“Well, that’s…awfully decent of you.”
“I’m trying here, Hailey.” Cole caught her up in his solemn look. “It would be nice if you would, too.”
That had the guilt coming back and her gaze snapped over to the Daytona. “So Kyle sold you his share of the car, huh?”
“He seems to think we’d get along if we’re forced to spend some time together.”
She smirked at that and shook her head. “I guess he wants us to be friends.”
“Make no mistake, Hailey, he wants us to be more than that.” That had her chin shifting back in his direction. “Outside of his kin, there’s only one person Kyle’s ever loved and I think you’re about to make it two. I’m sure he’s got some fantasy going where he hopes we fall for each other.”
Just that kind of talk made Hailey shift uncomfortably. “So what? I’m supposed to indulge this fantasy?”
“You could at least give it what I’m willing to. A chance,” Cole suggested. “I mean, what can it hurt? We try to be civil and polite, work together, and who knows? Even if we don’t find love, maybe we find a few good laughs, maybe a few wicked nights, and, hell, maybe even a future business relationship. You never know where things end, Hailey, but you know you ain’t going to get there unless you’re willing to take the journey.”
“Well, isn’t that very philosophical of you.” Hailey rolled her eyes. “You get that from a greeting card?”
“Actually, high school graduation, but I think it applies here.”
“All right, Cole.” Hailey didn’t see any point in continuing the war. Not that she believed his peace offering, either. Cole was up to something. It would only be a matter of time before she figured out what. “You want to play it nice. We’ll play it nice. For now.”
“For now?”
Hailey gave him her polite smile, the one she reserved for difficult clients. “Until I figure out just what it is you’re really after.”
“Not much.” Cole shrugged with a smirk. “Just one night, four weeks from now.”
Hailey could grin at that because she knew what was headed for Cole. “You’re never going to make it.”
She expected for Cole to come back with some overly-arrogant threat, but as part of his apparently newfound attitude, he just shrugged her taunt off. “Yeah, well, even if I don’t, it will still work in my favor if I can convince you to come down to the shop and maybe take a look at a few projects we’re looking on.”
It wasn’t the prospect of getting to work on Cole’s cars that bribed her but the show of respect. Finally, he offered her some token of an apology. A token might be all it turned into, too. “You offering me a job?”
“How about contractor, ’cause I’m really not interested in having to put up with your shit on a daily basis.”
That she took as honest. Appearing to consider it as payment for his tagged on insult, Hailey finally caved. “I guess I could put on some clothes and take a ride down to your shop.”
“Yeah?” Cole appeared a little caught off guard by her acceptance. True to nature, he recovered quickly. “I don’t think the boys down at the shop would mind if you didn’t bother with the clothes, and let me just say, congratulations, Hailey. I didn’t think you’d look half that good naked, but damn, girl, if I had known what you been hiding under all those boy clothes, I would been much more aggressive in getting you out of them these past couple of years. Now, we’ll just consider that comment grandfathered in.”
He didn’t wait to see if she agreed to his anointing himself with forgiveness for that crass observation. Hailey really probably should have taken a chunk of his skin for it, but she showed her own willingness to play his new game by following his lead and turning around without comment.
All her nasty thoughts evaporated quickly, her mind turning to what he’d said. Finally Hailey found something to smile over. Cole had been impressed by her naked body. That had to count for something.
* * * *
At exactly eleven fifty-five, Kyle’s truck cracked into the lip of the shop’s drive. Paying no mind to the damage he might do, Kyle flew over the drive’s brow and banged up into the little parking lot out back. He didn’t have time to worry right then over his truck.
Not when he knew that exactly at twelve Cole would be leaving to pick up the Daytona with or without Kyle. That’s what they agreed on that morning. Getting Cole to wait until noon, when Kyle got back from the parts run, had taken some finesse, but he really wanted to be there when Hailey found out.
He just couldn’t trust Cole yet. Hailey would probably pitch a fit when she found out he sold the Daytona, and he wanted to be there to make sure Cole didn’t overreact. The two of them could be gold together, or they could be fire and gas. Kyle hoped to steer them away from that dangerous explosion.
It cost Kyle a good thirty seconds to maneuver around the tow truck clogging up the back parking lot. Pulling his truck up to the garage doors, Kyle didn’t waste any more time screwing with the parts. He parked his truck there and flew out the door.
Fully expecting to be greeted by Cole, it took him a moment to register what was wrong with the image before him as he rushed into the shop. All that urgency drained out of him as his feet stumbled to a stop. There were four cars, not three, crammed into the shop. One didn’t belong there, yet.
Son of a bitch!
He should have known Cole wouldn’t have waited. It had occurred to him, but given everything he’d done already, Kyle accepted the risk. He never should have. That’s what the sickening feeling in his gut told him as Aaron and Jacob sidled up alongside him.
“Well, look who decided to finally show up to the party.” Aaron’s smirk grated on Kyle’s barely held temper.
“Shut up, Aaron.”
“Oh, ain’t he cranky.”
“I’d be cranky, too,” Jacob drawled. “Especially if my best friend was wooing my pussy.”
Not in any mood to put up with the Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dee act then, that comment still had Kyle hesitating as he stepped forward to go find Cole. “What the hell you talking about?”
“You should have just shared, Kyle.” Aaron shook his head.
“Now you got to go head to head with Cole.”
“You got like two seconds before I hit you,” Kyle warned Jacob. “Now what the hell is going on that has you smirking?”
Jacob didn’t answer. He didn’t need to. A wafting roll of laughter floated by, and Kyle knew that sound. It had him stiffening straight up as Jacob’s grin got bigger.
“No.”
“Yeah,” Jacob nodded. “You didn’t really think Cole would let you steal his woman out from under him and not return the favor.”
Ignoring the point of Jacob’s comment, Kyle held his breath as he read some hope into it. “They’ve been getting along, then?”
“Of course,” Aaron snorted. “Ol’ Cole’s been on his best behavior, showing her around, talking to her about what jobs we might need help on. Hell, he ain’t even darlin’ed her once. Trust me, Kyle, you going down.”
Kyle shot Aaron a dirty look for that last part, but the rest came like music to his ears. Cole promised he’d try to be nice, and it sounded like he actually managed that goal. Kyle still wanted to see it with his own eyes.
Shoving away from Cole’s cousins, he made straight for the office to find just what it sounded like he would. Cole and Hailey hovered nearly in each other’s laps as they leaned in over the desk. From behind he could still catch glimpses of white paper edges and colored pencils rolling all around.
“That’s sweet,” Cole murmured. “Where did you learn to draw like that?”
“Kind of just came by it.” Hailey’s answer drew out as she obviously concentrated on what she was doodling. Cole’s attention caught along with Kyle’s as they both scanned over her hunched frame.
“That’s cool. You know I always got these ideas in my head for cars, but I can’t ever draw them out. Makes it kind of hard to build something when you
can’t show the others what it is you’re trying to build.”
Hailey sorted at that. “See that’s why I don’t like working with others.”
“I thought that was because you didn’t work well with others.”
“Apparently, she’s working well enough with you.” That came out a little too loudly as Kyle stepped into the office. Even if it had all gone well, he didn’t appreciate Cole jerking him around that morning.
Not that Cole bothered to look up and take note of the scowl Kyle sent his way. “Hey, man, what’s up?”
At least he recognized Kyle’s greeting, which Hailey didn’t even appear to take note of. Her silent insult annoyed him into kick-slamming the door in an attempt to rattle her. He got nothing but a look from Cole.
“Something wrong, buddy?”
“I don’t know.” Kyle gave a pointed look at Hailey’s hunched shoulders as he stalked around the desk. “You tell me.”
“I ain’t got a problem. Hey, Hales.” Cole nudged Hailey. “You got a problem?”
“Don’t believe in them,” Hailey retorted without even a glance in Cole’s direction, which just went to prove how big of a problem she had.
Kyle glanced down at the car Hailey worked on detailing out. He had to agree with Cole. She really did draw well. Though he’d never seen the car before, he heard Cole’s description often enough to identify it as Cole’s dream car. Cole’s dream, not Hailey’s, which meant her ignoring him held meaning.
“So you two are all friendly now, is that it?” Kyle asked, catching Cole’s gaze. Cole just grinned before giving Hailey’s shoulders a quick squeeze.
“We talked out our differences, didn’t we, sweetness?”
That had Hailey’s head lifting, looking only at Cole. “We had sex. I don’t remember there being much talk.”
“We didn’t have sex.” Cole dismissed her claim instantly, but just like Hailey his gaze didn’t track toward Kyle. This wasn’t a confession. This was Hailey’s way of letting him know he pissed her off.
“I beg to differ. There was penetration.”
“Oh, you wanna get all technical now, huh? Well, there wasn’t any stroking, so no screwing. That would mean no sex.”
“Excuse me, I was stroking, and just for future reference, Cole, when a woman his massaging your dick while she finger fucks herself, you do a little more than just lay there.”
“I was just laying there because you ain’t got no manners, little lady. You don’t just strip down and start molesting a man.”
“A man, yes. A weenie, no.” And they all knew who fell into the weenie category as far as Hailey was concerned. Not that it appeared to bother Cole. He caught Kyle’s gaze and offered up a grin.
“Hailey’s a little moody because she can’t get nobody to scratch that itch for her.”
“I wouldn’t say nobody.” With that muttered threat, her head dipped back toward the paper.
Sharing a look with Cole, Kyle understood one thing. Cole had listened. Whatever happened between the two of them, Cole hadn’t taken it all the way. Instead being his normal perverted self, Cole had put something besides his own pleasure first—Hailey. Of course, Hailey couldn’t bothered to be pleased with all their efforts, specifically all of Kyle’s effort. If she thought, he’d tolerate her snotty, little-girl routine then perhaps he shouldn’t wait four weeks to teach her a much needed lesson.
“So, how you doing, Hailey?” Kyle asked her very loudly and pointedly.
“I’m fine, Kyle.” She responded in the same near shout he had but didn’t even look up to give it to him.
“Just be thankful she isn’t twisting your nipples.” Cole’s snicker ended in a wince. “Ow! Damn it, or kicking ya.”
“You deserved to be kicked on a regular basis,” Hailey shot back.
“And here I thought we were finally getting along. What happened to the love, sweetness?”
That had her rolling her eyes and snorting over her laugh as she pretended an annoyance that none of them believed. “Stop calling me that.”
“Whatever you say, honey.” Before Hailey could respond to that, Cole’s cell phone lit up. Checking the number that flashed on its screen, Cole gave Hailey a surprised look. “Well, what do you know? I guess you’ll have to excuse me.”
With that he shoved back from the table, flipping the phone open as he headed for the door. “Hey, Bavis. I’m surprised to hear from you.”
Hailey’s head snapped up and around as she watched Cole disappear out the door. Kyle wondered if she actually worried about being left along with him. She should.
Settling down on the edge of the desk, Kyle waited for her attention to shift to him. It didn’t. In the rudest of snubs, her head dipped back to the picture she’d been working on without once connecting with his gaze.
“So,” Kyle forced his jaw to relax enough to let the words come out easily. “You and Cole have come to an understanding, huh?”
“Yep.”
“Now you going to be working around our shop.”
“Just on a contract basis, not as an employee. After all, you know me.” Hailey’s head lifted to finally pin him with her frosty gaze. “I got issues with commitment.”
That was it. Kyle didn’t intend to play anymore. Before she had a chance to see him coming, Kyle latched onto Hailey’s arm and ripped her right out of the seat. Surprise aided him in turning her so fast she spun completely around.
“What the—”
Her words ending with an umph as Kyle switched his grip from her arm to her waist and pulled her onto his lap. Her plush ass bounced into his erection and he pinned her against him, making damn sure she felt him.
“You got something to say, Hailey, say it,” Kyle snarled into her ear. “Otherwise I’m going to I’m going to fuck this Miss Snotty attitude out of you right here, right now and I don’t give a damn who sees. Got me?”
As tense as she was Kyle knew Hailey had started to believe him. Started, but the little spitfire just didn’t know when to save herself. “I thought you said no sex. You were joining Cole’s deal and all that?”
“Right you are,” Kyle agreed easily, sliding one hand from her waist to press down on her stomach. The tips of his fingers dipped below her waist line, causing her to suck in a breath and give him the room to slip in and cup the pussy already weeping into her panties.
“Of course there are other things we could enjoy?” Kyle pressing in against the cotton crotch to tweak her clit and make her jerk so hard she almost bolted out of his hold. “What do you say, Hailey? Forget the four weeks. It’s almost lunch time. We could make ourselves quite an interesting sandwich right here in the office. All I got to do is call your new best friend, Cole, back in.”
“Fine,” She snapped caving. “You want to talk then get your hand back above my waist line.”
Kyle obeyed, for the moment. Not only did he give her the room to think, he waited a moment for her to catch her breath before pressing. “Well?”
“Why did you send that man over to my house at eight o’clock in the morning? Selling the car out from under me? Sending Cole to steal it out of my garage? Hell, you are lucky I don’t twist your nipples for that.”
Instead of directly answering, Hailey went on the attack. Obviously annoyed with the memory she stiffened, pulling as far away as he’d let, about a whole inch.
Kyle smirked, not about to be cowed by her indignation. “First off, I didn’t send Cole over there. We’d agreed to go together at lunch time, so that’s all on your newfound friend. Second, I didn’t sell you out. I sold my stake in that car—”
“Which you had given to me.”
“And which you accused me of treating you like a whore for. You can’t have it both ways, Hailey.”
“This from the man holding me hostage and threatening to molest me in front of his juvenile co-workers,” Hailey shot back. “Like you have any decency. If you did you’d have at least told me you were going to sell him your share, given me some time to
gather a defense.”
Kyle rolled his eyes at the word decency coming from her. “I’m getting the sense that you handled your defense just fine, or was Cole lying when he said you stripped down and molested him?”
“You really should have been there. I just tossed off my robe and took him completely by surprise.” With no shame, her tone dipped into heated amusement and he knew she intentionally taunted him with her words.
“I’m sure.” Kyle snorted, knowing just how good Hailey was with those kinds of right hooks. “And I’m sure he recovered fast enough.”
“I don’t know.” Hailey considered before giving a shrug. “Honestly, you handle my spontaneous gestures a little better, which is kind of shocking. I mean, who would have thought Cole was the reserved one?”
Kyle would, but he spared her the answer. Appeased with her honesty and glad that they were moving forward again, he decided to let her go and hopefully leave her misconceptions intact. “I guess I’ll take that as a compliment.”
Instead of stepping away, Hailey turned on Kyle, pressing her hard little nipples right into him. “You can take it as an invitation if you want to give me a lift home for lunch.”
The little rub that came with her tempting smile had Kyle growling at her. “What? I can make everything up to you with maybe a quick thirty minute roll through the sheets?”
“I was thinking an hour, but whatever you think you can give to the moment.”
She taunted him in the hopes of making him take up the challenge, but Kyle wouldn’t be so easily led. “And what about Cole? You gonna invite him to the party?”
“No point,” Hailey shrugged. “Even if I did, he’d say no. He made that quite clear this morning. He’s going for his four weeks so he can have his one night of superiority.”
“It’s called domination, Hailey.” Kyle couldn’t help but smile at the roll of her eyes. She could dismiss it all she wanted. “If Cole’s dug in and decided to suffer for four weeks, you realize that means he has some very specific ideas of just what he wants to do to you.”
“So I’ve gathered.”
“It also means he doesn’t think you’d give him permission to do them otherwise.”
Hailey's Game Page 19
