Page 2 of Saved By The Mechanic

I suspect the engine is in the same condition as the rest of the car, but I pop the hood anyway and take a look. Fuck, I was right. There is nothing wrong with the car, but when I turn around to look at the girl, she is chewing nervously at her nails as if she is hoping I won’t notice the car is in perfect condition.

“How long have you owned the car?” I ask her.

“Uh, oh right. Um, I’ve had it for . . . a while.”

A non-answer. If it were anyone else, I would entertain the thought that she stole it, but if that was the case, why would she come into my garage? A place with security cameras on full display.

None of this makes sense.

I pinch my arm just to make sure I didn’t pass out from inhaling too many fumes and this is all just some kind of twisted dream I am having. No, I need to verify that this girl is real.

“Do you have your driver’s license with you?”

“Yeah,” she hurries to say, rushing to the car, and I move aside so she can slip inside and grab the purse on thepassenger’s seat. My hard cock jumps when I catch a whiff of her cherry scent. It’s light and airy, so sweet it reminds me of the wildflowers that grow around the forest during the summer. It’s such a contrast to the heavy oil smell of the garage.

Her dress rides up when she leans into the car, and I bite back a groan at the sight of her perfect ass and clear skin over long legs. I have to fight to stop myself from reaching out and touching her, my hard cock begging me to do just that.

The girl slips back from the car and hands me her driver’s license, and I silently run my gaze over it. Penny Moore, nineteen years old. Jesus Christ, she is way younger than I imagined. At thirty-four, it feels almost sinful to harbor any kind of feelings for her.

I shift my gaze from her driver’s license to her face, but before I can say a word, I hear the multiple voices of my employees as they walk back into the shop. I watch with fascination as the girl’s expression morphs from that of a nervous person to stark, undiluted fear at the sound of more people.

Her eyes dart around the garage as if looking for a spot to hide, and I instinctively move in front of her seconds before Ralph appears with a white box in one hand and a coffee cup in the other.

“Hey boss, Annie ran out of donuts, but I got you her cinnamon rolls, which she swears are just as good . . .” Ralph’s voice trails off when he sees the Audi, and his eyes drop to the figure hiding behind me.

“Thanks, Ralph,” I say, reaching for the goods, but he doesn’t immediately walk away once he’s handed them over.

“Do we have a new customer? I can attend to her if you haven’t finished with your brother’s truck—”

“No need,” I cut him off firmly, my tone leaving no room for argument.

“Riiight,” he drawls, his eyes dropping to the red stilettos behind my work boots, and his lips break into a grin as he takes a step back, his eyes sparkling with humor as he does so. “I’ll get back to work then.”

I wait until he’s left before turning to the girl who’s gone back to chewing nervously at her nails, and it’s so tempting to give her something else to nibble on—preferably my lips—but I fight back the need. It’s no use scaring the girl with my desire when she already looks so skittish.

“About the car . . .”

Her voice trails off, and when she lifts those perfect green eyes to mine, all rational thoughts escape my head.

“I’ll fix it for you,” I tell her, and her eyes widen as if she was expecting me to call her out on her lies. Perhaps I should and get to the bottom of this, but if this is what I need to do so she stays here longer, then I am willing to go along with whatever game she’s playing.

“Really?” She sighs, relief plain in her eyes. “Oh, okay. I, um, guess I’ll wait for you to fix . . . everything.”

I pass the coffee and the white box to Penny. “You can wait in my office while I take care of your car.”

She nods, and I guide her to my office. I need a minute away from her to think, and yet, even the distance does nothing to clear my mind. The only thing I know for sure is that I don’t want this girl to leave.

Whatever her deal is, I want her to stay.

Chapter Two

Penny

I wait for the door to close behind the handsome mechanic before rushing to the window. I slowly tug down the blinds and peek out, watching as his broad back disappears from view.

Did he go to call the cops?

I bet he went to call the cops.

---