Mustang Sassy (12 page)

Was this guy for real? Maybe he didn’t understand. Maybe she needed to spell it out for him. She leaned across the desk and said, “No, really. You don’t owe me a dime.” She heard Manny talking to Al just outside Buck’s office. She lowered her voice even more. “For
anything
. Do you understand?”

With his swollen eye, it was difficult to read his expression. She certainly didn’t expect him to say, “Come for dinner then.”

What was Michaels’ deal? Why wasn’t he yelling? Why on earth was he inviting her to dinner? “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“Why not?” Jordan stood and rounded the desk where he nudged her chair toward him with his boot.

“Because,” she started slowly, confused, “of what happened.”

“You worried you can’t control yourself around me?” The words were playful, but his expression was dark. Dangerous. Particularly with the black eye.

Confusion be damned. He was challenging her and she was never one to back down from a challenge. Even if it wasn’t exactly in her best interest. Particularly when it wasn’t in her best interest. She pushed herself up, standing toe to toe, eye to…well…eye to collarbone with City-boy and tilted her head way up and said, “Oh, I can control myself.”

“Really?”

“Yeah.”

“I don’t believe you.”

“Try me.”

“Fine, come for dinner tonight.”

“Can’t.”

Jordan’s smile said,
I told you so
, which just got Sass riled. With a hand on her hip and her toe tapping to her inner turmoil, Sass said, “I’m free Wednesday.”

“Wednesday it is.” Then Jordan swooped down as if he were about to kiss her. Sass backed up so quickly she bruised her thigh on the corner of Buck’s desk.

“I’ll get the keys.” Sass strode from the office knowing full well Jordan was watching her every move. Damn him!

Why couldn’t she say no to this man? She grabbed a set of keys from the pegboard, took the cabin key off her key ring, and attached the two together. She turned to find Jordan standing only a few feet behind her so she tossed him the keys. “Come on. Follow me.”

She led him to the back lot where some cars were waiting to be serviced. She pointed to the beat up Camaro and asked, “Do you remember the way to the cabin?”

“I think so.”

“Okay, well…”

Just then Carlos walked out of the shop into the bright morning light and approached the two of them like a gunslinger ready to draw.

“Hey, man,” Jordan called, wary.

“Bro.”

Sass did a quick evaluation of the situation. Despite the warm sunny day, it was as if a thick fog hung above the three of them. Maybe Carlos was right. Maybe she really didn’t understand men. But it wasn’t like women were any more transparent. So what did that make her? An entity unto herself? Caught somewhere between no-man’s and no-woman’s land?

“Did Sass tell you?” Carlos angled his head in her direction.

“Tell me what?”

“She doesn’t want me to do the repairs.”

Jordan turned a confused glance her way. “Why not?”

“Well, you two were fighting last night and the truth is—”

“No.” Jordan shook his head. “I
need
Carlos to do the work. Okay?”

With a tight smile, she let out a quiet, “Fine.”

Jordan lifted his chin at Carlos. “Good.”

“Okay, so…Thanks for stopping by and we’ll see you around.” If Sass could have pushed Jordan into the Camaro, she would have.

He looked from her to Carlos and back again. “Okay. I’ll see you later.” He pulled on the door of the Camaro and the hinges groaned in protest.

“Needs lubricant,” she muttered.

“Don’t worry about it.” Jordan got in the car. He started her up and then rolled down the window. “We’ll see you.”

Once the car was out of the parking lot, Sass took a deep breath and let it out slowly. She turned to Carlos, who was assessing her with narrowed eyes. “What?”

“You’re into him.”

“No I’m not.” Sass couldn’t meet his eyes.

“Yeah, you are. Be careful, Sass. You don’t have the best track record when it comes to men.”

“You should know,” she said, chin raised in anger.

“I do. I remember how you were after Dex.”

“Shut up, Carlos.”

“How you came crawling to me, needing affection.”

Sass staggered back as if he’d clocked her in the gut with a sledgehammer. “That’s a lie,” she whispered.

“You were so sad.”

“Go to hell!” She started walking back to the shop, hoping Carlos didn’t see the moisture pooling in her eyes.

Before she got far, he called, “Poor Sass.”

She stopped. Took a deep breath and called over her shoulder, “By the way, we’ll let Jordan think you’re fixing his car, but you’re not going to touch it. It’s mine.”

Chapter Nine

After packing up his stuff and checking out of the Inn, Jordan headed out of town toward the reservoir. He was grateful to leave the Greenwood Inn behind. The place was depressing, the mattress uncomfortable, and the walls paper thin. Not to mention, it wasn’t in the least bit inspiring. He hadn’t opened his sketchbook in the three days he’d been there. The cabin would be so much better, even though the idea of staying there made him feel incredibly guilty. He was about to ruin Buck Hogan’s business by scooping his best body mechanic, he’d slept with Buck’s daughter, and now he was staying at the family cabin.

Yep, he was a first-class jerk.

But was it his fault everything was working out so perfectly? Even Sass’s questions about the police had been easy to avoid. Of course, there was no way he could go to the police. Although he was insured to drive the Fastback, it was registered to Carlyle’s. The police would find out and then Hogan’s would find out. The questions would start and Jordan’s plan would fail. One more fuckup to add to his long list. He couldn’t have that.

So, when he saw Sass today, he’d been concentrating so hard on his made-up explanation for why he didn’t want to involve the police, that Sass’s sudden offer to loan him a car and let him stay at the cabin took him completely by surprise. Why the hell would she do that? It was the element of surprise that was responsible for his later actions, too. After last night, he’d sworn he would stay away from Sass Hogan. She was bad for him in every way.
Every way
. Spending more time with her would be a completely stupid, idiotic move. One that would only prove his brothers were right about him.

But one look in her
sassy
, hazel eyes and he was lost. He’d never met a woman like her. She was so damned unpredictable. Tough and sweet and fiery and—holy hell. The sex last night had been hot.

Normally not a one-night-stand kind of guy—that was his brother Blake, the heartbreaker—Jordan didn’t know what this was between him and Sass. Trouble. That’s what it was.

He pulled the car right up to the cabin and sat there for a couple of minutes before getting out. Staying at Sass’s place wasn’t exactly the best way to stop thinking about her. But it was a nice quiet spot. Jordan had to use his foot on the inside of the door of the Camaro to push it open. He’d have to find some lube to fix it. Jordan was no mechanic but he could at least manage oiling some squeaking hinges. The extent of his knowledge didn’t go much beyond that, though. Much to his family’s chagrin.

No, Jordan liked cars. Loved them. But it wasn’t the mechanics that got him juiced it was the aesthetics. He’d been drawing cars for as long as he could remember. All makes and models from classic to modern. He loved the sleek lines but even more, he loved the originality of something new, something that had never existed before he’d put pen to paper. That excited him. Almost as much as Sass.

Shit. He had to stop thinking about her.

Jordan lugged his duffel down the path to the deck of the cabin and dropped it. Instead of opening up the door, he decided to go down to the beach. He took off his boots and socks, rolled up his pant legs, and walked across the stretch of sand to the dock.

He sat with his feet in the water, considering his next move. He’d spent the last six months investigating Hogan’s via the Internet, rod blogs, attending car rallies and shows and it didn’t take Jordan long to figure out was going on. Carlos Rodriguez was hired about five years ago, precisely when interest in Hogan’s went up. Now Jordan just had to see Carlos’s finished product for himself, find out what Hogan paid him, and offer him more to defect to Carlyle’s. A guy like Carlos would jump at the opportunity. He’d love it in Denver, all the women to choose from, the clubs, the nightlife. Yes, it was almost too easy.

Jordan stood and undid the buttons of his shirt and took it off. Then he peeled away his jeans. He didn’t have a suit with him, so his boxers would have to do for a swim. As soon as he hit the water and began his long, easy strokes, he had an image of Sass pulling through the water with her toned arms, emerging like a nymph, dripping and breathing hard, and Jordan groaned. She was the one obstacle in his path. The rut in his wheel. The thorn in his side. He didn’t want to hurt her and he certainly didn’t want to use her. But if experience was any guide, when he was around her, he couldn’t help himself.

…

As soon as Libby opened her front door, Sass was pulled in with a force she’d had no idea Libby possessed.

“I’m so glad you’re here. I’ve got a surprise for you.”

“What?”

“I’ve taken the liberty of setting out a range of products that I think you might be—”

“Whoa,” Sass interrupted. “What the hell is this?”

Covering every available surface, the dining room table, the coffee table and the kitchen counter, were boxes and samples of Sextopia products.

Libby waved her hand at the wares. “These are just a few of my best sellers. After our conversation yesterday, I figured maybe you’d be interested.”

Out of morbid curiosity she glanced over the array. She wasn’t about to tell Libby she’d taken care of her pent-up desire by following her advice and going back to Jordan’s room. That was too mortifying.

“I thought you’d invited me over for supper.”

“I did. You hungry? We can check this stuff out later.”

“Yeah. I’m hungry and no, I’m not interested in this shit.”

“Oh for heaven’s sake. Don’t be such a prude. Sit.” She pulled a barstool from beneath the overhanging counter and patted it.

Sass sat, pushing boxes and paraphernalia out of the way.

Libby pulled a beer from the fridge and uncapped it. “You look like you could use this.”

Sass took a gulp while inspecting the place, doing her best to avoid the penis look-alikes sitting on the counter beside her. She hadn’t been in the condo in ages and she barely recognized it. White cabinets, granite countertops, hardwood floors, the place was clean and modern. When had Libby remodeled it?

Not only that, but how on earth had Libby afforded renovations like this on her cashier’s salary? She didn’t have much time to mull this over because, in no time flat, her friend slid a plate of delicious-smelling food in front of her. “What is this?”

“Ginger beef, Jasmine rice, and a sweet potato and basil salad.”

Damn, the food smelled good. After a few bites, she said, “You’re an amazing cook, you know that.”

“Thanks.” Libby sat beside her with her own plate.

Sass took another bite and chewed slowly. The food was some of the best she’d tasted in a long time, probably since the last time she and Buck had been invited over to Libby’s mom’s place, before Mrs. Morrison had gotten sick. They hadn’t been back in years. Mrs. Morrison’s cooking wasn’t fancy, but it was delicious and just after Sass’s mom died, she’d helped Buck out by babysitting Sass as much as needed. Obviously, Libby had learned a few things from her mom.

“So?”

Shit. She wiped her mouth with a napkin. “So…what?”

“Did you or did you not go back to the Pit and pick up Jordan Michaels?”

Sass considered how to reply. She was so sick of lying but, even though Libby was her best friend, she’d never been comfortable discussing her sex life out loud. Of course, her best friend had a way of figuring these things out, so Sass decided a little honesty was probably the best policy in this situation. She set her knife and fork on her plate and said, “I did.”

Libby clapped with way too much excitement. “I knew it! Oh, God.” Her face went all dreamy. “How was it? Don’t leave out any details. I’m living vicariously through you right now.”

Sass squeezed her eyes shut and apparently that was all the answer Libby needed. She squealed. No joke.

“Did you have your first sleepover? Tell me you stayed the night. Tell me you had hot morning sex. Or better, a hot tandem shower.”

“I’m not telling you anything. Besides, you’ve never told me about any of your exploits. That’s not fair.”

Libby sighed. “Fine. Keep all that good stuff to yourself.” She motioned to the products spread out around the room. “I’ll be keeping this to myself now that you don’t need it.” Libby took her empty plate, rinsed it, and put it straight into the dishwasher. “You are going to see him again, aren’t you?”

Sass shook her head. “Nope.”

“Why not?”

“One time, Lib. It was a one-time thing.”

“You sure?”

“Positive.” She didn’t dare reveal the fact that Jordan was staying at her cabin; otherwise she’d never get Libby to stop talking about him. “So, ah…” She glanced apprehensively around the room. “Maybe later you can show me some of this stuff.”

“I can show you now.”

“I was hoping we could watch a movie first.”

“A movie?”

“Yeah. I brought one.”

Libby had the good grace to not fall over in shock and instead followed Sass to the door where she’d left the videocassette on a side table. Libby picked it up. “
Ten Things I Hate About You
. God, I love this movie.” She flipped it over. “Where’d you get it?”

“Millie.”

She laughed. “Of course. It’s perfect.”

“What do you mean?”

“Oh nothing.”

Sass frowned, suddenly having second thoughts about the movie. It was probably some chick flick—totally not something she was into. But then watching some stupid romance was probably better than dealing with the items that were set out on the dining room table. One quick glance and Sass’s pre-beer jitters returned. “So, do you want to watch or not?”