The Mechanic Page 3

  “No.” She shook her head. “We didn’t agree on anything but looking.”

  “I’m not going to bite you, Eve,” I commented. “Well, unless you want me to.”

  “Have you had your fill? Can I put my clothes on?”

  “Come here.”

  “I’m not having sex with you.”

  “We’re not having sex.” I motioned for her to come to me.

  She walked toward me, albeit, slowly. “What?” she asked when she stood directly in front of me.

  I leaned forward, nearly rubbing my face against her breasts. Purposefully, I let out a breath when my lips hovered around her nipple. She sucked in air and it was all I needed as I reached for the envelope with the checks. I pulled out the oldest one and ripped it up before setting it aside.

  “You’re gorgeous.”

  Something shined in her eyes that I couldn’t quite put my finger on. Surprise? Disbelief? I was tempted to reach out and touch her. To brush the backs of my fingers along the hard tips of her breasts. I wanted to see if her skin was as soft as it looked. She didn’t have tan lines and the golden color on her skin was spread evenly. Damn it, I wanted to taste her. See if she was wet from being under my gaze. I didn’t though. I sat the checks on the end table and stared at the V leading to her pussy.

  “I’m going back to work,” I told her. “We’ll call it a compromise. You can come here every evening to strip for the back pay. For my current pay, I just want to take you out to dinner.”

  “Dinner?”

  “Yeah. Friday.” I met her gaze. “One dinner for a week’s worth of work.”

  “That’s a very expensive date.”

  “You’re worth it.” I said it and I meant it. “Everyone wins.”

  “And what are you going to do when you really need money?”

  “I’m perfectly in control of my finances.” I broke the no-touching rule and brushed my fingers along her knee. “And the moment I’m not, I’ll let you know.”

  She stepped back and turned. Her clothes were on the floor so the only way for her to pick them up was to bend over. As if she realized that a little too late, she turned to look back at me.

  “People are going to see us getting dinner together. They’ll start to talk.” She elegantly squatted to pick up her clothing so she didn’t give me an eyeful of her pussy.

  “I don’t care.” I paused a moment. “Do you?”

  “We’re not dating.” She pulled her panties on and then fixed her bra.

  I didn’t comment. She was still working it out in her head. Once she was dressed, she turned to face me and finally glanced down at my state of undress. I didn’t bother hiding my erection beneath the towel. I honestly didn’t care if she saw what she did to me.

  “I’m going to go.”

  “Yeah.”

  She let herself out and I stood. I’d just taken a fucking shower and now I needed another one.

  A cold one.

  Chapter Three

  Eve

  I tried my best to avoid Taylor from the moment I walked into the garage. Everything seemed back to normal with him. The crew and my brothers didn’t give me nasty looks anymore. After I’d fired him, I got an earful from Davy and Joe. They thought it was over some kind of sexual thing, but I told them we couldn’t afford him. When my father overheard, all three of us had to smooth it over. I knew I had to fix it. I didn’t even want to think about our arrangement though.

  My face heated at the thought of what I’d done the night before with him. Something was so liberating about stripping for a man. I hated to admit how much I wanted to straddle his lap. I doubt he would have pushed me away, but I didn’t want our arrangement to turn into sex. God, I didn’t even know where the line was anymore. He wanted me naked and he wanted me to go out with him. Sex was all in due time.

  “Hey.” Taylor stepped inside my office and I jumped. He chuckled and said, “Sorry.”

  I tried to avoid looking at him. “What do you need?”

  “Parts order.” He held out a piece of paper.

  I stopped typing and sighed. “Again?”

  “This is for the new vehicles we started on today. We’ve got three slots full of cars. We’re really backed up because we don’t have the parts in stock.”

  I finally met his gaze. “I’m sorry, but I can’t pull money out of my ass to pay these people.”

  Taylor stood there a moment before he turned to shut the door. For added measure, he closed the blinds on the window of the door, giving us the most privacy we could have.

  “What do you want?” I asked, turning in my chair toward him.

  He reached for my chair and pulled me closer to him. His hands went to the front of my shirt and undid a few buttons.

  “What are you doing?” I asked, half shocked, half curious. He slipped his fingers inside my shirt and massaged my shoulders. I let out a loud moan that embarrassed me. I closed my eyes as my face heated. His fingers worked my tense muscles with precision.

  “It’s going to be okay.” He leaned closer, smelling of oil and grease. His hands were dirty and I’d probably have black marks on my skin and clothes but I didn’t care. “We have a good amount of revenue coming in. If you take what we’re making and apply it to what you need to pay, it’ll work out in the end.”

  “And salary?”

  “Fire Davy next. He slacks the most.”

  I smiled. To my surprise, he leaned in to kiss my temple before he moved away from me. Without saying another word, he left the office. I sat there a moment, buttoning up my shirt. I thought it would be awkward between us, but it wasn’t. I liked the way he touched me. I liked the way he comforted me when he saw I was stressed. If I wasn’t careful, I’d find myself liking him more than I should.

  I spent the next few hours ordering parts and paying bills. I had to fight with one company over a bill that had been paid. I triple-checked it and then ended up confirming with the bank. Finally, they relented that it was their fault it hadn’t been applied.

  It was a headache. Why would she do this to her family? If she was over her relationship with my father, then so be it. But all of her kids, aside from me, worked here. Their livelihoods depended on the money made at the garage.

  I needed a break. I grabbed my keys and tote bag. I didn’t eat lunch so going to get something to eat would give me some time to myself. The garage was full and all the men were working, barely noticing me when I left.

  That was another thing that pissed me off. She took money from hardworking men. Every single one of them were of good character. They all got along too. I unlocked my car and got in, pushing the button to start.

  Nothing happened.

  I huffed a breath and tried again. Nothing. I got out and went back inside. “Dad, can I borrow your truck?”

  He poked his head out from under a truck. “Of course. Keys are in the office.”

  “What’s wrong with your car?” Davy asked me.

  “It won’t start.” I went to the office and found his spare truck key. It was a company vehicle but my father always drove it.

  “You’re in the right place, sis,” Davy commented. “I’ll look at it in a sec.”

  “I’ve got it.” Taylor left the vehicle he was working on and followed me out with Davy making kissing noises behind us.

  I flipped him off. I wasn’t in the mood for joking.

  “Pop the hood,” Taylor told me as he went to the front of my car. I got in and pushed the button before grabbing my tote. I took the key fob handed it to him. He eyed me for a moment. “Are you okay?”

  “I need to get away from this place.”

  Sympathy shone in his eyes. He clutched the edge of the vehicle before pushing away from it. He came toward me and pulled me into his arms. I didn’t know why it felt so good. It was so fucking hot and we were both sweaty yet I liked exactly where I was.

  His hand gripped the back of my neck. “I’ll do my best to fix your car, but if I can’t tonight, you can ride home w
ith me.”

  “Yeah?” I pulled back though he didn’t let go of me. “Are you spending the night and taking me to work in the morning?”

  “I can.”

  “No, you can’t.”

  He studied me to the point I was fairly sure he could read me like a book.

  “Let me go.”

  He did almost immediately. I hated the nagging feeling I had of wanting to burrow my body against his. He probably would have let me. I let out a pent-up breath and rubbed my forehead.

  “I haven’t had anything to eat all day, so I’m going to get lunch. If there’s bad news about my car, tell me everything is fine tonight and break it to me gently tomorrow.”

  He didn’t say anything. I stood there stupidly for a few seconds longer than necessary, watching while he worked. The muscles in his arms flexed as he reached for something. Despite my family being in the auto business, I knew nothing about cars. My dad always fixed it if something went wrong. Davy and Joe hung out with him in the garage while I stayed in my room reading books. I walked toward my father’s truck in the damn heels, nearly rolling my ankle twice while walking on the gravel.

  Then I tripped over a hidden tree root and went face-first to the ground. “Fuck!”

  Taylor ran toward me and humiliation filled me instantly. He saw. God, he saw and my ass was sticking out for anyone who cared to look. When he came near, his boots crunched the gravel beneath him.

  “You’re just having a piss-poor day, huh?”

  “Don’t.”

  He chuckled and held out his hand. I reached for it and tried to move, ripping my skirt while I did. I was five seconds away from breaking down in tears.

  “Don’t laugh at me.”

  “Wasn’t going to.” He looked me over and bent to swipe the dust from my scraped knees. My skirt was torn up to my crotch. Every time I moved, it ripped a little more. He knelt in front of me and rubbed the burning skin on my knees with his thumbs. “A little water then some antibiotic ointment and you’ll be fine.”

  I glanced down at him while he took in the tear in my skirt. “Can you see anything?”

  “Your panties are pink.”

  “So I probably shouldn’t get out of the truck.”

  “I wouldn’t.” He stood. He was at least a handful of inches taller than me yet he made me feel small and feminine.

  “Go get your lunch. Call me if anything else happens.”

  He hesitated a moment before leaning in to kiss me. It was brief and almost non-existent, but his lips brushed against mine so deliciously. He pulled back almost immediately and walked back to my car. My treacherous hormones. My nipples poked against my bra to the point every time I breathed, I felt how sensitive they were. He made it halfway back and turned to look over his shoulder, smiling at me. God, that smile. A soft little smirk that held a promise of more. Damn, I wanted more too.

  I forced myself to get in the truck. When I finally got on the road, I debated whether or not sex would happen tonight when I went to his house.

  With the way I felt, it probably would.

  ****

  “Well,” Taylor started. “I’ll tell you about your car tomorrow.”

  He had lost the coveralls and wore only his jeans and the once-white tank top when I walked up to him. I’d just arrived back from lunch and the events of the day only made me want to crawl in bed and go to sleep. Or fuck.

  Fucking would be nice.

  I wrinkled my nose as I sipped my drink. “Just tell me now.”

  He moved past me, lightly brushing his front against me as he squeezed between me and the vehicle. His hand lingered along my side before he moved past me to open the car door and sit in the driver seat.

  “Your push-to-start button is the problem. I can get one ordered and install it but you’re probably going to need someone to take you to and from work for a couple of days.”

  “Great.”

  He tilted his head to the side. “Any preference for who you want to chauffeur you around?”

  “Are you asking me if I’m taking you up on your offer?”

  “Yeah. I am.” He climbed from the car.

  I chewed on the straw in my drink. “Yes. Thank you.”

  He pressed me up against the truck behind me. “I can still see your pink panties.”

  “I forgot about that.”

  He stared at my lips. “Go get in my truck. I’ll take you home.”

  “My home or yours?”

  His lips tilted upward. “Lady’s choice.”

  I gave him the keys to my dad’s truck and went to his. The ridiculous beast of a vehicle made me rip my skirt even more. I settled in the seat and stared down at my pink panties. I sighed before taking in the interior of Taylor’s truck. It was completely him. Neat. Clean. He had a dirty pair of coveralls behind the driver’s seat but that was the only thing out of place. When Taylor finally came toward me, I noted the easy stride he had. He opened the door and climbed in the driver’s seat.

  “Did they ask questions?”

  “Nope.” He glanced over at me as he inserted the key. The truck rumbled to a start and I clutched my tote bag. He put it in reverse and we went backward. Taylor then shoved it into drive and drove to the exit of the parking lot.

  “I ripped my skirt more getting in your truck,” I commented as we went down the road. “It’s past the point of indecency.”

  He glanced over at my lap. “So the pink panties are lace?”

  I didn’t say anything. He’d find out soon enough. He drove me to my house. I wasn’t sure why he chose my place, but I didn’t ask questions. I got out and led him to the front door.

  “I’ve been too tired to clean so don’t say anything about my mess.”

  The heat of his body was at my back. “I won’t give you too much shit over it.”

  I led him inside and kicked off my heels in the foyer. I groaned lightly before walking toward the hallway, heading to my bedroom. I half expected him to follow me, but he didn’t. I changed into a pair of pastel-yellow terry cloth shorts and a white spaghetti strap tank top. I pulled my hair up into a high ponytail and went to my closet to find some flip flops.

  “Are you going back to work?” I asked, heading to the living area.

  “Yes.” He held his keys in one hand while he took in my attire. “I’ll be back after six to pick you up.”

  “You’re picking me up?”

  “Yeah. Pack a bag.”

  I swallowed as he turned to move back to the door. “So I’m staying with you tonight?”

  “Yes,” he said as he opened the door. “All fucking night long.”

  I watched as he left. I couldn’t stop the giddy feeling from bubbling up inside me. I went back to my room. I had two hours to prepare and pack a bag for work tomorrow. I’d probably need at least that amount of time to pack all my toiletries.

  Chapter Four

  Taylor

  The guys didn’t give me too much crap for taking Eve home. I locked her car up for the night in the empty bay. I tried to push the sight of those damn pink panties out of my head but I couldn’t. When I’d been on my knees before her, dusting her knees off, I could smell her. If we hadn’t been in the garage parking lot, I would have tasted her. I groaned, just thinking about it. Her sweet flavor on my tongue. I wanted to make her come. I wanted to watch that moment she took her pleasure and gave in to me.

  “My sister really does like you,” Davy commented, coming up to me. “I’m not meddling, but her past boyfriends were nothing but pussies. I think you’d be good for her. She’d be good for you.”

  “You sound like you’re proposing I officially join your family, Davy.”

  “Don’t be a dick. She’s tough and strong. Has to be because of our mother. She needs someone to be there for her. To be strong for her. And trust me, she won’t make it easy.”

  I thought about what he’d said for the rest of my shift. She liked me commanding her. I went lightly last night and despite her reservations, she di
d what I said. And once she was naked, she had very little desire to cover back up.

  I said goodbye to the guys and went to pick up Eve. She had the door open for me and I let myself in. Three suitcases sat in the foyer and I pulled my sunglasses off before arching an eyebrow at her.

  “Are you moving in?”

  She snorted. “No. I have one suitcase full of toiletries. One is shoes. The other is clothing.”

  “You have an entire suitcase for toiletries?”

  “I would scare away my clients if I showed up to work without putting forth some effort to hide my troll face.” She grabbed all three suitcases like this was something she did every day. “Come on, roomie.”

  She carried her stuff to my truck and I let the tailgate down to help her put it in the back. I didn’t even know what to say about her luggage. We made a pit stop to get take-out and took it back to my house. I didn’t really have any plans for tonight. After lightly kissing her lips, I knew I wanted her to stay with me. I didn’t give a shit if she slept in my bed or slept on the couch. I wanted her in my space.

  I pulled into my drive and parked. I got out and went to unload her suitcases. After carrying them to the front door, I unlocked it and pulled her stuff inside. She carried our food behind me.

  “So are you going to tell me what pissed you off at work?” I sat her luggage down and reached for the food. After settling everything on the coffee table, I went to get us something to drink.

  “I was fighting with a company about a bill.” She sat on the sofa. “I wanted to hunt my mom down too.”

  I sat her soda on the coffee table and grabbed the end of my shirt, tugging it upward to wipe the sweat from my face.

  “How bad is it?”

  “Bad.” She stared at my abs.

  I pulled my shirt off and tossed it to the ground before sitting on the floor next to her. “Does Doug know?”

  “No.” She moved to the floor next to me. “I mean, he knows some. He doesn’t know how bad it is though. It’d crush him.”

  “Your mom always was a bitch.” I grabbed two tacos for each of us and sat them on the coffee table. “She’d flirt with customers in front of him. She’d flirt with us.”