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.”