Page 62 of Just Hold On

Epilogue

The four ofus made our way back to the hotel. Jorge and Isaac knew what was going on, at least enough to not be shocked. I was pretty sure Aubree would by morning. Still, J.D. spent the entire drive promising me that Ty was cool, this was ok, and he was pretty sure Cody was into me.

I felt like I'd just pushed my way into their good thing, and yet here they were, all being just a little too cool about it. Sure, Cody was a little flustered, but I couldn't really blame her. From what I'd been told, she'd come from a small town to a real big tour. For the next few months, we'd all be living on long roads, in big cities, and for the next ride. The question was if there really was any room in all of that for me.

For some reason, we all piled into Ty's room. I knew J.D. had one just a few doors down, but tonight he didn't seem interested in it at all. Trying not to show how out of place I felt, I took off my hat and set it with the rest. Straw, black, straw, black - they made a nice pattern sitting side by side on the dresser, brim up. Almost like some metaphor for the four of us.

Then, like it was no big deal, Ty started ordering up some food and a few drinks from room service. Cody was focused on her gear, clearly trying to keep busy. J.D.? He announced to the room that he was going to have a very long, very hot shower - and he dragged me with him.

"Leave the door unlocked," Ty yelled at him. "It's the only bathroom we have."

"Suite next time," J.D. called back

Ty just huffed at that. I wanted to. I should've been sharing a room with Isaac tonight, just to make sure our money lasted until Finals. Just dropping the cash for a suite? Yeah, that was so far out of my budget, but I wouldn't complain. I loved my job, and when J.D. casually reached over to turn on the shower, I decided I could really get used to this.

"So," he told me, keeping his voice low enough that the water would cover most of it, "I'm willing to share if you are."

"You hittin' on me, J.D.?" I teased.

He grabbed my jersey on both sides of my waist and lifted. "Naw, I'm taking you for granted. C'mon, it's just a shower."

Damned if my dick wasn't starting to wake up. Trying to ignore it, I lifted my arms and ducked out of the sleeves, pulling my head out last. Beneath that, I had on a layer of impact protection, then a tank under that. J.D. watched as I casually dropped each layer to the floor.

"Oh, you can keep going," he assured me.

Instead, I tipped my head at him as I turned to lean my rump on the sink. "I was waiting for my own show. How bad you beat up, man?"

He sighed and pulled off his shirt, not even bothering with the buttons. I'd seen his tattoos last night, but I still liked them. The hard line of his abs looked even better in the harsh fluorescent lighting. I tried to pretend like I was just taking off my shoes, but when he unbuckled his belt and opened the front of his pants, yeah, I stole a look.

And that was when I saw it. J.D. had a lot of tattoos, and when trying to play it cool, I hadn't really gotten to gawk at them. Still, right there, just an inch beneath where his jeans would sit was a symbol I recognized. It wasn't a popular one, but I'd made a point of learning all the signs. Made it less likely I'd get my ass beat.

"Bisexual crescent moons?" I asked. "What made you pick those?"

He reached up to scratch at the back of his neck. "Prolly the same reason you wear a purple jersey?"

"Half blue, half pink," I agreed. "Yeah. Met a few guys because of it."

"Same here." He paused with his hands on his jeans. "You know they're just out there, right?"

I nodded. "Kinda hard to forget."

"She thinks it's hot."

"That's what she said," I agreed. "But what about you? Am I just supposed to be a party favor to keep her entertained?"

J.D. pushed, shoving his pants to his ankles just to step out of both them and his boots in one motion. He quickly stripped off his socks as well, then turned for the shower. He wasn't fast enough to keep me from seeing it all, though - and damn, there was quite a bit to see. The sound of the water changed as he moved beneath the flow.

I glanced back to the open door, then shucked off the rest of my clothes and followed him. On the other side of the shower curtain, J.D. wasn't ashamed about raking his eyes over my body, so I returned the favor. Damn, but I liked my guys long, lean, and ripped. The lines from his waist to hip were overly defined, but not from a gym. Those were built from riding. His biceps were thick, the forearms as solid as stone, and his chest? Yeah, the collar of tattoos only made the flat planes even more amazing to look at.

"She likes you," he said, moving so I could have the water.

There was something so comfortable in the way he acted around me, like he didn't care if I approved. He also made me feel like he expected me not to, though. Too bad. I'd been attracted to him for a little too long, and being here, like this? It felt like that moment just before a bull made contact. That split second when I knew it was going to hurt, but had already resigned myself to work through it. I'd wanted this for so long, and he'd just offered me a cake with three layers of extra icing.

I stepped toward him, angling his back to the wall. "Hey?" I asked, loving how he gave in to my pressure. "What are we doing, J.D.?"

He just lifted his chin, his eyes even with mine. "We're figuring it out, Tanner. Me, you, her, and Ty."

I moved a hand to brace myself against the wall, pressing it right beside his neck. "Yeah? In the shower?"

Slowly, he nodded. "Yeah, because it ain't just her I need to take care of anymore. It's you, too."

"And you," I pointed out. "Man, you're as 'gay' as me."

"And Austin won't fuck with me. None of them will. I put thirteen stitches in that asshole, paid thirty grand for the privilege to the PBR, and made sure I'm nowhere near his radar. You? He thinks you're some weak little queer boy he can torment. Cody? She's a girl, so clearly no match for him. Now, we know he's wrong - on both accounts - but that don't mean he won't try."

"So you're standing here naked with me because you think I'm a poor little dude in distress?"

"No," he said softly. "I'm standing here with my dick so hard it's pounding because you're hot. Look, I was a dick yesterday morning. I know it, but my knee was killing me, I'd just ruined my shirt, and things with Cody were getting a little complicated. I threw shit at you, thinking it'd make me feel better, but I never expected that."

"For me to be into guys?"

He just shook his head. "For you to kiss me like that. Fuck, man." His dark brown eyes searched mine. "Pretty boys like you are supposed to be soft."

I felt one side of my mouth lifting into a smile. "I'm not a pretty-boy, babe."

"Yeah," he told me. "You kinda are. Not some metrosexual or something, but you've got that home-grown sexy thing going on." And then he ran his hand over my chest, sliding it up toward my neck. "You look like you should be blushing."

I just bent my elbow, leaning in until my lips were right above his, the scruff of his beard just tickling my skin. "I don't blush. I don't squeal. I may look all sweet and innocent, J.D., but I'm just as fucking crazy as you." I paused. "Maybe more."

And then I closed that last inch. This time, I kissed him softly. My mouth brushed across his, feeling when his lips parted. I kissed his top lip, then the bottom, slowly reaching up to slide an arm around his back. J.D.'s hand closed on the back of my head, and he pulled until we were touching completely. Mouths, chests, and all the way down to our hips, each of our dicks pressing into the other's pelvis.

Then the curtain slid open. Nothing was said, but something about the sound told me it wasn't Ty. It was just a little too gentle. The quick little breath confirmed it. Then J.D.'s hand tightened, holding me to him. Behind me, Cody made the softest little noise in the back of her throat, but she stepped right on in.

"I got tired of waiting for the shower," she said, acting like it was no big deal.

When she interrupted the water, I pulled away from J.D. to look. Sure enough, that little cowgirl was as naked as the two of us, her head tilted back, breasts pointed up, sluicing water all the way through her hair.

"Oh, damn," J.D. breathed.

A chuckle came from the other side of the curtain. "Lemme know if the water gets too hot," Ty warned, and then the sink turned on.

J.D. didn't care. He reached out for Cody and pulled her closer, but gently. She gasped, her eyes flying open and dropping down, right to where both of our dicks stood at full attention.

"Oh," she breathed.

Unfortunately, Ty was still right there, and evidently, he heard that. "Condoms don't work well in water," he warned us. "No fucking without one until you get a clean test, J.D."

"Fuck off," he shot back. "You telling me you're any better?"

"Used a condom," he countered.

Cody just pressed both hands to her face, and I could see the blush burning on her cheeks. "Hey," I said, easing her hands down. "None of that."

J.D. stepped away from the wall to guide her back under the water. Granted, there wasn't a whole lot of space with three of us in here, but I was fine with that. When her back was in the stream, J.D. did something I hadn't seen coming. He grabbed a bottle of shampoo from the side - which looked girly enough to be hers - and squirted a palm full, then worked that into her hair.

Cody just kept her eyes on me. "I'm really bad at this," she told me.

"I kinda disagree." When a little foam began to roll down her forehead, I wiped it off. "I think you're doing just fine, Cody Lane."

The sound of her middle name made her smile. "What are we doing, Tanner?"

"I have no fucking idea," I promised. "I think you're beautiful. I think J.D. is sexy..." Then I raised my voice. "And Ty's a bit of eye candy."

"Fuck yeah, I am," he mumbled, sounding like he was brushing his teeth.

"Most of all, though," I continued, "there ain't a person in this room that's got a clue. We're all just faking it, trying to prove that we're the coolest of the lot, and hoping that the people we're interested in will buy it."

Her pretty blue eyes moved from one of mine to the other. "Is it working?" A hint of a smile curled her lips.

"Yeah, Cody, but I can't choose. I've liked J.D. for a long time, and I think you're the most amazing woman I've met in my life, but..." I shrugged, realizing too late that it made my dick bounce. "I like both of you."

"Me too," she breathed.

J.D. pushed up against her back. "Me three," he added.

"I just want Cody," Ty announced. "You boys can fuck each other, but I'll pass on that part."

"No slipping and falling onto your dick?" J.D. teased.

I heard two steps, and then Ty peeked his head around the curtain. "Still straight. Still not freaking out." Then he ran his eyes over Cody. "And if there was any more room, I'd join you three."

"Oh," Cody breathed.

Ty just nodded. "Yeah, baby. We all have our kinks. There's not a damned thing wrong with yours or theirs. Or mine." Then he leaned over to steal a kiss, his shoulder brushing right across my chest. "And for right now," he told her, "I think it's ok that we don't know."

"We'll figure it out together," J.D. decided.

I nodded in agreement, my eyes on Cody. "And we'll let those two big strong men keep us safe, ok?"

She pulled in a deep breath, her chest rising enough that I had to struggle not to look down, but her next words hit me hard enough that I no longer cared that she was naked. They showed me the kind of woman she really was.

"No, Tanner. The four of us? We need to change the rules." She glanced back at J.D. "They fucked me on that score. We all know they could pull Tanner's contract for conduct that could embarrass the PBR - meaning being with you. Someone has to do it first, right? And out there are a bunch of women who keep saying I'm their hero." Then she looked over to Ty. "I kinda need to figure out how to be one, and I'm hoping you'll show me how."

"We all will, baby," he promised.

I just caught her cheek and turned her face back to mine. "Together?" I asked.

She nodded. "Yeah. Together."

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