Page 18 of Driven to Love

“He is. Do you need something?” She stopped scrolling. Pools of lush green blinked up at him.

“Just being friendly.” He cranked up the wattage on his smile. Nothing. Shit, this was more strained than his parts budget.

Deadpanned, she stared at him. After what seemed like a whole minute, she blinked.

So much for small talk. He cleared his throat. “The guys in the shop are getting together for pizza tomorrow night. Do you want to come?”

“Oh, thanks, but I have a date.” She turned her attention back to her computer.

“A date? Anyone I know?” He leaned on the reception desk and waited for her to answer.

“No. He just moved back to town.” Click. Click. Click. Her nails rapidly tapped the keys.

Nash’s jaw clenched. He wasn’t sure if it was from the fact she had a date or the damn typing. He wanted to slam a hand over hers and force her to look at him. Really look. Instead, he swallowed back his frustration and softened his expression. “Okay. Well, if the date crashes and burns, we’ll be at Merc’s.”

She smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes. Her fingers kept moving a mile a minute as she continued to work. “Anything else?”

Yeah. Lots. But this wasn’t the time or the place. Hell, there might never be the right time or place for what he wanted from Addison. “That was it.”

“Have a good weekend.” She gave him a smile this time, the one he’d seen her use in social situations, but not the one she used with her girlfriends. Yeah, she was the queen of cool responses, and something inside Nash wanted to break through that icy exterior she reserved just for him.

“You too.” He pushed through the door.

“Look at that expression. Denied.” Leon shook his head. “I never thought I’d see the day that pretty boy Nash Steele got shot down.”

Nash gave his coworker the one-finger salute. At his workbench, he put his tools away and locked his toolbox. “I’m going to head out. I have to drive up to get Davey.”

“No game this weekend?”

“Nope. They got a break this week. Tomorrow, I’m surprising him with an early birthday present.” Nash couldn’t believe that in one month his little boy would be a teenager.

“Are the puppies ready?” Cade grabbed a pry bar and leaned back into the engine compartment while he talked.

“Yeah.”

“Cool. I’ll come with you. I sort of promised Laney a dog.”

Nash laughed. “She sure loves Roscoe. The woman plays with him every time she sees him.”

“The dog loves her too. I tried to talk Mom and Dad into letting us take him so they could travel more, but they weren’t having it.”

“Well, I’ll see you tomorrow then.” Nash headed to the locker room to change. He waved to the body shop guys on the way by. The one was an intern, just learning the ropes. Nash wondered how long this one would last. Eric ran a tight ship. Some of the newbies didn’t make the cut.

But from what Nash could see, Addison would be sticking around. She had the office cleaned up and the work orders all in the system by her third day. Eric better watch out, or she’d have his personal office decluttered in no time. That man loved his organized chaos. Hell, Eric actually spent time working in the shop this week. That hadn’t happened since Becca left.

Cleaned up and changed, Nash grabbed his keys and headed out. He glanced at the office door. Why was he trying so hard with Addison? She wasn’t the type of woman he and Davey needed in their lives. Maybe it was the challenge that had him tied in knots—that and her curvy little body.

Forget about her. Good advice. But could he take it?

He slid behind the wheel of his 1966 Chevelle SS and turned the key. The engine roared to life. Putting on his shades, he caught movement through the lobby window. Addison.

Nash waved, and she stepped back. Before she was out of sight, he caught the grimace on her beautiful face.

He grinned. The ice princess wasn’t fully immune to him after all.

Nash pulled the car into the garage. Davey wiggled in his seat. “Can I go see the puppies?”

“I swear the only reason you want to come visit me is to see Mrs. Dahl’s dogs.” Nash grinned when his son gave him a “seriously” expression. “Okay. I’ll be right over.”