with a happy-looking Sasquatch. My traitor dog loved spending time with her.
Not that I blamed him, really. I did too.
“I need to run into town,” she said.
“Sure. Want me to drive you?”
“No, I think it’s better if I go alone.”
“Why?”
“I’m going to see your mortal enemy.”
I put my wrench down. “What?”
“I need to go talk to Luke and let him know I took another job.”
The corner of my mouth twitched in a smile. When I’d offered her a job, I’d been consumed with one thought: make her stay. The fact that I’d inadvertently stolen her out from under Luke was just a bonus.
Still, did she have to go see him? “Can’t you just call?”
“I feel like I should talk to him in person. Unless you think they’ll take me prisoner or something. I don’t want to become a POW in the Tilikum feud.”
As much as I didn’t like the idea of her going to Luke’s shop, I didn’t have a good reason to tell her not to. Luke was an asshole, but he wouldn’t hurt her.
Although he very well could hit on her. Thinking about that made a coal of anger flare to life in my chest. But what could I say? Fiona was—what, my friend? My employee now? I didn’t have a reason to be territorial over her. Not like that.
Hold on. Was I feeling territorial over her?
Fuck.
“Are you sure you don’t want me to go with you?”
She brushed her hair off her face and smiled. “No, I think I’ll avoid that kind of antagonism, but thank you. I’m a big girl. I can go talk to big scary Luke Haven by myself.”
I grunted a reply. She was probably right. But I didn’t have to like it.
She left and my eyes were glued to her ass when she walked out the door. I shook my head to clear the image of that ass naked in my bedroom.
Bent over my bed.
My hands all over her.
Sasquatch’s eyes were on me, like he knew that I was fantasizing about her. Again.
“Stop judging me. You’re neutered. You have no idea what this is like.”
He went over to his bed to lie down.
I adjusted myself through my pants. Damn it. A two-minute completely non-sexual encounter with her had me all riled up, my blood running hot. Did she have any idea what she did to me, just by existing?
I hoped not.
But fuck, I was getting close to my breaking point. I had to figure out a way to be around her without imagining her ass.
Her tits.
All those fucking curves.
I was doing it again. Jesus, I was in big fucking trouble.
22
Fiona
Luke’s shop could not possibly have been more different from Evan’s.
Evan worked alone. Luke had a bustling garage with several mechanics and other employees. Evan’s shop was secluded and difficult to find if you didn’t know what you were looking for. Luke’s was right in town with a big sign out front.
What they had in common were good reputations in the car world. Like Evan, Luke’s shop was known for being up-front and honest, as well as doing good work. Evan had said Luke played dirty, and maybe he did when it came to their rivalry. But from what I knew, he ran an honest business.
After working for my dad for so long, I had to respect that.
I parked outside and went into the front office. No one was at the desk, so I did a slow circuit, wandering around the small room and looking at the photos on the walls. Most were cars they’d restored or customized. Some I recognized—I’d seen them at car shows over the years. A cherry red 1952 Corvette. A badass 1969 Charger. An old Ford Model-T.
Behind the desk were what looked like vintage car racing pictures. They were faded black and white, and from the look of the cars, taken in the early 1900s. One had a man sitting in what was probably a homemade race car, wearing a leather helmet and goggles pulled up onto his forehead.
A woman came out to the front. She looked around my age, give or take, with dark blond hair and blue eyes that reminded me of Luke. I wondered if they were related.
“Hi, can I help you?” she asked.
“I’m Fiona Gallagher, here to see Luke if he’s in.”
“Yeah, he’s in the back. I’ll go grab him for you.”
“Thanks.”
Luke came in from the garage, dressed in a t-shirt and jeans, with the woman right behind him. He smiled when he saw me—yet another