Page 23 of Jackrabbit

“Stop hogging him, boss, damn,” Xavier said, and the moment snapped. He threw his arm around Colt’s shoulders and dragged him off.

James was arguing with Liam about something as they disappeared into the shop and came back with a table. They covered it in a clean tarp, and Camila and Joyce chatted as they set it up with some food and drinks.

“Look at these threads,” James said, plucking at the collar of Colt’s suit. “Damn, Colt, you’re making us look bad.”

“Makingyoulook bad, maybe.” Xavier put a hand in Colt’s hair and ruffled it. “Sweet Cheeks over here’s got nothing on me and my shop look.”

Colt couldn't remember the last time he'd had this. People who cared enough about him to celebrate a win that wasn't a street race or a dodged appointment with the undertaker. It turned out that every person in the shop, as well as Larry and Pedro from Joyce's staff, had written a letter pleading his case.

And that felt…good.

More than good.

As he was handed a slice of cake layered with strawberries and fluffy cream that Joyce had made herself, he felt a little bit like he belonged.

“I know you're not eating cake,” Beau said as Colt headed back over to stand next to him again.

Colt grinned and hopped up on the counter in front of the other man without using his hands. “Joyce made this. For me. In her own kitchen. You can pry it out of my cold, dead fingers.” He took a forkful and bit down, batting his eyelashes at Beau as he did.

Beau raised both eyebrows at him and walked the two steps over to lean his forearms on the computer tower next to him. “Don't remember seeing cake on your diet plan.”

He was warm. Always, maybe, but Colt was very aware of it now, the way Beau’s body heat seeped into his clothes even though they weren't touching. Colt had replayed the hug he'd stolen so many times by now that he had every line of Beau's body he'd touched memorized. But mostly he remembered the heat.

He lowered his voice, leaning a little closer. The scent of Beau's cologne wrapped around him and his heart flipped again. “C'mon, Beau.” Beau's gaze snapped up to meet his, and Colt held it. “It's just one piece. You can run me extra hard tomorrow to make up for it.”

For a long moment, Beau watched him with an intensity that felt nearly physical as his eyes flicked down to the no-doubt flushed hollow of Colt's throat before briefly looking behind him. Then he turned his attention back to Colt, and moved. Slowly, like everything he did. One of those hands Colt knew intimately—but not intimately enough—came down next to his thigh. Beau's chest nearly brushed his as he got close enough to talk directly into Colt's ear.

“Careful, boy.” Low and rough, Beau's voice did not have any warmth to it at all. “Didn’t I tell you to keep my name out your mouth?”

Colt’s body did not care about the chill in Beau’s voice. Heat gushed down his spine and pooled in his gut, and he sucked in a harsh breath hereallyhoped Beau didn't hear. Oh, fuck. Oh, he was never going to unhear that.

As Beau pulled back like he hadn’t just rocked Colt’s world with two words and that tone, Colt tried not to shift his hips. Do not draw attention to the semi you're sporting right here in the shop. In front ofJoyce. Oh God.

Colt bolted the second Beau wasn't looking. Just scrambled to the break room and leaned against the door and quietly lost his mind.

The door opened again while he was tugging on his hair, and he turned to see Camila poking her head inside. She'd let her hair down from its bun, and it fell loose around her shoulders. “There you are. Why'd you run off from your own party?”

“Mila,” Colt said as he pushed the door shut and grabbed her shoulders. “Mila. Your boss is fucking hot.”

Camila laughed. “Uh, yeah. He's a stone cold fox. And you've been drooling over his ass since day one. I can't believe you're just now telling me. Usually it takes, like, three seconds.”

“No, but—” Colt stepped back and scrubbed his face. “He just fuckinggrowled‘careful, boy' in my ear. I swear to God I almost came in my pants. Is this a kink? Am I kinky now?”

“You're a disaster is what you are.” Camila sat back on the break table and grinned like she was getting personal enjoyment out of his crisis. “And I once picked you up from your buddy's house at three in the morning where you'd spent three hours getting railed while going down on some girl you'd just met. Kinky train has left the station.”

“Matt and Raquel.” Colt winced. “Don't remind me.”

“Look,” Camila said, and she sounded serious now. When he turned back to her, her smile had slipped. “It's been real cute watching you lose your shit over him, but Merc isn't…he isn't like your usual hookups, alright? You're my favorite slut, babe, but please leave him out of it. Go to the Sapphire Room and pick up some other silver fox if you want to explore whatever this is.”

She was warning him off Beau. Not because she was afraid Colt might get hurt, but because she was afraidBeauwould.

“Aw, Mila, come on.” He leaned back against the wall and smiled at her. “I'd never. And neither would he. I mean, fuck. Look at him. Look what he's done. I'm just some nobody street racer.” His eyes found a crack in one of the tiles and he shrugged his shoulders, his smile slipping. He crossed his arms. “And he's probably straight anyway. Don’t worry. I know what I am.”

“Babe…” Camila wrapped her arm around his shoulders and kissed his cheek. “I didn't mean—”

“No worries, Mila. You're right.” He shrugged off her arm and pulled his mouth into the right smile. “Come on. I didn't finish my cake. Let's go have some before Liam eats it all.”

They made their way back into the main room, and Beau clocked him immediately. Colt smiled at him and came over. “Heya, Mr. Moore. Enjoying the party?”