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He just wished his brothers would stop shutting him out of the big decisions.
Dalton stored his tools carefully and straightened up his workshop. The large shedlike structure looked plain on the outside, but inside, it was his own personal paradise. Set back by the woods on the family mansion's property, it was completely private, surrounded by thick brush like a hidden fairy-tale house no one could find. Shelves covered the walls and were filled with various tools and scrap pieces. Each piece told a particular story Dalton treasured. His saw collection was legendary, and if anyone got too close, he actually felt a growl rumble from his chest. He might not be possessive of women, but grubby fingers better stay the hell away from his power tools.
Band saws, circular saws, and panel saws were his livelihood. Over the years, he'd added to his collection of lathes, planers, sanders, jointers, and routers. His machines were top of the line and lovingly cared for. An extension of his fingers, the right tool could make or break a job. A large multifunction worktable sat at the center of the room, with numerous drawers neatly labeled and tagged. He knew exactly how many drill bits lay within each compartment, and their sizes.
Cal had once "borrowed" a bit and forgotten to return it. After Dalton "mistakenly" shipped all the wood for a project to the wrong place in retaliation, his precious shed had never been touched again.
His favorite music was always at hand with his Amazon Echo; its digital voice assistant, Alexa, had lately become his favorite girlfriend of all time.
Dalton finished clearing his work space and glanced at his phone. He thought of his plans for the evening, which included picking up the new varnish for the Ryans and little else. Caleb and Morgan were going out. Tristan was away for a few days on a business trip. Maybe he'd call that pretty little blonde, Avery, and take her to dinner? His lackluster response told him it wouldn't be a good move. On their last date, he'd noticed she'd gotten that moony look in her blue eyes and had casually mentioned her sister coming to visit. Like she wanted him to meet her.
He fought back a shudder. Meeting any type of family was a danger. Connections were made, and women got false ideas of where a couple of nights out could lead. Dalton hated hurting anyone, so he made sure the rules were laid out plainly for the women he dated so they knew where he stood. Unfortunately, too much time together equaled greater expectations.
That's when it was time to move on.
His gut burned with a strange hollowness that had never been there before. What he needed was a project all for himself. Too often he was doing cabinetry and decks for the specific houses being built, but they weren't his choices. Back in California, he'd been able to pick and choose the jobs he was passionate about. He was starting to feel like a factory worker rather than a woodworking artist. Sure, he knew it was part of being in the family business, and he prided himself on delivering pristine work. Though his brothers bitched about him not meeting his clients' demands, they grudgingly admitted that 99 percent of the time, the clients agreed Dalton was right and loved the outcome.
Yes, that was it. He'd keep his attention cocked for a special project that really meant something to him. That would take care of the itch and soothe the restless beast within.
He grabbed his shirt, took one last look around, and shut the door behind him.
Read Raven's story in ANY TIME, ANY PLACE, the second book in Jennifer Probst's sizzling Billionaire Builders series!
Raven Bella Hawthorne finds out her father was leading a double life and vows to leave her past behind--until Dalton Pierce visits her bar one night and suddenly her past challenges her future . . .
Any Time, Any Place
