Page 13 of On the Double

“You mean, did my boss fire me? No, but he really wanted to.”

“What did you do this time?”

“I may have been daydreaming.”

He turned and smirked at me. “What about this time?”

I sighed, thinking of the man with the gorgeous features and tattooed arms.

“Great,” he shook his head, reading my thoughts. “Get him out of your head right now. You’re not bringing him home.”

“I never said I was.”

“You didn’t have to. I’ve seen that look a million times before. You get it in your head that some guy is your savior and he’s going to rescue you from your tower.”

I stuck my tongue out at him, hating that he knew me so well. “I know I’m not in a tower. And I don’t need saving, but it would be nice if I had a gentleman caller other than Mr. Leatherman.”

“But he’s so grateful when you bring in his garbage cans,” he chuckled.

I picked up the ashtray and would have thrown it at him if it weren’t for the fact that it was my father’s. “You know, one of these days, I’m going to find a hot, sexy man and bring him home. And we’re going to get married, have tons of babies, and you’re gonna look like a fool!”

“Ooh, I’m really scared,” he chuckled. He crushed the beer can and leaned back in his chair, groaning loudly. “I need a day off.”

“So take one.”

“Can’t. We’ve got bills to pay.”

He could afford to take a day off. He just didn’t want to. Neither of us did. We both worked low-paying jobs, and despite saving all the money we could, we were both well aware that if one of us got sick or injured, it would severely dent our savings. Ollie worked too hard and his days at the auto shop were grueling. By comparison, what I did was a dream job. “What about that other shop in town? Did you check with them?”

He shrugged. “Not sure I want to.”

“Why? You’re a good mechanic.”

“I’ve been working for Zach for ten years. It feels wrong to leave him.”

“Ollie, it’s nice to feel that way, but he takes advantage of you. You work every weekend while he recovers from his latest hangover.”

“His wife died?—”

“Seven years ago. Enough’s enough.”

The look on his face said it all. He hated to let anyone down, and Zach was one man he would never consider leaving. But things were going to have to change. I took every shift possible, and so did Oliver. We were tired and needed a break. Or an intervention.

“I’m going to take a shower. I smell like a supermarket vest.”

“I hate to tell you, but a shower won’t help.”

This time, I launched a throw pillow at him, hitting him on the head. “Ow! That hurt!”

“It did not, you big baby!”

I went down the hall to my room and shut the door, flopping down on the bed. Before I knew it, I was sawing logs, and I hadn’t even taken my shower yet.

His breath coated the skin at the back of my neck. His erection pressed against me as he drew me into the curve of his body. I could feel every hard muscle, taste the salt on his skin, and trace every single tattoo that wrapped its way around his arm, tangling with my own.

“I’ll have you off in five,” he grumbled in my ear.

Moaning, I turned in his arms, meeting his hard kiss with one of my own. I couldn’t tell where his body ended and mine began. We were a tangle oflimbs and skin. The sweat between our bodies only succeeded in joining us fully. There was nothing quite like the feel of him taking control of me.

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