“Sourcing new jobs hasn’t been a problem for us.”

That killer smile reappeared. “I’ll bet.”

Was he trying to piss her off on purpose, or was he really this much of a dick? “You really think someone would lay down a shitload of cash just to get a look at us in grease-stained coveralls? Really? Our customers don’t mind the extra time and are happy to pay the extra money because they know when they see the final result, when they drive their car out of here, they’re driving away in a work of art. No amount of factory-built, rush jobs can compete with that, and you know it, or you wouldn’t be here.”

One of his shoulders lifted, then dropped. “You’re right.”

“Come again?” Alex said beside her.

“I agree. You’re providing a service that people want, and you’re doing it fucking well. But our work’s not inferior.” He was addressing Alex but didn’t take his eyes off Rusty.

“I think we’ll have to agree to disagree on that one,” Alex said, smirking. The phone in the office rang, and she excused herself to rush off and answer it, leaving Rusty alone with tall, dark, and chauvinistic.

“Do you know how long I’ve been in this business? How many shops I own?”

“Considering I had no idea who you were until you walked in here, you figure it out.” Of course she knew who he was, everyone in this business knew Reid Parker. She just hadn’t expected him to walk into her garage with his designer tighty-whities in a wad, gloating about his numerous shops and flashing around a watch that was probably worth more than their entire business, even though they’d been steadily stealing work from him.

The way he shook his head, the lift of those lips, he knew she was full of it. “I own ten shops, and R.I.P. is the biggest in this city. I think I know a thing or two.”

He may as well have just pulled out his bank statement and shoved it in her face. But the guy wasn’t fooling anyone, especially not her. To be his age and have all that he did, Reid Parker had received more than a helping hand. She’d bet her truck he had a rich daddy behind the scenes throwing money at him. Well, they’d worked their asses off to get where they were now. They didn’t owe him a damn thing. “Big doesn’t necessarily mean better, Chuckles.”

He took a small step closer. He wasn’t exactly in her face but close enough that he’d entered her personal space. It was a struggle to hold her ground with all the intense hot-man vibes he was throwing off. “That’s what people generally say when they’re…small. But I guess you could be right there, too.” The corner of his mouth lifted. “Big feels pretty damn good, though, don’t you think, Rusty?”

She got the feeling they weren’t talking about cars anymore. Her gaze dipped before she could stop herself, taking in the impressive bulge behind his fly. She heard him suck in a rough breath.

Busted.

Looking up at him, she did her best to ignore the interest she saw blazing there, or the way it made her feel, and took a retreating step. “Dude, I don’t know what you’re on about. It’s been real and all, truly, but I’ve got work to do and that doesn’t include standing around talking in riddles with you.”

She turned to leave, but he grabbed her arm and pulled her gently toward him. Those tingles returned full force, lifting the hairs on her arms, making her shiver, making her want to move in closer to that hot body.

He let go but managed to pin her to the spot with his intense gaze. “Come by the shop sometime. Let me show you around, show you how we do things.” The grin was back. “You never know, you might learn a thing or two.”

Was he for real? “I doubt that. And if this is your way of asking me out…”

“If I was asking you out, you’d know it.” The words were nothing but a deep rumble, and heat flooded her system in an unsettling wave.

Okay. Why did that make her feel oddly disappointed? A first, for sure. Usually, she hated it when a guy asked her out five seconds after meeting her. Nothing pissed her off more. But this bastard confused her, made her feel something she hadn’t felt in years. Lust. Hot and intense, strong enough that she knew her vibrator would be getting a workout tonight…and who she’d be thinking about when she got herself off.

Going anywhere near this guy would be a huge mistake, for several reasons. No way would she take him up on his offer. Despite her curiosity and the chance to check out the competition, an inside look at how they do things big at R.I.P. Classics, she knew this guy was a threat to her in more ways than she could count.

“I wouldn’t hold your breath, Chuckles.” Her voice came out a little breathy, which pissed her the hell off. As far as she was concerned, showing weakness in front of a man—any man—was stupid. She’d had that lesson hammered home fairly early. It’d come in the form of a broken heart, humiliation that still made her cringe to this day, and the complete and utter annihilation of her self-respect.

That big mitt appeared again and wrapped around her fingers, and those gorgeous thickly lashed eyes locked on hers. “Well, it was nice meeting you, Rusty West. The offer’s open if you change your mind.” Then he released her hand and strode through the double-wide roller doors, out to the parking lot.

Piper chose that moment to tear in, sun glinting off her pink Corvette. Parking her car, her younger sister climbed out, her mass of blond hair, pulled high in a ponytail, shining brightly. Dressed in work boots, ripped jeans, and pink tank covered in grease stains, she looked cute; she also looked what she was, a mechanic. Piper stopped dead when she saw Reid striding through the doors. Rusty also didn’t miss the way the guy shook his head as he walked past her younger sister, obviously figuring out who she was. In fact, Rusty found herself grinning as well.

He disappeared around the corner, and though she couldn’t see it, she heard him fire his car to life. The engine rumbled and growled, and a minute later, his huge black hearse drove through the parking lot, business name emblazoned on the side.

Jesus.

Overcompensating for something maybe? As much as she loved that idea, she knew it wasn’t true. The guy didn’t need to overcompensate for a damn thing.

She watched him pull out onto the street and drive away.

Piper stopped beside her. “Was that…”

“Yep.” Rusty turned a shit-eating grin on her sister. “We’ve got him worried. No other reason he’d show up here. He was scoping out the competition.”

She paled. “Was he angry when he saw the Customline?”

“Surprised would be a more accurate description.”

Alex joined them. “What were you two talking about for so long? The guy looked like he wanted to put you in his pocket and take you with him by the time he left.” Her friend snorted. “We’re just lucky Deke dropped me off and didn’t stick around.”

Alex was not wrong. Rusty and Piper’s older brother Deacon had a tendency to be a little overprotective of them. Though, he’d mellowed a little since he’d finally put an engagement ring on Alex’s finger.

“Really?” Piper turned her full attention to Rusty.

She felt her skin heat, and not just from the blazing midday sun. “He wanted me to pay R.I.P. a visit. Apparently, he can show me a thing or two.”

Alex’s eyebrows shot up to her hairline, and she shook her head. “Yeah, I’ll bet. I take it you’re not going?”

“Nope.” Going anywhere near that man would be bad for her health, she knew it with one-hundred percent certainty. “He’s just another rich, entitled asshole. Those types tend to have a deluded view of themselves. Like all they have to do is click their fingers and everyone will come running.”

Piper crossed her arms. “Well, I think you should go. We’re just starting out, and we could learn a thing or two from someone like him.”

Alex patted Piper’s shoulder and stared at her in a way that said she thought she’d lost a few vital brain cells. “It’s not his workshop he wants to show our girl, Pipe.” Then she tilted her head to Rusty.