She nodded, but looked unconvinced.
He kissed her forehead. “You must heal, sweetheart. Simply enjoy being a part of our family for now, let that be enough. The future will go where it goes. We will do anything to keep you with us.”
Thomas appeared, yawning and scratching. “Mornin’.” He kissed her cheek. “Sleep okay?”
She mustered a smile. “Good, thanks.”
Tyler ate his bagel. When the driver rang the bell, Nevvie and Thomas walked Tyler to the front door.
He hugged Thomas, kissing him. “I’ll call when I get there. I love you.”
Thomas patted him on the ass. “Love you, too. Safe trip. Come back to me.”
Tyler smiled. “Always, love.” He turned to Nevvie and hugged her. “Can’t break the ritual,” he said, “for luck.” He looked at her. “I’ll call when I get there. I love you.”
She glanced at Thomas. “Love you, too. Safe trip. Come back to me.” Then she patted him on the ass.
He laughed. “Always, love.” He kissed her forehead. “I’ve yet to not return safely from a trip. Why muck about with what works?”
* * * *
She watched from the front door as Thomas walked Tyler to the car, helped him load his bags then leaned in for one last hug and kiss. She knew better than to read meaning into her exchange with Tyler.
Obviously he didn’t understand what she meant by “anything.” Just because they had a freaky psychic connection didn’t mean he wasn’t still a guy and able to misinterpret what she said. He might say the future goes where it goes, but hell, they were gay. The future was a dead end when it came to romance with her boys. She knew it, even if Tyler tried to be kind.
Thomas returned. “Well, you ready for your first day at Kinsey Consulting?”
“I guess. I hope I don’t disappoint you.”
“I’m sure that won’t be a problem. Can I scramble you some eggs?”
“If I can make you pancakes.”
“Deal. Why don’t you turn on some music?”
The boys loved their tunes, and while each had distinctively different styles they shared several favorites. Nevvie loved the wide variety of their music library, from classical to jazz all the way to modern music like Pink and Black Eyed Peas.
She picked a Jimmy Buffett CD and soon they were dodging each other in the kitchen, laughing and joking while they cooked. She nearly choked when “Why Don’t We Get Drunk?” played.
Thomas waggled his eyebrows at her. “You trying to give me a hint?”
She blushed, laughing, his words too close to her own desires. She shook her head and tried to play it back to him. “Why, would you take me up on it if I did?”
He grinned and leaned close. “You’ll never know if you never try, darlin.” Then he kissed the end of her nose and winked.
Jeezus pleezus! She still had nearly four full days alone with him!
He smiled at her obvious state and dug into his food. “Better eat, sugar. We’ve got to get ready for work. Casual Friday, so wear jeans. We’ll leave around seven-thirty.”
She shoveled food into her mouth before she said something stupid and embarrassing like, “Please bend me over the table right now and fuck my brains out, Tommy, thank you very much.”
He helped clean up the kitchen before they retreated to their separate bathrooms—damn!—for showers. She was ready to go when he emerged from his bedroom carrying a jacket.
“Try this on. See if it fits.”
She took it. It was a little large, but not huge. Heavy and leather, not a normal jacket.
“Bike jacket,” he explained. “It’s Ty’s, but he hardly ever rides.”
“Bike?” It did smell faintly of Tyler.
“Harley. Didn’t you see it?”
She shook her head and followed him to the garage. Along the far wall, on the other side of the Ford, a drop cloth covered a motorcycle. She’d never noticed it before because the truck blocked it from view. The washer and drier were in the laundry alcove, so she never had a reason to walk around the truck. He pulled the cover off, revealing a red Harley.
“It’s a 1200 Sportster.” He looked at her. “Ever ride?”
She shook her head, the idea of having a legitimate reason to wrap her arms around Thomas’ tight mid-section robbing her of speech.
“Not supposed to rain today. Want to take it?”
She nodded.
He glanced at her loafers. “Go grab some sneakers. You can stow your loafers and purse in the saddlebag. We need to buy you some boots if you’re going to be my biker mama.”
She returned his playful smile and raced to get her shoes. When she returned, he’d retrieved his jacket and two helmets and had the bike wheeled into the driveway. He helped her adjust the helmet.
“Why jackets?” The helmet’s full face shield muffled her voice.
He tugged on a pair of gloves. “Protection. Won’t help if a car hits you, obviously, but might help for road rash and small debris.” He pulled on his helmet and she waited while he stowed their things in the saddlebags.
“Once I tell you, throw your right leg over and slide on. Put your feet on the pegs, keep them there, watch your legs on the exhaust. Then wrap your arms around me. Don’t lean with the bike, feel what I do. If we’re turning, look over my shoulder in the direction of the turn. Keep your weight centered. When we’re stopped at a light, keep your feet on the pegs, okay?”
She nodded, unable to speak even if she had any coherent words to say.
He grinned behind his face shield as he mounted the bike and cranked it. It throbbed to life, the engine roaring off the house and echoing through their quiet neighborhood. He kept a spare garage door opener tucked in a gear bag over the gas tank. Once the door slid closed Thomas motioned for her to get on.
Nervously she did, putting her feet on the pegs, her hands tentatively clutching his hips.
He grabbed her hands and pulled them tighter around his waist. “Like that, sugar,” he called over the noise of the engine. She thought he laughed, and she closed her eyes as they rolled out of the drive.
He took the long way out of their development. She suspected it was to get her used to the feel of the bike at low speeds. When they stopped at the intersection at Bruce B. Downs Boulevard to wait for the light he patted her hands and looked back at her.
“Having fun?” She nodded and thought she heard him laughing. “Hang on, baby girl.”
They took off again. She hadn’t been to his office but knew it was on US 301 in east Tampa, not far from the state fairgrounds. She wondered if he’d take the interstate but he didn’t. She finally kept her eyes open, and forty minutes later they pulled into the parking lot at a three-story building.
He drove around back where a carport covered six parking spaces. Two were empty, one with a sign bearing Thomas’ name. He pulled in and shut the bike off, putting down the kickstand. “Like it?”
“Yeah. That was fun.”
“See? You can cop a feel any time you want.” She loved how his eyes crinkled when he smiled.
He helped her remove her helmet. “What floor are your offices on?” she asked.
His grin widened. “Baby girl, the whole building’s mine.”
* * * *
Nevvie followed him through the back door and down a corridor. His large office contained more than his desk. There was also a large conference table, a huge drafting table, and a computer workstation. Pictures of what she assumed were completed developments hung from the walls above bookshelves loaded with tomes of various subjects from engineering and architecture to fiction.
“You can drop your stuff on the table, Nev. You’ll bunk with Maggie until she’s gone, then you’ll have that office all to yourself.” He picked up the phone, briefly spoke. A moment later someone knocked.
“Come on in,” Thomas said.
An extremely pregnant woman waddled in. Her dark blond hair was pulled back in a ponytail, and her round glasses sat on a friendly face that
was no doubt chubbier than normal due to her condition.
Thomas stepped over. “Maggie, this is Nevaeh Barton. She’s the one I told you about.”
Maggie smiled and extended a hand. “Nice to finally meet you.”
Nevvie nervously shook hands. “Thanks.” Being around people again would be culture shock. Since returning to Tampa, Nevvie rarely had extended contact with people other than her clients and Alex’s so-called friends. Comfortably and safely cooped up in the house with Tyler and Thomas, she hardly remembered what it was like being in the real world.
“Get her up to speed on the phone system,” Tommy said. “Give her an overview of what we do, show her around and introduce her. She’ll be doing project data entry. Teach her about invoices, permitting and survey notes, how to run and read reports, show her how the server works, that kind of stuff.”
“Not subjecting her to the full torture treatment, huh, Tom?”
“No, I liked your idea of splitting things up. You’re right, it doesn’t make sense the way we’ve been doing it.”
She threw her hands up in the air. “Finally, he listens!”
Nevvie laughed, and Maggie turned to her. “You know how guys are. They don’t listen until they think of the same damn thing, then it’s suddenly a good idea.”
“Quit trying to turn her against me on her first day, Maggie.” He looked at Nevvie. “We’ve known each other for years.”
“Don’t hesitate to slap him around,” Maggie teased. “That’s the only way to keep him in line.”
“That’s because I like it,” Thomas joked, grinning. “How many times I have to tell you that, woman?”
Nevvie laughed again. She’d been afraid Thomas would morph into a totally different person at work. With this woman, at least, he was still friendly and playful. Nevvie felt a small, jealous pang. She consoled herself that she was the one riding to work on the back of Thomas’ bike.
And riding home with him.
“Oh, stop by HR, get all her paperwork taken care of, get her a set of keys and alarm codes, everything she needs. I’ll call them and tell them to expect you.”
Maggie nodded. “Come with me.” She looked at her. “Nevaeh? Or do you prefer something else?”
“Nevvie’s fine.”
“You can call me Maggie or Meg.”
“Or hell-bitch,” Thomas joked.
Maggie flipped him a bird. “That’s it, keep it up, Tommy. I’ll milk my family leave time.”
“With twins I suspect you’ll do a lot of milking.”
A little shocked, Nevvie gasped. Maggie roared with laughter. “Watch it, buster,” she warned, “or I’ll tell Tyler you’re picking on me.”
“Ha! You’re shit outta luck. He’s out of town, left Nevvie and me on our own.”
“Ah. No wonder you’re acting like you grew a set of balls overnight. Come on, Nevvie, follow me.”
Nevvie grabbed her things and followed Maggie down a short hallway to another office. It would be close with two people but not uncomfortably so.
“Dump your stuff over there. You can put your purse in the desk, but no one should mess with it. I’ve got the place booby trapped.” Maggie looked down at her pregnancy-enhanced chest. “No pun intended.”
Nevvie laughed. “This sounds like a fun place to work.”
Maggie smiled. “Don’t let me fool you. I’ve known Tom since college. Believe me, we don’t joke around like that in front of others.” She hesitated and dropped her voice. “Look, he told me the basics. They’re great guys, and they seem to be crazy about you. I had a shitty ex in my life too, so I know it can be hard to let your guard down around people.”
“I trust them. This is the first time in my life I’ve felt like I belong.”
“You’re a lucky girl. I love my husband but I wish he looked as cute as those two.”
Nevvie blushed. “Yeah, well, all I can do is look.”
“Sometimes being able to look at two really hot guys is a lot better than having some fugly asshole pawing you.”
Nevvie considered that. “Yeah, you’re right.”
“Come on. Let’s get your paperwork knocked out.”
The morning flew by. Maggie showed her the basics of the project tracking software and how to enter invoices. Nevvie would handle other information as well, but they didn’t want to overload her on her first day. At noon, Tom knocked on the open office door.
“Can I steal my best girl for lunch?”
Nevvie felt another pang of jealousy until Maggie snarked, “I’m not your best girl anymore, Tommy boy?”
“Honey, you’re damaged goods.”
Maggie laughed. “I’m so telling Tyler on you when he gets back. Seriously Nevvie, he’s normally not this slutty with anyone but me.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
“You’ll need your bike gear,” he reminded her.
She managed the helmet by herself this time. When he cranked the bike Nevvie easily slid into place and wrapped her arms around him. It felt good, like she belonged there.
“Ready?” he asked.
“Yeah.”
They headed south. A few minutes later they pulled into a Harley dealership. “You need decent riding shoes.”
“You’re wearing sneakers.”
He removed his helmet. “Can you imagine the ass chewing I’d get from Tyler the first time I brought you home with a singed ankle? Uh uh. I still can’t believe he let me take you out on the bike.”
Thomas led her inside, holding the door for her, while she pondered his comment. They found a pair of riding boots Nevvie liked. She nearly choked at the price, but he took the box from her and wagged his finger in her face.
“Quit looking at price tags unless I tell you to. Got it?” She smiled and nodded. “Good. We’ll have to get you some dressy boots. I know a place in St. Pete that has a good selection. Did you want a new jacket?”
“No, this one fits fine.” The fact that it was Tyler’s was a bonus.
“Gloves.” He lead her to another display and the clerk helped her find ones that fit. “Rain gear.” Of course he picked top of the line items.
He paid for their purchases and, leaving the packaging, she swapped shoes, tucking her sneakers in the saddlebags with the new rain gear.
They ate at a restaurant in Brandon, then made another stop on the way back to the office. “You need a cell phone, sugar.” He led her inside. When she looked at the cheap phones he made a playful, disgusted sound.
“Honey, you need a better phone than that. You’ll be keeping track of a lot of stuff once you’re up to speed.” He captured her hands. “You’re not understanding us—you’ll be running our lives.” He paused, meeting her eyes. “Kind of like our wife. You get to tell us what to do, spend our money, and we never have sex.” He winked. “Although, you could always get me drunk.”
She playfully shoved him, then he grew serious. “Nev, you need the tools to take care of us properly.” He grinned again when she lightly swatted him as she caught his double-meaning. “Like a whip and handcuffs, you keep that up.”
She finally laughed. “Fine, okay. It’s your money.”
“Thank you, Jesus, she sees the light.” He found a sales clerk and bought Nevvie a BlackBerry similar to Tyler’s, then did the paperwork to add it to their account. The clerk spent a few minutes showing her the basics before they left.
One more stop—adding her to their auto insurance policy. As she prepared to mount the bike she said, “I’m sorry we’re so late getting back to the office.”
“Why?”
“It’s been nearly three hours.”
He shook his head. “Nevvie, sugar, I’m the friggin boss. If I want to take a three-hour lunch with my beautiful biker mama, I will.”
She flushed with pride. She knew it was stupid, but any time either man referred to her like that, usually as “their girl,” it made her feel loved. She was Tommy’s baby girl—or biker mama—and Tyler’s angel.
As they rode she compared the differences between Thomas and Tyler that she never noticed before. She had a fun relationship with Tyler, to be sure, but it was subtle double-entendres, sweet endearments. Thomas was rowdy and playful. How did that one Jimmy Buffett song go? A dirty mind hidden behind a choir boy’s face. That described Thomas.
Then again it probably described Tyler, too, in a different way.
Tyler called Thomas after they pulled in, and both had a chance to say hi. The flight was fine, the hotel room adequate. She hung up, missing him, trying not to think about their morning kiss. It was odd not having both of them around.
They left the office a little after six. There were plenty of leftovers at home thanks to Tyler’s careful planning.
“I’m cooking dinner for you tomorrow,” Thomas said.
“What’s on the agenda?”
He waggled his eyebrows. “I get to play with the checkbook.”
* * * *
They settled in to watch a Lightning pre-season game, Thomas thrilled that she enjoyed hockey. “We’ll need to go to a game, darlin.” He was about to say something else when his cell rang. He glanced at it and smiled before answering. “Kinsey Kinky Sex and Company.”
Nevvie clapped a hand over her mouth to stifle her scream of laughter. It had to be Tyler.
Thomas held the phone out to her. “His royal slyness would like to say good night to you first.”
She smiled and felt another pang as she took the phone. “Hi, Tyler.”
“Hello, sweetheart. Everything all right?”
“Apparently I’m now Tommy’s biker bitch, but other than that, life’s good.”
“I said biker mama, Tyler! She’s trying to get me in trouble,” Thomas yelled.
Tyler laughed. “Did you have a good day?”
“I met Maggie and started learning things at the office. Thomas got me a new cell phone.”
“Oh? Give me the number.” She did. “Excellent. I hoped he would.”
They chatted a few minutes before she returned the phone to Thomas and went to the kitchen to give them privacy. After a couple of minutes, he walked to their bedroom and shut the door.