Page 11 of The Relationship Mechanic

“Sure I can’t interest you in one more round?”

“What?” Thoughts came to a halt as Jessica’s words sank in. Vini was rooted to the spot as she watched Jessica move closer until they were once again pressed together. A sigh left Vini’s lips before she instinctively gripped those hips that had drawn her in last night. They felt just as good in her hands now as they had then, and Vini was helpless to do anything but kiss back when Jessica’s lips pressed against hers.

Any thoughts of last night being a fluke flew out the window as their tongues tasted, morning breath be damned. Vini wanted to pull some of those same noises that had blessed her ears under the cover of night. If not for her phone blaring from her pocket, she might have never stopped. Reluctantly, Vini pulled away.

“I wish I could,” she replied, eyes darting down when Jessica licked her bottom lip. A shiver wracked her frame as the hunger built again. If she was going to leave, she had to do it now. “Plus, it’s early enough that people might not catch me coming out of your room. Unless you want people to know we spent the night together?”

Jessica paused her dark brown eyes fixed on Vini. Truthfully, a part of Vini didn’t care who knew. If not for Ava and her penchant for being too damn overprotective, she would have happily crowed to the world that last night happened.

“You’re right. We probably should keep things quiet,” Jessica conceded finally. “I’m not trying to get on your sister’s bad side already. But if you aren’t going to follow me to the shower, then you better go.”

That sounded so much better than the day of work that was waiting for her. Vini let herself indulge in one last kiss, groaning when Jessica opened up so easily. She had to fling herself out of that sinful embrace just to leave the room. When Vini shut the door behind her, it took her far too long to step away.

This was hell.

Working over the weekend with the taste of Jessica still seared into her brain had been hard enough. When the scent of her finally faded from Vini’s skin under the smell of oil and grease, she almost screamed. The memory of lying wrapped in Jessica’s arms was all she had left to get her through today’s shift, and she was struggling.

Vini hadn’t run into anyone once she left the bed and breakfast, and even once she got home, there was no welcoming committee there to greet her. The weekend had passed easily enough, and when Ava came home Sunday afternoon, she hadn’t said anything to Vini about Jessica. The smile on her face had made it clear why and left Vini practically vibrating with jealousy. Still, she counted her blessings and kept quiet only talking about the shop when asked. Now it was another shitty morning with too much time and not enough to do to keep her mind occupied.

“Hey, boss. We got another shipment late last night, but I’m not sure where you want me to tag them,” Aiden said poking his head out of the back room when she walked into the shop ready for another day of work. Normally, she wasn’t reluctant to come into the shop. It had always been her happy place, especially when her mom’s health had taken a turn for the worse. Now, though, the thought of being behind these walls instead of out and about had her wanting to turn the other way. It had nothing to do with a certain woman she hadn’t seen for the rest of the weekend, though.

She was probably just in need of a vacation.

“Just leave them where they are, and I’ll take care of them.”

“Procrastinating already?”

Vini jerked around nearly colliding with the counter. Her heart raced, beating a furious rhythm against the back of her rib cage. She hadn’t seen anyone when she came in, but there Jessica was calmly sitting at the small table in the corner as if it had always been her place. As Vini tried to find some chill, she wondered what it was like to just feel so at ease in your own body that you didn’t bat an eye at someone being startled by your presence.

“Jessica. What are you doing here?”

Jessica stood up. “You said you would give me lessons. Remember?”

Lessons? Plenty of lessons had gone on a couple days ago, but it hadn’t been Vini who was the teacher. She racked her brain trying to come up with something,anythingthat would jog her memory. As it was, all she could remember was warm skin, wandering hands and the hit of salt on her tongue as she tasted just where those lines and curves of Jessica’s body led. None of those would help her now in the light of a new day.

Swallowing hard, Vini leaned back against the counter and did what she always did when she was caught unawares. She made shit up. “I’m surprised you remembered, considering I didn’t see you all weekend.”

Jessica raised an eyebrow. “Were you looking for me?”

Damn it.That had not been what she meant, but she would have to go with it. “I didn’t say we had to start our lessons on a Monday. We could have started sooner.”

“That eager to see more of me?” Jessica’s tone was even, though her expression said more than her voice ever could. Those brown eyes that had haunted Vini’s dreams were now just as heated as she remembered, and they were moving closer as Jessica walked over to her. She paused when they were only inches apart, and Vini knew she should do something to move away and regain the casual indifference that would show her as unaffected, but the warmth curling toward her kept her firmly in place.

“Yes,” she whispered. It was not what she had meant to say, and it clearly had taken Jessica by surprise as well, if her widening eyes were any indication. Seeing her surprise helped kick Vini’s brain into gear, and she finally recalled their agreement. “But as much as I would enjoy taking more of your money in car repair bills, I would prefer you didn’t get stranded anywhere else. Follow me.”

It took an extreme act of will, but Vini managed to turn away from those enigmatic eyes, gesturing for Jessica to follow her into the back room. Aiden looked up from behind a stack of boxes when they walked in. When his eyes landed on Jessica, he smiled.

“Hey, stranger. What brings you ’round again?” He nodded at Vini. “Did the boss lady fuck up your ride?”

Jessica laughed and shook her head. “I think the bastard was a lost cause to begin with, but it’s running just fine.”

Vini narrowed her eyes at his insinuation that she hadn’t done a perfect job fixing Jessica’s car. “The car is fine, asshole. I promised I’d teach Jessica some basic car care.”

Aiden nodded. “Makes sense. Peach Blossom is pretty chill, but you don’t want to get caught out in some of these other small towns. Not all of them are as friendly to outsiders.”

That was putting it lightly in Vini’s opinion, but she stayed mum about that as she led Jessica to the smaller back room that served as her makeshift office. There wasn’t a ton of room in it, but there was just enough space for her desk, a couple chairs and a small hutch that she kept extra clothes in. When the front lobby door chimed, she gestured for Aiden to take care of it.

“Come on in here and get changed.”

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