A Restored Man

by Jaime Reese

Cole looked at him with a glint of mischief in his mismatched eyes. "I figured you had spare coveralls."

  "I do."

  "Good," Cole said then ran the palm of his hand down Ty's torso on the coverall fabric leaving a vertical smear of their combined release in its wake. "Are you going to fold this and stash it away too, Oh Twisted One?"

  Ty chuckled and pressed a kiss to Cole's smiling lips.

  Cole pulled up his work pants and underwear and tucked his shirt. "So tell me, what triggered this? What happened that got you this horny? Because whatever the hell it is, I need to know so I can do it again and again and again."

  Ty grinned and carded his fingers through Cole's dark hair, pulling him close again. "I don't know. There was something about the way you were back there, leading your team."

  Cole looked away briefly. "I thought you'd hate me after seeing that. I can't help it. It's like I flip a switch inside. I turn into a man on a mission or something and I need to be in control when it comes to work."

  "How could I possibly hate you like that? It was as if your regular charisma was on overdrive, with a focused goal. It's alluring and mesmerizing," Ty said, still running his fingers in Cole's hair.

  "You really like dicking around with my hair, don't you?" Cole said with a chuckle.

  "What's the Three F rule?"

  Cole cocked his head in question.

  "You said it out there, to your crew. You demanded those rules apply. What are they?" Ty asked.

  Cole ticked each rule off on his fingers. "No fucking. That's for anyone who thinks they can sneak in a little side action. No fucking around, because I refuse to slow down the schedule. And no fuck ups, because I hate mistakes when working on jobs."

  Ty chuckled. "You do realize we just blew one of your own rules?"

  Cole shrugged. "You're worth it, so don't knock it," he said, kissing Ty gently on the lips. "I need to get back to work and so do you. We've each got cars to work on today and I'm not breaking another rule in my code."

  "Yes, boss," Ty said, picking up the beanie from the floor. He finger-combed Cole's hair and slipped on the knit hat again.

  Cole shook his head and held back a smile. "You, my sweet, shy metal man have a certified hair fetish."

  Ty bit back a grin. "I kinda like what's attached to all that hair as well."

  Cole's eyes glinted with mischief and something else Ty couldn't quite place. "I think I found my personal superhero's weakness."

  "I think you did," Ty said and gave Cole a chaste kiss. "Now get back out there and do what you do best. I'll be out there in a couple of minutes after I change."

  Cole nodded and headed toward the door. He hesitated and turned before exiting. "Ty…"

  "Yeah?" Ty prompted after Cole remained silent for a few moments.

  "Thanks," Cole said, tugging on his beanie then slipping his hand under the material to tuck the hair at his sides. He looked back at Ty and smiled.

  Ty cocked his head, curiously. "For what?"

  Cole looked away and fidgeted, grabbing the doorknob and pausing. "For everything," he whispered, before unlocking the door and leaving the office.

  Ty stared at his door, unable to move after Cole's words. He had no idea why Cole was thanking him. He had done nothing other than agree to hire him. He hadn't expected a new hire from the local halfway house to have skills that would rival his senior tech's. But Cole had proven his worth in the shop on numerous occasions. As if that wasn't enough, he had made it his mission to firmly plant himself in Ty's personal life as well. Cole had single-handedly awakened a desire to fight, a wish to smile, and a craving for laughter Ty had missed for far too long.

  He should be the one thanking Cole. Because of him, Ty finally felt alive again.

  After two intense workweeks with Cole's crew and finishing his follow-up doctors' appointments during the current 'off' week in Cole's rigorous service ticket crisis resolution schedule, Ty took advantage of the remaining days to work on the restoration project. Although he'd always taken on classic and muscle car restorations on his own, the awe he had seen in Cole's eyes that first night always seemed to crawl back into his mind. He couldn't wait to share the restoration tasks with Cole.

  "So, um…what do you do when you're not here?" Ty asked, trying for a nonchalant tone.

  Cole was on a shop creeper, looking at the underside of the Yenko's body. He rolled out from under the car's frame and looked at Ty. "Huh? Oh, you mean nights and weekends?"

  Ty nodded and turned away as a flush of heat rose to his cheeks. When the hell had he become self-conscious about asking questions like this?

  "I don't really go anywhere at night because of the curfew. Other than work, that's about it on the weekdays. Weekends, I don't really have anywhere to go other than my mom's house," Cole said with a shrug. "Julian takes me by for a visit or he'll let me tag along to run errands if I haven't pissed him off too much during the week. You come over for dinner when it's my turn to cook," he said with a smile. "Those are the best nights."

  Ty looked back at Cole who had returned his focus to the car. Cole lowered his brow as if thinking, then quickly looked back at Ty with a half smile. He sat up on the creeper and rested his arms on his knee. "Why ya asking?" he said with a slow, playful drawl.

  Ty shrugged, feeling the heat on his face again.

  Cole stood and walked over to Ty, his gait a slow cat-like prowl. Ty closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He hated feeling self-conscious, hated the doubt that snuck in. Dammit. Cole was giving him space, forcing Ty to let him know when he was ready to move things along between them, but the fear of possible rejection still stung. He finally opened his eyes and Cole was standing directly in front of him, looking at him and waiting.

  The cocky bastard smirked. "If you want something, just say it."

  Ty looked away, his cheeks burning again. He scowled and sneered as the doubt twisted his gut. Cole had already seen his burn scars and didn't care, he'd seen the surgery scars and that hadn't fazed him either. They had already shared far more than a few stolen kisses, and yet, Ty still hesitated, worried whether Cole would want more.

  Cole grabbed his chin and turned Ty to face him. "Say it."

  Ty wanted to spend time with Cole without interruptions—without Aidan walking in, without the stupid radio chirping in at the worst possible time, without the worry of a tech sneaking up on them, without a single other soul around them so they could take their time to explore each other. Stolen moments in the office and a few dinner nights just wasn't enough.

  "If you don't say it, it'll never happen. You've been through tougher shit than this. So just say it."

  Ty's heart pounded like a sledgehammer against his chest. "I want you."

  Cole shook his head. "Try again. You've already got me here. Say what you mean."

  Ty looked away and tried to swallow past the knot in his throat. Why the hell is this so tough?

  Cole grabbed his chin again and turned his face. "I'll make it easy for you. My answer will be yes. So ask."

  Ty scowled. "If your answer is going to be yes, then why do I even have to ask?"

  Cole half smiled and stroked Ty's cheek with his thumb. "Because I know there's a guy in there who, years ago, would have asked the question. But he's hiding out like a fucking turtle in a shell. You're my metal man, get out of your shell and ask me."

  Ty steeled himself. This shouldn't be so hard. "Would you like to spend the weekend with me?" he finally said in a spill of words, his chest tightening.

  A smile spread across Cole's face. "That wasn't so hard now was it?" He leaned in and kissed a path along Ty's jaw to his ear. "What do you want to do with me all weekend?" He wrapped his arm around Ty's waist and pulled him closer, flush against his body.

  Ty tilted his head, every nerve in his body hypnotized with Cole's teasing, the heat of his body, and the hardness pressed against him.

  "Tell me," Cole said, working a hand to unzip the front of Ty's coveralls.

  Ty'
s heart sped when Cole pressed the palm of his hand against Ty's shaft, moving up and down against his underwear.

  "Tell me," Cole said hoarsely. "I'll do anything you want as long as you tell me."

  Ty groaned when Cole's hand shifted. He dipped a finger along the seam of the underwear, slowly following the waistband until his hand reached his back to squeeze Ty's ass.

  "Tell me," Cole growled.

  He couldn't think when Cole's strong hand kneaded his ass. His heart pounded so hard it echoed in his ears and head. He gasped when a finger teased along his crease, finally finding the words through the fog of need in his mind. "I want to spend the weekend with you in bed."

  Cole slowly withdrew his hand from Ty's coveralls and took a few steps back.

  Ty swayed slightly, trying to maintain his balance and clear the desire clouding his vision to focus on Cole, who now stood a few steps away. "Did I say something wrong?"

  Cole screwed his eyes shut and placed his hands at the top of his beanie as he paced. "No, but if you said anything more I wasn't going to give a shit if Stacie or someone else walked in on us. And I know how picky you are about that." He stopped pacing but still kept a bit of distance between them. "It feels as if I've been waiting forever for you to ask to spend some time together…alone." He chuckled quietly. "I really don't have as much self-control as you seem to think I do."

  A grin tugged at the corner of Ty's mouth and a spark of determination began to flicker inside. "Is that so? So, let me see," he said, crossing his arms and slowly, exaggeratedly rubbing his chin. "I want you to kiss me."

  "I already do," Cole said, huffing a nervous laugh.

  Ty stilled and looked at Cole, hoping to communicate exactly what he was thinking. "All over," he said, challenging.

  "Shit," Cole cursed under his breath.

  "Then I want to lick you."

  Cole pressed the palm of his hand against the bulge in his pants and winced.

  Ty remained steady, firm, suddenly empowered. "I'm going to lick every fucking inch of your body—"

  Cole stalked over to Ty and pulled him in for a fierce, possessive kiss. He pushed his lips hard against Ty's mouth and gripped the back of his hair. He effortlessly shifted Ty exactly where he wanted him as he dove into the kiss, exploring, tasting, claiming.

  Ty gasped for air when Cole withdrew from the kiss and rested his head at the side of Ty's neck.

  "Yes, to all of it. Anything you want. Yes," Cole said breathlessly.

  Ty stroked the back of Cole's neck and wrapped an arm around his back, running his hand up and down Cole's spine.

  "You said fuck," Cole said, placing a gentle kiss at the side of Ty's neck.

  Ty closed his eyes when Cole's breath breezed across his skin. "I knew that would get your attention."

  "I don't care where we go or what we do as long as I have you all to myself," Cole said.

  Ty placed a gentle kiss on Cole's lips then took a step back, zipping up the front of his coveralls. "I have to do some paperwork. Right?"

  "I have a form in my locker for the weekend pass."

  Ty cocked his head. "You have one in your locker?"

  "I didn't want you backing out once you asked," Cole said with a smirk. "I figured I better run and get your signature before you changed your mind."

  A smile tugged at the corner of Ty's lips. "I won't change my mind. I finally moved into Aidan's old studio apartment, so we can hibernate there."

  "Does it have a kitchen?"

  Ty nodded. "A big open one…and it's practically new. I don't think he ever cooked in it."

  "I'll break it in for you," Cole said. "I'll feed you all weekend. I want to make sure you have plenty of energy," he finished, waggling his eyebrows.

  "Then we're going to have to go for groceries. I don't have anything there but chips and candy bars."

  Cole scowled and crossed his arms. "I don't understand how you live off that shit."

  Ty chuckled. "It's called survival."

  "It's called not taking care of yourself," Cole said with a shooing wave of his hand. "Don't worry about it. I'll break you in, too." He turned away and returned his focus to the work at hand.

  A chill traveled through Ty's body at the promise in Cole's words. He was probably reading too much into it considering the amount of teasing between them, but he couldn't help but hope for more once they finally had some alone time away from everything. Cole looked back at Ty before rolling under the car and flashed, by far, the most wicked grin Ty had ever seen during his time at the shop.

  Ty's stomach tightened with anticipation. Their upcoming weekend suddenly seemed a few torturous light years away.

  Ty shifted his weight from foot to foot in the elevator, watching the numbers slowly illuminate and dim in sequence. He spun his key chain around his index finger while his heart slammed against his chest. Too long, he had waited too long for a weekend alone with Cole. Two months of endless teasing and vivid fantasies had him worked up and twitchy. A stopping hand reached over and stilled the nervous clanking of his keys.

  "Stop it, it'll be fine," Cole said in a steady tone.

  Ty let out a nervous laugh. "I can't believe how nervous I am." He looked over at Cole who stood steady, calm, more still than Ty had ever seen him before. "Are you nervous at all?"

  Cole arched an eyebrow. "I'm going to jump you as soon as we cross your doorway, so I'm saving my energy," he said with a wicked grin. "Consider yourself warned."

  Ty swallowed heavily. His chest heaved with each breath, fighting the visuals of everything he wanted Cole to do to him and vice versa. Every corner of the loft would be christened, marked, clearly stamped broken in, as Cole had promised.

  And Ty couldn't stand waiting another torturous minute.

  A number dimmed as another one lit up.

  Ty closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

  "Is the bed to the right or left when you walk in?" Cole asked in a level tone.

  "Right."

  "How many more floors to go?" Cole asked.

  "Ten."

  Cole pursed his lips. "Remind me to kick Aidan's ass for picking a top floor apartment with slow elevators."

  Ty laughed. "The place was a steal of a deal from the developer who was an old Marine friend of his. If you knew what he paid, you wouldn't mind walking up the stairs if you had to."

  Cole looked over with a deathly serious expression. "I don't think my hard-on would let me make it past one flight of stairs," he said, turning his head to face forward, focusing on the closed doors in front of them. "Please tell me your bed is new. I can't think of Aidan—"

  "It's a new bed. Aidan didn't have one," Ty said, watching the numbers dim and light.

  Cole scowled. "Aidan's weird."

  The elevator finally dinged, indicating the arrival at their floor.

  "Please tell me he doesn't have a key," Cole said, slinging the duffle bag for his weekend stay over his shoulder.

  Ty shook his head. "Nope, it's mine. He said he never wanted to walk in on us again. Said he wanted to bleach out the visual from his brain," he said, chuckling.

  A smile spread across Cole's face. "Good. Serves the fucker right for interrupting."

  The much anticipated ding signaled their arrival on Ty's floor. They both fidgeted in place until the metal doors finally slid open. They squeezed through the opening then quickly passed the bank of elevators, heading down the hallway to the loft.

  Ty turned right, and with quick strides, arrived at his door within seconds. He tried to unlock the door as Cole dug into the side pocket of the duffle. His heart was beating so strong he thought it might be the reason his entire body vibrated so much. Cole withdrew a small brown bag and shoved it in his back pocket before zipping up the duffle again.

  Ty finally steadied his hands enough to slide the key into the lock. He exhaled when he turned the knob and opened the door. Cole immediately walked through and Ty turned to lock the door. He heard the thump of Cole's duffle hitting the fl
oor.

  "Nice kitchen," Cole said in a thick voice.

  Ty turned to respond but barely caught his breath when Cole captured his mouth and pushed his body against Ty's, pinning him to the door. He yanked the beanie off Cole's head and threw it to the side then desperately tugged Cole's shirt out of his jeans, trying to maintain contact with Cole's demanding lips.

  Cole separated from the kiss and pulled the shirt off over his head and quickly did the same with Ty's. He ripped off Ty's shoes then pulled down Ty's jeans and underwear in one last sweep. Cole was efficient, coordinated, each movement swift and precise. Ty was thankful, because he couldn't remember if his jeans were button-fly or a zipper, let alone have the coordination to actually undo them.

  Ty stood completely naked and on display while Cole wore his jeans and boots. Cole stood still, looking feral with his dark hair disheveled and his chest heaving with each breath. His gaze slowly traveled up Ty's body in a lazy exploration, triggering another wave of desire to course through Ty's veins. His hands immediately went to cover his torso as a flush of embarrassment heated his skin.

  Cole stepped forward, wrapping an arm around Ty's waist and gripping Ty's face with a firm hand. "I've told you more than a hundred times already. I don't give a shit about the scars. You're fucking hot." He crushed his mouth against Ty's in a possessive kiss and pulled Ty's body flush against his own, pressing Ty's heated, rock-hard shaft against the coarse denim. A slow groan escaped Ty as he slid his tongue along Cole's, wanting desperately to feel the heat of Cole's body against him. They walked and almost stumbled toward the bedroom, neither wanting to break the kiss or tangle of tongues.

  Ty stopped against the foot of the bed and grabbed Cole's shoulder for balance, digging his fingers into the hard-muscled flesh. They separated from the kiss and pressed their foreheads together, the sound of their heavy breathing echoing in the otherwise silent room.

  Cole hesitantly brushed his shaky fingertips down Ty's cheek. "I want you so much I can't promise I'll be nice—"

  Ty silenced him with a kiss. "Take these off," he said, tugging the belt loop of Cole's jeans.