The Closer

Griff smiled. “No, thanks. It’s against protocol.” He didn’t know whether that was true or not, but it sounded better than when “hell freezes over.” He was already feeling too left of center. Off balance. Allowing her to drive would no doubt compound the issue. As a matter of fact, he could safely say that he imagined everything about Jessalyn Rossi was going to compound the issue.

Because, God help him, she was the issue.

3

ER...SO MUCH FOR Paul Blart: Mall Cop, Jess thought as every hair on her body tingled with hypersensitive awareness. Honestly, when she’d turned around and saw him standing in the shop, a sonic boom of white-hot sexual attraction had blasted her so thoroughly it was a miracle she hadn’t been blown backward, spread eagle, like something out of a superhero-comics movie. Her skin still felt singed from the heat, her middle a simmering muddled mess.

It was unnerving, to say the least.

A healthy twenty-year-old woman, Jess was accustomed to looking at the occasional handsome man and experiencing a passing whiff of feminine interest. The recognition would flit through her mind as quickly and unremarkably as a half-formed thought, one that was soon dismissed and replaced with something else. Her gaze shifted to her left and a shivery breath slowly leaked out of her lungs.

Griffin Wicklow was another matter altogether.

One whiff of him, so to speak, and she’d turned into the proverbial bloodhound. And if the hammering of her pulse and the tightening of her nipples were any indication, a female one, at that.

In heat, naturally, she thought with a droll quirk of her lips.

She couldn’t have been any more stunned if she’d sprouted horns and grown a tail. This didn’t happen to her. It had never happened to her, as a matter of fact. On the rare occasions she’d dated anyone long enough to segue into an intimate relationship—rare being the operative word, because oddly enough, most men didn’t appreciate a woman who knew more about the engine under the hood than they did—desire had been something that had required...coaxing. Cultivating. A bit of persuasion.

It had never inexplicably slugged her across the middle with all the subtlety of a two-by-four.

It had never made her feel like icy fire had suddenly erupted beneath her skin.

More disturbingly, it had never made her nervous.

Being different had always demanded courage, so at this point in her life Jess could safely say that very little rattled her. And if it did, she’d eat glass and smile through the blood in her mouth before she’d admit it. She inwardly grinned.

It was part of her charm.

But the anxious energy presently twitching through her veins was something foreign and therefore more...concerning. She could literally feel him there, beside her, though they weren’t actually touching. Every confident turn of the wheel beneath his wide, blunt-tipped beautiful fingers, each breath that moved in and out of his lungs, the slightest shift of his mouthwatering shoulder as he negotiated traffic.

It was madness. Sheer, utter, God help her, thrilling madness.

Perhaps he’d be willing to drop her off at the nearest hospital, Jess thought with a futile smothered whimper, where she could take advantage of some serious psychological help.

Clearly a lobotomy wouldn’t be in order—she’d obviously already lost her friggin’ mind.

But how could she not when he looked like that? If he’d been merely handsome or even just striking, she’d like to think that she would have momentarily swooned, but then recovered. After all, it wasn’t as if good-looking men were that uncommon.

But fifteen minutes post meeting and she was still reeling, still toe-curlingly aware.

It was the hair, she ultimately decided. Curls did it to her every time. No doubt they were the bane of his existence and had garnered him endless teasing as a boy, but mercy, they were beautiful. Big and loose and messy, but easily styled as evidenced by a vague part that looked more as if a hand had done the work rather than a comb. And dark auburn, to boot, damn him. Her favorite color. Not quite brown, not quite red, but thousands of shades in between that caught the light.

The same color slashed boldly over eyes that were deeply lidded and equally riveting. Pinwheels of blue and green burst from his irises in wide, vibrant striations, as though Mother Nature couldn’t decide which hue best suited him, so she gave him both in equal measure.

In direct contrast with the unforgiving masculinity of his face—the bold nose, mile-high, stark cheekbones, angular jaw—curly bronze-tipped lashes framed those remarkable eyes, a feature she was sure he resented. She was suddenly hit with the insane urge to touch them, those lashes, to feel the springy curve of them against the pad of her thumb.

Madness, she thought again, balling her hands in her lap.

One would think the Almighty would have been a little more considerate of the fairer sex when doling out Griff’s finer features. For instance, because he’d been so liberal with his face, one would assume that, in fairness, Griff wouldn’t have been blessed with so spectacular a body. Jess slid a covert peek over his long, muscled profile, her belly clenching when it reached his thigh.

Wrong.

It, too, was equally stunning, equally divinely made. At five-eight, Jess was a tall woman and therefore was accustomed to barely lifting her chin to speak to someone with additional height. This man easily topped six and a half feet and every inch of his physique was perfectly honed, devoid of any softness or, God forbid, fat, she thought enviously. It was a body that commanded attention from both genders, one that was fit and naturally conditioned. He moved easily in his skin, walked with an economy of movement that was as graceful as it was purposeful. He wore a cream-colored sweater, the sleeves pushed up to reveal fine copper hair dusting his forearms, and jeans that were worn and sat low on his lean hips. A little too low, she noted dimly, as though he’d recently lost a little weight.

Jess imagined most every woman longed for one forbidden encounter, to be bowled over by the shock of unadulterated sexual desire, the kind that resulted in torn clothing, whisker burn and hot, broken epithets in conjunction with even hotter, mindless sex. Many women imagined this sort of sex, casting an A-list Hollywood actor as their star performer, herself included, on occasion.

But move over, Channing Tatum, because Griffin Wicklow had just taken top billing on her imaginary marquee.

How extraordinary, she thought wonderingly. How electrifying. How...stupid. She inwardly sagged like a spent party balloon.

He wasn’t just some random guy who’d inadvertently stumbled across her path and flipped her on switch—he was here in a professional capacity, to work, to protect her father’s creation and guard Montwheeler’s investment.

He was not here to play the starring role in her wild, frenzied jungle-movie sex fantasy. Assuming that he’d even want to, and that was debatable, at best. Her insecurities aside—and Lord knew they were considerable—Griffin Wicklow seemed too focused, too locked down, too controlled to engage in the sort of activity she was imagining. Not uptight, precisely, but—she sent him another glance, searching for the right word—disciplined, Jess decided. Nature or necessity? she couldn’t help but wonder, and for whatever reason, she knew she’d have to find out.

“Do you mind if we pull in at Sarah’s Gas-N-Go there on the corner?” she asked brightly, pointing up ahead. “I need to make a pit stop and get some snacks for the road.”

Predictably, the faintest flicker of a muscle jumped in his jaw. He cast a fleeting glance at the dashboard clock. “Of course. But make it quick, please. We’re on a tight schedule.”

Jess smothered a smile. Oh, she’d just bet they were.

He wheeled smoothly into the lot, drew up to the curb and shifted into Park.

“Aren’t you coming in?” she asked.

“I’ll wait.”

All righty then. “Can I get anything for you?”

He shook his head. “I’m good, thanks.”

Jess lifted a brow. “Not even a drink?”

“I’ve got bottled water in the back.”

Of course he did. And most likely protein bars and a first-aid kit, because this man was nothing if not prepared. Mr. Efficiency. Oh, this was going to be fun. She grinned and opened the door. “Okay, then. I’ll be right back.” She sincerely doubted her interpretation and his of “right back” would coincide, but...

Jess took care of necessary business, leisurely filled a Big Gulp at the soda fountain, then ambled down the candy aisle. She was having the usual salty versus sweet debate when a shadow fell over her right shoulder and she felt him looming behind her. She squashed an irrational grin and the urge to squirm. She’d wondered how long it would take him to come in after her.

She turned around and smiled delightedly—innocently—up at him. “Oh, you changed your mind,” she said, noting the case was in his hand. Diligent, naturally. She glanced back at the shelves, gave her head a little shake and winced thoughtfully. “I can’t decide if I want Fiery Jalapeño Nachos or a Nutty Nougat Bar. What are you getting?”

“You,” he said, his tone mildly grim. “Get both. We need to go.”

Though he didn’t touch her, she felt herded to the register all the same. Another odd little thrill whipped through her, churning her insides.

“Afternoon, Jess,” Sarah said, nodding as she rang up her purchase. “How are you this fine September day?”

“I’m good. How are you? Hip feeling better?” The elderly Sarah had taken a fall from a ladder in the spring while cleaning out her gutters. At least, that’s the story she told. Other members of Shadow’s Gap had indicated that Sarah had taken a fall out of bed, and that Ryland Morris had landed on top of her.

Knowing Sarah, who was presently sporting enough cleavage to make Dolly Parton jealous, Jess was more inclined to believe the latter.

“It’s still not at one hundred percent—hurts when rain’s coming—but it’s getting better.” She idly bagged Jess’s items, which made the man behind her twitch with impatience. “You’re racing this weekend, right?” Sarah continued. “Lane Johnson was in here this morning running his mouth again.” She rolled her eyes. “That boy has too little sense and too much self-confidence. It’s irritating.”

Jess couldn’t agree more, but didn’t. “I’m not,” she answered. “I’m actually on my way to New York. Business,” she explained. “For Dad.”

She felt him still behind her, could almost hear his antennae powering up.

Sarah inclined her head. “Ah. Well, that’s a shame. Maybe next weekend then?”

“I’m planning on it,” she said, handing over the correct change.

The older woman accepted the cash, then looked past Jess’s shoulder, through the window into the parking lot. She winced and shook her head. “Looks like Monica Hall’s got car trouble again, bless her heart. Honestly, when you’re buying more oil than gas, it’s time to get a new car.”

Jess followed her gaze, spied the hood up on Monica’s old Buick and bit her bottom lip. Monica Hall was a single mother of three whose worthless ex-husband hadn’t paid child support in over a year. She couldn’t afford to repair her old car, much less buy a new one. A nail tech at one of the local salons, Monica didn’t miss an opportunity to work and was often at the store on Mondays, when everyone else took off.

Jess nodded her goodbye at Sarah, then turned and made her way out of the store.

“You were supposed to race this weekend?” Griff drawled, a gratifying hint of disbelief coloring his tone as he trailed along behind her. “Race, as in a car?” He snorted softly. “Faster,” he muttered. “Why am I not surprised?”

Rather than head back to his truck, Jess started toward Monica. She handed him her purse and bag of snacks, which he accepted without so much as a blink. That distracted, was he? she thought, irrationally pleased. “Well, I’m sure as hell not running the fifty-yard dash, if that’s what you’re thinking. Monica?”

The young mother looked up from the engine, worry drawing lines that didn’t belong on her otherwise smooth face. “Hi, Jess,” she said. She gestured to the car, her expression hopeless. “Clementine’s acting up on me again. Ordinarily, so long as I keep oil in her, she runs all right. I’m not sure what’s wrong now. I can’t get her to start.”

Jess peered beneath the hood, inspected the oily engine, then dropped onto her knees and looked under the car. Ah, just as she’d thought. Oil dropped steadily onto the pavement, but that wasn’t the reason the car wouldn’t start. She grabbed a wad of paper towels from the dispenser. “The oil leak needs to be fixed or you’re going to run into engine issues, but that’s not the problem right now.”

Monica crossed her arms over her chest to fight off the chill in the air. “It’s not?”

“No, your battery posts are corroded.” She winced. “My toolbox is in my car and this certainly isn’t the best way to do it, but hopefully we can get her started.” Using the towels, she cleaned as much of the corrosion off as possible, then straightened. “All right, Monica. Why don’t you get in and give her a try.”

“What kind of racing?” Griff asked. She could feel his curious gaze on her, lingering as though she was some sort of unknown species he’d stumbled across. It was disturbing, that scrutiny, the intense weight of his regard. Her palms tingled and she resisted the urge to push them against her thighs.

“Stock car,” she answered, then smiled as Monica’s engine caught and held.

Relief pushed a grin over the younger woman’s face, erasing some of the premature lines, and she leaned out the car window. “Thanks, Jess! You’re a lifesaver!”

Jess dropped the hood into place, then grabbed her purse from Griff’s arm. He stared at it for a moment, seemingly stunned that he’d been holding it in the first place, then scowled comically.

Smothering the urge to laugh, she made her way over to Monica’s driver’s-side window and handed over her car keys. “My car is in front of the jewelry store. I’ll call Dad and let him know that you’re coming to get it.”

Monica looked at the keys in her hand and blinked. “What?” She shook her head as Jess’s meaning sunk in. “Oh, no. I couldn’t—”

“I insist,” Jess told her. “Leave your keys at the store and when I get back, I’ll take Clementine out to the house and get that oil leak fixed for you. In the meantime, drive mine.” She grinned at her. “It’s just going to be sitting there for the next few days and—” she patted the roof of the car “—Clem needs a break.”

Monica swallowed, clearly touched and torn, then briefly looked away. “Jess, I appreciate the offer, but I don’t know how I’d pa—”

“We’ll work that out later,” she said, waving her concern away. “Maybe trade it out in manicures?” She grinned ruefully and held up her hands. “These nails are always in need of help.”

A tentative smile peeked around her lips. “Are you sure? I—”

Jess nodded decisively. “I’m sure. I’ll give you a call when your car’s ready, okay?”

“Thanks, Jess,” Monica said, her eyes soft with sincerity. “I really appreciate this.”

Jess knew she did. That’s why she didn’t mind helping her. “You’re welcome.”

Looking relieved and a little excited, Monica waved as she drove away.

Jess heaved a small sigh, then turned to find Griff staring at her, an inscrutable look on his handsome face. It was unnerving. “I know, I know,” she said, plucking her snack bag from his hand as she started for his truck. “We need to go. We’re on a schedule.”

And for perverse reasons she wasn’t certain she understood, she had every intention of wrecking it as often as possible. Because something told her that Griff Wicklow needed to learn to roll with the punches instead of holding too fast to his agenda.

It had to be exhausting.

4

GRIFF DIDN’T KNOW precisely when he’d become so jaded, but it was rare that anyone ever surprised him. Truly, genuinely surprised him. He’d taken one look at Jessalyn Rossi and, while every cell in his body had seemed to misfire and short out, he’d still thought he’d had her pegged. Pretty, creative, more than a little reckless.

Interesting? Definitely.

Hot? Without question.

A potential problem? Oh, hell, yes.

But watching her hand her keys over to the young woman at the gas station—keys to what was obviously a prized possession—and then offer to fix her car in exchange for manicures? That... He inwardly reeled.

That was something else.

Not to mention learning that she raced stock cars—and was missing a race this weekend to make the trip for her father—and knew her way around an engine well enough to know that the leak was coming from the valve cover gasket and not the drain plug or the filter. He knew his way around one, too. He’d worked part-time at a garage while in high school. He mentally grimaced. He’d worked lots of part-time jobs while in high school.

At any rate, Jessalyn Rossi wasn’t just surprising—she was a revelation. One that he found as intriguing as irritating. He smothered a snort, glancing at her from the corner of his eye while she carelessly popped chips into her mouth and thumbed through a magazine. Every once in a while he’d catch a smile or a moue of distaste—she had the most interesting face—and it was a continual struggle not to stare at her, not to ask her the cause of each reaction. When, by all rights, he shouldn’t care, shouldn’t give six damns or a bloody hell. She was merely an accessory to the job at hand, a necessary inconvenience, a premature pain in the ass.

And yet...

An undeniably singular thrum of excitement vibrated through him, a bizarre sense of expectation tightened low in his belly—along with all the usual parts, of course—and it was with as much dread as anticipation that he admitted to himself that she was quite possibly the most fascinating woman he’d ever met.

He didn’t have the time nor the inclination to be fascinated, Griff thought darkly. He had enough problems as it was—an image of his half brother Justin’s hopeful smile surfaced at the thought, making him instantly uncomfortable—without throwing an inappropriate attraction into the mix.

They’d been on the road for the better part of an hour and he’d made up the extra six minutes she’d cost them at the store by needling the speedometer a little farther to the right. The late-afternoon sun filtered through the window, backlighting her dark hair in a sepia-toned halo—a crooked one at that, which seemed strangely appropriate given what he’d observed during their brief acquaintance—and illuminated the side of her face, revealing delicate bone structure and a frankly sensual mouth. Because he didn’t need to be thinking about her hot mouth and the things she could do to him with it, Griff decided a conversation was in order.

“That was nice,” he said, his voice a bit rusty.

She looked up, a puzzled line appearing between her sleek brows. “What?”

“Loaning your car to the girl at the station.”

Her expression cleared. “Oh, that,” she said, as though she’d already forgotten the kindness. “Thanks. I thought she could use a little good luck.” She frowned significantly. “She’s certainly had enough of the other kind, poor thing.”

“Oh?”

Jess casually flipped another page. “Her husband walked out a couple years ago. Left her with a set of twins and an infant. Conner and Cash were barely out of diapers, and Ava wasn’t even a month old.” Her face hardened. “Selfish bastard.”

Selfish bastard, indeed, Griff thought, his anger spiking. He had enough experience with fathers who walked out to know what sort of hardship Monica and her children were going through. Jesus. Deciding not to be a husband was one thing—being a father wasn’t friggin’ optional.

Or at least, it shouldn’t be.

He cleared his throat, hoping to dislodge the choking irritation building there. “I’d like to help out on the repairs for her car,” he said.

She stilled and those pale gray eyes swung toward him. He’d clearly surprised her, a feat that he imagined was difficult to do. She looked away, back to her magazine. “That’s not necessary. It’s just the gasket. It’s not an expensive fix.”

Maybe not for the parts, but what about her time? Which begged another question—who taught her how to work on cars? He’d be willing to bet it hadn’t been her father. The older Rossi seemed more interested in his jewels and gems than spark plugs and cables. An old boyfriend, perhaps? he wondered, irrational annoyance making his fingers tighten around the steering wheel.

“Be that as it may, I’d still like to help. At the very least, pay for your time.”

She looked at him again, her focus more deliberate. “Why? You don’t know Monica.”

He smiled. “Do I have to know her to want to help her?”

She hesitated, studied him, evidently looking for some form of motive behind the offer. “No,” she said finally. “I suppose you don’t.” She paused. “Thank you. I’m sure Monica will appreciate it.”

“I imagine that’s why you offered to help her in the first place,” he said. She didn’t strike him as the type to waste her time on ungrateful people.

Him, neither, for that matter, which had made giving his half brother, Justin, the kidney a little easier. He wouldn’t have refused, of course—how could he when the boy had been handed a certain death sentence?—but knowing that Justin understood the sacrifice and appreciated the gift had made things much easier.

Or as easy as it was going to get, at any rate.

He could have happily gone the rest of his life without hearing from his father—he’d made it the past seventeen years, after all—and, though he’d known about Justin and had been periodically curious about the other boy his father had raised, Griff wouldn’t have ever sought him out. It was too painful, for him, admittedly, but more so for his mother and sister.

Glory had been too small when their father had walked out to truly remember him, and Griff had always made sure to fill that role to the best of his ability. But his mother, while strong, had never fully recovered. She’d never remarried and, despite encouragement, only occasionally dated. But her heart hadn’t been in it. Because, ultimately—even after all this time and all the pain—his father, the wretched bastard, still had it. Griff inwardly snorted.

If that was the so-called power of love, he didn’t want any damn part of it.

And, much as he genuinely liked Justin, he didn’t want any part of a relationship with him either. Strictly speaking, that wasn’t true. He would like to get to know him better, would even reluctantly admit to a bizarre bond with the boy. But he couldn’t afford to get to know him, couldn’t put his mother and sister through that emotional turmoil, and protecting them was too ingrained in him at this point to change now. Someone had had to look after them when his father left and that someone had been Griff. They counted on him, depended on him. Going through the surgery had been difficult enough—separate waiting rooms for the families, set visiting hours to avoid running into each other. A nightmare.

It was over and done with, Griff thought. Six months post-op and all was well. Justin was healthy and out of danger, and his own recovery had progressed without complication. It was time to move on and the sooner Justin realized that, the better.

As if merely thinking of his brother had prompted it, his cell vibrated at his waist. Griff frowned, steeled himself before glancing at the display. Another text from the boy. Need some advice re: the bro code. Can I get a call back when you’ve got time?

He heaved an internal sigh. Not a demand, but a request. And a hopeful one at that. Damn...

Jess shifted a little in her seat and her soft scent drifted to him once more. It was something mellow and sweet, and strangely familiar. “Everybody needs a hand once in a while and, in my experience, it’s usually those who need it the most who won’t ask for it.”