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  He wondered what made her so guarded, so afraid to take a risk. “You don’t know what you’re missin’.”

  She looked him in the eye. “Sometimes it’s better that way.”

  He sensed they weren’t talking about riding motorcycles anymore. “You and Mike still on for tonight?”

  “I guess so. I gave him my number and he hasn’t called to cancel.” She chuckled. “Unless he’s the kind of guy who just wouldn’t show.”

  No, he had no doubt his brother would be on her doorstep at the agreed upon time even if he had to crawl to get there. The jerk. “I can’t imagine a guy in his right mind standin’ you up, Victoria.”

  She smiled. “That’s sweet of you to say.”

  Jay tried to ignore the effect her smile had on him, like a tight fist to the gut; it got him every damn time. “It’s the truth, darlin’.”

  She looked taken aback by the endearment, though it wasn’t the first time he’d said it. He never even thought about calling another one of his instructors sweetheart, darlin’, or baby, but with her he couldn’t help himself, no matter how inappropriate it may seem. “You tell that sleazy boss of yours you won’t be comin’ back?”

  “No, I’ll head over there on my lunch break and tell him face-to-face. It doesn’t seem right to do it over the phone.”

  “You want me to come with you?” His mother was expecting him for lunch, but she’d understand if he needed to take a rain check. She knew how hard he’d been working, trying to get the new studio ready.

  “Don’t worry, I can handle him.” She smiled. “You do that a lot—worry about me. You must be the caretaker in the family, huh?”

  Jay chuckled. “Uh, no. My old man was a cop. He’s Trey Turner’s head of security now. My stepfather’s a career cop, so is Mike, and my mama teaches second grade. They’re all caretakers; well, except for Mike. He has enough trouble takin’ care of himself without havin’ to worry about anybody else.” Taking cheap shots at his brother behind his back made him feel marginally better about their date tonight. He knew it was immature, but he didn’t care.

  “Wow, I love Trey Turner’s music.”

  He was usually reluctant to talk about his famous connections. Most women were always angling for an introduction, concert tickets, or backstage passes, but he sensed Victoria wasn’t like that, so he didn’t mind sharing. “Did you have a chance to meet J.T. last night? He owns Jimmy’s bar.”

  She shook her head. “No, I didn’t. Why?”

  Jay sat on the stool behind the counter and hooked the heel of his cowboy boot over the last rung. “J.T.’s brother, Derek, is my step-father. His wife is Nikki Spencer, and his other brother is Ty McCall.”

  She whistled. “Wow, some famous family.”

  Jay shrugged. “They’re all just regular people, like you and me. I basically grew up over at the McCall house. They had horses, and I loved to ride, so Derek would take me and my brother over there a lot.” He laughed. “J.T.’s older than us, so we idolized him. He always had his pick of pretty girls.”

  “I can’t imagine you had any trouble in that department.”

  He usually didn’t appreciate shallow compliments about his looks. He didn’t put much stock in the reflection he saw in the mirror and he didn’t have a lot of respect for women who did, but knowing Victoria found him attractive was different. It made him feel good, really good.

  She cleared her throat when he didn’t respond to the compliment. “Nikki seems really sweet and down to earth. Is she?”

  “Yeah, she’s awesome. She and J.T. are perfect for each other.” He put his finger to his lips. “If I tell you a secret, you promise you won’t tell anyone?”

  Her eyes sparkled with amusement when she said, “I promise.”

  “They’re expectin’ their first baby. J.T. told me last night.”

  Her demeanor changed from playful to serious with those few words. “Lucky them.”

  Something told Jay to tread carefully with her. “I think so.”

  “You wanna get married and have kids someday?”

  He shrugged. “Sure, doesn’t everyone?”

  She strode past him, dropping her empty cup into a wastebasket. “I guess they do. We’d better get to work, don’t you think?”

  Jay knew they had a lot of work ahead of them, but for the first time in a long time, he wasn’t in a rush to get to it. He was enjoying their time together. “Can’t put it off forever, I suppose.”

  She braced her hand on the glass counter when she looked up at him. “No matter how much you might want to… you eventually have to face all the unpleasantness life has in store for you.”

  Once again, he sensed she was talking about more than unpacking boxes, but before he could ask her to explain, she was practically sprinting back to the offices.

  Victoria didn’t know what it was about Jay that prompted her to say more than she should. She’d always been guarded about her past, mainly because she loathed pity. Lots of kids had grown up in the system. She was no different than any one of them. Well, maybe she was a little different. She was a survivor in the truest sense of the word.

  Jay walked in when she was struggling to open a box fastened with large, industrial staples. “Here, let me.”

  “Thanks.” She watched him open the box with ease. Jay Cooper seemed like the kind of guy who made everything look effortless. “Can I ask you to do something for me?”

  He looked up, startling her with the intensity in his light blue eyes. Wow, he had incredible eyes. The contrast between his black hair and those eyes…

  He grinned. “Did ya forget what you were gonna say?”

  She shook her head. “Forget it. We can’t afford to waste time right now. We have work to do.” She reached for the other side of the box, but he grabbed her hand to still it. She felt his gentle touch seep into her skin like molten liquid, warming her.

  “Whatever it is, just ask.” He smiled. “I can pretty much guarantee the answer will be yes.”

  She was getting in deeper and deeper with this man and she felt helpless to stop it. She’d been a fool to think dating his brother would provide a safe barrier. Nothing would protect her from the intensity of this attraction. “When you were in Cincinnati… that form… you were so incredible.” She licked her lips, trying to draw her eyes away from his mouth.

  “You wanna see it again? Is that what you were gonna ask?”

  Victoria felt the heat seep into her cheeks. She felt silly. Jay would think she had a serious case of hero worship. “Forget it.” She looked down at his jeans and her face burned brighter when she saw the bulge behind his zipper.

  He chuckled. “What can I say? You’re a gorgeous woman.”

  She gasped when he wrapped his hand around the back of her neck and pulled her closer. “This is breakin’ every damn rule in my book, but I can’t help it. I need to taste those lips.”

  Victoria pressed her palms into his chest as she lowered her head to avoid the temptation. “Jay, no. You were right, this is a bad idea. We can’t…”

  “Are you sayin’ you don’t want me to kiss you right now?”

  She heard herself whimper when the words of protest wouldn’t come. “Obviously there’s something between us, but it would be stupid to act on it. We have to work together, and you know how awkward it would be if things don’t work out.” She was trying so hard to stare straight into the slight V at his collar, but it wasn’t easy with his hand caught up in her hair.

  “Actually, I don’t know.” He tipped her head back so she was forced to look at him. “I’ve never even been tempted to date someone I work with before. But you walked into my studio yesterday, and I was almost tempted not to hire you… that’s how badly I wanted to go out with you.”

  Victoria smiled as her hands slid up to his shoulders. She waged an internal battle between pushing him away and pulling him closer. So far the devil on her shoulder was shouting the angel down. “I’m glad you decided to hire me. I really need this j
ob.”

  He closed his eyes. “And I really need to kiss you right now, so what the hell are we gonna do?”

  “Hey, boss man. I know you’re here. I saw that badass bike parked out front. Where you at?”

  Jay groaned and took a step back. “Sounds like the painters are here.”

  She knew she should be grateful for the interruption, but with her lips still tingling from the kiss that never happened, it was difficult to revel in her angel’s victory. “You better get out there.”

  Before Jay could make his way out front, a big man with a black bandana wrapped around his bald head filled the doorway. “There you are.” He winked. “Now I see why you were hidin’ out back here.” His eyes traveled the length of Victoria’s body once, twice…

  Jay snapped his fingers in front of the man’s face. “You got a job to do. Get the hell out there and do it.”

  “Aren’t you gonna introduce me to your friend first?”

  “If I do, will you get out there and quit wastin’ my money shootin’ your big mouth off when you should be workin’?”

  He grinned and inclined his head toward Jay. “He thinks just ‘cause we went to high school together he gets to say shit like that to me.” He chuckled. “If it was anyone else, he’d be flat on his back by now.”

  Jay rolled his eyes. “You couldn’t lay me out on your best day.” He turned toward Victoria. “Darlin’, this pain in my ass is Kurt Griffin. Griff, this is Victoria Pierce. She’s gonna be managin’ this place for me.”

  Kurt raised an eyebrow. “Is she now?” He brought the hand Victoria offered to his lips. “My shop’s just across the street. I can drop by and keep you company when you’re not busy.”

  Victoria smiled. She’d been on the receiving end of enough flirtatious comments to know which were harmless and which were loaded with warning. Besides, he was Jay’s friend, and she had a feeling he chose his friends as carefully as he chose his lovers. “I’d like that.”

  Jay frowned. “Don’t count on it, Victoria. I’m gonna be keepin’ you busy, real busy.”

  Kurt released her hand and gestured between the two of them. “There somethin’ goin’ on you wanna tell me about, man?”

  “No, I just want you to get back to work, so we’ll be ready for the grand opening this weekend. Think you can handle that?”

  Victoria couldn’t miss Jay’s sharp tone when he addressed his friend. He sounded almost… jealous. “It was nice meeting you, Kurt. I hope to see you around sometime.”

  “You can count on it, sugar.”

  Jay rolled his eyes as he pushed his friend out the door, following behind him. “I’ll be back in a few, Vic.”

  She smiled as she watched Jay smack his friend in the back of the head. Kurt looked like a big, burly biker. The kind of guy any sane man would run away from a conflict with. Any man except Jay, who could take him down with one hand tied behind his back. Victoria sighed. She feared this may become a habit… comparing every man she met to her new boss. Unfortunately, she suspected they’d all come up sorely lacking.

  Chapter Six

  Jay walked into his mother’s house at lunchtime feeling tired and frustrated. Spending the morning working alongside Victoria, trying to resist the urge to touch her, had proved more challenging than he thought it would be.

  Ashley rounded the corner, a huge grin splitting her face. “I thought I heard you pull up.” She peeked out the stained glass window, spotting his bike parked in the driveway. “God, Jay, why do you insist on riding around on that death trap? You have a perfectly good truck parked in your—”

  He held his hand up as he leaned in to brush a kiss across her cheek. “Don’t start with me today, Ma. I’m not in the mood.”

  She frowned as she pressed her palm to his forehead. “Are you feeling okay? You’re not coming down with something, are you?” She pointed her finger at him. “I knew this would happen. You’ve been working too hard…”

  He loved his mother, but he did not need this right now. “I feel fine.”

  Derek poked his head out of the kitchen and laughed. “For God’s sake, Ash, let the guy get his foot in the door before you start badgering him.”

  “I am not badgering him. He’s my son. I’m concerned about him. What kind of mother would I be if…”

  Jay laughed as he wrapped his arm around her neck and guided her into the kitchen. “Relax, okay? Life is good.” He inhaled. “You made chicken fajitas for lunch, didn’t you?”

  She patted his chest. “I did. Go wash up, and I’ll get it on the table.”

  Jay walked over to the kitchen sink to wash his hands. “How come you’re not workin’ today, Derek?”

  “I needed a mental health day.”

  Jay laughed. “Workin’ with my dumbass brother finally gettin’ to you, huh?”

  Ashley swatted her son with the tea towel. “Don’t talk about your brother behind his back.”

  He could say a lot worse, given the stunt he pulled at Jimmy’s last night, but he wouldn’t burden his mother with his problems. “Nothin’ I wouldn’t say to his face.”

  “Seriously, you okay?” he asked Derek.

  “Yeah, I’m good, man. I just needed a little R&R today.”

  “I know what you mean. I could use a little of that myself.”

  Derek leaned against the counter beside him and folded his arms. “Been hittin’ it pretty hard lately?”

  “You have no idea. Openin’ this new studio has been even tougher than the last one.”

  Derek slapped him on the back. “It’s only gonna get harder from here on out, kid. You’ve got the fifth one planned for early next year, right?”

  Jay couldn’t even think past today. “Let me get through this one first, will ya?”

  Derek and Jay claimed their usual spots at the kitchen table while Ashley set steaming platters of food in front of them.

  “You want a beer, Jay?” Derek asked.

  Ashley frowned at her husband. “Not while he’s riding that Godforsaken motorcycle.”

  Derek tried to hide his smile when he said to Jay, “Looks like it’s iced tea for you today, son.”

  Jay rolled his eyes. “Yeah, I wouldn’t wanna upset the warden.”

  “What kind of mother would I be if I didn’t worry about you putting your life in jeopardy riding around on…?”

  The rest of her words drifted away as Jay remembered Victoria’s comment about risking her life. The thought of her doing something stupid, putting her safety at risk, made him cringe.

  “Hey, looks like you got some fresh ink since I saw you last,” Derek said, glancing at the colorful band wrapping around Jay’s bicep.

  “Oh God, not another one,” Ashley said, claiming the seat across from her son.

  Jay took a deep breath and tried hard to rein in his frustration. “Mom, I’m thirty years old. If I wanna ride motorcycles and get tattoos, I will.”

  She narrowed her eyes and he smiled when she bit her lip, a sure sign she was on the verge of saying something she knew she shouldn’t.

  “Lunch looks great, hon,” Derek said, obviously trying to lighten the tense mood at the table.

  They took a few minutes to load up their plates in silence before Ashley asked, “How are things going with the new studio? Think you’ll be ready for the grand opening this weekend?”

  Jay finished chewing before he said, “Yeah, we’ve just got a few last minute things to finish up.”

  “Have you hired enough staff?” Ashley asked, before taking a sip of her water.

  “Yeah, hirin’ instructors wasn’t the problem. It was findin’ a qualified manager that was tough.”

  “But you found someone?” Derek asked.

  “Yeah, she’s great.”

  Ashley raised an eyebrow and smiled. “She? Does she have a name?”

  He knew where this was going. His mother was always on him and his brother about finding a nice girl and settling down. “Her name is Victoria.” Fortunately, he knew how to thr
ow his mother off. “Hey, guess who I ran into at Jimmy’s last night?” He winked at Derek. “Lily. She sends her love.”

  Ashley pressed her forefingers to her temples and grimaced. “Please tell me you’re not thinking about getting back together with her.”

  Jay laughed. “You’re always tellin’ me to find a nice girl, settle down, and have a couple of kids before you get too old to enjoy your grandbabies.”

  “Yeah, nice being the operative word.” Ashley wiped her lips with her paper napkin. “Tell me about this new manager of yours… Victoria. Is she single?”

  Jay clenched his teeth. “You know I don’t date my employees.”

  “Good policy if you ask me,” Derek said. “Workplace romances can get awfully messy when things go south.”

  Ashley frowned at her husband. “How would you know?”

  Derek chuckled. “I’ve heard.”

  Jay smiled at his mother and step-father. For all their playful banter, he knew how much they loved each other. He wanted what they had someday, but he wasn’t in a rush to take that leap of faith anytime soon; maybe someday, when he’d accomplished his professional goals, but it seemed like a long way off.

  His mother turned her attention back to him. “All you ever do is work. How do you expect to meet someone if you refuse to consider the women you meet at your studios?”

  “Ma, I do go out sometimes, ya know. In spite of what you might think, I have a life.”

  “You have a life? When you’re not working, you’re at Jimmy’s. How do you expect to meet a nice girl in a bar?”

  “Geez, Ash, will ya give the kid a break?” Derek said.

  Ashley’s eyes softened when she looked at her son. “I’m sorry, honey. I don’t mean to be critical, but I love you so much. I just want you to be happy.”

  “I am happy. I love what I do. I’m meetin’ all of my objectives for the studios. I’ve got lots of great friends; life is good. You don’t need to worry about me. Now Mike, he’s another story.”

  Derek laughed. “Way to deflect, kid.”

  Ashley sat up straighter. “What’s wrong with Mike?” She looked at her husband. “Why didn’t you tell me something was wrong with Mike?”