The Tycoon's Mechanic

By Linzi Basset

Michael Hadley had it all. Fast cars, money and beautiful women.

He was a billionaire and a champion Speedway racing driver. Life in the fast lane was good until a temptress from his past reappeared and caused him to spin out of control.
Willow Roth had beauty, brains and class.
She was his sister’s best friend and now in his employ.
She was also off limits - the one he couldn’t have.

“Next time you prod me in the chest, you better be ready to drop your panties.”

Love was never factored into the equation of Michael’s sexual exploits.
For Willow, love and sex represented the dualities of life. One could not exist without the other.

Through the heartache and regrets of their collusive past, they would eventually reunite to understand their place together in an imperfect world.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Linzi Basset
• Release date: Jan 30, 2021
• ISBN: 9781005174095

Linzi Basset

“Isn’t it a universal truth that it’s our singular experiences and passion, for whatever thing or things, which molds us all into the individuals we become? Whether it's hidden in the depths of our soul or exposed for all to see?” Linzi Basset is a South African born animal rights supporter with a poet’s heart, and she is also a bestselling fiction writer of suspense filled romance erotica books; who as the latter, refuses to be bound to any one sub-genre. She prefers instead to stretch herself as a storyteller which has resulted in her researching and writing historical and even paranormal themed works. Her initial offering: Club Alpha Cove, a BDSM club suspense series released back in 2015, reached Amazon’s Bestseller list, and she has been on those lists ever since. Labelling her as prolific is a gross understatement as just a few short years later she has now been published forty-one times; a total which fails to take into account the three other published works of her alter ego: Isabel James who co-authors—nor does it include the five additional new works marked for imminent release. “I write from the inside out. My stories are both inside me and a part of me so it can be either pleasurable to release them or painful to carve them out. I live every moment of every story I write. So, if you're looking for spicy and suspenseful, I'm your girl... woman... writer... you know what I mean!" Linzi believes that by telling stories in her own voice, she can better share with her readers the essence of her being: her passionate nature; her motivations; and her wildest fantasies. She feels every touch as she writes, every kiss, every harsh word uttered, and this to her is the key to a never-ending love of writing. Ultimately, all books by Linzi Basset are about passion. To her, passion is the driving force of all emotion; whether it be lust, desire, hate, trust, or love. This is the underlying message contained in her books. Her advice: “Believe in the passions driving your desires; live them; enjoy them; and allow them to bring you happiness.” Follow Linzi everywhere: https://linktr.ee/LinziBasset

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Author’s Note

Dear Reader,

Thank you for reading my stories; filled with dominant Alpha males, who know what they want and take it. They are all gorgeous, successful, rich and women flock over them. Their women are sassy, beautiful and full of spirit. Not always rich and famous, but they know what they want and work hard to achieve success.

These stories are steamy romance novels with a high level of eroticism, based on mature couples who aren’t scared to explore the sensual emotions they awaken in each other. Remember, these stories are mostly compressed in a very short time span, with lust and love that explode almost from the first page. In real life, always take care with your heart and emotions.

After nearly a year of giving The Tycoons a rest, here is the story of Michael Hadley—brother of Brooklyn from The Tycoon and His Honey Pot, and Willow Roth—her best friend.

Michael Hadley had it all.

Fast Cars. Fast money. Fast women.

He was a billionaire and a champion racecar driver. Life in the fast track was good; until a temptation from his past resurfaced to turn it upside down.

Willow Roth was intelligent, gorgeous and absolutely luscious.

His sister’s best friend.

Also, his newest employee.

The one he couldn’t have.

Next time you prod me in the chest, you better be ready to drop your panties and fuck me.

She was the temptation he couldn’t give into and the challenge he couldn’t resist. The chemistry between them was a tangible thing; denied for too long. Resistance was futile.

But love isn’t an option for Michael.

Love is the only option for Willow.

It’s a battle of wills, emotions, love, passion and . . . deceit.

Michael and Willow have to journey together, through heartache and regrets; until they realize how perfectly imperfect they are, for each other.

Happy reading!

Linzi

Dictionary

¿Q ué? Imposible - What ? Impossible

Aun major  - Even better

Bebé . . . no es su - Baby isn’t his

Beber, comer - Drink, eat

Comida para tiburones - Food for the sharks

El final está cerca - The end is near

Enfermos  - Sick

Espera un momento, amigos - One moment, friends

No poder ir  - Cannot go

Partidarios  - Supporters

Por qué  - Why

Por supuesto - Of course

Protegerte  - Protect

Sí dos días finales - Yes, final two days

Suficiente, mujer - Enough, woman

Tristemente  - Sad indeed

Chapter One

D aniel, I need you and your team to do a benchmark study, as soon as possible, Willow said in a stern voice, expecting immediate resistance to the instruction. Daniel didn’t disappoint.

A . . . what?

The tall redhead man sat slouched in the chair as he took a deep drag from the cigarette dangling from his lips that almost teetered like a tree branch over the edge of a canyon.

Willow blinked as he blew the smoke in her direction—a blatant dare in the glance he swung her way.

Oh, you stupid, prick. You did not just do that.

Willow Roth was generally a levelheaded, easy-going person, but ever since her appointment as the Head Auto Mechanical Engineer for the Hadley Racing Team, Daniel da Silva rubbed her the wrong way. He was deliberately obtuse, obstructive and completely uncooperative.

Before common sense could prevail, Willow was around the boardroom table and ripped the offending cigarette from his lips. She dropped it into his steaming cup of coffee.

What the fuck did you do that for? Daniel rumbled angrily, rising to tower over her, intimidating in size. But as far as Willow was concerned, a weasel in disguise.

His eyes flickered when she didn’t retreat but instead, tilted her head back to give him a dose of her blazing, hazel-colored eyes.

You know very well there’s a no smoking rule inside the building, Daniel. I’ve seen you on numerous occasions flagrantly ignoring it. See this as your first official warning. If you have to smoke, you will only do so during your breaks and only in the designated smoking areas, she warned him. Her pulse began beating faster when he took the step that separated them, deliberately crowding her.

"What do you think you are doing, ordering me around? Guh, to give me an ‘official warning’ of all the people," Daniel sneered, used to intimidating people because he towered over most people around him. This snip, who’d taken the job he’d been coveting, can smoke bananas in his opinion, before he would follow any of her instructions.

Willow straightened her shoulders. She took a small step back, purely to be able to look at him without causing a crick in her neck.

I’m in charge of this design team, Daniel, and let me make myself blatantly clear—I won’t allow you to sabotage the team’s effort with your sulking, boorish attitude. We have a job to do and you’re already behind, as it is, she reprimanded him with an astringent edge to her voice.

Now, listen here, little missy—no one tells me what to do. I started working here while you were still in school and a snip like you ain’t going to be the boss of me, he bit out the words through clenched teeth. His eyes blazed in rebellion.

Willow sighed inwardly. She had expected part of the team to be against her appointment because she was a woman, but Daniel was deliberately obtuse and difficult. His actions bordered on sabotage.

Come on, Daniel, stop being such a prick. We have a job to do and you know what Michael is like when he’s been away from the circuit for too long, Roy, a short, chubby man—another member of the team, said in exasperation. He wiped his balding head with a handkerchief, perhaps to hide his annoyance from Daniel.

"Well, then, I guess our new boss here will have to explain it all to Michael, won’t she?" he sneered derisively at her. He sat down, turned his back on her and promptly ignored her.

Willow took a deep breath and slowly counted to ten while she circled the desk to take her seat. She stared at Daniel until he returned her gaze.

Just so that we understand each other, let me make this clear, Daniel. I won’t hesitate to fire you if I, for one second, believe that you are deliberately delaying our progress.

"You can try, he said with a malevolent look. He leaned forward over the desk. Michael will never let me go. Not even for a hot, sexy ass such as yours," he surmised with a lascivious leer at her breasts.

Daniel, now you’ve gone too far, Roy snapped as he rose from his chair.

I’m afraid I have to agree, a deep voice rasped from the doorway behind her. Since when do you disrespect a woman like that, Daniel?

Daniel glanced up and Willow felt a tiny spec of glee when he blanched. At the same time, her stomach lurched at the familiar voice that reverberated with richness in its tone—spreading a luxurious and warm feeling through her bones.

Yeah, my bones liquefy when I hear him speak. Gah, Willow, you’re pathetic!

First, I’ve had to deal with her ordering me around and now, she threatens to fire me. Excuse me if I’m a little annoyed. Daniel defended himself, casting a dark look at Willow.

I see, Michael said, although for the life of him, he had no idea what he’d just walked into, or who this woman was, who’d threatened to fire one of the best Auto Mechanical Engineers in the US. Whatever the circumstances, Daniel, you know the code of conduct we have on how women are to be addressed in our work environment. Apologize, please. His voice was stern and brooked no protest.

Daniel bristled and the urge to ignore Michael’s instruction was apparent in his eyes. Nonetheless, he knew Michael better than to push his wrong buttons.

Sorry, he grated.

Willow was hard pressed not to burst into laughter, wondering how anyone could confuse that hidden insult as an apology.

Roy shook his head and got up, ambling toward the door and snared Daniel’s gaze with a warning look. Well, let’s get to the benchmark study then, shall we, Daniel?

Daniel’s lips flattened but he nodded.

Agh! Now he’s as weak as a little lamb. Men like him disgust me.

Willow clenched her hands in fists, waiting for the moment when the penny would drop and Michael would realize who she was.

Ehm, just so we’re clear, what exactly are we supposed to benchmark? Roy wanted to know with a quizzical look on his face.

Willow stared at him. Surely, they’ve done benchmark studies before? His blank look told a different tale. She sighed. No wonder the Hadley team has had such a tough time getting a big win over the past year.

We need to evaluate the performance of our competitors. It’s important to identify and establish any gaps between our designs and theirs. And yes, Roy, I know it’s not the kind of data any of our opposing teams will supply voluntarily, but listen to the talk on the circuits; attend rallies that we’re not involved in and see what you can find. Even the smallest detail is important. It’s fundamental for us to quantify the performance of our competitors to help us improve our own performance goals, Willow explained, conscious all the time of Michael’s eyes boring into her back.

Roy gave her a thumbs-up sign, as he and Daniel left. The silence that settled in the boardroom as soon as the door closed behind them was fragile to say the least, waiting for an explosion.

And it’s only a matter of time before he does. Crap. I warned Lucas.

Willow?

She took a deep breath, hearing the undercurrent of a thinly veiled threat in the syllables of her name. Resolutely, she rose and turned to face him. As always, she had to steel herself to keep her expression blank. Michael Hadley unnerved her. He had the ability to strike her dumb with nothing more than a look and worst of all—he aroused her. Every fucking time, without fail; her clenching lions attested to this fact, the moment their eyes met.

Hello, Michael. We didn’t expect you back until this weekend, she said with a hesitant smile on her lips.

Michael didn’t move; hadn’t moved since the moment her soft, melodious voice had tantalized his senses. He had difficulty wrapping his mind around the fact that she was here in the first place, let alone dressed in one of the design team’s shirts.

I’m sorry if I interfered or upended any plans you might’ve had with my untimely arrival, he said gruffly as he walked closer, watching her eyes flare with every step he took; weariness, mixed with an emotion he couldn’t decipher. What are you doing here, Willow?

I guess Lucas didn’t tell you, she said clearing her throat as her voice sounded more like a toad’s croak than her own.

Told me what? Michael fisted his hands inside his pant pockets, knowing that what he’d overheard could only mean one thing.

I’m going to fucking kill him. What the devil is wrong with him?

He appointed me in Clive Davis’ place, Willow stated. She stood taller and squared her shoulders, as though preparing for a battalion inspection.

"He did what?" he asked softly, his lips barely moving.

You heard me.

You? You’re my new Head Auto Mechanical Engineer? There was more than just disbelief in his eyes. He was livid. Willow grimaced as he incinerated her with two globes of blue fire. She couldn’t look away, enraptured as always, by the shade of his eyes—blue—like the sky right before the sun disappeared; a dark, rich indigo, with specks of wild colors flashing from the anger he didn’t bother to hide.

I believe that’s the job title on my appointment contract, yes, she managed to say. She pulled herself together, before she completely drowned in their depths.

"You’re kidding me. You’re fucking kidding me!" Michael’s angry voice ricocheted against the walls and felt like a knife going through her brain.

Willow flinched. She had warned Lucas to give Michael a heads-up before he got back from his European tour. He hated surprises and this was anything but a pleasant one.

LUCAS! Michael thundered from the door of the boardroom and started pacing while waiting for him to appear, completely ignoring Willow.

Well, where did you come from? Lucas quipped as he walked inside.

I dropped in from Mars, he barked sarcastically, What the fuck, Lucas?

It’s good to see you too, my friend. Welcome back, Lucas grinned in his usual jovial way; knowing exactly why Michael was upset, but knew he had done the right thing in appointing Willow.

Nothing seemed to faze Lucas. Ever. He was always smiling and Willow couldn’t recall if she’d ever seen him angry.

Michael glowered at him. Lucas, don’t try my patience, he growled as he pointed to Willow. "Willow, Lucas?" he pressed on angrily.

Lucas glanced her way and offered her an encouraging smile, which she soaked up greedily. She needed all the help she could get.

Yeah, I know who she is. Willow Roth. Best friend of your sister, Brooklyn. Have known her since she was running under our feet in pigtails, he said with a smile, winking at her. And only this high, he indicated with his hand at his hips.

Lucas, don’t play games with me. You appointed her. He speared a glance at her while his lips turned down. "Her, as our Head AME? Have you completely lost your mind?"

Stop talking about me as though I’m invisible, Michael Hadley. Willow snapped. She walked closer and punched him in the chest with a stiff finger. And since when have you become such a chauvinist? She continued, suddenly equally angry at his belligerent behavior.

Michael felt the burst of heat in his veins when she touched him. His mind drifted back to another time and another place, when she’d stood like this in front of him, doing the exact same thing. It was a memory he had savored for close to nine years. He frowned at the realization.

Nine years? Fuck, where have the time gone?

He closed his fist around her hand, completely engulfing it in his own, watching with interest as her lips opened in a gulping breath.

You have a short memory, Willow. Need I remind you of the warning I gave you the last time you poked me in the chest?

His deep, alto-toned voice washed over her, carrying her back nine years. She felt a shiver thrill down her spine at the memory. The day she’d come to realize what a powerful man Michael Hadley was. And the effect he had on her.

It was her twenty-first birthday. Willow and Brooklyn decided to go ‘club hopping’, as they referred to it.

It was Brooklyn’s idea to nab Michael’s sports car—brand new and his pride and joy. Exhilarated at the prospect of fun and laugher on her birthday, she ignored the warning voice of her subconscious.

Michael was furious when he’d found out that they were club hopping with his new baby and had traced them with the assistance of the built-in tracking system. The icy look in his eyes when they rounded the corner and saw him standing next to the car, waiting for them, was intimidating.

Run! Willow, run! Brooklyn cried out and with a burst of speed, disappeared around the corner.

Willow watched her go and shook her head. Michael might be angry, but what could he do, except shout at them?

Oh lord, was I wrong.

She watched him walk toward her and felt a flash of fear the closer he came. Those eyes burned like cinders and his jaw, well, that just looked mean. Belatedly, she decided to follow Brooklyn’s example and sprinted in the opposite direction.

No! Lemme go, Michael, she screamed. Her arms and legs flailed in the air when he caught her around her waist, lifting her clear off the ground.

Don’t make it worse, little girl. I have a mind to thrash that bottom of yours, as it is, already, he growled in her ear as he lowered her to the ground.

She spun around and gasped as his body pressed into hers. Hard, strong and warm. The heat from his skin scorched her fingertips as she steadied herself by clutching his arms.

None of the college boys she’d dated felt like that. There was no comparison, really. His was all man, all male and her softness yielded to his power.

Don’t you dare threaten me, mister. You don’t scare me, she said, stabbing her finger into his chest. She stopped breathing when his big hand engulfed hers completely. Willow could barely comprehend a thing before he spun her around and bent her over his legs.

She was too shocked to fight and when the first strike of his hand connected with her buttocks, her shrieks sliced into the night air. It didn’t serve as a deterrent however, nor the fact that they were standing next to his car for anyone to see. He didn’t stop until she begged and sobbed with tears.

I hate you, she cried brokenly against his chest when he tucked her closer, soothing her with whispered words.

Michael tilted her face back to tenderly brush the tears from her cheeks. Don’t ever challenge me like that, Willow. Unless you are willing to deal with the consequences, he grated in a suddenly hoarse voice.

What consequences? she whispered, her body trembling and weak. Not from the spanking, but from his closeness. Suddenly he wasn’t Brooklyn’s older brother anymore; someone they’d been pestering since they were running around in pigtails. He was a man. A hot and sexy male specimen who set the blood in her veins alight.

His head lowered and he kissed her. Tentatively at first, but when she gasped and her lips blossomed open under his, he deepened the kiss, devouring her with a sensual eroticism that Willow had no defense against.

Her whimper, as the kiss turned passionate, yanked Michael out of the euphoric sphere he was spiraling in.

What am I thinking? She’s my sisters friend and much too young for me.

He pushed her away and stared into her glazed eyes. Michael forced his emotions under control and in an effort to hide the effect her innocent, yet wild and uncontrolled response to the kiss had on him, snarled angrily, Next time, I won’t stop at a kiss, so be warned, little girl. If you’re not ready to drop those panties and fuck me, don’t poke me again.

Michael watched the memories flash in her eyes in the sudden flare of remembrance. His heartbeat increased when she tilted her chin higher and he swore he could read the dare in the darkening of those catlike eyes of hers.

Lucas, leave us, he said, not releasing her gaze even for a second. This time, there was no denying the fire that flared in hers.

I thought you wanted—

"Leave. Now," he snapped; an intonation in his voice that sliced the air with an edge as sharp as a dagger.

Lucas grunted but walked out, closing the door with a hard click behind him.

What are you doing, Willow? Get out of here!

This time her legs obeyed her mind. She sidestepped him and tried to march to the door. He caught her within a couple of steps and walked her forward until she was pressed against the wall. His hard body shaped the contours of hers. Her softness yielded against his steely body behind her and the wall in front of her.

She splayed her hands against the wall and tried to push him back but he didn’t budge.

Michael, this isn’t funny, she tried to sound angry but nothing more than a breathless whisper came from her lips.

"No, it