classic car buff. Like he needed any more reason to feel even crazier about her than he already did.
His smile went flat when he saw Alonso walk into the lobby and head straight to the counter. She took a seat, but they both turned to look out into the shop as if to address the car she’d been spying. “I’ll be back,” he said to Nine, who barely glanced up from the paperwork he was reading about the convertible they’d just brought in.
He took a deep breath as he watched Alonso lean up against the counter, making himself comfortable. Hurrying his step a bit, he felt his muscles going taut as he opened the door to the lobby and walked through.
“I’ve never seen anything beyond that shop door,” Danica said. “I have no business going over there.”
“Yeah, but you’ve been here over a month and no one’s given you the grand tour yet?” Alonso waved her over with his hand. “C’mon, I’ll give you the tour.”
Yeah, Orlando bet he would. “She can’t right now.” Orlando came around the counter. “I got work I need her to do for me.”
“Slave driver,” Alonso said, shaking his head, then turned to Danica. “I’ll give you a tour when you’re not busy.”
“Nine needs your ass out there, Mr. Tour Guide.” Orlando turned to Dani as Alonso walked away. “Can you bring up the De La Hoya contract and print out the last four pages for me?”
“You know me,” Dani said, turning to face the computer screen. “I’m at your beck and call.”
Orlando couldn’t be sure of it earlier, but he was now. Dani had been as annoyed with Ms. Portillo as he was with Alonso, or anyone who tried to get too chummy with her. He’d silently staked his claim on her even before she was single. But now that she was, he’d be damned if he was letting anyone get any ideas about her. Was it possible she was feeling the same about him?
He stared at her from behind, his hopeful heart speeding up as she tapped away at the keyboard. As soon as she turned to him, he smirked but decided not to comment on her beck-and-call remark. “You really wanna tour of this place?”
Standing up to get the copies off the printer, she shrugged. “I didn’t ask for one. Alonso just offered because he was surprised I’ve never been on that side of the shop. But I wouldn’t mind.”
Orlando hadn’t even thought about that, but if anyone would be giving her the grand tour, it’d be him. No way would he be letting Alonso do it, and if he had to talk to him about his trying to throw the moves on Dani, as he had with Fernando, he sure as fuck would. “Come on.” He took the papers she handed him. “I’ll show you around.”
“But who’ll cover the lobby?” she asked, already walking around the counter.
“I’ll send Alonso’s ass to do it.”
“But doesn’t Nine need him?”
“He’ll be fine without him for a few minutes.” He held the shop door open for her, and she walked past him. “Alonso,” he said as they walked past him, and he handed the paperwork to Nine. “Go cover the lobby while I show Dani around.”
Alonso’s jaw dropped, looking as annoyed as Orlando expected him to, but he didn’t care. Orlando would get it through these guys’ heads one way or another. Dani was off limits to any of their flirtatious asses. “Really?”
“Yeah, really. Now go answer phones until she gets back.” Dani continued walking alongside Orlando, who didn’t even bother stopping. She glanced around, taking it all in. As hard as he’d purposely made his request to Alonso, one glance at Dani’s sweet curious eyes had him smiling. “All this,” he explained, “is mainly an auto shop: oil changes, tire rotations, basically any kind of auto repair.” They walked through the big open garage door where Dani had been looking when he'd first seen her taking in the convertible. There were about twelve cars and trucks in different stages of restoration, and the space was getting tight. Dani glanced around wide-eyed as if in awe as she took in all the different heavy machinery. “And this is why we need to expand,” Orlando explained as he took in the cars they were working on. “There’s only room in here for about twelve maybe thirteen or fourteen cars. It’s why we have such a long waiting list. Beast is hoping the shop on the other