Page 9 of The Traitor

All tentativeness in her vanished as the palms of her hands slid over his coverall until they reached the opening and slid inside. Knox’s breathing was becoming more labored, so was Josie’s. His brain turned to mush at the thought of being touched by her and touching her in return.

It was the familiar sharp boom of the compressor in the shop that brought him back to the present and where they were. He tore his mouth from hers and stepped back, the loss of contact so painful, he’d had to shake his head.

Josie was gripping the counter with both hands, clearly needing it to stay up straight. Her upper chest and cheeks were flushed, her lips swollen from their make-out session. Her bright eyes looked at him as if trying to comprehend what had just happened, but he didn’t have any answers, apart from the obvious.

“I’m sorry, Josie. I shouldn’t have touched you. That was inappropriate.”

She blinked several times until she finally nodded. “You’re right. Inappropriate is the word. Please don’t touch me again, Mr.Knox.”

As she talked, coldness descended upon her, her usual detachment returning although when her hands went back to the keyboard, they were shaking slightly. Before he could say another word, she asked him a question.

“Why do you need to buy that part so cheap? Usually, you never skimp on the orders.”

Knox nodded, deciding to take the out she offered him and ignore what had just happened between them. “It’s for Mr.Holmes. I’m still working on his truck. Pick the part that has the quickest delivery and put it on the shop’s account.”

He turned to head to the back of the shop when her voice stopped him. “I know Mr.Holmes. He’s a proud man and won’t allow you to pay for the part for him.”

He sighed and glanced at her. “I’ve charged him enough for the repairs. He needs that part and I know he can’t afford it. I just want him safe on the road.”

Josie angled her head, a speculative look on her face. “I can produce a fake invoice if you like. The real one will be in the system and show the correct price, but the fake one will only show the reduced price. Let me know how much you want to charge him, and I’ll make sure to make the necessary adjustment and split the cost in the system under the shop account.”

Knox felt a smile tingle his lips, or was it the remnants of their fiery kiss? “Good suggestion. Thank you, Josie.”

She nodded and turned to her screen, but not before he saw her cheeks turn a soft pink.

“Also, I’m planning to do an inventory and I need your help. I haven’t had the chance to do one since buying the place, and I think we might be buying parts we already have. I was thinking about doing it next Monday. Would that be okay with you?”

Her entire body tensed at his words, and Knox found it strange, so he tried to reassure her about his intentions. “It won’t be just you and me. Marvin, Tom, and Gage will be here as well. The more hands-on-deck we have, the faster we’ll be done. You can update the system as we go. And you’ll get paid for it, of course.”

And still he saw her hesitate. “Can I get back to you? I need to check something first.”

“Of course, let me know and I’ll check with the others.”

Knox saw her relax a bit as she continued typing, and suspicion started to buzz in his mind. However, he stepped back and returned to his office.

Just as he sat, Gage popped his head through the door. “Do you still want to kick my ass, or can we talk about what you want for dinner? There’s nothing in the fridge and I hate being hungry.”

Distracted, Knox waved his words away. “Buy whatever you want, I’ll give you some money. Don’t wait for me, I’ll probably be home later than usual.”

An amused glimmer lit his friend’s eyes. “Well, is the ol’ man finally getting lucky with the pretty Josie?”

It was tempting to lose control at his insinuation and lash out at him again, but he reminded himself he’d no right to scratch that itch. However, he could satisfy his curiosity about Gage’s intentions. “Be respectful, would you. Josie is doing great work replacing Georgia. We can’t afford to scare her away.”

Gage leaned against the door frame. “Contrary to the rumors, I don’t pin every woman I meet against the wall. Especially when you’re interested in her.”

“I am not.” Saying those words tasted foul in his mouth. “If you want to make a move keep in mind it’s a small town and when you leave, you may have more of a negative impact than you intended.”

Gage’s amusement dampened a little. “I’ll keep that in mind, my friend. I’m not sure if I’ll stay here or not. Don’t worry about me. To be honest, I’m more worried about you, Knox.”

And on those cryptic words, Knox watched his friend turn and walk back into the shop.

Chapter 6

Knox wasready to bash his head on the dashboard of his truck by the time he got behind the wheel. It was late, he was tired and grumpy, and all he wanted to do was wrap his hands around Josie Baird’s throat and choke her until she got some sense into her head.

He now understood why she’d hesitated to do overtime at the shop—it was because she had two other jobs lined up.

It was complete insanity! When she’d bid everyone goodbye, Knox had expected her to turn and walk toward her cabin, but instead, she’d headed into town, more specifically to the inn. After a few quick inquiries, Marvin had confirmed she worked as a maid there, cleaning the main areas and the kitchen while the guests were in their rooms.

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