Dirty Delilah (2 page)

But she hadn’t gotten all the information she needed. The file hadn’t said he had the body of a Spartan, skin the color of golden toffee or lush lips that were created to seduce. It hadn’t said his black-rimmed glasses, which he might have imagined made him look professional, only emphasized the deep chocolate of his bedroom eyes and his long, sooty lashes.

It certainly hadn’t mentioned anything about the sight of him causing lust-induced hyperventilation.

First Asa, now him. Both of them under the same roof.  Together. The possibilities…

And she told everyone she was the good sister.

Sebastian Kosta was still talking to the now blustering Major. “I have no intention of barring you from your morning coffee, sir. And yes, of course I honor your service. I merely remind you that I had my assistant leave a box of moist wipes beside the machine so we could avoid the grease-print issues that continue to occur.”

“
Wipes?
” The Major bristled.

“Mr. Kosta?” She held out her hand and lifted her chin, interrupting him and hopefully distracting the Major from one of his infamous hissy fits. “Delilah Dean. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

When those dark chocolate eyes focused on her she licked her lips, unable to help herself.

He noticed.

“Delilah Dean?” He said her name as if he were tasting it, those lips tilting upward to reveal brilliantly white teeth framed by a perfectly sensual smile. “The pleasure is entirely mine, I assure you. I was fortunate enough to have met your sister, Drew, at an art show in Venice last year. I see beauty runs in the family.”

Delilah tilted her head. She was used to flirting from the men who made their living—or lived out middle-aged fantasies—restoring old bikes, but unlike them, Sebastian Kostas did it well. Subtly. Less “Whoa, hot Mama!” and more “Let me get your coat”. She liked that. But though she and her sisters were all blondes, that was where their similarities ended. The eldest, Drew, was tall and reed-thin with a soft, feminine demeanor that belied her sharp eye for fashion and her control issues. Darcy, the baby of the family, was a short, curly-haired force of nature with hourglass curves and a tendency for trouble. Stuck in the middle, Delilah was a mixture of the two physically—tall and curved—and she supposed the same could be said of her personality-wise. A control freak with a dash of trouble. 

“Thank you for the compliment,” she responded with a wry grin. “Though Drew’s fond of saying the only thing we have in common are our initials.”

Sebastian’s smile grew. “I noticed that. Your father has a sense of humor, I think. Still, Delilah is an enchanting name. The name that makes strong men weak. I have a feeling it suits you.”

Angel snorted and Delilah sent him a speaking look. “I’ll catch up with my old friends later, but since we’re both here, Mr. Kosta, I’d love to get a look inside your shop. I’ve been hearing a lot of buzz about some of your more unique designs, as well as the Kosta II of course.”

Dark eyes sparkled and he took her hand and placed it on his arm gallantly. “I was about to suggest that myself. I’ve been impatient to get you in the shop and tell you about my plans since I learned you were coming.” 

She nodded and allowed him to guide her toward the steel door that led to his warehouse, ignoring the furious whispers of the gossiping old men behind them. “I’ve heard that about you.”

“What?”

Delilah let her smile reach her eyes, waiting until he met her gaze again. “That you’re an impatient man. That fast is your favorite speed.”

His eyes dropped to the swoop of her neckline, studying the cleavage she knew was framed to the best advantage in this dress. He bit his lower lip and opened the door for her. “I
am
impatient,” he acknowledged as she passed, taking her arm again. “In most things. If you want something, you should want it more than you need to breathe. Go after it without hesitation. Otherwise, what is the point? However, only a foolish man wouldn’t realize there are one or two things worth having that are also worth…savoring.”

She liked the way he spoke. Not just his accent but the words as well. She wondered what it would be like to be wanted in the way he was describing. To be the focus of that kind of intensity.

Business. You are distracting him, getting to know a potential buyer. Feeling him out.

She could feel the heat coming off his forearm. Feel the muscle. There was no give at all. It took effort to hide her shiver. “So, do you and the boys get into regular sparring matches over the cleanliness of the coffee machine?”

Sebastian made a face. “I apologize for that. It was my peace offering, you see. The coffee pot they used to drink from looked twenty-years-old and riddled with plague when I first came here. The agreement that we were to share the central office was in the sales contract I had with the previous owners, so I thought—”

“You thought if you bought an expensive cappuccino machine they’d start arriving at the garage with scrubbed nails and ties?” She smirked.

He looked embarrassed. “Not quite that. I thought I could get them to accept what I was doing. The pavers, the work crews and noise etcetera. But Wilder hates my changes and he has no respect for what I’m trying to do here. He thinks it’s a joke, and the men follow his example…though it hasn’t stopped them from enjoying their coffee. Or finding creative ways to make me look ridiculous in front of my clients and employees.”

She could only imagine. Angel and the Major were a powerful duo when they agreed on something. And apparently, they’d agreed to give Sebastian Kosta a hard time. “Is
that
what the sudden dueling offers are about? In your email you implied this was about your business needs for expansion, not a Hatfield and McCoy situation.”

“Dueling offers? Surely my bid was higher than Wilder’s.”

“I’m here to look into
all
aspects of the potential sale, Mr. Kosta. This is a family business dear to DD4’s heart. Money isn’t the only deciding factor.”

He furrowed his brow as they entered the main room where tricked-out designer motorcycles were being built. Most were obviously custom orders—nothing new as far as the moving parts that she could see—but attractive.

That was one thing Kosta Ironworks was already known for. Art bikes. Elegant or abstract. Exquisitely fabricated and visually stunning motorcycles. Delilah could appreciate all the work that went into making them, but she was more interested in the talk about his new engine and the aerodynamic design he’d sketched out for the KII in an interview with
American Iron Magazine
. There was supposition that he could be the Elon Musk of their industry. Fulfilling Albert Crocker’s dreams of speed.

And if it didn’t work, he could be finished.

The loud buzz of an angle grinder and the sparks of the MIG welder made Delilah feel at home. She’d still rather be in a garage than a salon, even after all these years with her sisters’ guidance.

She did like her heels. Maybe there was hope for her yet.

A young man in the black Kosta Ironworks T-shirt rushing toward them stopped her from turning back to Sebastian and continuing her line of questioning about the timing of the offer.

The man paused when he reached them, hardly sparing her a glance. “Sebastian, I was just coming to get you.”

Sebastian lifted one eyebrow. “Were you in such a hurry you left your manners behind?” The hand covering hers on his arm tightened, holding her there. “This is Delilah Dean, VP of DD4. Ms. Dean, this is my assistant Stavros Kosta.”

“Kosta?”

Sebastian’s smile tightened. “Second cousin.”

Stavros bobbed his head. “The guys around here just call me Steve, Ms. Dean. Pleasure to meet you. I didn’t realize you had a visitor. I’ll get out of your way.”

“Are you going to tell me why you were looking for me?”

Steve’s gaze shifted uncomfortably. “It isn’t urgent. It’s just about the…modifications to the motor mounts on the Kosta II.”

Delilah could feel Sebastian tense beside her. “I’ve promised to give Ms. Dean a tour.”

But he didn’t want to, she could tell. Not now. Was there a problem with this new motorcycle that everyone, including her, was dying to get a sneak peek at?

“I’ll be here for several days,” Delilah offered gently, understanding she would no longer have his full attention, and that if there was trouble, she wouldn’t be allowed to see the machine. “I have a few business calls to make today anyway. We can delay the tour until tomorrow, if you’d like.”

Sebastian gestured to his assistant, who instantly turned on his heel and raced toward the back of the warehouse, opening a door that must have led to a back room. They’d made so many changes to this building, she hardly recognized it. The last time she was here it was wide open and abandoned. She and Drew had learned to roller skate in the space.

Sebastian turned her toward him and gripped both her hands. “You’re sure?”

Delilah grinned at his surprised expression. “Of course I’m sure. I know all about men and their machines, Mr. Kostas. It’s kind of my job. You need to be with your baby. I get it.”

“Sebastian,” he murmured moving so close to her she could feel his heat. “And now I am truly torn.”

Why was she suddenly breathless? “You are?”

“You’re right, I must take care of this, but I also hate the thought of letting you go this quickly. You’ve already been informed of my impatience. I find that I’m impatient to know you better. To discover how such a stunning woman came to know so much about ‘men and their machines.’”

Oh my.

He licked his full lower lip, watching her intently over the rims of his glasses. “Can I have you for breakfast?”

She swallowed. “Excuse me?”

He chuckled. “I apologize for my wording. I meant, would you let me cook you a late breakfast tomorrow morning? At my home? I have a few pet projects there I’d enjoy showing you, and we could come back to the shop together to discuss the sale and the other factors you mentioned.”

“That’s a generous offer, but I—”

“You accept.” His voice was commanding. Seductive. “I make the best crepes in San Rafael. When I’m done, you will beg me for the recipe.”

She loved crepes.
He said she would beg him
. “I suppose it’s never a good idea to skip breakfast.”

His smile was satisfied and sensual, and Delilah couldn’t stop staring at his lips. He was charming. Too charming? Was there such a thing?

He gave her his address and walked her back to the office, where the Major and Angel were still hovering.

When he bowed his head and left her, Angel glared at his back suspiciously. “That was fast. Did he make a pass? The Greek seems to think he’s God’s gift to women. Can I shoot him?”

Delilah laughed. “No and no. We just decided to save the tour for tomorrow.” She hesitated, glancing around the empty office. “Where is Asa, guys? You knew I was coming today right?”

And she knew he was here. She’d seen him open up. She’d half expected him to follow her into the warehouse, or at the very least, be waiting when she came out with Sebastian.

She didn’t want to analyze the reason she was so disappointed.

The two men shared a look. “He had a few errands to run,” the Major offered. “Said he’d be back later, but he gave me the keys to lock up.”

Errands? Did he
want
her to sell the shop to his competitor? Was he avoiding her? “I should get back to the hotel, then. I need to call Dad and Drew, answer my work email, and then find a nice place to have dinner. Any new spots you two recommend?”

The Major’s lips quirked. “We don’t do new, Del. Don’t you remember?”

Angel chuckled and started to reach for her again, hesitating at the last minute. “We’ve missed you. You and your father both. Will you say hello for us when you call?”

His words tugged on her heart. Dallas missed them too. She knew he did. “I’ll tell him.”

Angel nodded. “Good. And maybe come back tomorrow in something your Uncle Angel can hug you in.”

The Major snorted. “Don’t let him fool you, Del. He wants you to check out his new project. Damn engine won’t fire and he’s too proud to ask me for help in front of our latest protégé. Keeps pretending he’s not done yet.”

There was always one in the garage. A newbie. A young kid who dreamed of building his own bike and cruising the hills of California—or a juvenile delinquent like the ones the local motorcycle cops used to send her father’s way when they started down the wrong path.

Like Asa.

Delilah smiled at them fondly. “I’ll see you tomorrow.” She’d missed them. “I can’t promise I’ll know how to help though, Angel. It’s been years since I’ve gotten my hands dirty.”

Both men wore disbelieving expressions. Despite her disguise, they knew she was lying.

As she walked to her car she thought about Asa’s odd absence, Sebastian’s charm offensive and its unfortunate, abrupt ending.

And that fancy coffee machine.

Something told her there was more to this sudden mutual desire to acquire Dean’s Garage than she knew.

Chapter Two

Delilah was lost in thought as she walked out of the quaint boutique hotel and toward her car for dinner. So lost that for a moment she didn’t see that the hood of her Mustang was up, or the man with a sweet ass encased in tight jeans bent over her engine.

Asa had found her.

She took a deep breath and forced her feet to continue moving toward him. “You know it’s rude to look under someone’s hood without their permission.”

And she knew he wouldn’t have been able to lift the hood if he hadn’t broken into her locked car.

He tilted his head, seemingly unsurprised by her presence. “If I always waited for permission, Del-icious, we never would have met. But hey, I didn’t hotwire your girl. I was patiently waiting for you to bring me the keys. Start her up for me?”

She wasn’t sure what possessed her to automatically obey him, unlocking her car door and slipping into the driver’s seat to start the engine.

“Delilah,” she corrected, ashamed of her strong reaction to the private nickname he used to tease her with. “And I thought you’d put your criminal past behind you when you took over the repair shop.”