Unhinged (13 page)

Rather than drag it out
any longer, I leaned in and pressed my mouth to his, feeling the metal of his
lip ring against my bottom lip. Unable to resist, I slid my tongue over the
cool metal, but I didn’t linger past that. I nodded my head and then reached
for the door handle, finding it instantly although I hadn’t even seen it
earlier.

Without another word, I
climbed out and closed the door, glancing back one more time as I made my way
up the stairs. Sebastian’s car remained in the parking lot until I entered my
apartment.

Once inside, I quickly
closed and locked the door behind me. As I listened until the throaty rumble of
the car’s engine disappeared into the night, I closed my eyes and leaned
against the front door, wondering just what I was supposed to do now.

Payton

By noon the following
day, I was counting down the seconds until I could go home. Conrad had taken
the day off, but I still had to remain in the office to field his phone calls
and work on the logistics for an upcoming trip he was taking to Las Vegas.
Apparently the SEMA show was as big a deal for Trovato, Inc. as it was for my
father and his little body shop. Then again, they were both in the automotive
industry, so it made sense. With the trip coming up next week, I had to
finalize the details. Thankfully, Jasmine had scheduled everything months ago,
so I was just confirming that it was all still in order.

I was pretty sure the
universe was out to get me because, from the time I arrived at eight, coming in
later because Mr. Trovato wasn’t going to be in the office, the phone rang all
of seven times. Two of those had been solicitors that I had politely asked not
to call back. I had learned already that when Mr. Trovato was out of the
office, no one generally came to see him, which was no different today. I was
sitting on the second floor by myself, willing the phone to ring so I’d at
least have someone to talk to for a few minutes.

The rest of the time I
was thinking about Sebastian and the kiss we’d shared the night before. I
couldn’t stop replaying his words over and over in my head.
I need to see
you again.
It hadn’t slipped past me that he’d used the word “need” rather
than “want.” And when he said it, that was exactly how it made me feel. As
though it was critical that we didn’t let this end before it ever got started.

The universe must have
heard me moaning and groaning because the phone on my desk rang. I eagerly
reached for it, answering with “Trovato, Inc. Conrad Trovato’s office. How may
I help you?”

“Payton.”

I instantly sat up
straight when I heard my boss’s voice on the phone. I hadn’t expected him to
call, and a million things ran through my mind. Was he upset? Did I do
something wrong? Was he going to fire me on the phone?

Don’t ask me why I got
so antsy, I just did.

“Yes, sir?” I replied,
holding my breath.

“You’re working on the
trip to Vegas next week, right?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Good. I need you to
plan to go with me.”

Oh, no. Please no. I
did not want to travel. It just wasn’t my thing.

Not that I could tell
Conrad that. My job was to assist him and, technically, if he needed me to go
along on a business trip with him, I wasn’t supposed to argue. “Okay,” I
answered hesitantly.

“My wife and daughter
will be coming along. Book yourself a hotel room. Make sure you’re in the same
hotel that we are.”

“Yes, sir.” It seemed
those were the only two words that still existed in my vocabulary.

“Thanks, Payton. I’ll
see you Monday morning.”

“Yes, sir.”

There was a click,
signaling that Conrad had hung up, so I dropped the receiver in the cradle and
stared at my computer screen.

Las Vegas.

I’d never been to Las
Vegas.

I wasn’t sure I wanted
to go to Las Vegas.

Knowing that fretting
about it wasn’t going to get me anywhere, I typed in the web address for the
hotel where Mr. Trovato was staying. After attempting to locate a room using
their online tool, I came up empty. No rooms were available for that time
frame. I figured it had to do with the show.

Maybe that was how I
could get out of it. If they didn’t have a room, I wouldn’t have to go.

Knowing that Conrad
would expect me to call them directly, I grabbed the receiver and dialed the
number that Jasmine had noted with the reservation.

Twenty minutes later I
wasn’t feeling any better. The kind woman on the other end of the phone had
only been too happy to help me, instantly getting an additional room for Mr.
Trovato. Apparently he was a VIP and the lady had been quite enamored when I
mentioned his name.

Crap.

So much for lucking out
on that one.

Once that was done, I
took care of the flight, encountering another very helpful employee at the
airline who ensured me they had an additional seat in first class, on the same
flight Mr. Trovato and his family would be on.

Great.

I had just finished
taking care of everything, printing out my itinerary for the trip and urging my
stomach to stop churning. I knew that being an administrative assistant wasn’t
just going to consist of me sitting in the office and answering Conrad’s
phones, but I had truly hoped that I wouldn’t have to travel with the man.
Sure, it helped that Aaliyah was going. I liked her. I figured we’d get along
well, but still.

My cell phone chirped
from inside my desk drawer while I was still staring blankly at the computer
screen.

Without a second of
hesitation, I snatched it, hitting the button to bring the screen to life. The
words I saw there made all of my previous worries disappear instantly.

Dinner with me tonight.

That’s all the text
said, but I knew who the number belonged to because last night, after I’d
managed to get my heart rate back under control, I had added Sebastian’s number
to my contact list, not wanting to accidentally delete it.

Who is this?

I sent a text back,
smiling as I did.

Your mechanic

Now, if I said my heart
didn’t skip a beat, I’d be lying.

Mine. He was
mine
?

My fingers were shaking,
my nerves in an uproar as I typed a message back.

I’m not sure I need my
car serviced at the moment, but thank you anyway.

The response didn’t
come quickly and I was starting to think Sebastian had taken me seriously. I
was still staring at my phone a minute later when the next message finally came
in.

That’s good cuz I
wanted to take you to dinner, not service your… um… car

I felt the heat rise to
my face. He’d effectively embarrassed me and I was grateful that he couldn’t
see me right then. Caving, I shot a quick message back.
When?

“Right now.”

I fell out of my chair.

Yep, without an ounce
of grace, I fell right out. Of. My. Chair.

I would have been
embarrassed, except the shock to my heart was so powerful, I was gasping for
breath and holding my hand against my chest, trying to keep the damn organ from
jumping up through my throat.

“You scared me,” I
declared, pushing to my feet before Sebastian could help me. He was faster than
I was, his strong hands gripping my arms when I stood. “How’d you get up here?”
I peeked around him, fully expecting Ron to come up the stairs ready to shoot
to kill.

“I’m persuasive like
that,” Sebastian answered. “Are you okay?”

Okay? Was I okay? No, I
was not. I was embarrassed and happy to see him all at the same time. “I’m
fine. Just call me grace,” I mumbled, looking down at the floor.

The silence was
stifling until Sebastian used his finger to tip my chin up, forcing me to look
at him. “Are you ready?”

No, I wasn’t sure I’d
ever be ready for anything this man had to offer me.

I didn’t tell him that
though. I simply nodded before I could think better of it.

It took me a minute to
shut down my laptop and place it in the bag, but once I did, Sebastian
retrieved it from my desk and put it on his arm. His big, bulging, muscular
arm. The one decorated with tattoos.

I still wanted to know
how he’d slipped past the security guard.

Maybe it was his last
name.

“Time’s wasting.” His
silky voice sent a shiver racing through me.

I nodded, not sure what
else to do. Tossing my cell phone in my purse, I hauled it onto my shoulder and
glanced back at my desk one last time.

It was only four, and I
had no idea whether or not Mr. Trovato would be angry that I left early, but my
boredom was going to have me running out the door screaming if I didn’t go now
anyway.

There was no hand
holding as I followed Sebastian out of the building. I looked around to see if
I could find the Camaro he’d been driving the day before. I saw a multitude of
cars, but none of them was his sleek black car.

“Where’d you park?” he
asked as he stepped off the curb in front of the building.

“Me?” Wow, that sounded
stupid. “I thought you were taking
me
out.”

“I am.”

“Then why are we taking
my car?”

“Who said we were?”

I glared at Sebastian.
The man was infuriating and way too cryptic.

That’s when he took my
hand and his simple touch jolted me instantly. He could have said we were
walking and I wouldn’t have argued with him at that point.

Sebastian

I knew I was taking a
chance when I showed up at my father’s office to see Payton unannounced. After
last night, anything I did where Payton was concerned was a risk, but I
couldn’t help myself. The minute I learned that Conrad and his wife had gone
out of town, I knew what I had to do.

Waiting until four
o’clock had been the kicker. I’d spent the day screwing with my truck until
finally I got the damn thing running the way it should. How I managed that, I
still had no idea. My thoughts had been on Payton since I pulled out of her
apartment complex the night before. Even then, I knew that staying away from
her was going to be impossible, but I hadn’t wanted to look too desperate.

Whatever it was about
her, I needed more. And need was a strong word, but I was drawn to her in a way
I’d never been drawn to anyone
the way I was to Payton, let alone
a woman. Since I didn’t know her all that well, I wasn’t quite sure what the
allure was, but I’d be damned if I wasn’t going to try and find out.

When we reached her
Mustang, I waited for her to unlock the door. I slipped her computer bag inside
and then put my hands on her hips before she could disappear inside the car,
too. “What are you hungry for?” I asked, trying to keep from touching her too
much.

I didn’t know Payton
well enough to be touching her period, but I felt a connection to her. Maybe it
sounded fucked up, but it was as though she and I had been destined to meet.
Despite my ability to frustrate her to no end with my lack of conversational
skills, I wanted her to like me. I wanted her to want me.

I wanted her to
need
me.

After spending just a
few minutes in her presence, the woman unhinged me. Even as fucked up as I was,
it didn’t matter. I swore to do whatever it took to make her want me.

“Pizza,” she said
quickly, her eyes roaming my face.

I smiled down at her,
admiring the intriguing color of her eyes. Last night I noticed they were an unusual
shade of yellow-green. Today they were just green. It probably had a lot to do
with the emerald green sweater she wore, the one that outlined every luscious
curve.

Pulling my eyes away
from said curves, I met her gaze. “Pizza?” I was a little surprised by her
selection.

“You got something
against pizza?” She used the same phrase I’d used on her the night before, her
smile radiant as she rested her palms on my chest. Seeing her look so happy
made me want to do whatever was necessary to ensure that smile stayed in place.

“Pizza works.” Hell,
I’d eat dirt if it meant I got to have dinner with her. “I’ll meet you at your
apartment.”

“Do I have time to
change?”

“If you want. I happen
to think you look good enough to eat,” I told her, glancing back down at her
breasts before slowly sliding my gaze up to hers once again.

The pink that infused
her cheeks made me feel invincible, like I could conquer the world. The idea of
her feeling a little off-kilter was empowering, something I hadn’t felt before.

“Okay.” Her eyes darted
away from mine quickly. “But you’ll have to let me go if you expect me to drive
home.”

I didn’t want to let
her go, I wanted to feel the warmth of her skin beneath my palms, but I knew
she was right. I nodded, releasing my grip on her hips and taking a step back.
Her hands fell from my chest and I wanted to grab hold of them and plant them
there again just so she didn’t stop touching me.

Moving out of the way,
I stood by patiently until she climbed into her car and closed the door.
Resting my hand on the roof, I waited until she started the engine before
backing up. And it wasn’t until her car pulled out of the parking lot that I
started walking to my truck.

I glanced up at the
building, wondering just what my father was going to say when he found out I
was dating his assistant. He had already warned me to stay away from her. Not
that I ever intended to listen.

I had a sneaking
suspicion that I was pushing too hard this time. But I didn’t give a shit.

Conrad and I didn’t see
eye to eye on many things. He hated my piercings, cringed when he caught a
glimpse of my tattoos, and he detested my choice in music. But Conrad Trovato
loved money more than he loved anything, so he managed to overlook much of what
I did, only because I was the one who’d put his fucking company on the map.

Performance engines
were my specialty. I had taken a personal interest in Trovato, Inc. as soon as
I found out that my father owned it. I made it my mission to show him that he
wasn’t all that. I’d proven myself by doing what his best engineers couldn’t
do. And I didn’t have to sit behind a desk every day to do it. That was the
best part.

I pulled out onto the
street when there was a break in traffic and I slammed my foot on the gas, the
truck took off, the engine growling. I smiled to myself at the thought of all
those people in that building who still had no idea who I was. There were only
a handful of people who knew that I was Conrad Trovato’s son. A very limited
few. And I wouldn’t be surprised if those people had been threatened within an
inch of their lives if they disclosed what they knew.

I certainly wasn’t
going to be the one to break the news to anyone.

Well, except for
Payton.

I knew I had to tell
her. If I expected this to go anywhere at all, I had to tell her all about
myself.

I only hoped she didn’t
freak. That was one of the reasons I was trying to hold off until I could make
an impression on her… a good impression. I wanted her to think about me the way
I had thought about her for the last week. And then I’d tell her all of the
tragic details of my life.

Pulling up in front of
her apartment building, I didn’t bother pulling into a parking space. I
probably should have done the gentlemanly thing and gone to her door, but I
couldn’t. I feared that if she let me in, ordering pizza would be the extent of
dinner because if we had just a little privacy, I wasn’t going to be able to
keep my hands off her.

And that wasn’t going
to go over well with Payton. Not on a first date, for sure.

My attention was drawn
to the stairs when I noticed her coming toward me. She’d changed into a pair of
faded jeans and a T-shirt, just a little more casual than what she’d worn to
work.

I decided right then
and there that those jeans were now my favorite. Even from this distance, I could
see that there was a hole in the thigh and I got a glimpse of golden skin
beneath. I would have preferred she put on a skirt so I could get an eyeful of
her incredible legs, but this would work, too.

“Nice truck,” she
complimented when she climbed in. “What year is it?”

“’63.”

“Did you restore it yourself?”

“I did.”

Just like the Camaro,
I’d dumped a lot of money into the truck. New interior, new cherry-red paint
job. It cost a pretty penny. But what was under the hood said it all.

“Nice job,” she said
approvingly.

“Thanks. So pizza,
huh?”

After searching the
seat around her, Payton peered up at me from the other side of the cab, her
eyebrows raised in question.

“What?”

“Seatbelts?”

I chuckled. “Sorry, this
one didn’t come with seatbelts. But you don’t need ‘em if you come sit by me.”

“I don’t need one? I do
remember how you drove last night, you know.”

“I’d been showing off
then,” I lied. I hadn’t been showing off. That was how I drove. Speed was the
name of the game. I was an adrenaline junkie, there was no doubt about it,
which was why the license plate on the Camaro read
BLUR
and the main
reason I had roll bars installed in it. The truck, however, did not have roll
bars. “I’ll be more careful this time.”

I patted the seat and
watched her.

I noticed the instant
she decided to give in. She scooted toward me and I kept my hand on the shifter
on the steering column. Three on the tree in the middle of downtown Austin
meant my hand would be otherwise occupied, unfortunately, but having her beside
me was enough.

Thirty minutes later, I
pulled into a small pizza place downtown. Traffic was a bitch, especially since
they were preparing to close Sixth Street off to through traffic for the night,
but I managed to make my way to a parking garage close by.

“You don’t mind
walking, do you?” I asked, after we had parked.

“If I said I did?”
Payton retorted, a glowing grin on her face.

I couldn’t resist the
urge to kiss her. It was overwhelming with its intensity so I leaned over and
pressed my mouth to hers. The soft purr that escaped her had my body hardening
instantly.

Shit.

Starting the night off
with a hard-on wasn’t going to go over well, but that’s just what happened. My
body responded to her, the taste of her lips, the light floral fragrance of her
hair… I couldn’t get enough.

Pulling back before I
took things too far, I placed both hands on the steering wheel and stared out
the windshield, taking deep breaths.

“You okay?” I could
hear the amusement in her tone.

“Never better,” I
whispered, rather impressed that my voice worked at all. Inhaling sharply, I
gripped the door handle before glancing over at her. “Come on. Let’s eat.”

The walk to the pizza
joint took us fifteen minutes, but Payton spent most of the time talking about
the bars, tattoo parlors, and stores that lined the main drag. I’d taken her
hand as soon as she climbed out of the truck and hadn’t let go. I didn’t intend
to let go. Not until I needed to use that hand to eat, and I was even debating
that.

When we reached the
pizza place, I pulled open the door and a bell rang overhead, announcing our
presence. The short, heavy set man with thick black hair and a wide grin
glanced up and smiled from behind the register.

“Trovato!” he greeted,
making his way out from behind the register. “How the hell ya been?”

Payton was staring at
me like I had two heads coming off my shoulders, but I just clutched her hand
as Rocco approached. I didn’t let her go even when Rocco insisted on throwing
his burly arms around me and squeezing, jarring my teeth with numerous slaps on
my back.

“Rocco, this is Payton.
Payton, this is Rocco. He’s an old friend.”

Payton smiled and held
out her hand, but just as I expected, Rocco reached for her, thankfully not
slapping her on the back but hugging her hard enough for her to let out a
startled squeak.

“Be easy, Rocco,” I
warned playfully.

“No, it’s fine,” Payton
said, sounding a little breathless.

“What can I get you
kids?” Rocco asked as he turned back toward the counter.

We fell into step
behind him and I looked at Payton for suggestions.

“Pepperoni.”

“My kinda girl,” I
teased, turning my attention to Rocco.

A few minutes later we
were seated at one of the booths with the red and white checkered table cloths.
Rocco brought two beers in clear plastic cups before disappearing into the
back.

The restaurant was
surprisingly empty, but I knew that would change. It was Friday night and the
college campus wasn’t far. Pretty soon, the place would be full of people
laughing and joking, grabbing a bite to eat before a night on the town.

“How do you know him?”
Payton asked when we were alone.

“He was friends with my
mom,” I told her, realizing instantly what I’d just said.

“
Was
?”

I stared at Payton for
a moment. Honest to God, I wanted to tell this girl anything she wanted to
know, but I didn’t want to start the date off like that. But I couldn’t leave
her hanging. “How about this,” I started, reaching for her hand quickly. I
brushed my thumb over her knuckles. “I’ll tell you all the personal details you
want to know, but… Wait, let me finish.”

Payton huffed, making
me smile.

“I’ll bare my soul to
you, but let’s wait until the second date. Tonight’s about having fun. Deal?”

Payton didn’t look at
all good with the suggestion, but she finally agreed. “Fine.” Her frown turned
into a mischievous grin and I knew I wasn’t going to like what came next.
“Under one condition.”

“Hit me.”

“No more kissing until
you answer my questions.”

The woman drove a hard
bargain, I’d give her that. “No promises, Angel,” I told her, keeping my voice
low. “As much as I’d like to say I was good with that, I’d be lying through my
teeth.”

Payton looked a little
shocked by my honesty. She was also momentarily speechless, but just as I expected,
that didn’t last long.

“So what’s a safe
subject?” she asked just as Rocco was bringing the pizza out to the table. He
handed us paper plates and napkins before leaving us alone again.