“I know it does. It’s one of the reasons I love you. I may come out but don’t count on it. I haven’t seen Audra in ages so I might see if she’s free to do something,” PJ said.

“All right. Text me to let me know. Can I come over after?” Asa sent puppy-dog eyes.

“You hate my apartment. Though to be fair, you hate every place that isn’t your house.”

“I have a big bed and my coffeemaker is nicer. My shower is bigger. So is my bed.”

“And you’re more in charge in your own house.”

Busted. “So the solution is for you to come over to my house and spend the night.”

“But you’ll be out late racing and fighting and all that. I have work tomorrow.”

It wasn’t a complaint. There was no anger or resentment in her words at all. She totally accepted that part of his nature. That burning need to go hard and fast in so many parts of his life.

He reached into his back pocket and pulled out a ring with three keys on it. He dropped it in her palm. “Front door. Back door. Door from the garage into the house. I have lemon coffee cake. I’ll make you come so fucking hard you see stars when I get home.”

Really, how could she say no to that?

“This is an offer I can’t possibly pass up. Say hey to everyone for me. I’ll see you later,” PJ said.

He hugged her, stealing a kiss. “Drive safely, okay?”

She nodded. “You too. Don’t get arrested.” She waved as she headed out, leaving him laughing in her wake.

In the old days, he’d have stayed out at the track and then drunk and fucked around for hours, crawling home after two.

But that was before PJ was waiting in his bed, in his home. He raced and talked cars and drank beer with his friends, and he was glad he had. PJ had been right about that. He’d needed the time with them without her too.

But by ten he was done and on his bike, headed home. To her.

His house was quiet, but her car was in his garage when he pulled his bike in. He’d insisted she start parking in his garage when she visited. When it got cold it’d keep her out of the elements.

Her scent was in the air as he came through the house, hanging up his things and taking his shoes off. He liked her red sweater draped over the back of a chair. Bits and pieces of his woman all through his space. Making it a little hers too.

He heard the music as he got to his bedroom. And there she was, on his bed, in a tiny tank top and an even tinier pair of panties, her glasses perched on her nose as she looked up at him from the book in her hands with a smile just for him.

“You’re home. Did you have fun?”

“I’m home.” He went to her then, pulling her up to her knees on the bed. She was home for him too.

He kissed her and she hummed in that way of hers, all pleased and feline.

“This is more fun than racing. But you weren’t there for this, so I had to settle for racing. It was fun too.”

She grinned, wrapping her arms around his neck. “Damn right. Glad you had fun otherwise.”

“How was your lunch?”

“We plotted revolution.”

“I can tell I need to be lying down for this.” He pulled his clothes off and got in bed, shifting his arm so she could move into her place, snuggled at his side.

“Jay had some big ugly set-to with my father and Fee. My dad walked out after Fee said some nasty stuff about me to Jay. Wouldn’t take a side. Fee threatened Jay, but for once, Jay stood up for himself and for all of us. Turns out Jay had done his homework and found some leverage for us as siblings to make a power move to take over.”

“I take it this is the revolution stuff you mean.”

PJ nodded. “There’s a poison pill provision in the contract my dad and Fee signed when my grandfather got ill and they took over. There’s a way to combine to push them out. If we want.”

“And do you? Want that?” Asa treaded carefully here.

“They said the new Colman would be one where I’d have control of a paint and detail shop. My clients, Colman bays. It’s what I hadn’t dared to hope for. They said they appreciated my creativity and my voice would be heard. This is our company. Grandpa would have wanted us to do this.”

Asa didn’t want her hurt. Jay hadn’t done his job and it had harmed PJ. He hadn’t protected her as a brother or as a co-worker, and though he knew she wouldn’t want Asa to judge her brother too harshly, he did. Her father and uncle hurt her and Asa wanted to shield her from that too. He also wanted to punch Howard Colman right in the mouth for telling PJ she was a failure, but that wasn’t for thinking on because she needed him to support the choice she’d already made in her mind and heart.

When he first was getting to know her, she’d talked with a great deal of affection about Colman Enterprises and had always shown pride that it was a family business. If they succeeded, she’d be doing what she wanted and building for the next generation too. He knew she wanted that and so even though he worried about her getting hurt – again – he needed to help her get it.

“I want you to do what makes you happy. What makes you satisfied. I support that, no matter what it is that gets you there. But if any of them fucks up and you end up bearing all the heat for this, I will personally kick his or her ass.”

“So romantic.” But she laughed.

“You’re going to do it.”

She paused, choosing her words. “I’ve been thinking about it. Not just today, of course, but since I left. I had a plan when I resigned. I knew they’d realize how much I did and how integral I was to Colman and ask me back. Beg me maybe, but I wasn’t going to make a big deal out of it. But they… didn’t. I wasn’t expecting that. So my dad and uncle, they don’t care. They’d rather me be a silent cog in their machine than bring anything to the table on my own. I just couldn’t choose that path. I made my own way. I’m not pretending I didn’t have a leg up because of my name. But I built this business in large part because I’m good at it. And my brothers and sister, they see it and appreciate it. Not as well as they should, maybe. I guess I have to accept that it’s never going to come from them in a way I need. But I get it elsewhere.