Page 32 of Captivating Anika

By the time I get back to the truck, she’s asleep in the passenger seat.

CHAPTER TEN

Anika

I close my eyes and lean back, rubbing a hand over my full stomach.

So good, but I ate way too much.

I guess I got a second wind after waking up in Hog’s truck parked in my driveway. Apparently, I needed the nap and Hog sat patiently beside me, waiting for me to wake up.

The food he’d picked up had cooled off a little but a quick spin in the microwave fixed that, and by the time we dug in I’d been starving and gorged myself.

This time, I beat Hog to the dirty dishes and motion for him to stay put while I quickly wash the plates by hand.

“So, it doesn’t look good for my car, huh?” I prompt him to continue what he was telling me over dinner.

“No. Brick says with the amount of work and time involved; it’ll be cheaper for them to pay out.”

“Great…” I brace my arms on the counter and hang my head. “I love that car.”

“If you love it, and it’s worth the wait to you, Brick says he’ll see what he can do.”

I turn to face him and lean a hip against the counter.

“Yeah, but I don’t know if it makes sense. Renting for a day or two is fine but it adds up if we’re talking weeks. I might be better off biting the bullet and looking for something new.”

I groan at the thought of adding car shopping to my growing list of things to worry about. Too many damn bumps in the road lately.

“I maybe have another suggestion. I’m in the process of buying a new truck, I actually test drove one earlier today, planned to pick it up on Friday, which means you can have my old truck as long as you need it.”

Folding my arms over my chest, I slowly shake my head.

“I can’t let you do that.”

He looks genuinely perplexed. “Why the hell not?”

“Because you were probably going to trade it in,” I point out.

“Nah. What they’d give me for it is not even worth it. I was gonna hang on to it as a spare.”

I don’t know if that was true or not before he mentioned it, and I’m pretty sure I’ll never find out. He seems like a man who’d probably take that secret to the grave before he’d admit it.

Christ, I’m breaking my own rules not to be indebted to anyone left, right, and center these days. Already I owe this man big.

I push away from the counter and move toward him.

“You know you don’t have to do all of this for me, right?”

He doesn’t bother answering but fixes his eyes on me as I approach, his body turning slightly in his chair so he’s facing me straight on. When he slowly spreads his legs to make room for me, heat pools low in my belly and the air around me turns electric.

His hands come up to rest on my hips and he tilts back his head to look up at me. Tracing his jaw with my fingertips, I bend down and press a light kiss to his lips.

“What was that for? Not that I’m complaining,” he adds quickly.

I shrug and smile, leaning in for another kiss when his hold tightens on my hips.

“Sweetheart, any more of that and I need to know how you’re feeling.”

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