‘Oh no, no,’ the receptionist said, rolling her chair back to her computer to finish putting in the details from his check-in card.

The door seemed to be closed and he bit his tongue to prevent himself from cursing at the unassuming woman. It was dark outside though he didn’t know the precise time. Needing to vent, Dax wondered if there were any official, or unofficial, pick-up fights that he could get himself into.

‘You’ve driven all the way from California?’ the receptionist asked, finishing up with the typing and closing down his file.

‘Yes,’ he groaned, wondering how he’d find Ivy now that he knew she had stopped moving… at least for the time being.

She retrieved a key for him and came back to the desk, reaching for something else as she did. ‘That’s a long journey for one vehicle to handle. Maybe your car could use a service, just to check that everything is in working order, you know, before you carry on your journey.’

With the room key she also gave him a business card, which he read. ‘Warner Autos?’

‘They’re the best in town,’ she beamed. ‘Local… you understand?’

The way her eyes locked onto his was deliberate and her polished smile remained exactly where it was while she bobbed her head in the direction of the card. He wanted to leap over the desk and kiss the woman, not that he really did, but he’d never felt elation in his life. This was what genuine delight and relief felt like.

‘I understand. They’re open tomorrow?’

‘First thing,’ she said. ‘Though they’re busy they’ll fit in time for special customers, it’s not too far from here.’

‘Maybe I’ll take a ride over there in the morning.’

‘Like I said, the best in town, who knows, maybe after you see what they’ve got you won’t feel the need to keep on travelling.’

‘No,’ he exhaled, letting himself smile. ‘No, maybe I won’t.’

‘Well, enjoy your stay, goodnight,’ she said and walked away to return to the novel she’d put aside when he came in.

One night’s sleep and then he’d see her, he’d go over to that mechanic’s place and find out what Ivy was doing there. Her job didn’t matter though, what mattered was that he finally had the chance to lay eyes on her again, and that was the only thing that mattered.

‘Warner Autos,’ Ivy answered the phone in the back office of the garage as was her job. So far she’d been getting on very well with the owner of the garage, who was one of the busiest guys she’d ever known.

He didn’t say much when she met him, but he hired her and gave her an advance, so she was going to work her damndest for him. All her job consisted of was answering the phone, booking in cars, ordering parts, and basically just dealing with the day-to-day paperwork. It was nothing too taxing, but it made her feel needed because she was the only one dealing with the running of the place while Blase Warner, the garage owner, was absent.

When she got the job, Blase told her that he managed the apartment complex next door and he’d just had a unit become vacant. It turned out that the place housed other employees of Blase’s businesses and employees got a discount, so she jumped at the chance of the cheap, modest apartment. Most of the men who lived there were scary as hell, or they would be if she hadn’t dealt with her own share of thugs. The majority of the men were ex-cons and they worked here at the garage or as security in Blase’s nightclub.

The only people residing in the apartment complex who didn’t work for Blase were his family members and their girlfriends, who were the only two women there at all. Ivy was the only female living there alone, but she didn’t feel intimidated or scared. The Warners were all decent men, and her door lock was secure, so she was fine.

This was her, starting a new life. On reaching over to hang up the phone after the call ended, the diamond on her finger caught and reflected the light, as it so often did, and Ivy paused. Every day she thought about Dax and every day she thought about going back to him. She could just show up at his apartment, or at the Stark mansion, or at the beach house. But she still didn’t have any assurances that he wouldn’t turn her over to Trystan and his men.

One year. She had decided to give it one year and if he hadn’t returned to her by then it wasn’t going to happen; that had been her decision and she had to be firm in following it through. She couldn’t be weak and beg him to take her back, it had to be his decision to want her… or not.

‘Ivy!’

There was nothing delicate about the men around here and although she’d only been here for a week they were already starting to warm to her, and her to them. If she could make this work then this could be a place for her to belong; the thing she’d always wanted most. At least she’d wanted it most until she met Dax and then she had discovered what true craving was like.

Spinning around in her chair, she glanced through the Plexiglas screen which framed the upper space between her back office and the outer workspace. Men were working on various cars and the radio was playing, but all of that disappeared when she saw who was next to the worker who had called for her attention.

‘Shit,’ she breathed and flew up out of her chair.

The mechanic who was next to Dax didn’t look happy and they were exchanging words. Another mechanic saw this and alerted others. Ivy was terrified that this would turn into a brawl if she didn’t move quickly.

Getting out of her office, she dashed the length of the shop floor and dived in front of Dax. ‘I’ve got this, thanks, Pop.’

‘Dude says he’s your husband,’ Pop said. The tall black man was terrifying to look at from afar, but he had never given her a cross word.

‘Funny that,’ Ivy said. Groping behind her she managed to snag Dax’s wrist. ‘I’ll just… I’ll take him out of your way.’

Dragging Dax across the room, past all onlookers, she got him into her workroom then slammed the door, which was odd because this door was never, ever closed, except when the rest of the garage was.

‘Dax,’ she breathed. ‘What are you doing here?’

‘What the fuck are you doing working in a place like this?’ he demanded, closing in on her. ‘Those guys out there are dangerous.’

‘No one is dangerous, Blase assured me that—‘

‘Who is Blase?’

‘Blase Warner,’ she said. ‘He’s the owner of the garage, he gave me this job. He’s a really nice guy and—‘

Dax’s palm slammed onto the wall behind her. The startling action made her fall back against it. ‘Are you fucking him?’

‘Oh good god, that is your main concern? I haven’t seen you for seven weeks. The last time I did see you, you were ready to feed me to the fishes and the first thing you ask me is if I’m fucking my boss?’

‘Yes,’ he said with no shame or apology. Grabbing her hand, he jerked it up and squeezed her ring finger. ‘You’re wearing your wedding ring, and using your married name.’

‘So why would I be sleeping with another man?’

‘You’ve been faithful?’ he frowned.

‘You haven’t?’ Tilting her head, she folded her arms and waited for his answer. By bringing her limbs up she had eliminated the last of the space between them, so her folded arms were now pressed into his torso.

‘I haven’t had time to look at a fucking woman. I have spent the last seven weeks chasing your damn tail across the country. Why can’t you stay put, woman?’

‘I haven’t found my place to belong yet. When I do, I will.’

‘Your place to belong,’ he spat out. ‘There’s only one place you belong and you’ve spent almost two months running away from it.’

He caught hold of her face and hauled her up, forcing his mouth down over hers. Although she hadn’t expected the kiss that didn’t mean that she didn’t want it. Opening herself to him, she leaned into him and trailed her hands up to his shoulders

‘That’s right,’ he grumbled and hooked his hands under her ass to lift her up.