Revved To The Maxx

Maxx snorted. Like a real blow the air through your nose and huff at the same time sort of snort. He glared at Cam. “Hands off my staff. I have a firm no mixing business with pleasure policy. Charly can’t date my customers.”

I managed to hide my surprise at his words. He had never mentioned anything of the sort. And I highly doubted Cam was looking for a date. His tone was teasing and friendly but not personal. He didn’t look remotely interested in me. His next words confirmed that.

Cam frowned. “My wife will be happy to hear that, Maxx. Relax. I was just being nice.” He eyed him. “You might want to try it.”

“I’m plenty nice.”

I had to turn and walk away to stop my laughter. Cam spoke again. “Back to the event. You have to go, Maxx.”

“I can’t. I’m booked solid.”

“Can’t you put it off?”

“No. I can’t just close the garage, Cam.”

“It’s an amazing opportunity.”

My steps faltered. What opportunity?

“I guess it’s one I will simply have to say no to.”

Cam huffed and called my name. “Charly!”

“Um, yes?”

“Can you reschedule your boss here so he can be gone for a while?”

I met Maxx’s expression. It was filled with warning, intense and dark. Telling me not to speak.

I decided to push back a little. I was tired of being quiet. “I can check.”

Cam smirked and crossed his arms. “Great.”

Maxx stepped forward, gripping my arm. “The office,” he snapped.

I tried not to feel the thrill of his touch or the way his voice made me shiver. In the office, he spun me around. “Stay out of this, Charly.”

“Stay out of what? Looking at your schedule so you can go somewhere?”

He crossed his arms, narrowing his gaze. I could feel the anger rolling off him, and I found great delight in it. He had been far too polite and lackluster the past few days. That wasn’t Maxx. Growly, snappy, and terse—that was him.

I mimicked his stance. “It might do you some good to get away for a while.”

“I’m not interested in your opinion.”

I shrugged and sat down. “Fine. Act like a martyr.”

“I’m not acting like a martyr. I’m acting like a sensible business owner.”

“Uh-huh.”

“I can’t just leave the garage. I have commitments.”

I crossed my arms and glared at him. “Are you trying to convince me or yourself, Maxx?”

Dark eyes glared back at me, lethal and threatening. His glower was furious, the knuckles on his hands white as they fisted at his sides.

“Where exactly would you be going?”

He dropped his head, shaking it in resignation. “I was offered a chance to be part of a convention in the States. Los Angeles. They had a last-minute cancellation, and my name came up. I would be talking about motorcycle restoration.” He paused. “All expenses paid. I would give a series of talks and demonstrations. They supply everything.”

“Maxx, that’s amazing!”

“I was pleased to be asked,” he said, the words all the more telling from the undercurrent in his voice. He wanted to go.

“Think of the networking, the chance to get your name out there. The business this could bring you,” I urged. “You have to go.”

“And what, just close the garage and leave you to run amok? I don’t think so,” he sniped.

I almost laughed at his attempt to piss me off.

“I was at the general store a couple of times last week. Mr. Conner’s son was there.”

Maxx frowned. “Brett?”

“Yes. He told me the shop he worked at in Toronto had a fire. He’s out of a job until it’s rebuilt, so he’s back home. He’s a mechanic.”

“I know he’s a mechanic.” He stopped as my words sank in. “You want me to have Brett cover here?”

I detected a note of worry in Maxx’s voice, and I knew this was thin ice I was walking on.

“You’ve known him all your life. He told me you went to school together.”

A strange looked passed over his face. “Sometimes, that means nothing.”

I held back the retort I wanted to say. Instead, I shrugged. “Sometimes, it does.”

“I’d be gone a whole week. They want me to fly out tomorrow, and I would be gone until next Tuesday. That’s a lot of arranging to be done,” he muttered.

“You could at least talk to him. If you’re worried, you can change the bank password and only let Brett have access to the front. I’ll work in the office on other things and take the payments. Get Mary to come babysit us if that makes you feel better. Put a spy cam in the garage—whatever you have to do. But don’t simply walk away from an opportunity like this, Maxx.”

He stared at me, silent and brooding. I waited for his eventual dismissal of my ideas. I was shocked when he nodded and spun on his heel. “I’ll think about it.”

Refusing to give him the chance to overthink it, I opened my laptop, brought up flights to LA, and checked the schedules. I made a quick phone call, printed out a few options, then went out front, laying the paper beside him. Cam watched us, looking amused.