Havoc (Tattoos and Ties 1)

“I feel useless,” Alec said, laying those items next to his feet.

Oh hell. With Alec bent over like that, Keyes’s mind went there, considering all the gratifying ways Alec could be useful. Luckily for his painfully hard dick, it took no time to change the second tire. Since he seemed hyperaware of Alec’s presence at all times, Keyes purposefully went the long way around the car to avoid touching or even getting a whiff of the guy while loading all his equipment back in the truck.

“Where’d your buddy go?” he asked, tossing one of the blown wheels into the back of his truck.

“He bailed. Got an Uber. You had to have passed him on the road,” Alec replied as he started to put away the tools they’d used.

“He just left you out here?” Keyes asked, heaving the second tire over into the truck bed, letting it hit the tailgate with a loud thump. “Some friend.”

“Pretty much my thought,” Alec replied with a chuckle. Keyes didn’t find the humor in abandoning anyone in need. The only person who had ever left Keyes anywhere was his old man, and there was no love lost between them. Their relationship was strictly obligation.

“You shouldn’t drive far on those,” he advised Alec, nodding toward the tires as he walked back, inspecting each one again for any damage. Only because he did it every time he replaced a tire with a used one, he kicked the toe of his boot against one of them, watching for any change.

“My dealership’s closed on Sunday,” Alec said, shutting the hatch. “It’ll probably be Monday before I get these changed.”

Keyes went for the cab of the truck and grabbed his shop business card from the console. “We’re open every day. Call me if you have any problems. Where do I drop these off?”

“Boardwalk Ferrari in Plano,” Alec answered, pulling his wallet from his back pocket. He tucked the card inside before pulling out one of his own. Then came the money clip. Keyes counted four one-hundred-dollar bills before Alec extended his hand with both the business card and cash as an offering. “Thank you. You didn’t have to do everything you did. I messed up your ride tonight, but you sure helped me out.”

Keyes totally got his lot in life. He was a club biker. The kid of a biker. The club had been his whole life for as long as he could remember. He was a mechanic, never anything more than those two things. At a distance, he regularly watched the Alecs of the world. Couldn’t fully understand them, but this particular one made him say things that every single member of his club would throw an ever lovin’ fit at hearing…

“If I hadn’t been in that lane, you’d’ve had plenty of room to move.”

Alec’s gaze landed on his lips. And holy hell, he wanted them there. Right then, Keyes had a choice. He could make his move like every fiber in his being screamed at him to do. He could fuck this guy right here and end this maddening torture once and for all. It would be hot and rough. He could tell from Alec’s dominant stance that the man could easily take charge of any situation thrown his way. He also seemed relaxed and open to possibilities.

With the way Alec looked, Keyes suspected he had even more sex than his biker brothers. Something about that visual had him immediately seeking distance from those thoughts. The only explanation he could come up with was wanting to know this guy, and it was weird to him. Keyes never got lost in the intricate details of a potential hookup. Hell, he imagined that sex with Alec would be so much more than a random hookup. The thought freaked him out, so Keyes backed up, taking a single step away, creating distance.

“Do you know how to get out of here?”

“I’m lost. But I’d like to at least pay you for this tire.”

Keyes took another step backward, reaching for just the business card, and only that, in order to make sure he had a way to contact the man if things changed with the delivery. He left the hundred-dollar bills in Alec’s closed fist. Keyes also realized he didn’t want this guy’s money. What did that even mean?

Keyes took the steps to round the hood of his truck, needing to get the fuck out of there. Alec represented his coveted customer base. He lived to take money from guys like Alec. What was going on with him? “Follow me to the highway. I can get you back to 45. Take that straight into downtown Dallas. You should be able to follow the signs from there.”

“If you aren’t busy, why not have an early breakfast with me. I’d really like to pay you for your time,” Alec called out in clear invitation of other things. Keyes’s heart drummed in his chest and his mouth watered. He paused. Fuck, just do it. Take this guy up on his offer. His body needed the release.