A Restored Man

by Jaime Reese

  Cole shrugged.

  "Talk to me. Please," Ty said, reaching up to stroke Cole's cheek with his thumb.

  Cole closed his eyes and tried to focus on the heat of Ty's palm and the rhythmic stroking of his finger. "I'm different around my crew."

  "Different how?" Ty said in a coaxing tone.

  "I don't know how to explain it."

  Ty pulled him into an embrace and ran his fingers up and down Cole's back.

  Cole sighed and rested his weight on Ty. He wrapped his arms around Ty's waist and just enjoyed the quiet of the moment where nothing existed but the heat of Ty's body and the dull hum in his head.

  Ty placed a gentle kiss at the side of Cole's head. "They're due to arrive at any moment. So just spill it. Tell me how you're different."

  Cole stepped back and tugged on his beanie. He worried his lip and shoved his hands in his pockets. He looked at the wall clock again and shuffled his feet. "I'm bossy."

  Ty chuckled. "I hate to break it to you, but you're normally bossy. You're more of a control freak than I am."

  Cole huffed a quiet laugh. "I get bossier."

  A smile spread across Ty's face. "You say that like it's a bad thing."

  Cole crossed his arms and arched an eyebrow. "Underneath that calm, cool, conservative, clean-talking guy is one twisted, potentially submissive man."

  "Maybe it's just me liking all the layers of your personality."

  Cole looked up at the clock again.

  "Staring at it won't make it move any faster," Ty said. He pulled the radio from his pocket when it chirped. "Go ahead, Stacie."

  "Mr. Calloway, we have cars arriving and some of the new people."

  "We're on our way," Ty responded, returning the radio to his pocket. "C'mon, boss man."

  Cole placed a gentle kiss on Ty’s lips. "Just don't hate me," he said before walking out.

  Cole exited the office and exhaled heavily. Two months was a tight timetable to get everything finished, but he didn't have much of a choice. He had to make sure Ty had everything under control before his time at the halfway house was over just in case there wasn't a long-term job for him at the shop. He had planned every last detail of the schedule to make sure everything would work out. Even if Ty hated him after all this, that would be fine. He just needed to know Mr. Asshole didn't have a leg to stand on should he try to come back to blackmail Ty again.

  He looked over and waved when he spotted Lee and Bear arrive and two customer cars pull into the bay.

  Game on.

  * * * * *

  Ty walked out of the office, feeling positive and light on his feet for the first time in far too long. With Cole's plan and proposed schedule, a huge weight had been lifted off his shoulders. He was confident Cole had everything under control based on his thorough inquisition of every tiny detail. But for some reason, Cole was still incredibly nervous. He had noticed that last night during their phone call with Cole's endless chatter about everything and nothing. They spoke of cars, Ty's weekend with Aidan and how the rift was closing between them in addition to a wealth of random topics. Ramblings. And it seemed he couldn't stop.

  Ty secretly loved it when Cole took control. For once, Ty didn't feel as if he was weak or giving up. Rather, he felt as if Cole wanted to share in his burden, offset some of Ty's struggle like a partner would. Even though he had a need to be the one managing a situation, with Cole, he found himself willing to grant him the reins, knowing full well Cole had his best interest at heart. He never doubted that for a second.

  He made his way over to the service bays to make sure everything was set up for his techs and their regular service calls before Cole's crew arrived. Stacie had blocked off their area just as Cole had requested to avoid prying eyes from either the crew or the shop's tech team. All his requirements had been followed to the tee. The Yenko was hauled over to the showroom bays and everything was locked down. Stacie had brought in the whiteboards he requested to list the project assignment and track their progress.

  Bossy didn't really capture it.

  Cole wanted his team to be focused on their work and he had zero tolerance for distractions.

  Ty smiled when he thought of their discussion that Friday evening.

  "If the shop has too many tempting things, then maybe we should try doing the service tickets elsewhere. I'm sure I can call Drayton and—"

  "No," Cole said and shook his head as he continued to sort the tools and take down the framed posters on the wall. "This place is fine but we need to move the Yenko, lock the showroom, and block off the area."

  "Why is the Yenko so tempting? It's still a work in progress and the value is in the final restoration," Ty said. "If you don't trust your team at my shop—"

  Cole walked up to Ty and invaded his personal space. "I trust my crew."

  Ty pursed his lips. "So what's all this crap about temptation then?"

  "I told you, they're distractions. They'll want a life history on the project, what you plan to do, how you plan to do it. They're all gearheads and will talk you to death if you let them. Hell, they might even try to take over the project. But if they're focused, they're hardcore. And that's how I need them to be during the next two months to stay on schedule."

  Ty couldn't help the laugh that escaped. Only Cole would work with a team of car strippers and thieves who would be more concerned with getting a project profile on a Yenko restoration than stealing the quarter of a million dollar car.

  "Mr. Calloway," Stacie said, pulling Ty from his thoughts. "What would you like me to do about lunch today?"

  "Ask Cole what he'd like to do with his team. He's got a process and I don't want to mess with his schedule," Ty said and smiled.

  "Oh yes, Mr. Renzo has quite a schedule," she said. "He's already given me a list of customers to contact for the rest of the week."

  As soon as Ty had informed Stacie that Cole would be leading the group of newbies while they were at the shop and that she should take direction from him, she immediately began addressing him as Mr. Renzo. "How many have arrived?"

  "Three of his team so far and four of the cars to be serviced," she said.

  "Can you please make sure Jeff has everything he needs?" Ty said, leaving Stacie to check on the techs while he made his way to Cole's area.

  Arriving at the bays blocked off for the service project, he saw Cole had opened all the rolling doors and was guiding the cars inside while one of his crew members drove.

  "That's Tracker," a voice said from behind. "He can find anyone and anything."

  Ty spun around and was immediately greeted by a lean man with a huge smile and dark hair held back with large sunglasses.

  "I'm Lee. You must be Ty," he said, extending his hand in greeting.

  "So you're one of Cole's friends," Ty said, shaking his hand.

  "Yup. He said he needed us, so here we are. We flew in late last night."

  Ty was definitely not above prying information from Cole's team. "Do you usually drop everything when someone calls you and asks for favors?"

  Lee huffed a laugh. "For Cole? Yes. Anyone else can suck it."

  Ty tried to hide the stab of jealously behind a smile. "So Cole's special to you," he said, hoping to lure Lee into conversation.

  Lee slapped Ty on the back. "You are not a master of subtlety. If you want to know something, just ask. But you better do it quick. As soon as Cole starts leading, he gets in the zone and we need to focus on whatever we're doing."

  Ty looked over and saw another person arrive. The man's tall, lean-muscled frame exited the car with a smooth glide of movements. Cole spotted him and immediately smiled, walking over to him and offering a hug.

  "That's Geek," Lee said. "Aside from knowing cars inside out, he can hack into any system. So whatever we can't get the old-fashioned way, Geek just does his magic for us."

  "He and Cole look…friendly," Ty said, forcing the words past his gritted teeth as he saw the two of them standing a little too close for his comfort.
>
  Lee chuckled. "Cole's a natural flirt. I think that probably comes with the extreme talking condition. But he's very particular about who he's with."

  Ty turned quickly, suddenly more interested in Lee than Cole's interaction. "Really?"

  Lee nodded. "I've known him for years. He flirts and teases with everyone, that part comes easy to him. But end of night comes around, he's usually flying solo."

  "So you and Cole never—"

  "Nope. I'm not his type. He actually hooked me up with my partner," Lee said, holding up his hand and spinning the band wrapped around his ring finger. He looked over to the group of people standing by Cole and pointed. "That's him, the one with the black T-shirt. He goes by Bear."

  As if hearing him from across the bays, the broad man in the stretched black T-shirt turned toward them and smiled. The softness in his eyes a complete contradiction to his tough, large exterior.

  "So Cole's got a type," Ty said, hoping to coax Lee back to a more selfish topic. He hated feeling self-conscious but it seemed Cole's crew was very close to their team leader. A little too close.

  A wicked grin spread across Lee's face. "Apparently, you are. And he was very clear that we all need to 'back the fuck off,'" he said, using his fingers to mimic air quotes.

  A smile tugged at the corner of Ty's mouth. He could deny it to Cole until he was blue in the face but he secretly loved Cole's possessive streak. "So what's your specialty?" he asked.

  "Audio systems."

  "Really? Do you do custom work or just strip it out?"

  "Both," Lee said with a laugh. "We have a shop back home where we do custom installs."

  Ty cocked his head, questioning. "And you left your business to come here for two months to work for free?"

  Lee neared Ty and spoke quietly. "We have the shop because we love doing the work, it's not because we need to. Working with Cole for so long helped us build a very nice cushion over the years." He crossed his arms and faced Ty. The happy, joking demeanor replaced with conviction. "Whatever Cole needs from us, he's got. He's never asked us for anything. Ever. He managed to take a group of people who would probably have ended up on a street corner or in a jail cell and made sure we worked on our skills and had enough sense to stash some money from each job. He could have easily burned us all to save his ass but he didn't. That's not his style. He made us all swear to never contact him or visit him in prison to avoid anyone connecting the dots. We were all surprised he called and we couldn't wait to jump at a chance to do something for him for a change."

  Ty looked over at Cole and his crew again. He could easily see the spirit of comradery flow between them as they laughed. Cole was possessive and territorial, but it was obvious he was also protective. Ty had experienced that firsthand the day of the storm.

  Lee did a chin up gesture when another car arrived. "That's Sadie and Grasshopper. She can take apart an engine faster than you can say your ABCs."

  "Why do they call him Grasshopper?" Ty asked.

  Lee pulled off his sunglasses and repositioned them on his head again. "He's a bit jumpy and twitches. He can't control it. The funny thing though, when he's working with cars, he settles down and has super-steady hands."

  Cole welcomed the two new arrivals, looked around as if searching for something, then stilled when his focus landed on Ty.

  "That's my cue to back off and get with the crew," Lee said with a laugh as he walked away.

  Ty was mesmerized, returning Cole's fierce gaze with equal intensity. His skin tingled as if Cole's fingers ghosted over his arms and up his neck. He had to look away when a wave of desire flooded his body and tightened his chest. He closed his eyes and tried to level his breathing, doing his damnedest to ignore the visual of Cole's hair swaying with each upward grind against his body.

  "Shit," he cursed under his breath, running a shaky hand through his hair.

  He couldn't resist and turned to watch Cole as he corralled his crew and had them follow him around the bays. He explained the schedule and expectations for the upcoming weeks—five days a week, two weeks on, one off then repeat until the work was completed. Even Ty had agreed and made sure to reschedule any doctors' appointments for the off weeks to fit Cole's schedule. At this rate, all the service tickets would be completed in two months rather than the year Ty had planned—agreeing with Cole's plan was a no-brainer. He watched as Cole led his team, all mesmerized and listening intently. He demanded the 'Three F rules' apply, and enlightened them of the 'fucktard' who was trying to blackmail 'his man.'

  His man.

  Ty's heart pounded. He hadn't realized how much he wanted to feel possessed by someone or desired so openly. Cole had no shame sharing with his team his hatred for this man who dared to threaten his man's well-being.

  There it was again. That phrase. That possessive declaration that sent a bolt of desire unlike anything he had ever experienced coursing through Ty's body. He would never have imagined two small words would incite such a storm of need within him.

  Cole stood before them, arms crossed and a veil of authority clearly dominating his expression. The smiling, laughing, teasing tone replaced with a strong, firm pitch of unmistakable authority. His team listened attentively, like a group of marionettes, their focus shifted to the right, following the movement of his hand when he pointed to the board. They were under his spell, being led, controlled.

  And all had willingly chosen to do so.

  Cole led each of his crew to their assigned stations. He turned to look at Ty, concern briefly flashing across his face. His jaw muscles flexed, evidence that something still wasn't right. He stalked over to Ty, his gait commanding and powerful.

  "Are you okay?" Cole asked when he stood in front of Ty.

  Desire thrummed through Ty's body, heating his skin. His heart pounded savagely against his chest, strangling each breath he took. "In my office, now," he said and turned toward his office.

  He opened the door and signaled Cole to enter first, then, as gently as his shaking hands allowed, he flipped the lock carefully trying to avoid the click.

  Cole turned and faced Ty, confusion and nervousness coloring his expression. "You're worrying me. Are you okay—"

  Ty dropped to his knees and quickly undid the button and zipper of Cole's work pants. He yanked the pants and underwear down to his ankles in one swift move then wrapped his mouth around Cole's hardened shaft, taking as much as he could swallow in a single pull.

  "Fuck!" Cole yelled, widening his booted stance as much as the pants around his ankles permitted. He ran his fingers firmly through Ty's hair, holding him in place.

  Ty inhaled sharply through his nose, reveling in the sharp pain of the tight grip against his scalp. He planted his hands on Cole's hips, pulling him closer, enjoying the fullness and flavor flooding his senses. He dug his fingers in the firm muscles as he rhythmically tugged Cole's hips, savoring the silky taut skin gliding against his lips.

  "Ty," Cole said hoarsely.

  The grip in his hair softened. Cole shifted one hand to the side of Ty's face. Ty moaned with each brush of the gentle caress, pulling Cole closer, wanting to take every millimeter of him that was offered.

  "Ty," Cole groaned again, swaying with each pull. "Stop."

  Ty pulled off slowly, not wanting to stop. He rested the side of his face against Cole's thigh, breathing in the drugging, musky scent. "Why?"

  Cole pulled Ty up, holding him steady when Ty slightly swayed. "I'm not coming without you." He grabbed Ty by the back of the neck and pulled him in for a brutal kiss.

  Ty tore the beanie off Cole's head and gripped his shirt for balance. A groan escaped when the dark, silky strands brushed against his face in a gentle caress. Cole plundered his mouth aggressively, greedily taking every ounce of desire Ty granted him. He gasped when Cole's hand unzipped the front of his coveralls and reached in to wrap those warm, strong fingers around his rock hard shaft. Cole snaked his arm around Ty's waist and pulled him closer, flush against his body and hard again
st his heated arousal.

  Cole pressed his forehead against Ty's and clasped both shafts in one of his hands. Their warm breaths mingled with each steady, firm up and down stroke. "What's gotten into you, my shy metal man?" he said.

  Ty couldn't speak, he couldn't think. All that mattered was the closeness, the heat emitting from Cole's body, and the tight grip sliding up and down his painful arousal. His legs weakened and slipped, held only by Cole's arm wrapped firmly around his waist. A moan escaped him when he felt a spark flicker at the base of his spine. His head lolled to the side, still resting against Cole's forehead.

  "Say something or I'm stopping," Cole said, reaching out and sucking on Ty's lower lip then pulling his lip between his teeth before releasing the tender skin.

  A whimper escaped Ty, his body thrumming with the need for closeness and an urgency for release.

  "I love that sound," Cole whispered hoarsely, speeding the strong hold on their joined shafts.

  The pounding of Ty's heart echoed in his ears. His pulse raced and his breath quickened. He was close, too close. He twisted his grip on Cole's collar, trying to fight the orgasm that chased up his spine. He gritted his teeth and screwed his eyes shut as another whimper escaped.

  "Mmm," Cole moaned against his ear. "Say my name."

  Ty couldn't concentrate on anything past the firm, steady up and down rhythm. He couldn't think, he couldn't breathe, and he could barely stand on his wobbly legs. "C-C-Cole—"

  Cole grunted and Ty bit back a yell when they came together. Ty felt his legs give and Cole instantly tightening his grip around Ty's waist to hold him steady. "I love it when you stutter for me," he said, brushing kisses along Ty's jaw.

  Ty quietly laughed, barely able to catch his breath. "I can't think straight when I'm around you."

  Cole sucked in Ty's earlobe and trailed a path of kisses along Ty's neck. "Good. I like you all bendy. Body and brain."

  Ty chuckled weakly.

  "I made a mess of you," Cole said.

  "I don't care," Ty said, placing a gentle kiss on Cole's lips.