Chapter 5

Lou had been looking forward to his dinner with Joey all damn day long. In fact, he’d had a difficult time thinking about anything else. Fortunately, the Corvette’s owner had come in to talk about what he envisioned for the car, a welcome distraction Lou more than needed. Even better, the guy loved Lou’s concept.

They’d discussed some color options as well as a higher grade of paint and finish, and the client was all too happy to fork over his money. It was all about the car—a notion Lou had no problem understanding. He understood devotion to something that drew him. A car, the Seahawks, a certain dark-haired beauty.

How long had it been since he’d been this excited about the prospect of spending time with a woman? Oh, he loved the ladies he’d dated. Many he’d enjoyed in bed, making sure they had no complaints. And he couldn’t say he’d just sexed them up then left either. Lou wasn’t a one-nighter kind of guy. He liked to wine and dine women, to linger over the seduction and part ways as friends. He always left them wanting more while happy to distance himself.

But with Joey, it was different. He couldn’t understand why, and he’d thought about it a lot. Perhaps her initial rejection had put the spark of challenge in his belly. Or maybe her shyness had intrigued him to see if she’d be that compliant in bed; he had every hope of eventually finding out the answer to that question. Then he’d remember her warm brown eyes, her smile, and he’d get a pang in his chest that had nothing to do with sex and everything to do with emotion.

Christ. If he was already feeling this for a woman he hadn’t yet fucked, he was pretty much screwed. And not in a good way. He had no intention of ever getting married, and Joey seemed like the hearts and—no pun intended—flowers type. Having a steady girlfriend didn’t bother him, but he didn’t feel ready for that either. So why all the lovey bullshit?

Had to come from watching all his friends couple up. They’d turned him soft…so to speak.

He glanced down at himself, aware this constant hard-on when thinking of Joey had to stop.

Heller walked out of his office and glanced around. “I don’t like it this quiet.” To Lou he said, “We go to Ray’s soon, I buy you a beer. You need it. Now quit mooning over whatever woman crawled up your ass and get to work.” Lou caught a few unflattering comments in German he’d heard before just as Heller disappeared back into his office and shut the door. The phone rang, and Lou returned to work. Seconds later, Heller erupted in some harsh German. And man, the big dude had a booming voice that carried, even through a closed door.

The guys who’d been hand sanding a Camry stopped and stared at the office. Mateo and Smith shared a glance, then shook their heads.

“I’m not asking him now.”

“Me neither.”

As one, they turned to Kelly.

Kelly, Heller’s newest hire and a damn fine paint guy, sighed. “Why is it always me? You know predators always go for the weakest prey—and I’m like a hundred pounds less than the boss. At least make Lou ask to give the rest of us a fighting chance.”

Lou chuckled. “Yeah, right. No way in hell am I going in there after hearing that.” He paused. They heard more shouting, then something slammed into the wall with a crack. Dead silence. “You think he’s talking to his old man?” Lou had met the bastard once and had no urge to repeat the experience.

Kelly swallowed. “Um, that’d be my guess. I’ve only been here four months, but no one else gets him that pissy that fast. You know he’s slow to boil.”

“But when he does, he’s friggin’ insane,” Mateo added. “No way in hell I’m asking.”

“For fuck’s sake.” Lou sighed. “What do you guys want?”

They all looked at each other before Kelly, the group’s sacrificial lamb, said, “We want a vending machine. For drinks. It gets dry in here, you know?”

Lou blinked. “A soda machine?”

“Hey, the customers could use it too.”

“What customers?” Lou snorted. “People come in here to drop off their cars. They don’t wait around for you guys to sand and paint. That takes days. Weeks.”

“No shit.” Mateo scowled. “We’re not stupid, Lou. I’ve been asking for one for two years. We’re just saying we want stuff to drink. And a coffeepot would be nice. We’re not lucky enough to walk a few doors down for coffee and donuts like you Webster pussies.”

Lou chuckled, remembering the bear claw. “NCB does serve donuts sometimes. The homemade, old-fashioned kind. But the other day, man, I had the best coffee. And I remember Foley eating some sweet cheese tarts. An apple fritter too, come to think of it.”

Smith groaned. “You’re a mean bastard.”

The door banging against the wall interrupted the conversation, and they froze.

“Why is no one working?” Heller growled.

Man, the guy was almost worse than Del on a tear. Lou decided to take one for the team and stood. “The guys want a soda machine.”

Heller scowled. “What? Why?”

“They’ve earned it, dealing with your moods.” Probably not the smartest thing he could have said. He swore he could see ice forming in Heller’s eyes—ice that burned. “Think about it. It’s something your old man would never go for. He’d throw a fit before getting his people anything to boost morale.”

Heller opened then closed his mouth, his stare downright frightening as he gazed at Lou before shifting to look at the others. “Ja. Okay. I’ll get one.”

“And a coffeepot or machine. Come on, man. Have a heart. Even I like the idea of a coffee machine. And it would be nice for clients too. Besides, the guys are weak. You know they’re more effective when they’re less whiny and slowly dying off a caffeine high.”

“Well, that’s not so nice,” Mateo muttered.

“Okay. Fine. But you.” Heller pointed at Kelly, who flinched. “You’ll figure out the cheapest and best product. Then we’ll see. Come use my computer.”

“Sure, sure. Bury the new guy where no one will find the body, why don’t you,” Kelly said under his breath as he passed Lou and slunk by Heller into the office.

Laughing at the kid’s melodrama, Lou finished doing his estimates before suiting up. Time to disassemble the Corvette so they could start sanding. He glanced at the clock. He’d give it two and a half more hours, then bail. And if Heller didn’t like it, too bad. Not that Lou would put it to the guy exactly that way.

Three hours later, Lou swore. He’d gotten so wrapped up in his work that he’d lost track of time. That’s all he needed, to be late again with Joey. He had a feeling if he blew it tonight, he wouldn’t get another chance.

He hustled out of the bay housing the Vette and yelled a goodbye before racing home. After quickly showering, shaving, and dressing in nice jeans, a loose red V-neck sweater, and his favorite Frye boots, he found a parking spot and hustled to the front of one of his favorite places to eat. Casual but perfect for a date.

He entered and snagged a table near yet not too close to the bar. The noise was loud enough to ensure privacy but allowed for ease of conversation. The scent of home-cooked Italian food and pizza made his mouth water.

“Yo, Lou.” His favorite waitress, Barb, gave him a smile. She glanced at the empty seat across from him and brightened. “What? You’re here alone?”

“Funny, Barb. My date should be arriving…ah. There she is.” He took in Joey’s petite build, bundled up in a rose-colored jacket. She wore her hair down, and more than one guy checked her out as she made her way toward him.

She looked young, sexy, and vulnerable all at the same time. He felt a strange urge to both muss her and protect her. Yep, weird.

Barb sighed. “I’ll be back with waters for you.” Then she left.

Joey gave him a shy smile that had his heart racing.

When she neared the table, he stood. “Hi.”

“Hi.” She looked taken aback when he helped her out of her coat and seated her at the table, hanging the coat on the back of her chair. The button-up lavender blouse emphasized her slender frame and delicate neck.

When he leaned close, he got a whiff of a light perfume. It went straight to his head—and other places—so he hurried to sit across from her.

“Have you been here before?” he asked.

She shook her head.

“It’s a favorite place of mine. They make amazing pizzas. They also have salads and smaller dishes. It’s all Italian. I hope that’s okay.”

“Great.” She busied herself with the menu, which gave Lou a chance to calm the fuck down.

He cleared his throat after a minute and was about to start conversation when Barb returned with waters. She took their orders, gave him a subtle wink, then left.

“No beer or wine for you?” he asked.

“I’m driving.”

“Me too.”

She eyed him up and down. “Yeah, but you could probably drink a six-pack and not feel anything. It only takes a few sips to do me in.” She made a face. “I’m a lightweight when it comes to alcohol.”

“Good to know.” He waggled his brows.

She gave a good-natured grin. The girl had a sense of humor. Thank God.

“I’m surprised you’re here.”

She took a sip of water. “Why?”

“Because going out with me once was pushing it. I thought for sure you’d wise up and ditch me for something better. Like Sharknado 5.”

“Tempting, but I already saw it.” She grinned, and he swallowed a sigh. Damn she was pretty. “You did mention dinner. I put in a full day.”

“Me too.”

They spoke about her many floral orders, the new young guy they’d hired at the flower shop, who knew Del, surprisingly enough. Or not. His boss seemed to know everybody, especially since marrying into the nosy McCauley clan. Barb brought their food, and the conversation continued. It wasn’t forced either, despite Joey not being as talkative as many of the women he’d been with.

He’d just told her about the Corvette he’d started working on, about the artwork he couldn’t wait to get into. But he had to know. “Look, I’m just gonna ask.”

She paused in the act of forking more salad. “Yes?”

“Why did you ignore me for so long?”

Her cheeks turned pink. “What do you mean?”

“You know what I mean. I think I made my interest pretty clear months ago when you first came by the shop. But you avoided me.”

She shrugged and put down her fork. “You’re intimidating.”

“Yeah, right.”

“Lou, that whole garage is full of giants. You included. So there’s that. Then there was the fact that Del’s wedding was my first solo job. I didn’t want to mess it up. And you guys were all distracting.” She paused then dug back into her salad. “You especially,” she muttered.

Well now, that was okay. “I’m distracting? So are you. The guys were all making fun of me because you wouldn’t give me the time of day. Barely even looked at me.”

“I was working.”

“Man, your cheeks are really pink.”

She choked on a laugh. “Stop.”

Pleased she had noticed him back then, he relaxed into the date. But as much as he tried to get to know her, she made it difficult.

“So you’re not married?” he asked.

“You’re asking that now?”

He shrugged. “Doesn’t hurt. Besides, all we’ve done is share dinner and coffee.”

“And a bear claw,” she reminded him.

“True.” He savored his pizza, knowing he’d need to lift a lot more tomorrow to make up for his carb loading today. “So no husband. No boyfriend?”

“No.” She frowned and speared a tomato. “I’m single, okay? I don’t date a guy while seeing someone else behind his back.”

“Good to know. Me neither. Not the guy thing, but about women.”

“I figured that.”

“Do you have family around?”

“I’d rather not talk about my family, if you don’t mind. My parents are usually unhappy with me about one thing or another. And I was hoping to have a good time.” She sighed. “That sounds awful. I love my parents. But sometimes I need a break.”

“Sure, I get that. Joey, I come from a big family. A grandmother, single mom, five sisters, five aunts, and thirteen cousins—and only one of them is a boy. I’m only telling you this because I believe in being fair. You’re at a disadvantage.”

“How’s that?”

“I’ve grown up surrounded by women. I know how you people think. You’re a little harder to read than what I’m used to. But I’ll crack you.”

“I’m not a nut,” she said drily.

“You sure? You did agree to dinner with me, after all.”

She laughed and dug back into her salad. He’d devoured his in minutes, though his had been a smaller portion. Still, no wonder she was so small.

“Hey, you want a slice?” He pointed to his romana pizza.

“No, that’s yours.”

Considering he’d already had his salad and split an appetizer of suppli al telefono, an amazing combo of fried risotto and mozzarella, he had no problem sharing his remaining two slices with her. Even if he was half-starved, he’d give her whatever she wanted. Call him a sucker, but for Joey, he’d part with a lot.

“Come on. Succumb to peer pressure. Everybody’s doing it.”

She rolled her eyes.

“Just have a slice.”

“Oh my gosh. You’re pushy.”

“And you’re just learning this now?”

“True. Okay, I’ll bite.”

He lifted the food to her plate then watched her nibble like a rabbit.

“It’s good.” She chewed, intent. “What are these olives?”

“They’re Castelvetrano on that slice. My favorite.”

“Wow.” She ended up eating the whole piece of pizza.

“There you go. Want another?”

“No thanks. That was perfect.”

“Great. Now you’ll have enough energy for what I planned next.” The suspicion he’d expected flashed in her dark-brown eyes. “A walk, to get rid of my beer gut.”

She eased back into a smile. “Yeah, right. If that’s a beer gut, I’m seven foot three.”

“Which we both know is ridiculous. What are you? Five one?”

“I’m five three,” she said with pride. And hostility. “Just because you’re huge doesn’t mean I’m short.”

“A little testy, are we?”

Barb swung by and asked if they wanted anything else. When they said no, she handed them the bill. Before Joey could grab it, Lou deftly slid it to his side of the table.

“It’s on me. And don’t argue. I’m old-fashioned. Besides, my mama would slap me upside the head if I let a woman pay for my food on a date.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes.”

“I could leave the tip.”

He just stared at her.

“Uh, thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” He held out his credit card for Barb when she swung by. “Now tonight wasn’t so bad, was it?”

“No.” She chewed her lower lip. “I’m sorry if I seemed mean or snobby before. When I was working Del’s wedding, I mean. Or even at the flower shop. I didn’t mean to act—”

“Standoffish? Aloof? Untouchable? Hey, don’t look so surprised at my vocabulary. I read.”

She glanced at him from under thick, sooty lashes. Her big brown eyes like pools of dark wine. Rich, vibrant, exotic. He wanted to think of more words to describe her, but his mind went blank, and all he could do was stare.

“All that,” she said. “I’m sorry.”

He blinked, trying to break free from her spell. “You have nothing to apologize for. You were fine. Hell, I’m sorry if I seemed like I was stalking you. I just wanted to get to know you better.” He fixated on her ripe mouth, noting the rosy color of her lips, wondering if she wore lipstick or her lips were naturally that color red.

Joey gave him a sweet smile. “This was nice.”

“Yeah.” Nice was a good start. “Now how about that walk?”

“If I can get up from the table. I’m stuffed.”

Barb returned his card. “See you next time, Lou.”

“Bye, Barb.” At Joey’s questioning look, he explained, “I come here a lot. I love their pizza.”

“That bite I took of yours sold me.” Joey stood with him and seemed startled when he helped her into her coat. “Thanks.”

“Sure.” They left the restaurant, and Lou wanted to hold her hand. Badly. So he shoved his hands in his pockets instead. “This is a nice neighborhood. How about we just walk down the side streets? It’s residential.”

She nodded. They strolled a bit in companionable silence, checking out the established neighborhood, the well-tended lawns and blooming flowers. The sun started to set, and the wind picked up. Yet the evening couldn’t have been more perfect, especially when the moon played hide-and-seek with the fluffy lavender clouds overhead.

Concerned with her comfort despite being comfortable in his sweater, Lou asked, “You okay? It’s getting chilly out.”

“I’m good.” The moon drifted out from behind some clouds, and the glow settled over Joey’s features, bathing her in moonlight. “So you can’t cook?”

It took him a moment to realize the question, so lost in her features. “Where’d you get that idea?”

“You said you go there a lot to eat.”

“Oh. That’s just because I’m lazy.” He shrugged. “Between my mother and grandmother, I usually have plenty to eat. I learned how to cook a long time ago. I just choose not to if I don’t have to.”

“I get tired of cooking too. I don’t like to ask my mom to cook for me too much because then I’ll feel like more of a burden than I normally do.” There was a story there for sure. “And my grandparents still living are out in Montana, so Grandma’s famous chicken-and-rice soup is out. Gosh, I haven’t seen them in years.”

He nodded, not wanting to stop her. She hadn’t said all that much about her personal life, so he’d take anything about her he could get.

“I love my parents, but I need to get some space from them too. You know?” she reiterated.

“Seriously? I told you I have a million relatives in town. All girls—mostly. Of course I understand.”

She smiled, stumbled on a rock, and bumped into him. He whipped out a hand to steady her.

“Thanks.”

“Anytime.” He let his hand drift to his side. Their fingers brushed, and she whipped her head up to study him.

He watched her as he slowly curled his much larger hand around hers.

Her eyes widened. “You’re hot.”

“Thanks, I hear that a lot.”

She blushed, as he’d meant her to. “I mean, your hand is really warm.”

“Warm hands, warm heart.”

“I thought that was cold hands, warm heart.”

Yet she hadn’t tried to tug free.

He gave her a gentle squeeze. “Nah. My people have a different saying. It’s all about heat. And I’m hot. So you should stick by me. Really close, I think.”

Her lips twitched. “Yeah?” Her gaze skittered from his face to their hands then shot to the street.

“I’ll keep you warm, Joey.” All night long if you let me. He cleared his throat. “So where do you live?” He felt her tense and knew he still had a long way to go with the wary woman. “I’m not asking for exact directions. I’m making conversation. Like, north of town? South? I’m in Rainier Valley. It’s not great, but there I can afford to live in a house bigger than a shoebox.”

She blew out a quiet breath, but he heard. Why was it he found her caution so endearing? Lou normally went for a woman who knew the score. Adventurous, lusty, confident. Proud of her desire. He liked a woman who enjoyed a man and had no problem saying so.

Yet he found Joey’s awkwardness oddly appealing. She was a mixture of cute and sexy, and the dichotomy of wanting to protect her and fuck the breath out of her baffled him.

“I live with my parents,” she mumbled.

“Okay.”

“I hate it. But I can’t afford to move out yet. That’s why my promotion is such a big deal. It’s going to give me a lot more freedom than I have now.”

“Good for you.” They stopped in front of a house exploding with color. Flowers and shrubs landscaped to perfection. Very unlike his humble home. He could account for a mowed lawn outside but not much else, having poured all his efforts into the interior of the place.

Joey pulled her hand from his and rested it on the wooden fence bordering the property. “Wow. This place is gorgeous.”

“It’s small.” A tiny cottage of a house, though quaint.

“Look at all the flowers.” She sighed. “That’s what I’m going to have someday.”

“You will if you want it bad enough. You’re the driven type. I can tell.”

She smiled. “Thanks.”

“See? I know women. Telling you you’re smart, successful, driven. That’s totally better than letting you know I love the color of your eyes. Or that your size is perfect for me. Or that you are so incredibly beautiful.”

She stared, blinked. “Oh, er. Yes.” She coughed. “I’d take driven over pretty any day.”

“Me too.” He grinned. “I know I’m beautiful, but I’d much rather be loved for my brain than my amazing body and to-die-for biceps.”

“Lou.” She chuckled.

They started walking again. He reached for her hand, and she didn’t protest.

But the best part of the walk was when he saw her subtly checking out his ass.