by Rylon, Jayne
Eventually, they’d shared the peaceful evening together—though the time flew by—complete with a couple pieces of cold pizza and the remainder of her test creations, which Joe had inhaled, unable to restrain himself. A tough job, but someone had to do it. Having the foundation for her happiness nearby cleared her mind. She made her decision in a snap after debating all weekend.
“I’m going to tell the girls as soon as I have the chance.” Morgan was grateful he nodded without her having to elaborate. She should have realized he’d be on the same page even hours later. It made it easier for her to continue, though she had to clear her throat before she could force the rest out. “They’ll need to know to understand why I’m going to wear a diaphragm and insist on condoms next time we’re together. The whole group, I mean.”
“But—” Joe’s jaw slackened. “Are you saying? What happened with James this morning? More of that? Beyond that?”
“Yeah, we discussed it and we’d like to try swapping.” She wondered if he would love or hate the idea. “How do you feel about that?”
“Wow.” He sank deeper into the pile of pillows. “You all were busy while we were gone.”
“And…”
“Most of me says hell yeah.” He scrubbed his hand through his not-quite-dry hair. “And part of me is unsure.”
“Which part is which?” Morgan draped over his chest, relishing the strength of his arms, which came around her instantly.
“I think it would be smoking hot to watch the rest of the crew spoil you.” He licked an imaginary crumb from her neck. “I’ll never forget your birthday. I still remember how sweet that cake tasted when we all ate it off you.”
She would cherish the memory until the day she died.
“But…you know…the other girls.” He rubbed the back of his neck.
“Having sex with them?” she supplied, adoring his stumble considering the libertine delights she’d witnessed him and his friends indulge in.
“Yeah. That’s a big step. Huge. You’re like sisters. I couldn’t stand it if we fucked that up.” He sighed. “It took a while for the crew to find our balance with each other. It’s not easy when all those connections linger. They can glue you together or trip you up. What if everyone gets tangled into a giant knot?”
“You’ve already been with Kate,” she reminded him gently.
“True. But that was before you.”
“I appreciate what you’re saying. It’s those worries exactly that made me hesitate. Still, I feel like we already have these crazy bonds. Do you really think we could ever drift apart?” They both considered in silence for a few moments.
“No.” He reached the same conclusion she had after she’d mulled it over. “We’re one unit now. With that said, if something starts to happen and you decide it’s not what you thought, or it makes you uncomfortable—”
“What if it turns me on to think of you with them?” She squirmed enough to admit exactly which part of her liked the proposition.
“Is that a hypothetical question?” He looked at her as if afraid this was some kind of sick trap.
“I’m willing to try just about anything once.” She nibbled her bottom lip. “And I can think of a lot of things that would be lower on my list. We’re so close. It feels unnatural to limit ourselves.”
“My guess is the rest of the crew would agree with you. I do.” Joe threaded their fingers together. “I would bet my share of the business that we’re not the only ones having this discussion tonight either.”
“I know how much I respect and love the other guys. I believe that goes both ways.”
“Is that a bisexual crack?” He smirked, diffusing some of the tension simmering between them.
“No, but it would have been one hell of a that’s-what-he-said joke if Kay were here to seize the opportunity.” Morgan shook her head, clearing the distraction. “What I’m saying is this… Why would I want you or any of our circle of friends to have roadblocks to expressing our affection for each other?”
“How in the hell did I get so lucky?” Joe rolled, flipping her onto her back. He smothered her so well she wished she never had to draw another breath. “I have the best friends a guy could ask for. A sexy, sweet and dirty wife. And a collection of equally awesome women who all hope to get it on with me.”
Morgan laughed. “That’s a guy’s perspective for sure, but… I suppose you do have it pretty damn good.”
“And I’ll never forget it.” He lowered his face, bringing his lips down on hers, and blanketing her with his flaring heat. “I swear to you. I will always cherish you. And the crew. Our family. However big, small or unconventional.”
With that, they practiced the whole night long.
Chapter Five
Devon tucked a flat pencil behind her ear. She hauled the marked crown-molding to the compound miter saw in the corner, then flipped her safety glasses into place. The whir of the blade never ceased to impress and thrill her. In the blink of an eye, the long piece became two smaller ones.
Building something polished from raw materials, transforming an ordinary space into a home that met its full potential, had satisfied her since she first visited a job site with Ray. Her older half-brother, her mother’s son from her first marriage, was a mason. He’d allowed her to wander freely between the various contractors as long as she kept out of his hair. Babysitting had never been his forte. At the end of the day, he’d found her crouched beside the foreman, who flipped through pictures of the house they worked on in various stages of its construction.
She’d discovered her professional passion when she was twelve years old. The fascination had grown over the past decade. But the crew elevated her craft to new levels. Though she’d been around the business forever, nothing had rivaled their attention to detail, flair for design or pride in their workmanship. Each man was held in high regard in his area of specialty. The friendship they shared enhanced their partnership. And now that dream team miraculously included her on its roster.
She grinned and bopped to Hot Chelle Rae’s “Tonight, Tonight”. The party anthem blasted through the beat-up radio they toted from site to site. It might rely on duct tape to hold it together, but it kept her entertained. Her shimmy punctuated the chorus. Dancing on the Hollywood sign couldn’t match the euphoria her career and partners produced.
After checking the alignment of the angle, she dry-fitted the pieces on the ground before climbing her ladder to shoot a couple brads into the detail. With the finishing touches on the dining room as complete as she could make them, she hopped down to the hardwood floor, hands on hips, and surveyed the fruits of her labor. Pretty damn fine if she said so herself.
Devon rotated her wrists, which ached a bit from the awkward angle she’d had them at most of the morning. She peered through the plastic sheeting intended to confine dust to her workspace, into the living room. This house would make a great starter home for someone, complete with a smattering of furniture even.
Some of the pieces abandoned by the former residents, who’d moved suddenly following a job offer out of state, had great character. Devon planned to beg Kate to undertake some experimental reupholstering of Neil’s hideous college-days sofa so she could apply the learning to sprucing up this set. She could picture the finished product in her mind.
Plus, it would be a handy skill, allowing her to bring something new and different to the crew’s capabilities. Win-win, it would also eliminate the burnt sienna plaid monstrosity from her home. Their home. James would definitely vote in her favor on this one.
A rustle from behind her had her glancing over her shoulder.
“Came to lend a hand. Doesn’t look like you need our assistance, though.” Neil ambled into the room with the rest of the guys in tow.
Dust clung to their holey jeans and T-shirts. Dirt streaked their arms. Exertion had their cheeks glowing. Rugged and filthy, they still managed to steal her breath. Maybe more than when they spruced themselves up.
They’d focuse
d on demolition and the structural concerns rampant in the basement while she completed the more refined project on the main level. Worked for her, except she’d missed having them nearby. Okay, so one stinking floor below her didn’t constitute a huge rift. Still, it was enough. Anywhere beyond her grasp seemed too far.
Their faith in her skills overwhelmed her with smugness. They wouldn’t allow her to roam unbridled if they had any doubt about her capabilities.
Mike inspected her progress carefully. “This is good shit, Dev. I like how you built up the molding with the dental piece on top of the cove. Looks fantastic. Cost effective. Solid workmanship too. It’s stuff like this buyers will notice and pay more for. They don’t give a crap that we’ve made sure their foundation won’t crack and sprayed enough insulation in this place to save them a boatload on energy bills. Nice work.”
“Thanks, boss.” She giggled when he smacked her ass with one of his leather gloves. She couldn’t resist teasing. “Was that my reward?”
“Careful or I’ll put you over my knee, imp.” Mike’s warning held no heat, unless it was the kind borne of desire.
“Promise?” She would have liked to play more. If there wasn’t one last thing she had to attend to. “Seriously, though, I couldn’t reach the tray section, even with the ladder. Could one of you hammer this in for me?”
The twitch of Neil’s lips guaranteed he’d caught her double entendre. “I suppose I could toss it a couple bangs, since I have such a big tool.”
“Have a big tool or are a big tool?” Dave smirked.
“That’s what he said,” Devon said simultaneously. She groaned when none of the crew laughed along with her.
Mike imitated a sad trombone with a descending waa waa waa.
At least they didn’t have any rotten tomatoes or rubber chickens on hand. Suddenly she had a lot more sympathy for Fozzie Bear. Devon stuck out her lower lip. “Aw, party poopers.”
“Dave, you have to wrestle Kay under control.” Joe smacked their friend in the gut with his knuckles. “She’s got all of our girls doing it now.”
“That’s what he said,” James quipped and high-fived Devon.
“I knew I loved you for a reason.” She stole a kiss, aching for more than the tiny nibble. She hoped he understood how much she adored his infallible instincts, which ensured she was never the odd “man” out.
“Yeah, and let Kayla hear you talk about muffling her. She’ll rip you a new one. Or better yet, maybe she’ll tattle on you to Morgan.” Mike shook his head.
“Oh please, no.” Joe held his index fingers out in a cross as though warding off a clan of vampires on the attack. “I promise. I’ll be good.”
Devon’s face hurt from smiling so huge, caught in the crossfire of their banter. She loved them so much tears pricked her eyes. Quickly, she put her back to the crew and shoved her safety glasses on top of her head like the least designer headband of all time. Kneeling as though tidying her workspace, she scrubbed surreptitiously at her cheeks.
James crouched by her side. His hand rubbed a soothing arc across her back. “What did we say?”
Only then did she realize the room had gone silent, her playlist complete.
She dropped her head on his shoulder and rooted her face into his neck. “You didn’t do anything wrong.”
“What’s all this?” Neil bracketed her. With one hand on James’s shoulder, he nudged her chin up so he could peer at her face.
“I can’t believe how lucky I am.” She sniffled. “Dumb, I know. But you make me so happy. Sometimes I’m afraid I’m dreaming and that I’ll wake up and you’ll all be gone. A figment of my imagination.”
“That’s kind of fucked up, Dev,” Joe murmured from behind her where he, Dave and Mike stood shoulder to shoulder, guarding her back.
“Gee, thanks.” She snorted. “Okay, now I know you’re real men.”
“We’re in this for the long haul.” Mike dropped a hand to her stubby ponytail and mussed the strands already flying free, since her hair was really too short for the ’do.
“You couldn’t get rid of us if you tried.” Dave towered over her. His commanding presence reassured her. They all did.
She reached out to Neil and James. Neil nibbled on her trembling fingers, layering kisses along the digits he cradled as delicately as if they were a precisely calibrated set of calipers. He paid special attention to her ring finger and the stylized tattoo gracing it. They’d offered to buy her a ring. Fought with her over it, actually, until she convinced them the extravagance would go to waste. Safety prohibited her from wearing jewelry most of the time.
Truth be told, she preferred the indelible marking—a vine that wound around the base of her finger and cradled two flowers that mimicked center stones, one red and one yellow, the guys’ favorite colors—as permanent as their residency in her heart. If the artwork bore traces of sawdust, Neil didn’t seem to mind. More like his breath steamed harder against her wrist when his tongue traced the proof of their possession.
James captured her mouth. He coaxed her lips apart with skill and finesse that never ceased to amaze her. For a guy who claimed to prefer men most of the time, he sure as hell knew how to trip every single one of her passionate triggers.
He dazzled her with the thrill he inspired. Dizzy, she tipped into Neil’s waiting embrace. He rose smoothly to his feet, lifting her too.
“Come here.” He must have aimed the directive at James, because she had no choice except to go where he toted her. Not that she minded. Never would she have complained.
His gruff commands echoed through the space, which they’d cleared furniture from.
Devon closed her eyes as Neil ducked beneath the plastic shield they’d hung in the arched opening to the living room. When Mike, Dave and Joe evaluated his trajectory and guessed where Neil intended to place her, they jogged ahead.
Mike ripped the protective sheet from the worn leather couch and stripped the seat cushions off. He tossed one to Joe and another to Dave. Between the three of them, they converted the rustic coffee table into a padded dais faster than James’s adopted kitty invaded the kitchen when he heard his savior rustling a bag of pricey organic kibble. Only the best for everything and everyone James loved.
Spoiled rotten and reveling in it, Devon winked up at the crew.
Neil swooped in to kiss her even as her legs were tugged from his grip. Her safety glasses clattered to the ground, skidding somewhere under the chair. Devon gasped when someone, James if the deft yet caressing hands were any indication, unclasped her tool belt, unlaced and disposed of her boots, then swiped her jeans off in no time flat. She wobbled on shaky legs when they shifted their attention to stripping her top half.
Thank God for the electric heaters they’d installed to keep the house cozy. They hadn’t overhauled the plumbing yet and wouldn’t take a chance on a busted pipe until they had.
She gulped for air like a fish out of water once her mouth ripped free of Neil’s, their connection severed by the passing of her thermal top. One of the guys nudged her arms up while another whipped the cotton from her body. Left in her cute yet utilitarian cotton bra and panties, she didn’t feel the least bit exposed.
“Your underwear is yellow.” Neil traced the skin beside the cheery straps.
“With red hearts.” James nipped at one cartoony symbol gracing the curve of her hip.
“What better to hug my lady parts all day than something that reminds me of you two?” Her whisper carried in the hush of the calm before the storm.
“Nothing would be pretty damn fine. Imagining you naked beneath those funky, patched overalls you wear sometimes gives me massive wood.” Neil grimaced when several of them paused to consider that mental image. Dave cursed under his breath.
She laughed out loud. Too bad she hadn’t known that before their Valentine’s Day photo session. Although she doubted there’d be any complaints when he discovered the Victorian getup she’d stashed in the back of their closet. It had made her wai
st look tiny.
“What?” Neil shrugged. “I have to have something extra special to daydream about when I’m stuck worming around in dark, dingy crawlspaces to examine foundations, or evaluate attics, or check for mold, or whatever other duties these guys claim the skinniest of us should be on the hook for. If I thought about rats or spiders or asbestos monsters lurking in those tight spots, I’d flip out.”
Devon laid her hand on his forearm. “I’ll take inspection duty next time. You shouldn’t have to if it makes you uncomfortable. I’m the littlest. Not afraid of bugs either. And claustrophobia has never been an issue. I kind of like being crowded.”
As if by tacit understanding, each crew member took a step closer. Their heat and hunger blasted her from all sides as they encroached on her personal space. She closed her eyes and leaned toward Neil, trusting him to catch her.
Of course, he did. They guided her to the improvised bed they’d constructed. She yelped at the initial contact of the cool leather on her skin. Ten hands petted and soothed her until they abolished any hint of chill.
“Scoot over, Dev.” James whipped his clothes off, then nudged her hip with his knee. She made room for him to join her. “I’m in the mood to share the bottom with you today.”
“Or do you mean share your bottom?” She nipped his lip when he slipped his arm beneath her neck, supporting her.
“Either works for me.” He pressed a delicate peck on the tip of her nose. “But I wouldn’t dare steal your fun.”
“There’s plenty to go around.” She switched her gaze from man to man to man to man, ringing them.
When she licked her lips, they shed chambray, denim and leather as if it were a race. Maybe it was. Dave finished first. Though Devon expected him to reach for James, or maybe the industrial-sized bottle of lube they kept in their tool chest, he didn’t. Instead, he straddled the head of the coffee table, planting one foot on either side of her and James. He squatted until his thick cock hung between their faces.