Page 2 of Hyde and Seek

What he found must have bored him because his eyes quickly lost their intensity. Using a pen, he tapped a beat on the counter. “Name?”

“Piper,” I breathed. Yup, I breathed it. My voice came out soft, airy, and slightly raspy. I internally shook my head, attempting to lift the fog.

Way to go, Piper. You remembered your name, and were even able to talk this time. Now let’s see if we can’t start sounding less like a wannabe phone sex operator, hmm?

“Yeah, definitely no paperwork with that name. Last name?”

“Skye.” I spelled it out while he wrote.

“Piper Skye.” My name rolled off his tongue like it was one he’d said often. His lip quirked up. “I like it.”

I liked my name. I always had. Hearing his deep, gravelly voice rumble my name, though, made meloveit. I found myself wondering how it would sound if we were doing other things, none of which were appropriate to be thinking about.

My cheeks flushed and I tried again to clear the mental fog. “Thanks.”

“What’s going on with the van, babe?”

I liked the way he said my name, but I really liked it when he called me babe. I knew he probably called every chick that, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t hot.

“It needs to be colder in the back.”

“Air not workin’?” He raised his eyebrow. “Why’d you come here for a repair?”

Hyde was a body and custom job shop, not a regular garage. I, along with most everyone, knew that. It wasn’t where you came for an oil change and a tire rotation. Hyde was where you brought a sweet ride you wanted made sweeter.

“Um, no, it works. It works great but it needs to be colder. I use the van for work and my stuff keeps melting in the back.”

“What type of stuff—” he started before being interrupted by a golden god entering the room.

“Jake, dude, you will not believe the sweet piece I had last night…” His words trailed off when he saw me. “Sorry, didn’t know you were busy,” he said to Jake, though he was definitely still looking at me. “Hey. Kase.” He extended his hand.

Since he was only an inch or two shorter than Jake, I still had to crane my neck to look up at him. It was not a hardship. His dark hair hung in dreads past his shoulders, and his groomed facial hair was slightly longer than Jake’s scruff.

I was sure he had to be wearing color contacts because no one had eyes like his. They were the most startling crystal blue I’d ever seen. Rimmed with black lashes and his golden skin, they stood out in sharp contrast.

Starting from his fingers up, intricate ink covered his arms, small patches of tanned skin peeking through here and there.

His skin tone and dark hair hinted at some exotic heritage, but I couldn’t put my finger on it.

But I’d totally be willing to try. Finger, hand, tongue, whatever.

“Piper.” I reached my hand to meet his. I smiled, unsurprised by his sudden personality change. I knew I came across to most as more conservative, shy, and quiet. My real friends knew that couldn’t be further from the truth, but I was only that close with a handful of people.

My general vibe screamed ‘introvert!’

Actually, I don’t think you can scream introvert, but it definitely mumbled it.

I understood his thinking. I was in a body shop waiting room in four-inch heels, stockings with the seam up the back, and a white fitted blouse tucked into a pale pink pencil skirt. My black hair was pulled back in a neat twist. I knew I looked conservative, uptight, and very out of place.

However, I’d come straight from a meeting at the bank that had been unexpectedly moved up. And, unfortunately, meetings at the bank require you to look conservative, uptight, and veryinplace there.

It’d been a minor miracle I was able to get my van into Hyde. I wasn’t about to cancel just because I was in a skirt.

Kase lifted his chin. “Nice to meet you. Sorry about that. I, uh, I didn’t know there were customers here.”

I fought the urge to laugh. He came through the garage, which meant he saw vehicles there. He had to have guessed there were people waiting, and he was talking loud enough that I had no doubt the bikers against the far wall heard.

“Seriously, not an issue,” I said. “Congrats on the sweet piece.”

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