That’s what he’d been doing earlier—saying goodbye with his body instead of words. I ran a hand through my hair and stretched, feeling aching muscles from last night protest as I moved. I looked around the room, feeling a strange sense of loneliness. I realized I was leaving this morning to start a new job, but it wasn’t that far away. I thought I had felt a connection with Reynolds, and he with me. I had hoped he would want to exchange numbers, perhaps get together once I was settled.
I sighed and flung back the blanket. Obviously, I thought wrong. It was a one-night stand. The closeness I felt with him was just sex. He was experienced enough to know that and had left. He was right to have gone. I had liked him—really liked him. He was intelligent and funny. The sexiest man I had ever met—or slept with. He had been an incredible lover—giving, in control, and his kisses left me breathless. I had even liked the way he called me Red—drawing it out a little as if he was caressing the word with his tongue. He made me feel safe, cared for, and even sexy. All with a touch and some softly spoken words.
My heart ached a little, as if it felt it had lost something.
I stood, shaking my head. What an odd thought.
Chapter 7
MAXX
I finished the job I had been working on and wiped my greasy hands on the cloth. For the millionth time that morning, I tried not to think of the way my hands had felt against the soft skin of Red’s body. I shook my head. Charlynn. Nicknames suggested familiarity. A relationship. I had never been one for nicknames, so why that one came so easily, I had no idea, but I had to stop thinking about Charlynn as Red.
In fact, I had to stop thinking about her altogether.
I had hated to leave her this morning, fighting an odd sensation that pulled me toward her once I was dressed and getting ready to walk out the motel room door.
She was beautiful in the dull morning light, her brilliant hair spread over the pillow, her body supple and relaxed under the blankets.
I smiled as I recalled one of our murmured conversations in the night.
“Tell me a secret,” she whispered against my throat.
“I don’t do secrets,” I replied.
She ignored me. “I hate the wind.”
I frowned. “The wind? You’ll hate living around here, then. There is always a breeze.”
“No,” she replied, snuggling closer, my arms pulling her tighter, seemingly of a mind of their own when it came to her. “Wind. Like during the storm when it drives itself against the window, making it shudder, trying to get inside.”
“Ah. Any reason why?”
“No, just always have. I don’t tell people because they think I’m weird.”
There was silence. I could feel her waiting, hoping.
“I idolized my father,” I said quietly. “I miss him every day—and sometimes I talk to him like he is still there.”
“When did he die?”
“Two years ago. My mother died in January, and he followed about six months later. He couldn’t bear to live without her.”
“That’s beautiful. Two souls so tightly connected they need each other to survive.” She paused. “I’m sorry you lost them.”
I didn’t say anything but pressed a kiss to her head. She was almost too sweet to be true. I could feel her empathy in her sincere words, and it made me feel oddly vulnerable. I cut off any more conversation by kissing her.
Even now, standing in my garage, I could feel the warmth of her against me.
I had watched her for a few moments, the urge to wake her and ask for her information nagging at me. But I resisted. There would be no more relationships for me. I had learned my lesson.
Instead, I’d lifted one of her curls, and rubbed the silky tress between my fingers.
“I hope the wind never blows where you’re going, Red. Thank you for last night. It was a gift I can never repay.”
Then I walked out of her life and headed back to mine. She was starting down a new road, and I sincerely hoped she found what she was looking for.
I shut the hood, then backed out the car, leaving the keys under the seat. John would be around to pick it up later, and I would get the new kid to call him for payment next week. My passion was motorcycle restorations, but the bread and butter of the shop was the mechanical work. I needed to do one in order to pursue the love of the other. I grimaced as I thought of how many people needed to be called. My bank account was getting pretty low, yet I couldn’t bring myself to contact people and get payment. That meant talking. Which led to questions and the offer of sympathy or outrage on my behalf. Neither of which I wanted. I simply didn’t want to talk about it.
I headed inside, throwing off my clothes to have a shower. I hesitated as my shirt tore over my head, and I sniffed the material. I could smell her.
Light, citrusy, and lovely. Her scent was seeped into my shirt. For some reason, I was loath to toss it in the hamper, then with a muffled curse, I did. I stepped in the shower, almost growling when the heat lifted her scent to my nose again. I grabbed the soap and scrubbed.
I had to stop thinking about her. It was a one-night stand, and it was over. I needed to get my head back in the game, pick up the kid, and move ahead.
I ignored the little ache in my chest as I thought about never seeing Red again. It was stupid, and the bottom line was, it didn’t matter. She was gone and the chances of me ever seeing her again, slim.
I pulled up in front of the general store about ten minutes late. Sitting on the bench was a lanky kid who looked much younger than twenty-five. He lazed back on the bench, his sunglasses covering his face, feet crossed at the ankles, beat-up sneakers on his feet. He looked relaxed with his arms crossed behind his head. Beside him sat a wild, flower-covered suitcase, and I frowned. Had I hired some runaway? He barely looked old enough to be out of school. Had he lied on his resume? I looked again, wondering why the suitcase looked vaguely familiar. Maybe my mother had had one like it at one time.
I waited a moment, then tapped the gas, gunning the engine. He didn’t stir or change his position, and I muttered under my breath. He was going to be a lazy one.
Angry, I got out of the truck and slammed the door. I stalked over to him, standing by the bench. I cleared my throat, noticing too late he had earbuds in and couldn’t hear me.
I hunched down and plucked out a bud. He sat up, startled. “What the hell, man?”
I bent close. “We’re going to be talking about this.”
He frowned, glancing around. “What?”
“Get your stuff, and let’s go.”
“I’m not going anywhere with you, mister. And that’s not my stuff. I’m just watching it.”
I felt a small sliver of relief flow through me, even as a voice spoke up behind me. A voice I knew far too well, for all the wrong reasons.
“It’s mine.”
I spun on my heel, meeting the wide green eyes of Charlynn.
“What are you doing here?” I snapped. “Did you follow me earlier?”
“Me?” she responded. “I’m here for my job.”
I narrowed my eyes. “Your job?”
The owner of the general store came out, holding up a slip of paper. “Miss, you left this!” She approached and handed Charlynn something and lifted a hand in greeting. “Maxx.”
I tilted my chin at her in greeting, and Charlynn gasped. “You-you’re Maxx?”
I crossed my arms. “I am.”
Her wide eyes became huge. She laid a hand over her throat, her stare confused. “But last night, they called you Reynolds.”
“My name is Maxx Reynolds.” A nagging thought entered my head. “Charlynn? Is that your real name?”
“Yes.” She paused and swallowed. “But I go by Charly.”
I blinked. Looked at the kid on the bench who was watching us as if we were on some sort of reality show. He had pulled off his glasses, and his gaze was filled with curiosity.
I was dumbstruck. Charlynn was Charly. I had hired Charly and slept with Ch
arlynn.
They were the same person.
I spun on my heel and headed to my truck.
I was out of there.
CHARLY
Maxx strode to his truck, anger rolling off of him. I was taken aback when I realized the man I slept with last night and my new boss were one and the same. His reaction was far more vehement.
I raced behind him, grabbing the door before he could slam it and drive away.
“Wait!” I pleaded. “Where are you going?”
“Home.”
“I need to get my suitcase before we go!”
“You,” he growled, “are not coming with me. I don’t know what games you’re playing, girl, but I’m not having any of it.”
My heart sank. “I’m not playing any games,” I insisted. “You hired me—you promised me a month’s trial.”
He got out of the truck, looming over me. His eyes were dark and stormy, his shoulders tense. “I hired a kid named Charly.”
I thrust out my chin, refusing to let him see how scared I was. “You hired me. Nothing has changed about my qualifications. I can do the job.”
“How many other lies have you told me?”
“I haven’t told you any lies. You never asked if I was male or female—you just assumed. In fact, you stated you didn’t care. I’d say you’re the one who lied,” I responded, slamming my hands on my hips.
He ran a hand over his face. “Go back to wherever you came from Charlynn—or Charly. Whoever you are.” He began to turn away, and I grabbed at his arm. If he drove away, I had no idea what I was going to do. I had enough money to get back to Toronto, but the next bus wasn’t until Thursday. I didn’t have enough money to live on until then. And once I got back to town, I had nowhere to go. He couldn’t abandon me here.
“Please,” I begged, my voice low. “I can’t go back. I-I have nothing there.”
He dropped his head, cursing under his breath. I kept talking.
“I can do all the things you need. Give me a chance. Two weeks. Give me two weeks at least to prove I can do the job. I’ll—” my voice broke, and I swallowed “—I’ll even work for free. Just board.”
He didn’t say anything for a moment. When he spoke, his voice was cold. “Last night never happened. I don’t know you, and you sure the hell don’t know me.”
“All right,” I agreed, desperate. Once he calmed down, I was certain we could talk and clear the air. But I had to get him to agree to let me stay.
“You want a two-week trial?”
“Yes.”
He still didn’t look at me. “Then Charly gets one. I was expecting a guy. You get treated exactly like one. There are no concessions because you’re a girl. You do what I say, when I say it. You work hard, and you don’t complain.” He turned and looked me in the eye, his gaze stony and removed. “I never saw you before today, do you understand?”
I tamped down my odd feeling of hurt. “Yes.”
“Know one thing, Charly. I hate liars. I hate deceit and subterfuge. I catch you, even suspect you’re doing anything underhanded, and you’re gone. I don’t care if you have to walk back to Toronto, you’re out of my place. You hear what I’m saying?”
His voice was even, his tone commanding. His gaze never wavered from mine. Still, I heard it—the underlying pain of something that had hurt him. Something that caused this reaction. I didn’t like this cold man in front of me. Especially not compared to the warm, passionate lover I’d had last night, But I needed the job, and I needed to prove to him he could trust me.
“I hear you.”
“Then get your suitcase and get in.” He swung himself into the truck and slammed the door. He started the engine and rolled down his window. “Move it, Charly. I don’t have all day.”
I grabbed my case and headed to the truck.
“Good luck, lady,” the kid called from the bench. “I think you’re going to need it.”
He was right.
I hauled my case up and over the liftgate and scampered up into the truck. Maxx didn’t wait until I was buckled in to reverse. He gunned the engine and drove like a bat out of hell down the dirt road toward his place.
I held on and didn’t say a word.
MAXX
I drove like a madman, my anger burning a hole in my gut. The last thing I expected was to find Charlynn at the general store. The one fleeting second of pleasure had been eclipsed by fury when I realized that the beautiful, sexy woman who had been haunting my thoughts all morning was the person I had hired to help me straighten out my world.
She wasn’t going to straighten it; she was going to blow it the fuck to smithereens. How was I supposed to work with her, live with her, after what we shared last night?
How was I ever going to trust her?
I tried not to groan out loud when I realized perhaps part of my anger was due to the fact that I wasn’t sure I could trust myself. This morning, in the clear light of day, without a bit of makeup on and wearing a pair of jeans and a girly blouse, she was stunning. Her hair caught the light, a burnished cascade of curls down her back. When I had turned around and seen her, my first instinct had been to yank her close, bury my hands in that gorgeous hair and kiss her.
Until her words registered.
It was true. She never said she was a guy. I assumed from her username that she was. Something she said last night ran through my mind, and I spoke without looking at her.
“Why did you think I was an old man?”
“What?” she asked, looking startled.
“Last night. You said you were going to look after an old man. A curmudgeon, I think were your exact words.”
“Oh. You sounded like it. Your ad. The way you responded. The duties you listed. Like you needed help but didn’t want to ask. My dad was that way.” Out of the corner of my eye, I saw her lift one shoulder. “I guess we both thought wrong.”
“No shit,” I snapped. “We’re both disappointed.”
“I never said I was disappointed,” was her reply. I risked a glance, but I saw she was staring out the window. I grunted and she spoke again.
“I’ll do a good job, Maxx.” She paused. “Or do you prefer Reynolds?” Sarcasm dripped from her voice.
I didn’t bother to explain. “Sir will do.”
“I am not calling you sir,” she sniped back at me, trying to sound tough. If I weren’t so angry, I would have chuckled at her. She kept going.
“In fact, let me tell you a thing or two.”
I didn’t say anything, figuring at least what she said would be interesting.
“You plan on treating me like the kid you think you hired? Fine. But I expect you to be polite, courteous, and fair. I don’t expect to be punished because I have breasts instead of a dick. I’ll do my work, and I will show you the respect you deserve as my boss as long as you show me the respect I deserve as an employee and a human being.” She drew in a much-needed breath. “You understand me, Maxx?”
I pulled into the driveway and brought us to a lurching stop. I climbed out of the truck and looked at her across the bench. Her cheeks were flushed, and her hair tousled from the open windows. She was as angry as I was right now, her little fists clenched, and her brows drawn down in a frown. She was fucking adorable, and it made me angrier than ever.
“I hear you, Charly. You sure about that dick? Your balls are certainly big enough. Now, get your suitcase and follow me.”
I slammed the door, ignoring the screech of rage I cut off. I was glad I was walking away, because this time, I couldn’t stop my amusement.
And that pissed me off even more.
Chapter 8
CHARLY
Holding my tongue, I followed Maxx as fast as I could. Entering the garage, I barely looked around as he headed swiftly toward the back. My suitcase bounced on the floor, one wheel spinning off and flying across the room.
“Shit,” I muttered, half carrying, half dragging it the rest of the way. I went through the office and down a short hall
, trying not to shudder at the chaos the office contained. Papers were everywhere. Files piled up, boxes on every surface.
I knew where I was going to start.
I entered a room, trying not to look as horrified as I was feeling. This was where I would be staying. A room in the back of a garage.
I looked at Maxx, keeping my expression neutral, knowing he was waiting for a negative reaction and refusing to give it to him. I flung my knapsack on the bed. He glowered at me, indicating the room. His voice was laced with sarcasm as he gestured with his arm, pointing to the bed. “Your bedroom.” His finger moved to the single chair and the small TV on top of it. “Your entertainment area.” Another point to the corner, where an old but serviceable dresser stood. The wall had a few hooks drilled into it next to the wooden chest. “Your dressing area.” Then he opened the only other door in the room with a flourish. “Your spa.”
I didn’t even look, unsure if I could hide my reaction. I made a show of turning and inspecting the door. There was a lock on it, but not much better than I’d had at the apartment. The door felt solid, though, and I could shove the chair under the knob if I needed to. I crossed the small room and opened the curtain covering the window, and I couldn’t help my smile. Nothing but trees and grass as far as I could see. It was, at least, a pretty view—and private. And I was safe here. No matter how angry Maxx was, he wouldn’t hurt me—I knew this for sure. He had protected me before he even knew me, and I had discovered the gentler side of him last night.
Revved to the Maxx Page 6