But one taste of Rusty and he was screwed. Now he couldn’t get her out of his head.
He tightened his fingers around the soda bottle in his hand.
What scared you away, Foxy?
She’d fled from him the week before, like a switch had been flicked. One minute she couldn’t get enough of his mouth, the next she freaked and bolted. She’d left him confused, concerned, and with a serious case of blue balls.
She’d been worked up about something, and he planned to find out what caused the sudden change, because he wanted her. And he got the feeling that wouldn’t change anytime soon.
He was flying blind, had no idea what the hell he was doing, but what he did know was she was stubborn. His calls and messages over the last few days had gone unanswered. Something else he’d never experienced before. He also knew she’d seen him standing here and because of that had refused to look his way again since.
He watched her lick her lips and tuck her hair behind her ear, then she looked up suddenly, as though someone had called her name. A smile lifted the corners of her mouth. The softest and sweetest mouth he’d ever tasted, and the sight had his gut clenching with near uncontrollable need.
She left her booth and strode across the floor. But she only walked a short distance, because she was heading straight for his apprentice Dominic, who was standing over by their display cars. The kid beamed at her. Reid had never seen him so damn happy, especially not these last few months.
Putting down his soda, he went over to join them. Dom was talking animatedly about one of their display cars, showing her the parts he’d helped with.
Reid rested his hand on the kid’s shoulder. “Go help Law.”
Rusty completely ignored him, turning away, and asked Dom another question about the car. Dom looked between them, obviously conflicted. Listen to his boss, or the extremely hot babe giving him attention.
“Um…” Dom’s eyes pleaded with Reid to let him stay.
“Now,” Reid said gently.
The kid’s puffed-up chest deflated, but he said his good-byes and reluctantly left.
“You got a minute?” he said to Rusty before she could take off.
“I have to get back.” She didn’t turn around, didn’t say anything else, just walked away.
What in the fuck?
But she didn’t go to her booth, she fled into the crowd, heading to the other side of the event center.
“Yo, Law. Watch the booth.” He didn’t give the guy a chance to answer and took off after her. He had no idea what her problem was, but he did know she wanted him as badly as he wanted her. You couldn’t fake the response she’d given him, the way she’d rubbed that hot body against his, those sweet little moans when he’d kissed her deep.
But what had tormented him since, had kept him awake nights trying to figure her out, dick hard as goddamned steel? The almost hesitant way she’d kissed him back. The tentative way she’d touched him at first. The surprised gasps that broke past her full lips when he’d claimed her mouth.
She had been all need and hunger, no finesse, and it had been the hottest kiss he’d ever had in his life. There’d been an innocence in the way she’d returned his kiss, something he hadn’t expected, had never in his life gone looking for, but wanted a whole lot more of. There was a hell of a lot more beneath the pretty package, and he wanted to unwrap every damn layer and discover all her secrets one by one, lay her bare till she gave him everything.
She had him in knots, and until he got her into his bed, got those long legs wrapped around his waist, and had worked her out of his system, he didn’t see that changing.
He looked out across the crowd. “Shit.” He’d lost sight of her. He needed to talk to her, get whatever was worrying her sorted so they could move forward. He wanted her, and he wanted West Restoration. Neither of those things could happen if she wouldn’t speak to him.
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.