Rebel on the Run (10 page)

Her cheek heated beneath his knuckles as he swiped away another tear from her crystalline eyes.

“You should take it. It’s yours.” She sniffled.

“I like thinking of you behind the wheel. In control and confident. Sexy and fast.” He hummed, willing his erection not to make a comeback at the thought. “Keep it. Things were always more important to you anyway.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” She stiffened in his grip, putting space between them. He hated that gap and tugged her back into place, draped over him.

“Only that I thought you enjoyed creature comforts. You’re not going to be able to come by them so easily anymore. You’d better hang on to what you can.” He groaned. “Or sell it. I can help you line up a buyer and negotiate a fair deal. Things are going well here at the shop. Better lately than I could have imagined. But I can’t provide everything your dad could have.”

“He couldn’t give me the one thing that mattered.” Kaelyn stared him down, revving his engine even more with the slightly pissed-off stare she flung in his direction. “Don’t think I don’t know the value of love, Bryce. Don’t think I wouldn’t trade that other junk in a second for the real thing. I think that’s why it was so easy for Montgomery to deceive me.”

“I still can’t believe you fell for a guy named Montgomery. He even sounds like a douche.” Bryce snorted, hoping to distract her from her ire with his sense of humor. She used to prefer laughing to fighting anyway.

She slapped him, but giggled. “Well, I thought I did. I should have known what I felt was only a shadow of what could be.”

Kaelyn looked away then.

“I’ve seen love firsthand.” Bryce spoke soft and slow, afraid of how much he might reveal. “All you have to do is spend a few minutes around Eli, Sally and Alanso or Kaige and Nola to feel how hot it burns. The real thing. There’s no mistaking that.”

He felt like a hypocrite when he ignored the inferno turning his heart to cinders for the woman splayed over him. But so much had happened, so soon, he was afraid to scare her with what he suspected. He’d detected that same devotion in his eyes when he caught his reflection in the bathroom mirror while he’d feasted on her and again while they’d visited their younger selves in the photograph.

“Yeah, I could see that earlier.” She nodded and bit her lip. “Just, don’t assume I’m like everyone else from our world, okay? You know I’m not. Or at least you used to.”

Maybe he’d tried to convince himself she needed posh things to assuage his guilt over having to desert her. It’d been easier when he thought she couldn’t survive in his new life. One full of hard work and dedication. It wouldn’t be everyone’s first choice, though he thrived in the environment.

“I’ll keep that in mind, lady.” He tugged a lock of her hair, thrilled when a smile etched into the corners of her luscious mouth. For the first time in a long time, he saw her dimples flash up at him and his restraint nearly disintegrated like a rusty muffler on a bumpy road.

Bryce cupped her chin in his palm and directed her toward his mouth. He lay as still as possible when she accepted his invitation and placed a series of featherlight kisses on his lips. He groaned and clenched her hips to keep from wresting control from her.

After all that had happened, he sensed her need for some power. Little did she know, she had him wrapped around her pinky. Or maybe some other choice parts of her magnificent anatomy.

Kaelyn climbed him, settling her mouth more firmly on his as she aligned their bodies.

No way could she miss his arousal. Neither did she seem put off by the thick ridge of his cock, which she began to sinuously glide against as she devoured his wicked grin.

His hands roamed down to her ass, cupping her and encouraging her to ride him to both their delights. The bare flesh of her pussy heated him through the sweats he’d changed into and he groaned into her mouth.

Thinking of how fast he could have his pants off and a condom sheathing his rock-hard erection, he didn’t hear the knock at the door at first.

Kaelyn’s guilty look and the jump she took off him onto the mattress was his first clue. By the time she dove beneath his comforter, covering her nude legs and bare pussy, he’d become aware of some of his surroundings. More than Kaelyn and her infectious hunger anyway.

A light rap came again.

“Who is it?” he barked.

“Sally.” She cracked open the door and peered in with big doe eyes that couldn’t fool him. She was no innocent. The nosey woman glanced between them, seeming almost disappointed when she noticed their clothes and the distance separating them. “I brought you some leftover pizza and a couple beers. We thought you might have worked up an appetite while you were getting to know each other again.”

Bryce glanced at the clock on his night table, surprised to see how late it had gotten. It seemed time flew when Kaelyn was near. His stomach growled in response.

Kaelyn and Sally laughed at him as Mustang transferred a pizza box and a bucket of beer into Bryce’s clutches. Kae, pizza and beer—he was as happy as Buster McHightops in a mud puddle with those three things in his bed.

“I’ll get out of your hair, just wanted to see how everything’s going.”

“It was pretty great until you interrupted,” Bryce grumbled as he leaned his shoulders against the headboard. “But I appreciate dinner. Thanks for thinking of Kaelyn when I was…distracted.”

“Anytime.” Sally winked as she backed toward the door. “Well, you two enjoy. Don’t expect we’ll see you before the morning so…sleep tight. Or not.”

A lyrical chuckle followed her out the door. Bryce wished he could spank her for her good-natured prying. But that would require a heck of a lot of explaining.

He glanced at Kaelyn, who peeked into the box.

“Something wrong?” He joined her under the covers, scooting closer so that their thighs rested along each other, instantly heating where they touched.

“There are no plates. Or napkins. Or cups.” She glanced around as if the contents of the kitchen cabinets would suddenly appear.

“You’re an honorary Hot Rod now, lady. You’re going to have to rough it.” Bryce reached across her and twisted off the cap of a beer before handing it to her. She probably had champagne tastes. Still, she didn’t wrinkle her nose when she took a big gulp.

Flipping back the lid of the pizza box, Bryce pulled her closer so that they could eat slices over the greasy cardboard simultaneously. Their impromptu picnic seemed to grow on Kaelyn as she forgot about dirtying his sheets and dug into the gooey delight.

Soon they were laughing like they had when they were kids chowing down on a piece of birthday cake they’d stolen away to her tree house, filling up on stringy cheese and slugging down beers. Bryce could honestly say he’d never been as attracted to Kae as he was when she looked over and licked red sauce straight from her fingers. When she sucked on her thumb, he just about had a heart attack. They passed the rest of the evening with laughter and stories. Catching up on where they’d been, the people he’d known and learning what each other liked these days. Most of the fundamentals hadn’t changed. She was still the girl he’d adored under that womanly grace and charm.

“So…I probably should have asked sooner, but you don’t have a girlfriend, do you? I told you about Montgomery. Have you had someone…special?” She seemed horrified by the idea as she rolled onto her side on his pillows and squinted at him.

“Nah.” He shrugged, though hesitating as he wondered what she’d call the Hot Rods. Sure, he slept with them, Mustang Sally and Nola included, but it wasn’t like they were his. They were Eli’s and Kaige’s women. Alanso’s too. Lent to him for their pleasure and his own.

“Why don’t you sound certain about that?” She sat up, nibbling her lower lip. “I assumed, after what happened in the bathroom.”

Her pink skin turned an unhealthy shade of green as she probably drummed up some horrible scenario that had them both cheating on an imaginary woman in her mind.

“Kaelyn, I promise, I’m not tied down. I don’t have anyone of significance.” So why did that feel like a lie? He tried to explain as best he could without breaking his friends’ confidence. He’d have to talk to them. Soon. About what to share. How much. How soon. And what Kaelyn’s presence meant for them going forward.

Except he didn’t know.

The thought of pulling away from the group socked him in the gut, stealing his breath. He remembered what it had been like the night of Eli, Alanso and Sally’s wedding, watching Kaige walk away with Nola. He didn’t want to do that. Not to himself or to his friends. But it was a lot to ask of Kaelyn, especially when he knew she didn’t have a lot of bedroom miles on her.

“Okay.” She settled again, snuggling into his pillows, looking so adorable he wanted nothing more than to smother her with kisses.

“So…before, when you said you don’t have a lot of experience with guys.” He cleared his throat, needing to know what speed to set his cruise control for. “What exactly does that mean?”

She rolled to her back and studied the ceiling for so long he thought she might not answer.

So he reached across the bed and entangled his fingers with hers, giving them a squeeze to let her know he wasn’t about to judge. Still it shocked him when she came clean.

“Sex is boring.” She took her free hand and covered her eyes as if it was too much to bear looking at him as she confessed. “I’ve pretty much explored on my own. With vibrators and stuff, you know. But…with a guy? Yeah, it’s more trouble than it’s worth. The awkwardness, the pretending it’s great, the ego stroking. Eh, I can get myself off in a fraction of the time and go about my day on my own. A much better plan, I think.”

Bryce nearly choked on his tongue. “You were engaged. How could you agree to marry a man you weren’t passionate about?”

“Uh, well, I think we both know a guy like Montgomery only wanted me as a trophy.” She huffed out a sigh. “He probably had some side action for sport. When we made love, he was…so damn polite. I never could lose myself in the moment. Heck, it was more like asking someone to pass the salt at the dinner table when you really want to pour on a gallon of hot sauce, you know? I tried to be adventurous, but he was vanilla to the core. And that didn’t do it for me. So I quit pushing for more and took care of myself. I could see us being one of those couples, like people in a ’50s TV show who have separate beds.”

Bryce figured that was a fate worse than death. Freezing yourself in a cold partnership when there were so many amazing ways to blaze. The Hot Rods had shown him that. He could think of only one reason Kaelyn would settle. “You were scared to look for better, weren’t you?”

Tears glistened in her eyes. “I guess. I know what it’s like to lose a best friend. Someone who touches me deeply instead of skimming the surface. I couldn’t stand to be consumed by that kind of connection again. Montgomery was convenient. Practical. We might have built a pleasant life together if he’d been what he seemed, instead of my dad’s crony.” 

Bryce couldn’t say he was sorry. The guy obviously hadn’t deserved to touch something as magnificent as her. Still… “Wow. Uh, Kaelyn, I think you should know that I’m thinking pretty dirty thoughts about you. And have been since the second I saw you in that field. Shit, since I was old enough to know what I could do with you. Vanilla’s a fine flavor, but I like a hell of a lot more variety than that alone. There’s a bunch of spice in my cabinet.”

Somehow, admitting his lechery seemed to be the perfect thing. She dropped her hand and beamed over at him. “Seriously?”

With a nod, he grabbed her fingers and slid them to the bulge in his sweats. “Is there really any doubt? I’m a card-carrying freak. And I love that you might be too.”

“Bryce,” she murmured.

And he knew she was going to torture him with whatever fell out of her pretty lips next. Because he wasn’t sure he could give her what she wanted without taking too much. Was he capable of being gentle enough for a princess like her, one who liked the idea of excitement without having experienced it?

“Yeah, lady?” He manned up and promised himself he’d try.

“I want you to be my first. Like my
real
first. You won’t hold back on me, right? I want sex. Super sex. Sweaty, passionate and fierce.” She licked her lips, driving him nuts. “Will you f-fuck me?”

Even her stumble over the naughty word turned him on. Bryce took a deep breath and counted to ten so that he could give her time to change her mind. He didn’t want to pounce on her and ravish her like the brute he feared he might be instead of the charming prince she’d imagined him as.

“Damn. Sorry. That was ridiculous of me to ask, wasn’t it?” She tugged the covers around her, as if anything could prevent him from doing as she requested. “Can we forget I—”

“Hell no, we can’t.” He growled as he got to his hands and knees and stalked closer. Looming over her on straight-locked arms, he dropped down to nip her neck then worked toward her mouth. Her gasps and soft moans encouraged him as he settled over her.

But part of him wanted to make it as dreamy as he could.

Hell, it was her first
real
time, she deserved some romance. Despite what she thought, he knew genuine adoration was a component of blistering hot attraction. Eli, Alanso and Sally then Kaige and Nola had shown him that. They blended affection and lust into something he’d die to give Kae. He thought of the flowers in the service station downstairs and the soft lighting of his lamp on the bedside table. His iPod was in the living room. In a few minutes he could at least improve on the sparse situation and give her a blend of both.

Plus, he could use a pit stop after sucking down those beers with Kae.

“Hang on. I need a minute if we’re going to do this right. I’ve got to go get some…protection.” He mumbled as he tried to engage his big head and silence the little one that screamed at him for letting her escape. Especially when he had condoms in the nightstand drawer. Silly, but he wanted to surprise her, just a bit. “You’re welcome to clean up if you want. I know I kind of distracted you before you were finished in the bathroom. Get ready, because I’m not going to pull my punches. You won’t be able to sleep through what we’re about to share. I promise you that.”