by Nico Rosso
The glow of the light spread out under the car when he shoved forward on his heels and disappeared beneath the chassis. Metal scraped against metal and the work began. She knew the processes, but not the shop, so it took a moment before she located a siphon and gas can.
While she pumped the fuel out of the car, Arash’s voice rang metallic from below. “They had auto shop in private school?”
“My friend’s dad had a dealership.” The Japanese American girl’s relationship with her father had been more stable than Stephanie’s family life, leading to many evenings hanging out at the Hirais’ house. “We’d wrench on Julie’s Civic in the last bay while the real mechanics were working late.”
“Sounds way better than getting crabgrass up your ass while doing neighborhood oil changes in the front yard.” He grunted with effort for a second and she heard oil spilling into the receptacle. “I’m going to guess that Julie’s out boosting high-end cars, too.” His voice boomed, overdramatic. “Your best friend is now your greatest rival.”
“She’s flying all over the globe as an art dealer.” All the gas was siphoned out of the car, so Stephanie capped the can and stowed it with the others.
“You’re the one at the reunion with just a photo that says ‘Whereabouts Unknown.’” He shifted under the car; more metal clanked.
“A lot of shady kids from shady families at that school.” Julie would hate to see Stephanie’s performance right now, back on the wrong side of the law. “We only hold reunions on the dark web.” Leaving her father’s business behind had changed a lot of Stephanie’s friendships. She still had her network of information, but it existed with a cool detachment. Julie was one of the only people to stick close with her. College had been a fresh start, though Stephanie had met her fair share of crooks in the economics department.
“I’ve got a few friends doing a permanent high school reunion at Solano.” He dragged himself out from under the car, bringing the tools and full oil container with him.
Because he’s a criminal, she reminded herself as she climbed back behind the wheel and tugged the shifter into Neutral. She nodded to Arash when she had her foot on the brake and watched him place his hands on the front of the car and push. The work light shining from the ground carved him into a devil. His muscles flexed, as if he was on top of her, with her legs spread out before him.
She gasped a quick breath and turned her gaze to the interior gauges she would have to dismantle, then released the emergency brake and eased off the pedal. The car rolled backward off the ramps and she locked it down once it settled. Arash rapped his knuckles on the hood, snapping her attention back to him in front of her. She reached under the dash and tugged the hood release.
By the time she came around to Arash, he was stretched out with the hood high. Her shoulder slid against his firm side as she unclipped the support. Swinging it up brought her very close to his face. Close enough for her to stare at his sensuous lips and wonder how damned she’d be if she tasted them.
His eyes burned intense as he stared back at her. And that darkness flickered deep again. Or was it just a trick of the light?
She latched the support into the hood, he released his hold and the two of them parted quickly. It would be easy to blame the Tyvek jumpsuit for the sultry heat that covered her body, but she knew it had more to do with how solid he’d felt against her. And how hungry he’d looked gazing into her eyes.
A sweet aroma enveloped her when he opened the radiator. While the sugary sensation coming from the antifreeze was tempting, she knew that, like Arash, it was deadly. She pulled over an empty jug and he siphoned the thick liquid into it. Instead of watching his body shift with each movement of his arm, she took the work light and hooked it under the hood of the car.
Hoses, pipes and wires banked and curved in a static race through the engine compartment. Down in the center was the stock motor, pierced and bolted through with aftermarket performance additions. She remembered the early days of staring at the puzzle under the hood of Julie’s car, neither of them being able to trace cause to effect. But through their diligence, the internet and the mechanics who would wander by to share their expertise, the complications of the engine unwound.
“Here’s why you smelled oil.” She pointed at the engine and Arash leaned close to her to peer in. “Those fools clocked the turbocharger all wrong, with the return line too high.” The circular device could be mounted with several orientations, but only the one with the oil dripping out the bottom was correct.
He shook his head with a disappointed sigh. “Never had a chance.” Turning away, he capped the jug of antifreeze and stowed it on a shelf. “At least no one else will have to look at their crap work after this.” He returned with his hands held out. Lying on his greasy palms were an array of socket wrenches and screwdrivers.
“Sexy.” Damn, she hadn’t wanted to say that out loud. Hopefully he thought she was talking about the tools and not his hands. From the burning look he was giving her, he wasn’t completely absorbed with automotive motivations. His chest rose and fell, matching the slow pace of her hot breath. She reached forward. He stepped toward her. She could just tilt her head up a little. They were so close.
She licked her lips and took one of the drivers from his hand. He curled his fingers around the rest of the tools. Surprisingly, instead of growing surly, he smiled, intimate and understanding. He leaned into the engine bay and murmured, “If I had my own shop, I’d hire you.”
“You couldn’t afford me.” Hoping the manual work of removing nuts and bolts would cool her down, she started dismantling the first part in front of her.
“I’d only give you the hardest problems.” His efforts brought his shoulder close to hers. “The strangest noises, erratic balances, parts that aren’t supposed to fit together locked so tight it’s like they’re meant to be.” Each of his words was punctuated by him turning bolts, making him thrust forward and shaking the whole car. And her. “You’d do it just so you could say that you were the only one who figured it out. You’d do it for the pleasure.”
She dropped her socket driver and grabbed his wrench. “Stop,” she said, more breathless than she wanted. “Stop talking.” His face grew serious, but he didn’t pull away. “Stop what you’re doing.” Touching his skin arced a spark straight into her. Heat prickled across her chest, up her neck and into her cheeks. His lips were parted, teeth bared, eyes boring into her. Could she really make him stop? “Stop looking at me that way. And kiss me.”
Chapter Seven
He neared her. She tipped her mouth up to meet him. As soon as their lips touched, it would let her know how wrong this was. She’d been trying to convince herself away from him, but she needed this proof. A kiss would blast him out of her system.
She’d been lying to Olesk and his gang. She’d been lying to Arash. And now she was lying to herself.
She tightened her hand on his wrist. He slid his palm over her hip and cupped the small of her back. Their mouths met in an open kiss that stole her breath and had her surging harder into him. He met her force with his own. Hungry and devouring.
Even though layers of clothes separated them, heat blazed where he touched her. Like it could burn away all the lies and leave her naked with her need. She wanted that. Just to give in, as if all the complications didn’t exist and it was just her and Arash in one moment. No motives other than pleasure.
He brought their chests together and she dug her fingernails into his wrist. Her body shook as he growled into her mouth. She darted her tongue out to test and tease. He responded immediately with his own tongue, sliding sensuously against hers. Her other hand curled in the fabric on his chest. She pulled him closer. His tongue swept deeper. She could tear his clothes, feel the flesh underneath.
Stephanie broke the kiss and straightened her arm to push him away. His hand slid from her, leaving the heat and making everything surrounding that spot feel
far too cold. Fire burned in his eyes and long breaths moved him. She lowered her hand and he maintained the distance. The darkness returned to his face, something like doubt and anger, then he cooled.
She contained the storm within her enough to turn back to the engine and pick up her tools without her hands shaking. Arash resumed his work next to her. Both of them maintained an uncomfortable cushion of space, even in the cramped quarters.
Wrong. She’d been so wrong. The kiss hadn’t burned away her need for Arash. It had left her wanting more.
* * *
THIS WAS BAD. Arash hadn’t jeopardized his purpose in infiltrating Olesk’s gang, but he had guaranteed that when he finally got his revenge, it would be a terrible mess. And it would tear his heart out.
He’d spent too long in the shower, but the heat of the water hadn’t chased away the warmth of Stephanie against him. Dressed now in his newly bought clothes, he stood in the middle of his room with the door closed and didn’t know how to make the next step. The gang wouldn’t question him hooking up with her. She didn’t seem to doubt his motivations when they were tangled against each other. But he didn’t know what the hell he was doing.
As soon as he’d seen her in those ridiculous coveralls he’d known he wanted to know what she would feel like in his arms and what her mouth would taste like. Her body was only hinted at in the white fabric, but she moved with such confidence. And her fine wrists and hands emerged from the rolled cuffs with such unexpected beauty. Seeing her expertly work on the car with grease on her skin had only turned him on more.
But he couldn’t act on it. Though it was tearing him up not to. Flirting around the engine bay was supposed to relieve the pressure, not turn it up. When she told him to kiss her, it was everything he wanted.
And the kiss was hot and hungry and he definitely didn’t get enough.
Which was why he was standing behind a closed door and forcing himself into balance before he stepped back into the rest of the house. He double-checked that his folding knife was in his jeans. He’d sharpened it before leaving for the gig in the warehouse. His phone was charged and in his pocket, though he had no one he trusted to reach out to. None of his current friends knew Marcos, and he couldn’t drag any of them into this mess. Anyone trying to find him would be calling a phone that was turned off and in a bedside drawer in his apartment. In a day or two his parents would start trying him. His current phone was a burner, and no one except Olesk had the number.
Arash opened the door and moved into the empty hallway. With each step downstairs he hardened himself. The gang wouldn’t touch him. And if Stephanie wanted to hold him off after the kiss, all the better. Though he still wanted to burn this house down around Olesk and drag Stephanie free.
But she didn’t need rescuing. She was more capable than the rest of these jokers put together. The crew was in one of the living rooms, where Hector and Ellie sat on a couch playing a street racing video game. Olesk was at a nearby table, switching his attention between the game on a big-screen TV and his phone. Thom perched on the arm of the couch, hands twitching as if he was playing the game.
Stephanie hovered at a distance behind the action with a clouded expression and her arms crossed. She’d also showered and changed and looked fresh enough for a casual night of wine tasting and small plates. Their eyes met and he watched a storm gather behind her gaze. The rest of her remained cool. If the lightning was going to strike, he’d never see it coming. She leaned as if to take a step away from him, but she recovered and stood her ground.
They’d spent the rest of the teardown after the kiss in silence. Hours passed with only necessary words cracking into the still air. But because they both knew their jobs, that meant their voices remained quiet while the tools made all the noise.
“You guys eat dinner?” He could smell food but didn’t see any.
“While you two were wrapping up the teardown.” Olesk didn’t look up from his phone. “Nice work, by the way.”
“Thanks.” Arash had been on autopilot while boxing and labeling all the parts with Stephanie. Even the seats had been taken out.
“There’s plenty of options in the freezer.” Olesk waved his hand toward the kitchen.
“Doesn’t anyone cook around here?” The pizza had gotten Arash through the day, but it wasn’t ideal after wrenching for hours.
Tearing his focus away from his phone, Olesk rolled his eyes. “Feel free to cook. And do the dishes, and keep everything clean. Or just warm something up out of the freezer and save all the trouble.”
Arash turned to Stephanie. “You eat?”
“Not yet.” She shook her head, mouth tight.
He turned and left the room to the sounds of Ellie gloating a win and Hector’s mild outrage. Stephanie walked with him to the kitchen, where he saw the remnants of the crew’s dinner boxes piled on a corner of the counter. She opened the freezer and looked over the selection of meals and more pizzas.
She grumbled, “I thought these guys were supposed to be the best of the best. No perks, though.”
He pulled out a basic yet substantial meal. “Just because they can drive doesn’t mean they have taste. Give me an onion and a steak. I can cook.”
“I’d eat that. Pasta with a lot of Parmesan. It’s not like a salad’s hard to make.” She continued to pick through the options.
“Now I’m going to eat a bum-ass Stroganoff and be pissed off all night.” He checked the instructions on the package before tearing the cardboard open to get to the cold tray. It went into the microwave and while the timer counted down, he felt his aggravation rising.
After picking out her meal, Stephanie opened the refrigerator. “Beer?”
“Water.”
She retrieved two bottles. “Do you drink?”
“Depends on the company.” He took one of the waters from her and made a pointed glance back toward the living room. She toasted him with her water and they both drank. So what the hell was this? It didn’t feel like they were back to square one, and they certainly weren’t racing toward the next kiss. That’s what he wanted. Her. That was all kinds of a bad idea. This casual distance was the right way to go, but he knew it wouldn’t last. Soon he’d be tearing himself up, wondering if he should tell her about Marcos and what was really at stake here.
The microwave beeped and he dragged his hot tray out to a paper plate. She watched with a distressed look on her face before putting her meal in the machine. As her bowl of some variety spun, Ellie came into the kitchen, with Hector and Thom trailing.
Ellie pulled a beer from the fridge and set it on the island. Thom trundled after her and got two beers, muttering, “Don’t you have beer runs in England? It’s customary if you’re getting up to grab the beers for your friends.”
“Oh, we do that for our friends.” Dramatically opening her beer with her hands, Ellie took a drink and stared at Thom.
Thom mouthed something under his breath and handed one of the beers to Hector. Ellie pulled two thick envelopes from her hoodie pocket and put them down in front of Arash and Stephanie. “For the teardown,” she explained.
Arash took up the envelope and quickly checked over the bills. Another eight grand. “Some of this money should come from Thom and Hector for clocking that turbocharger wrong.”
Stephanie eyed Thom coolly as he puffed up and his neck reddened. Ellie outright smiled. Thom set his beer down so hard that it foamed over his fist. “Look here, you little weasel.” He showed Arash his teeth. “I don’t care what kind of rubber you’ve laid to get here. You’re green in this crew, and you treat me with respect.”
Arash straightened and approached Thom. The other man was taller than him, but Arash had more muscle and was very ready to unleash it. He looked Thom dead in the eye. “You should care. I’ve been a lot of places.” Like where Marcos was run off the road, murdered without a chance of living. “And I know a lot of
things, Thom.” Like as soon as he had his chance, Arash was going to drive all these bastards into the ground. “I earn my cash. You’ve got to earn my respect.”
Thom scowled. His mouth twitched. In a sudden move, he swung the bottle off the island and toward Arash’s head. Arash blocked Thom’s arm with his own, then slammed his palm into the center of Thom’s chest. The taller man skittered backward and slammed to the ground. His beer shattered behind him.
Arash turned on Hector to see if he was going to back his friend up, but Hector just shrugged it off and put a hand out to Thom. Stephanie watched from the edge of the action, though not completely removed. Her body was poised for a fight, but for which side? He wished that Hector would try something. Or lift Thom so Arash could dismantle them both at the same time. Arash balanced on the balls of his feet, ready for so much more.
Once he got up, the red-faced Thom looked like he was willing, though still gasping for breath. But he looked over Arash’s shoulder and deflated. Arash checked behind himself to see Olesk casually standing at the edge of the kitchen. A black automatic was tucked into his jeans. “I like trash talk,” he said. “But, Thom, don’t swing at other members of the crew. Mop it up and make up. You guys are all working on the van project tomorrow. And there might be other things coming.”
Arash grabbed his water and plate of food and carried them past Olesk. He settled at a table in the other living room and stared at the cooling tray of Stroganoff. Voices murmured in the kitchen. Broken glass was swept around. Footsteps approached. Stephanie brought her dinner with her and sat at the table with Arash.
He took a long breath to calm enough to eat. Scraping a forkful of food together, he still didn’t have the stomach for it. “You had my back?”
“Same as you had my back with him before.” Stephanie adjusted the sides of her hair and smiled discreetly.
