Page 25 of Taming the Boss

“You don’t have to pay for my tire. My car, my problem.”

“Yes, but my heavy-handedness is what drove him away. Not that I regret it,” he quickly added. “You shouldn’t take chances with your safety, and some little air machine isn’t good enough to fix your tire.”

“Air machine?” I snorted. “Are you for real right now?”

From the pinch of his handsome, autocratic features, he clearly was. “Dare will take care of it,” he said dismissively.

“Jensen’s air pump could’ve too, at least temporarily.”

“A temporary fix isn’t useful. You’d just be wasting money and time. Let me handle it,” he said yet again, his voice gentling just enough that I found myself leaning toward him instead of away.

What the hell was wrong with me? I couldn’t even trust this man to call me like a normal employer when I applied for the job he’d listed in the paper.

He was no knight in shining armor. Definitely wasn’t mine.

Yet I had so few answers on so many levels, his domineering behavior actually was soothing to me. Someone had the answers, even if it wasn’t me.

And he hadn’t turned his back on me and my problem, unlike Jensen. The dude who had split on me with barely a word before to boot.

I could talk to Christian again, and he could see if adding air again would help.

Temporarily.

Dare’s tow truck turned onto the street as if commanded on cue. I took a deep breath and crossed my arms over my still traitorous nipples—not that Jude had looked their way once. “Thank you,” I said reluctantly. “You’re probably right. I’ll repay you when I can.”

“Maddie, don’t worry about it. Seriously. I owe you, anyway.”

“You do?” I asked, surprised.

For exorbitantly overcharging you for your rush delivery? Though I didn’t say that part aloud.

“I do,” he said softly without elaborating as Dare steered his tow truck into position and hopped down. “You helped me get Owen sneakers he loved. He keeps mentioning you.” His lips curved. “Well, Baddie.”

Before I could find out more about that, I hurried to fill in Dare. I didn’t want him to needlessly waste time or effort. “Oh, I don’t need a tow.”

“Helps to be prepared in case,” Dare said with an easy grin. “Never know for sure until you give it a look.”

A short time later, Dare stood up from where he’d knelt down beside my tire, dusting off his hands as he shook his head. His kind blue eyes had many crinkles, which were hopelessly appealing. “We’ll do a more thorough check in the shop, of course, but I’m pretty sure the tire has a nail in it or something of the like. We’ll also check all your tires too to be on the safe side, but I’d recommend a new tire if you were my girl.”

At Jude’s pointed look, he tilted his head. “If you were my daughter,” he corrected, making me flush. With effort, I barely resisted scuffing the toe of my shoe on the pavement.

Great move, Maddie. Seem totally shy and inexperienced and way out of your league.

Then again, maybe it was better if I did after that what price to come home with us nonsense.

“We’ll be replacing all four tires,” Jude said dismissively as if he was discussing buying a gallon of milk.

“Oh, no, just the one?—”

He gave me a quelling glance that made my belly flutter helplessly. That whole butterflies taking flight deal? Had nothing on Jude’s gentle, persuasive voice telling me what to do while his dark blue eyes settled on mine. Not in a demanding way. Just in a let me handle this for you sort of manner that apparently set fire to my libido. “We’ll take four of your best tires, whatever you recommend. Thank you, Dare.”

Oh, hey, look at that. He did know how to say thank you. Went to show there were always new sides to a person if you looked closely enough.

And I was looking very closely at Jude today, regardless if he’d yet to respond to my resume in a typical manner. That seemed not nearly as important right now, after he’d done such a big favor for me.

Even if I’d be saving to pay off those tires for years.

“Thank you, Dare,” I echoed softly while he grinned and clapped a hand in support on my shoulder. Yet again Jude’s gaze snapped to me, and though Jude didn’t growl, it seemed like he might at any moment.

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