me, especially when he drank. I avoided him as much as I could. He’s furious that Harris left me the cars.”
Tyce knew how furious. “ But he got control of Delaney Enterprises. He and that dim bulb brother of his.”
“ Of course. I never wanted Harris to be unfair to his family and I never wanted to create a rift. But Harris insisted I have the cars.”
“ And the proceeds will pay for this move to Europe?”
She glanced away f rom him, flipped another page. “The sale is the last thing I need to do before I leave.”
“ Why do I get the feeling you’re not telling me everything?”
She looked directly at him, gaze steady and so sharply honest he knew this was goi ng to snap like a rubber band. “Because I don’t know where your loyalties lay. All I do know is what you said yesterday.”
“ Said?”
“ About being with bored, spoiled women. It’s obvious you don’t like me, but I need you to get these cars ready.” Her chin lifted farther. “Get this straight, Tyce. I don’t want to need you, but I’m smart enough not to shoot myself in the foot. I need big dollars for that collection and I’m going to do whatever it takes to get them.”
“ Including inviting me into the pool house?” As soon as the words were out, he knew he was wrong. She had been too responsive, too earthy and honest in her need.
Her eyes blazed in hot anger. She slapped her palm on the counter. Then she stood so suddenly the stool tilted back and toppled over. “I’m sick to death of you and everyone else making assumptions about my . . . my . . . character. Franklin thinks I married his father for money, you think I made–had sex with you to keep you working on the cars. Everyone thinks Harris somehow raised me out of a gutter.”
She rolled over his objection and kept talkin g. “I did not need Harris’s nor anyone else’s help!” She strode over to him and poked his chest with a well-filed fingernail.
“ I was way, way out of that trailer park by the time I met Harris. I had a savings account, a good credit rating. I shopped in nice department stores. No one and I mean no one got me out of that trailer park, but me,”
“ Did Harris know you were going to auction them off?”
“ Yes, he wanted me to, so I agreed.” She sighed as if she was tired of explaining herself. “Like my wedding vows, I take my promises seriously.”
Nodding, he accepted what he should have known all along. Lisa Brady had taken care of herself, just as she ’d always had to.
Seven
The Buff & Shine
Hours later, Lisa applied a thick coat of wax polish to a five -inch square of gunmetal-grey fender. The wax took a couple minutes to dry into a white paste, so she sidled over to the other car where Tyce lay on his creeper under the chassis. There were parts and tools strewn on the floor all around him.
When she nudged his thigh, he rolled out from under the car just enough to see her. “Yes?” He sounded impatient.
“ I’m almost finished. It’s been awhile since I buffed a car. I hope you’re happy with the results.”
“ I’ll go over it and look for any spots you missed. If I find any, you’ll do it again tomorrow.”
“ Okay.” She grinned. Her arms were killing her, her back, thighs, and calves were sore from crouching and bending, but she wouldn’t have traded her afternoon for anything. She arched backward to give her muscles a good stretch.
“ I can see up your shorts from here,” he said. “Open your legs.”
She did and felt a cool rush of air against her private heat.
“Very pretty,” he said.
“ Thank you.” A slide of rough fingers from her ankle to her knee made her melt. His fingers danced a tattoo behind her knee, making her want to ease down so he could do more.
“ My hands are dirty,” he said. “That doesn’t bother you?”
“ Not really.”
He rolled out from under the car with a strange expression on his face. His brows knit as he frowned. “There’s a
Tyce knew how furious. “ But he got control of Delaney Enterprises. He and that dim bulb brother of his.”
“ Of course. I never wanted Harris to be unfair to his family and I never wanted to create a rift. But Harris insisted I have the cars.”
“ And the proceeds will pay for this move to Europe?”
She glanced away f rom him, flipped another page. “The sale is the last thing I need to do before I leave.”
“ Why do I get the feeling you’re not telling me everything?”
She looked directly at him, gaze steady and so sharply honest he knew this was goi ng to snap like a rubber band. “Because I don’t know where your loyalties lay. All I do know is what you said yesterday.”
“ Said?”
“ About being with bored, spoiled women. It’s obvious you don’t like me, but I need you to get these cars ready.” Her chin lifted farther. “Get this straight, Tyce. I don’t want to need you, but I’m smart enough not to shoot myself in the foot. I need big dollars for that collection and I’m going to do whatever it takes to get them.”
“ Including inviting me into the pool house?” As soon as the words were out, he knew he was wrong. She had been too responsive, too earthy and honest in her need.
Her eyes blazed in hot anger. She slapped her palm on the counter. Then she stood so suddenly the stool tilted back and toppled over. “I’m sick to death of you and everyone else making assumptions about my . . . my . . . character. Franklin thinks I married his father for money, you think I made–had sex with you to keep you working on the cars. Everyone thinks Harris somehow raised me out of a gutter.”
She rolled over his objection and kept talkin g. “I did not need Harris’s nor anyone else’s help!” She strode over to him and poked his chest with a well-filed fingernail.
“ I was way, way out of that trailer park by the time I met Harris. I had a savings account, a good credit rating. I shopped in nice department stores. No one and I mean no one got me out of that trailer park, but me,”
“ Did Harris know you were going to auction them off?”
“ Yes, he wanted me to, so I agreed.” She sighed as if she was tired of explaining herself. “Like my wedding vows, I take my promises seriously.”
Nodding, he accepted what he should have known all along. Lisa Brady had taken care of herself, just as she ’d always had to.
Seven
The Buff & Shine
Hours later, Lisa applied a thick coat of wax polish to a five -inch square of gunmetal-grey fender. The wax took a couple minutes to dry into a white paste, so she sidled over to the other car where Tyce lay on his creeper under the chassis. There were parts and tools strewn on the floor all around him.
When she nudged his thigh, he rolled out from under the car just enough to see her. “Yes?” He sounded impatient.
“ I’m almost finished. It’s been awhile since I buffed a car. I hope you’re happy with the results.”
“ I’ll go over it and look for any spots you missed. If I find any, you’ll do it again tomorrow.”
“ Okay.” She grinned. Her arms were killing her, her back, thighs, and calves were sore from crouching and bending, but she wouldn’t have traded her afternoon for anything. She arched backward to give her muscles a good stretch.
“ I can see up your shorts from here,” he said. “Open your legs.”
She did and felt a cool rush of air against her private heat.
“Very pretty,” he said.
“ Thank you.” A slide of rough fingers from her ankle to her knee made her melt. His fingers danced a tattoo behind her knee, making her want to ease down so he could do more.
“ My hands are dirty,” he said. “That doesn’t bother you?”
“ Not really.”
He rolled out from under the car with a strange expression on his face. His brows knit as he frowned. “There’s a
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