Chapter 10
Ten
COLT
Classic Christmas songs play through the garage, mixed with the whir of power tools and the clatter of wrenches on concrete. Ridley, the guys, and I are running on caffeine and Christmas sarcasm, working all hours to get everyone’s cars finished before the holidays.
The scent of oil mixes with the faint aroma of peppermint, thanks to someone leaving a batch of candy cane cake squares by the register. They will be coming home with me before these fuckers eat them all.
Ridley hums along to “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree,” grease smudged on his cheek, while Daniel curses under his breath at a stubborn alternator. Jason is dealing with a customer who is collecting his car, and I am working in my office going over invoices, or I should be.
But two faces keep popping in, distracting me from what I should be doing.
River and Theo have been on my mind for days now. How hot they looked sitting close to each other, and images of what I would do to them flash in my mind on a regular basis, giving me the biggest case of blue balls I have ever had.
I spoke to Huxley the next day when we went for coffee, and I explained what happened to him, and he told me to give Theo space. Clearly the man is shy and not used to getting male attention, especially from two men at the same time.
Theo looked shell-shocked when I made advances, but River ate that shit up, the flirty sexy bastard.
I am not one to wait around when I want something, I usually just go for it, but I get the feeling that I would scare the piss out of Theo if I came on too strong. So, I have kept my distance, watching him around town with Patty and when he is working at my brother's bar.
My hands itch to touch him, my lips tingle to taste him.
A knock on my door pulls my attention away from the ignored screen in front of me.
“Brother, I think you need to take the customer who just drove in,” Rid says from the doorway of my office.
I frown at him, but he just grins, jerking his head for me to follow him. Pushing up from my chair, I reluctantly follow my brother outside to see what the hell he is talking about.
I step into the frigid air, shivering, but my body heats up seeing Theo leaning against his car. He looks lost as he scans the yard of the garage. We have cars lined up ready to be looked at, and some to be collected.
I scan him from foot to head, taking him in. He is wearing brown boots, and dark jeans which I see he wears often, topped off with a light grey hoodie under a plaid padded winter jacket, with the hood up.
A smile slips across my face as I take in his wind-kissed cheeks that are red from the cold.
“Yeah, thought you would be happy to see your boy,” Ridley says from beside me.
Theo hears my brother speak up, and he brings his head up, his gaze catching mine. I get a tentative smile as he walks toward me, but my feet move, taking me in his direction before I can think.
Both he and River have been on my mind since the last time we spoke, but I listened to my brother when he told me to give him space.
“Theo,” I greet.
“Hey, Colt.” He looks at me with an expression that tells me he is unsure of how to act or what to say in front of me.
It is my job to make him feel at ease, to make sure that he is not uncomfortable.
“What can I do for you today? And where the hell are your gloves?” I inch closer, making his eyes widen.
“Um, my car is making this rattling sound, and I am not sure what it is. Give me a computer any day of the week, but a car makes my brain turn to fog,” he rushes out.
“Gloves?” I add, as he did not include the answer I was looking for.
A frown dips between his brows before he answers, “In my car?”
I huff, my feet scuffling forward.
The air crackles between us, electric and charged. I can see in his eyes that he wants me as much as I want him, but something holds him back, like he’s too shy to ask for more.
So I decide I’ll make that first step, draw him in and show him that it’s okay to want this, and that when the time is right, we’ll talk to River and include him.
The tension between us is thick, his shoulders bunched up from the cold no doubt, but maybe he is also bracing himself from me. I have been told a time or two that I can be a little intense when it comes to men I want, but no other man has ever made me feel like this besides River.
I decide to lighten the mood, if I can.
“A sexy computer nerd, huh? I like it.” I smirk, making his pink cheeks darken in color.
“Sexy? No. Computer nerd? Yes. Kinda have to be in my line of work.” His voice is stronger.
“And what line of work would that be?” I edge, needing to know more about him.
Licking his dry lips, he shakes his head. “Nothing important. So my car?” I frown at his change of subject.
I study him for a few seconds, waiting for him to say more, but he doesn’t, tucking his hands into the front pockets of his jeans.
Needing to get some alone time with him, I step to him, pulling his hand out of his pocket and locking it in mine. He gasps but does not pull away as I link my fingers with his.
“Baby, your hands are freezing. Let’s go to my office and warm you up.” My ego swells when he does not pull away from me, keeping up with my steps as I lead him inside, but before we reach my office, I call out my order.
“Check Theo’s car for me, Rid. Double check everything. Do a full overhaul.” Ridley salutes me, letting me know that he understands what I am asking from him.
He will do a full workup on the car to make sure that it is safe for Theo to drive.
Walking Theo into my warm office, he shivers behind me, the heat hitting his body. Leading him over to the sofa, I motion for him to sit, which he does and I grin, liking that he takes direction well.
Once he is seated, I study him sitting in my office, while he looks around the room taking in his surroundings, and I like that. He doesn’t realize that him taking an interest in my office is a plus for me; I like seeing him wanting to find out more about me, in such a simple act.
Without asking, I make him a hot cocoa, because come on, it is Christmas and it is fucking cold. Everyone likes hot cocoa at this time of year. Looking over my shoulder, I catch him watching me, so I send him a smile, which earns me one in return.
There’s something about the way he relaxes into the sofa— he has removed his hood, and I smile seeing his hair is messed up, like he has run his fingers through it a few times.
Walking back to him with two steaming cups of cocoa, I hand him one.
“You need to drink this and warm up.”
“Thanks,” he mutters, taking the mug from me.
Taking the seat next to him, I make sure I am close enough so that my thigh brushes against his. I want a reaction from him but without scaring him. When he doesn’t inch away, I grin behind my mug.
Sipping from my cup, I watch his lips touch the rim of his, and I bite back a groan. I picture his lips around my cock, or River’s while I fuck him— either of them.
“Theo, I wanted to talk to you about the other night. When you hurt your hand.”
He says nothing, just nods, but I see curiosity in his eyes.
“I am going to dive right in and explain what River said, about me being a Daddy Dom. It makes me fucking happy to take care of my partner, both in and out of the bedroom. I get off on pleasing people sexually, but I also get turned on making sure that they are well taken care of. Does that make sense?”
With wide, dark eyes that show his interest, he nods, licking his lips before he speaks.
“I do.”
“Good. I have been this way for years, ever since I found out what did it for me. Sex clubs helped, but they have become boring, and if I am being honest, I would like to settle down with someone, or after recent events… two people.”
“Me and River?” he inquires.
I nod. “Yes, both of you bring something out in me that I have never felt before. My Daddy side reared its head when I had the both of you in the room.”
Theo doesn’t reply right away; he just sits there looking at me like he is trying to work out what I am all about, but he will only know that by getting to know me. I am an open book most of the time, but I know what to share, when, and with whom.
Being burned in the past by lovers is something I never want to revisit again, but I know deep down that Theo and River would never hurt me, not intentionally anyway.
My past is the reason I've slept with men and then walked away—it was easier on my heart and soul. But getting older has a way of showing you that you’re wasting your life if you keep running.
At some point, you have to decide which path you truly want to take, and for me, I choose my boys. If they will have me.
“So you want to be with both River and me?”
I blink away my thoughts, focusing on the man sitting next to me again.
“I do, baby. I know that this is not something you have done before, so with you taking me as Daddy, and you and River being my boys, I will show you everything that you need to know about pleasing both me and River, if this is something you would be interested in. No pressure, Theo. I may look a little rough around the edges, but I do have respect for people’s decisions. ”
“How do you know that I have not done something like this before?” His voice has a little edge to it, making me grin.
“I like this feisty side to you, baby. The look on your face when both River and I were touching you.
You looked like a virgin who had just walked into an orgy at a sex club.
There is nothing wrong with waiting for someone special to be with; I get that.
Fuck me, I wish I had waited but that story is for another day. When you trust me more.
“Can I suggest a date? I want to take you out. Show you the town, or maybe we can do something else. Hell, Theo, I just want to spend time with you. We can get to know each other while we are out, and maybe that will convince you that I am not a bad guy.”
“River asked me out on a date also, and I said yes,” he informs me with a rush of words.
Brushing my thumb over the apple of his cheek, smiling at him, I take in his handsome features, and they make my dick stir. The closeness of him also makes me want to get him on his knees for me.
“Baby, I knew that boy would beat me to you, but I am okay with that. If this works out the way that I want it to, then I want both you and River comfortable alone together, but I have a condition.”
“W-what is the condition?” His voice is low yet firm.
“That you both tell me what you did together. I want to know how he touched you, how he tasted you and you him.” He shivers at my touch and my words, making my balls ache for release.
Seeing the heated gaze looking back at me, I know that we are all in for one hell of a sleigh bell ride.