Authors: Jordan Silver
After Jared returned from running her home
I called him into the office. I had a few questions I needed answered.
He was still all smiles and excitement,
which led me to believe, there was more going on with them than he was saying.
"What's up, Colt, you wanted to see
me?"
"Yeah come in and sit down."
I studied him as he sat across from me,
and his relaxed posture as he slouched in the chair.
"You sure she can handle working
around here, Jared, this place is not your everyday run of the mill
office."
"Don't worry man, she'll be fine,
just let her get settled in and she'll be a great asset I promise."
"Why're you so into this girl? I
thought you weren't interested like that."
"Nah man, she's like my kid sister,
it's just, she's had a hard time lately, and I just want to look out for her,
ya know. We've always been tight. Our fathers are like brothers man."
"Okay, if you say so. I heard you
getting into it with Jennifer before, how'd that go?"
"Seriously, what did you ever see in
that tarantula bro? She's like toxic."
"Don't I know it? You think if I knew
she was schizo I would've gone there? You know these women, they show you one
face when they wanna get their hooks into you, and then when you least expect
it they turn into blood sucking leeches."
"Did she scare your little
friend?"
"Nah, Kat's not as much of a wimp as
you seem to think, she can hold her own..."
"Coulda fooled me..."
"That's just for now until she finds
her way, but trust me, Kat's an okay chick, and she knows bikes."
"What do you mean knows bikes?"
"She used to work on my first ride
with me in the summer when she'd come to visit. I even taught her to ride when
she was like fourteen."
"So, what's her family situation, and
why isn't she in school?"
"She finished high school, and she's
taking some time off before college."
There was something there. The way he
shifted his body when I asked changed his whole persona. What the fuck could be
the issue with school?
"Alright man, if you're sure, then
we'll give it a shot. How's she getting here in the mornings?"
"I'll bring her until her truck is
ready. Her old man and mine are still working on it, and it should be another
week at the most."
"As long as she has a ride."
I let him go since there was nothing more
to discuss, and plus I had shit to do. I had clients coming in later to pick up
their shit, and two new bikes to get started.
I put her out of my mind for the rest of
the day as I went about my busy schedule. A bike shop was a noisy-ass place
with men doing six different things at once while calling out to each other for
different parts and tools. Nothing like the showroom where the finished product
was showcased.
Jennifer might very well have had a line
up of clients with deep pockets, but like I'd told her, I didn't want any part
of them if they were her buddies. Her circle was just not my cup of tea.
Social climbing socialites who had nothing
better to do than cause conflict and mayhem at every turn. Mama's boys with
their two hundred dollar haircuts and their whiny asses, no thank you. My bikes
were for riding, not showpieces.
At end of day we went our separate ways,
since it was a Tuesday, riding day was usually the weekends unless we had
something special lined up. Most of my guys had families that they needed to
get home to.
That was one of my only stipulations. That
any man with a family had to put in the time, because if you neglected your
family I couldn't expect anything good from your ass, so you had to show me
that you were man enough to man up.
Most of our activities were family
oriented, unless we were going to kick some ass, then we left the ladies at
home. A fight was no place for a female, and women's rights could go fuck
themselves if they thought differently.
I had about ten Godchildren because we're
a clannish bunch. The women were close, and they were always planning shit.
Everything revolved around food; I guess that's what happens when you have
kids.
I paid my guys a better than decent wage
because I could afford that shit and because they deserved it.
Any one of them knew they could come to me
at any given time for help because that's how I roll. Some of the wives even
called me when their men weren't doing their shit. I have a mother and two
sisters, fuck that, no one in my crew was screwing over his old lady on my
watch.
If a dude wasn't holding up his end of the
bargain, and he couldn't be talked into seeing the error of his ways, then he
was out. If the wife stayed with him, then that was on her, and if she decided
to cut the dick off, then the rest of us looked out until such time as she got
back on her feet.
Thank God we'd only had to do that twice,
but a couple of lawyers in the crew were good at getting those women what they
needed for them and their kids out of the scumbags, so it was all good.
Women weren't cast out just because their
men were out. Once a part of Lyon's Crew you were family, man, woman and child.
My phone rang just as I was about to climb
on the back of my Dodge Tomahawk V10 bike.
"What's up mom?"
"Is that any way to answer the phone
son?"
"Hello mother, how are you today?"
"Smart ass, are you coming to dinner
or not?"
"Is today Tuesday, and did you not
make my favorite roast and potatoes?"
"You know I did, Colton, now what
time shall I expect you?"
"How does seven thirty sound? That'll
give me enough time to get cleaned up."
"Sounds lovely dear. Are you bringing
anyone?"
"Like I've told you every time you've
asked that question since I was twenty one, no, now stop pushing. When I meet
someone, you'll be one of the first to know."
"That doesn't make sense. My friend
Charlotte, you remember Char, you know she likes to dabble with the cards
though she shouldn't, well anyway, she swore to me that you were going to meet
the girl of your dreams today."
"Sorry to disappoint you and Madame
Laveau, but no such luck."
"I don't know why I listen to Char in
the first place, her predictions never hardly ever come true, though there was
that time..."
"Mom, if you want me to be there
sometime this millennium, then you're gonna have to let me go. You can regale
me with stories of Char's sorcery over dinner, okay beautiful?"
"Oh alright, you didn't defile your
body any more since I last saw you did you?"
"Mom..."
"Okay, okay, it's just I despair of
what you'll do to yourself next, and please for the sake of my sanity be
careful on that death trap you like to get around on. I don't know what's wrong
with that perfectly nice Volvo I got for your last birthday."
"I'm not a sixty year old
virgin..."
"Colton Anthony Lyon, you watch your
mouth."
I could hear the laughter in her scolding,
good old mom, you gotta love her, she never gives up.
"See you soon beautiful."
I rang off and went home. It promised to
be a long night at the Lyon's dinner table, mom took her crack pot friend
Char's words as gospel, and she will nit pick me to death about every female I
met today.
If she only knew that the only female I
met today was a timid little thing that I wouldn't touch with a ten-foot pole.
I was ready for her the next day at seven thirty.
I'd spent way too much time last night dwelling on her, and how she would fit
in here, not to mention, trying really hard not to picture her face every time
mom mentioned Char's predictions.
I put all of that out if my head as I
awaited her arrival. I needed my head examined for even going through with
this.
This person will be working very closely
with me, and I'm a hard taskmaster.
I like things done a certain way, and if
they weren't, I wasn't always too kind in showing my displeasure if you know
what I mean. I could be a motherfucker when it comes to my business, and if
this chick turned out to be a thin skinned broad who cries and gets emotional
at the drop of a hat, then she was fucked.
I'm extremely nervous. It's my first day
on the job and already I'm dreading it. The work shouldn't be a problem. I'm
kinda smart, so taking orders and putting them into a computer spread sheet
should be easy enough, but Jared hadn't told me his boss was so...male.
Then again Jared doesn't know my little
secret, no one does.
"Kat, you sure you want to do this so
soon. Why don't you give yourself some time?"
"It's okay, dad, I need to stay busy.
Don't worry about me, Jared will be there, so I'll be fine."
"If you're sure, I just don't want
you to think you have to work. I can give you an allowance until you decide
what you want to do."
"Thanks, dad, that's sweet, but I'm
cool. Now eat your breakfast and get to work."
"Yes ma'am, you know you don't have
to do this everyday. I can always grab a bite at the diner on the way."
"It's no trouble, dad, stop
worrying."
"So, how's this new boss of yours, he
seem like a nice guy?"
I took my time answering. I knew because
of what had happened in Arizona everyone felt they had to shield me from
everything, but I didn't want them to. I was wounded yes, but not broken, and I
fought very hard not to be that person.
"He seems nice enough, dad, it's just
answering phones and keeping track of supplies and stuff like that, no
biggie."
"I could probably get you on part
time down at the station as a filing clerk or something, just for the summer,
until..."
"Dad, I'm fine, so stop worrying
about me. I'm okay, I promise."
"Okay, Kat, I'll back off, but if
things change, then you let me know right away."
"Okay, dad." I kissed his cheek
as I heard Jared outside.
"You tell that scamp to be careful
with you on that death trap, or I'll have his hide."
"Yes sir."
I left the house before he locked me in my
room to keep me safe from the big bad world.
"Hey, Jared."
"Morning, Kat, you ready?"
"As I'll ever be."
I climbed on the back of his custom made
bike, and the legs of my baggy trousers almost covering my ballet flats.
I loved the feel of the wind on my face as
it rushed by, the freedom I felt on the back of a bike, it felt like I could just
fly away from it all.
We got to the bike shop way too soon, and
Jared left me to go in by myself as he sauntered off to the shop in back.
My palms were sweating, and I felt sick.
Get a grip Kat he's just a guy. Just don't
pay any attention to his arms or his tattoos or his face, shit; just don't look
at him
.
"You plan on hanging around out here
all morning, Sloane?"
I almost jumped out of my skin, where the
hell had he come from?
"No sir...uh...I mean no, Mr.
Lyon."
"Colton, my name is Colton, and I believe
I told you about talking to the ground when addressing me."
Shit, does that mean I have to look at
him? Not good.
I lifted my head and hoped for the best.
Well hell, didn't the man wear anything
other than muscle shirts? How's a body supposed to breathe around all that
hotness?
Down girl he's way out of your league
.
I took a deep breath and tried again.
"Colton, I'm ready to get to work if
you'll just show me where to start."
Good, my voice didn't crack or anything.
He turned to lead the way into the office,
and I got a look at his buns. Shit, was there anything about the man that
wasn't perfect?
And how had I forgotten that I would be
working this close to him. Please, God, let him spend most of his time in the
shop, and not cooped up here in this office with me. I wouldn't last a week.
"Something on my ass?" Oh shit,
kill me now; the world’s hottest man had just caught me staring at his ass. My
mortification knew no bounds.
"Oh no, uhmmmm, I wasn't looking at
your...uhmmmm, my mind just wandered there for a minute."
Yep, right into the gutter.
He kept going, and dropped it, thank God.
I shrugged my shoulders trying to keep the
too large suit jacket from falling off of me.
I'm sure I looked a sight. I hated it, but
I needed it, so baggy clothes and drudgery had become my crutch since the
incident, and it was hard to give them up.
The fact is, I hadn't really felt alive in
a long time, until yesterday when I first laid eyes on Colton Lyon.
A part of me that I had believed died at
callous hands came back full force without warning.
Now all I had to do was keep my head on
straight and stop obsessing over his fuck-hot body and those to die for
tattoos.
"This will be your desk, and mine's
through that door, so you'll have the place to yourself mostly since I'm
usually in the shop working, or on the showroom floor.
No one comes in here when I'm not around.
My guys already know this.
I run a tight ship, no slacking off. You
get an hour lunch, and your hours are nine to five, unless I need you to stay a
little extra for some reason. That shouldn't happen too often, but it could
happen.
You know your way around a computer?"
"Yes sir...uh I mean,
Mr....Colton."
It's not my fault that I was a stuttering,
blushing mess. For crying out loud, you should see him. He's standing with his
arms folded, which only makes them seem more built, legs braced apart, biker
boots, tight black tee stretched across his chest with a picture of a naked
Betty Boop on the front.
His tats are dark and sexy, and they cover
one forearm and run up to his neck and my panties are wet. So there!
Even my thoughts are exhausting.
He sighed, as though I was a trial.
Whatever
big boy, try being on my end of things
.
He finished showing me around the office,
and doling out instructions with his highbrow accent and elocution in total
contrast to his bad boy looks.
"You got all that?"
"Yes, I believe I do."
The first half of the day was a snap.
I uploaded the orders from the sheet he'd
given me, placed calls to suppliers as he'd instructed, and fielded calls for
new orders.
Seems everyone wanted a Colton Lyon
original.
True to his word he was only in and out
sparingly, but each time was worse than the last.
Like now, sweat made his T-shirt stick to
his body, and he looked a little flushed I guess from the heat in the shop, and
the way he was drinking that bottle of water, Eeeeeeee.
"What is it now?"
"Huh, what?" Oh, merciful
heavens, please tell me he didn't just catch me ogling his junk, but what did
he expect, walking around here in those tight jeans... that hid nothing. Didn't
that hurt, to stuff all that in there?
"You've been staring at me with a
blush on your face for the last five minutes, Sloan, you got a fever or something?"
"Yeah I've got a fever alright."
Of course I mumbled that under my breath. The man was going to be the death of
me, no wonder I kept spazzing out. Did he have to wear that cologne?
"What was that?"
"Nothing, nothing at all, sir, just
getting back to work here, lots to do."
Please take your package and exit far
left, I need a damn cigarette and I don't even smoke
.
I turned back to the computer screen
before he opened his mouth, and he almost gave me heart failure.
"Am I fucking you?"
Say what now?
"Uh...no?" Was my new boss
hitting the pipe?
"What did I tell you about that sir
shit?"
Gulp.
"Sorry, I'll try to remember."
"See that you do."
Would you get out of here already before I
combust?
The big guy upstairs must've been
listening, because he made an exit not long after.
Jared brought me lunch, which I ate at my
desk, because I found that the last person had made a mess of the files. Not
that anything was missing; it's just that there was no real order to anything.
Around two the phone rang, good, break up
the monotony.
"Lyon's Place, how may I help
you?"
"Where the fuck is Lyon?"
"Excuse me?"
"Lyon, the quack that runs that
outfit over there, where the hell is he?"
"Sir, how may I be of service? Mr.
Lyon is rather busy at the moment…"
"Listen girly…"
"No, you listen. I don't know who you
are, and quite frankly I don't care, but your telephone manner leaves much to
be desired.
Now either you speak to me in a civil
tone, or I'll be hanging up on the count of five. One, two, three, four…"
"I'm almost there little missy, we'll
just see about this."
He hung up the phone.
Oh shit, my first day and I'm gonna get
canned. Who the hell was that?
Damn, when will I learn to keep my big
mouth shut? Jared was going to be so pissed.
Not long after, I heard the same gruff
voice outside the door, followed by a few others, namely Colton's.
My stomach was in knots, and I had to
throw up.
"Marcus, what the hell?"
"Fight's not with you, Lyon."
"You have a beef with any one of my staff
on my property, the fights with me Grimaldi."
"I want to talk to little missy with
the big mouth."
"What's this about, Grimaldi?"
"You learn how to build a decent bike
yet?"
"Listen, we've been going back and
forth with this for the last year. If you don't like my work, then there's
nothing I can do for you, but you're not going to come here and harass my
people."
Maybe I should get out there before things
get out of hand. Colton was beginning to sound frustrated.
I took a deep breath and walked to the
door. I had to fortify myself before opening it.
I opened the door to Colton, Jared, and a
couple of the guys, Tommy and Pete among them.
"Hey, you the one I spoke to?"
Okay, he did not look anything like his
voice sounded, and he was dressed like a refined gentleman while he spoke like
a ruffian.
What was it with the men in this town not
being what they seem?
I wasn't quite sure what I'd done to set
him off, so I decided to play it safe.
"Yes sir, I think I am."
He looked me up and down with a sneer.
"Well now, you're just a little
itty-bitty thing, not much to you at all."
Watch it old man with the short jokes.
Instead of actually answering his
obnoxious observation, I just straightened my shoulders and stood a little
taller.
"Was there something I could help you
with?"
"There it is, that same snooty tone
she used on the phone, that how you running your business these days,
Lyon?"
Colton started to answer him, but for some
strange reason I felt the need to defend myself, especially since the old
reprobate was smirking at me like a three year old tattletale who'd gotten me
in trouble.
Chances are I was going to be fired
anyway, so what the hell.
"Fact of the matter is, you were
obnoxiously rude, Mr. Grumpy. If you want respect, then you first have to give
it."
"Excuse me young lady, do you have
any idea who I am?"
"Marc…"
Again Colton tried to intervene, but I
beat him to it, enough is enough.
For the past three months or so I've been playing
the coward. Just because life had thrown me a curveball, didn't mean I had to
roll over and play dead, and I'd be damned if I was going to play the coward
here like I had in Arizona.
"Listen, Dragon heart, I don't really
much care who you are. From the looks of you, you have money, and maybe that's
why you think you can get away with treating people just any old way, but your
money doesn't mean squat to me, so why don't you take your money and your
pompous attitude and go fu…"
"Kat…"
"Sloan—"
Jared and Colton cut into my resignation
speech before I could get to the good part.
Suddenly there was a burst of raucous
laughter as Mr. Grumpy bent double in laughter.
"You've got the contract, Lyon."
He held his hand out to Colton as he almost choked on his laughter.
Colton looked from him to me, and back
again before shaking his head and taking the hand.
I had no idea what the hell had just
happened.
"Back to work, show's over, and that
means you too, Sloan."
I turned and escaped back into the office.
* * * * *
I waited 'til only Jared and I were left
in the hallway, and Marcus had gone off to the showroom with the guys.
"She's not at all what she seems, is
she?"
"Nope!"
"What the fuck is going on,
Jared?"
"You'll just have to wait to find
out."
Shit, she'd just landed me what could be
my most lucrative deal. A contract I'd been after for a year now, and a deal
that will have my bikes all over the world.