Page 23 of Hard Ride

8

The next day, Kyra emerged from the woods surrounding Hot Rides and wandered along the babbling brook toward the garage.Even in winter, with crispy leaves on the ground and clumps of ice left from the first real snow scattered here and there, it was peaceful, serene, and too damn quiet.She needed noise—like screaming fans, blaring music, and especially the beat of her sticks on the drums—to feel comfortable.

The whir of power tools would have to do for now.

Thankful for the gloves Ollie had lent her, she watched the fog of her breath dissipate.The hot chocolate Devra had promised would help thaw her.So she headed for the shop’s break room.

At least with Devra and Wren around—plus the Hot Rods ladies sometimes, too—she had other badass women to hang out with, something she couldn’t often say.Maybe Wren would teach her how to weld shit.With proper supervision, she probably wouldn’t burn the place down.

It would be best if she did something—anything—in addition to taking long, leisurely walks to bleed off her excess energy before spending another night crashed in Ollie’s bed.

Oh yeah, that had happened.

Though to be honest, preciselynothingexciting had happened.Just actual sleeping.

Kyra had counted on having the excuse of freezing nighttime temperatures to justify a snuggle session at least.However, Ollie’s home on wheels was surprisingly cozy, with a diesel heater and a plush down comforter that had thwarted her plans.She should have known Ollie wouldn’t let Mr.Prickles get too chilled.He babied his hedgehog.

Kyra thought she might have sunk to new lows when she realized she’d grown envious of the critter.

Another night of lying next to Ollie might drive her insane.Neither of them had crossed over the perfectly friendly, and surprisingly wide, gap he’d left between their sides of the king-sized bed.So she’d lain there, cocooned in the comfort of his van, listening to his measured breathing and examining his surprisingly strong profile in the moonlight that flowed through the windows.At least Mr.Prickles had entertained her.His nocturnal rustling and antics, as he’d devoured his dinner and exercised on his running wheel, had kept her enthralled for more than a few sleepless hours.He was nearly as cute as his owner.

No matter how hard she’d tried to close her eyes and drift off, all she could think about was how Van had seemed so okay with letting her sleep around.And how very hands-off Ollie had been since Van had dropped her off and she had literally landed in his bed.

Was it wrong to be pissed that both of the men she had crushes on were too damn gentlemanly for their own good?Or was it that neither truly craved her the way she desired each of them?

What was wrong with her?Confidence had never been something she’d struggled with before.Not in the male-dominated field she’d excelled in and not in any other aspect of her personal life.At least, not until both Van and Ollie had started keeping her at arm’s length.

Even if Ollie hadn’t been playing things cool with her, she wasn’t sure what her goals were.At least this way she hadn’t been forced into any difficult decisions.

For all Van said he didn’t give a shit who she fucked, she figured that didn’t mean he’d take her back if she chose someone else over him.Her problem was that she couldn’t pick between them.

And that was exactly why she needed to find Devra and Wren for some advice.

While she never would have considered the possibility of being so greedy in the past, now that she’d seen firsthand how powerful and successful a non-traditional relationship could be, her mind kept racing to the taboo possibility of having her cake and eating it too.

What if she could find a way to be with both OllieandVan instead of being torn between them?

Could she handle them both at once?Would they even be willing to consider an arrangement like that?If neither was all that interested in her to begin with, would a caveat like sharing her with another man scare them away entirely?

Kyra desperately needed some pointers on becoming a temptress when really she was just a tomboyish woman without much experience with the art of seduction.Was she capable of an advanced maneuver like initiating a threesome with two very different, very sexy men?

Would it be worth risking a shot at a relationship with one or the other to experience a single smoking night in bed with them both?

Um… Yeah, maybe.

Each guy had his own perks and downfalls.Things she loved about them and others she didn’t as much.

Take Ollie, for example.He was so easy to talk to and quick to laugh with her.But although she’d given him plenty of green lights over the past few months, he seemed like he had been waiting for…something…to take things further.Even before she’d slept with Van.

The way he kept himself distant from the Hot Rides gave her reason to wonder if forming attachments was difficult or maybe impossible for him.The extra drama between them, in the form of one hulking and moody bodyguard, might be enough to scare him away despite the proof their panty-melting kiss had given that they would be absolute fire in bed together.

Had she killed his confidence when she’d wrenched out of his arms and stormed inside to rail at Van for ruining the moment?If so, sleeping with the guy certainly hadn’t helped matters.

And Van, well, taking charge wasn’t something he struggled with.But he could also be overbearing.Especially when he thought he knew what was best for her and that was keeping them apart.

Kyra was glad for the time and space to really be able to think without either of them influencing her with their potent pheromones.

When she strolled into the open bays with her hands jammed in the pockets of her charcoal pea coat, she was surprised to see two unfamiliar dudes hammering away at a sheet of metal, bashing it into a shape only they could envision.Despite the winter air pouring in from outside, they had their shirts off.Her eyes would have had to have been frozen shut to keep from noticing how damn impressive their physiques were.

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