by Zola Bird
“Yes, boss,” Tom said with a smirk.
And he walked back to his bucket.
Chapter Two
It was Saturday morning, the first day of the Labor Day long weekend, and Amanda pulled on her sleek, hip-hugging party dress. Though she’d be working that day, Wild Alpha Auto was closing early for the annual Labor Day Barbecue. The barbecue was Amanda’s favorite work-related event of the year and she was happy because the weather forecast was for a hot day and clear skies, so the event would last well past sundown.
Amanda brushed back her straight, blonde hair and applied a little mascara—nothing too heavy but enough to add some intrigue. She told herself that she didn’t really know who she was getting dolled up for, but of course, that wasn’t true. She knew exactly who she was getting dolled up for. Tom Cooper. Since he had come by looking for a job, she had been intrigued.
The feeling reminded her of when she had first met Greg. At one point Amanda had thought that she and Greg might amount to something. From her first days on the job, she had felt an attraction between them. His kind hazel eyes, his broad shoulders, his gentle but firm handshake. Greg was the kind of guy a girl could rely on, the kind of guy she could trust. He made her feel safe, and not just that, there had been a spark there, too, a simmering spark.
But as he trained her and they got to know each other, something had happened. Amanda had realized that Greg didn’t look at her as any more than a coworker. He was gracious, a true gentleman, and Amanda had taken her cue. She had moved Greg over to the friend column and everything had been fantastic since. No lingering tension. No uneasy moments. They shared laughs, they shared problems, they shared a part of their lives. They were even friends after work. But that’s what they were. Friends. Amanda finished off her look with a creamy red lipstick with just a hint of a metallic sheen. Nothing wrong with a little flare on party day.
**********************
It was a busy day at work, and by the time the showroom door closed to the final customer at four o’clock, everybody was ready to cut loose. The barbecues were fired up, burgers were put on the grill, and the staff began shuffling around outside. The mechanics took off their coveralls, and more than one salesperson removed their tie. Brandon set up the speakers on a makeshift stage. Amanda could feel it in her bones. It was going to be a good night.
“Coming through.”
Amanda eased over as a man in a tank top with a keg on his shoulder brushed past her. She felt the friction of rough denim against the light fabric of her summer dress, and in the mood she was in, she liked it. Amanda looked up. It was Tom. He put the keg down on the table.
“Sorry about the squeeze,” he said, not looking at her.
“No problem,” Amanda said. Tom turned around.
“Oh, if it isn’t Amanda James. Do you like beer, Amanda?”
“I’ve been known to have a glass,” Amanda said.
“Then let me pour you one,” Tom offered with a smile.
**********************
Greg minded the grill, one eye on the burgers and the other on Tom. A rogue bear on the prowl was generally trouble, and in Tom Cooper’s case, doubly so. Greg didn’t trust him farther than he could throw him. Of course, Tom was a black-bear shifter. They were smaller than grizzly shifters and if it came to it, Greg was fairly certain he could give Tom a good toss.
In another lifetime, when he was younger and dumber, Greg used to get out of Wild Summit to race—street race, to be precise. And although racing was unregulated, under the radar, and illegal, it was also exhilarating. But like all things, that exhilaration came at a cost. And in Greg’s experience, that cost was too high.
Greg flipped the meat as the party came to life around him. There were thirty or so employees at Wild Alpha Auto and many of their spouses and partners had come to join them. Brandon would probably be making a speech sometime soon. Mick Heller used to be the one to do that, but Greg expected that as Brandon oversaw more of the general operations there would be a visible shift of power. Interestingly, Jeremy and Peter didn’t seem to mind their brother taking on the lead role. Different strokes, Greg supposed. Jeremy seemed happy in the service department, and Peter was still working out his future.
But with all the changes at Wild Alpha of late, Greg’s biggest concern was his hiring of Tom Cooper. Greg now knew for certain that Tom still bore a grudge. He wasn’t in town to wash cars. No, Tom was there because he couldn’t let bygones be bygones. Greg watched the younger bear as he flirted with Amanda.
Just the sight of Tom speaking to Amanda stoked Greg’s ire. Greg had been thinking about Amanda a lot lately. He had been thinking about her pretty green eyes, about how they worked so well together, about the way they high-fived each other after a particularly good day. And thinking about her stirred his bear.
Greg was the quiet type. The solid type. But he hadn’t always been that way. He was compensating for his past. But sometimes Greg thought that he’d gone too far. That he’d become too well balanced. Too moderate. Sometimes he thought that when Amanda had walked onto the showroom floor six years ago, his bear should have pounced and claimed her as his mate.
But it wasn’t that easy. There were other issues. Amanda had a boyfriend when she first started at Wild Alpha. And there were others in her life after that. Greg had seen them come and go. He’d felt his bear each time he’d seen her with them, but he’d never said anything to her, never done anything but counsel her as a friend. This time around, however, things felt different. Seeing Tom speak to Amanda, watching him touch her hand, it felt personal. His bear bristled with rage. He didn’t trust Tom Cooper, period. And if things kept going the way they were, he’d have to do something about it.
**********************
Amanda laughed hysterically. Tom was really funny. And sexy, too. When she looked in his dark eyes she saw laughter. Like the whole world amused him. Greg sure was looking at her weirdly, though. For about the fourth time in the last hour, she caught him staring in her direction. It had never bothered him to see her talking to a guy before. What was up?
“So, do you like roses?” Tom said.
“I like roses,” Amanda said.
“Every rose you’ve ever seen?” Tom asked.
“Well, yeah,” Amanda smiled. “I pretty much like all roses.”
Tom lifted his T-shirt, hitching his pants down low. “What about that one?”
Amanda blushed, looking away. Tom had a red rose tattooed on his treasure trail, directly below his belly button. She wanted to laugh. A red rose? There? If he wasn’t so buff, she wasn’t sure he’d be able to pull it off. But he was buff. And more than that, he had that edge to him. Amanda had a thing for bad boys. Always had. They appreciated her curves and she appreciated their devil-may-care attitude. Not that they were good for anything but a romp. They always broke your heart. Always. But sometimes, like right now, it felt worth it.
Amanda took a sip of her beer. “You got anything else to show me?”
Tom laughed. “Depends. What have you got to show me?”
“Well, I don’t have a rose tattooed below my belly button, if that’s what you’re asking.”
“No. But I’m sure you’ve got a flower.”
Amanda blushed again. My, my. Cheeky and forward. What was she going to do with this guy? She sat down on the rock wall bordering the forest and crossed her bare brown legs to assuage the ache she felt growing between them. Amanda pulled her short dress down a little to ensure she was still presentable, because she didn’t feel that way. She felt exposed. Like everybody could sense what she was thinking.
“Can I get you another beer?” Tom asked.
“Please.”
Tom took the empty glass from her, and Amanda’s skin thrilled as his fingers brushed against hers. Oh, boy. Here she went again. She saw a bad boy in her future, and she smiled inwardly at the thought of it. At the company picnic no less…
“How’s it going, girl?” her good friend Jada asked,
taking a seat beside her.
“Not too shabby.”
“You likey?” Jada asked.
They both stared at Tom as he bent over at the keg, his taut behind filling out his faded jeans. Tom’s T-shirt was hitched just high enough up the back to reveal his bronzed skin below.
“Yes, I likey,” Amanda said quietly. “What’s not to like?”
“Nothing that I can see.”
“Jada.” Amanda punched her playfully in the arm. “Does the name Brandon ring a bell?”
“Honey. The name Brandon rings all my bells. Doesn’t mean I can’t look. For you, of course.”
Amanda smiled. “Well, he is cute.”
“Cute? He’s scrumptious.”
Tom ambled over with two fresh beers.
“Thanks,” Amanda said.
“And one for the lovely Jada.”
“Why thank you, Tom,” Jada said.
Amanda sipped her beer. It was cool and refreshing, and she was beginning to feel just a little tipsy in the hot sun.
“You are looking even better than you did when I left you a minute ago,” Tom said.
“Easy, charmer,” Jada said.
“Relax, you look good, too,” Tom said to Jada.
“Glad you noticed,” Jada replied.
“Bathroom break,” Amanda said. “Hold my beer for me?”
“You got it,” Tom said, taking her glass.
Amanda got up and made her way through the crowd and toward the bathroom. She had to admit she was feeling pretty good. The warm day, the fresh breeze, the little buzz she had from the beer, and Tom, yes, Tom. She was feeling better than good, she was feeling great. Amanda used the toilet and washed up at the mirror. Her lipstick needed refreshing. She puckered her lips and reapplied it.
“Amanda, promise me,” she said to herself. “You are going to be a good girl.”
Her reflection stared back at her blankly, not saying anything. She gave it a chance to speak, but it didn’t.
“Oh, well. Naughty it is, then,” she said with a smile.
Amanda left the bathroom and stepped out the rear of the service department. Wham! She caught her toe on the doorsill and felt herself falling. Stupid shoes. A strong arm reached out for her.
“You OK?”
The arm had prevented her from falling. She half expected to see Tom, but instead it was Greg, his hazel eyes brimming with concern.
“Thanks. Yeah, I’m fine.”
Greg let go of her. “I’ve almost fallen flat on my face coming out of there more than once.”
“Really?” Amanda grinned. “Management should do something about that.”
“You’re telling me.” Greg laughed. “I’ll get it fixed when we come back into work. Hopefully nobody kills themselves before then.”
Amanda smiled. That’s why she liked Greg. He was so responsible. If Greg said it would get done, it would get done. All of a sudden, she felt all warm and fuzzy. The feeling had come out of nowhere. And Greg was right there, strong, broad shouldered, and always looking out for her. She wrapped her arms around him and gave him a quick hug, then stood on her tippy-toes and pecked his cheek.
“What was that for?”
“You looking out for me.”
Greg smiled.
“You seem like you’ve had a couple. Are you sure you’re OK?”
“Two beers does indeed make a couple, and, yes, I’m fine.”
“OK. Just checking.”
Amanda squeezed his strong hand and snuck back through the crowd.
**********************
Greg watched her go. Brandon had started playing the guitar and Jeremy was on the drums, the crowd clapping along, but Greg’s eyes were on Amanda. He felt his bear growl. He felt the need to protect her. But what could he do? He was her friend, not her mate. Besides, she wasn’t in physical danger. He just didn’t like her choice of company. Greg heard a guitar riff and then Brandon’s voice started singing.
“Sweet home, Wild Summit…”
Greg liked that song. He turned to the makeshift stage, and Brandon pulled him up and passed him the microphone. Greg’s rich baritone joined in. “Where the life is so true.”
Greg was so happy to be in the moment, with his friends, that for a short while he forgot about Amanda. But then he felt that old familiar ache in his gut as he saw her take Tom Cooper’s hand.
**********************
“What do you say we get out of this place?” Tom whispered breathily.
Amanda took another pull on her beer. She liked that idea. The crowd was thinning down and the once bright sky had taken on the purple hues of twilight. Still, despite Tom’s hard body and bad-boy good looks, something wasn’t sitting right with her. She glanced up at the stage, which was the last place she’d seen Greg. Why had he looked at her the way he did? It was strange. It was like he wanted to tell her something.
“Give me a second,” Amanda said.
She wanted to talk to Greg. She wanted to find out what was going on. Amanda wandered through the crowd.
“Hey, Amanda,” Bailey said.
“Hey, Amanda,” Jeremy joined in.
“You guys seen Greg?” Amanda asked.
“Yeah, he was getting more ice,” Jeremy said. “I think he’s bringing it around.”
“OK, thanks.”
Amanda looked back at Tom. He was eating a burger and chatting with Jada, so he could wait a moment. She needed to talk to Greg. Amanda walked around the corner of the wash shack where she saw Greg pushing a wheelbarrow full of ice. He had taken off his regular shirt and tie and wore a V-neck T-shirt, his taut muscles glinting in the lamplight. Amanda marveled at the breadth of his chest and the strength in his arms. She wasn’t used to seeing Greg like that, in a physical capacity. She wanted to ask him why he had been avoiding her the entire party. And why had he been looking at her the way he had?
After all, it was her. Amanda. They were friends.
Amanda walked between the cars as he pushed the wheelbarrow around a lamppost. Then she stopped. Greg wasn’t alone. He was with a stick-thin woman she didn’t recognize. Big boobs, perfectly cut hair, nose job. What was Greg doing with her? Greg said something and the woman laughed. They seemed to know each other pretty well. Suddenly Amanda was overcome with a feeling of dread. Was she embarrassed? She wasn’t sure. She turned around and headed over to Tom.
“Hey, where’d you go?” Tom asked.
“You were saying you wanted to get out of here?” Amanda said.
“Yeah, you want to go for that ride?”
“You’ve been drinking,” Amanda said.
“One beer,” Tom said, putting down his paper plate. “My car’s right there.”
Amanda glanced over at Tom’s metallic red race car sitting at the back of the lot.
She saw Greg out of the corner of her eye. He was still chatting amicably with his skinny bimbo. Greg saw her too. Their eyes met. What to do?
“It’s loud, I couldn’t hear you,” Amanda said.
She moved in close to Tom, turning her ear toward him.
Come on. Whisper in my ear.
Tom looked down at her, his eyes smoldering. He dropped his hand down her back until it rested just above her behind.
Come on. Do it.
Amanda glanced across the party. Greg was still there, still in her line of sight. Now he was offering the bimbo a beer. Amanda looked at Tom as he leaned in and she felt his breathy whisper in her ear.
“I said, Let’s take a ride.”
Amanda glanced across the lot at Greg before leaving with Tom. It was dark enough that she wasn’t sure if he saw them as they slipped into Tom’s car and drove away.
Chapter Three
Amanda and Tom drove through town and then onto the winding highway. Tom worked the wheel like a pro, but he drove fast, too fast for comfort, and Amanda began to question whether he was telling her the truth about that one beer he’d consumed. What at first had seemed reasonable, now felt scary to Amanda.
Tom reached down for her hand. His touch was strong, possessive. She took her hand from his. She wasn’t ready for that. Not yet.
“Tom…”
What happened next happened so quickly that Amanda could barely recall the sequence of events. They wandered over the centerline. He said something. She screamed. And a semi-truck bore down on them, horn blasting.
Amanda shut her eyes in fear.
She hoped.
She prayed.
And Tom swerved, horns blaring. Amanda felt her whole world whirl as their car spun around. Rubber screeched. She held on the best she could, silently wishing for the best, her guts wrenching as their circular motion gradually slowed and the car came to a standstill.
Amanda took a deep breath and opened her eyes, her heart in her throat. Dust rose around them as the semi-truck’s red taillights disappeared down the road. Their car was in the middle of the road, facing the exact opposite direction they had been going before the close call. Tom clenched the wheel tightly. He was trying to play it cool, but Amanda could tell he’d been shaken.
“You all right?” Tom asked.
“Have you been drinking more than you said?”
“Like I said before. One beer.”
“I think I’m ready to go home now,” Amanda said.
“You sure?”
“Quite,” Amanda said curtly.
Tom drove back to town. What had she been thinking? Accidents could happen to anyone, but they were much more likely to happen when you drove as recklessly as Tom. Still, she reminded herself, he hadn’t meant for it to happen. It had been a lack of attention and bad timing, and the scary thing was, it could have been much worse.
“Where am I taking you?” Tom asked.
“1415 Wildwood Lane.”
“Just down the road here?”
Amanda nodded. “I’ll tell you where to turn.” She was beginning to feel bad about her harsh tone. She suspected that Tom was as shaken up as she was. “So, what about you?” Amanda asked.
