As I turn to face him I can’t help the hitch of my breath at the sight of him leaning against the doorjamb, black and silver fire suit unzipped and sleeves tied around his waist. The plain white T-shirt he wears is that perfect combination of not too tight and not too loose to give just the right hint of the corded muscles underneath. Can’t say the man doesn’t wear clothing well.
And I’m sure when they’re off he wears what’s beneath even better. Too bad I won’t be finding out.
“Well, if it isn’t Luke Mason,” I mimic him. A slow, lopsided grin spreads across his face, and as All-American, boy-next-door handsome as he is, nothing stirs inside me. Hell yes he’s as good-looking as they come but something that pretty needs a bit of a rough edge to him to attract me, and all I see and hear from him are smooth lines.
He takes one step into the room and both of our eyes reflect the appreciation for our mutual attraction. “Gorgeous as ever.” He says the words like he’s testing them, trying to sense if this time around my interest is piqued more than with his numerous other attempts.
“Thank you but the answer is still no.” I say it with a smile, but I might as well head this off at the pass. No need to beat around the bush when he’s going to get there eventually.
He chokes out a laugh, his reaction causing my smile to widen. “Pretty presumptuous when I don’t believe I asked you anything.”
“Just because you didn’t speak doesn’t mean you weren’t asking with your eyes.” I raise my eyebrows at him, my own eyes speaking for me as well.
He shakes his head very subtly, and exasperation resonates in his sigh. “Good to know you think so highly of yourself that you think I’ll keep coming back for your punishment.” His smirk tells me he’s joking but there’s still the question in his eyes. “Well, now that that’s out of the way,” he says, leaning his shoulder on the wall beside where I sit, “how are you doing, Q?”
I shot him down, again, and he’s standing here like a champ. The optimism is commendable. “I’m good and you? How’s the car running?”
He looks out toward Colton’s car as it approaches and passes by once again, speaking when the noise of the engine abates into the distance. “Fast,” he muses. “Fast enough to beat him.”
I snort and raise my eyebrows. “Luke, I do believe you just insulted my brother.”
“Not in the least darling.” He winks at me and normally that would creep me out but for some reason it’s charming on him. “If I were to insult your brother, you’d most definitely know it from my word choice alone….”
“So noted,” I say, our eyes continuing the flirtation without words, and I find myself questioning why even though he’s attractive, the chemistry is a few beakers short of the right formula for anything to reach combustion. I sigh, knowing he’s waiting to see where I go with this conversation so I figure, fuck it, might as well. “How’s your girlfriend doing?”
His lips curl up on one side; his eyes dance with mirth. “Well, she’s refusing to go on a date with me even though I’ve asked her seven different ways from Sunday, but I’ll keep at it and let you know when she finally says yes.”
Shit, I walked right into that one didn’t I? “She must not know what she’s missing then,” I offer up.
“Hm, I’d say she’s missing about ten thick inches but you never know, it might be too much for a girl like her to handle.”
Cocky bastard. I keep my face impassive while my mind wonders how much he’s exaggerating—or if he is at all—and make sure my eyes don’t drift down and give him the satisfaction of knowing that I’m even curious.
“Well there’s your problem Mason,” I say as I rise from my position. Colton’s car veers down pit row, and I’m relieved and annoyed that our conversation is coming to an end. “The digits you should be talking about are the ones to call her with. A woman knows when a man talks in inches he’s only doing so to boost his ego. We always assume we need to cut the number by half,” I lie and then return the wink he gave me as I walk past him and head to the door, fighting two urges, the one to look and see if he is indeed packing all those inches and the other to not burst out laughing from the look on his face in reaction to my bald-faced lie.
“Well, if we’re playing by your rules, I should have told you it was twenty, then.”
I hear him stifle a chuckle behind me and am glad that he’s not getting his dick in a twist over my verbal dis. I descend the stairs to the infield heading toward the garages where I know the rest of my family will be to greet and shoot the shit with Colton when he gets out of the car as is our usual custom as of late. Luke’s boots echo off the metal steps right behind me, and I’m curious just how much he’s willing to tempt fate by following me.
He falls in step beside me in silence but the sounds and sights of time trials for pole position filter in all around us. “Hey, Quin?” he says as we approach the mechanic bays.
“Hey, Luke?” I mimic him again.
“What do you say you come join me for a victory celebration tomorrow night?” He angles his head to the side and waits for my answer.
And I can’t resist, he’s making it too damn easy. “You’re throwing Colton a victory party? How sweet of you!” He snorts out in disbelief and runs a hand through his cropped hair. I place my hand on his chest momentarily. “Thanks for the laugh and the walk down but—”