Page 15 of Forbidden Harmony

He took off his helmet and scrubbed his handsthrough his hair. He left the helmet on the seat and ambled toward her.

“Uh, hi, Mr. Preacher.” Her voice wasnervous and high-pitched, and she winced inwardly. Calling him mister seemedridiculous after she’d had his tongue in her mouth, but it just popped out.

“Afternoon, Miss Moore,” he said.

Her breath caught in her throat when hemoved closer, but he simply walked by her, popped the hood latch and lifted thehood. He bent over her car, staring at the engine.

“It was making a ticking sound and then agrinding sound, and then it died,” she said.

“Your car is a piece of shit,” he said.

“Um, yes, I know.”

She watched silently as he poked and proddedat the engine before straightening. “Your engine is shot.”

“How do you know that?”

“I’m good with cars,” he said. “You’llprobably need a whole new engine.”

“Shoot. Okay, well, thanks.”

He stared at the phone in her hands. “Youcall for your fiancé?”

She jerked in surprise, nearly dropping herphone on the hot pavement at her feet. He didn’t know she and Harrison hadbroken up. Holy crap. He didn’t know. How could he not know? Relief mixedwith shame twisted through her.

She realized she didn’t want to tell him.She didn’t want him knowing that Harrison had dumped her, even if she skippedover the reason why. Telling Preacher that she’d been dumped by a man likeHarrison made her feel like the biggest loser in the world.

So, instead you’ll let him think you’rethe type of woman who makes out with another guy while she’s engaged to someoneelse?

She swallowed hard. Wrong or right, lettingPreacher think she was a cheating whore somehow felt less pathetic than tellinghim Harrison dumped her.

“Miss Moore?” Preacher was staring at herand she realized she’d been standing there silently for nearly a minute.

Her hands sweating and her voice a bitshaky, she said, “I want to apologize for the other night, Mr. Preacher. WhatI did was completely inappropriate, and I am very embarrassed.”

He didn’t reply and she babbled on. “Ithink – I think I was just so grateful to you for saving me that I, um, took ita little too far. I hope you don’t think poorly of me.”

“Why would I?” he asked with what lookedlike genuine puzzlement.

“Well, because I threw myself at you whenyou were just trying to be nice and I…”

He stared silently at her. Any idea thathe might have been attracted to her had flown out the window with the way hewas acting now, and why did that make her feel like crying? It wasn’t asurprise that he would regret what happened or consider it the worst mistake ofhis life.

“I’m really sorry,” she blurted again. “Itwas a huge mistake and I -”

“Of course, it was,” he said. “Good girlslike you don’t fuck men like me, do they?”

The weird bitterness in his voice made herfeel even worse and her stomach churned with nausea. She backed away a coupleof steps in case she just casually vomited on his damn boots.

His voice tight and guilt etched into his ownface, he said, “Are you afraid of me? I wouldn’t hurt you.”

“I’m not afraid of you.” She knew withouta doubt that Preacher would never hurt her. “But I feel bad about leading youon the other night, and I wouldn’t blame you for being angry with me for it.”

“I’m not angry. You were afraid andsometimes people do crazy shit when they’re afraid.” He leaned against her carand folded his arms across his wide chest. “I’ll wait with you until your fiancégets here.”

“He’s not coming,” she said.

He scowled and his gaze dropped to herneck. Her breath caught in her throat when he stalked toward her and pulledthe collar of her dress away from her throat.

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