Hayes set down the highlighter he’d been using on the notes and rubbed his brow, trying to process Ren’s request. “You want the three of us to go out? Like on a date?”
Ren shrugged. “Why not?”
“Uh, maybe because you don’t date. And we’ve never taken a woman we’re sleeping with out unless it was to The Ranch.”
Ren tilted his head in a come-on-now way. “Are you actually going to sit there and pretend Cora is just another sub we’re doing scenes with? Like you’re not secretly over there doodling hearts around her name and trying to figure out a way to get me out of the picture now that you know she’s Lenore?”
Hayes snorted. “Get you out of the picture? Wow, is the great Ren Muroya insecure? Someone call the media to document this. The world is ending.”
“Fuck you, Fox,” Ren said, his tone offhanded but the line of questioning ridiculously transparent. “I’m just saying, you’ve typically gravitated more toward women. And she’s—”
Hayes sat up, reached over and grabbed Ren’s shirt, and kissed him like he liked to fuck him, rough and deep and without coming up for air. When he was done, he shoved Ren back into the armchair and sank back onto the couch, adjusting the front of his jeans where his cock was perking up for the party. “You’re not my consolation prize, dickhead. As some wise Japanese dude pointed out recently, I’m in love with you. And apparently, I’m stuck with that affliction. I fear it’s lifelong. So be worried. You’re not getting rid of me.”
Ren eyed him and took another pull of his beer, but his shoulders visibly relaxed and the corners of his eyes creased—a hidden smile. “Only you could manage to call me a dickhead in some grand romantic speech.”
Hayes reached for his own beer. “What can I say? I have a way with words.”
“And for what it’s worth, I like that you’re into Cora, that she’s your Lenore. I don’t know her the way you do yet, but I want to. I don’t remember things ever clicking quite like they did in the office yesterday, even with you not touching her yet. It felt . . . natural. Easy.” He stared down at his bottle, a wrinkle in his brow. “I just . . . well, I guess I’ve never had anything at stake when we’ve shared a woman in the past. Now it feels . . . bigger. Complicated.” He let his head fall back against the chair, closed his eyes, and sighed. “This love thing is kind of a pain in the ass.”
Hayes laughed and lifted his bottle. “Ain’t that the fucking truth.”
Ren’s eyes blinked open but his gaze remained on the ceiling. “So we should go out. People who are trying to have some kind of relationship go on dates. Plus, we haven’t had a chance to just hang out with Cora and have a good time. Now that you can feel comfortable with her, what’s stopping us?”
Hayes frowned. “I do feel comfortable with her. But that doesn’t mean I feel comfortable going out in public. Can’t we just invite her over?”
“Yes, because that’s not an asshole move. Let’s follow up a quickie at the office where we sent her back to work with an offer of Hey there, we really don’t feel like doing the date thing. Want to come over and we’ll order pizza? Maybe tie you up and fuck afterward?”
Hayes sniffed. “Yeah, okay. I see your point.”
“Come on. You can go over all those notes on Monday. Cora’s locked up the system. The guy who’s after you can’t get to you that way anymore, so we don’t have to spend every waking moment on the hunt. And you shouldn’t have to be scared to go in public. Aren’t you stir-crazy? Work. Home. Work. Home.”
Hayes grunted.
“Plus, look what we’ve got at our fingertips. A gorgeous woman who’s dying to try more kink and who for some unknown reason is into us both. And we have each other. I feel like I’ve opened all these awesome Christmas gifts, but then no one’s letting me take them out of the box so I can play with them.”
Hayes’s lips twitched into a smile at that. “You’ve taken me out of the box plenty this week.”
Ren flipped him off.
“Christmas presents, huh? Are you going to pout now? Maybe throw a fit.”
“You know I could. I was a nightmare of a child,” Ren said. “I still have it in me.”
Hayes sighed. “You know I’d love to take you both out, but it’s . . . hard. Being out. If people recognize me—”
“Then let them look. So the fuck what. We’ve got nothing to hide.”
Hayes ran a hand over the back of his neck, but he couldn’t seem to say no to Ren. And the thought of all three of them just going out for a night of fun did hold a hell of a lot of appeal. They’d done all of this ass-backward. Cora deserved better than that. “Fine. But something low-key, all right? Dinner, a movie, something like that.”
“Absolutely. Low-key. I’m going to go and give her a call.” He hopped up from the couch and ten minutes later returned with another beer for Hayes.
“She shot you down?” Hayes asked.
“Tonight’s a no-go, but we’re all set for tomorrow night. She has plans with her friends but said that we could go along with her.”
Hayes’s mouth flattened. He hadn’t signed up for friends or actual socializing. “Out with her friends. Where?”
Ren settled into the chair and propped his feet on the coffee table. “No big deal. Just karaoke night at that gay club that opened a few weeks ago.”
“Karaoke?” Utter horror filled Hayes. “I said low-key. You better be kidding, Muroya.”
Ren’s smile went big. “Guess you’ll find out.”
Fuck. He wasn’t kidding.
—
Cora fussed with the neckline of her shirt before opening the door for Ren. She felt ten kinds of self-conscious in the outfit. But when Ren had asked her to go out on a date with him and Hayes, she didn’t want to show up in the same old thing. She’d tried a dress Grace had loaned her, but she’d felt like she was in drag. Plus, Ren had told her he liked her style. It wasn’t like he’d expect her to show up glammed out. So she’d settled on a pair of black cigarette pants, a silver tank top, and a pair of heels she’d tucked in the back of her closet. Hopefully, she wouldn’t break her neck.
When she swung open the door, she found Ren standing there and looking like he’d stepped off the pages of a men’s magazine. Dark jeans, thick-soled black boots, and a deep blue button-up shirt rolled up at the sleeves and open at the collar. His gaze traveled slowly over her. “Well, damn. Maybe we should stay in.”
She smirked. “That bad?”
He grabbed her by the waist and dragged her to him, pressing a quick peck to her lips. “That good. You look great. Though, you sure you want to torture yourself with those shoes?”
She smiled. “I figured I should try to look like a girl sometimes.”
“Screw that noise. Just do you. Who says there’s a certain way to look like a girl anyway?”
“The world.”
“Fuck the world. The world also says I shouldn’t be going out on a date with two people. The world has issues.”
“Mmm, agreed. Speaking of which, where’s Hayes?”
“Meeting us there. He said he had some errands to run first, but I’m guessing he just wants a getaway vehicle in case gay karaoke is a little too much for him.”
She laughed. “Gay karaoke is too much for anyone. I think that’s the point. I’m not entirely sure how I got roped into it. Maybe I was drunk when I agreed.”
“Whose idea was it?”
“My best friend, Grace, and my neighbors. I think this is their attempt at making sure I don’t become a workaholic. They have no idea what I’ve been doing at work.”
“Or who.”
“Exactly. I tried to protest but there’s no stopping Grace when she gets an idea in her head. I’m a little surprised you two volunteered to come along, though.”
“To karaoke? Oh, I’m all over that.” He gave her a sly grin. “I’m Japanese. I w
as born for karaoke.”
She tilted her head and cocked a brow. “Oh, really?”
“Okay, so maybe I’ve never actually sang karaoke, but I know I’d be amazing at it. I’m pretty amazing at everything, you know. You think they’ll have Taylor Swift songs? I like that one about Starbucks lovers.”
She snorted. “I’m glad you’re looking forward to it, because I’m definitely not singing.”
“Oh, yes you are, Benning. I obnoxiously invited us along on your friends’ night out for the sole purpose of hearing you sing.”
She crossed her arms. “Good luck with that.”
“There’s nothing a little alcohol can’t fix. Plus, I’m infinitely charming and persuasive. Your stubbornness has no chance against my awe-inspiring powers.”
He gave an evil laugh and she rolled her eyes, but the truth was she couldn’t help but be charmed. He did have that superpower. He put her at ease and guided her to places she’d never thought she’d go with a joke and a smile. Her friends were going to love him.
Some of the nerves that had been hopping in her belly calmed down. The thought of bringing Ren and Hayes to meet her friends had seemed risky when Ren had suggested it. So much about her life lately was separated into neat categories—her “real” life in one sphere, Ren, Hayes, Dmitry, and Lenore in this other place. Bringing the two together was scary. Her friends could reveal all kinds of things about her if the alcohol was flowing. They had enough dirt on her to be the equivalent of the mom showing naked baby pictures.
And Ren and Hayes held even deeper secrets, things her friends would never suspect about her. But at the same time, she didn’t want to have to lie or hide anymore. It hadn’t just been her months as Lenore. Sometimes it felt like she’d spent her life putting on a show, changing costumes, rotating masks, never knowing the right script. She was tired.
She needed to trust that her friends loved her, that Ren and Hayes liked her as is. She just wanted to be Cora—whoever the fuck that was. And this would be a good, though slightly terrifying, step in that direction.
Plus, the thought of going out for a night of fun without all the work stuff and angst hanging over them was damn appealing.
“I think charming people don’t point out that they’re charming.” She put her hand on his shoulder to steady herself and kicked off the dreaded heels and then grabbed a pair of black lace-up boots she’d left by the door. She slipped them on and tied them.
Ren smiled.
“And if I’m forced to sing, you’re going to have to be up there with me.” She stepped onto the porch and hooked a finger in his belt loop. “Plus, I’m thinking I’d be an idiot not to bring the hot Japanese guy to my epic karaoke battle. The competitors will be so intimidated.”
Ren flashed a grin, looped his arms around her waist, and planted a quick kiss on her lips. “Right? We’re going to kill it.”
“Truth. Something could die if I attempt to sing. That’s for sure.”
He laughed at that, the sound echoing down the empty street, and then released her so she could lock up. Ren grabbed her hand when she was done and led her down the front steps and to his car like a proper date. A twinge of giddiness moved through her at that. She couldn’t remember the last time a guy had taken her out. Kevin had been all about hanging out. Not going out. And he certainly hadn’t treated anything they’d done like a date.
When Ren released her hand to open the car door for her, Cora reared up and gasped. The street was dark and the bushes in her driveway had blocked it, but parked at the curb was a gleaming Corvette Z06. Moonlight gleamed off its shiny hood. If there were such things as car angels, they’d be singing.
Ren cocked his head. “You all right?”
She nodded quickly, breaking herself from her frozen state. “Yep.”
But really, she was still staring. The machine was something to behold—metallic red and obnoxiously sexy in the way only American muscle cars could be. She wanted to roll herself on it like a girl in an eighties rock video. But she tried to be cool about it. She did not want to look like one of those women impressed by a hot car. She managed to contain herself until she and Ren climbed inside and he turned on the engine. The sound of it was like a lion’s roar, deep and full and ready to eat up the road.
Cora sucked in a breath and touched the dash. “Good God.”
Ren looked over and chuckled. “Right? I think the same thing every time I turn her on.”
Turn her on. Well, the car wasn’t the only one getting that treatment.
“Is now the right time to admit I have a total car fetish?” She petted the dash again.
“It is always the right time to confess your fetishes. I’d love an itemized list in fact. With pictures.” He gave her an I-dare-ya grin. “But I wouldn’t have guessed car fetish for you.”
“Yeah, looking at the piece of junk I own, you probably wouldn’t. But man, if I had the money to blow, this is exactly the type I’d buy. Fast and obnoxious and fuck-the-speed-limit red.”
“Now you’re turning me on.” He pulled out onto her street. “Where’d you pick up a thing for cars?”
She ran her fingers over the seat. “My dad taught me a lot about them, and he’s let me take spins in some of the cars he’s refurbished over the years. He’s the chief mechanic for Bax Renway.”
“The stock-car driver?” Ren leaned back and glanced over, looking impressed. “That’s awesome.”
“Yeah. It’s fun. I get great seats when the races roll through Texas.”
Ren tapped his fingers along the steering wheel like there was music only he could hear. “Was it hard to have a dad who traveled all the time?”
“Not really. He’s my biological dad but never lived with me or anything. He and my mom were just good friends and were never in a romantic relationship. When she decided she wanted a baby and hadn’t found the right guy yet, he volunteered to be the donor and to be a part of my life if I wanted him to be.”
“Wow.”
“Yeah. He’s a good guy. We don’t see each other much since he’s always on the road, but we try to get together a few times a year. He would approve of this car.”
Ren laughed. “But would he approve of me?”
She cocked an eyebrow. “That is to be determined. My guess is with this car, he would suspect you’re that guy.”
He gave her the side eye. “That guy? I’m thinking this is an accusation.”
She leaned back against the buttery leather of the seat. “Yes. The guy who knows he’s gorgeous and has money and can get a girl—or boy—in bed with a spin in his hot car and a smile.”
Ren laughed. “Is that what you think of me, Benning?”
She shrugged. “I don’t think you’d need the car.”
He peered over and his mouth kicked up at the corner. “Maybe I’m just overcompensating with the car. This could be smoke and mirrors.”
She rolled her eyes. “Right. For what?”
“My deviant, kinky, polyamorous ways.”
“Uh-huh,” she said, not hiding the sarcasm. “Such a burden.”
He looked back to the road, some of the humor slipping from his expression. “Believe me, most people aren’t that open-minded or interested. Maybe for a night, an adventure to prove to themselves they’re a little wild. And that’s fine. It’s fun. But really, I’m just a prop in those games. I’m not the guy someone wants to date, not when they realize those things are a part of me, not a sideshow or temporary diversion.”
The quietly spoken words caught her off guard. She’d never thought it about it from that angle. She imagined lovers fell into the laps of men like Ren and Hayes without much effort from the guys. They were handsome and successful, funny. But that wasn’t all they were. Long-term, they came with a lot of fine print, a lot of complications that didn’t fit into the neat package society called relationships or roman
ce or marriage.
Then another thought hit her and she frowned. “You think that’s what I’m doing, isn’t it? Making you two my wild adventure to prove something to myself?”
God, was she? That didn’t feel like the truth, but if not that, then what was this?
Ren glanced over at her, his expression softening. “I wasn’t saying that. And if that’s the case, it’s absolutely okay. This is supposed to be light and fun. And I know you don’t see us as props.”
“Of course I don’t,” she said, appalled by the idea.
He smiled. “Sorry, I don’t even know why I got all serious on you. I guess I’m just realizing that I haven’t been on an actual date in a long time. This is foreign territory for me.”
She let out a breath. “That makes two of us. I’m not the most dateable person either.”
He sniffed derisively and focused on the road again. “Benning, don’t fool yourself. You’re supremely dateable.”
She blinked, the words lingering between them, and then cleared her throat, searching for something to get them into safer territory. “So why’d you pick this car?”
Ren shrugged. “After discovering the Batmobile when I was a kid, I’ve always had a hard-on for fast cars. I had four speeding tickets and one fender bender under my belt within the first six months of getting my permit.”
“Your parents must’ve loved that.”
“They took away my permit and threatened to send me to military school.”
The engine roared as Ren picked up speed on the interstate. The streetlights flashed over the dark red hood in a steady, hypnotic pattern. “I’m guessing they didn’t make good on that threat.”
Ren blew out of breath. “No. I didn’t give them time. I ran away right before I turned sixteen. Didn’t come home for a year.”
She turned to him at that. “Wow. Because of the car thing?”
He lifted a shoulder but the move was tense. “Because of a lot of things. My parents are good people, but I’m from a family of overachievers and was definitely not up to par. I preferred art, got in trouble a lot, had issues focusing in school. Plus I had all these mixed-up feelings about my sexuality and no one to talk to about it. It made me reckless and too brave for my own good. So when I met a guy and he decided to move to Vegas, I took off with him.”