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Something To Live For Chapter 3 - Secrets Revealed by Fair Drea Kneeling on the cool cement floor, Jaiden sat back on her heels and sighed, smiling victoriously. It had taken her every day of the week and a half she had been allowed, every hour from morning until close, but finally she had managed to finish the bike and she had never been so proud in her life. The bike gleamed, a sea of blacks, golds, blues, greens and violets under the harsh florescent lighting. As she stared at it, lilac eyes carefully assessing every detail, making certain nothing had been left undone, she had a difficult time believing that she had created something so beautiful. It exceeded even her own expectations. But she had done it, and the proof was right in front of her. With an exaggerated groan she stood, wincing when her bones cracked. Too many hours spent on the ground obviously. It was surprising to her that she had made it through that week and a half without going completely stiff or insane. Of course, having Vinnie and his bros around to cheer her on and offer a complimentary back rub now and then really did help. A smile graced her tired face as she thought of all the things she had endured from them. Countless renditions of old rock songs sang out of tune more often than not, rowdiness that rivaled a barnyard wrestling match and oh�the attempts Vinnie made to stick her with a nick name. She�d suffered through Lady Jai, Legs, Sterling, and countless others. Finally he�d just settled for calling her gorgeous. �Not short,� he had said with that appealing smile that never failed to stagger her heart beat, �but definitely sweet and to the point.� Refusing to admit that she was overjoyed by the attention would have been a flat out lie and Jaiden didn�t do lying. She loved the attention; the way Vinnie seemed to lavish more of it on with every day but she also knew she had to be careful. Whatever he was working on her was working�fast. She knew she was close to losing her composure and admitting things that may have been better left unsaid and she had to tread carefully here. She had to guard her heart. As much as she liked the young Martian she had heard too many things about the way he treated women to delude herself into thinking that she could be something more. It was a shame the line she walked was so thin and close to breaking. �I can handle this�I can handle him,� she tried to convince herself as she crossed the garage to the counter. Charlie had gone for a gas run and she had the place to herself that afternoon so she had no fear of someone overhearing her. �I just�have to keep cool,� she continued, picking up a pen and jotting down a few quick notes on the work order for her finished project. �Stay in control�don�t let him get to me.� �Don�t let who get to you?� With a violent jerk, her heart wedged itself in her throat, forcing out a startled gasp. She shouldn�t have been surprised to see him, not really. He was constantly dropping in to tease her, make small talk, encourage her when she was ready to give up. �Jeez Vin, make a little more noise next time,� she muttered irritably. �Sorry, didn�t know you were the jumpy type, Gorgeous.� There was that nickname, the one that tripped her heart, much like it was doing right now. He released a low whistle as he came to stand beside her. �Looks great Jaiden.� Pleased, she turned to him and smiled. �Thank you. I�m hoping it will be more than the guy expected. Lord knows he paid enough money for it to be more than what he wanted.� �He�d be insane not to like it. Hell, I want the damn bike.� She laughed softly, going back to her writing. �Well you can�t have it hun.� Vinnie leaned on the counter and let the sound of her husky laugh melt him. She could do that easily, putting no effort into it what so ever. A smile, the way she would brush her hair out of her eyes when she worked, the disgruntled look she fixed on her face when deep in her work, all of it had a serious impact on him, all of it stirred a craving deep inside of him that he knew would never go away until he touched her, took her, made her his. �So who aren�t you going to let get to you?� he asked, forcing his lustful thoughts back. Taken off guard she quickly grappled for a suitable answer. �Bandit,� the lie slid off her tongue. �He�s tearing everything in sight apart. I�m trying not to let it get to me.� �Uh huh,� Vinnie murmured, unconvinced. She was treading dangerously here. She could already feel the shift in the air, the spark. The heat. �So�mind if I ask you a question?� she asked, knowing she was reaching for something to get them back on some solid, harmless ground. �Shoot Gorgeous.� �What�happened?� She paused in her writing and shifted her position slightly to see him better. �You wear that mask�why?� Now it was his turn to be uncomfortable. Unbearably so. The story of how he�d come about the metal mask that covered half his face was a painful one, one he didn�t like remembering at all. He cleared his throat. A brief, sketchy account sounded like the right way to go. �War back on Mars. People were hurt�I was one of �em. Couple of scars. Nothing exactly pleasing to look at. And you know me, can�t have stuff like that takin� away from a handsome face like this.� Jaiden�s heart caught painfully. He was valiant enough but even his best act couldn�t hide the hurt, the pain that still deeply affected him. �I can�t say I know how you feel�but I do know what it�s like to want to hide something where others can�t see it.� �Yeah? How�s that?� She turned to face him now, leaning against the counter much the same way he did and feeling, as always, dwarfed by his massive form. �I have a scar that I hide. I�m sure it may seem pretty irrelevant to you but I�m not a big fan of the thing.� With her free hand she pulled her long bangs back, pinning them to the top of her head to reveal a long jagged scar that ran from her temple along her hairline to the part of her hair. It had been unnoticeable under the fall of mahogany bangs. Hidden. �What happened?� he asked, no longer feeling sad for what had happened to him. Once the opportunity arose to get his mind and the conversation off the fact, he�d latched onto it. �Riding accident.� �Fall off your bike?� His thumb brushed her forehead and she shivered, her breath catching slightly. Okay, she had obviously taken the wrong path here. This wasn�t safe, this was dangerous. This was going to get her in trouble. But she found herself answering. �No, fell off a horse.� �Got right back on, didn�t ya?� he asked, a knowing smirk curving his lips as his eyes met hers. Suddenly they both knew something was going to happen, something neither of them could or actually wanted to stop. Her hand slid to her side, her bangs fell back in place, brushing sensuously against the back of his hand. That hand moved slowly downward to trace the delicate tip of her cheekbone, caressing the soft skin over a gently curving jawbone. Dizzy, Jaiden sighed and leaned into his palm. Her current view on something like this happening forgotten, she felt her eyelids grow heavy and whispered his name the second before he claimed her mouth. It was a simple kiss, a test. Soft enough to provoke questions, gentle enough to have her wanting more and she was hard pressed to bite back a moan of disappointment when it stopped. �Well�that definitely wasn�t a bad thing,� he murmured, his voice thick with emotion. She didn�t say anything. Instead, she took a deep breath, throwing caution to the wind as she slid her hands up his chest and around his neck. The sound of his breath catching put a smile on her lips and with determination she never knew she possessed she fearlessly pressed her mouth against his, desperate for something deeper, something more. He was all to eager to respond. Strong arms wrapped around her waist as he picked her up and crushed her body to his. He groaned low in his throat and the kiss went from searching to hungry. Jaiden trembled with need, desperate to touch all of him at once. But they couldn�t do this now, not here. The guy would be coming by for his bike any minute and Charlie was due back as well. It was with great effort and regret that she broke the kiss, gasping for breath. �Oh lord�� �You have no idea how long I�ve wanted to do that,� Vinnie almost growled, pulling her into a hug. �What? Kiss me?� A shaky laugh escaped him and he pulled away, smiling down into her deep violet eyes still fogged from passion. �Yeah, that.� He was considering doing it again too. Those petal soft lips, full and moist practically begged him to. �We shouldn�t be doing this.� Although spoken in a whisper her words had the effect of a vicious right hook and caught him completely off guard. She�d pulled another 180 on him! �What?� �We shouldn�t be doing this,� she repeated, her voice trembling now as she tried to move away from him. �I shouldn�t have kissed you like that�I�m sorry.� �Now hold on just a minute!� Confusion turned his lust to irritation. �Mind explaining to me why we shouldn�t be doing this?� He was mad and it was something she had never seen out of him before and now, something she never wanted to see again. With her mind still reeling, she cast her gaze to the floor. �I�I don�t want to be just another fling for you,� she murmured, cutting straight to the truth of her fears. �I came from a family that doesn�t believe in one night stands and short term relationships and although I like you�a lot�I wont let myself get involved in something like that.� The fact that she had admitted how she felt took away some of the sting but what she said still cut deep. �Bein� a little hard, don�t ya think?� he asked, failing to completely mask the hurt in his voice. She looked up at him then, sympathy softening her violet eyes. �You kind of have a reputation Vinnie, one I�ve heard quite a bit about.� Never before had he been ashamed of the choices he had made concerning women but that look on Jaiden�s face with the underlying hope shimmering just below the surface was enough to make him wish he could take it all back. He couldn�t though. All he could do was forget the past and try to show her he could be different. �People change Jaiden,� he murmured. �I know they do.� He dropped his arms from around her waist and lifted his hands to her face, holding it gently between them, forcing her eyes to remain focused on his. She was fighting him, keeping her body ridged and her eyes cool but he could tell it was the last thing she wanted to do. Well, here it was, his big chance to prove he could be one of those people. �Come on gorgeous�give me a chance.� �I want to.� With a sigh the doubt instantly vanished from her eyes as if it had never wanted to be there in the first place. �God Vinnie, I want to.� He leaned closer, watching her eyes cloud over again, turning a deep indigo. �I won't hurt you. I promise.� Her smile was warm and trusting. �Okay.� This time when their lips met it was gentle and unrushed, a vast difference from their last lip lock. Jaiden made a blissful humming noise in the back of her throat and wrapped her arms around Vinnie�s neck as he moved a hand to the back of her neck. The other arm circled her waist. With that arm he easily lifted her, making her feel weightless. �This is going so fast,� she said softly. �I know. Great, ain�t it?� She laughed, burying her head in his neck, rubbing her nose against the soft fur there. He smelled wonderful, not at all how she had expected him to smell. Well, what did you expect Jai? Woodchips and cheddar? Biting down on her bottom lip to stop the sudden laughter that had bubbled up within her, she smiled and deeply inhaled his scent. He wore cologne, the good stuff. The kind that you would never tire of smelling. Suddenly, his lips were at her neck. �Come over tonight,� he said in a husky voice that sent a delicious shiver down her spine. �We�ll watch a movie.� The idea certainly held appeal. She lifted her head from his chest and opened her mouth to tell him that she�d love to but Throttle�s highly amused voice cut her off. �If I was a bettin� man Charlie-girl, I�d be takin� your money right about now.� Mortified, Jaiden dropped her head back to Vinnie�s chest. Great. Just great. Now she could add making out on the job to her steadily growing list of things that would eventually get her fired one day. Hopefully today�was not that day. �Relax, you�ll be fine,� came Vinnie�s whispered assurance at her ear. But she couldn�t be as sure as he was. Bringing her head up Jaiden stepped away from him and faced her boss, fully prepared to be down right humble. But she only managed to open her mouth before Charlie cut her off. �Save the apology, hun. We all saw it comin�,� she said, chuckling at Jaiden�s shocked expression. �Although Vin, I�m surprised it took you so long. Both Modo and I were sure it wouldn�t take more then a few days but Throttle here,� she jerked a thumb in the direction of where the tall golden furred Martian was standing, �called it.� �Week and a half tops,� Throttle tilted his head to the side, regarding Vinnie curiously. �What took you so long bro?� The younger mouse shrugged, although he knew the answer. He had taken his time because he cared about Jaiden. Cared so much that on some level it terrified the hell out of him. He had wanted to take it slow for both their sakes�at least until he had these new emotions somewhat straightened out. So without answering Throttle, he turned his gaze to Jaiden and with a devastatingly slow smile went straight for her heart said, �I�ll tell ya something Throttle�it was well worth the wait.� Bingo. In a matter of seconds she had a complete, visible melt down. Beautiful violet eyes turned soft and smoky, full lips curved up in a dreamy smile and his heart gave a violent kick. He loved that he was able to do that to her almost as much as he loved what she could do to him. �Alright, lay off Vinnie. You�re going to make the poor girl swoon,� Charlie scolded with a laugh, looping her arm through Jaiden�s. The young woman came back to earth and frowned as Charlie dragged her away from Vinnie. �I don�t swoon!� �You keep tellin� yourself that honey but you were pretty darn close to it. Now, lets have a look at that hog. It�s amazing. You�re done with it, right?� The abrupt change of subject left Jaiden sputtering and it took her a full ten minutes to compose herself and answer. �Um�yes, it�s done. I just finished putting the clear coat on. It needs to dry and all�but that�s about it.� Charlie smiled affectionately. �You did a wonderful job hun.� Sliding an arm around her shoulders in a sisterly embrace, she looked over the bike, her heart swelling with pride for her young assistant. �Think you�d ever be up for another challenge like this one?� �Not for a very�very long time.� �I don�t see why not Jai,� Throttle commented as he and Vinnie joined them. �I mean�I know your hands get pretty bad off from workin� like this but you�ve got some major talent.� �I�ll say she does.� A deep voice laden with a thick French accent filled the room and the four looked up, watching a tall man swagger into the garage. His image alone screamed slick, dangerous and Jaiden felt a wave of wary apprehension slowly drift over her. He wore black leather pants, a maroon dress shirt worn under a plain leather vest, black boots that were far too stylish and his black hair slicked back from cold blue eyes. Oh yeah, this guy was definitely one to watch out for and he was NOT at all a biker. He approached them, threw a quick, calculating look at the two mice, then flashed the woman a sharp smile that was all teeth. �I�m not sure which holds more beauty�the machine�or the woman who made it what it is.� Jaiden managed to suppress a shudder and force a frosty smile to her lips. She could sense Vinnie tense beside her and felt the urge to reach out and take his hand in hers. �Can I help you with something sir?� �Alexander Ricardo.� Quick as a whip he had her hand in his and was placing a thin-lipped kiss upon it. She fought to keep her hand where it was, knowing it would be not only rude but out of line for her to jerk it back and hiss at the man like she wanted to do. �And I can only assume you are the Miss Jaiden Sterling?� Now she did tug her hand free, as politely as possible of course. There was something about this man she did not like, something that grated on her nerves. �Yes, that would be me.� �Simply gorgeous.� �Please�don�t call me that.� Again she felt Vinnie tense and barley heard Throttle�s whispered warning for him to control himself. �You�re here for?� �The bike.� He straightened, his eyed turning even colder if possible. �I am Mr. Foxworth�s agent. He would have come to pick it up himself but he was called away to business. Turns out some motorcycle museum down in Florida needed him to host their annual event since their first selection came down with the flu and since he cannot be here, he sent me to collect and�to pay you handsomely for a job well done.� It was a compliment but added to the suggestive leer it turned out to be the worst pick up line she had ever heard. She took a step back, needing to put distance between them and felt the pressure of Vinnie�s hand at her back, warm, calming, supportive. �Well, the bike is done and ready to go so if you�ll just come with me we�ll take care of the bill.� She turned and started walking towards the counter, eager to have some kind of barrier between her and this strange man. �I�ll also need proof of identity and something showing that you have, in fact, been given authorization to pick up Mr. Foxworth�s bike.� Vinnie admired the way she handled the, well�in his opinion�jerk, keeping a safe distance while maintaining her composure. Past the cool smile and frosty lilac eyes she was all business, handling even the most minor detail with the same efficient manner in which she handled the larger ones. Signatures were compared, papers were signed and finally the man was free to go. Good riddance, Vinnie thought, unclenching his fists as he waited for the man to say thank you and get the hell out of there. Lord knew the young Martian was only inches away from forcing him out the door. He hated guys like this one, oozing fake charm and cheap cologne�and hitting on his woman. Just the thought of the man putting such practiced moves on Jaiden was enough to make Vinnie�s blood simmer. �So, would you mind getting together�say for dinner gorgeous?� Vinnie�s blood quickly went from a steady simmer to a violent boil. Who the hell did this guy think he was, calling her that! That was his name for her! He was about to act upon the impulse to pound the guys face in and mess up his meticulously styled hair a bit when Jaiden�s controlled voice stopped him. �I�m sorry, but I can�t. I�m seeing someone and please�just call me Jaiden.� The half smile vanished along with the pleasant tone of her normally sweet voice. �I don�t appreciate being given pet names by men I hardly know.� Alexander ignored the obvious irritation and pressed on, finding himself aroused by the flare of anger in her eyes. �Jaiden then. I�m only in town for a few more days. Surely you could take some time off for a simple dinner.� He had her hand again and was stroking the soft skin with the tips of his long, gangly fingers. �The man you�re seeing would never have to know.� He had a little under a second to study her scornful expression before a large hand landed on her shoulder and roughly jerked him around. Blood red eyes narrowed to dangerous slits glared down at him. �She�s not interested buddy, so why don�t you lay off?� Vinnie growled. The frail thread of his self-control was precariously close to snapping. He wanted to hurt the guy, really hurt him. Hell, he wanted to draw blood. �Vincent,� Jaiden called softly, and that was all it took. His grip on Alexander�s shoulder loosened and the hand dropped back to his side where it clenched into a fist. Just in case he tries to make another move on her. The unintentional obedience didn�t go unnoticed by the slick Alexander. He glanced between the dark-haired woman and the mouse, realization dawning on him. So, Ms. Sterling had a thing for Martians�interesting. Several people could benefit from knowledge like this, himself included. Without taking his gaze from the white furred mouse, he pulled a slim cell phone from his pocket and flipped it open, punching in a combination of numbers. The tension in the garage remained thick as they all waited in the terse silence that was only broke when Alexander ordered the person on the other line to bring the truck around. �Well Ms. Sterling,� he put the cell phone back and pulled a wallet from his inside vest pocket, �it has been somewhat of a pleasure doing business with you. And if you ever reconsider�the offer for dinner is always open.� A sadistic smile curved his lips when he saw the muscled in the Martian�s arms tense and the banked fire in his eyes blaze to life. Apparently he had a thing for Ms. Sterling as well�very interesting. Taking a business card from his wallet along with Mr. Foxworth�s, he handed both to Jaiden just as a moving truck backed in through the open garage door, its shrill, repetitive beep echoing off the bare concrete walls. Without another word, he turned and left the garage, sparing only a short glance and an even shorter word to the two burly men who emerged from the truck. �Man, what a jerk,� Charlie muttered, grinning as she watched the two men make faces and rude gestures at Alexander�s retreating back. Jaiden couldn�t agree more. Her skin was still crawling from the touch of his cold fingertips against her hand. But right now she had more important things to worry about�like the guy Alexander had ticked off and who was, from the looks of it, still very worked up. Making her way around the counter, Jaiden started toward Vinnie with every intention of talking him down, but Throttle got to him first. �Calm down Vin,� he said, laying a hand on the shoulder of the younger mouse. Suddenly and very unexpectedly, Vinnie slammed his fist into Throttle�s face, sending him staggering back a few steps. In the silence that followed, Jaiden stared at the two mice in complete shock as Charlie rolled her jade green eyes towards the heavens. She was far too used to seeing her guys express their anger in such ways to be the least bit surprised by it. Throttle rubbed his chin and grinned ruefully at his younger bro. �Feel better?� �No.� �Well then, lets take this outside. We�ll have ourselves a nice little therapy session. Sound good?� Vinnie nodded grimly. He needed to hit something badly and that was just the way it was with him, the way it always had been. He was grateful that his bros understood this, especially right now because he honestly couldn�t remember the last time he had been so furious. He turned towards the back door, eager to get out into the air and find a release for his frustration�and came face to face with Jaiden. She stared up at him, those clear violet eyes seeing deeper than he wanted them to, forcing back the wave of anger that had threatened to over take him and when she laid her hand against his cheek all he could do was release a unsteady sigh and puller her into his arms, letting go of his rage completely. �I sense a little jealousy,� she teased, attempting to further lighten his mood. Vinnie chuckled weakly, burying his face in the soft curve of her neck. �Maybe a little.� A little? Who was he kidding? �Maybe a lot. The guy was scum Jaiden.� �I know,� she whispered, running her hand slowly up and down his neck, �but you did a great job taking care of him.� �Man, I never thought I�d live to see Vinnie calmed down by something other than a good fight,� Throttle murmured, watching the new couple with a warm smile. Standing beside him with her arms crossed over her chest, Charlie swallowed the lump of thick emotion that had formed in her throat. If only I had their courage, their fearlessness to admit their feelings, she thought, her heart aching even as it filled with happiness for Jaiden and Vinnie. I could be with him� �Charlie? Charlie girl?� �Hmm?� She looked up, surprised to see Throttle watching her. �You okay?� he asked, his voice filled with genuine concern. The ache intensified dramatically, becoming almost painful. Suck it up Charlene! Forcing a smile to her lips, she nodded. �I�m fine. What about you tough guy? How�s the face?� She lifted a hand, indulging in one innocent touch, reveling in the feel of his soft fur against her flesh. �It�s okay. He was pretty pissed so I�m sure it�ll ache for quite a long time.� He raised his hand to rub the spot, accidentally brushing his fingers over Charlie�s. A charge passed between them, sparking hidden need and desire and Charlie jumped, yanking her hand back as if she had been burned. �So�ah�where�s Modo?� she asked. Hearing the tremor in her voice she silently cursed herself for her weakness. �Back at the Scoreboard in video game land.� God, he was nervous. She always managed to do this�tie his stomach in knots, make his mouth feel like it was incapable of forming a single word. She drove him crazy and he loved every minute of it, but he could never tell her that. �He was threatening to fire 007 for not doing his �damn job� when I left so we should probably head back before he blows up the place.� �We gotta pick up some movies first,� Vinnie spoke up, facing the two while keeping an arm wrapped around Jaiden�s shoulders. �That�s the only way we�re getting him to turn that game off.� �Well, why don�t you guys head home and Jaiden and I will close up here then head over to the movie place to pick a few up. We�ll meet you back at the Scoreboard,� Charlie suggested, needing to put some distance between herself and Throttle so that she could regroup before facing him again. �Sounds like a plan.� Vinnie dropped a quick kiss on Jaiden�s head, causing the young woman to blush with pleasure, then turned and followed Throttle out the back way where they had left their bikes. �See you guys later!� Once they were out of sight, Charlie drew and unsteady breath and smiled at Jaiden. �What do you say we hurry up and get out of here?� �I�m all for that boss.� [ Previous | Next Chapter ] |