Why this sudden need to know her? Was he trying to keep her on his side to save Jason? Pulling her arm away, Lexie wondered at the way her skin tingled from his touch. “I don’t know what you want from me, Kade.”
“I don’t want anything from you. I just think it would be good for us to be on friendly terms while you work on my car. I’d rather have a good time instead of being at each other’s throats, wouldn’t you?”
Lexie resisted crossing her arms over her chest because she didn’t want Kade to know how defensive she felt. “Do you know Jason mortgage my cabin?”
He looked at the ground. “Yeah. And I’m so thankful you haven’t pressed charges.”
“Yet. I haven’t pressed charges yet.”
He looked directly into her eyes. “Please give me a chance to make this right. If I can’t find Jason, I swear I’ll ensure you won’t lose the cabin. If he goes to prison—”
“Stop. I would never want Jason to go to prison. He’s sick. He has an addiction, and he needs help. Prison won’t help him.”
The relief on his face proved he loved his brother. “Thank you for being so understanding.” He stood looking at her with a puzzled frown. “Very understanding. What are you not telling me?”
“My mother was an addict.”
He waited for her to continue, but she wasn’t up to sharing so, finally, he shrugged and added, “You understand then.”
She forced her lips to curve into a small smile. “Yeah, I guess so.”
Unlike hers, Kade’s smile was genuine. “I sense there’s a story there. One day, perhaps you’ll share it.”
Again, she said nothing.
He sighed. “Okay, so show me these designs.”
Relieved that he’d changed the subject back to the matter at hand, Lexie flipped through her huge sketch pad until she found the first design. It was a picture of a beautiful Italian garden spread over the hood as if it was sprouting out of the engine and ready to climb the windscreen.
It took almost an hour for her and Kade to agree on the exact details, but he loved the garden idea. They tweaked it, and soon, it became a combination of both their ideas. It surprised her to learn that he had an artistic streak. His attempts at drawing were crude and often made her laugh, but his vision for his car was sound.
She’d gotten so caught up that Lexie was a little disappointed when they’d finished. Detailing cars and drawing were her passions, and it was nothing for her to spend hours talking about both.
As she closed her sketch pad and stowed it under the workbench, Kade asked, “So when do you think you’ll finish it?”
“Well, giving you an exact time frame will be hard because finding original parts, or at least ones that are close, might take some time. I started looking for parts, but I didn’t get too involved in case you didn’t want to continue once you saw how expensive it would be,” Lexie replied.
Kade pulled his keys out of a pocket. “I can understand that. Smart thinking.” He turned, thoughtful as he looked at his car. “But I will see this through until it’s done. I don’t care how long it takes. It may help take my mind off my brother.”
“I hope we can find Jason before I finish this car, for his sake as much as mine.”
He nodded. “Between your P.I. and my guys, I feel that it won’t be long until we find where he is.”
“All right. I’ll keep you updated on how things are going,” she said. “I guarantee that you’ll be blown away, though.”
“I’m counting on it,” Kade said. “Well, I’ve taken up enough of your time. I’ll see you soon.”
“See ya.” Lexie watched him walk through the bay door, out into the sunlight. Regret gnawed at her because she’d always assumed that Kade was a womanizer like Jason. Though, he was laying on the charm a bit too much. Surely, since he now understood that she’d never have Jason arrested, there was no need to flirt with her?
Perhaps he didn’t believe her?
It didn’t matter, though. He was just a client.
Looking up at the car on the lift, Lexie smiled as she walked over to it. She patted the tire the way people petted a dog. “All right, my diamond in the rough. Time to get started on making you shine.”
Shoving Kade from her mind, Lexie was soon lost in her new labor of love.
Chapter Four
Thunder crashed overhead, and lightning flashes flickered outside the windows of the bay doors as Lexie installed brakes on Kade’s car. She loved storms and relished the way the thunder reverberated through her body.
Finished with the front passenger side, Lexie moved over to the driver’s side and started removing the old brake assembly.
Tom came over and looked at the car’s undercarriage. “I’m glad you warned Kade that this will be an extensive job. Good thing Zip is a wiz with welding and metalworking. Fixing that rusted floor is gonna be a bitch.”
“I know, but he loves fixing stuff like that,” Lexie said. “He was a lucky find for you guys, and it was lucky for him you did.”
Tom smiled as his gaze traveled to where Zip was putting new custom hubcaps on a Ferrari. “He’s a good guy, and he needed the help.”
Lexie’s heart went out to Zip. “Yeah. Losing his parents and having to raise his brother hasn’t been easy.”
“No, it hasn’t been, but he’s doing a good job. Eddie’s a real handful.”
Lexie nudged Tom. “You should talk.”
Grinning, Tom said, “You were just as bad as me, according to you.”
Fond memories of all the hell she and her friends had raised as teenagers made Lexie chuckle. “True. Anyway, it will take a lot of work to get this thing in shape, but it’ll be worth it in the end.”
“I know that look.”
“What look?”
“The one that says you’re enjoying the hell out of a job. Does that mean you’re not pissed at me anymore?”
Lexie’s anger at Tom crumbled when he gave her a half-smile. “No, I’m not mad anymore. I’ll be professional and do a great job.”
Tom pulled her into a sideways hug. “I never doubted it. You know I’d never hurt you on purpose. I know this is hard, but maybe it’ll be good for you, too.”
Lexie’s forehead creased as she looked up at him. “How do you figure? I’m trying to move forward, and every time Kade comes around, it just brings it all back. He’s Jason’s brother, Tommy.”
Tom turned her to him and squeezed her arm. “I know, but you shouldn’t hate the guy because he’s Jason’s brother. You’re transferring your anger onto Kade, and that’s really not fair. Maybe if you gave Kade a break, it would help you get past some of your bitterness.”
Ignoring the stab of pain to her heart, Lexie said, “Look at you playing therapist. That’s not really your style.”
Tom laughed. “You can thank Kendra for that. Don’t tell anyone, but she’s sort of sanded down a few of my rough edges.”
The love in Tom’s eyes as he spoke of his wife twisted a shard of jealousy into Lexie’s gut. She was thrilled that her friends had found happiness together, but it hurt to know she’d failed with Jason.
She forced a smile and patted Tom’s chest. “Don’t worry. Your secret’s safe with me. Now, I’d better get back to work before my boss gets on my case.”
Tom gave her arms a last squeeze and released her. “That’s right. Quit slacking.”
Lexie gave him a playful shove and resumed her work. As she did, she thought about what Tom had said and admitted he was right. Kade had always been nice to her.
Setting the ruined brake assembly to the side, Lexie knew that punishing Kade for Jason’s transgressions was wrong.
Kade had shared the news about Jason being in Michigan with no prompting. She bit her lip. Trust had to be earned, and shit, she’d had her trust trampled by his brother. But she would reserve judgement and trust him for now.
Then she patted the worn tire hanging over her head. “Don’t worry, sweetie. We’ll get you shining and purring in no ti
me.”
Pulling up to Bad Boy Autos, Kade turned off the ignition and sat there for a few moments. All day his thoughts had been split between Lexie, his car, and the huge story he was working on. While he’d finished up a different article that morning, now Kade swung by to check on Lexie’s progress with his car, and to talk to her bosses about the Erickson racing family.
They ran in the same circles, so they may have heard something about them that might be pertinent to his story.
Getting out, he pocketed his keys as he crossed the wet pavement. There was a break in the storms, but they expected the weather to turn nasty again later that afternoon. Sunshine peeked through sullen, gray clouds, turning the air muggy and making the asphalt steam as it heated under the sun’s rays.
Kade entered the office, since all the bay doors were closed, and was greeted by Marcus, who came over to the counter that divided the lobby from the rest of the room.
“Hi, Kade.”
“Marcus,” Kade responded. “I came to see how Lexie’s doing with the car.”
“She’s coming along with it. It’s just taking a while to find all the right parts.” He came around the counter. “I should thank you for giving us the job.”
“I wanted to give Lexie something she’d love working on. I feel bad about the shitty way Jason treated her. She always supported Jason, and he wouldn’t have been as successful without her. She didn’t deserve what he did to her,” Kade said.
“Your brother has a lot to answer for.”
Kade nodded. “I know Jason’s driving cost you your career. It cost Jason his, too. But I won’t apologize for Jason, he has to do that himself.”
Marcus’ jaw tightened. “If anyone can find him before he ends up in the gutter dead.”
Kade’s temper flared, but he didn’t comment on Marcus’ insensitive remark. “Is it okay if I go talk to Lexie? At Marcus’s nod, he left Marcus standing at the counter and walked through the open door to his right that led to the garage. Hard rock music blared, engines revved, and the sounds of many tools filled the huge space.
Along the way, he saw Tom and stopped to talk with him. “Hi. Sweet ride.” He chin-nodded at the neon-blue Mustang.
“Yeah. Needs some fine-tuning.”
“Do you have a few minutes to talk?”
Tom wiped his greasy hands on a rag. “Yeah, sure.”
“You know the Erickson family, right?”
Tom nodded. “Yep. Why?”
“I’m doing an article on them and I’m looking for some insights from other racers.”
“Okay. What do you want to know?”
Kade kept his tone conversational. “As a former competitor, what do you think of them?”
Growing pensive, Tom said, “A few people accused them of cheating, but I saw no proof of that. Marcus, neither. They could be pricks, but they’re talented. They’re also genius mechanics.”
None of this was news to Kade, but he didn’t let on. “What did people say they cheated at?”
“Illegal modifications to their cars, intimidation, that sort of stuff,” Tom replied. “But none of the officials ever found anything whenever they checked out their cars.”
“Intimidation? What kind?”
Tom closed the Mustang’s hood. “Well, I wouldn’t call it intimidation, really. More like screwing with other drivers’ minds before a race. You know, shaking them up. Nothing will make you lose a race quicker than losing your temper. Charlie and Jack are real good at pissing people off.”
“You ever buy any parts or anything through them?” His muscles tightened as he watched Tom closely.
There—he saw the flicker in his eyes.
“No.”
“Why not?”
Tom shrugged. “I heard a few rumors. I like to know my parts haven’t come off the back of a truck or that they’re not made with inferior metal or are illegal copies.”
“Are the rumors true?”
“Don’t know and I don’t care. I steer clear of Charlie and Jack Erickson, and you should, too. They’re bad news.”
Kade already knew that about the Ericksons’ two drivers. “Yeah, they are. What are they like off the course?”
“Aren’t you friends with them, Kade?”
“Yeah.” He was. Until he’d seen something he shouldn’t.
Tom grinned. “Then you know exactly what they’re like. Hellions to the core, just like me and Marcus. Well, like I used to be, anyway.”
Kade smiled. “Thanks for the info. Well, I’ll go check on my car.”
Tom chuckled. “You’re sinking a lot of money into that wreck. Why are you doing it?”
“I have my reasons.”
“Which means it’s none of my business,” Tom commented. “Okay. I’ll see you later, man.”
“Yeah. Later.”
As he headed for Lexie’s bay, Kade felt a spark of hope regarding his investigation of the Ericksons’.
The next moment, he spotted Lexie, and his pulse spiked at the sight of her leaning over the Alfa’s engine from the side. Even in her overalls, her ass looked incredible, and a powerful urge to get his hands on it flowed through him. He curbed the impulse and forced his gaze elsewhere lest he be caught staring.
He walked over to stand at the front of the vehicle. “Hi, Lex.”
She gazed up at him, and he thought she looked adorable with a small streak of grease on her cheek. He liked that she wasn’t afraid to get her hands dirty.
She smiled, her eyes shining. “Hi, yourself. Came to check on your girl, huh?”
I wish you were my girl. Kade had to press his lips together for a moment to keep the words from tumbling out of his mouth. “Yeah. How is she?”
Lexie came out from under the hood and laid her socket wrench on the top of her tall tool chest on wheels. As she picked up a rag and wiped her hands, she let her gaze trail over Kade, and his body heated.
What’s wrong with me? Knock it off. He wasn’t here to get involved with Lexie. Not yet, anyway. They had to find Jason and put the past behind them before he could think about anything with Lexie.
“Well, she’s a lot better than when you brought her in. All new brakes, air filter, and tires. I installed a new muffler system on her and put a new battery in it. Zip will work on fixing the floor this afternoon. He’s a genius at welding and metal work,” she informed Kade.
“Wow, you’re really moving along with it.”
“I did a ton of stuff on her, but I don’t have time to rattle it all off. Do you want me to print off a work list up to this point?”
Kade nodded. “Okay, but only because I’m curious. Not because I’m checking on your work. I trust you completely, which is why I requested you for the job.”
“Kade, about how I acted when you dropped the car off… I took my anger at Jason out on you, and that wasn’t fair. I’m sorry.”
Wow, he hadn’t expected that. Hating the guilt in her eyes, Kade made a dismissive gesture. “Don’t worry about it. I get it. I hate what he’s done to you too.”
She hung her head, but not before he saw tears welling. “Thanks. I appreciate that.”
“You’re welcome.” He couldn’t help asking, “How are you doing with everything?”
Lexie shrugged. “Better these days, I guess. But still no news. Have you heard anything more?”
“No. Trail’s gone cold. He’s not in Michigan. Or not anymore.” Kade moved closer and noted the dark circles under her eyes. “When was the last time you had some fun?”
Surprised, Lexie didn’t have an answer for him. “I…um…” She laughed. “Honestly? I really don’t remember.”
“That’s what I thought. You need a distraction.”
“A distraction? Like what?”
Kade took a deep breath and tried to keep his voice light. “How about dinner tonight?”
It was rare for Lexie to be struck speechless, but his invitation obviously shocked her. At length, she said, “Dinner?”
Kade couldn’
t help teasing her. “Yeah. You know, the meal you eat at the end of the day?”
Her arms wrapped round her waist. “I’m not sure that’s a good idea, Kade.”
He lowered his voice. “Just as friends, Lexie. Nothing more. We might talk strategy about where to go from here in regards to finding Jason. Time is marching on.”
She nodded at that idea. Arching an eyebrow, she asked, “What kind of dinner?”
“Something that requires casual clothes. Jeans will work just fine.”
“Nothing romantic, though?”
“Not even remotely romantic. I promise.”
“Where would you take me?”
He held up an index finger and wagged it back and forth. “No, no. It’s a surprise.”
He watched all ranges of emotions flutter over her face, and his heart plummeted when he saw resignation.
“I appreciate the offer, but I just can’t.”
Kade sighed. “I figured you’d turn me down. Okay. Have it your way, but if you change your mind…”
Lexie nodded in response to the invitation he let linger between them. “Thanks.”
“Sure. Now, how about that list?”
She hadn’t wanted to say no. Guilt hit like a rampaging bull. Jason’s image swam into his head, even though he tried to shut him out. What a wanker, hitting on his girl when he’s down and out.
But then Jason didn’t deserve Lexie after all he’d done to her.
He focused on the paper in his hand, and his eyebrows rose as he looked it over. “Holy shit. You already did all this? How much more does it need?” Good thing I have a healthy savings account.
Lexie laughed. “There’s still about five things I need to fix before I can start the new paint job. I never start that until we finish everything else.”
“Right. Well, I gotta go, but let me know how things are going.”
“Okay. See you.”
He walked away, willing himself not to look over his shoulder. Perhaps her saying no was for the best. He didn’t want to piss her off and have her take it out on Jason.
Chapter Five
“So, I hear Kade asked you out.”
Purr For Me: Bad Boy Autos (Drive Me Wild Book 2) Page 4
