Page 43 of Slow Ride

18

Wren probably should have realized that catastrophe was the only possible outcome of her, Kason, and Jordan colliding at Trevon’s birthday party.But if she wanted Kason to be part of her life, like Jordan already was, they were going to have to learn how to get along or at least tolerate each other.

That didn’t mean she was excited by Jordan’s presence the very first time she was going to see Kason in person since Jordan had interrupted their make-out session after the concert.Especially since she’d then fooled around with Jordan after that.

Things were tangled enough as it was.She didn’t want Kason to think there’d been more going on than she’d admitted to.Because there hadn’t been.

If seeing Jordan there today, while she was anticipating Kason’s arrival with every cell in her body, only ramped up the intensity of her desire, well…that was fine.Because soon she’d have someone to slake her lust with.

Kason probably wouldn’t mind reaping those extra benefits.

Now that she’d congratulated her friends on their amazing news, she didn’t think anyone would notice or mind if she and Kason stole away for some quality alone time.After spending every night the past two weeks talking for hours and falling more and more in like with him, she was ready for some hands-on activities.

She turned in a slow circle, but didn’t see either Jordan or Kason.Uh oh.

“Hey, Alanso,” she called to her friend, who’d been standing closest to the guys last time she’d seen them.“Did you see where Kason went?”

“Unless your singer and Jordan were going to check out a project in the garage, I think they went to have a man-to-man discussion.”He winced.“Hopefully with their words and not with their fists, yeah?”

Wren was thinking the exact same thing.Apparently so was Van.He was beside her in a flash.“I’ll help you find them.”

“Great, thank you.”She smiled up at him as they both took off across the grass.

Alanso shrugged and jogged until he was a few steps ahead of them.“I probably should have said something sooner, but I figured they’re grown-ups.If they want to discuss which of them likes Wren more and what they’re going to do to each other if someone hurts her, that’s not really my business.”

Van chuckled at that, though he didn’t stop his trek up the slope.

“I’m the only one who’s going to be kicking asses around here if you guys don’t quit acting like I can’t take care of myself.”Wren glared at the back of both men as they neared the garage.

“Just because you can, doesn’t mean they—or I—want you to have to.It’s chivalry, not chauvinism, Wren.”Alanso made everything sound romantic when he purposefully thickened his Cuban accent to get off the hook with her.

And it kind of worked.

When they were about ten feet away, he said, “I’m going to take a peek.If they’re just talking, there’s no reason for either of you two to get involved.”

“Fair enough,” Van said, letting Alanso go first.

The bald, tattooed Hot Rod barely opened the door more than a crack before he slammed it closed again as fast as if there were actual flames on the other side instead of the ones painted on the exterior.

“Are they in there?”Van asked.

“Um, yup.They are.”Alanso nodded but wouldn’t meet Wren’s questioning gaze.

She stepped forward, but he flung his arms out across the door.“I don’t think you should go in there yet.”

“Why?Are they beating each other up or something?”Wren tried to reach around Alanso.“Come on, let me talk to them.I promise I won’t do anything dumb.”

“No, no.They’re fine.Just…busy.”

“Busy doing what?”She stood up straighter and lunged toward the door, but Alanso caught her around the waist.

That didn’t stop Van, though.He wasn’t about to let his boss get into trouble on his watch.He knocked Alanso aside, opened the door, then shut it again, too.Harder than Alanso had.“Oh.I didn’t realize… Holy shit.”

Van immediately plastered himself against the metal taking his turn keeping Wren away.

“Wait.”Wren looked between Alanso, who looked guilty, and Van, whose cheeks were flushing by the instant.She went dead still.“They’re getting it on?Are you fucking serious?”

Her first instinct was to run—not away, but closer.

---