Revved (Axle Alley Vipers) (3 page)

Piper’s mouth formed an O, then she scowled, pissed on her behalf. “Jerk.” Then a small smile lifted her plump lips. “You know, Dad would have loved that.”

“I doubt that very much.”

She snorted. “The guy hitting on you part? Oh, hell no. But knowing we’d gotten under the competition’s skin? That would have totally made his day.”

Rusty grinned as well. “You’re not wrong.”

They’d lost him eight months ago, a massive heart attack taking him from them without warning. Not a day passed when she didn’t wish he was here with them, that he was here to see this. See what they’d accomplished. He’d taught her, Piper, and Alex—since their friend had practically lived with them—everything he knew about cars, about the business. Her mother had hated it, but thankfully, he hadn’t agreed with her opinion that a garage was no place for girls.

But then her mother had walked, taken off and left them behind. They’d moved into the cottage next to the garage with their grandmother. And her father—her father had changed. He’d lost something, lost the drive to make more of this place. Gave up his dream, the dream she’d heard him talk about for as long as she could remember. To one day specialize in classic car restoration.

Well, they were doing it. Not only fulfilling his dream, but theirs as well.

As far as she was concerned, Reid Parker could go suck it. All the guy had managed to do today, coming here, darkening their door, was prove they were doing something right.

She refused to waste another second thinking about him. In fact, she wanted to forget about him all together. Forget about that panty-melting voice, those intense eyes…that massive bulge behind his zipper.

Stop!

“The excitement’s over. Let’s get back to work,” she said, cutting off her thoughts before she changed her mind and took him up on his offer. She had no doubt he could show her more than a thing or two.

Alex and Piper drifted off to get on with it, and Rusty did the same. This, right here, was all she needed. This made her happy, kept her fulfilled. She didn’t need anything else.

She kept telling herself that every time a pair of pale brown eyes shifted through her mind, ignoring that when they did, her heart beat a little faster.

Chapter Three

“Y
eah, I put the leftovers in the fridge.” Reid grinned to himself. Whenever he had dinner with his mom, he came home with enough food to last a week.

A car door slammed. He looked up in time to see Dominic, his apprentice, come flying into the garage, looking flustered as hell. He was thirty minutes late. This was not new, had been happening at least once or twice a week for the last month.

“I gotta go, Ma. I’ll call you tomorrow.”

He ended the call, then opened the door to the workshop. Dom was frantically tugging on his coveralls. “Yo, Dom.” The boy’s head shot up, face pale, eyes bright.
Shit
. The kid was only seventeen and dealing with more crap than anyone his age should have to. “My office.”

Reid ducked back in, giving him a minute to collect himself. The boy had lost just about everything, but he had his pride, and Reid knew firsthand when you had nothing else, how fucking important that was.

Dominic walked in and shut the door. “Yeah, ah…sorry I’m late, Reid.”

Reid crossed his arms and rested his ass on his desk. “Your mom okay?”

Dom stiffened, then deflated a little and shrugged. “Going through one of her rough patches.”

“No sign of your old man?” Reid watched him carefully. Dom’s old man was a lot like his, one-hundred proof running through his veins, and instead of opening his mouth, he talked with his fists.

“Haven’t seen him in months.”

Thank fuck for that. But he’d be back, they always came crawling back. “You need anything?”

The kid pressed his lips together tight and shook his head, trying his best to keep up a tough front. Reid saw right through it, and it tore him in two. The guys in the shop did all they could for the family, in a way that wouldn’t make Dom see it as charity. Most of them came from similar backgrounds and knew how the kid’s mind ticked.

Reid stood and squeezed his shoulder. “You need anything, day or night, you call me, you can’t get me, you call Law or one of the other guys, yeah?”

He cleared his throat. “Yeah.”

“You don’t need to do this alone, Dom.”

“Thanks,” he rasped.

Reid opened the door. “Now go get to work. That panel won’t straighten itself.”

Dom left, and Reid went to his desk and sat heavily in the seat. First chance he got, he’d talk to Law, get him to do some checking around, make sure Dom’s dad was well and truly out of the picture.

An hour later, he’d managed to make a few calls and get through some paperwork, but every few minutes his eyes moved to the four buckets of body filler taking up room in the corner of his office. He probably should, but right then he couldn’t find it in himself to feel guilty about it. After calling in a favor, he’d managed to get West Restoration’s order delivered to R.I.P. by “mistake,” then called the error in to West’s this morning, speaking to the blonde, Piper, on the phone.

He wasn’t a patient man, never had been, and he’d already waited over a week for Rusty to change her mind and show up. She hadn’t, which kind of surprised him, but also kind of didn’t. The woman was stubborn, he’d worked out that much from their brief encounter, but he also hadn’t missed the interest behind those vibrant green eyes. Now all he could do was wait and see who showed to collect their misplaced order. If it was Rusty, he knew he had a shot, if not—well, he’d have to come up with something else.

She was definitely a challenge, but one he more than looked forward to conquering.

If he was honest, he’d thought of nothing else. He still couldn’t get the image out of his head, when she’d pulled off that welding mask, letting all that thick, red hair fall down her back. The sway of those hips, and shit, that mouth…and not just the way it looked. She was attitude and fire, and he wanted a taste. So yeah, he was done waiting.

He also wanted West Restoration—his name above the doors, and the talent and unique difference the West girls brought along with it. As far as he could see, Rusty was the best way in. The hardest nut to crack. Some might think it was an asshole move, using her to get what he wanted, but he hadn’t got where he was today by being a nice guy.

And he’d sure as hell make certain she enjoyed every damn minute of it.

He’d have to break his one-night rule with her, but he got the feeling that one night with Rusty West in his bed, underneath him, long legs wrapped around his waist, wouldn’t be enough anyway. Mixing business with pleasure was a risk. This could all blow up in his face, but he wanted her
and
West Restoration. Right now, he wasn’t willing to give up either. In fact, he was sure the only way to acquire one was through the other.

He just had to make sure no messy emotions got in the way. But then it wasn’t like she’d expect a ring on her finger just because he fucked her a few times. Because that’s all it would ever be. He didn’t do commitment, and he didn’t do long term. The women he spent time with knew this, felt the same way. Anything more was too big of a risk, one he’d have to be a stupid son of a bitch to take, and despite how hard his old man had tried to beat it into him, repeatedly, he was not stupid.

After the nightmare he’d grown up in, he didn’t want it. That kind of sick, that poison, it coated every inch of you, dug deep. He’d rather be six feet under than unleash that kind of hell on anyone. Wouldn’t be able to live with himself if he did.

He glanced out the window to the front parking lot again and mentally shook off the direction his thoughts had gone. That’s when he saw a black Ford pickup, green flames licking up and across the rounded hood, roll in and park out front.

She’d come.

The door opened and one long leg appeared a second before Rusty stepped out in her beaten work boots.

In that moment he realized just how hungry for another glimpse of her he’d been. Her red hair was tied up, and she wore a dark green tank and a pair of black cutoff shorts, frayed and worn and molded to her hips like a second skin.

Shoving her hands in her pockets, she strode through the door, gaze constantly moving, taking everything in, those intelligent, wary eyes missing nothing.

He didn’t rush out to meet her, instead he watched from the internal window facing the workshop as she stepped inside. He also watched as, one by one, his boys tagged her, until nearly every pair of eyes in the place had lifted and locked on her.

Rusty’s shoulders straightened, and she sucked on her bottom lip. She didn’t appreciate the attention, not one bit. Granted they were a rough bunch—guys that’d had it tough, and it showed—but he didn’t think that was what had her freezing up.

The only guy not focused on her was Dominic. The kid had his head down, trying to bang out the dents in a door panel, and Rusty headed straight to him.

The least threatening option.

The kid’s head came up when she touched his shoulder, eyes going wide, face turning a volcanic shade of red when he got a look at her. He couldn’t blame him. The smile she offered his apprentice was stunning. She said something, and Dom smiled shyly, motioning to the panel he was working on. Reid found himself grinning when she took the hammer from the boy and started showing him what he’d been doing wrong, instructing him the whole time. Poor Dom looked as if he’d swallowed his tongue, while the other guys stood like statues, as mesmerized by her as he’d been the first time he’d seen her in a pair of coveralls and a welder in her hand.

A foreign emotion suddenly flared to life, bright and near violent. Jealousy. He’d never felt jealous over a woman in his life. He tamped it down, got a handle on it before he stupidly stormed out there and showed them exactly why it wasn’t a good idea to look at what he considered his. That wouldn’t do him any favors, not with Rusty and not with the guys who trusted him. It was also a flashing red light, a warning that he shouldn’t go anywhere near the tempting redhead. That even
thinking
about it was a fucking stupid idea, for many reasons.

She straightened, handed his hot-faced apprentice back his hammer, and said something that had the boy smiling and stammering a response before motioning to Reid’s office. Rusty smiled at the kid, so bright even he felt the power of it. Dom looked close to falling on his ass as she sauntered off, leaving him openmouthed and no doubt as hard as the steel he’d been pounding.

As she neared, her gaze lifted and caught his, and he was sure he saw that fire flash behind her eyes, saw her draw in a deep breath, like she was preparing for battle.

Bring it, Foxy.

He opened the door and waited for her to walk through. “You finished instructing my apprentice?”

She shrugged. “Someone had to show him what he was doing wrong.”

Stopping just inside, she tipped her head back, heart-shaped face staring up at him. He could see now, she was pissed, fuming, despite all the smiles. Proving his first impression correct: she was smart, she was quick, and she knew exactly what he’d done to get her here.

Which meant his only option was to change tack before he blew it completely.

“Filler’s over there.” He jerked his head to where the buckets were stacked, then walked to his desk, planted his ass, and looked down at the invoices he’d been going over before she arrived, essentially ignoring her. Which wasn’t easy. Not at all. “You need a hand carrying it to your truck? I can get one of the boys to help,” he said without looking up.

She was silent for several seconds, hopefully reassessing the situation. “How the hell did it get here in the first place, Parker?”

He could hear the accusation in her voice, and since she’d chosen to call him by his last name instead of Chuckles, he knew she wasn’t in the mood to mess around.

She didn’t trust him, and after the reaction she’d gotten from his boys when she arrived, he could guess why. Rusty didn’t trust men full-stop. It
should
give him pause. But he was an asshole, and bottom line, he wanted her. It would make winning her over more difficult, but not impossible.

“How the fuck would I know? They’re in the way. I want them gone. You want help carting them or not?” He glanced up in time to see her eyes widen. He’d shocked her. Good.

She covered it quickly, then shook her head. “I’ve got it.”

Why didn’t that surprise him? Stubborn as hell.

She picked up one of the buckets with a soft grunt and lugged it out the door. It was hard, but he stayed at his desk, even though letting her carry them on her own did not sit well with him. But he kept his ass glued to his seat.

She came and went three more times, and each time she walked through the workshop her gaze drifted to the cars they were working on. Yeah, her curiosity was piqued. Would she do anything about it?

He watched as she loaded the last one, the bright oranges, pinks, and greens of the flowers and leaves inked on her arms glistening from the fine coat of sweat covering her smooth skin. Closing the tailgate on her truck, she blew out a breath, then brushing back the strands of hair that had broken free around her face, rounded the pickup and opened the driver’s door.

She was going to get in and drive away. He’d played it wrong.

But then she just stood there, frozen, head down, staring at her boots.

Come on, Foxy. You know you want to.

Her hands curled into fists at her sides, and she shook her head, muttering something to herself before she slammed the door shut again, shoved her keys in her pocket, and headed back.

He kept his head down as she stomped into his office, loudly, and moved to stand beside him. “So…”

“You finished?”

She shifted from foot to foot. “Yeah.” Her voice had lost the pissed edge, and she sounded a little unsure.

He glanced up, leaned back in his chair. “Sorry I couldn’t get one of the guys to deliver it earlier, but we’ve been busy.” He offered up a half-assed smile and glanced at the clock. “Right, well…I better get back to work.”

She was about to turn and leave, then stopped again. She looked uncomfortable, nervous, which surprised him. She’d seemed fearless. “Is that offer still open or what?” she blurted.

Crossing his arms, he did his best not to let a triumphant grin break free. “You want me to show you around the shop?”

“Yeah, sure. If you’re cool with that?” She bit her lower lip, emphasizing the fuller top one, and an innocence that contradicted wildly with the image she showed to the rest of the world slid forward. It struck him with force, made his gut twist and his cock get hard.

He cleared his throat. “I can do that. But like I said, we’re busy. Come back after we close up, and I’ll be happy to.” He gave her another barely there smile and let a little sarcasm slip into his voice. “You are the competition, right? Wouldn’t be good business to show you all our secrets.”

The spark flickered back to life, the fire now front and center. “Worried?”

“Not in the slightest. You think if I was, I’d offer what I am? Just trying to prove a point, sweetheart. You threw it down, and I don’t ignore a challenge, or a chance to prove someone wrong. That’s as deep as it goes.”

She shifted on those beaten-to-hell boots again, that on the legs she had, looked just as hot as any pair of six-inch heels could. “What time?”

“Seven.”

“That should work.”

“I’ll be waiting.”

She didn’t say any more, didn’t hang around, in fact she all but bolted from his office. She was skittish and wary as hell, and she didn’t trust him one bit. He guessed at this point, the chance of her actually showing tonight was fifty-fifty.

Either away, he wasn’t finished with Rusty West.