José had nothing to worry about with me, and he knew it. It wasn’t just Luke. Aside from José and Glen, I just didn’t like most people in general, to be honest. I preferred to spend my time with women.
As I found my tent, I could already tell something was off. Besides having an entire staff, they all seemed to be running around like chickens. It appeared that someone was already working them pretty hard.
The new lead mechanic must have a serious set of balls to be able to get a crew to bust their asses so hard on the first day. The race didn’t even start for two more days still.
I rounded the corner, ready to tell my new mechanic to take a chill pill already but I quickly skidded to a stop. Leaning over my car was a woman that looked like no other woman I had ever charmed.
She was slim and Hispanic, her tan skin pushing out of tight, grease laced overalls. Her dark brown hair was pulled up in a loose clip. I caught myself licking my lips as a strand broke loose and brushed her cheek. My hand twitched, wanting to brush the hair away and feel her soft skin for myself.
She looked up at me as I cleared my throat and smiled. As she sauntered over, she wiped the grease off her hands and held one out for me to shake.
“Desmond Keys?” she asked.
I nodded my head, “And you are?”
“Your lead mechanic, Amber Martinez,” she replied with a sweet voice.
I cleared my throat. “Oh, um. I think there’s been a mix-up? José said something about a Michael Martinez?”
Her eyes narrowed. “No mix-up, I am the one you want.”
“Really?” I asked, unsure if a woman so beautiful could also be a mechanic.
She rolled her eyes, “Listen, if you would rather have my dead father, that’s your problem. I got this gig because José put in a good word for me. I had no idea he and my dad knew each other.”
I couldn’t stop the blush from creeping over my face, “Oh, wow. I’m sorry. So, have you been a mechanic long?”
Amber glared at me. “Have you been racing long?”
I laughed. She had more spunk than any other woman I had ever met. “Listen, I just want to be sure. This car is my baby.”
“Hey,” she said with flare. “Don’t take my word for it. Why don’t we take her for a test drive?”
“Really?” I asked in shock.
She nodded her head. “I’ll put my job here on the line and say that you’ll be impressed.”
“I don’t know about that. José made sure that she was running smooth before we got here,” I muttered.
“Nothing against José, but he didn’t take the update course on 5.8L engines,” she shot back.
I nodded my head, unable to find the words to argue with her. José knew what he was doing, and I wasn’t about to doubt him. If she wanted to put her word against mine, I was all for it. It would be a shame to see such a lovely woman leaving unhappy, but I wasn’t about to risk my car for her or any other woman.
As soon as I turned the engine over, I felt my heart sink a little bit in my chest. Already, I could feel the difference. The torque had more output, and the accelerator was aching to jump forward.
Glancing at the passenger’s seat, I saw Amber had a satisfied smirk on her face, just begging to hear that she was right. I sighed, maybe it would run just the same, I told myself, knowing that the odds were not in my favor.
As we pulled out onto the winding track, I felt the power growing underneath me. Within seconds, we were ripping past the stands, already surpassing my top running speed with José. I couldn’t believe it; Amber had done something to Theresa to make her run better than she had when I had first bought her from the factory. The thrill of hitting her top speed was almost more than I could take as I eased off the gas.
“What’s wrong Desmond?” asked Amber. “Are you scared of a little extra power?”
I glared at her, I didn’t like being goaded. “Not at all.”
“Maybe I should drive, poor girl wants to open up!” she said, her voice full of laughter.
Smiling, I gripped my shifter and put my foot to the ground, feeling the wind surging all around us. I watched as the gauges climbed higher and higher until I reached a speed that I had only dreamed about days before.
It was thrilling and amazing, I felt like a schoolboy who had just met his first crush. My heart was racing right along with Theresa. Finally, after soaring for a few minutes, I backed off the gas and struggled to catch my breath.
Looking at Amber, I knew that she had enjoyed the ride as much as I had. It was unbelievable to see a woman sitting next to me. Of course, that brought up another problem that I was struggling with. As I pulled back into the temporary garage, I sighed.
“It looks like I owe you an apology. She’s running great,” I muttered.
Amber smiled. “See now? That wasn’t so hard now was it?”
Before I could respond, Amber was getting out of the car. I couldn’t stop myself from chuckling softly. She was something else that much was for sure. Climbing out, I saw that she wasn’t going back to work on the car some more, but instead she was giving direction to the second in command.
Her leadership skills were just as good as her mechanic skills. It seemed like the more time I spent with her, the more I wanted to get to know her.
“Well, Keys, it’s been fun, but I am going to turn in for the night,” she said.
“Really? I was hoping you maybe wanted to grab a drink?” I stammered.
Kicking myself for how childish I sounded, I watched as she raised an eyebrow.
“No, thanks. If you need me, I’ll be in my bunk. But you go ahead and have fun,” replied Amber.
As she turned to walk away, I couldn’t help but watch her go. Her overalls hugged every curve of her body just right, begging to be set free. Her plump rear bounced a little with each step that she took. I felt my shaft growing hard just watching her leave.
It took me a second to catch my breath after she turned the corner. I looked around to make sure that no one else saw me. Amber was affecting me in ways that no other woman ever had. I couldn’t be certain if it was her walk, her talk or her knowledge of cars, but something about her was driving me insane.
When I heard Glen’s chipper voice coming from outside the tent, I quickly shook myself free from the mental grip that Amber had on me and plastered a smile on my face for my friend. Walking outside to meet him, I noticed Amber once again but this time I wasn’t the only one. It seemed that everywhere she walked, she commanded the attention of other men.
Jealousy rose up inside of me, it was a strange feeling and one that I didn’t like. One way or another, I was going to need to control my desire for her. Otherwise, we would both be in trouble.
“Damn, that’s one hot chick,” exclaimed Glen.
I glared at him, “That’s my mechanic.”
His mouth dropped open. “You’re joking!”
“Nope, I wish I was,” I said earnestly.
“You have all the luck,” said Glen, looking like a wounded puppy.
I laughed. “Sure, let’s call it luck.”
We turned around and headed back for the parking lot. With each step that put distance between myself and Amber I hoped that some pretty little thing at the bar would take my mind off my new mechanic. Glen piped up and asked if José had found her. I nodded my head, remembering that I would have to call my old friend and give him a piece of my mind. Amber must be some sort of punishment for me, something to tame my wild ways.
Maybe neither of us would be interested in the other. She sure didn’t seem interested in me at least. Maybe José knew what he was doing after all, or maybe he was just trying to give me a dose of my own medicine. Either way, I knew it was going to be an interesting race at the Grand Nevada Cross-State.
4
Amber
The night set in without any more run-ins with my new boss. He did stay on my mind though as I lay in the small bunk that had been assigned to me during the race. Of course, none of th
e drivers stayed with their cars. They all either had elaborate RV’s or hotels near the track that they got to sleep in.
I was nothing more than a mechanic and a grease monkey. Plus, I was one of only a few women actually at the race, let alone working it as more than a beer maid. As I lay in my bunk, I thought about Desmond and how he had first reacted.
By then I should have been accustomed to men thinking that I didn’t know what I was doing. It was still irritating, though. I didn’t own my shop and get to where I was just because I was pretty. I got there because I paid attention to everything my father did and because I went above and beyond what I needed to do.
I had watched all the shows, read every book, and paid close attention to the latest trends when it came to new car technology. I was a woman in a man’s arena; I had to work twice as hard as all the others just to keep my head above water most days.
Desmond had changed his tune pretty fast, though, after he saw what I was able to do. That had been amusing to watch. As I thought about it, I considered taking him up on his offer of a drink. It was the last thing I needed to be doing, getting drunk with my new boss. Hopefully, I would make a good enough impression on him that the business would keep rolling in after the race. My phone began to vibrate, and I sighed as I looked down.
“Hello, Diana, what’s up?” I asked.
“Where in the hell are you?” she screamed at me. It was so loud I had to pull the phone away from my ear. “I was just at the shop, and they tell me you left the state! What is going on?”
Oh Lord, I thought to myself. I told the crew back home not to let her know where I was going if she stopped by. I thought they would at least have had the common sense to make up some story like I was out buying parts or something. Leave it to that group of morons to be just vague enough to give her a heart attack. Now, I would have to tell her.
“Sorry about that, sis, they aren’t very smart. I didn’t have time to call before leaving,” I said before filling her in on where I was.
“What would make you do that? The pay sounds terrible!” she replied.
“It’s not much better than the shop for sure, and the beds are awful,” I said.
“Then why?” she asked again.
I sighed. “Because its publicity, Diana. The more people that see my name out there, the more business I can generate for the shop.”
“You have plenty of clients though, you’re busy all the time,” said Diana.
I flinched, I had told her that I was busy most of the time when in reality, I just didn’t want to visit with her and listen to her pass judgment on me. It was easier just to lie and say I was working. Most of the time, I really was too. I could probably find someone else to do the job, but time was money, and I loved working on cars.
“Well, we are still struggling to get by, dad had a lot of debt you know,” I said.
She paused. “I guess I didn’t realize that things were that bad.”
I hated to hear her sound so worried. Dad had always tried to protect her from the harsh realities of being a small business owner.
“They aren’t terrible, I just thought this would do us a lot of good. If my guy wins the race, it will be great publicity,” I replied.
“Oh,” she said, unsure. “Well I don’t know. I heard that good-looking racer Desmond Keys was going to be there. He seems like he has a good chance to win. Who is your driver?”
I smiled. “Desmond Keys.”
She gasped. “Oh my gosh! You’re kidding!”
“Nope,” I replied.
“Well in that case, have some fun while you are there! I can’t believe this. Is he as good looking in person as he is on TV? They say that he is a player though, did he hit on you? Have you met him yet? What’s he like?” asked Diana in a flurry of questions.
I laughed, “Slow down there, girl! He's nice, a little cocky. Very good looking but I’m not here for that. I am here to win.”
“You are so lucky, here I am stuck at work, and you are hanging out with a real celebrity,” she said.
“Right,” I replied, looking around the barren and dusty room of my quarters.
After another few questions, I was finally able to get her off the phone. Before she hung up though, she said, “Dad would be so proud of you Amber.”
Her words made me choke up, and I had to wonder if she was right. He always wanted the shop to be more than just what it was. He wanted to bring in clients that could pay the bills, just a few of them. The family atmosphere was one that he loved at heart.
I couldn’t stop myself from thinking about him. He had always loved racing; it was a passion of his. Each Sunday, you could find him catching up on the latest series of winners. He was the one who first turned me on to racing.
I could remember sitting in the shop, watching the race while he talked about what the cars needed to drive better. They were tricks that I still used on a daily basis. I had even used one to ramp up Desmond’s output, not that the cocky driver would know anything about that. He was arrogant enough that he probably didn’t know the first thing about the beauty of the car that he had. All he needed to know was that it went fast, and he could drive it.
Still, he was hot in a way I hadn’t expected. It had caught me off guard at first. The way his eyes followed me around the shop had made my body temperature rise. I wasn’t one to swoon over men. In all honesty, I just didn’t have time for a man in my life. That didn’t stop me from going out and having fun; I just didn’t generally call them back the next day.
It seemed like all men wanted one thing, a good night and an empty bed in the morning. That wasn’t my style to just go sleeping around with anyone though. I had needs though, so every once in a while, I would give in to them.
I never let myself get tangled up with someone at work though. That was just too risky, and this job was no different. There wasn’t a chance in hell that I was going to shack up with anyone there. That included Desmond. He was one hell of a gorgeous man, but he had girls falling all over him, all the time. I wasn’t about to be just another one of those foolish women.
I was here to prove myself and nothing else. The only thing that mattered to me was keeping my father’s shop. I didn’t need a boyfriend or a fling.
As the noise outside started to pick up, signaling a night of rowdy fun for drivers and crew alike, I reached for my headphones. I didn’t want to go out and spend time with the rest of them. In a group full mostly of men, I would be hit on left and right, and that was no fun when you had a car to tweak in the morning and an early start.
The rest of them would be regretting it in the morning. I laughed to myself as I set my alarm. Thinking about my father and how hard he worked, I wondered once again if he would be proud of me for what I was doing. I hoped so.
The next morning, I wasn’t surprised to find that most of the crew was a little late, Desmond included. The night before was fun from what I heard as people walked by. Desmond went to the local bar of course and left with more than one beautiful girl. When he strutted into the tent, ready for the first test drive, I was a little annoyed to see he still had the charming smile on his face with no signs of a hangover.
“Good morning,” he said with a smile.
I nodded my head, barely looking up, “Morning.”
“How are things running today?” he asked me.
“The same as last night, I’ve made a few more tweaks which should pull a little more power from the back rods,” I replied without looking up to see if he was paying attention.
“Should I take her out for a spin then?” he asked, his voice filled with concern.
I rolled my eyes and stood up, wiping the grease from my hands, “You can do whatever you want if you don’t trust me, but I already took it out this morning.”
He looked stunned, “You drove Theresa?”
I raised an eyebrow, “Theresa? Who was that, your first girlfriend? Or one of the first girls who slept with you just for being a racer?”
I
laughed at my own humor, but the smiled died when I saw him glaring at me.
He spoke softly, “Theresa was my mother, and no one drives my car. Got it?”
My face went pale. Suddenly, I felt like a huge jackass for what I had said. I stammered, looking for words, “I am really sorry. I had no idea, I shouldn’t have said that.”
He sighed. “Its fine, not many people know why I call her that. I forgive you for driving her. This time.”
I twitched, telling myself to let it go, but my fiery temper wouldn’t let me. “Actually, I didn’t apologize for driving your car. I apologized for insulting the name. I’m not sorry I drove the car. You were late, and I needed to know if it was ready.”
He looked at me, mouth gaping open. After a few seconds, his shock turned into a smile. “I don’t like other people driving my car.”
“Yeah? I don’t like waiting around for high browed drivers who are late for their test runs because they were out with some bimbo the night before,” I shot back.
He stepped closer to me, making my heartbeat skip. The enticing smell of his cologne filled my nostrils as I looked up into his eyes.
“Would you prefer if it was you instead of some bimbo next time?” he whispered.
I opened my mouth to respond, but before I could, the crew started to walk in, and Desmond stepped away from me. The playful smile was still on his lips. With a wink that only I saw, he grabbed his headset and jumped into Theresa before pulling out of the garage. As I waited for my breathing to return to normal, I had to wonder if I was in too deep.
5
Desmond
As I made my way to the starting line, I looked around at the competition. Every one of them, in turn, looked at me. I knew that they were wondering how well I would fair and if any of them had a chance at winning. It wasn’t a train of thought that I would ponder though.
Just as I reached the line, they called for the track to be cleared. I heard Glen’s voice coming over the speakers, introducing the racers one by one before the start.
Dirty Fighter: A Bad Boy MMA Romance Page 16
