Jace pointed to a three-inch gap on the front of his arm. “Nothing major. Looking at these, you could do it in your sleep.”
“Well, then take a number and get in line.” She beamed up at him, transforming her down-to-business look into an inviting one that Nolan might have locked onto if he wasn’t already fully entranced by Jace and Laurel.
“Thanks.” Jace grinned, a rare full-on smile that punched Nolan in the gut. Damn, they were going to be here celebrating for hours, but he couldn’t wait for their private after-hours party later.
“Um, could I too?” Laurel shocked them both by asking. Nolan had seen every inch of her creamy skin and could attest that she was a blank canvas.
“Of course,” Blakely said without hesitation.
“Really?” Jace turned to her. “You’ve always said there wasn’t anything you were so sure about that you’d commit to it for life.”
“Things change, Jace,” she said, then sighed, a calm coming over her that Nolan hadn’t seen before.
“They do.” Jace kissed her forehead and smiled as he rested his cheek on the top of her head. Nolan stood behind. Though he probably shouldn’t have, he couldn’t help himself from wrapping his arm around them both for a group hug.
James glanced over at them and flashed Nolan a thumbs-up from outside of Laurel’s peripheral vision.
It didn’t take much more than twenty minutes for Blakely to finish with Tom. When she wiped his chest clean, before wrapping the area, he stood and showed the group his Hot Rods tattoo. The room erupted again, and Eli slapped his dad on the back in a one-armed hug, careful not to smoosh the new tattoo. He cradled Maceo in the crook of his free arm and Nolan could see how a family like this could be so strong, generations of badasses looking out for each other and teaching them how to survive.
Eli knuckled the corner of his eye. Kaige, one of his Hot Rods buddies and sometimes lover, ripped on him for getting soft in his old age. But it was only shit talk, nothing serious. The whole gang gathered around and admired the artwork, which matched their own.
Blakely smiled and gave a self-satisfied nod, then turned to Jace and Laurel. “So what did you two have in mind?”
At the same time Jace said, “I want her name on me,” Laurel said, “I want Jace’s name.”
They turned and stared at each other before breaking out into laughter.
Nolan chuckled with them until he realized it was probably too soon for him to ask for both of their orders. He cringed. He’d be willing to ink their names on his half-sleeve or his soul permanently, right then. But he didn’t think either of them was ready to hear that. So he stared enviously at their matching grins and imagined a time when he might have the right to ask for that sort of forever commitment.
He held each of their hands as they subjected themselves to Blakely’s needles. Laurel got Jace’s name surrounded by music notes on the inside of her wrist, and Jace wore Laurel’s name along with a vine of thorny blood-red roses. Nolan didn’t let his envy ruin the moment. He snapped pictures for them and thought it was perfect. They belonged together.
He only hoped that he might be able to share in their bond for a little while longer.
When Blakely finished with them, Jace bent down and smothered Laurel in a sexy kiss. Nolan captured that moment too. If nothing else, he’d have the photographs to look back on when they were gone or he was spending a night on the ground, waiting to ambush some unlucky asshole.
Before he could get too gloomy, Sabra and Holden’s twins sprinted between them, using him as a shield in whatever game of tag they were playing. Foam darts launched from a toy gun flew in their direction and he caught them without thinking, making Jace’s brow arch at his reflexes, which kept them unscathed even from children’s toys.
It would be good to remember who and what he was.
Although they enjoyed their friend time, the conversations, and the food—damn, the food he was going to have to work off the next day—as the hours wore on, he grew less and less patient, eager to have Laurel and Jace to himself.
“Hey, Nolan.” Ollie approached as he put his coat on, clearly as ready to seclude himself with Van and Kyra as Nolan was to bail with Laurel and Jace. “I have those crickets you asked me to pick up when I got Mr. Prickles’ food from the pet shop earlier.”
“Oh, awesome, thanks.” Nolan smiled, the perfect excuse. He asked Ollie, “You want us to come with and pick them up? I’m sure Dottie Long-Tongue will enjoy them. She seems to hate her fruit-only diet.”
Laurel beamed up at him. “You got my lizard bugs?”
“Yeah. I know what it’s like when you’re used to the good stuff. Can’t get enough of it and nothing else will ever measure up.”
“Did you imply my sister is like a juicy cockroach?” James tipped his head with a snicker. “You’re going to have to do better than that if you ever want to move into tattoo territory.”
Nolan smacked his forehead. “That’s not what I meant…”
But it sort of had been.
Ugh. He was fucking this up.
“I think it’s really nice you thought of her. Thank you.” Laurel didn’t hesitate—she went onto her tiptoes and kissed him softly. Or at least it started that way, but one taste led to another…
Jace cleared his throat. “I think we better go make that pickup and get home.”
Nolan separated himself from Laurel, unable to speak.
“Thanks for coming. It’s good to see you three doing so well.” Eli saw them to the door. “Our house is always open to friends. You’re welcome anytime, and I hope you’ll take us up on that often.”
Nolan nodded, clasped Eli in a brief guy-hug, then looked at Jace and Laurel.
“That goes for all three of you.” Eli grinned. “You’re family now, and the sooner you accept it, the less awkward it will be.”
Laurel beamed and Jace shook hands with the garage owner. “Thanks, man.”
Nolan could tell from the gleam in Eli’s eyes that he wasn’t joking, though. Nolan wished his implications were more than a hunch and that he could end up as fortunate as his friends living this twisted-fairytale life.
For the first time in a long time, Nolan thought it might be possible that his dreams could come true, with a bit of luck.
Laurel ducked under Nolan’s arm and held her other hand out to Jace, who laced their fingers together as the three of them made their way to Nolan’s truck and…he was pretty sure…straight to bed when they arrived home.
Screw the bugs.
17
Jace leaned toward Nolan so that their shoulders rested against each other as Laurel splayed out across their laps on the not-quite-big-enough couch watching some dumb movie that couldn’t hold his attention when he had them to stare at instead. He didn’t mind one bit. Nolan’s warm muscles flexed against his every time he laughed, and he wondered if tonight might be the night they finally gave in and fucked each other instead of lavishing their combined attention on Laurel.
Not that he’d minded nearly a month of worshiping her and building her confidence, acclimating her to the physical aspects of their affection. But he’d be lying if he said he hadn’t been eyeing Nolan’s tight ass in his skintight shorts when he’d returned from a bike ride that had provided his daily dose of cardio earlier. Sure, they kissed. Had jerked and sucked each other off plenty, but for some reason neither of them had made a move to sink into the other.