by Jaime Reese
Cole's stomach growled, totally ruining his casual perusal of Ty's features.
Ty's gaze snapped back to Cole's. "Hungry?"
Cole nodded and looked up at the walk clock. He sighed. The day passed too fast when he spent time with Ty.
"Go ahead and grab something," Ty said.
"Aren't you coming?"
"I'm fine," Ty said, reaching into his pocket.
Cole planted his hands on his waist. "Are you fucking serious? Please tell me you're actually going to eat," he said, watching Ty bite into the chocolate bar.
"I am eating."
Cole rolled his eyes. "Not that crap or TV dinners. I mean real fucking food. I don't think you eat."
"Sure I do. You saw me eat a sandwich the other day."
Cole crossed his arms and arched an eyebrow. "That could have been a one-time deal."
"You're not with me all the time," Ty said, taking another bite.
"I don't think you eat regularly. Come to think of it, I've never seen you take a bathroom break either."
"I'll call you to supervise the next time I need to take a leak."
Cole glared. "You should have a good meal."
"I usually work late and I can't exactly cook in my office."
"Why don't you come over and let me cook for you?" Cole asked, tugging on his beanie.
"You can cook?"
"Would you even know the difference eating that shit?" Cole pointed to the chocolate bar with a sneer.
Ty's eyes slowly widened. "You're asking me out on a date?"
Cole looked away, his pulse quickening. "It's an invitation to come to the halfway house on my night to cook. You'll finally meet Matt and Julian. I'll ask Aidan, if you want a familiar face. Not sure you can call it a date. It's real food. Good food. Say yes."
"Yes."
Cole tried to hide his surprise. "Anything in particular you like?"
Ty chuckled. "Apparently I eat crap. Surprise me."
"Good. Done. Now let's have lunch."
"I just ate," Ty said with a slight frown.
Cole shook his head and grabbed Ty's arm. "That was a snack. You feed your staff but you don't take care of feeding yourself."
Cole managed to drag Ty to the daily lunch trays Stacie set out. She had set aside two sandwiches for them and labeled each with their names. They grabbed the sandwiches and bottled waters then retreated to their work area for lunch. Cole jumped up on one of the bench tables while Ty sat in one of the chairs and silently ate as the music filled the air. Occasionally, Cole glared when Ty would fiddle with the sandwich rather than eat. But it was enough to get him to take another bite.
Ty wadded the empty sandwich wrapper and threw it in the garbage. He stood close to the back wall and pushed his hands into his coverall pockets. "So you never answered my question. What was it like being in prison?"
Cole crumpled the wrapper and tossed it into the bin. He washed down the last bite of the sandwich with a few gulps of water. "It's hard being away from family and friends," he said, capping the bottle and pitching it into the garbage bin. He didn't want to dwell on the sacrifice his family made to visit him in prison.
Cole sighed and jumped off the bench table. "It was two years. It's weird. Time drags and flies at the same time. It sucked but most of the guys inside left me alone. I think they avoided me because I talked too much. It was easy to stay out of trouble in there because everyone thought I'd snitch them out if I hung around in their circles." Cole laughed. "So I guess my big mouth, which always seemed to get me in trouble, kept me out of trouble while inside."
"And alone," Ty added.
Cole looked up to see Ty's gaze firmly fixed on him. "Yeah. I'm not really a loner, I like being around people. You saw how big my family is. I'm used to having people around me all the time. The loneliness was the killer for me."
"Being alone sucks," Ty said, his focus still intently aimed at Cole.
Cole's heart beat faster. He could feel Ty's gaze on him like fingers ghosting over his body. He looked away and swallowed hard, gripping the bench table behind him. He closed his eyes and counted backward from twenty, hoping to calm his racing pulse and chill the heat that coursed through his body.
Pause. Be good.
He exhaled a shaky breath and opened his eyes when he finished his countdown. He looked up to see Ty's gaze still focused on him. And there it was, staring back at him—the want in those eyes mirroring his desire for Ty. He could be wrong. He could be so wrong, but he couldn't stand this anymore.
"Fuck this," he said and stepped forward.
Ty straightened as he neared, tracking each step Cole took.
Cole stood in front of Ty, taking a step forward as Ty took one back until he was flush against the wall. Cole kicked his booted foot between Ty's feet, forcing Ty to widen his stance, dropping him about an inch or two.
"Being alone does suck," Cole said before reaching behind Ty's neck and quickly pulling him in for a kiss, ignoring the voice that demanded he pause again. He screwed his eyes shut and pushed his lips against Ty's as he begged and pleaded that he hadn't misinterpreted the restrained emotion in those brown eyes.
Cole inhaled sharply when Ty's hands hesitantly landed on his waist and Ty's lips parted slightly.
Cole's pulse escalated and the heat in his body rose. He gripped Ty's hair with both hands to angle his head, giving him that perfect slant he needed to completely plunder Ty's mouth. His heart pounded wildly while his tongue explored, tasted, and memorized every savory millimeter of the man he had coveted for far too long. He heard a moan escape before Ty's tongue hesitantly slid alongside his. He groaned and gripped Ty's hair harder, pulling him closer as he drew Ty's tongue into his mouth and sucked its length, mirroring a promise for more. He needed more—more closeness, more heat, more skin.
More Ty.
Ty's hands slid up along Cole's spine and landed at the back of Cole's neck. Cole pulled away from the kiss, gasping for air—the gentle brush of fingers against his neck almost too much after so many years. He looked back at Ty, his eyes had darkened to a deep chocolate brown. His kiss-swollen lips parted with each breath as he stared back at Cole, waiting.
Cole loosened his grip in Ty's hair. He shifted his shaky hands to cup Ty's face, closing his eyes when the warm skin pressed against his palms. He tipped his head up and leaned in to close the distance between them, slowly brushing his lips back and forth against Ty's. He heard a faint whimper escape when he sucked on Ty's soft, full lip.
That sound. God, he wanted to hear that sound again.
He lazily slid his tongue along Ty's and wrapped his fingers around the back of Ty's neck, wanting to hold him in place as he continued to explore, reveling in the eerie silence in his head. There was no chatter, no replay of conversation, no music. Nothing. Just a blissful silence and all that existed was Ty and his taste, the feel of his lips, and the slide of their tongues.
Cole broke the kiss when Ty's large, hot hand slid up and down his back. His head lolled to the side, drunk with the need for more friction coursing through his body. Ty peppered kisses along Cole's jawline and down his neck. A groan escaped Cole when Ty grabbed his ass and pulled him flush against his own hardened arousal.
And there was that sound again, coming from Ty, that soft, strangled whimper. The subtle sound better than any song Cole could imagine.
A surge of desire shot up Cole's spine. He ran his fingers up Ty's neck and into his hair again, gripping with enough force to pull Ty's head to the side and kiss his neck, desperately licking and sucking the sensitive skin from the base of Ty's neck to his jaw.
The whimper made an encore performance, encouraging Cole to continue.
Ty's radio chirped.
A frustrated growl escaped Cole. Fucking Stacie and her LoJack. He tried to back away but Ty held him close with one hand while he reached for the radio with the other to answer Stacie's call.
Cole buried his face at the side of Ty's neck, trying to settle his breathing.
He placed one hand on Ty's waist to steady himself while his other hand slid down to Ty's hip to hold him near.
Shit. He was pretty sure he shouldn't have ignored the need to pause. Shit. Shit. Shit.
Ty returned the radio to his pocket when he finished the call. He placed one hand behind Cole's neck, and the other over Cole's hand at his own hip. "You okay?"
Cole shook his head, burying himself further into the warmth of Ty's body. "I think I inhaled too much paint."
"We weren't painting."
"My brain's a little fried right now. Cut me some slack," Cole said, nuzzling Ty's neck, enjoying his scent more than he wanted to admit.
"Are you okay?" Ty asked again, stroking his fingers against the back of Cole's neck.
"Tell me I didn't fuck this up," Cole said in almost a whisper.
Ty's fingers threaded with Cole's at the hip. "I was going to ask the same thing."
Cole rested his head on Ty's shoulder and exhaled as relief poured through his body. "I kinda suck at waiting. I have the patience of a gnat."
"I didn't realize gnats had patience."
"Exactly," Cole said, a hint of a smile tugging at his lips.
Ty's soft rumble-laugh sent another bolt of desire through Cole's body, triggering a moan.
"Are we still on for our date?" Cole asked.
Ty separated a few inches to look at Cole. "I thought it wasn't a date?"
"Humor me. It's the closest thing I've ever had to a date."
"Okay, it's a date."
"Let's skip to the next base. Sleep with me."
"I'm not sleeping with you."
Cole raised an eyebrow and half smiled. "Not right now, but you will."
"No, I won't," Ty said, looking away.
"Why's that?"
Ty released Cole and stepped away. He turned to Cole, the teasing look gone from his expression. "You do realize I'm your boss. Right?"
"Yeah, and?" Cole asked, crossing his arms.
"You're my employee," Ty said, raising an eyebrow.
"That's what you being the boss means."
"You're my employee," Ty repeated.
"And that's a car and that's a tool chest," Cole said, pointing to each item. "What's your point?"
Ty shook his head. "It's the employer, employee thing. It can't happen."
Cole took a step toward Ty. "Sure it can. I think we just proved that."
Ty rubbed his eyes. "The point is…it shouldn't happen."
Cole stepped forward until he was standing in front of Ty again. "Your dick was pushing against me when we kissed," he said. He grabbed Ty's chin when he looked away, forcing him to focus on Cole. "Your hard dick. So don't stand there and tell me this isn't going to happen. That's a bullshit excuse."
Ty rubbed his eyes with the palms of his hands. "It's not that simple," he said quietly.
Cole sensed a hint of sadness in Ty's voice, something he hadn't heard before. He didn't want to push but there was no way he was backing down now. He pulled away Ty's hands. The pain he saw in Ty's eyes sliced through Cole's core. "Don't make it harder than what it already is. No one said it'd be easy. Hell, I'm not easy. But I want you. And I'm not going to walk away from that."
Ty looked at Cole and exhaled. He shook his head. "Cole, you don't know me. You don't know—"
"Stop it. I know you better than you think. I might not know the first thing about a relationship, but I know part of it is getting to know someone and working through stuff."
Ty sighed dramatically and looked upward. His Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed heavily. "How the hell did we go from a non-date, to a kiss, to wanting to sleep with me and now a relationship?" He stepped away. His jaw muscles twitched and he shook his head repeatedly.
It was frustrating as hell not having a secret decoder ring that would give him some insight into what was running through Ty's mind. He walked over to Ty and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Ty, how about we get down to the basics."
Ty looked at him and the pain in those brown eyes ripped through Cole worse than a serrated knife digging into him.
"Yes or no questions. Do you like me?" Cole asked, reaching up to touch Ty's face.
Ty leaned into the caress and closed his eyes. "Yes," he said in almost a whisper.
"Do you ever want to kiss me again?" Cole asked, stroking Ty's cheek with his thumb.
Ty opened his eyes and looked right at Cole, the want back in his expression. "God, yes."
"Good. Because if you had said no, I think my blue balls would have exploded."
Ty gasped a laugh. "You're as subtle as a sledgehammer."
Cole half smiled. "It's one of the reasons you like me. Admit it."
"Yes," Ty responded, the desire clearly screaming from his brown gaze.
"Good. We'll figure everything else out. Take it slow. I know you need to be in control so the ball's in your court. When you're ready, you tell me. All you have to do is ask. I won't push you or rush you. But I can't be held responsible if my balls have exploded by the time you get around to moving things along."
"I thought you had the patience of a gnat," Ty teased.
Cole chuckled. "I do. But as long as I can still kiss you, that'll hold me off. For a while," he said, adding the last as a challenge.
Ty shook his head and stepped back. "We're not kissing at the shop."
Cole stilled and blinked. "Are you kidding me? Oh hell no!"
Ty looked at him, his focus fixed and unflinching.
Cole walked up to Ty, straightening to his full height, and clasped his hands behind his back. He leaned forward and inched his mouth close to Ty's so he was barely a breath away. He firmly held Ty's gaze and opened his mouth, extending his tongue to trace Ty's full bottom lip.
Ty's lips parted and his eyes closed. His hands rose slowly to grip Cole's waist.
Cole licked Ty's lip one last time before retreating.
Ty swallowed and took a deep breath before opening his eyes to glare at Cole.
"You said no kissing. So—"
Ty lunged forward and latched onto Cole's mouth. Cole grabbed Ty's shoulders for balance as Ty aggressively pushed him back against the bench table. Cole's heart pounded against his chest and echoed in his ears. A possessive growl bubbled within. He shifted his weight and rolled Ty so his back was against the table.
A pained groan escaped Ty and Cole immediately stopped.
"You okay?" Cole asked, backing away to give Ty a few inches of space.
Ty winced as he shifted. "Yeah, I'm fine."
Cole pulled Ty and held his waist for support. "Sorry about that."
"Don't be," Ty said as he slowly straightened. "You made your point. We can kiss at the shop but I don't want to broadcast anything in front of the staff."
Cole nodded in agreement while carefully watching every tiny movement Ty made. Something was hurting him and Cole didn't want to apologize again and risk upsetting him by shining a spotlight on his discomfort. Fuck! This whole pausing shit gives me a headache. "We can probably get these cars finished in about an hour," Cole said, deciding on something safe to say.
Ty nodded. "Yeah, probably a good idea."
They worked on the cars, letting the music filtering in the air fill the silence. Cole glanced at Ty on occasion but didn't see any signs of lingering discomfort. Ty would sometimes catch his gaze and smile.
That smile.
Ty had managed to corner the market on the concept of tease without trying. When they finished the service on the cars, they shifted their focus to wrapping up the details on the Drayton rig. Cole took on the tasks that would keep him separate enough from Ty to actually be able to focus on his work. He was screwing in a door handle and jumped when his cell phone chirped. He dug into his pocket and looked at the caller ID.
"Hey, what's up?" he said to Julian when he answered.
"Um, I've been sitting out here for about fifteen minutes. Do I need to barge in there with the cavalry?"
Cole looked up at the wall cloc
k. "Shit, man, I'm sorry. I lost track of time. I'll be right out," he said, disconnecting the call. He glanced over and saw Ty walking toward him.
"Sorry about that. I didn't realize the time," Ty said, nearing Cole.
"Neither did I. Julian's fine. I think he was worried about me having driven everyone to kill me off or something."
Ty chuckled. "No. I think we want to keep you," he finished with a smile.
"Stop teasing and kiss me before I go," Cole said. There was no way in hell he was walking out of the shop without a kiss but he wasn't going to push Ty and risk hurting him again.
Ty reached out and cupped Cole's face then placed a gentle kiss on his lips. Cole closed his eyes and inhaled sharply as Ty's lips slowly brushed against his own in a tender, barely there touch. Cole let his arms hang loosely at his sides, unable to coordinate his limbs to move and hold onto Ty. They finally withdrew from the kiss with Ty's gaze carefully watching Cole.
"See you tomorrow," Ty finally said, brushing his thumb across Cole's cheek.
Cole smiled weakly and nodded, enjoying the heat of Ty's hands on him. He backed away slowly once Ty released him. He finally exited the shop and jumped into Julian's truck.
"Did you have a good day at the office, dear?" Julian mocked.
Cole smiled broadly.
"Good" didn't even begin to describe it. He was going to have to start coming up with a few new words to describe how happy he was.
Cole sat quietly on the living room couch at night reading up on the upcoming car model releases. The week had flown by at the shop, and the constant teasing now included stolen kisses. He was happy. Well, he'd be happier if he could move things along with Ty, but he knew better than to push too hard. There was a hint of hesitation in Ty he hadn't been able to decipher so he stayed true to his word and let Ty take the lead.
At least for now.
"Is it okay if Ty comes over on Saturday for dinner?"
Julian looked up from his notebook. "Sure. I'm assuming you're cooking?"
Cole nodded. "I'm thinking lasagna."
"Sounds like a special occasion. You've never cooked that for me," Julian said with his signature half smile.
"When you kiss me the way Ty does, I'll make you a banquet," Cole said with a wicked grin.