I wanted to believe him. “You really mean that?”
“I haven’t said a damn thing to you I didn’t mean. I don’t go around puffing people up. That’s not my style.”
I thought of the things he’d said to me when we’d met. “I noticed that the first day.”
“And you hated it.”
“I hated it because you were so fucking spot on.”
“I knew you could do better. If I’d thought you were a lost cause, I wouldn’t have bothered confronting you. I would’ve told you when I could have your brother’s SUV ready and gone on with my business.”
“And when I came to you for help?”
He tossed the rag into the laundry bin and began to wash his hands at the large sink on the shop floor. “I would have charged you an exorbitant amount. You would’ve paid, and I would’ve been that much richer. Instead, I chose to challenge you because I saw what you could be.”
I’d never wanted him more than I did in that moment. What he was saying to me was soft and caring rather than hot and filthy like he’d been the night before, but somehow it stirred me up just as much.
“I need to go to the bathroom.”
He smiled and tilted his head in the right direction. “Go on.”
Once I closed the bathroom door, I braced myself on the sink and stared at my reflection. My face was flushed and covered in a sheen of sweat. My whole body felt tingly and alive.
I was pathetic, getting hard as fuck because a man actually showed that he cared about me. What was that about?
Maybe it was just because I’d denied myself all night, which was ridiculous. I couldn’t let Beau have that level of control over me, no matter how easily his words seduced me.
I yanked the zipper on my coveralls down, reached into my boxers, and grasped my dick.
As soon as my fingers closed around my shaft, I knew I wasn’t going to stop. I worked myself with fast, tight strokes. It hurt, but I didn’t care. I needed to come more than I needed to be gentle with myself.
A few seconds later I heard footsteps approach the door. Fuck, what a time for somebody else to need to use the restroom.
Hurrying wouldn’t be a problem, though. This was going to be over in seconds.
“Corbin?” It was Beau.
“I’ll be out in a minute.” My voice sounded way too breathless.
“Open the door, Corbin.”
Shit, was anyone else around who might hear. What would they think of him coming into the bathroom with me? I thought we were trying to stay under the radar.
“I said I’d be out in a minute.” I enunciated clearly making sure my words came through without sounding like I couldn’t breathe.
The lock turned and Beau eased the door open a few inches. He raised his brows as he looked pointedly at my hand wrapped around my cock.
“What the fuck are you doing in here?” I asked as I fumbled around trying to get my coveralls to zip back up.
“There’s no one else in the building now. I told Sam I needed to have a private word with you.”
“What will she think about that?”
“Absolutely nothing. My people know better than to question me. Loyalty is the first requirement of working here.”
I don’t know how I found the nerve, but I met his gaze and licked my lips as he watched. “Are you sure you don’t want to join me?”
“You’re really pushing it today.”
I sighed. “How’d you know?”
“The way you looked at me, your cheeks were so red, your breath so fast. When you didn’t come back in a few minutes, I knew what you were up to.”
“You’d have been embarrassed as hell if you’d jerked the door open, and I was in here taking a big dump.”
“I can read you better than that.”
I ran a hand through my hair. “This is so fucking ridiculous.”
“What? Me knowing what you’re up to?”
“No. You thinking you can control me.”
He gripped my chin, squeezing tight. “I don’t think I can control you. I know I can.”
“Fuck.”
He smiled at the whispered curse. “Wash your hands and come out here so we can get some more work done. Tonight, you’ll learn the consequences for defying me.”
The rest of the day dragged. Beau held to his word that I was shadowing him for the day. I helped him put new tires on a truck, learned about popping out dents, and watched him assess a car that had come in looking to me like it should be totaled. Beau said he could have it back in perfect shape.
Finally, it was time to go home. All day I’d been anxious to get to this, but now I found myself asking if maybe Beau wanted to stay a little longer and take care of a few more things.