Charlie
I spent a good chunk of the afternoon on the phone with my lawyers. Jones went off with Ollie while I brainstormed with them, and they were able to find a PR firm that was going to work perfectly for us. It made me feel a little less worried about the situation. I knew that we were going to have to make some sort of statement. I just didn’t understand why. We were together. We were in love. That was it. What else were we going to have to say about the situation?
“Fuck.” I grunted.
I dragged my hands through my hair just as there was a knock on the door. I wasn’t expecting anyone. Curious, I climbed to my feet and opened the door. Kit glared up at me with his arms crossed over his chest. When he didn’t say anything, I shook my head and waved him inside. He moved to sit on the couch, that familiar scowl on his face, his lips set in a firm line.
I raised my brows as I sat down. “You need something? Or are you just trying to glare me to death?”
“Ollie went out with Jones.” His nostrils flared.
I rolled my eyes. “Oh-kay. They’re best friends. They hang out and do stuff together. It’s normal. It’s what they do. ”
“But I wanted to spend time with Ollie.” Kit huffed. He gripped the back of his neck and ducked his head. “I think he’s mad at me. He isn’t answering my texts.”
Oh boy. “Isn’t that how it always is with the two of you? You fight, you make up, you fuck, you fight, and it goes on and on like that. It’s like your thing.”
“Yeah, but we...” Kit sighed softly. “He wants something I can’t give him.”
When he didn’t continue, I took a deep breath and hoped he wouldn’t try to hit me. “Maybe you need to let him go.” I held up a hand as he growled deep in his chest. “Look, I’m not saying you don’t care about Ollie, but if he wants marriage, kids, a happily ever after, and that’s not something you’re willing or able to give him, then let Ollie go so he can find someone else. Someone who can.”
“Fuck off.” Kit jumped to his feet. “You’re an asshole, and I can’t—no, I won’t—break up with Ollie so he can go fuck someone else.” His blue eyes welled with tears. “The thought makes me sick to my stomach. It makes me want to break all the things.” He balled his hands into fists at his side.
I breathed a sigh of relief when he sat back down. “Then maybe you need to tell him that. Tell him exactly how you feel. It’s obvious you want to be with Ollie.”
“I do... I think I...” Kit swallowed nervously as his cheeks burned crimson. “I want to tell him how I feel. I just can’t seem to get the words out, and instead I end up yelling and screaming at him about how I’m no good for him. That I’m only going to break his heart. That he should stop talking to me. ”
We both glanced up as the door opened. “It’s okay, Kitten,” Ollie whispered. He closed the distance between them before Kit could get up. “I know.”
“No, you don’t. You don’t, and that’s what’s eating me up inside!” Kit exclaimed, then burst into tears. He buried his face against Ollie’s chest.
Jones climbed into my lap. “This was not what I thought we would be walking into when we came here.” He rested his head on my shoulder, and I couldn’t resist twisting the ring on his finger. That hideous, gaudy thing I had given him that he loved so much.
Ollie murmured softly in Kit’s ear. He wrapped his arms around the ink-covered driver and picked him up like he weighed nothing. Ollie eased himself onto the couch, and Kit only shook his head when he tried to pry him away.
“I’m not a fucking child, Ols. Don’t treat me like one,” Kit snarled and shoved at his chest.
Ollie popped his jaw. “I’m only trying to take care of you. I love you, but I won’t sit here and let you continue to treat me like shit. Not after everything that I’ve done for you.” He stood up, nearly pushing Kit from his lap. “I’m not going to let you do this to me anymore.” Ollie started toward the door.
“Wait, Ollie... Just fucking wait!” Kit cried, staring at Ollie’s back when he stopped in his tracks. “Can’t you even look at me?”
Ollie spun around, his jaw clenched, nostrils flared. “I’ve been looking at you for months. When are you going to finally look at me? ”
“I do look at you. I look at you all the time. In my dreams, in my memories. You are fucking everywhere.” Kit slapped the side of his head. “And that’s the only way I want it.”
Ollie’s eyes widened. “Do you mean that?”
“Yes. Yeah, I mean it.” Kit swallowed.
Ollie was hugging him before he could say anything else, nearly lifting Kit from the floor. “Then stop pushing me away.”
“I can’t promise you anything. But I can try.” Kit gripped the back of Ollie’s shirt in his fingers. “Can you promise you won’t give up on me?”
Ollie tilted his head up. “Kitten, I can promise you anything you want if it means you’re mine. That no one else gets this with you.”
I pressed my mouth to Jones’s ear. “Should we leave?”
“No.” He giggled softly, and the sound made my cock twitch. “Charlie.” I knew he felt it when he turned those hazel eyes on me.
I cupped his jaw. “You turn me on. What can I say? Everything about you is everything I’ve always wanted.”
“Charlie,” Jones whispered. And then he was kissing me.
He speared his tongue into my mouth, his lips sweet like syrup, and gripped my shoulders with his fingers. He didn’t seem to care that his best friend was sitting inches away, or that he was grinding against me. Rubbing his body against mine while I nipped and sucked at his mouth.
A loud cough had Jones pulling away, his lips swollen and cheeks pink .
“Sorry.” He laughed and then pressed his face into my neck.
“Do you need to be alone?” Ollie smirked as he ran his fingers through the hair on the nape of Kit’s neck.
I shook my head. “I wouldn’t want to disturb the two of you. You’re looking awfully cute.”
Kit held up his middle finger without looking up, and I roared with laughter. I kind of liked the guy, even if he was a bit of a dick.
“Don’t be rude, Kitten,” Ollie murmured, then winked at me when I caught his eye.
I wanted things to work between the two of them. Not because I was worried Ollie still had feelings for Jones, but because I wanted love to win. It was obvious that Kit had a lot of things he needed to figure out, but maybe with Ollie by his side, he could.
Jones hummed happily as he played with the neckline of my shirt. “Did you talk to your lawyers?”
“I did.” I kissed the top of his head and held him closer. “We’re going to meet with a PR firm on Tuesday morning. You’re going to have to fire Eric.”
Kit grunted. “Eric’s a fuckhead. I don’t even know why you hired him in the first place.”
“Say what?” I felt anger surge through me. “You know him?”
Kitt nodded. “He was my PR guy when I first started racing. When he found out I was bisexual...” He paused, and his face burned bright red. “Uh...” Kit coughed nervously. “He wanted me to come out. Wanted me to be like a gay icon for racing or whatever. Which we all know isn’t going to happen. I mean, if that’s what you want to do, that’s cool, but that would never work for me. My father would dismember me and toss my body parts into the ocean.” He glanced at Ollie for a second before he went on. “He pushed and pushed. Wanted me to post a statement on my social media accounts that I never use. Wanted to do this big, loud announcement. So, I fired his ass.”
“And what did he do after that?” I asked.
I was worried that Eric might try to sue Jones and push him to say more than he wanted. My husband was sweet, but I knew he only wanted to make everyone happy. He should only do things he was comfortable with. When he was comfortable.
Kit chewed on his bottom lip. “He threatened to out me. Luckily, he signed an NDA, or else it might have happened. He still hates me, but the feeling is mutual.”
“Jones.” I cupped his head in my hands as he stared up at me with big hazel eyes. “You’re going to fire this guy after the weekend is over. I don’t want to pressure you into it, but he’s bad news.”
Jones swallowed nervously, and I watched the way his Adam’s apple bobbed. “Yeah, I mean, sure. But I didn’t actually hire him. That was Richardson Motorsports.”
“Then you’ll leave and come drive with me,” I insisted. “Only if you want.” Again, I didn’t want to force him into something.
Jones stared at me. “I have a contract. Things will get complicated. I could lose sponsors.”
“I can buy it out. I have the money for that. And Ollie, too. He can come to work with you on your team. And don’t forget, my father wants to invest. That alone will be a huge boost.” I smoothed the hair from his forehead. “You’ll get new sponsors. Better ones. Again, only if you want. I would never force you to do something you’re not comfortable with.” I nodded at Ollie.
Jones’s brows dipped. “Can I think about it?”
“Yeah, of course you can,” I assured him.
I wanted us to be teammates, but I wouldn’t force Jones into it. He had been given a chance with Richardson Motorsports, and I knew he didn’t want to ruin things with them.
Conversation turned to lighter things, the four of us talking about the race tomorrow and the next few on the schedule. But I could see the worry and fear in Jones’s eyes as he watched me. He had to make this choice on his own, and I would stand behind him no matter what.