He dragged the equipment inside her shop.
Uh . . . what the hell? She pivoted, went inside and locked the door and found him at the back of the shop.
“What are you doing?”
“Installing a new security system. Your old system sucked.”
She crossed her arms. “I don’t recall ordering one.”
“You didn’t. This one’s on the house.”
“Jed, really, I can replace the alarm system myself. That was going to be my next call, as a matter of fact.”
He didn’t look up from the pile of gizmos and wires. “Now you don’t have to.”
“Jed.”
“Busy here, Elena.”
The doorbell rang. “Dammit. Stop what you’re doing. I’ll be right back.”
It was a customer—one of her regulars—and she had to spend some time telling her about the burglary and letting her client know everything was all right. By the time she got back to Jed, he had the alarm system mounted on the wall.
“Remove that system.”
He finally stopped and gave her an exasperated look. “Why would I do that when it’s already installed? I’m testing the connections now.”
“Jed. I don’t want your charity.”
He laughed. “This isn’t charity, Elena. It’s advertising.”
“What?”
“You just had a break-in. I’m installing my security system. See? Great advertising.” He sidestepped her, bent down and connected a few wires. “All set. Let me walk you through it.”
Elena had been bulldozed and she obviously wasn’t going to win this argument. And she did need an alarm system. Why not take the gift that was offered? It was a win-win for both of them, right?
He showed her how to use the system, then asked her to enter a code. Once she did, they locked everything up from the outside, and she opened the door without entering the code. In fifteen seconds an earsplitting alarm blared, much louder than the one she had previously. Her cell phone rang within a few seconds.
Jed took her phone and completed the testing with the alarm company, then handed her phone back to her.
“You’re set. This one won’t fail. It has two backup systems, so if someone manages to cut through the main lines, the backup will kick in and automatically trip the alarm. Sirens will go off, alarm company will be dialed. You don’t verify that it was an accidental trip of the alarm, the police will be on their way within two minutes.”
“Wow. Awesome. I’ll take it.”
His grin was like a little boy with a new toy. “Thought you might like it.”
“You’re very good at this.”
“Thanks.” He put away his tools. “When are you reopening?”
“Tomorrow.”
“I talked to the police. There’ve been a rash of burglaries for the past few weeks. Fast smash and runs. They’ve had to beef up security in the area, but with the rally in town, they’re short staffed.”
“That’s bad for business owners, but should be good for your business. I’ll be sure to pass your name around. I’m sure there are several who need to beef up their alarm systems.”
“You don’t have to do that, but thanks.”
She laid her hand on his arm. “Actually, our local business owners association meeting is tonight. You should come as my guest. I’ll introduce you to everyone.”
“That’d be great. Sure you don’t mind leaving your place unattended?”
“I have to admit it worries me, but it’s a good opportunity to test out your new security system, isn’t it?”
“Thanks for the show of faith. I guarantee you it’ll work. Plus, unless they’re morons, burglars don’t tend to hit the same place twice in a row. I think you’re safe.”
“Good to know. Cocktail hour is at six-thirty, so I’ll pick you up this time, say around six?”
“I’ll be out front waiting. I’ll even take a shower,” he said, wiping the sweat from his brow.
“Ha ha. Everyone will appreciate that, I’m sure.”
He packed up his tools and took off, and sweaty or not, she couldn’t help appreciating how mighty fine he filled out a pair of jeans.
This guy was too good to be true. She wished her mom was around to meet him. Flighty she might be, but she could read people and was always a good judge of someone’s character. She knew when a guy was full of shit and who had a hidden agenda. Elena had lost a lot of prospective boyfriends that way, but her mother was usually dead on in her assessments. She might not remember what day of the week it was, or forget that she and Elena had a lunch date, but she knew people.
She grabbed her cell phone and dialed her mother’s number. It rang a few times and went to voice mail.
“Hey, Mom, it’s Elena again. Just wondering where you are. The bike rally is this week so I thought maybe you’d be around for that. Call me. Or stop by.” She hesitated before adding, “I love you.”
She and her mom weren’t exactly close. Her mother frustrated her more often than not. She could always count on her showing up, usually when she didn’t want her to.
But she always showed up.
She was starting to get worried.
* * *
Jed took a shower, then threw on a pair of shorts and checked on Elena’s shop and house via the monitors he’d set up when Elena hadn’t been looking. It hadn’t been hard to sneak up to her place and get everything installed. Breaking and entering was his specialty, and now that he had his own alarm system on her property, even easier.
Everything was locked up tight, nobody skulking around. He felt better about having his eyes on her shop and her house.
He grabbed his cell and contacted Grange, who answered on the first ring. He told Grange about the break-in.
“Suspicious?” Grange asked.
“I don’t know. It looked like a regular break-in. Some jewelry stolen. Police reported an increase in burglaries in the area over the past few weeks, so I don’t think it has anything to do with someone targeting Elena, but I’m sticking close to her. I have a camera set up in her store and in her apartment, too. Also, I’m escorting her to a business dinner tonight.”
“Good enough. Glue yourself to her if you have to, but don’t let her out of your sight.”
“You got it, boss. Anything on Carla yet?”
“No. Tracking her cell phone. It’s still on, and shows her in the Daytona area, right on the pier. I went to that location but she’s not there, and phone shows no movement. I didn’t find her phone, either. Her credit card has shown no activity in the past month, so there’s nothing to track. And since she’s always on the go with no permanent address, it’s hard to narrow down her last location. It’s a lot of footwork, but I’m going to hit up an old friend in the area for some help. I’ll keep you posted.”
“I’ll do the same.”
He clicked off and grabbed some clothes to get dressed. A business dinner meant no blue jeans. Instead he chose black slacks and a white long-sleeved shirt, then took along a sport coat just in case he needed to be a little more dressed up.
He was outside waiting when Elena pulled up in her car, surprising the hell out of him.
He expected her to drive an economy car. Something with four cylinders, or maybe even a hybrid. Not a smoking hot black ’66 Chevelle SS. Just the sound of the engine purring made him want to climb into the driver’s seat and see what she could do.
Instead, he had to get into the passenger seat.
“Are you kidding me?”
She looked over at him. “What?”
“This car.”
Her lips curved. “I like muscle cars. It’s my only nod to my mother’s crazy lifestyle. She used to date a guy who was into restoring old cars
. I fell madly in love with Chevys, and the love affair has continued throughout my life.”
He arched a brow. “Now that I want to hear about.”
“Maybe I’ll tell you, but we don’t want to be late for dinner.” The engine rocketed them forward when she pressed on the gas and drove off. Jed leaned back and watched her as she maneuvered the beast through the heavy traffic.
The steering wheel was oversized, the car a monster. But Elena manhandled it like she knew what she was doing, didn’t abuse the Chevelle’s awesome power.
Oh, man, he really wanted to drive this car.
“You ever take it out and really run it down the highway?”
She flicked her gaze to his. “Sometimes, when I need to let off steam.”
He laid his arm over the back of the smooth vinyl seat, watching her as she concentrated on her driving. She wore a short-sleeved black dress, snug at the top, loose at the bottom. It hit just above her knee. Conservative enough for a business dinner, but she still looked sexy as hell wearing it.
She pulled into a hotel and parked. He came around to her side of the car and opened the door for her. When she stepped out, he got a good look at her outfit. She grabbed a short-sleeved jacket that she pulled on over the dress.
“Thanks.”
“You look nice tonight.”
She stepped closer to him, laying her hand on his upper arm. “So do you. The other women of the association will want to drag you away from me.”
He grinned. “Not a chance. I’m all yours tonight.”
SIX
Elena had been right. As soon as she and Jed had walked into the conference room where the business association was meeting, every set of female eyes had zeroed in on Jed.
Of course they would, since many of the men in attendance were overweight, middle-aged, balding, or married. The pickings for single women were slim to none, so bring in a hot young guy like Jed and any available woman—hell, even the unavailable ones—started salivating.
She’d like to think she wouldn’t have pounced on him like the current pack of circling wolves. She was focused on her business, not trying to find a man. She ran into good-looking available men all the time and her pulse didn’t jump in the least.
Until she’d met Jed.
Poor guy. He was surrounded, though seemed to be holding his own, drink in hand, engaged in conversation with no less than six women. Every one of said women were doing the hair flipping, lip licking and lash batting like tomorrow was Armageddon and tonight was their last chance to get laid.
And these were solid, upstanding, levelheaded businesswomen, many of whom were her friends. She didn’t understand how the presence of hot testosterone could reduce them to fourteen-year-olds.
Then again, as she watched Jed slide one hand into his pocket and affect a casual stance, then laugh at something one of them said, maybe she did understand it. There was something about him that captured her like no man ever had before. Part of her wanted to storm into the middle of the pack and plant her mark on him, to declare him off-limits to the rest of the sex-starved she-wolves before any of them got their claws into him.
Wow. Get fucked recently, Elena?
No, and that was obviously her problem.
“Who’s the guy?”
She looked up to see Todd Bishop next to her. “Jed Templeton. Just moved into town.”
“Boyfriend?”
She laughed. “No. He installed a new security alarm in my shop so I offered to bring him with me to the meeting tonight and introduce him around. He’s trying to get his new business off the ground, and with the recent string of burglaries in the area, I figured he could meet some of the owners.”
“Huh,” was all that Todd said, no doubt irritated to be usurped as resident cock of the block. One of the few decent-looking single men in the association, Todd was usually popular, but he was a manwhore, and rumor had it he’d slept with quite a few of the available women in the group. He’d tried a few times to get Elena to go out with him. She’d always declined.
He was good-looking—tall, with dark brown hair and a great build. The problem was, he knew it and made no bones about the fact that he enjoyed the single life, which normally wouldn’t bother her, but she hated his attitude toward women. He owned several car dealerships in the area and he had the whole slick salesman mantra down a little too well for her liking.
“We have a good alarm system already,” was all Todd said.
“That’s what I thought, too, until my shop got hit last night.”
Todd raised a brow. “You did? That’s too bad. Did they take a lot?”
“A few pieces of jewelry. Made a mess of the shop.”
He picked up her hand. “I’m so sorry, Elena. I should introduce you to our security team. They’re the best around.”
“That’s nice of you, Todd, but as I told you, Jed installed a new system today, so I’m up and running again.”
His gaze narrowed. “But you’re not dating him, right? Because there’s this weekend trip to Orlando I’d love to take you on.”
Ugh. How many times was she going to have to tell him no before it sank into his thick, Neanderthal head?
“Actually, she’s dating me.”
Shocked, Elena could only stare as Jed moved around Todd and put his arm around her waist. He put his hand out. “Jed Templeton. And you are?”
Todd didn’t look at all happy, but shook Jed’s hand. “Todd Bishop.”
“Of Bishop Motors? I’ve seen your dealerships all over the place.”
That puffed Todd’s chest out. “Yes, that’s me.”
Really, it was Todd’s father who owned all the dealerships and had all the money. Todd was just good at spending it and putting his perfect hair and football player body and God only knew how many thousands of dollars in orthodontia to get those perfect teeth in front of the camera to do the commercials she saw on television every day.
“Business must be great for you,” Jed said, affecting a casual, couldn’t-give-a-shit stance.
Todd nodded. “We do all right. So you have an alarm company?”
“Alarm and security services.” Jed pulled out his card. “If there’s anything we can do for you, just let me know.”
“We have a good security team of our own. Been in business for over fifty years and haven’t lost a car yet.”
“That’s great.” Jed pulled Elena closer to him.
Todd got the message. “Well, I think I’ll see what kind of food they have on hand. Elena, I’ll talk to you later.”
“Bye, Todd.”
“Nice guy,” Jed said after he left.
“He’s a dick.”
Jed laughed. “Someone you’ve dated?”
She cast him a horrified look. “Bite your tongue. I have standards.”
“Good to know.”
“How about you? Make any dates with your new female fan club?”
“They’re all very nice.”
“Uh-huh. You didn’t answer my question.”
He led her over to the table where the food was being served. “I’m starving. How about you?”
She tilted her head back and studied his face. “Avoidance and poker face. Now you have me worried. You have to be careful with those women, you know.”
“So you’re jealous. I like that.”
“I’m not jealous. Should I be, given that you and I are apparently dating?”
He laughed at her reminder of his declaration to Todd. “Nope. I’m all yours, totally devoted.”
She rolled her eyes. “I give up. You’re on your own.”
He took a plate and handed it to her, then got one for himself and leaned in to whisper against her ear. “I?
??m here with you. I want to be with you, not them.”
She felt ridiculous for the spot of jealousy. “I really hate you right now.”
He slipped an arm around her middle and tugged her against him. “No, you don’t. You think I’m charming.”
“I think you’re a pain in the ass and I regret bringing you here.”
He laughed, the low rumble vibrating through her body. “I’ll make sure I’m appropriately grateful the entire night.”
She shook her head, filled her plate and did her best to ignore him, which was difficult considering the death stares she received from all the women who she was certain would gladly change places with her.
The speaker during dinner was from the local police, a last-minute fill-in for the president of their local chamber of commerce, who asked them to talk about the burglaries in their area. The detective from the burglary division spoke to them about being vigilant and aware of any usual activity or people hanging around their establishments, as well as making sure their security systems were up to date.
Elena leaned over to Jed. “This will be a great opportunity for you.”
Jed smiled at her.
After the presentation, Elena took Jed around and introduced him to as many of the local business owners as she could. There were several that appeared interested in upgrading their systems, so they took his card. By the end of the night, Elena was certain he had at least two or three new sales. She beamed, glad she was able to help him out. He was even taking calls on their way out, so it seemed his new business was already starting to take hold.
“I hope you get a lot of business out of this,” she said as they left the hotel.
He seemed distracted, looking outside to the parking lot. “Yeah, it should be great.”
Odd that Jed didn’t seem nearly as excited as she was for him.
“Jed. You do want new business, right?”
That snapped his attention back to her. “What? Oh, sure I do. Thanks for bringing me along. This really helps a lot. You ready to go?”
He didn’t sound excited. They headed outside to the parking lot. She rolled her eyes and dug into her purse for her keys. Men were so hard to figure out.