“Hey,” Boyd shouts. “I resent that remark.”

Seth merely grunts.

“Look, whatever you plan on doing is out of my hands, but if you want to keep Gardner’s, then the people here need to get to know you again. They’ll need to associate a name with a face,” I point out.

“And I really do need your help,” I add softly.

“Show me what to do, Little Boss,” he says all businesslike and I frown. Where is his big plan to drag me off to bed? Or my plan to sex him up so I can get my way?

Oh, right, I’d insulted him as soon as I saw him. In front of everyone.

Stupid, stupid, Rowan.

I move to join him behind the counter and set my coffee cup down. I brush his hand away from the mouse, my skin tingling at the contact. He sucks in a breath.

“This is where you find the menu for jobs.” I scroll down and begin to type a message to him as I simultaneously explain how to record a transaction.

I’ll be home tonight. Will you?

He glances at me and I smile, letting my hands fall away from the keyboard. “Why don’t you give it a try?”

“All right.”

Yes, he types.

I narrow my eyes at him. He gives me a look. “That’s good, but you forgot this part here.”

Take me to bed and make love to me, I reply.

I look up at him, wanting to apologize but I can’t. I can’t force the words out of my mouth.

“Damn it, Rowan.” His hands shake as he replies.

Our workday ends at noon. I’m driving.

I nod. “That’s it.” Quickly, I erase our exchange. “Linda has a cheat sheet in the drawer to your right.”

“Thanks,” he says just as the first customer walks in.

“LB, you’re needed in bay two. I think Frank got his pinkie stuck in a rotor again.

“You got this, right?” I ask Seth, walking to the back.

“Yep.”

“Okay.”

“Hey, Rowan,” he calls out.

Turning, I lock my eyes on him. “Yes?”

“We have some paperwork to fill out at the lawyer’s office, so be ready to go at noon. That work for you?”

My heart races. Although I know what he said isn’t the least bit scandalous, my face turns as red as the racing stripe on my car. “I’ll be ready.”

Boyd gives me a strange look. “That’s one hell of a way to ask a woman to put out.”

I almost choke on my saliva. “Excuse me?”

“Rowan, I’ve known you and Seth since y’all were fourteen. Nothing gets past me,” he says.

“Can you pretend you don’t know?”

“For an extra vacation day.”

“Deal.”

Seth

I should have kissed her instead of bringing the stupid coffee. Clicking through the menu, I ring up another customer and swipe their credit card.

I glance at the clock. It’s a quarter till twelve.

“Thanks for your business,” I say and close out my screen. I take the liberty of shutting down my computer and locking the front door. As far as I’m concerned, everyone’s getting the afternoon off.

I head to the garage, where Rowan’s been hanging out for the past three hours and forty minutes. Yeah, so I’ve been keeping track. Sue me.

I hear laughter and music playing. The closer I get to her, the harder my body becomes. I know what’s coming as soon as we get home. I know I’m going to have my hands on her gorgeous body. This time, I’m going to make it last and give her multiple orgasms.

I push open the door to enter the garage and find Rowan’s outstanding ass in the air as she bends over an engine. There’s grease on her arms and legs, and her hair’s pulled up into a messy bun.

“Damn,” I breathe.

She scoots to one side, and I just stand there, taking her in. Watching her in her element. Her bottom lip is pulled in and there’s a furrow to her brow. Beads of sweat dot her nose, but damn if she doesn’t look happy. She’s in her zone, working a wrench up and down. Her arms are toned, and watching her slender muscles as they move, I’m turned on even more.

You know that movie scene, the one where the girl’s bent over the guy’s car, looking fine as hell while knowing exactly what she’s talking about? Yeah, that’s Rowan. Except blonde and real and mine.

Honestly, when she’s like this, it’s hard to pinpoint what I find sexier—her confidence or the shape of her body.

“You ready?” I call out.

Rowan jerks up, her eyes widening in surprise. Her cheeks flush.

“I’ll take that,” Boyd offers, nodding toward the engine.

“Hope you don’t mind, but I already shut things down for the day,” I report.

Nodding, she washes her hands and arms. She peels off her work coveralls, and I have to take a step back. Damn, that’s hot. “Tell everyone they get the afternoon off, and call—”

“I’ll take care of it,” Boyd says. He pins me with a glare. “You two go take care of the paperwork, but if the lawyer tries to screw my girl over, I’ll cut off his balls, fry them up, and make him eat them.”

“Duly noted.” I’m not scared of Boyd’s threat. I’m not a kid anymore, but I am glad that she’s had someone like him looking after her.

“Later, Boyd,” Rowan calls out as she walks over to me. She gives me a shy smile and hands over a set of keys. “We can go out this way. My car’s parked in the back.”

Together we walk, almost touching. The tension between us is thick like a curtain that I’m ready to rip away.

“It’s a damn good thing you live so close,” I say, opening her door.

She slides inside and looks up at me, her blue eyes vibrant. “Why?”

“Because I’m tempted to fuck you in this car. But I promised a bed.”

I shut the door before she can reply and jog to my side. My hands itch to touch her, but I keep them to myself and concentrate on getting us home.

Starting up the Camaro, I pull out of the parking lot at breakneck speed, racing to get home. I whip the muscle car into the drive a little harder than necessary, but I can’t wait. I can taste her.

Her hand touches my leg and I hit the gas a little too hard, barely avoiding a collision with the porch on the side of the house.

“I’ll give you a couple of minutes to go in first and take care of whatever you need to, then I expect you to be in my bed.”

She gives me a shaky nod and lets go of me. I watch her walk inside, her hips swaying invitingly. I don’t start counting down until she actually goes inside.

Fair is fair, after all.

A couple of minutes seem like hours, but when enough time has passed, I jump out of her car and head inside, softly closing and then locking the door behind me.

Chapter 7

Rowan

I don’t hear Seth when he first comes in, just the sound of his heavy footsteps as he approaches. I wait for him in bed, my palms damp and my heart racing. He enters the room, his dark gaze finding me as he unlaces his shoes and toes them off.

“Stand up,” he orders and my shaky legs comply.

The cool air hits my skin, making goose bumps appear. My nipples tighten painfully under his watchful eyes.

He smirks a little. “Undress me.”

I lift a brow.

“My rules, baby,” he says. “You lost the right to control what happens when you decided to publicly insult me.” His voice is eerily calm.

He’s correct, and he was well within his rights to do the same to me, but he didn’t.