Page 24 of Montana Heat

I fought back a groan when I met Jensen downstairs and got in his truck with him. He smelled so damn good, it was almost overwhelming. Like the fresh outdoors and just a hint of diesel. Both were manly, rugged scents that weren’t part of my daily life, but that only added to the appeal. I had to fight the urge to inhale.

No sniffing.

Don’t sniff.

Do. Not. Sniff!

I squirmed slightly in the seat and cleared my throat, unnerved by how much his presence affected me. It had to be the stress of this whole situation.

“So.” The word was out before I could stop it.

God, that was worse than silence since I didn’t have anything to add to it.

“So,” he repeated.

“It’s been pretty cold lately, huh?”

The weather?It was like I’d never had a conversation before. Me, who spent day in and day out with people and literally taught classes on how to make other people feel comfortable as a real estate agent.

“Uh, yeah. Cold. Montana gets pretty cold.”

“Denver does too.” I chewed on my bottom lip, trying to think of something else to say. “Um. Looking forward to the spring?”

He glanced over at me like he was trying to figure out if I was having a breakdown. Not too far off.

Finally, he replied. “Sure.”

“Yeah, I am too. It’s always nice to see everything green and blooming again.”

He grunted.

Damn it. This was getting worse by the minute. Thank God we didn’t have far to go.

“Have you always wanted to be a mechanic?”

As soon as the question was out, I mentally cringed. That was the equivalent of asking what someone’s major was in college.

“Not really.”

Hmm. Okay, that was interesting. But he didn’t elaborate.

Now what?

“I wasn’t sure I’d like real estate, but it’s definitely my calling.”

“Mm-hmm.”

“I love seeing people discover what they need. It feels so good to help someone find their place.”

Another grunt.

Oh hell. I was done. He obviously didn’t want to talk. Clearly, the only attraction at play here was one-sided. I turned my head to look out the window instead.

Once I scanned the scenery, I frowned. Wait. I didn’t recognize any of it. Not at all. I’d only been in Garnet Bend for a couple of days, but this didn’t look like the reverse of the route Susanna took when she brought me to the apartment from the garage.

Where was he taking me? My adrenaline suddenly skyrocketed, and I casually reached my hand toward the door handle. Open fields spread as far as I could see, not small-town streets. The garage was at the end of town, but this looked too rural. I should have been paying attention instead of trying to make conversation.

“See that house up over there?” Jensen asked in his deep voice. It jarred me from my panic.

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