Page 20 of Dark, Forbidden, & Taboo

Gus shakes his head fondly as he comes over and takes the seat across from me, then rubs his face tiredly. He stifles a yawn behind his hands, then shakes them out before he looks at me curiously.

“Listen, I know you don’t like Tanner, but he does bring us a lot of work here. Maybe try to be nicer to him?”

It’s the pleading tone his voice takes that makes me sigh heavily as I let the chair fall back onto its legs, then prop my elbows onto the table.

I understand why Gus wants the business.

He’s the owner of this small garage, and since he’s the only one that took me seriously enough to give me a chance, I guess I kind of owe him.

“Well, keep him away from me when he’s here and I’ll be as nice as you need me to be,” I counter as reasonably as I can.

“Thanks, kid,” he says softly as he gets to his feet, walks around the table, and pats me on the shoulder on the way out of the break room.

___

Pulling my bike helmet off, shake my hair out. I pressed the button to set the alarm on my midnight-blue Ducati Panigale V4 R, then started to make my way across the quiet, empty garage.

Unlike Tanner,myfather didn’t buy this for me. I saved every dime I could once I started working and after a few years, I decided that instead of a car, I wanted something that would better reflect me as a person.

Learning how to handle a bike was a little challenging at first, but once I got the hang of it, I didn’t want to drive anything else.

I punched the button to call the elevator, caught my reflection in the steel doors, then sighed when I realized I somehow still had some damn tire grease on my forehead.

Nothing a hot shower won’t fix.

Thedinggrabbed my attention as I stepped back in case anyone was exiting, gripped an arm loosely, and gently started to tap the helmet against my leg.

Oh God,I think irritably as Tanner suddenly appears when the doors slowly slide open.

“You live here?” he asks me curiously as he steps out and jingles his keys in his hands.

“Yeah. Good to see you,” I answer curtly as I walk by him, then stab the button to take me up to my floor.

“Hey, River?—”

The doors slid closed in his face as I rested against the back wall, thankful that I wouldn’t have to stand there and have a conversation with him.

Tanner is a good looking guy, there’s no doubt about it. He’s taller than me, which is a plus—at least six foot two—has a toothy, white grin, mischievous light brown eyes, and ash-brown, messy hair.

He'd be a dream for anyone else, but I’m not interested inhim.I’m interested inher.

She’s my project and has been for the past fourteen years.

And a girl like me always finishes what she’s started.

Regardless of what the outcome may be.

Chapter

Six

“Isn’t it your day off?” Gus asks me curiously when I stroll into the garage the next day.

I nod and give him a little wave as I walk through the back and into the office. A plan formulated in my mind last night when I was falling asleep.

One that I have no doubt will bite me in the ass because by doing this, I know I’m playing with a fire hotter than I can probably handle.

I punch my code into the computer at the front desk, then open the customer list once I’m in.

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