He rounded an alcove that led down a short hall to the bathrooms and a small break room for the organizers and booth holders. He immediately heard her voice coming from inside.
“Back up, asshole.” He could hear fear in her voice, making it shake.
Anger hit him hard, sent adrenaline flooding his veins as he rounded the corner. A guy stood in front of her, refusing to let her pass.
“Come on, babe. I just want your number.”
“And I told you to get lost.” She tried to move past, but he grabbed her arm. That was also when she spotted Reid, and he didn’t miss the relief that flashed across her eyes when she did.
“Back up on your own, or I’ll help you out, but either way you’ve got exactly five seconds to get your hands off her and get the hell gone.” The guy spun around, took a second to size him up, and made the wise decision to leave on his own.
Rusty crossed her arms and stared up at him, eyes wide. Then he watched the attitude slide into place, the wall come up. “I could have handled that myself.”
“Not from where I was standing.”
She uncrossed her arms and planted them on her hips. “Whatever.”
“Whatever?” Jesus.
“Like I said…”
“Woman, you are so full of it, it’s not even funny.”
She pressed those soft, full lips together and glanced away for a few seconds. When she turned back she looked like she was sucking a lemon. And shit, even sucking a lemon the woman was gorgeous.
Her green eyes locked on his. “Fine.” She dropped her hands to her sides. “Thanks…you know, for your help.”
“Any time, Foxy. But you don’t need to thank me, not for that. That asshole was way out of line.” Her eyes flared and her mouth got tight again. Screw that. “What now? What’s got you pissed off this time?”
“Nothing,” she answered too damn fast.
Then a light switched on, a goddamn spotlight on high-beam. He’d gotten a similar reaction when she’d stormed out of his workshop, after he’d kissed her, after he’d told her how gorgeous she was.
After catching her with that asshole in here, it wasn’t hard to work out she dealt with that type of thing a lot because of her looks, but still, she had to know he wasn’t like that creep?
No, you’re worse.
He shook off the voice in his head, because it was true, he was worse, but what made him even more of an asshole? He didn’t care. He wanted something, he went after it. He’d never gotten a damn thing sitting around waiting for it. He’d learned to go after what he wanted, no matter the cost, when he was just a kid.
Fear was a strong motivator, and he’d had it in spades growing up. Fear that one day he’d end up just like his old man. Fear that if he didn’t work his ass off, get his mother out of the shit-hole they’d called home, he’d eventually walk in and find her dead at the bastard’s hands.
So yeah, he’d had motivation to make something of himself, to ruthlessly go after what he wanted. He had no hope of stopping now, because that fear, it was still there, driving him forward, keeping him hungry for the next thing. Without that hunger—if he slowed down, if he stopped—he knew that darkness twisting deep down inside him would finally break free.
And that, he would never allow.
“Foxy, you gotta know I’m not that guy.” She shook her head, not looking convinced in the slightest. “Are you afraid of me for some reason?”
Her brow furrowed. “Of course not.”
“Okay, you going to tell me why you walked out on me the other night?”
She shoved her hands in her pockets. “I told you, I’m not interested in you that way.”
He took a step closer. “No?” She shook her head but didn’t retreat. No, she stayed right where she was. “I don’t believe you.” He took another step closer, and still she kept her feet planted. “A woman doesn’t kiss a man the way you kissed me and not want another taste.”
He stopped right in front of her and tucked a loose strand of shiny, auburn hair behind her ear. “You telling me you don’t want another taste? ’Cause I sure as hell do. I haven’t had nearly enough of you, Rusty West, and I think you feel the same way, but you’re just too damn stubborn to admit it.”
She lifted her chin, looking up at him, and scowled. “You’re so damned arrogant.”
“And you’re fucking cute when you get pissed off.”
“Oh my God, you did not…”
“I suggest…strongly, unless you’re gonna cut the shit and tell me you want me to kiss you again, you keep that pretty mouth shut.”
Her lips parted, then closed, then did it again. He’d surprised her, and that looked good on her as well.
She scowled some more, and he struggled not to smile. “Or what?”
“Or I’ll prove it to you.”
“Listen, Chuckles. You are waaaay off base here. So how about you move your arrogant ass out of my way and let me get by. My girls will be wondering where I am, and I need to get back to work.”
Despite the smart mouth and the insults, she was breathing harder, her chest rising and falling rapidly, close enough her hard nipples brushed his chest. But most telling of all, she still hadn’t moved. “Is that right?”
“That’s right.” She was whispering now, and he felt the soft words all the way down to his balls.
“So you wouldn’t like it if I did this?” He slid his hands around her waist and hauled her closer.
“No,” she choked out.
“No?” She shook her head, then licked her lips. “What about this?” Gripping her tight ass, he lifted her off the floor. Her legs automatically wrapped around his waist, her arms around his shoulders. And fuck, it felt good.
Spinning around, he kicked the door shut and pressed her into it. His dick was hard as iron. There was no hiding it. So he didn’t, and let her feel him, rubbed against her where he knew she would be sweet, and so damn hot. She gasped and shook her head again. “N-no.”
“What about my mouth? You want that, Foxy?” His voice came out rough, every bit of lust coming through loud and clear.
Again she shook her head, but the tip of her tongue darted out, moistening her bottom lip, telling him something else entirely. “No,” she whispered.
“That’s what I thought.” Then he slammed his mouth down on hers and immediately her limbs tightened around him, holding him close. Her fingers sunk into his hair, tugging hard enough to make the tie he had in it come loose. She fisted it, pulled him closer, giving him another one of those hot, almost-innocent kisses. All heat but no skill. He fucking loved it.
He growled against her lips, and she opened for him, slanting that hot mouth so he could kiss her deep, taste her the way he needed to.
Cupping her ass, he ground his aching cock against her, letting her know what he wanted, and in the not so distant future planned on having. Yeah, she had hang-ups about her looks, that was obvious, but he refused to dial it back. He wanted her to know exactly how much she affected him, how sexy and hot he thought she was.
Rusty shifted restlessly against him, hands everywhere, soft moans slipping past her lips. If he didn’t stop this now, there would be no waiting, which meant fucking her against the door in the break room at the Miami Classic Car Expo. Not something Rusty would thank him for. He knew that much. But that’s exactly what would happen if he didn’t get it together, now.
Pressing deeper, he used his body to keep her pinned to the door, then cupping her face with one hand, and after one last touch of lips, he pulled back. She blinked up at him, dazed, lust in her eyes.
“You still gonna tell me no, Rusty?”
She was quiet a long time, and he started to think she wouldn’t answer, then finally she whispered, “No.”