Page 29 of Down & Dirty

“Just get my front end sorted, will you? I want to see if I can throttle harder into that second turn.”

Billy eyed me for a long second before sighing and going back to his laptop. The stats from my ride that morning were up and he scrutinized the numbers.

Without pulling his eyes from the screen he said, “Just tell me you didn’t bang Stone’s big sister.”

“No,” I sighed. “Of course not.”

“Don’tof course notme. I know you, man. You’re smarter than people give you credit for—with bikes, with business, and with money. But not with women. Shit. What does Ronnie think?”

“Nothing’s happened yet, man. Calm down.”

I could hear Billy’s smile without even looking up at him. “So, he doesn’t know.”

“Not unless she’s over there telling him right now.”

We both looked across the garage in time to catch Sky with her eyes on us. She darted her gaze away the minute she saw me, leaning dramatically to get a better view of the laptop Ronnie was pointing to.

“Holy shit,” Billy whispered. “You really did go there. She’s blushing.”

Fuck. This was a mistake. Sky wasn’t like the women I did this with. She needed to get her hands on some money, not some dream to be famous. I should never have suggested this. There was a termination clause in the agreement, she could get out, no questions asked. I’d tell her we could enact that and end all this right here. There was no need to torture the poor woman.

“Incoming,” Billy whistled as he bent down beside my bike.

Sky’s voice came over my shoulder. “I heard you had some issues in your first ride too, huh?”

I worked to contain my shock as I turned around. But when her smile warmed, I returned it, my heart racing a little faster.

“Yeah, nothing we can’t sort out. But those first two turns weren’t anybody’s friends this morning.”

She canted her head to the side, sympathy bleeding into her gaze. “You feel okay, though?”

Her concern seemed so genuine, so real. Even Billy looked upover the bike. For as confused as I knew he was, he managed to keep a straight face.

“Yeah, I’m good. Ronnie okay?”

We’d both had a rough ride on the new course. But we’d stayed upright. Me just a little more gracefully than her brother.

“He’s pissed,” she chuckled with a shrug. “But that’s nothing new. He’s always hated the mechanical side of this job.”

“I’ll try not to take offense,” Billy muttered, pushing to his feet.

Sky gave him a kind smile too, and I swear the man started to get red. I’d never seen Billy blush before.

“He’s not been as lucky as Cory,” she offered, giving me another long look. “Maybe if he had a mechanic as talented as you all these years, he’d have more appreciation.”

Was she working my best friend?I suddenly felt like a fool. Sky didn’t need me to rescue her at all. This woman was playing the room like a fiddle.

And it was working. Whatever suspicions Billy had, I watched as they faded from his eyes and he was left dumbstruck by her charm.

I just stood there looking between them, unsure what to say. But Sky didn’t miss a beat.

“We’re still on for dinner later?”

I snapped awake when she turned toward me and took a step closer. Her hand landed on my arm as she tilted her head up, a coy grin spreading across her face that I might have enjoyed a little too much.

“Damn straight we are. Pick you up at seven.”

She nodded. “Sounds great.”

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