All Tangled Up
Crystal Jordan
Second in the Revved Up series.
The reality show Revved Up has made Kasen’s Kustom Automotive a national sensation. For garage co-owner Jesse Kasen, the only fly in his ointment is Lola Adams, the show’s producer. The little Georgia peach is a blonde bombshell. All he can think about when she’s around is what she’d look like all tangled up in his sheets.
Lola might use her sexuality to get what she wants, but it’s her knowledge of cars, courtesy of her auto-racing family, that got her the producer spot on Revved Up. Jesse is hot and the star of all her recent steamy fantasies. Too bad he’s off limits—she won’t risk her professional reputation on a fling.
Jesse sees one solution to their problem—burn off this attraction in bed and get on with business. Lola agrees because she has to know what it’s like to touch him, but she wants demands discretion. One sex-filled weekend in his secluded cabin, no strings attached. But one weekend might not be enough.
All Tangled Up
Crystal Jordan
Chapter One
Reno, Nevada
A low, throaty laugh echoed through the massive garage. The kind of sound that made a man’s brain fog with lust. It made Jesse’s muscles tighten with annoyance. Lola shouldn’t be flaunting her hotness around his men, distracting them from their work. Kasen’s Kustom Automotive was a business, damn it.
Unfortunately, it was also the set for a reality television show that overhauled classic cars, and since Lola was the show’s new producer there was nothing Jesse could do about her flirting with anyone. Normally he loved working on the show and he’d been thrilled when Revved Up had been offered national syndication, but that offer had come with Lola Adams. He glanced up from the sound system he was installing to see her flashing a smile at one of his grease monkeys.
“That’s a great idea, Sanchez.” Lola’s voice rolled out in her slow Georgia drawl, her tone sugary sweet. She laid a hand on the skinny Mexican’s tattooed forearm and he grinned back, leaning closer.
The two of them walked toward the car, rejoining the camera crew and mechanics who were hard at work. Eddie, one of Kasen’s other employees, was bent across the hood, attaching the windshield wipers, and Jesse watched his eyes glaze a bit when Lola came near. She gave Eddie a wink. “Not that we don’t love your handsome face on camera, but I think we want this shot to focus on what Jesse and Sanchez are doing with the sound.”
Eddie flushed when she called him handsome, and his expression conveyed how eager he was to please her. “I’ll get this done in under a minute.”
“I’m always impressed with the speed of this garage’s crew.” Her smile was charming, and combined with the form-fitting skirt and shirt made of some soft, expensive fabric, petite height and knockout curves, she was a walking wet dream. It didn’t hurt that she had a face that would make Venus envious. With creamy skin, light-brown eyes that tilted up at the corners, and long blonde hair, everything about Lola made any man with a pulse want to reach out and touch.
“Let’s just get this done,” Jesse said, giving Eddie a pointed look through the windshield. The man quit staring at Lola and got his task finished as quickly as he’d promised.
“Great job,” Lola complimented. Her gaze fell on Jesse and for a split second her grin faltered. Her gaze slid down his body, where he was sprawled half in and half out of the vehicle, working under the dashboard. Her perusal paused for just a moment too long on his chest and where his jeans were stretched tight over his cock. He saw the burn of lust in her gaze, felt an answering spark inside him. She jerked a bit, shook her head and turned to Sanchez with a dazzling smile. “Are we ready for y’all to do your thing?”
Jesse barely managed to suppress a growl, forcing himself to focus on the car. If he were honest, he’d admit he was pissed off because Lola showered her attention on someone besides him. If he’d been getting more interest from her, he probably wouldn’t give a damn who else she flirted with. He was clearly losing his mind. Why he even cared was beyond him. From the look of her, she’d slept her way into this job, and he had no time to babysit someone who didn’t know one end of a wrench from the other. He’d been working his ass off to turn Kasen’s Kustom into a force to be reckoned with, and now classic car owners from all over the world were flocking to their garage to have them work their magic in customizing those beauties. Lola was a distraction he didn’t need, and it was a damn shame that all he could think about when she was around was what she’d look like all tangled up in his sheets.
He snorted at his own stupidity. Yeah, he had a jones for her. She knew it too, the same way he knew she was attracted to him. But a woman like her had “high maintenance” written all over her—she was used to men giving her whatever she wanted if she so much as batted an eyelash at them. Jesse liked his women as low maintenance as possible, so for the moment, he was keeping his distance. So was she. They’d been dancing around each other since she’d arrived to start shooting the new season of Revved Up. Three very long months.
“Sanchez, you want to give me a hand with this?” Okay, so Jesse might not be pursuing her, but that didn’t mean he wanted to watch his employees drool. Besides, sound systems were Sanchez’s babies.
“Sure, boss.” There was a hint of laughter in the man’s thick accent, but Jesse ignored it.
It took a few moments of reshuffling for the cameraman and the guy with the boom microphone to position themselves on Jesse’s side of the car while Sanchez squeezed in under the steering wheel. The interior wasn’t large to begin with and Jesse was a full head taller than Sanchez, so he had to contort himself and leave his legs hanging out the open passenger door to be able to fit.
The hairs on the back of his neck rose and he knew Lola had come alongside his legs while she watched what they were doing. “So, tell us what you’re going to do to this old girl today.”
Dragging in a deep breath, Jesse could smell the light scent of her perfume. His body reacted, his blood heating. Damn, but she got to him. He didn’t even have to look to know the shape of her breasts, the curve of her hip, the silky sheen of her pale hair. He wanted her, had since the day she’d walked into his garage.
“Boss?” Sanchez smirked. “You gonna answer the lady’s question?”
Right. The other man’s heavy accent made him difficult to understand on camera, so they had him talk as little as possible. Jesse sighed, climbing out of the cramped confines to let Sanchez work.
“Today we’re putting in some of the finishing touches on this 1958 Aston Martin DB Mark III, which is usually just called the Mark III. This is one of two coupe variants of the original model, the Drophead Coupe, which was more common than the Fixed Head version.” Jesse leaned in to run his hand down the smooth dashboard. They’d had to reconstruct the entire interior of this one. When they’d started the overhaul, it had looked like rabid raccoons had been chewing on the seats, dash and console for the last twenty years. “Sanchez is about done working his magic with the electronics, and then we’ll put the new seats in. Done by the end of the day.”
They’d painted the car baby-blue with a set of bright-orange racing stripes up the middle of the hood. Considering how bad a shape it had been in when it arrived, Jesse was pretty proud of the result.
He stepped out of the cameraman’s way so he could get a shot of Sanchez connecting wires. When Jesse moved, he bumped into Lola, who’d also shifted positions to let her crew work. Just that innocent a touch sent heat arcing down his arm. Sweat broke out on his forehead, lust curled in his gut, reaching down to grip his cock. He turned his head to look at her, wanting to see the passion that would spark in her gaze at times like this.
But she studiously refused to meet his eyes. She r
eached out to run a fingertip down the side of the sports car, a small smile curving her full lips. “She’s beautiful.”
“Yes. She is.” But he wasn’t talking about the Aston Martin.
That was when she faced him, her gaze locking with his. The moment stretched, heated. The heady smell of her hit him again, and he was close enough to feel the warmth of her body. His cock began to stiffen, reacting to her the way he always seemed to. He watched her drag in a breath that lifted her round breasts. So lush and lovely.
Her tongue darted out to lick her lips, and he fought a groan. “Jesse.”
“What?” He edged closer, even though he knew he should back off. It was all he could do not to touch, to take. “What is it you want, Lola?”
Her brown eyes darkened, her cheeks flushing. She leaned into him until her breasts almost brushed his chest. “I want…”
“I think we got this shot, Lola.” The cameraman cleared his throat. “Should we move on to something else?”
Shaking herself, Lola flashed an easy grin at Jesse, but avoided his gaze again. “I think Dean and Andi should be back with lunch for everyone soon. Why don’t we take a break early and let the guys finish up with the electronics so they can do the seats after we eat?”
Jesse shoved a hand through his hair, gripping the strands tightly. He blew out a breath. “Andi and Dean were doing that cake tasting thing for their wedding today too, so don’t be surprised if they’re a little late.”
The food and bachelor party were the best part of weddings, so he hoped they picked a good cake. Jesse had been roped into being his cousin’s best man. It still amazed him that Dean had finally broken down and hooked up with Andi, the only female mechanic who worked for their garage. She’d also recently become the host of Revved Up, which Jesse had engineered to push the two together. Yep, he was a real matchmaker.
“We’re not late,” Andi called from the door, her brunette ponytail swinging as she walked, a huge bag from the local burger joint clutched in each hand. “Come and get it, guys!”
Just behind her was Dean, who glanced between Jesse and Lola as the blonde hurried to step away from him, tossing her hair over her shoulder. Dean arched his eyebrows and approached Jesse, pitching his tone low when he spoke. “The two of you need to just bone and get that shit out of your system.”
Jesse snorted. “Fuck you.”
“You’re not my type, and fucking me wouldn’t help you with your Lola problem.” Dean lifted one of the drink carriers he held. “Take a drink and chill out, cousin. You’re looking a little hot under the collar.”
“You’re right. You’re not my type—I don’t fuck douche bags.” Glowering, Jesse pulled a Styrofoam cup free. “And I don’t have a Lola problem.”
His cock ached and his gaze kept straying to the sway of her ass as she walked away, but he was just fine otherwise.
“Denial is such a sad thing to see in a grown man. But have fun with that, douche bag.” Dean shot him a pitying look, shook his head and followed his fiancée to the break room to give everyone their lunch.
Sighing, Jesse took a swig of his soda and wondered how long avoiding his attraction to Lola was going to work. Not that it was working very well right now.
* * * * *
That was close.
Lola took a deep drag from the straw, welcoming the icy-cold rush of Sprite in her mouth. Anything to cool herself down. She needed to knock this off. Getting hot and bothered over a man who worked on the same show she did was foolish. Worse was that he was as bad as every other man she knew, and assumed she was a brainless bimbo who knew more about hair products than being a producer. She did not have the time or energy to fight against that. She had a job to do and she needed to focus on it.
Grabbing her chicken sandwich, she plopped down at the cracked Formica table that filled the middle of the break room. The sharp scent of motor oil and new tires mixed with all the other chemicals that made up the distinct odor of a garage. It was a smell she knew well from her childhood. With a NASCAR driver for an uncle, she’d spent plenty of time around cars.
The burble of conversation flowed around her while she ate. She knew the moment Jesse walked into the room, and that annoyed her. This attraction to him was inconvenient.
Too late, she realized the only free chair was right next to her. Jesse slid into the seat beside her, his shoulder and thigh brushing against hers. Desire shimmered within her, pooling in her belly.
“Sorry,” he grunted, inching his chair away. It didn’t help much. The table was packed, and she could feel the body heat coming off him in waves that enveloped her.
“No problem.” She swallowed a bite of her sandwich and tried not to choke on it.
God. Her hormones rioted, reminding her it had been a while since she’d had some play. She’d been off the market for a while because she’d found depending on a man was emotional suicide, and she wasn’t that much of a masochist. There’d been too many guys who never saw anything but her looks, never digging any deeper. Sadly, men seemed to fall into two categories—those who wanted to bone her, and those who wanted to own her. Those in the second category usually fell into the first as well. Her last boyfriend had managed to fool her into believing he wanted a healthy relationship, but instead he’d wanted to control her, make her his pretty, brainless arm candy. Jackass.
Jesse was no different than all the rest, she reminded herself. She knew the signs by now, and this guy fell into category number one. All he saw, all he wanted, was sex.
But damn, at the moment, so did she.
She squeezed her thighs together and ignored the ache between them. Every time Jesse moved to drink his soda or eat his burger and fries, his sleeve brushed over her arm and sent goose bumps chasing over her skin. She’d never been so intensely aware of a man in her life.
Reaching past her to grab a packet of ketchup from a pile Andi had dumped in the middle of the table, Jesse shot her a quick grin as his arm slid against the side of her breast. “Sorry.”
“It’s fine.” She wiped any expression off her face, but her nipples tightened instantly and she hunched her shoulders to hide them. Fire shuddered through her, spreading to every inch of her body. So hot, so ready. Her sex went slick and soft in moments, and the muscles in her thighs clenched. It was insane how easily he got to her. A quick touch and she lit up like a Christmas tree.
She forced herself to eat, finishing her lunch mechanically. Just get this over with and get back to work. That was what she was here for. Producing a show, and doing it well. One by one, the guys finished their food and began to filter out of the room.
Rising, she gathered the wrappings for her lunch and took them over to the garbage can. Jesse followed her, dumping his own trash in the bin. He turned his head toward her just a bit and pitched his voice low enough so only she could hear. “Hang on a minute before you go.”
“Sure.” Curiosity zinged through her, but she waited until everyone cleared out, since Jesse obviously didn’t want them to listen to what he had to say.
“Thanks.” When they were alone, he scrubbed a hand through his short hair but didn’t speak.
Damn, he was gorgeous, all dark-blond hair and bright-green eyes. Tall and muscular, with the face of an archangel. Clearing her throat, she arched her eyebrows at him. “What’s up, Kasen?”
His eyes met hers, rueful resignation shining in their depths. “It’s not working, you know. Pretending this thing between us isn’t there.”
Sighing, she glanced away. She wasn’t going to be childish and deny the truth of what he was saying. They both knew the score. “There’s not really a better option. I value my job, and hooking up with someone on one of my shows will undermine my ability to do my work.”
A bit of surprise flashed across his face, as if he was shocked she might take pride in her work, but he nodded. “I understand. I’m not a fan of being the subject of gossip, or of accusations of unprofessionalism.”
“So we keep ignoring this�
��thing.” Attraction, desire, boiling hot lust.
“What if no one ever knew about it?”
“Reno’s not that big a city, and I don’t rely on good luck to keep someone from seeing you leaving my place or me leaving yours.” A cheap motel would look even sleazier, but she didn’t say that out loud. Best that he not know how often she’d thought through and discarded ideas for how to get away with knocking boots with him.
His broad shoulder dipped in a shrug. “I’m not suggesting we stay in Reno. It’s Friday and we’re finishing this job early, so we’ll all be off until Monday morning. I was planning to go to my dad’s cabin on Lake Tahoe. It’s a nice spot, and a half an hour drive to the nearest town. Come with me.”
She opened her mouth, and closed it. Here it was, the perfect excuse and venue to get laid, to burn off this crazy hankering she had for Jesse Kasen. No one could be as good as she’d built him up to be in her head. Once she found out what the real thing was like, she could finally put it behind her and move on.
There were a million reasons not to; she’d run them through her mind so often she had them memorized. It could hurt the show and make working together afterward uncomfortable. If he was really good in bed, she might want more, and she wouldn’t be allowed to have it. If he was really bad in bed… Well…awkward would take on a whole new meaning for her.
It was insane. It was the stupidest thing she could do under the circumstances. But she had to know what it was really like. Just this time.
“Okay. This weekend only.”
“This weekend only. Out of our systems and over with. I’m on board with that.” His gaze dropped to her lips and he leaned into her space. He moved slowly, giving her plenty of time to back away.
She didn’t. Her heart fluttered like a hummingbird, her breathing picking up speed. She was going to do this. She was really going to do this. “Good. We’re on the same page.”
His breath brushed her skin, but he didn’t kiss her. It was a disappointment and a relief that he respected her need to keep work and play separate. She hadn’t expected that level of sensitivity from a man who didn’t take anything he did with women seriously. Andi had given her that little piece of advice when Lola had first started producing Revved Up. Andi had said Jesse was a no-strings-attached kind of guy. Lola was counting on it, considering she could only commit to a weekend.
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