“That’s our uncle,” PJ explained to Asa.

“The one who treated you so badly.” He got all surly when he said it, and PJ wanted to sigh wistfully and twirl her hair around her finger.

“Yes, that’s the one.” Julie answered him first.

“Julie is the heart of the financial end of Colman. Our uncle is a figurehead, but it’s really Julie and to some extent our brother Shawn who are the guiding force there. Julie should be in charge, but she has no penis, which is apparently a prerequisite for that job as far as Fee and our father are concerned.”

Asa choked back a laugh and then said his good-byes to Julie, who gave PJ a discreet thumbs-up before she got into her car to leave.

Asa took her hand and led her over to the Twisted Steel tent area. “Have a drink. Are you hungry? We’ve got burgers and chips.”

But before she could answer, he dipped his head and kissed her, and this time there was definitely some mouthfucking going on.

Heat licked at his belly as he finally gave in and sank into her taste like he’d wanted to since he’d caught sight of her across the field.

She slid her arms around his neck and held on, giving over, opening up to him. He hummed his pleasure at that and the curves against him.

When he finally broke away she smiled up at him. “It’s a good thing I wore that kiss-proof lipstick.”

He laughed. “Still looks juicy.” He stole another kiss before turning her toward the bar area.

“Listen, Asa.” She put her hand on his forearm to stay him. “Thank you.”

“For what? Kissing like a rock star?”

She rolled her eyes before getting serious again. “For the car.” She jerked her chin at the Oldsmobile she’d done the triple metallic job on.

“It was my pick. Regardless of who I’m with, the work you did is top-notch. It’s good for Twisted Steel too.” Each month the different members of their group brought work to show off, and Asa had chosen the Olds not only because her work was fantastic, but because the kind of high-end custom client they wanted to attract would love it too.

“Thank you for that.”

He realized then that she’d been concerned. Her work was so good, it had never occurred to him she’d ever doubt herself. But of course she would, just like he did his own work at times.

“You’re welcome. Let’s keep making money together.”

“You got it.”

Her attention shifted and the intimate bedroom smile she’d had on tightened to something entirely different and totally platonic. He liked that.

Which was why when he turned to see Craig standing there with a hot redhead he didn’t punch the guy.

“Hey, Craig. Carmella, how are you?” PJ hugged the redhead and Asa let his mind wander just a bit until his pants got a little tight.

PJ turned. “Asa, this is Carmella Rossi. She’s Craig’s cousin.”

He nodded at Craig and then looked at the redhead. “Oh hey! I know you.” Asa turned back to PJ. “She’s Duke’s neighbor.” And back to Carmella. “You have that awesome little dog right? Like a miniature Doberman?”

Carmella nodded, smiling. “Yes. Also, my uncle is Craig’s dad. I do the books at his shop so I talk to Lottie in your office at least once a month.”

They made a little small talk for a while longer. Asa’d been hoping Carmella was Craig’s date but clearly not. Asa put his arm around PJ’s shoulders and she turned her head to look at him.

“First heat starts in ten. I need to head back over to the track. Want to come with me so we can get you a good place to watch?”

“Yes, please!”

He kept her to himself for a few minutes more as he took her behind the tents lining the track. It was marginally quieter and far less crowded.

“We’re right up here.” He pointed. Duke stood with Mick and another one of the guys from their team.

Asa didn’t miss the once-over Mick gave PJ. Or the downturn of his mouth when he finished.

“Hey, PJ.” Duke, grinning, danced her away from Asa, hugging her.

PJ laughed and turned back to Asa where he was standing with Mick. She gave him one of her prettiest smiles. Warm, totally genuine.

Mick eyed her carefully.

“PJ Colman, this is Mick Roberts. Mick, this is PJ.”

She held a hand out and Mick gave it a halfhearted shake. By that point Asa was pissed.

He stepped between Mick and PJ, trying to be nonchalant, as he spoke to Duke about the first heat.

They’d decided the day before that Asa would drive the muscle car heats and Duke would do the stock. Asa was up first in the Fastback, adrenaline already coursing through his system.

Asa grabbed a pair of noise-dampening headsets for PJ, but she held up her own pair with a smile before she put them on. Sometimes it was easy to forget how steeped she truly was in car culture. He needed to remember that.

Still, when she wasn’t paying attention, he looked closely to be sure her protective gear was appropriate, given that wreck of a helmet she’d had before.

He guided her off to a space they’d cleared for a few people to stand and watch away from the action, and she gave him a thumbs-up. He kissed her hard and she gave him two thumbs up.

Asa tossed a glare Mick’s way as the men headed toward the car.

“We’ll talk about how you acted later. But for now, you stay the fuck away from her if you have a problem. You got me? Any problem here is between you and me. PJ isn’t part of it. I won’t allow it.”

Mick shook his head. “Just looking out for you.”

“Again, let me underline for you that this is an Asa-Mick issue. This has nothing to do with PJ. Am I clear?” He’d beat the shit out of a friend for being a dick any day of the week. They’d hash it out one way or the other, but that had nothing to do with PJ, and Asa wasn’t going to let anyone make her feel uncomfortable.

Duke slapped the back of Mick’s head. “He understands.”

Duke liked PJ, so Asa knew his friend would keep an eye on her.

PJ watched, heart in her throat, as Asa busted his ass in that Fastback. He was so damned good. Intense. His concentration was fantastic, but it was his reflexes that made him so very masterful.

Fearless, he dominated the track like he dominated her in the bedroom.

She paused, smiling at that silly bit of internal narration, but it was true. Asa was totally in charge, and it was the sexiest thing she’d ever seen.

He came in second in the first heat and first in the second. They brought the Fastback in, switching out with Duke and his stock car.

Asa worked the team for Duke, like Duke had for him, but every once in a while he looked back over his shoulder at her, and it sent all sorts of pulses of goodness through her.

Not that it kept her from noting how much his army friend Mick didn’t like her. He was not having any PJ in his life. Not one bit.

Which was too bad, because she was there. Period. But she hated it when people didn’t like her for secret reasons! She hadn’t done anything to him at all, so what was up his butt?

She’d just have to give it time and space. Maybe he was jealous at how much time Asa spent with her or some other stupid guy thing. Maybe he didn’t like blondes. Or he thought she was too young or too whatever. Maybe she’d find out just what his deal was.

For the time being, though, there were fast cars racing, which was sort of like her birthday or something. The smell of fuel and burning rubber, the chitchat, the overwhelming noise levels as machines hummed, roared, idled, and everything in between all around.

A lot of her time as a child had been spent on a track, off to the side watching or in the bleachers if it was a big track. It was like homecoming to be there.

Chapter Thirteen