Hard to Handle

Chapter 2

Sadie stepped out of her car and smiled up at the too-warm August sun. It’d been a month and a half since Shane and Crickitt’s wedding. Since one of the worst hangovers of her life. Since she’d woken the next morning in one of Aiden Downey’s T-shirts.

Her epic dose of melancholy could be laid squarely at Crickitt’s feet. Indirectly, of course. Any woman as happy as Sadie’s best friend hadn’t meant to create a virtual vortex of happiness that sucked everyone in around her. With that kind of joy flooding the air, Sadie had only been able to feel two things: thrilled beyond compare for Crickitt and Shane, and anguished over her own failed relationship with the man she thought she’d loved.

That wiped the smile right off her face.

Sadie pushed the memory back into a drawer and filed it under L for “Leave it Alone.” The same place she’d filed the day Trey called to confess he couldn’t marry her because he was in love with her sister. Funny how memories from that drawer unfiled and spread themselves out for her at the worst possible times.

Not today.

That’s right. NOT today. Aiden could wreak havoc on her subconscious another time. But today, she needed her A game when she walked into Axle’s.

The custom motorcycle shop stood before her, her own personal Mount Doom. One of five stores in Ohio, Axle’s in Osborn was the first store, the highest-grossing store, and the store where the man himself continued to work.

She’d tracked the company’s sales and orders for years, but Axle Zoller’s second-in-command, Harry Truman, insisted on sticking with List for their motorcycle parts and supplies. She often wondered if he did it just to spite her. She’d worked hard to schmooze Harry, but made the mistake of addressing him as “Mr. President.” Turned out the man had no sense of humor. Seemed a silly reason to pay more for lower-quality products, but no matter. Harry Truman had recently been impeached.

With President Harry Truman out of the picture, Sadie knew she had to swoop in before Axle replaced him. She was confident she could charm Axle into signing with Midwest Motorcycle Supplies.

Sadie peered into the side mirror of her car and checked her reflection. Her blonde hair hung in loose waves from where she’d slept on it wet, and her freckles were out in droves thanks to a weekend visit to the pool. Deep magenta lipstick accented her wide mouth, and a thick layer of black mascara coated her lashes. She adjusted her wardrobe, a black pencil skirt paired with a Harley-Davidson polo shirt.

She strode to the shop, her heels almost sinking into the soft black asphalt baking in the ninety-eight-degree day. Her thoughts returned to her goal, sending her adrenal glands into silly spins. No one at MMS had knocked Perry Bradford off his number one pedestal since he started six years ago. Landing Axle’s would shove her over his numbers by thousands of dollars.

Do or die time.

Inside the store, chilly air wafted the smell of fresh leather into her nostrils. Various splashy signage and displays showcased List parts and swag, along with the unmistakable orange and black of Harley-Davidson.

Axle spotted her from his position behind the special order counter, signaling he’d be with her in a minute. She waved back, heading to a particularly impressive shelf stocked with List’s bold black and white boxes. Of course the major brands were all represented: Harley, Suzuki, Kawasaki. Sadie didn’t dream that MMS parts would take the place of the big guys. What she wanted was the chunk of pie belonging to the off brands. MMS and List were both respected brands, but beneath their glossy exterior, Sadie knew List’s parts were substandard.

Axle’s deep baritone echoed across the store a few minutes later. “Come on back, Sadie.”

Determination lengthening her stride, Sadie stood tall and proud in her studded black heels, lifting her to almost five foot six. Axle angled down a long corridor and led her to a cramped office, its shelves sagging under the weight of hardcover books on everything from bike repair to Catcher in the Rye.

He hulked over his desk, long gray braid trailing down his back, tree-trunk legs testing the task chair’s weight limit. He was also a former boxer, which one would guess given the way his massive chest nearly burst the seams of his shirt.

Smoothing his thick, walrus-like moustache, Axle folded meaty hands in front of him on the desk and addressed Sadie with a quick lift of his eyebrows.

Sadie smiled, her confidence soaring. Axle liked her. She’d cultivated a careful professional relationship with him for the past three years, just waiting for the day Truman left. Axle endured her persistence, never once asking her to leave him alone. A good sign.

“Let me stop you there.” Axle’s flat gray eyes gave no hint as to what he was about to say. “You’re going to pitch this to my new second-in-command.” He gave her a gruff smile…or at least she thought he did. His moustache twitched on one side. “I’ll go get him.”

“But—” was all Sadie got out before Axle was out of his office. He moved fast for a big guy. She adjusted her skirt and mentally reviewed her sales pitch. The one she’d be giving to a newcomer. Whom she knew nothing about.

She’d need to be professional, of course. And not as familiar as she would have been with Axle. If the guy was a recent college graduate or CEO type, she’d have a lot of glossing over to do to explain her less-than-professional attire. She grimaced down at the silver studs on her feet. Why hadn’t she worn sensible pumps?

Taking a breath, she considered the more likely scenario: that Axle had hired someone like himself. Someone with a penchant for hogs, an admiration for irreverent T-shirt sayings, and a strong head for business. Axle wasn’t stupid. Far from it. She’d learned his IQ hovered around genius level though she couldn’t dredge up the figure. Sadie’s talent with numbers extended only to the ones with dollar signs before them.

She leaned and peeked through the doorway and down the hall, and caught a glimpse of an arm behind Axle, who came toward her like a tank in Tiananmen Square, his big body obscuring the rest of the man behind him.

No matter who the new guy was, Sadie had just one chance to impress him, not insult him, and get a sample of his penmanship on the bottom line. Sadie straightened in the out-of-date, stained guest chair. Sure she could be prickly, smart-mouthed, and sarcastic. But she also could be charming. And she knew her stuff. She could handle whoever came through that door.

Then Axle entered, his new second-in-command at his side, and Sadie felt the blood drain from her face.

Anyone except for Aiden Downey.

As big as Axle was, Aiden dominated her vision. His muscular legs in a pair of soft worn denim frayed over black motorcycle boots, broad shoulders and firm chest covered by a black collared shirt with the word Axle’s embroidered over his right pectoral. And his face. The jaw she had kissed, had raked her fingernails against; the same jaw that had scraped the softest part of her neck when he kissed her, was covered with enough scruff to make her feel the phantom scratch of it on her skin now. And then there was his hair…long, thick strands she used to spear her fingers into—

Oh God.

She blinked, sure she must be imagining things, and swallowed the gasp working its way up her throat. Somehow she had to keep from appearing alarmed while her stomach took a dive to her toes. The dark blond ponytail he normally wore low on his neck was…gone. The strands that used to hang loose and brush his cheekbones, shorn. His hair had been such a part of him, so…Aiden. And that she’d loved touching it, feeling it brush against her face when he kissed her, had surprised no one more than Sadie.

Kind of like the next four words out of her mouth.

* * *

“You cut your hair.”

Aiden’s smile broadened as he took in the sight of Sadie Howard perched on the guest chair, eyes wide, jaw dropped.

Of all the motorcycle shops in the world…

He palmed his neck, still getting accustomed to the recent change. “Yeah. I did.”

It probably should have occurred to him he might run into Sadie eventually, given they worked in the same, often overlapping field. But then, he’d been busy rebuilding his life—reclaiming his life after he finally decided what to do with it—so he hadn’t given running into Sadie much thought.

He’d made it a point to put the plucky blonde out of his mind since the wedding. He spent the week following the wedding holed up at Shane’s Tennessee cabin. Despite jogs in the woods, swims at the lake, and one ill-fated attempt at whittling, Aiden had nearly gone mad with boredom. That’s when he decided to make a life plan. Decide what, once and for all, he wanted to do with his career. With his future. Focusing on the future quieted the thoughts banging around in his head about his failed marriage, the loss of his mother, the career he’d tanked.

At the wedding, he’d been plagued with guilt, but he’d since spent many mornings in silent reflection, examining his life and accepting where he’d arrived. His conclusion? He’d made plenty of mistakes but refused to haul them around like burdening weights.

Little by little, the guilt swimming in his gut evaporated. Anger flashed in Sadie’s dark eyes. Perhaps she didn’t share his renewed view on life. “Good to see you again,” Aiden said, offering his hand to see if she’d take it.

“You two know each other?” Axle asked, flicking a look between them.

“Sort of,” Sadie grumbled, standing. Tossing her head, she regarded Aiden’s outstretched hand before giving it a brief, rough shake.

Aiden couldn’t repress the smile that inched its way across his face. Sadie’s flow of fair curls, lush pink lips, and pert little body had nothing on the razor-sharp wit and flair of confidence hard to find in the opposite sex.

And since Sadie embodied characteristics the exact opposite of his laid back, ambivalent, careless ex-wife, it shouldn’t come as a surprise how appealing he found Sadie. Her barbed comments and the way she sliced him in half with one look was a red cape to his inner bull.

And she’d caught him on a day he wanted to run.

“We used to date,” Aiden blurted. Sadie’s eyes and mouth popped open simultaneously.

Axle remained silent, never one to wear his emotions on his bulging biceps. He turned to Sadie. “Aiden is in charge of the retail portion of Axle’s,” he said evenly. “Sorry to do a bait and switch on you, but he knows what he’s doing. I trust he’ll make the right decision.”

Sadie wanted to argue. Aiden could see it. She closed her mouth, opened it again, then finally snapped it shut with a click of her pearly teeth.

Axle wished them luck and stalked out of the room. Even though it wasn’t necessary, Aiden closed the office door. Rubbing his hands together, he turned to Sadie, who greeted him with narrowed eyes and crossed forearms. “I understand you have a contract for—”

“‘We used to date’?” she snapped.

“Yeah.” He grinned. “I know.”

Sadie huffed. “Why did you say that?”

“Because it’s the truth.”

“It’s an unnecessary bit of information.”

“He wondered how we knew each other. I was just—”

“What are you doing here?” Sadie interrupted.

“I work here.” Aiden eased into Axle’s chair, leaning back. He briefly considered propping his boots on the desk but opted not to. Sadie’s rage was barely harnessed as it was.

Sadie slanted a glare at him, reminding him of the night he met her in the club. “I know you work here. I mean, why did Axle hire you? What experience do you have in retail?”

“First off, this is a motorcycle shop, not the mall.” Aiden hoisted one finger. “And second, I have been underneath a car or bike since I could hold a socket wrench. Plus, my dad knows Axle.”

“Ha!” Sadie stood, pointing an accusatory finger at him like a late-night-TV lawyer. “I knew it.”

Aiden couldn’t keep his eyes from skating down the snug black skirt clinging to her thighs. He licked dry lips. Good Lord. Sadie, though petite, had curves that turned both women’s and men’s heads. Her narrow shoulders gave way to a swell of ample breasts before diving inward to her slender waist, and out again to allow for rounded hips.

Snapping his attention to the coffee mug on the edge of a desk, Aiden rummaged for an ink pen. Not because he needed one, but because he needed a safe place to rest his eyes.

“Three years,” Sadie said, pacing the narrow space between the guest chair and desk.

Aiden tried to drag his eyes off her perfect butt. And failed. Luckily, when she turned, he was able to meet her eye.

“I have been massaging this account for three years.” She leaned over the desk, the soft scent of her swirling around him. “I am this close to securing the number one sales position at Midwest. And Axle has handed my future to you. You! Someone he hired because…” She waved a hand. “Because…he and your dad were old war buddies!”

“War buddies? How old do you think my dad is? He and Axle used to work at the factory together.” The factory where his dad still worked. The factory where Aiden would end up working if he didn’t make this job at Axle’s work.

Aiden had branched out once before—into the volatile field of real estate development. Even if he and his former buddy Daniel had survived the bubble that eventually bankrupted the company, Aiden had no idea his business partner would stoop to the depths of sleeping with Aiden’s then-wife. A hole in a wall, a few choice words to Danny, and a motorcycle wreck later, and here Aiden was, attempting to make it on his own again.

What Sadie didn’t know—what no one knew—was that Axle Zoller was selling out and retiring. And that left five stores available for purchase. If Aiden could wrangle the funds to buy him out, and not lose his ass in the process, that’s exactly what he planned to do.

Sadie flopped into her seat again, face pink, lips downturned. She tossed a high-gloss black folder with a red stripe down one edge in front of him. “Just sign it and we can both get on with our day.”

Aiden flipped the cover open and started to read.

“What are you doing?”

He looked up. “Reading your proposal.”

Her nostrils flared. “Do not ruin this for me, Aiden Downey. I’ve worked too hard to land this contract.”

Aiden kept his expression neutral. “Something in here you’re afraid I’ll find? Price gouging? Remanufactured parts instead of new? Zero buyback policy?”

“What?” Sadie barked. “No, of course not.”

Aiden released the folder and leaned back in Axle’s chair, hands laced over his stomach. Sadie’s chest heaved. Such a temper on that girl. “Well, how am I supposed to know what it says if I don’t read it?”

Sadie pressed her lips together. She could have defended herself with a You know me, or You can trust me. She could have made an emotional plea of How can you say something like that after all we’ve been through? But she did neither. She’d never expect someone to give her something she hadn’t earned. And she’d sooner die than have Aiden feel sorry for her.

Settling into the guest chair, she crossed her legs and brushed something from her skirt. “Take your time,” she said, refusing to look at him. “I’ll wait.”

Aiden skimmed the cover letter, then flipped to the price list, and finally, to the contract. In reality, he’d stopped reading with comprehension a few pages ago. But he drew out their time together, not ready to be apart from her just yet, and because Sadie was gorgeous when her hackles were up.

The few dates he and Sadie had been on last summer, Aiden had been lucky enough to see her iron curtain drop. Seeing the woman behind it left him speechless, as if he was witnessing something rare and precious. Sadie may have an exterior made of Naugahyde, but inside, she was pudding.

He closed the folder and found Sadie watching him, waggling one dangerous-looking stiletto back and forth. “Well?”

He almost blurted, Let’s talk it about it over drinks, but bit his tongue. Then again…why not? They knew each other, had things in common. His cousin and her best friend were husband and wife. Not to mention Sadie looked like a woman who could use a drink. Plus, it’d be fun to mess with her. Just a little. Just one more time.

Aiden closed the cover on the proposal. “I’ll sign it.” Sadie’s shoulders dropped an inch. He told himself to stop there, not to say another word. But in the end he couldn’t help but add, “Under one condition.”

Sadie tensed.

Aiden smiled. “Go out on a date with me.”

* * *

Of all the—!

If Aiden thought he could—!

“Argh!” Sadie stomped into the hall, peeking into each room along the way, looking for Axle, her heels clacking in distressed rhythm.

“Sadie,” Aiden said again. He was right behind her. She ignored him. What was he thinking? That he’d take all of her hard work, years of effort, wad them up, and toss them in her face? Aiden may not take the job his daddy got him seriously, but Sadie was different. She took pride in going after her goals, in getting what she wanted. And what she wanted was Axle Zoller’s parts contract.

Angling toward the showroom, she spotted Axle standing over a vintage Harley-Davidson, talking to a customer. Sadie walked faster.

“Sadie!” Aiden whispered this time, as loudly as he could without drawing attention. A few people turned in their direction and Sadie shot them a nothing-to-see-here smile. Just as she was about to tap Axle’s shoulder, a hand clapped onto her arm and whirled her around.

Aiden held his palms up in an I surrender pose. “I was kidding, Sadie.” He was still whispering. “I swear.”

“Kidding?” Sadie gave him a derisive smile. “I see. You think my career is a joke.”

“I don’t think that.” Aiden’s eyes went from her to Axle. “So, what, you’re going to tell on me?”

She glanced over at Axle, then back at Aiden. “I think he should know that you’re trying to coerce—”

“Everything okay?” Axle rumbled, his tone a warning.

Aiden crossed his arms. Smiled smugly. Yeah. She was going to tell on him. She turned to smile at Axle. Salt and pepper eyebrows were drawn over gray eyes, the corners of his moustache accentuating an unseen frown.

His face was so foreboding, Sadie actually backed up a step. She bumped into Aiden, who grasped her waist, stopping her short of stepping on his feet. Ignoring the heat seeping through the cotton of her shirt, Sadie muttered, “Knucklehead.”

“Hey—”

“The bike, not you,” she grumbled to Aiden, moving away from him.

Axle’s expression eased. “Yes, ma’am. 1940 EL 1000 Knucklehead, to be precise.”

Sadie smiled up at him. “I know my hogs.” She also knew a good diversion tactic when she saw one. Get a man talking about what he loved, and he’d forget he was ever upset. And while she was at it…

“By the way…” Sadie placed a hand on Aiden’s arm then nearly forgot what she was going to say. His skin was warm, muscle thicker than she remembered. She removed her hand. “Um. Everything’s a go. Aiden is one shrewd deal maker.” Aiden clenched his jaw and she gave him a sweet smile. “Midwest is officially your new parts supplier.”

“Great,” Axle said, not sounding as if he meant it. He sent a glance at the customer to his right. “Is that all?”

“Yes.” Sadie could take a hint. “I’m just…very excited.”

“Yippee,” Axle said flatly.

Sadie’s good mood faded the moment she set foot inside her cubicle at work. Perry Bradford hovered over her in-box, rifling through her papers. “Excuse me.”

“Excuse you?” Perry turned, his tie swinging with the motion. “All right. You’re excused.” He continued digging.

Sadie pushed past him, dumping her bag onto the desk. She’d used the last of her fury on Aiden and couldn’t call up enough to unleash on her moron coworker. “Can I help you?”

Perry abandoned his search, leaning on her desk and crossing his arms over his chest. “How should I answer that?”

Sadie sucked in a cleansing breath. Perry was a consummate flirt, but harmless, and under pain of death she may even admit he was kind of cute. He was also a hustler and a ruthless salesman. Perry had been number one in sales at MMS every year. Every. Single. Year.

Sadie couldn’t believe it when she’d come close to beating him last quarter. She’d kicked her productivity into high gear since then. Now, no thanks to Aiden, she’d secured the account that bumped her to the lead.

“I signed Hawgs.” A smug smile stretched across Perry’s face. “You know Hawgs, right? Little garage south of Arbor Lane? Specializes in—”

“I know it,” she cut him off. “You know I know it; I tried to sign them myself.”

He winked at her, his cocksureness a bad mix with her own. Perry’s features were almost boyish, a quality that would keep him charming for years to come.

“I was looking for your proposal for the file. You know, the one they turned down.” He gave her an exaggerated pout.

“I guess I’ll have to dry my tears on this,” she said, producing Axle’s contract Aiden had signed under duress.

Perry frowned at the paper before snatching it from her hands. He muttered a curse. “You got them.”

“I did.”

“All five stores?”

“All five stores,” she repeated.

Perry pushed away from her desk and blinked as if absorbing the news. A second later, he nodded slowly, figuring it out. Unless he pulled some serious strings, or if Sadie didn’t work another day for the next month, the promotion and accolades typically befalling Perry would be hers.

“We’ll see, Sadie.” He turned his back on her, repeating as he stalked away, “We’ll see.”

Rather than gloat, she kept her comments to herself. What, really, was there to say? She’d worked hard and arrived at her goal with time to spare. She was getting what she wanted. What she deserved.

So why didn’t she feel like celebrating?