Page 67 of The Millionaire's Mechanic

Startled, she scowled. “And now he runs around with her?”

The couple in the picture looked like exactly that. The man was touching her intimately, the gesture protective. As if she needed any sort of protection. The woman was toned and muscular, her body sleek, giving Georgia the impression of a blade in motion, even though it was a still image.

“According to the agent’s former partner, Daniel Romero was recruited to the CIA.”

Her confusion sharpened into shock. “So, she’s a spy, not some sort of vigilante?”

He lifted a shoulder. “I’m not sure. I’d like to think so for personal reasons—it’s much more palatable to have been roofied as part of some covert operation than by a run-of-the-mill thief after one of my connections.”

Georgia scowled. “I don’t care if she’s double-o-seven herself! There was no reason to hurt you at all.”

“Maybe in her mind, she wasn’t,” he pointed out. “Compared to what she’s suspected of doing to these other guys, I got off pretty easy. And the presence of Daniel Romero at her side means there is a deeper thing going on. I don’t have the whole picture.”

Georgia snapped. Grabbing his hand, she shook her head. “Don’t do that. You are a good person who didn’t deserve to be made collateral damage.”

Sighing, Rainer pulled her into him tighter, burying his face in her hair. “Thank you for being mad on my behalf. Most of the other people I told—my guy friends—laughed it off or just said it was bad luck and to pick my dates more carefully.”

Blistering words on the tip of her tongue, Georgia opened her mouth to go off—but he forestalled her by tapping her on the nose. “That doesn’t include Garrett. He may have been angrier than me. I told you earlier, I didn’t realize how badly messed up I was for a long time.”

“Oh,” she mumbled. “I like him a little better now. Not that I disliked him or anything—but I feel better about him seeing me naked now.”

His gruff growl made her smile. “Well, Idon’t. That is not happening again.”

She laughed, her hand flattening on his chest possessively.

Setting the folder aside, he covered her fingers with his. “I am grateful you care enough about me to get mad, but I think I’m ready to move on.”

He gestured to the images. “I started to investigate Eileen because I believed I would feel better if I understood what she wanted that night. I still don’t know, but judging from what I discovered, it’s more complicated than I initially thought.”

“But your gut tells you she’s on the side of the angels. That’s why you’re letting this go.”

“No. I had those suspicions before. But when we got home, that last picture was waiting for me, the one confirming the rumors that she had joined forces with the DEA agent I met. And I realized it doesn’t matter anymore. Whatever dark underbelly Eileen is moving around in, Romero is a grown man. He has the training to deal with it. And it’s time I stopped wasting time and resources on something that is out of my hands.”

Georgia’s lips parted. “So, this is why you dyed your hair back to its original color?”

Rainer studied her before snorting. “You know what, it probably is. I started doing the weird colors to feel different, to shake things up. But I don’t need to do that anymore. Since you came into my life, I feel more settled—which is pretty damn weird given what we get up to.”

Snickering, Georgia laid her head on his chest. “You know, I had grand plans for revenge against this Eileen woman. If I ever ran into her in a dark alley, I was going to kick her ass. But after seeing her looking all ‘Mission Impossible,’ I’m sorry to say—and this genuinely hurts to admit—that I don’t think I can take her.”

Rainer’s laughter shook her upper body.

“Which is why,” she continued indignantly, “I would hot-wire the nearest car and run her over with it instead.”

His hand cupped her nape the way he’d recently started doing, his hold possessive as hell. “That’s my smart girl. Always play to your strengths.”

Wrapping her arms around his waist, she tilted her head back in expectation of the kiss she knew was coming. Rainer didn’t let her down.

Shelving her plans for bloody retribution, Georgia vowed to focus on the here and now. That was what Rainer deserved. And so did she.

CHAPTERTHIRTY-TWO

“Do you think you’re going to need a sign?” Judy asked over the phone.

Georgia stared critically at the space around her. The warehouse where Rainer stored his cars had plenty of room for her future business—too much perhaps.

“I’m not sure. This place is so big that I wouldn’t know where to put it. Also, I’m sharing the space with Rainer’s existing collection. I need to figure out some way to divide the room that won’t cost an arm and a leg. I wouldn’t want people to think his cars are for sale.”

She had stopped here as a sort of celebration. Today had been her last day of work at Elite. Samantha and Judy had bought cupcakes. The atmosphere had been festive, if a little forced. But Mitch managed to get through it without being a total ass. Someone must have been whispering in his ears about not burning bridges.

---