A Restored Man (49 page)
Ty pulled back and cupped Cole's face. He stroked Cole's cheek, hoping to draw his focus. He leaned in and placed a tender kiss against the full lips of the man who had become his shining, bright beacon during his inner storm. He smiled, trying to hold back the emotions that threatened to trickle down his cheeks. "You came back to me."
"I'll always come back home to you."
Ty closed his eyes and pressed his forehead to Cole's, his breathing finally settling to a somewhat normal rhythm. He wrapped his arms around Cole's broad shoulders, and reached up to grip a handful of Cole's thick, dark strands. He dipped his head, pressing his nose against the side of Cole's hair, enjoying the familiar scent that always gave him a sense of peace.
"I love you so much," Cole whispered, tightening his hold around Ty.
Ty sighed and melted into the well-muscled embrace, reveling in the warmth and love Cole always offered, even when he didn't say a word.
Cole reentered the shop after parking the finished Yenko in the showroom. His first car restoration project, and he had to admit, it was just as exciting uncovering the beauty under all that rust as it was to see the sleek elegance of the exotics. It was thrilling and inspiring, knowing he had played a part in returning her to her original condition.
He smiled warmly when he saw Ty chatting with a customer, enjoying the glow that radiated a little more from Ty with each passing day. It was as if a huge weight had been lifted off his shoulders and the dark cloud evaporated once Robert was arrested a few weeks ago. Ty had taken on a steady stream of customization projects and it seemed he had a flood of clients waiting for him to do so. He was busy, confident, and happy. But most of all, he was fucking glowing like a radioactive lightning bug. He was breathtaking.
Cole turned and walked over to Jeff who absently looked over to Ty's exchange with the customer. "Should I be worried you're staring down my man?" he teased.
Jeff raised a gray eyebrow. "Son, if you need to worry about this old bird, you've got bigger problems." He slung his arm over Cole's shoulder, pulling him closer. "Look at him. The way he's smiling with the customer. Even when he's talking, you can see the smile in his eyes. His body language, it's open and welcoming. I hadn't seen that since before the accident." The older man turned and faced Cole. "You brought him back, Son."
Cole had to look away when he saw the older man's eyes haze with emotion.
Jeff pulled him close again and kissed the side of Cole's head. "Welcome to the family, kid," he said before walking away.
Cole blew out a deep breath. That old man was a vampire who thrived on sucking out people's emotions.
Ty finished with the customer just as Drayton entered the shop. They shook hands and chatted for a few minutes before making their way to Cole.
Drayton extended his hand in greeting. "Good to see you again, Cole."
Cole shook his hand. "Did you figure out the engine glitch in the car?"
Drayton huffed a quiet laugh. "Cut right to the chase. Yes, we fixed that before we made the preliminary announcement last month. Unfortunately, we were still working on the correction when everything happened at the charity event. I wasn't going to make the line available until it was resolved. Funny thing is, the standard system check couldn't pick it up. It was you driving her and feeling…whatever that was…seconds before the engine issue that led my team to pinpoint the problem. We wouldn't have found it otherwise."
"Good," Cole said and nodded, shoving his hands in his pant pockets.
"That's part of the reason why I'm here. I wanted to thank you for that and offer you a job," Drayton said.
Cole raised an eyebrow. "I've already got a job." He looked over at Ty and gave him a lopsided grin.
Drayton placed his hands in his suit pant pockets, relaxing his stance. "We officially launch the line next week. I want you on my Research and Development team. I want you to work with my group on technology to make sure my cars can't be stolen. I also want you heading up the track tests. I'll give you a hefty salary, benefits, traveling. You name it."
Cole looked over to Ty then back to Drayton. "Um, you do realize my boss is standing next to me. Right?"
"Yes."
Cole leaned in closer and whispered, "You do realize I'm sleeping with my boss."
Ty held back a smile.
"I'm well aware of that detail," Drayton said casually, holding back a grin.
Cole straightened and bounced on the balls of his feet. "I'm good here." He turned to Ty again whose smile radiated like a spotlight.
"I'll give you a car," Drayton added.
Ty's smile faltered and Cole's gaze snapped back to the man in the sharp suit. "Huh?"
"A company car. One of the new models. You can change models and get a new one each year."
Cole wasn't kidding himself, his ego was a tiny bit more swollen than it had been moments before. He tugged on his beanie and swallowed heavily, hoping he didn't screw this up. "I appreciate the offer, but I'm not going anywhere. If you need me, I'm sure we can contract the work out like you did before with Ty."
Drayton looked over to Ty and placed his hand on his shoulder. "He's a keeper," he said before turning and exiting the shop.
Ty's lips tightened, trying to hide the smile that screamed from his gaze.
"Did you know Drayton was going to offer me a job?"
Ty nodded. "I told him you wouldn't accept, but I think he saw that as a challenge. No one ever says no to him."
"But you knew
I
would?" Cole teased.
"I'll admit, he threw me for a loop when he added the car," Ty said. "I wasn't sure what you were going to do after that."
Cole reached out and grabbed Ty's chin. "I already own a car. One I worked really hard to earn."
Ty smiled. "But I know you love exotics."
"And I love having a shop full of them here. Plus restorations, which I didn't even know I enjoyed, and customizations, and the guys."
Ty pursed his lips and nodded.
"And you," Cole added.
"Where do I rank in that list?" Ty teased, reaching out to run his thumb across Cole's cheek.
Cole cocked an eyebrow and smirked, loving how open Ty had become with expressing himself at the shop. "For our vacation, we're going to a lake or an ocean because you obviously enjoy fishing too damn much."
Ty chuckled quietly. "I can't imagine you'd want to just work in a shop for the rest of your life."
"I'm happy here…with you. But if you ever want to expand the shop, I know an investor who'd be interested."
Ty cocked his head. "Who?"
Cole turned away, trying to focus his thoughts. "Ocram Wheels. The only catch is you'd have to wait a few months or a little longer for the funds to become available. But I know they'd be all in."
Ty's hand clasped Cole's jaw and turned his face, drawing his attention. "Ocram? I've never heard of them."
Cole looked at those whiskey brown eyes watching him as if reaching into his mind and scanning though a catalog of information.
"That's an unusual name," Ty said.
Cole nodded, not really wanting to say too much.
Ty watched him intently. He brushed his thumb along Cole's cheek as a hint of a smile ghosted over his features. "But not as unusual if you reverse it," he said with a knowing smile.
A lopsided grin tugged at Cole's mouth. His Ty was very perceptive. Marco would always hold a special place in Cole's heart, not only for being his oldest brother and best friend, but for nurturing his love of cars. "I was really good at what I did. So if you ever need a silent partner, I'm yours."
Ty leaned in and placed a kiss on Cole's lips. "I do need my partner. But he's not very silent," he finished with a chuckle.
"Smartass. Silent when it comes to the name on the shop. As far as I'm concerned, this is and will always be
Calloway's
. It's your father's legacy and yours. That's never going to change."
Ty absently glanced over to the plaque hanging on the wall and smiled, then turned to face Cole again. "I don't want you behind-the-scenes."
"Then we can start a new test track division or something," Cole said with a shrug. He reached out and grabbed Ty's hand, knowing Ty no longer cared to hide their relationship at the shop. "I don't have a problem holding up the podium for you to stand on."
Ty tightened his hold on Cole's hand and entwined their fingers. "We'll figure it out," he said, his eyes shining with emotion. "By the way, Drayton has two potential buyers from the collectors' show interested in the Yenko. I wasn't sure if you wanted to sell it or not considering it was your first restoration."
"If you like the deal, go for it. Besides, I
am
keeping my first restoration," Cole said, leaning in to place a gentle kiss on Ty's lips. "And I'm never going to let him go."
Ty smiled and ducked his head. "I love you," he whispered.
Cole closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He'd never get over the power those words had over him. He leaned in and placed a tender kiss on Ty's cheek. "I love you, My-Ty."
~The End~
About the Author
Jaime Reese is the alter ego of an artist who loves the creative process of writing, just not about herself. Fiction is far more interesting. She has a weakness for broken, misunderstood heroes and feels everyone deserves a chance at love and life. An avid fan of a happy ending, she believes those endings acquired with a little difficulty are more cherished.
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A Better Man
A Hunted Man
A Restored Man
…More to come…