Chapter 3

Lou considered himself a man who could move in many worlds. He worked with a great bunch of guys at Webster’s Garage, tough mechanics who talked a big game but would go to the mat for those they considered friends. He dealt with women day in and day out, his family chock-full of estrogen and issues. But he loved them like crazy, as much as they threatened to erode his sanity.

And then there was life at Heller’s Paint and Auto Body, a vastly different environment than Webster’s. With Del and the guys, Lou could talk smack, shoot the shit, and bitch about whatever he wanted. At Heller’s, the vibe was all professional all the time. No chaotic stations, not a speck of dust or disorder in the main office. And their coveralls were dark blue and free of holes. Clean of any extraneous substance but paint and/or sanding dust. No personal complaints, no chitchat about who was beating whose ass at darts, woman problems, man problems, nothing. No bullshit.

When Lou worked at Heller’s, he created, he painted, and like the other guys in Heller’s shop, he kept his personal crap to himself.

Or at least that’s the way Heller used to run the place. Lately, the guy had started to change. Lou wasn’t sure he liked this new, softer version of the taciturn giant with attitude, who now sometimes smiled.

“So. Have you been to Ray’s lately?” Heller asked, his German accent always present. He leaned over Lou’s shoulder as Lou sketched out what their newest client wanted to see on the hood of his ’72 Corvette. Allowing for the molding and width of the hood and side panels, Lou was trying to make sure he wrapped flames over the edge while keeping the grim reaper to scale.

“Sorry. What?” He glanced up and blinked, envisioning a horned helmet atop Heller’s blond head. Heller’s Paint and Auto Body, owned by a Viking born a few centuries after his time.

Heller had emigrated from Germany a few years after his birth. Then his parents had moved back to Stuttgart for some work, traveled around Bavaria, and managed to come back to the States seventeen years ago. Teenage Heller had been so in love with all things German, he’d refused to speak English for months.

Until his father had beaten sense into him. The elder Heller wasn’t a nice guy. But he’d created a man in his own image, if not sensibility.

Six-foot-six, built like a tank, and with the chiseled jaw and blond features of an Aryan poster child, Heller looked every bit as dangerous as he was. When Lou had first come to work for the guy, he’d worried he was being jerked around by a white power gangbanger. Turned out Heller had just had a bad haircut. Having grown his hair back, he kept it slightly long, so as not to be confused with a skinhead.

The guy said little, but over the years spent working with him, Lou had come to appreciate Heller’s dry sense of humor—buried way deep beneath muscles that made even Sam jealous.

None of the guys at Webster’s were small. Like Lou, they all worked out, mostly because they knew what it was like to be on the wrong end of a fist. But Heller put them all to shame.

“We’re going to Ray’s this Friday, actually,” Lou said, conscious of the dark-blue eyes regarding him without malice or pleasure. Predatory wolf eyes—something Heller and Del had in common. “Sam said to invite you and that the first beer was on him.”

Shockingly, Heller’s lips curled into a grin. It transformed the guy’s face from serial-killer savage to almost handsome. “Ja? I’ll be there.” He paused, coughed, and glanced down at Lou’s drawing, trying to act casual. “So who else is coming?”

Lou totally knew where Heller was going with the question, but he’d make the guy work for answers. Just because. “Well, me and Sam. Johnny and Foley too, but not the girls unless Lara is working.” Johnny and Foley were the other two mouthy mechanics he worked with at Webster’s. Lara and Johnny were dating, and she still pulled shifts at the bar to support her nursing school tuition. Sam’s and Foley’s girls were too sweet for a dive bar like Ray’s. Lou didn’t think either would be there.

But that wasn’t who Heller wanted to know about.

“That’s good. The gang.” Heller grunted but didn’t move. He slowly looked back at Lou.

Damn impressive how the guy could look so intimidating without trying.

Heller waited.

Lou waited.

“And?” Heller growled.

“Oh, well, I think Sue might be working. Maybe Earl, Big J…” Lou laughed. “Oh relax, man. Rena will be on shift, I’m sure.” Rena was Del’s cousin and a sweetheart everyone loved. Some—he gave Heller a look—more than others.

Heller smiled. Again. Twice in one day. “Good. Now get to work. After the death painting”—he pointed to Lou’s sketch—“you have two jobs needing your attention. See if they’ll work, ja?”

“Yes, yes. Now leave me alone. Your big-ass body is scaring away all my creativity.”

Heller muttered something in German that Lou just knew wasn’t complimentary, so he responded in Spanish about Heller’s inability to reason and small dick size.

The big German just laughed as he walked away, a study in black. The guy wore yet another black T-shirt and jeans and those steel-toed tanks he called boots. Hallmark Heller.

Lou glanced at himself in comparison. Jeans, black boots, and a white tee. Maybe I need to start expanding my wardrobe. He leaned over the table, studying his drawing, and felt his phone vibrate in his back pocket. Which reminded him of a certain text.

Yeah, I need to look good. Especially because I have a hot date at noon.

Lou didn’t understand this sense of excitement, but he hadn’t felt it for a woman in so long, he knew Joey was special in a way he didn’t yet comprehend. Why else would he pressure the girl so hard into a date?

He should have felt bad about it. Though he had given her an out, after all, telling her she could always cancel if something came up. But she hadn’t. Now if she just didn’t change her mind until he had her in his clutches. Er, at a table with him while he subtly worked to put her under his spell.

He shifted in his seat, dismayed to find himself aroused at thoughts of her. To a man who prized control, lived and breathed it, this situation with Joey demanded exploration.

Fuck, that smile. Those full lips and big brown eyes that warmed when she was happy. When he thought about her, her eyes and smile were the first things to come to mind. Then his dick took over, and he imagined her nipples in his mouth, her breasts weighting his hands, her taut belly beckoning a kiss before he turned her over and took a bite out of her ass…

He lowered his forehead to the table and groaned.

Once he stopped daydreaming, he finished sketching, then ran some timelines on prep and workability for the next two projects they hoped to secure. He dropped the sketches at Heller’s desk before heading out.

At Webster’s, he’d have walked next door. But from Heller’s place, he had to drive a few blocks. No biggie, but he wanted to be there so he could grab a seat and wait for his lovely lady to join him.

To his bemusement, he felt nervous.

He walked in and saw Cyn, Foley’s woman, behind the counter. Smart, stacked, and a freakin’ hot-as-hell redhead, Cyn Nichols co-owned Nichols Caffè Bar with her brother and sister-in-law.

When she saw him, she beamed. “Hey there, handsome. ¿Qué pasa?”

She’d been learning small bits of Spanish, so he said back in the same language, “Ah, Cyn. The things I would do to you if Foley hadn’t found you first.”

She frowned. “I haven’t gotten that far yet, but knowing you, whatever you said would not make Foley happy.”

He chuckled. “Probably not.” He looked at the pastry case. “I need two coffees and a bear claw.”

“I thought you were Mr. Clean Living. You have a sweet tooth now?” She grabbed him two coffees and the treat and tried to push them at him without charge.

He sighed and handed her a twenty. Then he gave her two bucks out of his change as a tip.

“Lou.”

“Cyn.” He looked down his nose at her. “So feisty. You sure Foley is making you happy? Somehow I think you’re too much woman for him.”

She grinned. “I am.”

He really liked her, especially for his buddy.

“So stop changing the subject. What’s up with the bear claw and two coffees?”

The bell jingled, and he turned to see Joey heading his way. When she saw him, her cheeks turned pink. Man, fucking adorable. She wore dark-brown pants and a pale-pink top under a light jacket. Scuffed sneakers fit her tiny feet. So petite, so pretty. All woman.

He groaned to himself.

“Joey!” Cyn smiled. Figured Cyn would know her. Cyn knew everyone. “What can I get you? Bear claw…” The woman glanced from his bear claw to Joey and smiled so wide, he feared she’d crack her jaw. “Ah. Right. Hold on, Lou. Joey likes a hazelnut latte.” She grabbed back one of his coffees and fixed a latte instead.

“Hi.” Joey smiled shyly up at him, and his heart did a funky misstep.

He cleared his throat and put on his game face. “Hey. Nice to see you. Thought maybe you’d changed your mind.” Just to needle her, he added, “You know, since I scare you.”

She snorted. Again, so damn cute. “Please. You’re not that intimidating.” Yet her cheeks remained pink, and she looked everywhere but at his eyes.

He grinned, saw her focus on his mouth and lick her lips, and swore he was in hell. His body reacted as if he’d been shot up with Viagra. Terrific. With any luck, she wouldn’t look below his belt and think him a huge pervert.

“How about that table back there?” He motioned with his head and carried the coffee, latte, and pastry on a tray Cyn handed him.

Joey led, and he tried to look where he was going and not just at her ass.

“Okay?” She sat, and he joined her, planting himself across from her at the tiny table.

“Great. Thanks for coming.”

“Sure. I love Cyn’s bear claws.” Joey’s brown eyes sparkled, and Lou had to do his best to get it together and not look like some starry-eyed fool. Lou Cortez didn’t gape at pretty women. He was the man. Women gaped at him.

Except Joey wasn’t just any woman, and he couldn’t seem to stop staring at her smile that brightened everything around her.

* * *

Joey wondered what she should do. Lou kept looking at her in a weird way that made her threaten to break into an all-over-body sweat.

“So, um, are you having a good day?” Lame, but she had no idea what else to say. The guy had yet to blink. One move and she feared he’d pounce.

He smiled. “Yeah. You?”

“It’s good. Really good.” She sipped her latte, pleased Cyn had remembered. Then again, Joey had been Cyn’s go-to for flowers since before Del’s wedding. Cyn had recommended her, in fact, and the entrepreneurial woman had put a bug in Joey’s ear about convincing the owner to expand the flower biz, maybe just focusing on weddings.

For that, Joey would be eternally grateful.

“What’s really good about it?” Lou asked.

For a moment, she had no idea to what he referred, her head lost in flower dreams and financial independence. “Uh, I got to work on time.”

“Always a good thing,” he said, the smart-ass.

“And I’m the new manager of my store.”

He smiled and held his cup to hers for a toast. “Outstanding. Pretty and smart.”

She blushed. “Stop.”

“What? Truth is truth, right?”

“What about you?” she hurried to ask, not comfortable with his flattery. Or the subtle once-over and smile of approval. Because knowing he liked the look of her did nothing but overheat her.

“What about me?”

She put the drink down and picked at her bear claw, her appetite fluctuating from starving to absent and back again. Talk about the jitters. “Well, what’s good about your day?”

“I finally got this really sexy woman to go out with me.”

“Lou.”

“And she said my name.” He sighed.

She chuckled. “Cut it out.”

The sight of his pleasure made her feel good for having caused it…and gave her dirty thoughts. Totally inappropriate, rated-R kind of thoughts, which had no place in a coffee shop, for God’s sake. She really needed to get back out in the dating world if a smile got her so hot and bothered. She glanced back down at her latte.

Lou sipped his own drink, then answered, “Today I got to sketch an amazing hood for a sweet Corvette this car collector brought in for a job.”

“Huh?”

“I work at Webster’s Garage fixing cars. On the mechanics of them. But I work at Heller’s Paint and Auto Body doing custom artwork. You know, like custom paint jobs?”

“Really?” She studied him, wondering about him. “So you’re an artist.”

“Yep.”

“So if my car gets a ding and needs paint to cover it…”

“You hit Maaco. Or you go to Heller’s, and his body shop dudes fix you up. You want a bitchin’ barbarian queen on your VW van, you call me.” He grinned. “Although somehow I don’t see you driving an old van.”

“More like a crappy little Toyota, but hey, it runs.”

“So does mine.”

She nodded, oddly at ease talking with the man. She watched his face, saw his genuine interest in the conversation, and warmed. “You did the work on your car. The snake along the side that disappears in the back. That’s your drawing.”

“Yeah.”

“It’s amazing. Were you always into art?”

Lou shrugged. “I was kind of forced into it.” He nudged her pastry. “You going to eat that or pull it apart?”

She took a bite, chewed, and asked, “What can you draw? Anything? Or just snakes and skeletons and half-naked barbarian queens?” As soon as she said it, she heard herself sounding so flirty, she wanted to bury her head under the table.

Lou laughed. “That’s what my mother thinks I do. Draw naked people all day. I did it once when I was in high school, and she never let me forget it.”

Joey smiled. “Caught you, huh?”

“Yeah. But that was okay, because if I was at home drawing late into the night, I wasn’t out robbing a liquor store or rolling some rich jerks for money.” At her look of shock, he sighed. “What can I say? I grew up under the influence of some not-so-nice people. A few smaller-scale gangs. I was a rebellious kid living in a houseful of women, so you can see why I wanted some guys to hang out with. Fortunately, my mother doesn’t play.”

She stared, wide-eyed.

“A short stint in corrections when I was ten helped change my mind-set. Well, that and my mother slapping me upside the head, sticking me on babysitting duty for my younger sisters, then having my aunts sit on me. I had nowhere to go but crazy. So when she offered to let me try art lessons to get away from all the women in the house, I went. Turned out I had a knack for drawing, and it stuck.”

“I’ll say.” His car was amazing.

“Enough about me. What about you? Have you always wanted to work with flowers? That’s a pretty creative profession.”

Surprisingly pleased to have something in common with the man, she nodded. “I always liked creating things, and I love the outdoors. Gardening especially. When I was younger, my parents kept pushing me to be a doctor, a lawyer, an engineer.” She sighed, aware she’d fallen way below the mark in their estimation. “But I ended up falling into the flower shop right out of high school. I needed a job, wasn’t ready for college.” Not with a baby in hand. She didn’t plan to mention Brandon to Lou, mostly because she didn’t share her boy with strangers. Even good-looking ones. Her baby never got to know her dates, rare though they were. Not unless she planned to get serious, and it had been nine long years since she’d considered a real relationship with anyone other than her son.

“Well, you’re great at it, I have to say.” Lou nodded. “My sister’s eyes about fell out of her head. She forgot all about the asswipe who dumped her. Thanks for that.”

She blushed. “Sure. I love flowers. They’re bright and cheerful.”

“And dead. Sorry, but I had to point that out.”

She frowned. “Yeah, but even in death, they bring joy.”

“Good point. Open your mouth.”

She parted her lips to ask why and got a bite of bear claw for her trouble. Her lips brushed his finger, and her heart seemed to stop. The sugar in her mouth broke her paralysis, and she chewed for all she was worth.

“Eat. It’s killing me you’re not enjoying this.” He broke a piece off and tried it, feeding himself with the same fingers that fed her. “Oh man. This is good.”

She swallowed before saying, “I know. Why do you think I get one whenever I come in here?”

“You come here a lot?”

“When I was helping Del with her wedding, I went to the garage a few times. This was a great place to get my morning coffee.”

“A caffeine addict, huh? Me too.” He nodded. “I typically stay away from the sweets though.” He eased out of his jacket, and she nearly choked on her drink.

She stared at his conditioned torso, seeing the volume of muscle. “I can tell.” Good God. The man was seriously ripped. He leaned to drape the jacket fully over the chairback, and she noted the hint of a tattoo on his left arm, just under the T-shirt.

“Eat up.” He held another bite out to her, but this time she took it from his fingers, not wanting them near her lips. The last time had nearly shot her into cardiac arrest, and it felt way too intimate for a first just-getting-to-know-you kind of date.

They chewed, watching each other. For the life of her, Joey didn’t understand why Lou had such an impact on her, a woman who’d sworn off men. A guy like him, so much bigger than life, handsome, and, yes, charming, was after her? A pretty but not spectacular woman who worked in a flower store?

“What’s that look?” he asked, his voice deep, smooth. Velvety.

“Why are we here?”

“We’re talking. Becoming friends.” He shrugged. “I thought we settled that yesterday.”

“But why? What do you want from this?”

He sipped his coffee, watching her over the brim of his cup. “You’re a suspicious little thing.”

She frowned.

“That’s not bad, Joey,” he said, amused. “I like you.”

“You don’t know me.”

“I know you’re a hard worker. That you soften when you look at flowers, and you like being creative. You made Del super happy at her wedding, and she liked you enough to invite you. My boss is not easygoing. If she liked you, you have to be okay on some level.”

Joey flushed, not needing the praise but lapping it up all the same. “But that’s not—”

“And you’re kind.” Lou smiled, the expression sincere and heartfelt and absolutely beautiful on the man. “You worked extra hard yesterday for my sister, a person you don’t even know, because she had a hard time. She loved those flowers, Joey. A lot. You did that.”

She shrugged. “It was my job.”

“Not charging me for the time? Staying open later than closing for some dumbass mechanic who was late? No, you’re a good person. You’re beautiful, and I’d like to spend more time with you.”

“You mean have sex.”

He didn’t miss a beat. “Yeah, I’m attracted to you. I’d like to make love to you.” God, when he said it like that, it didn’t sound like sex at all but an out-of-body experience. “But I’m into mutual enjoyment, the dance of getting to know someone. Feeling good about being together, not feeling rushed or pressured.”

She huffed and fiddled with her cup, annoyed he was saying all the right things. Even worse, he seemed to mean them.

“Joey, look at me, princesa.” He waited until she looked into his eyes. “I like you, and I think you might like me back.” When she gave a little nod, his eyes crinkled with pleasure. “How about we go out to dinner this week? My treat. Not for sex or so that you’ll sit across from me and ooh and ah in amazement—because, I mean, come on.” He gestured to himself.

She had to smile.

His expression warmed even more. “But so I can see your smile and feel good. We can share a meal; we can laugh. I’ll tell you stories about the guys at work, and you can tell me about the people at your store who annoy you. It’ll be fun.”

“Well…” She tried to think if she could find a sitter for Brandon, because no way did she want her parents knowing about her social life. Though her mother treated her much better than her father did, Joey always caught the worry Amy couldn’t hide, that her dumb daughter would get knocked up again.

“I swear. You have nothing to worry about from me. I’ll be the perfect gentleman. I have sisters, you know. I’ll treat you the way I’d expect any man to treat them.”

She wanted to ask more about his family, but then he’d expect the same from her. “Okay, on one condition.”

“What’s that?”

“We keep things light between us. Talk about work, what we like or don’t like. No deep, meaningful stuff. No family talk, no relationship drama. I can’t handle that in my life right now. I have too much riding on my promotion and need to focus on work.”

“Bueno. It’s a deal.” He held out a hand to shake, and she tentatively gave him hers.

But Lou didn’t shake. He watched her as he brought her hand to his lips and gave her the gentlest kiss.

She couldn’t hide a tremble of need, unexpected and strong.

His eyes seemed to darken. Or was that her imagination? He released her and said something about the boss he’d just left, a giant of a man with a crush on a certain waitress he knew. Changing the subject and easing the tension between them, Lou became the perfect lunch partner.

He ordered them both another coffee, and before Joey knew it, an entire hour had passed.

“Oh no. I have to get back.” She scrambled to her feet.

Lou grabbed his coat and the tray of trash and dumped it before she could offer to.

“Thanks for coffee, Lou.” She felt shy again all of a sudden, and it bothered her. Why now, like this, with him? She’d been this way with Felix way back when, and look at where that had gotten her. Talk about life changes.

“Anytime, Joey. I mean that.” He took her by the elbow and escorted her outside. Then he waited while she opened the door of her car. She got in, started the car, and lowered the window.

He crouched by the side of the car. “Man, you weren’t kidding. This is a piece of crap.”

Jolted into a laugh, she stared at him, unnerved to see him so focused on her mouth. He raised his glance and smiled into her eyes. Maybe he was just an intense kind of guy.

“It runs,” she said of the car.

“Yeah, that’s always a good thing.” Then he brightened. “And hey, just think, now that we’re becoming good friends, if you ever have a problem with your car, you can bring it to me and I’ll fix it, no charge.”

“Lou—”

“But then you have to promise to throw together more flowers for me at the last minute. I have a lot of sisters, and at least two of them at any time are dating idiots.” He sighed. “God save me from the Cortez women.”

She chuckled. “Oh please. More like God save the world from the Cortez men.”

He laughed. “I’ll text you about dinner. Thanks for coffee, princesa.” He moved away to his car, and she backed out of the lot, determined to concentrate on work when she returned.

Not on the sexy man starting to star in all of her dreams. Or would that be sex-filled nightmares? Only time would tell.