Tinkering with Love

By Aliyah Burke

Dawson Shay could never be accused of being a bubbly ray of sunshine. Like, not ever. But her outlook on life has only gotten worse since she moved across the country for her dream job rebuilding motorcycles…only to lose the job to someone else. Now her run of bad luck includes a wilderness retreat with the entire company—including the asshat who stole her job. Fortunately, Tully Faulkner’s bearded, tattooed hotness is pretty much the perfect distraction.

Except, Tully isn’t just Mr. Hometown Hero, he’s also said asshat who stole her job. And if he thinks he can win her over with his ability to charm the pants off everybody else, he’s got another thing coming. But Dawson can’t avoid him forever… or the seriously hot sparks between them. Somewhere between the breathtaking northern lights and teaming up to win their company’s scavenger hunt, Dawson starts to think that Tully’s magic touch might be just what she’s been missing.

But even sexy gearheads have their secrets. And Dawson’s about to discover that falling for the too-perfect-to-be-true Tully might just backfire on her completely…

Each book in the Rock Falls series is STANDALONE:
* Tinkering with Love
* A Sweet Spot For Love
* No Cooldown for Love

• Language: English
• Publisher: Macmillan Publishers
• Release date: Jun 20, 2022
• ISBN: 9781649373625

Aliyah Burke

USA Today bestselling author Aliyah Burke is an avid reader and is never far from pen and paper (or the computer). She is happily married to a career military man. They are owned by six Borzoi. She spends her days at the day job, writing, and working with her dogs.

Book preview

Table of Contents

Content Warning

Dedication

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-Two

Epilogue

Acknowledgments

About the Author

Discover more romance from Entangled…

Love Out Loud

Talk Flirty to Me

The Un-Arranged Marriage

Playing Dirty in Alaska

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.

Copyright © 2022 by Aliyah Burke. All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce, distribute, or transmit in any form or by any means. For information regarding subsidiary rights, please contact the Publisher.

Entangled Publishing

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Amara is an imprint of Entangled Publishing.

Edited by Jen Bouvier

Cover design by LJ Anderson/Mayhem Cover Creations

Cover photography by ioanmasay and Andrew_Rybalko/Getty Images

ISBN 978-1-64937-362-5

Manufactured in the United States of America

First Edition June 2022

At Entangled, we want our readers to be well-informed. If you would like to know if this book contains any elements that might be of concern for you, please check the book’s webpage for details.

https://entangledpublishing.com/books/tinkering-with-love

To Lily,

I miss you every day.

Chapter One

T-minus seven full days and one partial for her questionable survival.

It’s mandatory.

Two freaking words that changed the course of her life. Not that it had been going in a great direction since her foolish decision to pack up and move across the damn country without first signing on the dotted line.

Sure she’d had an apartment, of course, that had been a pile of smoldering ashes when she arrived, but thankfully she’d managed to rent a room over the garage of a single mother, Emma Henricksen. But also with the job she’d intended to have. Manager of the motorcycle shop.

Start making her name and getting contacts for when she opened her shop. Her custom repair shop for motorcycles. Yeah, freaking pipe dream.

Dawson Shay flattened her lips and tried to concentrate on breathing like a calm, rational person. Not one who was on her way to a sure death. Music played in the car but she couldn’t focus on the artist or even the beat.

To wrap up her past week, she’d lost the job she’d moved for to some guy called Tully, didn’t have the apartment she’d expected, and was now on her way up into the mountains because her new boss had decided a team-building event was the way to go.

It’s mandatory.

She should have not just walked away, but fucking ran, back to San Francisco.

Dawson gazed around at the incredible view as Maria Cramer drove them to the campsite. Maria was the receptionist at her new job as a car saleswoman and manager.

They were going farther up into the mountains. She wasn’t even getting a cell signal right now. Yes, it unsettled her, but this view, no way to ignore that Vermont was absolutely stunning.

Licking her lips, Dawson hoped her voice wouldn’t shake too much. Why is that place called Catamount Lake?

Maria stopped bopping her head along to the pop music on the radio. Today’s hot pink and white polka dot hair bow made Dawson think of Minnie Mouse. This seemed to be a signature of her outfits. A different hair bow for every day. Or the few she’d known her.

Do you know what catamounts are?

No. What are the chances it’s something small and cuddly?

It’s like a cougar, puma. Mountain lion. Just another name.

Panic made her palms slick. Just her luck. Definitely not small and cuddly. And there are many of them out here?

Maria slowed to go around another tight curve. Not anymore. I think the last wild one was killed in the 1800s. I mean, not saying there can’t be any more, but we haven’t seen them around. It’s one of the favorite camping spots for both the Boy and Girl Scout troops. We’ll be safe.

Safe, oh that was a nice word.

So we each get our own cabin. Does that mean our own bathroom also?

No. Communal bathrooms and showers. Not communal in the sense we share with the guys though. There will be five of us because Mrs. Rachel will use ours as well.

At least she wasn’t going to be wiping with a leaf.

Everything seemed so close here. It was probably because of the towering trees that lined the roads, cocooning her in their leaves and needles. She wanted to get out and walk, but at the same time, she wanted to run away back to San Francisco and immerse herself in the busy city life. Where there were people and buildings. Not trees and animals she still hadn’t been able to convince herself weren’t going to eat her.

What about bears?

There are bears. Moose too. Raccoons, martens, and so much more. Maria sounded positively giddy.

Great, she muttered.

If Maria picked up on her discomfort, she didn’t say a word.

The air grew colder and crisper the higher up they went.

What brought you out to Rock Falls? Maria turned the music down before putting up the windows a bit.

Dawson scrunched her toes in her shoes. Needed a change and I wanted a fresh start.

Well, can’t get much fresher than Rock Falls. I know your first week here hasn’t been the greatest, but it will get better.

How do you know about my week? I’ve been to the job two days. She didn’t snip her question, she was truly interested in knowing.

Maria’s warm laugh filled the interior. Honey, there are no secrets in Rock Falls. When that fire started, everyone knew that whoever Mr. Ridgewell had rented to would need a new place to stay. She drummed her fingers on the steering wheel in time with the beat.

So you knew I was staying with Emma.

Oh sure, my mama heard that from the stylist, Leona, who filled her in when she was there for her weekly touch-up. Mama informed me at dinner that Emma and Greer had a new tenant, an out-of-towner. She didn’t mean anything by calling you that, but I mean--

Dawson held up her hand, needing to stop the verbal river that flowed from Maria. Yep, got it. Small town. No secrets.

They whipped around another curve and Dawson realized she was going to have to get a car. Her motorcycle would be useless in the winter. She sighed. Another bill.

Blinking, she realized that Maria had started talking about Rock Falls again. And had mentioned Tully Faulkner.

What did you say about Tully Faulkner?

Why did she have to hear about the man who’d taken the job from her? What did he have to do with anything? She’d not seen him at the mandatory meeting because he had been out of town, so she’d counted on this time to ingratiate herself with the owners and see if she couldn’t get a good foothold on reclaiming her job. If the man was gone, it wasn’t her fault he wouldn’t be attending.

Oh, just that we call him the hometown hero. You know he dropped his professional career and came home to take care of his mama. She placed a hand to her chest. We’re all so proud of him. Tully doesn’t trust anyone else to look after her. She smiled. You know, he’s single, that’s why I brought him up. You two would make adorable babies.

She couldn’t contain her snort. Babies? Not at all on her list. Surviving the week? Firmly secure in the top spot.

Maria lifted an eyebrow. What? Oh, are you in a relationship? I haven’t heard you mention anyone and you’re not wearing a ring on that finger.

No, no relationship. I just got rid of a guy who thought it best to fuck other women because I wasn’t giving it to him whenever he wanted. Melton brought up ugly thoughts she didn’t need right now. So, not looking for anyone to replace him. Was the rambling and sharing one’s life story contagious here in Rock Falls?

Sounds like he’s nothing more than a dick. Good riddance.

When she slowed and turned off the road, Dawson sat up a bit more.

There was a good-sized lodge in her line of sight. A sprawling porch welcomed her to the single story building with large windows surrounded by hunter green shutters.

That’s the main lodge, where we will take all our meals. Also has the bathrooms there. Men’s is on the right side and women’s is to the left. There’s a larger porch on the other side facing out to the cabins.

A black Range Rover sat parked there and she rolled her lower lip with her teeth as she watched both Rachel and Picard de Laroche, her new bosses, step out of the main building and wave at them.

A striking older couple, they were in their early seventies, from what she’d heard, but didn’t look it. Rachel was slender and always well dressed, be it in slacks or dresses. Her diamond rings glinted in the sunlight. While Picard was also thin, when she’d seen him at work, he wore a suit. Now he was in a button-down and chinos.

Looks like we’re the first of the campers to arrive. Maria waved back as she parked beside them.

Dawson was too busy gazing at everything—or perhaps she was gawking—to respond. She got out when the car was shut off, breathing in deeply and feeling something in her soul settle. Plucking her suitcase from the back seat, she followed Maria to Picard and Rachel.

Glad to see you both here, Picard said, stroking his goatee. Take your pick of cabins. He shared a look with his wife.

When you’re settled in, come on up to the lodge here. We have some food set out as we wait for everyone to arrive. Rachel didn’t hold her gaze very long, just glanced over her and stared at Maria.

Again, not something she wasn’t used to having to deal with, but this wasn’t the place she wanted to experience such an unpleasant feeling. She was virtually on her own here, if things got ugly. Maybe I was wrong and it wasn’t just that Tully is the hometown hero, perhaps this woman doesn’t like me at all for other reasons. She didn’t like a man she hadn’t met. Yet.

Following Maria around the side of the lodge, she looked at the door to the women’s restrooms, then forward to where she would be staying.

Wow. The cabins, each with its own covering extending out from the roof over the door for protection from the elements, created a circle, and the entire place had a tiny stream flowing through it that veered off and went between two cabins to her right.

Maria bounced on her toes. I know, right. I mean, it’s not a five-star hotel, but this is pretty incredible. Just wait until night when we all sit outside and watch the stars. Sometimes we are lucky enough to get views of the northern lights. My husband Brian and I go camping all the time. Not always here, but in the mountains.

Maria slid her arm through hers and started walking, Dawson hurried along to keep up, moving her suitcase to one hand.

Any preferences?

Yes, her apartment back in Rock Falls. You know, where there was running water, her motorcycle, phones, law, and medical personnel.

I think I’d like the one at the end of this half circle.

Perfect. I’ll take the one next to you. Maria walked her up to the door of her own place. Come knock on the door once you’re settled and we’ll head up together.

Sounds like a plan. She stepped inside with a smile and prayed it wouldn’t be as bad as she expected.

It was not even close.

Like Maria had said, not a hotel, but she could handle this. There was the main space and doors leading to bedrooms on each side. The bunk beds brought up the thought of Maria mentioning Boy and Girl Scouts staying here. There were three sets in each of the rooms.

She went to the right and picked a bottom bunk. It didn’t take her to long to make the bed and put her suitcase on another lower bunk.

A window allowed the afternoon light that filtered through the trees to shine onto the wooden floor. She could also hear some voices out there.

For the life of her, she didn’t want to go leave the relative safety of the cabin, paste on a smile, and pretend she was ready for all of whatever was about to be thrown her way. Not even close. She wanted to sink into the mattress and pull her blankets up over her head, not existing until this was over.

She rocked herself on that mattress until she found the strength to climb out of the pit she’d fallen into. Stealing a peek in the mirror, she made sure her mask was in place. Content with the woman who stared back at her, she gave herself a smile before stepping to the door and opening it.

Fuck.

There was a man standing in front of the door of the cabin across the small stream and he was staring at her. Without hiding it.

His short-sleeve shirt hugged his powerful arms, doing nothing to contain them or the tattoos that gave off a blaze of color against his otherwise darker clothing. His beard, holy crap, she hadn’t realized they could be so sexy. To her they had merely been things that hid a person’s face but on this man, it only added to the allure she felt. Before, beards had made her want to shrink away but this one, on him, she wanted to inch closer to. Touch. Tug.

And more.

Holy hell. He reached up with those incredible arms and held onto the awning over him, flexing. Dawson hadn’t seen a man built like that in a long time.

If ever.

Her ex sure as hell hadn’t looked like that.

Muscles rippled in his arms, and his stomach was flat except for those damn abdominals that she could easily make out beneath the taut material. She shouldn’t be staring like this. Hell, she didn’t even know his name. Not that that detail changed anything. Man was hot.

She turned away before she made more of a fool of herself and made her way to Maria’s cabin.

When they came back outside, she stole a surreptitious glance at that cabin, but the man was not standing there any longer. She did see one of the guys from the dealership walking into a different cabin, though, Taylor Henike. The quiet man had a mop of curly brown hair on top of his narrow features, and he was built like a swimmer. Or runner. Either way, he was a sweetheart; his blue eyes crinkled at the corners when he smiled. She’d met him during her two days on the job. They exchanged a wave as she and Maria headed for the lodge and went inside.

Open beam work showed off the ceiling, and those large windows on both sides of the building allowed in incredible light. She could see the open meeting area and through a pass-through to a kitchen. There were tables set up for eating and ones that were holding the food in a buffet style, so people could help themselves.

A lot of people had arrived.

And by a lot, she meant there were seven she could see, not counting Mr. and Mrs. de Laroche.

Mr. de Laroche neared, arms overladen with soft drinks.

Dawson, would you be able to head back into the kitchen and bring out a few more drink options for everyone? He shifted the load he held. There should be water and some other non-carbonated drinks in there.

Of course, happy to help. Was she? Not really, but she didn’t mind pitching in. Dawson stood in the kitchen, looking for a tray to pile more bottled waters on and carry them out to the tables.

Locating both the additional drink options and a tray, she took them out to the table with the drink choices, one right beside the ones that had a good amount of food on them. She was on her way back to the kitchen to return the tray when a curse reached her. Dawson hurried and found a man losing his hold on what he carried.

Rushing closer, she reached out to help steady him and tried to assist in balancing the items. He crashed into her and she supported him for about three seconds. Then they went down, hard. Even so, at the last moment, he tried to adjust so he didn’t land fully on her.

Didn’t totally work, because his face was planted directly into her breasts. He had one arm around her back, keeping part of her off the floor. And pressed closer to him.

God, but her ass hurt. Around them, she heard the clattering of the melamine dishes he’d been struggling to retain hold of. Cups rolled by, but she just stared down at the top of the man’s head.

She held the singular item he’d saved, a pitcher, in one hand. Around them, the rest of the things had hit the floor, the reverberations on the cement floor finally coming to a halt. In her peripheral vision, she noticed one bowl shudder as it finished spinning, then settle. The man, getting personally acquainted with her breasts, finally lifted his head, and her breath caught.

The one across from her cabin. Bearded and sexy hot. The man she’d ogled.

Hello.

Holy crap, his voice was sex on a stick. The arm around her flexed and she swallowed.

Hi, she managed to force out between suddenly extremely dry lips.

Eyes the color of a wind-tossed sea stared back. You okay? He reached for her face and touched her chin.

Big strong hand. Long fingers. Incredible tattoos. A mishmash of designs that flowed seamlessly together. She wouldn’t call it a sleeve by any means but there were a lot. Arm and hand bore them with pride. Some words, some floral, some tribal and all that she would like a closer, much longer, slower perusal of.

Sure, she babbled. Sorry, I think I made it worse trying to help.

His incredible gaze moved over her face, dipped down to her breasts briefly, before climbing back to meet her eyes. He rose and helped her up, still not releasing her.

Dawson smiled. Thank you, you know, for not letting me break something.

His smile was lethal as he ran another look over her. Legs, I should be thanking you. You took my size and kept me from slamming into the floor. You sure you’re okay?

He leaned closer, clearly not in any rush to let her go. To be fair, Dawson wasn’t in any rush to move.

Legs?

His warm breath fanned along her face, bringing his scent with it.

Why are you calling me Legs?

As in yours are killer.

You okay, Dawson, I heard a— oh, excuse me. Maria’s intrusion burst the bubble she’d willingly allowed to surround her.

Dawson placed her hands on his chest, holy moly, how much muscle did one man need, seriously?

Go away, Maria. The man flexed his hand that spread along her back.

She harrumphed. You let Dawson go, Tully.

Ice slid through her veins. Tully? This man? He was the hottie across from her cabin? The one who had taken her job? Let me go.

He slowly lowered his arm from around her. Damnit! She didn’t want to think about how much nicer it had been in his arms.

Tully moved away to place the glass dish on the counter and smirked as he stroked his beard. I wondered who I was going to be across from. I have to say, I’m extremely pleased.

She’d not been able to communicate to her legs that they needed to move. Of course not. Why? Because she was enamored with how this man moved.

Smelled. That fresh outdoor scent with undertones of sandalwood and something she could only consider him, wrapped around her and didn’t want to let go.

Looked. Man was a fucking sculpted, bearded god.

Okay, she was screwed.

Before she knew it, he was right back in front of her. Tempting her to reach out to him and drag her hands down his chiseled torso.

Now you know, she bit off. The Herculean effort to make her inch back was sad.

Maria’s snort caught her attention. Turning back to her friend, she shrugged. Maria beamed as they walked out of the kitchen. I love it. You and Tully are going to make this week so much fun.

She could use some herself. I didn’t know that was Tully. He is not shy, is he?

Not in his nature. She laughed and rested her head on Dawson’s shoulder. They walked in silence for a short time. Why don’t you like him?

I just met him, she said. What she wasn’t going to do was air her grievance with the man who had ripped her job from her in a trust-building thing their boss was putting on.

No thanks. Just slice her throat. She could play nice for a week.

Right?

Okay, she could try.

The other two women there, Ruby and Flora, who she worked with, were already filling their plates.

Oh, Maria and Dawson. Come sit with us. We’re going to be outnumbered here so we need to stick together. Ruby waved at them before sucking something off her thumb. Her white teeth shone against her dark honeyed skin and her vibrant hair pulled in many an eye. This week it was aqua and turquoise and worked with her pale blue eyes.

Without a word to Tully, she ambled off with Maria. Together they filled their plates and took drinks from the tray, then sat at the table the other two women had selected.

As she took her chair, she scanned the room. Aside from Rachel, the others there were all men.

What do you think, Dawson? Ruby asked, yanking her from her thoughts.

I think I’m in huge trouble because Tully Faulkner is a lot of man. And not one I can easily forget.

Or