“Think of the networking, the chance to get your name out there. The business this could bring you,” I urged. “You have to go.”
“And what, just close the garage and leave you to run amok? I don’t think so,” he sniped.
I almost laughed at his attempt to piss me off.
“I was at the general store a couple of times last week. Mr. Conner’s son was there.”
Maxx frowned. “Brett?”
“Yes. He told me the shop he worked at in Toronto had a fire. He’s out of a job until it’s rebuilt, so he’s back home. He’s a mechanic.”
“I know he’s a mechanic.” He stopped as my words sank in. “You want me to have Brett cover here?”
I detected a note of worry in Maxx’s voice, and I knew this was thin ice I was walking on.
“You’ve known him all your life. He told me you went to school together.”
A strange looked passed over his face. “Sometimes, that means nothing.”
I held back the retort I wanted to say. Instead, I shrugged. “Sometimes, it does.”
“I’d be gone a whole week. They want me to fly out tomorrow, and I would be gone until next Tuesday. That’s a lot of arranging to be done,” he muttered.
“You could at least talk to him. If you’re worried, you can change the bank password and only let Brett have access to the front. I’ll work in the office on other things and take the payments. Get Mary to come babysit us if that makes you feel better. Put a spy cam in the garage—whatever you have to do. But don’t simply walk away from an opportunity like this, Maxx.”
He stared at me, silent and brooding. I waited for his eventual dismissal of my ideas. I was shocked when he nodded and spun on his heel. “I’ll think about it.”
Refusing to give him the chance to overthink it, I opened my laptop, brought up flights to LA, and checked the schedules. I made a quick phone call, printed out a few options, then went out front, laying the paper beside him. Cam watched us, looking amused.
“Just in case, these are some flight options. And, ah, Brett is going to drop by shortly. Just to talk. Either way—your decision.” I scurried back to the office before he could yell. It was an incredible opportunity for him, and the break might do him some good. Maybe he would relax and enjoy himself. Make some good connections.
Maybe when he came back, I wouldn’t annoy him so much.
I shut down my laptop and walked through the garage, hoping to escape unnoticed. I felt Maxx’s glare follow me, and his voice boomed out as I reached the door. “Meeting at three, Charly. I expect those numbers to be ready.”
“Yep,” I squeaked. Then, like the coward I was, ran.
Maxx stormed through the door of the house around two thirty. I was upstairs, changing his sheets. I heard his heavy footsteps on the stairs and swallowed. He walked into the room, which seemed to shrink and close in around us. But when he spoke, his voice was deceptively mild.
“What part of ‘stay out of it’ did you not understand?”
“Um, the whole part?” I replied, keeping my voice light. “I just made a phone call. Easy peasy. If you don’t want to go, you don’t have to.”
“Well, since it seems there is nothing stopping me, I have no choice.”
“Why don’t you want to go?”
He rubbed his face. “It’s complicated.”
“Most things are with you.”
He narrowed his eyes. “I trusted my best friend with this shop, and he screwed me over. I find it difficult to allow anyone to get close now.”
I was surprised he had told me that much.
“You can control what Brett has access to. Me as well,” I offered. His next words shocked and pleased me.
“I’m fine with you, Charly.”
“Yeah?” I asked.
He ignored my question. “I spoke to Brett. He’s happy to come in and work while I’m gone. Keep things running out front. You handle the back.”
“So, you’re going?”
He held up his hand. “On two conditions. I need you to look after Rufus, and I’m not happy about the thought of you being here alone all the time. It’s pretty secluded.”
“Oh.” I had to admit, I hadn’t thought about being here alone.
“Brett is going to move in to your room. You can have one of the rooms down the hall from mine. Whichever one you want.”
“You want me to live in the house?”
He sighed and shut his eyes. “You should have been in here all along. I only put you out there to test you, Charly. After… Well, frankly, it was safer for you to be out there.”
“Safer?”
He opened his eyes, meeting my gaze. “For both our sakes.”
Heat pulsated, filling the room so quickly, it was intense. I knew what he meant. If we were down the hall from each other all night, one of us would crack. It was inevitable.
He swallowed and spoke, breaking the tension building between us.
“You can stay here while I’m gone. Rufus will protect you and be happy. Brett will be comfortable in the garage, and I’ll feel better knowing he is here.”
“And when you come back?”
There was a beat of silence. “We’ll address that when I get home.”
“Okay. So, you’re going to do this?”
“I guess I am.”
“Maxx, it’s so exciting. Think of the networking. The business. You might get more restoration work.”
“I can’t take on much more. The garage is busy.”
I shook my head. “Holy moly. Always short-sighted.”
“What are you talking about?”
“If Brett works out, you can bring him on. Ease your workload so you can take on more restorations. You’ll be there to supervise and watch, but you can do more of what you love.”
“You have this all planned out, don’t you, Red?”
He stopped talking, realizing what he had called me.
“Easy peasy, Maxx. Leave it to me.” Attempting to lighten the situation, I tried teasing him. “You go and have a great time. I’ll hold down the fort while you’re carousing and drinking, being a celebrity.”
He rolled his eyes, exasperated. “It’s a bunch of bikers and distributors. I’m not a celebrity.”
I shook my head. “With those sexy smolders, the women will fall all over you—” I stopped speaking abruptly, an image coming to mind. The women would go crazy over him. I mean, who could resist? I didn’t want him to meet anyone, and I certainly didn’t want him to sleep with anyone else. But I couldn’t say anything. I had no ties on him, and if I did say something, it would be crossing that line.
I suddenly hated the thought of this trip. Him being gone. Surrounded by sexy biker chicks who would most certainly want to ride him. I gripped the pillowcase I was holding so tight, my knuckles turned white as jealousy raged through me. One word echoed in my head—one word I dared not speak out loud.
Mine.
As if sensing my inner turmoil, Maxx’s eyes bored into mine, the silence around us building. The air pulsed with the passion that lurked beneath the surface every time we got close. I swallowed my suddenly dry throat, clutching the pillow tighter. Maxx’s gaze drifted to the bed, then back to me. His gaze darkened further, and I felt my breathing pick up. It was as if I could feel his touch from across the room. Sense his deep need. A need that matched my own. We were like a moth and a flame—getting too close would cause devastation, yet we seemed powerless to resist. I almost whimpered as his hands fisted tightly against his sides as if forcing himself not to reach out.
“I don’t think so,” he murmured. Then he turned and walked away, not stopping until he was at the bottom of the stairs.
“Clear my schedule, Charly. I’m out of here.”
Chapter 15
MAXX
The next morning, I carried my bag downstairs to find Charly waiting in the kitchen. She handed me an iPad and patiently showed me how to use the feature she’d added. All my latest restorations we
re there, the pictures in order from start to finish. My concept sketches were in the files as well. I shook my head in disbelief. “How?” I asked.
Charly shrugged. “Magic.”
“No, Charly, how did you do this?” I studied her face, noticing the shadows under her eyes. “Were you up all night working on this?” I had been busy packing and getting organized. Charly had carried her things to her room down the hall and her door was shut when I looked before retiring, so I’d assumed she was in bed. She must have been working on this in the office.
“Yeah. Honest, Maxx. It was easy peasy. I know it’s not a PowerPoint or anything, but maybe they can hook it up to a larger screen, and you can just scroll through the photos if you want.”
I didn’t know what to say. It was an incredible, thoughtful thing for her to do. I had planned on grabbing the memory card from my camera and trying to figure something out once I got there, and now I didn’t have to.
“Thank you, Charly,” I said simply. “You’re the best.”
“Well, will you look at that? The man has manners.”
I chuckled.
She handed me some coffee. “You’re welcome.”
“Go back to bed.”
“Nope. I have a busy week ahead of me.”
“What do you have planned?”
“I don’t want to tell you, but I think you’ll like it.”
Not being told her plans should have made me nervous, but it didn’t. Charly was a different breed of woman, and I trusted her. It surprised me since I never thought I would trust another woman again, but with her, I knew my faith wasn’t misplaced.
“Maxx, can I, ah, have like a hundred dollars for, ah, stuff?”
“Stuff?” I teased. “Business stuff or personal stuff?” Then I smacked my head in realization. “I need to pay you. You must need cash.”
“I’m okay until you get back, but I need some money to make a few little changes.”
“Doesn’t sound like much to keep you busy for a week.”
“I can make a buck go far,” she retorted.
“There is two hundred in petty cash in the bottom of the file cabinet. I need receipts.”
She rolled her eyes. “Duh.”
I dug in my pocket and handed her another two hundred. “Here’s an advance.”
She hesitated.
“Charly, I told you if you did your job, you would get paid. You’ve outdone yourself. Take it.”
She took the money, slipping it into her pocket.
I glanced at my watch. “I have to go.”
She jumped up, suddenly looking upset. She wrung her hands in an oddly nervous gesture for her. “Okay. Travel safe. You have your passport?”
“Yes.”
She prattled on, waving her hands in the air, looking like a little redheaded bird flapping its wings. “Don’t take rides from strangers, okay? Avoid the sun and the desert. Did you pack sunscreen? Do you have your credit card? Flight information? Did you pack clean underwear?”
I gaped at her strange behavior. “Yes to all but the last one.”
“You didn’t pack underwear?”
I shook my head slowly, enjoying the flush of color that rushed to her cheeks. “Nope, going commando all week.” I bent and brushed a kiss on her warm skin. “Think of that while you’re dipping into the petty cash and causing havoc.”
She stilled, and I winked at her as I bent and grabbed my duffle bag. “See you in a week, Charly.”
“Maxx…”
I paused at the door. “Yeah?”
“I’ll be right here, waiting.”
I cocked my head, her words sinking in. She looked tired, worried, and altogether too sexy standing in my kitchen, saying goodbye. Reassuring me. Exhausted because she had been awake most of the night doing something to help me. I had to fight the impulse to walk back to her and kiss her senseless.
“Good to know.”
LA was hot. So fucking hot, I hated leaving the air-conditioned coolness of the hotel. It was loud and crowded, the roads clogged with congestion, and the sidewalks overrun with people.
The convention was massive. People came from all over for it. I got to meet other presenters, talk about motorcycles and restorations. It was great to converse with bike enthusiasts, exchange ideas with fellow restoration specialists, some of whom I had long admired. I wandered around the vast convention center, looking at bikes, parts, and new machines I itched to purchase for the shop. My lectures went well, and I was surprised how much I enjoyed giving them.
Surprisingly, the only fly in the ointment was the women. Charly had been right when she’d said there would be a lot of them around. Normally that wouldn’t be an issue, but for some reason, the advances I received made me uncomfortable. Some were friendly and wanted to talk motorcycles, discuss ideas they had for their rides—others, not so much. There was just one thing on their mind, and they weren’t getting it from me. For a couple of them, that seemed only to spur them on, and nothing I did, short of telling them where to go, seemed to dissuade them. In fact, it only seemed to encourage them, as if getting me in bed was a challenge.
Luckily, it was one I was up for. I had zero interest in a hookup. I tried hard not to delve too deeply into the reasons behind it.
I woke on Saturday, hearing the bustle already outside the hotel, even though it was still early. LA never seemed to quiet down, even overnight.
I missed the peace of Littleburn. Waking up in the stillness of dawn, Rufus at my feet. Working on cars and motorcycles. Talking to people I knew.
And dammit, I missed Red. How she had wormed her way under my skin and past my defenses, I had no idea. I knew I liked her, but how much became apparent once I was away from her. She was always in the recesses of my mind, peeking out at the strangest times. I found myself thinking about her several times a day, storing away bits of information I knew she would like. Taking pictures I thought she would enjoy seeing since she wasn’t there with me.
Wishing, at times, that she were.
She made a point of calling me every day. She’d tell me what was happening with the garage, assuring me she was keeping an eye on Brett.
“He’s doing a great job, Maxx.”
I’d grunt my response.
“Want me to send you the work orders and deposits?”
I rubbed my eyes. “No.”
I still had alerts come in, and I saw Brett was staying busy. I didn’t care about the deposits; I cared about talking to her.
“Rufus misses you. I’ll send you pictures.”
And she did—every day. A new one of him lying on the grass in the sun. Sleeping on the floor of the office. One arrived last night of him on the foot of her bed, making himself comfortable. I tried not to be jealous of my dog, sharing her bed. I recalled how it felt to be beside her at night. The way she tucked herself into my chest, nestling tight. She liked to be held, and I had enjoyed having her close.
It was easier to admit that when she was twenty-five hundred miles away.
She never told me what she was busy doing, although I imagined it was a lot. She wasn’t afraid of hard work, and she was damn good at the organizing part.
Best non-male Girl Friday I had ever hired.
I looked forward to her daily calls. The pictures. The way she made sure I was still connected to my life back home. I found myself teasing her, purposely asking her questions I knew would make her respond with one of her odd expressions.
“How’d you do that, Charly?”
“Oh, easy peasy!”
“That sounds like a lot of work.”
“Holy moly, mister. You have no idea.”
“I appreciate all you’re doing.”
“Oh my. Would ya listen to that. The man has manners again.”
“That must have made you mad.”
“Totally chapped my ass.”
Each exchange made me smile and, somehow, miss her more.
I flung back the blanket and got up.
I was conn
ected to her—in ways I never expected.
I cursed as I headed for the shower.
This was more complicated than I had thought it was. And I had no idea how to stop it.
Or, if I even wanted to.
Later that afternoon, I headed across the lobby, needing a couple of Tylenol and a break. The event was packed, the auditorium overflowing, the noise level high. I had done three lectures and had three more to go later. For now, I needed a little quiet—and some room service.
“Maxx!” a voice behind me called. “Wait!”
I stifled a groan. Monique was one of the women who refused to take no for an answer. She was at every presentation, her leer frank and steady. She appeared no matter where I went, always a look of calculated surprise crossing her face when we would “bump” into each other. I turned down all offers of drinks, dinner, or her not-so-subtle offers of a quickie in the stairwell. Some men would be flattered by her attention, but I was finding it aggravating. She was one of the sponsors of the event, so I was careful and polite, but she refused to take the hint.
She stopped in front of me, smiling widely. “I saw you leave. I thought maybe we could get a bite together.” She pulled on a long, carefully sculpted blond curl, lifting her shoulder so her prominent breasts pushed forward from the leather vest she was wearing.
“Thanks, Monique, but not now. I have a headache, and I’m heading to my room.”
Wrong thing to say.
“Oh, I give great neck rubs,” she cooed. “I could come with you and, ah, ease that ache. Any of them you might have.” Her gaze dropped to my crotch, and I wanted to roll my eyes and tell her not to bother. There would be no response from my dick for her.
I was saved from telling her exactly what she could do with her neck rub by the sound of my phone ringing. I had never been as grateful to see the garage number flash across my screen as I was at that moment.
“Sorry, I need to take this. It’s my fiancée,” I lied.
Turning my back, I answered the phone, praying Charly would forgive me for what I was about to do.
Revved to the Maxx Page 15
