The kid pressed his lips together tight and shook his head, trying his best to keep up a tough front. Reid saw right through it, and it tore in him two. The guys in the shop did all they could for the family, in a way that wouldn’t make Dom see it as charity. Most of them came from similar backgrounds and knew how the kid’s mind ticked.
Reid stood and squeezed his shoulder. “You need anything, day or night, you call me, you can’t get me, you call Law or one of the other guys, yeah?”
He cleared his throat. “Yeah.”
“You don’t need to do this alone, Dom.”
“Thanks,” he rasped.
Reid opened the door. “Now go get to work. That panel won’t straighten itself.”
Dom left, and Reid went to his desk and sat heavily in the seat. First chance he got, he’d talk to Law, get him to do some checking around, make sure Dom’s dad was well and truly out of the picture.
An hour later, he’d managed to make a few calls and get through some paperwork, but every few minutes his eyes moved to the four buckets of body filler taking up room in the corner of his office. He probably should, but right then he couldn’t find it in himself to feel guilty about it. After calling in a favor, he’d managed to get West Restoration’s order delivered to R.I.P. by “mistake,” then called the error in to West’s this morning, speaking to the blonde, Piper, on the phone.
He wasn’t a patient man, never had been, and he’d already waited over week for Rusty to change her mind and show up. She hadn’t, which kind of surprised him, but also kind of didn’t. The woman was stubborn, he’d worked out that much from their brief encounter, but he also hadn’t missed the interest behind those vibrant green eyes. Now all he could do was wait and see who showed to collect their misplaced order. If it was Rusty, he knew he had a shot, if not—well, he’d have to come up with something else.
She was definitely a challenge, but one he more than looked forward to conquering.
If he was honest, he’d thought of nothing else. He still couldn’t get the image out of his head, when she’d pulled off that welding mask, letting all that thick, red hair fall down her back. The sway of those hips, and shit, that mouth…and not just the way it looked. She was attitude and fire, and he wanted a taste. So yeah, he was done waiting.
He also wanted West Restoration—his name above the doors, and the talent and unique difference the West girls brought along with it. As far as he could see, Rusty was the best way in. The hardest nut to crack. Some might think it was an asshole move, using her to get what he wanted, but he hadn’t got where he was today by being a nice guy.
And he’d sure as hell make certain she enjoyed every damn minute of it.
He’d have to break his one-night rule with her, but he got the feeling that one night with Rusty West in his bed, underneath him, long legs wrapped around his waist, wouldn’t be enough anyway. Mixing business with pleasure was a risk. This could all blow up in his face, but he wanted her and West Restoration. Right now, he wasn’t willing to give up either. In fact, he was sure the only way to acquire one was through the other.
He just had to make sure no messy emotions got in the way. But then it wasn’t like she’d expect a ring on her finger just because he fucked her a few times. Because that’s all it would ever be. He didn’t do commitment, and he didn’t do long term. The women he spent time with knew this, felt the same way. Anything more was too big of a risk, one he’d have to be a stupid son of a bitch to take, and despite how hard his old man had tried to beat it into him, repeatedly, he was not stupid.
After the nightmare he’d grown up in, he didn’t want it. That kind of sick, that poison, it coated every inch of you, dug deep. He’d rather be six feet under than unleash that kind of hell on anyone. Wouldn’t be able to live with himself if he did.
He glanced out the window to the front parking lot again and mentally shook off the direction his thoughts had gone. That’s when he saw a black Ford pickup, green flames licking up and across the rounded hood, roll in and park out front.
She’d come.
The door opened and one long leg appeared a second before Rusty stepped out in her beaten work boots.
In that moment he realized just how hungry for another glimpse of her he’d been. Her red hair was tied up, and she wore a dark green tank and a pair of black cutoff shorts, frayed and worn and molded to her hips like a second skin.
Shoving her hands in her pockets, she strode through the door, gaze constantly moving, taking everything in, those intelligent, wary eyes missing nothing.
He didn’t rush out to meet her, instead he watched from the internal window facing the workshop as she stepped inside. He also watched as, one by one, his boys tagged her, until nearly every pair of eyes in the place had lifted and locked on her.
Rusty’s shoulders straightened, and she sucked on her bottom lip. She didn’t appreciate the attention, not one bit. Granted they were a rough bunch—guys that’d had it tough, and it showed—but he didn’t think that was what had her freezing up.
The only guy not focused on her was Dominic. The kid had his head down, trying to bang out the dents in a door panel, and Rusty headed straight to him.
The least threatening option.
The kid’s head came up when she touched his shoulder, eyes going wide, face turning a volcanic shade of red when he got a look at her. He couldn’t blame him. The smile she offered his apprentice was stunning. She said something, and Dom smiled shyly, motioning to the panel he was working on. Reid found himself grinning when she took the hammer from the boy and started showing him what he’d been doing wrong, instructing him the whole time. Poor Dom looked as if he’d swallowed his tongue, while the other guys stood like statues, as mesmerized by her as he’d been the first time he’d seen her in a pair of coveralls and a welder in her hand.
A foreign emotion suddenly flared to life, bright and near violent. Jealousy. He’d never felt jealous over a woman in his life. He tamped it down, got a handle on it before he stupidly stormed out there and showed them exactly why it wasn’t a good idea to look at what he considered his. That wouldn’t do him any favors, not with Rusty and not with the guys who trusted him. It was also a flashing red light, a warning that he shouldn’t go anywhere near the tempting redhead. That even thinking about it was a fucking stupid idea, for many reasons.
She straightened, handed his hot-faced apprentice back his hammer, and said something that had the boy smiling and stammering a response before motioning to Reid’s office. Rusty smiled at the kid, so bright even he felt the power of it. Dom looked close to falling on his ass as she sauntered off, leaving him openmouthed and no doubt as hard as the steel he’d been pounding.
As she neared, her gaze lifted and caught his, and he was sure he saw that fire flash behind her eyes, saw her draw in a deep breath, like she was preparing for battle.
Bring it, Foxy.
