by that, but in this case? Mission accomplished.”
“Mission accomplished, indeed.” Wes smoothed Reggie’s hair. “And since it was their decision, they can’t nail you for breach of contract.”
Reggie just grinned.
Wes laughed and shook his head. “How did you know they’d fall for it?”
“They didn’t have a choice.” Reggie’s lips peeled back in an even more devilish grin. “Not unless they wanted to get slapped with a lawsuit for trying to force me to hide my sexuality and producing a straight bachelor show under known false pretenses. Especially since people haven’t forgotten about that shit with Chandler getting blackmailed into signing on—this is not something their PR department wants to deal with.”
Wes laughed. “As well as you know how to play this game, I think you’re in the wrong business.”
“Not at all.” Reggie shook his head as he slid his arms around Wes. “I can hold my own with this shit, but I’d rather deal with cars any day of the week.”
“Can’t blame you for that. I think I might get out of this line of work myself.”
Reggie whistled. “Don’t know how you’ve stuck with it this long.”
“Couldn’t tell you.” They locked eyes for a moment, and then Wes broke eye contact. “I… guess I’ll be heading back to LA soon.”
Reggie touched his face and drew him in. Their lips just barely brushed as he whispered, “I want you to stay with me.”
“We just started this.”
“I know.” Reggie caressed his face. “But I don’t want you to go.”
“I don’t want to go.” He kissed Reggie gently. “But I have to.”
Reggie drew back and met his eyes. “I know. And I know this is a new thing that might not turn into anything, but….” He ran his fingers through Wes’s hair. “I want to give it a shot.”
“Me too.” Wes kissed him softly. “I’ll come back. I promise.”
They pulled each other into a tight, warm embrace, kissing way more tenderly than they should’ve after what amounted to a couple of one-night stands. He was reading too much into it and he knew it, but he couldn’t help thinking this was the start of something more than just fucking each other in between fucking with the network. He wanted it to be more.
Breaking the kiss, he touched Reggie’s face. “I’ll definitely come back.”
Reggie ran his tongue across his lower lip. “You’re here tonight.”
“Yes, I am.”
“Maybe we should make the most of that.”
Wes grinned. “Best idea I’ve heard all day.”
Reggie took him by the hand, and without a word, they headed upstairs.
Leaving tomorrow didn’t mean leaving forever. Planes, cell phones, and webcams made the distances between cities shorter. In the back of his mind, even as they slipped out of their clothes and into bed, Wes was already calculating when he could duck out of town for a few days again to see Reggie. He did have a lot of vacation time accrued, and plane tickets from there to here weren’t expensive. Between them, they could see each other almost as often as they wanted to.
Anything was possible. This thing could go anywhere.
And who knew?
Maybe one of these days, the ticket would be one-way.
Exclusive excerpt
A Wrench Wars Story
Best friends since they were teenagers, Ward Kent and Dean Zimmerman work together at Reggie’s garage, where the reality show Wrench Wars is filmed. Outside of work, Dean is a notorious player, and as far as he’s concerned, Ward’s the best wingman ever. Little does he know, Ward is much more interested in the gentlemen than the ladies.
Then Dean’s younger brother, Ash, comes to work at the garage. Ash may be seven years younger, but he’s had a crush on Ward for years, and he’s not shy about going after what he wants.
Admitting his best friend and his brother are gay is one thing. Seeing them together? That’s a bit more than Dean can take, and he’s about to force Ward to make a decision: lose his best friend and his job, or give up Ash forever.
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IT WASN’T until shortly before lunch that Reggie yelled from the front, “Kent! I need you.”
“So much for not having to yell at the guys in the back,” Rocky muttered as Ward made his way toward the office. He found Reggie waiting for him, wearing a grin that just about matched one of Dean’s.
“Is it the new guy, or is it Dean’s surprise?”
“Turns out, it’s both. We just finished up all his paperwork.” Reggie opened the door and gestured Ward inside. “Seems like you guys know each other, so I’ll leave you to it.”
The young man sitting on the far side of Reggie’s desk shot to his feet, biting his lip in nervous excitement as Ward walked in. Ward stopped in his tracks, blinking, trying to make sense of what he was seeing.
It was like seeing Dean, only not. This boy was short where Dean was tall, blond where Dean was dark, and although he wasn’t speaking yet, Ward knew he was quieter than Dean by far. But it was still Dean’s gray-blue eyes in Dean’s handsome face staring back at him.
“Hey, Ward,” Ashley Zimmerman said. “Long time no see, huh?”
“Ash?” It had to be him, but last time they’d seen each other, Ash had been only fourteen years old, skinny and clumsy, hanging on Dean and Ward’s every word. “What are you doing here?”
“I got in Saturday night. I thought we should tell you days ago, when we made the plans, but Dean—”
“You’re the new guy?”
Ash blushed. It was less that his cheeks turned red and more that his light freckles suddenly stood out more than normal. It reminded Ward of a hundred sunny afternoons in the Zimmerman backyard, he and Dean working on some old junker, drinking Mountain Dew by the gallon and sneaking cigarettes, always teasing poor Ash for no good reason at all. All the kid had ever wanted was to be with the two of them, even though he was seven years their junior. “You’re my big surprise?”
“I guess I am.”
Ward laughed, thinking that for once, Dean had gotten something right. He rounded the desk and pulled Ash into his arms. “Oh my God, what a relief.”
“Really? I told him it was a bad idea, springing it on you like this, but you know—”
“How he is? Yeah, I know.” He thought maybe he should let Ash go, but he wasn’t ready. Ward had gone through six foster homes between seventh grade and high school graduation. He’d spent years feeling lost and unwanted, wondering if he’d ever have a home. The one constant in his life had been Dean. Sure, Dean had his faults, but he’d always stood by Ward when it mattered most, lending an ear when Ward needed to talk and filling the gaps when Ward chose to remain silent. Ward had spent many nights on the Zimmerman couch, eaten plenty of pizza at their dining room table, and whiled away more hours than he could count in their backyard, rebuilding cars with Dean. They’d been inseparable. And wherever the two of them went, Ash had always been just a few steps behind, begging to be allowed to tag along. Seeing Ash again now, Ward felt as if he’d been gifted a second brother. Based on the way Ash melted into him, hugging him back, he suspected Ash felt the same way. “Jesus, kid. It’s good to see you.”
“You too.”
Ward finally let go, stepping back to look at him. Ash was several inches shorter than him, but he’d certainly filled out in the passing years. Ward thought back, doing the math in his head. “Last time I saw you must have been—”
“Eight years ago.”
Ward shook his head. “It can’t have been that long.”
“It was.”
“But what are you doing here? You only got in two days ago, but you already have a job?”
“I’d been talking about coming out here for a while, and then when Dean said there was an opening, well, he said he thought he could get me hired. I did the interview by Skype, a
nd Reggie said any friend of Dean and Ward was worth a shot.”
“So you’re here to stay? Not just to visit?”
Ash shrugged. “That’s the plan.”
“That’s fantastic! Where are you staying?”
“With Dean, for now. I told him I could get my own place, but he’s all gung-ho about being the big brother. Says I should stay with him until I get ‘on my feet.’” He made air quotes around the last three words, smiling.
For all his selfish blustering, Dean really did like to feel like he was helping. Ward wasn’t surprised he’d gone out of his way to help Ash. “He’s a pain in the ass, but he means well.”
“I know. And I appreciate it. I really do. I wouldn’t be here at all if it weren’t for him.”
“But?” Ward prompted, knowing it was coming.
Ash laughed. “But he’s dead set on pretending I’m still about sixteen. He’ll probably card me the first time I crack a beer.”
“I’d expect nothing less of him.” Ward still couldn’t believe it. He put his hand on Ash’s shoulder, feeling an unexpected sense of comfort just having him there. “What’ve you been up to? I’ve asked Dean a hundred times, but I swear, he never tells me anything. It’s like he starts out answering, and the next thing I know—”
“He’s talking about himself?” Ash laughed. “Yeah, I get the same treatment when I ask about you.” He stopped short, biting his lip and glancing away, his freckles darkening again. He cleared his throat nervously. “Listen, he’s going to make some big production about taking me out on the town or some dumb thing. I know I can’t avoid it forever, but—”
“Not tonight. No way. He had you all to himself Saturday and Sunday. He doesn’t get Monday too. Besides, first day on set, I guarantee they’ll go late. For the rest of the day, you’re all mine.”
Ash smiled at him, suddenly looking nothing like Dean at all, and looking nothing at all like the awkward teenager from Ward’s memory, either. This smile was quick and intelligent and shockingly flirtatious. It knocked Ward back a step. “I was kind of hoping you’d say that.”
Wrench Wars
A Wrench Wars Story
Everyone at Jim Irving’s garage is gung ho about Wrench Wars, a new reality show featuring mechanics. Everyone, that is, except talented mechanic Chandler Scott, the sole employee who has refused to sign the contract. The rest of the mechanics are pressuring him too, because without Chandler—and his volatile interactions with his boss—no one’s getting on the show.
Chandler’s one ally is Jim’s son, Mark, who’s being forced to work for his dad until he pays down his student loans or finds a better job—and who’s been Chandler’s secret lover for a while.
Then a playful tryst in the garage blows up in their faces, giving the network ammo to blackmail Chandler by threatening to out Mark to his father. Now Chandler is backed into a corner, and Mark needs to decide how far he’s willing to go to protect the man who’s been sharing his bed… and may have stolen his heart.
A Wrench Wars Story
What is “normal”?
When Brandon Kenner shows up at Kasey Ralston’s garage with a 1970 Chevelle SS 454, Kasey is smitten by both the man and his car. But Kasey is hiding an embarrassing secret: his love for old muscles goes beyond what most would consider normal. His unusual fetish has kept Kasey isolated—estranged from his family and even distant from his coworkers.
But when Brandon figures out the hot mechanic’s secret, he’s not repulsed. In fact, he finds Kasey intriguing, and he’s determined to have him for himself.
Everything about Brandon revs Kasey’s engine, and he’s more than willing to get down and dirty with the charming man. What worries Kasey is what will happen after. Is there any chance of a future for them? In the past, expecting anything long-term has only led to heartbreak. But Kasey can’t help hoping that, despite Kasey’s fetish, Brandon will be the exception.
More from L.A. Witt
Dustin Walker has no idea that avoiding the search for Mrs. Right could send him into the arms and bed of Mr. Right Now. According to Dustin’s mother, he should be out looking for his next wife so he won’t be the divorced black sheep of the family. Instead, he passes his free time at a local bar and pool hall, where he meets someone who’s everything his ex-wife wasn’t: funny, caring, faithful… and male.
Is Brandon Stewart just Dustin’s way of getting over a bitter divorce? Can Dustin really care for him, or is it simply that Brandon is the complete opposite of his ex-wife? Dustin keeps their affair as quiet as possible, because if it continues, he knows he’ll eventually have to come out to his homophobic family or walk out on the man he’s trying not to love.
Sequel to Rules of Engagement
Brandon Stewart and Dustin Walker started dating two years ago after meeting in the local bar over a game of pool. Dustin has struggled to come out to his homophobic family and come clean about his relationship with Brandon, and now they’re planning to get married. Now, in a bid to fix broken ties, Dustin’s brother Tristan is trying to reconnect with him, which makes Brandon wonder if he, too, can mend fences with his own estranged brother. But is sixteen years of silence long enough for old wounds to heal?
L.A. WITT is an abnormal M/M romance writer who has finally been released from the purgatorial corn maze of Omaha, Nebraska, and now spends her time on the southwestern coast of Spain. In between wondering how she didn’t lose her mind in Omaha, she explores the country with her husband, several clairvoyant hamsters, and an ever-growing herd of rabid plot bunnies. She also has substantially more time on her hands these days, as she has recruited a small army of mercenaries to search South America for her nemesis, romance author Lauren Gallagher, but don’t tell Lauren. And definitely don’t tell Lori A. Witt or Ann Gallagher. Neither of those twits can keep their mouths shut…
By L.A. Witt
Rules of Engagement • Rain
WRENCH WARS
Last Mechanic Standing
By Marie Sexton: Normal Enough
Wrenches, Regrets, and Reality Checks
Published by DREAMSPINNER PRESS
www.dreamspinnerpress.com
Published by
DREAMSPINNER PRESS
5032 Capital Circle SW, Suite 2, PMB# 279, Tallahassee, FL 32305-7886 USA
www.dreamspinnerpress.com
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of author imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Wrenches, Regrets, and Reality Checks
© 2016 L.A. Witt.
Cover Art
© 2016 Garrett Leigh.
http://blackjazzpress.com
Cover content is for illustrative purposes only and any person depicted on the cover is a model.
All rights reserved. This book is licensed to the original purchaser only. Duplication or distribution via any means is illegal and a violation of international copyright law, subject to criminal prosecution and upon conviction, fines, and/or imprisonment. Any eBook format cannot be legally loaned or given to others. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the written permission of the Publisher, except where permitted by law. To request permission and all other inquiries, contact Dreamspinner Press, 5032 Capital Circle SW, Suite 2, PMB# 279, Tallahassee, FL 32305-7886, USA, or www.dreamspinnerpress.com.
Digital ISBN: 978-1-63477-386-7
Published August 2016
v. 2.0
First Edition published by Amber Quill Press, 2015.
Printed in the United States of America
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