hand on his chest. “And how would you know?”
Ashton bent his head again, so close he could almost taste her. “I’m just saying… uh…, something like that could shut down their dealership.”
“That’s not my problem!” she spat, then rolled over and lunged to her feet. “When I bought that car, Jake, my salesman went on and on about how I was getting such a great deal.” She was pacing and waving her hands now, as she turned to periodically glare at him. “Then two months later I start having problems and took it to AutoBeau Body Shop and Jaden Beaumont—” she stopped suddenly. “Do you know who he is?”
Ashton nodded. Everyone in Sheraton Beach knew who Jaden Beaumont was. He had bought Old man Peterson’s Garage and not only renamed the body shop, but opened a string of garages from the east to west coast. The multi-millionaire still enjoyed getting under the hood of a car.
“Yeah, I know him,” he said and his pulse sped up. The second she mentioned Jaden’s name, he prepared for the worse.
“Well, he checked out my car. Come to find out the rotors and brakes were so bad there’s no way my car should have ever passed inspection.”
He blew out a breath and sat there staring in disbelief. How was that even possible? Platinum had quality mechanics, and he guaranteed each and every car that pulled off his lot.
“Babe, how do you know the odometer was tampered with?”
Kaelyn sucked in breath as if deeply frustrated. “Jaden said if I’d had less than hundred thousand miles on my Volvo then there should still be a warranty. He did some investigating and discovered that vehicle actually had over one ten.”
Ashton rubbed the ache creeping into his temples. “How come you didn’t try contacting the dealership?”
Kaelyn’s head snapped back as if she’d been struck. “I did, several times and that damn receptionist is always screening his calls. The owner is either in a meeting or unavailable to come to the phone. Last week she finally let me speak to the sales manager, but he pissed me off!”
Ashton gave her an incredulous look. Glen never mentioned speaking to her. “How so?”
“All he kept saying was Platinum only sells quality and he offered to have his mechanic look at my vehicle, but at that point I no longer trusted any of them down there. Instead, I retained a lawyer.”
Double damn. Taking a deep breath, Ashton considered the beautiful woman. She was passionate and fighting mad, and if what she said was true, she had every right to be. And he wanted to believe her, but by doing so he was putting his reputation on the line. There was no question about it, something had happened to that car. Probably long before they had purchased it at auction. Either way, he was going to find out the truth.
He sucked in a breath and tried like hell not to let her know how affected he was by the situation.
Ashton rose, walked around the bed to where she was standing, and said, “I’m sorry you had to go through that. Is your car now safe to drive?” he asked quietly.
Kaelyn nodded. “Sure after I spent close to eleven hundred dollars in repairs, but I’ll have my day in court,” she announced with hands planted at her hips. He looked up at brown eyes, dark and determined.
Ashton reached out and caressed her cheek with the palm of his hand, hoping to simmer some of her rage. He was pissed off enough for the both of them. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. After he’d received the first complaint, his mechanic assured him nothing like that was going on at his dealership. He had stood by his employees the way a good CEO should, but now that he had met Kaelyn, and was listening to what she was saying, he was starting to have an uneasy feeling that his “deranged chick” wasn’t crazy at all.
Both of her hands were on his chest and Kaelyn was leaning so close he could hear her heart thumping. Tilting her head, Ashton dipped his and nuzzled the side of her neck.
Ashton bent his head again, so close he could almost taste her. “I’m just saying… uh…, something like that could shut down their dealership.”
“That’s not my problem!” she spat, then rolled over and lunged to her feet. “When I bought that car, Jake, my salesman went on and on about how I was getting such a great deal.” She was pacing and waving her hands now, as she turned to periodically glare at him. “Then two months later I start having problems and took it to AutoBeau Body Shop and Jaden Beaumont—” she stopped suddenly. “Do you know who he is?”
Ashton nodded. Everyone in Sheraton Beach knew who Jaden Beaumont was. He had bought Old man Peterson’s Garage and not only renamed the body shop, but opened a string of garages from the east to west coast. The multi-millionaire still enjoyed getting under the hood of a car.
“Yeah, I know him,” he said and his pulse sped up. The second she mentioned Jaden’s name, he prepared for the worse.
“Well, he checked out my car. Come to find out the rotors and brakes were so bad there’s no way my car should have ever passed inspection.”
He blew out a breath and sat there staring in disbelief. How was that even possible? Platinum had quality mechanics, and he guaranteed each and every car that pulled off his lot.
“Babe, how do you know the odometer was tampered with?”
Kaelyn sucked in breath as if deeply frustrated. “Jaden said if I’d had less than hundred thousand miles on my Volvo then there should still be a warranty. He did some investigating and discovered that vehicle actually had over one ten.”
Ashton rubbed the ache creeping into his temples. “How come you didn’t try contacting the dealership?”
Kaelyn’s head snapped back as if she’d been struck. “I did, several times and that damn receptionist is always screening his calls. The owner is either in a meeting or unavailable to come to the phone. Last week she finally let me speak to the sales manager, but he pissed me off!”
Ashton gave her an incredulous look. Glen never mentioned speaking to her. “How so?”
“All he kept saying was Platinum only sells quality and he offered to have his mechanic look at my vehicle, but at that point I no longer trusted any of them down there. Instead, I retained a lawyer.”
Double damn. Taking a deep breath, Ashton considered the beautiful woman. She was passionate and fighting mad, and if what she said was true, she had every right to be. And he wanted to believe her, but by doing so he was putting his reputation on the line. There was no question about it, something had happened to that car. Probably long before they had purchased it at auction. Either way, he was going to find out the truth.
He sucked in a breath and tried like hell not to let her know how affected he was by the situation.
Ashton rose, walked around the bed to where she was standing, and said, “I’m sorry you had to go through that. Is your car now safe to drive?” he asked quietly.
Kaelyn nodded. “Sure after I spent close to eleven hundred dollars in repairs, but I’ll have my day in court,” she announced with hands planted at her hips. He looked up at brown eyes, dark and determined.
Ashton reached out and caressed her cheek with the palm of his hand, hoping to simmer some of her rage. He was pissed off enough for the both of them. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. After he’d received the first complaint, his mechanic assured him nothing like that was going on at his dealership. He had stood by his employees the way a good CEO should, but now that he had met Kaelyn, and was listening to what she was saying, he was starting to have an uneasy feeling that his “deranged chick” wasn’t crazy at all.
Both of her hands were on his chest and Kaelyn was leaning so close he could hear her heart thumping. Tilting her head, Ashton dipped his and nuzzled the side of her neck.
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