TRAITOR
Trey
I FINISH LOADING the coupe onto the flatbed before securing the tow cable. I make quick work of cranking the ratchets until all the chains are tight. After inspecting the binds a final time, I hop down onto the gravel roadside. The car’s owner has been waiting patiently and smiles once I’m in front of her.
“You work fast. I like that,” she rasps while shielding her eyes from the glaring sun. “Didn’t catch your name yet, handsome.”
“Trey,” I tell her and point to the tag on my shirt. “And you are?”
“Olive.”
“Nice to meet you.”
She smiles. “Likewise. Are we all set here?”
I nod and lean against the trailer’s bumper. “Yup. The garage is about twenty minutes from here. Do you need a lift? I’m assuming you’re not from around here,” I say while studying her closer. “If you were, I’d know.”
“Yeah, I live an unfortunate distance away. Especially in this type of situation. I called a friend, but she’s an hour away.” Olive bites her lip and plays with the plunging neckline of her shirt. “Looks like I’ve got some time to kill.”
Regardless of having been stranded in the blistering heat, this woman is smoking hot. Damn sure she knows it too. Without being completely obvious, my gaze roams her ample curves and sexy assets. Her tiny shorts show off plenty of leg, including a hint of ass. She doesn’t mind my appraisal in the slightest. Instead she bends closer, putting her cleavage in my direct line of sight. This time, I’m not shy about checking out her generous rack.
I scratch along my scruffy jaw. “Is that so? Well, I can give you ride.”
She hums. “That sounds . . . promising.” Her breathy voice is dripping with filthy suggestions. My stomach tightens as I continue gawking at the endless expanse of exposed skin. Seems luck is finally on my side.
“Damn, babe. I’m supposed to be professional, but you’re not making it easy.”
Her laugh is all tease. “You don’t need to play nice for me. I’m looking for some fun. Or maybe trouble.” She steps into me and peers up through lowered lashes. “How about both?”
I clear my throat and focus on Olive’s flawless features. She’s beautiful and willing. I’m horny and long overdue. But this chick’s hair isn’t blonde and her eyes aren’t blue.
What the fuck?
No way.
My teeth grind as I shove the stupidity away. That Raven nonsense has no place here . . . or anywhere.
I smirk at Olive to mask the bullshit clouding my judgement. “Where to?”
Her expression turns predatory as she moves against me. “Your truck cab looks spacious. Maybe we take a tiny detour on the way to your garage. What do you say?” she whispers in my ear.
How can I say no to a proposition like that? Simple—I don’t.
My fingers dig into her narrow hips and squeeze. “Best plan I’ve heard in a long time.” Yet my heart is calling me a liar. I ignore my pounding chest and lead Olive to the passenger door. After getting her settled, I take my time rounding the hood. A few moments alone will put a lid on the chaos swirling inside me. Once I’m behind the wheel, the clarity isn’t much better. When the diesel engine roars to life, the rumbling pipes jolt me out of the fog.
The summer heat is screwing with me.
I crank the air conditioning and wink at Olive, who’s practically foaming at the mouth. Damn, that’s a sight for sore eyes . . . and other neglected areas. But my typical enthusiasm for getting laid is still lacking.
Luckily there’s a bit of a drive before reaching any suitable destination. I’ll get my shit sorted by the time we get there, wherever that is. My distracted mind flickers through spots we can stop as the tires roll along the empty highway. A section of abandoned warehouses isn’t far from the shop and the threat of getting caught there would be minimal. That’d work out all right.
The silence stretches between us a bit longer before Olive breaks it. “So, Trey,” she purrs. “Tell me about yourself. What keeps you busy, other than saving deserted women?”
I smirk at her comment. “I definitely enjoy passing the time with beautiful company. Other than that, I run the garage with my uncle. Living the dream.”
She leans against the center console and strokes my bicep. “All that manual labor is doing your body good. I can’t wait to see what these clothes are hiding.”
Her overtness would usually be welcome but in this moment, I’m forcing myself not to recoil. I recall the ballsy bimbo at Dagos a few weeks back and compare that exchange to now. There aren’t many connections to make, but I’m finding my reactions similar.
But why? What the hell is wrong with me?
Olive is extremely attractive and definitely my type, yet I’m struggling to get on board. I refuse to give voice to the reason practically blaring inside my head.
This has nothing to do with Raven. No fucking way she’s ruining sex for me.
A dry chuckle escapes me. “You’ll find out what I’m packing real soon. We’ll be at the lot in a couple minutes.”
“Why wait? Nothing wrong with getting a head start,” Olive suggests. I’m unsure of her meaning until fingers begin walking up my thigh. I jerk slightly, and she snickers. “Easy, tiger. Just a little tease to get us going.”
I press back against the seat and adjust my position, but there isn’t far to go while driving. With a slow exhale, I defy the resistance hammering into my skull.
“Damn, babe. Diving right in. I like your style.” My voice is a rough scrape, which Olive mistakes for arousal.
“Of course you do. Men love a woman taking charge. Just relax and let me play.”
I almost choke when she cups me. The truck swerves, but I correct the steering immediately. “Shit,” I spit. “Gonna cause an accident.”
She laughs, like my discomfort is humorous. There’s nothing funny about this shit. Number one reason—I’m not hard. At. All. I repeat—what the fuck?
I’m not the type to panic, but alarm is clogging my windpipe. Good Lord, why is this happening?
When Olive realizes my problem, a pout forms on her lips. “What’s wrong? You don’t like this?” She continues fondling, giving a lap massage any guy would kill for, but there’s no response down there. I glare down at my traitorous dick because this is straight up offensive. Not just to me, but also this gorgeous chick rubbing my junk. She edges closer and whispers, “Maybe my mouth will have better luck.”
I almost shudder, and not in a good way. Fuck. By this point, there’s no arousal pumping through me—period. Even my mind has ditched this idea. Fierce agitation fills me and there’s nothing Olive can do to turn my mood around.
Stilling her movements, I grumble, “It isn’t you, babe. Trust me, you’re doing everything right. I’m focusing on keeping you safe and not getting into a wreck. I’d hate to see a scratch on this beautiful face,” I tell her with a quick graze to her cheek. I’m laying it on thick, but damn, this shit is embarrassing.
“Isn’t that sweet?” Olive hums and shifts to her side of the cab. “Thanks for worrying about me. I can be patient.”
“That’s me,” I cough to cover my disbelieving grunt. “A real gentleman.” I roll my eyes at the window.
How the hell do I get out of this mess?
With my dick on sabbatical, sex isn’t happening. I’ll get Olive off and be done with this disaster. Later, I’ll take out my epic failure on the punching bag.
My cell rings from its spot on the dash, and Jack’s name flashes on the screen. A sliver of relief filters in at his welcome interruption.
I grab the phone. “What’s up?”
Olive looks at me quizzically. I mouth my uncle, and she nods.
“Where the hell are you? It’s going on two hours,” he gripes.
I glance at the clock. “Fuck, sorry. The car was thirty minutes out, and it took a bit to hook up. We’re on the way.”
“We?” Jack questions.
“I’ve got the owner with me. Her ride is meeting us at the garage.”
“Ah, all right. I need you to hustle up. We’ve got three walk-ins waiting, and Shane has to leave by four.”
“Got it. Should be there in ten.”
“All right, step on it,” he says before hanging up.
I toss my phone away and flick my gaze at Olive. “Change of plans, babe. The shop is packed, and I’ve got work to do. We’ve gotta head straight there. Raincheck?”
She pouts and mumbles, “That sucks. I was looking forward to seeing you naked. But I understand. We can definitely meet up next time I’m in town.”
“Can’t wait. You’ve made this quite an interesting afternoon,” I tell her honestly. I’ve learned a few things about myself that need to be expelled, and damn quick.
Silence surrounds us until we arrive at Jacked Up. I pull the tow into the rear lot since the front is full. A punch of guilt hits me for leaving them in a lurch. Guess it’s a good thing my dick wasn’t cooperating.
“Wow,” Olive breathes. “Your uncle wasn’t lying. This place is a zoo.”
“No kidding. I haven’t seen it this slammed for months. Must be a busy shopping weekend.”
She nods. “That’s why I’m here. A few of the boutiques have clearance sales for the summer season.”
“That explains it.” I sigh. “Well, I’ll get your vehicle unloaded and into the garage so we can figure out the issue. Hopefully nothing too serious. Once we find the cause, someone will let you know before starting repairs.”
“Sounds fair. I’ll be busy in town so no rush. My friend can haul me around until you’re done. Shouldn’t take more than a day, right?”
I peer back at her Toyota. We should have any part required on hand. “More than likely. I’m guessing it’s real simple, like worn out plugs. Your car isn’t old enough to have serious engine failure.”
“Great!” Olive reaches for the door.
“If you go in the lobby, someone will get you the paperwork. Then you’re free to go until we call.”
She looks back, her eyes sparkling in the sunlight. “It was a pleasure meeting you, Trey. I hope next time will be even better.”
“Looking forward to it.” But that’s a lie. I’ll never see this woman again. I offer a short wave and she strolls away.
I jump out of the truck and head toward Jack, who’s waiting by the first stall.
“I can see what held you up,” he chuckles and gestures to the entrance Olive passed through.
Shrugging off the earlier irritation, I meet his stare. “Sorry for the delay. Nothing happened with her though.”
Jack tilts his head and quirks a brow. “Good. It’d be bad for business if you left her in a snit.”
“Yeah, yeah. I’ve heard it before.”
He knocks on my temple. “And I’ll keep telling ya until it sticks.” Jack points to a blue sedan. “Get to work on that Focus. The valves are shot. Might wanna check the oil pump too. She’ll be in tonight for pick up.” I’m already walking before he’s done so any underlying meaning escapes me.
“Got it,” I call over my shoulder. My shoes pound over the concrete as I jog toward the Focus. Hopefully this won’t take long so I can knock out another job before Shane leaves.
When I wrench open the door, a familiar floral scent accosts me. Raven strikes again. I glare at the clear sky, wondering what I’ve done to deserve this torture. I laugh at my own stupidity because that list is endless. But still. This is straight up cruel.
I settle behind the wheel while attempting not to inhale. I give up after a few moments and take a deep breath. The fight within me melts away as I drink her in.
Dammit, she smells so fucking good.
My palm slams on the center console as I curse the wicked witch for casting a spell on me. But I won’t let her defeat me. She might have won this round, but the war is mine.
Game on, Raven.