Behind the Wheel (Hearts & Horsepower Book 2)

by A. K. Evans

Okay. Now I was confused because this is not what I had been expecting. Unless, of course, Logan was working up to telling me that during their conversation Avery lost it and went on a rant about me.

  “That’s good for her,” I started. “And Kendall, too. But I’m not sure why you’re telling me this or what this has to do with me.”

  “She doesn’t have plans,” Logan stated.

  “What?”

  “Avery doesn’t have plans that I’d expect someone like her to have on a Friday night after a week of work,” he elucidated.

  Growing frustrated, I said, “No offense, Logan, but I’m still not sure why you’re telling me this.”

  He sighed again. “Avery told me that you told her you’d be working late tonight to finish Steve’s car,” he began. “She’s determined to get more work done on her car, so she was planning to stay late. She wants to start pulling the engine and transmission.”

  Nobody else was going to be here.

  Not Logan.

  Not Kieran.

  Not Nash.

  And not Ryker.

  That meant it would be just Avery and me.

  And while I knew we’d been off to a very rocky start, I still wasn’t quite sure why he was coming to me with this news.

  “Okay? Is there something else I need to know?” I asked.

  “No. I just want to make sure you’re aware that she’s going to be here and have your word there’s nothing for me to worry about,” Logan explained.

  My head jerked back as my eyes narrowed on him. What exactly was he insinuating? “Logan?”

  “Yeah?”

  “What do you think I’m going to do to her?”

  “I’d like to think you’re not going to do anything to her,” he began. “But I also know you have very strong feelings about her being here.”

  That pissed me off.

  So much so that I threw down my welding gloves and put my hands on my hips before I barked, “Did she ask you to do this?”

  Noticing the change in me, Logan crossed his arms over his chest. “Not at all,” he insisted. “She merely told me what her plan was. I thought it was wise to come to you about it beforehand. Avery’s not a monster, Knox.”

  “Neither am I,” I shot back. Shaking my head in utter disbelief, I lowered my voice and hissed, “I’m really not liking where this conversation is heading, Logan. I’d never lay a hand on a woman in anger. And the fact that you think I might is a little disheartening. Do I need to reconsider who I’m working for right now?”

  “Knox…” Logan said quietly, his voice trailing off.

  I cocked an eyebrow.

  “I never meant to suggest that you’d physically harm her,” he began. “But it’s no secret how you feel about her being here. You’re very vocal about it. I just wanted to make sure that you could put that aside tonight so that the both of you could be here together and get work done.”

  Feeling disgusted, more with myself that it had gotten to this point, I snapped, “Yeah, Logan. I’ll put it aside. You’ve got my word.”

  I started to walk away when Logan called my name again.

  “Yeah?”

  He took a few steps toward me and stressed, “You are a vital part of this business. The work you do is unparalleled. I don’t want you thinking that you need to look elsewhere. I’m doing my best to make this situation the best I can for everyone involved. I’m hoping that it’s going to improve with time. But I am in no way prepared to have you walk out the door.”

  In any other circumstance, those words would have been nice to hear. But in that moment, I was far too angry to let them penetrate.

  So, I insisted, “I really need to get back to work.”

  Logan dipped his chin. “Alright. If you need to talk about it or anything else, you know I’m here. We all are.”

  I jerked my chin up and moved to pick up my welding gloves. Logan walked away.

  And it took me the better part of thirty minutes to calm down from what had just transpired. I couldn’t say I blamed Logan for approaching me about the situation given my recent behavior. But it still irritated me.

  Why was I the only one who seemed to have any reservations about this girl? Sure, I could have been wrong, but none of the other guys appeared to be concerned at all. Wasn’t it better to be cautious? What did we stand to lose if we believed the best about her and were wrong?

  Maybe Avery would prove me wrong. But I didn’t think it was unreasonable to exercise a bit of caution when it came to trusting someone who worked closely with and for a guy who, for whatever reason, made no secret of the fact that he didn’t like LT Motorsports. It was difficult to ignore what was staring us in the face, and I couldn’t just assume this wasn’t a level Ricky would stoop to.

  After giving myself some time to think about the exchange I’d just had with Logan, a man who was not only my boss but also my friend, I got back to work.

  An hour and a half later, I was alone in the shop with her.

  And while I was doing everything I could to remain focused on my job, it was hard to ignore the fact that she was only a few feet away. She had been working on the car for just over an hour, and I wasn’t too proud to admit that I’d glanced over at her several times.

  There was just something about her, something that drew me in. And I couldn’t help wanting to watch her work. She couldn’t have been any sexier. The fact that I felt that way pissed me off. But watching her as she pulled off the front wheels and disassembled the suspension was incredibly hot.

  To top it off, it was as Logan had said. Avery was here at the shop on a Friday night working on her car. She wasn’t out partying with friends. She wasn’t home binge watching the latest television show craze. She wasn’t off somewhere scheming with Ricky. She was here. Working. And she was doing it alone with a guy who had treated her like total shit.

  The only reason she was able to do it was because I was here right now. That’s how it had been all week. Logan had no problem with Avery staying after hours to work on her car, but she could only do that if another co-worker was here with her. Because she didn’t yet have a key.

  Maybe he wasn’t completely convinced he had nothing to worry about with her just yet either. For whatever reason, he’d given her the benefit of the doubt. He had mentioned that there were things she told him in the interview. Whatever those things were, they were enough for him to be willing to hire her on the spot and give her a fair shot.

  Perhaps I needed to find a way to do the same.

  I just wasn’t quite sure how I would do it now considering I’d royally fucked up from the very first meeting with her.

  As the evening progressed and I continued to work on the sand rail car, I tried to figure out how I could make amends. I didn’t think it was going to be as simple as walking up and apologizing to her and asking if we could start over again.

  I had gotten quite a bit of work done up until about twenty minutes after Avery finished pulling apart the front suspension. At that point, she took off into the office. Of course, I watched her ass as she walked away.

  Glorious.

  When she walked out again, I lowered my head so she wouldn’t see me watching, but I was. And though she had a look of determination on her face, there was something else there. Something I couldn’t quite put my finger on.

  Before she caught me looking, I focused my attention on my work. And I got quite a bit accomplished. But by the time I was ready to put the engine back in the sand rail car, I glanced over in Avery’s direction again.

  And I didn’t see her there.

  In fact, when I thought about it, I hadn’t heard her working for a while. No air tools. No banging. Nothing.

  Did she leave without saying anything?

  I wouldn’t have necessarily blamed her if she did, but it didn’t make any sense. She told Logan she wanted to work on getting the engine and transmission out. That was easily a six to eight-hour job. There was no way she’d gotten it done yet.

  Cur
ious to see if she’d left, I put down my tools and walked from the back side of the shop toward the front where her car was.

  And that’s when I saw her slumped down on the ground, leaning her back against the post of the lift. That wasn’t the worst of it, though.

  Nope.

  What made it so horrible was seeing the tears running down her face.

  “Avery, are you okay?”

  The gentle voice barely penetrated my mind. I heard it, but I couldn’t acknowledge it. I was in total disbelief.

  For what felt like hours—though I was certain it hadn’t actually been that long—I’d been sitting on the floor beside my car feeling nothing but complete shock and total devastation. And for the entire time I’d been sitting here, I’d been trying to let the reality of what I just learned sink in.

  Never in a million years did I ever expect this. Not once did I think somebody could be this cruel.

  I didn’t know what to do. There were about a dozen thoughts running through my mind. I wanted to scream. I wanted to cry harder. I wanted to stomp my feet on the ground and shout at anyone who would listen.

  But I didn’t do any of that.

  Because I was here with him. I tried to keep myself quiet while I came to terms with the horrific findings.

  I didn’t want him to hear me. I didn’t want him to see me vulnerable. Of all the people that needed to stay late tonight, it had to be him. He was my absolute last choice. I never wanted him to see me like this.

  Never.

  Definitely not after everything I learned about how he felt about me.

  And especially not after what he said to me today.

  I can understand why you’d want to watch.

  I hadn’t been standing there hoping I could catch a glimpse of him working so that I’d be able to use what I saw and do it myself. Knox had been less than welcoming from the very first day I walked through those doors but him throwing the state of my car in my face was just cruel.

  He knew.

  He worked in this industry.

  Rebuilding a car or starting with a new chassis was no small feat. He knew.

  So the fact that he was who he was, knowing I would need a fabricator regardless of the route I went, and was willing to flaunt that in my face was beyond what I thought he was capable of.

  Why?

  Why was he like this?

  Why wouldn’t he have at least given me a chance?

  He didn’t have to like me. He didn’t have to be my friend. But he couldn’t even be decent toward me as his co-worker. Hell, I wasn’t sure he’d stop to help me if I were stranded on the side of the road somewhere.

  I’d been standing there earlier today because when I first asked him about an update on the sand rail car, I hadn’t known what to expect. With him having such a strong distaste for being near me, I wasn’t sure if I was even going to be able to do my job, get an answer from him, and provide the customer with an update. I experienced anxiety like never before when I had to walk out into the shop and get that update.

  And then he was reasonably decent when he answered me.

  It caught me off guard.

  I froze.

  And all I can remember thinking at that moment was that I wished he wasn’t so good-looking. He’d been a complete ass to me from day one, and I didn’t think someone who treated people like he treated me deserved to be that good-looking.

  It just wasn’t fair.

  “Avery?” Knox’s gentle voice called again. “Are you okay?”

  It was then I realized he had crouched down in front of me. He was that close to me. Close enough for me to kick him in the balls if I wasn’t so distraught and was a violent, unfeeling human being. I hated how Knox had treated me, but I didn’t think I could ever kick him in the balls just for being a jerk. The thought might have crossed my mind, but I’d never follow through.

  I knew I could do far more damage using my brain and my words.

  “Am I okay?” I seethed.

  A worried look passed over him as he dipped his chin.

  No, I’m not, I thought.

  But I wasn’t going to tell him the reason why. Anybody else who worked here, I’d have shared with them. Even Ryker, the guy they all told me was perpetually moody. If Ryker was moody, I didn’t know what they thought of Knox. In my opinion, Ryker was a saint in comparison.

  And I truly didn’t know what they thought of him. I think they all knew it was a touchy subject, so they all mostly avoided it.

  Men.

  I wanted to roll my eyes at the thought.

  Knox thought I was in cahoots with Ricky. He thought I was scheming with one of the grimiest people in the industry to take down one of the most respected. It was just as Kieran and Ryker had told him. If only Knox had taken the opportunity to get to know me, I would have easily shared what I thought of Ricky. I would have told Knox why I had to leave that job. And even if he still thought he needed to be cautious, he might have at least realized that, just like Ryker said, I cringe to think I was ever affiliated with them.

  I made mistakes.

  I made bad choices.

  But at least I had the courage to recognize my faults, learn from them, and move on.

  With all that I’d endured over the last week between the car crash and trying to find my place in my new work environment, I couldn’t hold myself back any longer.

  I’d tried.

  I’d been trying to be nice.

  I’d tried avoiding him at all costs.

  And now when I needed time to myself to come to terms with the fact that I’d been sabotaged, Knox was here asking me if I was alright.

  “Am I okay?” I repeated through gritted teeth.

  “Are you hurt?” he returned, looking over my body.

  “Hurt? Of course that’s what you’d think. The stupid girl picked up some tools and tried to do a man’s job. Now she’s gone and injured herself,” I shot back as I started moving to stand up.

  Knox stood at the same time and insisted, “That’s not what I thought at all.”

  If I wasn’t so angry I might have appreciated the sincerity in his tone.

  But I was beyond angry.

  “No? That’s not what you thought? Tell me then, Knox. What did you think?” I goaded him.

  Shaking his head, concern still littered in his features, he replied, “I honestly have no idea what’s the matter.”

  My brows shot up as I tipped my head to the side giving him a look of disbelief. “Oh, please,” I scoffed. “You mean, for once, the man with all the answers who knows what everyone’s motives are suddenly has no thoughts about why the poor, little girl is crying.”

  “Avery, I’m—”

  “No!” I cut him off. “No, you aren’t going to do this to me now. You have been a jerk. From the very first day I walked into this building and started this job, you’ve been nothing but nasty.”

  “Avery, relax, I’m trying to—”

  Was he serious? He used the ‘r’ word. He must have had a death wish.

  “Don’t you dare tell me to relax!” I shouted, cutting him off again as I leaned toward him while pointing my finger at his chest. “I don’t care what you’re trying to do. I’ve tried to be nice to you. I’ve tried ignoring you. And all you’ve been is a big, nasty jerk. You think you can just ask if I’m okay and I’ll forget how awful you’ve been. And you think you have a right to know what’s wrong with me now? Newsflash, Knox! You don’t!”

  He threw his hands up in self-defense and took half a step back. “I’m sorry,” he lamented. “I didn’t mean to upset you any further.”

  He could not be believed.

  “Upset me? You think I’m upset?” I countered. “This is probably exactly what you wanted, isn’t it? To approach me and apologize and try to be kind when I’m not doing anything you find unbecoming of a woman? In fact, I probably fit the bill for you now. I’m acting the way a woman should behave, right? Crying on the floor one minute and screaming her head off
the next. Now, because I’m acting the way you believe a woman should behave, you want to talk to me like I’m a human? I walked in here on Monday not expecting anything but a chance to prove myself. And when you walked up to meet me that day, I thought you were the most beautiful man I’d ever seen. That is, until you opened your mouth. You treated me like garbage that day and every day since, Knox.”

  I barely got the words out of my mouth before Knox was coming toward me. I took half a step backward and nearly fell, but his arm caught me around the waist and hauled me up against his body. Barely half a second later, his hands were framing my face and his mouth was on mine.

  I was stunned.

  Shocked.

  And it lasted all of two seconds before I let myself go and melted into him and kissed him back. His tongue came out and touched my lips, begging for me to open. I did. And I loved everything about the way it felt.

  Tingles ran up and down my spine. Relief shot through my body. And a feeling of pleasure and excitement I couldn’t even begin to describe was heading in one direction. Right between my legs. It felt so good, I moaned into his mouth. Knox let out a groan of pleasure.

  What was happening to me?

  In a moment of clarity, despite how wonderful it felt having his lips against mine, I came to my senses.

  I had to stop this.

  I gave him access he didn’t deserve. Unhindered access he hadn’t earned.

  My hands, which had been pressed flat against his solid chest, pushed him away. I tugged my head back, and Knox instantly released me.

  We stood there staring at one another for a long time, breathing heavily.

  Before he could do it again or worse, before I launched myself into his arms, I spat, “How dare you?”

  Knox blinked in surprise as his head jerked back. He hadn’t been expecting that.

  Good.

  He deserved that.

  I didn’t give him a chance to respond with words. “You fucking asshole,” I cursed. “Don’t you dare touch me ever again. In fact, don’t you dare even speak to me again.”

  With that, I turned and stormed off.

  I vaguely heard him calling out to me, but I didn’t stop to look back. I was certain if I did, I might do something I’d regret.