Chapter 3
“Morning,” she called back, not emerging from under the Bentley, not ready to face those green eyes that had haunted her all weekend, mixing unhelpfully with thoughts of escape routes and signing bonuses.
She heard him move closer, could feel him standing just outside her peripheral vision. The silence stretched between them, unusual for Aidan who typically filled every space with easy conversation about weekend plans or the weather or whatever project was currently driving him to distraction.
“Busy weekend?” he finally asked, and something in his tone made her slide out from under the car.
He was leaning against her tool chest, aiming for casual but missing by miles. His jaw was tight, his hands shoved deep in his pockets, and he was looking at her with an intensity that made her stomach perform a complicated maneuver that definitely wasn’t in any anatomy textbook.
Dylan sat up on the creeper, wiping her hands on a shop rag with meticulous care. “Quiet,” she said. “You?”
“Family dinner yesterday. The usual chaos.” He paused, and she could see him choosing his words like he was selecting tools for a delicate repair. “Sophie mentioned she saw you having lunch at The Lampstand on Friday.”
There it was. Dylan turned her attention to the rag in her hands, cleaning grease from beneath her nails with focused precision. “I did.”
“With Marcus Rowan.”
“You know him?”
“I know of him. Pacific Custom Restoration has a reputation for excellence.” The words came out neutral, but she could hear the effort it took, like watching someone lift an engine block and pretend it weighed nothing. “He trying to poach you?”
Dylan stood slowly, meeting his eyes directly because she’d learned long ago that difficult conversations were best faced head-on. “He made me an offer.”
Something flickered across Aidan’s face—surprise, certainly, but underneath it something else. Something that looked almost like hurt. “Are you considering it?”
“I’d be foolish not to.” She kept her voice level, professional, the same tone she used when explaining to customers why their repairs would cost more than expected. “It’s a good opportunity.”