Page 7 of Britain

The other one is downtown, and the windows face Avondale Park. The price is better and there’s no risk of flooding. As I take the virtual tour, it’s easy to see that the space has everything I want. We’ll be able to move our servers there and add more. I email Stefan and let him know I want to see the downtown property and tell him that if he could find one more, that would be great.

I make my way back down the street to the auto center. The place is hopping, and my gaze drifts around the open bay doors. I spot Britain, and she’s bent over the open hood of a Ford F-150. She’s got a nice ass, but I look away before her brother catches me again.

After entering the storefront, I walk up to the counter and lean against it while I wait for someone to come out and talk to me. A man who appears to be in his fifties comes in through the door that leads to the garage. “Is that your Cayenne?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Nice ride. You know about cars? It’s well-maintained.” He moves behind the counter.

“Thanks. I know some. My dad made sure my sister and I knew the basics. I would’ve been able to change the flat, but I could see that the rim was bent, so I didn’t want to mess with it just in case the alignment was off.”

He glances down at the computer and then back at me. “We didn’t need to replace the rim. We were able to straighten it.”

That’s good to know. Not like I couldn’t afford it, but it’s nice that it’s a quick fix. I see that my SUV is sitting outside by the main doors. He hands me my keys and a business card. “In case you need anything else.”

“Great, thanks. I appreciate you guys getting me picked up and the car fixed quickly.” I head outside and Britain is walking out of one of the open bay doors. The coveralls she was wearing are gone, and she’s in worn jeans that mold to her long legs and tight ass. Up top, she’s wearing a tank top that molds to her petite frame, showcasing her small, pert breasts. Jesus, what is my problem, and what is my fascination with this chick?

“Thanks for picking me up today,” I tell her as I pass by. I climb in my Cayenne, and before I close my door, I hear her.

“It’s part of my job.” My eyes follow her as she makes her way over to a sweet piece of machinery. The sun makes the blue paint gleam. It’s in mint condition, and I bet it cost some serious cake to buy.

I turn my SUV on and roll the windows down. When Britain starts up her beast it purrs, and I swear I just want to stroke it. Stroke it? God, what is wrong with me?

I follow her out of the parking lot and down Harrison Street and see she’s pulling into the parking lot of Taco Bell. Making a snap decision, I pull in behind her, parking my SUV next to her.

Climbing out I walk around the front and wait for her to get out.

“Are you following me? Have you come to give me more dirty looks, or step right over me after I fall?”

She keeps walking and I follow behind her. “I’d like to apologize for my behavior before. I thought maybe I could buy you lunch.” I won’t tell her I already ate and that I just want to spend time with her.

We get in line and she stares at the menu, avoiding my eyes. “You can’t ignore me forever,” I say. “I’m too handsome.”

I stare at her profile, smiling when I see her lips twitch, but she fights it and rolls her eyes. She finally turns to me. “You think highly of yourself, don’t you?”

“Am I wrong?” I quirk my eyebrow at her.

Again she rolls those eyes at me and steps up to the counter. “He’s paying for mine.” She doesn’t even look at me—she just puts her thumb up and points over her shoulder at me. She then orders four extra-large burritos and a nacho supreme. Britain steps aside and I look at her wide-eyed as I step to the counter and order a pop. She doesn’t talk to me as we wait—she just continues to stare straight ahead. I don’t know how to break through that wall she seems to have erected around herself…or at least the wall she has up when I’m around.

They hand Britain a bag and then sit the tray on the counter with the rest of her food and our drinks. I’m confused by that, but I don’t say anything, I just grab the tray with half of her food on it. We sit down at a table by the windows and she doesn’t speak to me. She looks behind me, grabs the bag of food, and gets up. I watch her walk outside and hand the bag to a man who looks homeless; his hair is long and scraggly, his clothes are filthy and full of holes, and he takes the bag while giving Britain a huge, toothless smile.

She returns his smile and I’m frozen. It’s not lost on me that she’s pretty, but when she smiles, it’s breathtaking. What I wouldn’t give to have her point that smile at me…wait, what? This girl is messing with my head, and she has no fucking clue she is.

She comes back in and sits down across from me. “Thank you for the food, and Can Man thanks you too.”

“Can Man?” I take a sip of my pop.

“Yep. He sleeps in the alley behind the shop. My mom and I have been bringing him food for as long as I remember. My brothers even built him a little shed that he can take shelter in if it gets too cold. He’s never told us his real name, but he collects cans and my brother Marcus started calling him that, and it just stuck.” She picks up her burrito and attacks it with gusto.

I can’t help but stare with my mouth open because she eats like a guy—fuck, she eats like Jeremiah, and he’s a pig. Since she’s not talking to me, I pull out my phone and check my emails. The realtor can show me the downtown property at four, and I can meet her down there. Since it’s a realtor that Stefan knows, I’m sure she’s fucking hot.

Britain crinkling her wrapper pulls my attention back to her. I’m going to get her to talk to me. “Your brother seems pretty protective over you.”

She looks up from the table. “Both of my brothers are. It’s really freaking irritating sometimes, but maybe it’s because there’s such a big age difference between us. My dad was married to Marcus and Keith’s mom before mine, but they were young and split up. He married my mom, had me, and six years later they divorced. Sheila and my dad got back together afterward and she adopted me.” Her eyes widen. “Uh, I don’t know why I told you that. You didn’t ask for all of that.”

“I don’t mind you sharing.” I reach across the table and grab her hands. Britain tries to pull them from my grip. “I’m truly sorry for the way I behaved.”

Chapter Four

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