Page 19 of Their Reluctant Catch

“Again?”

“Yeah.”

Damn. Fuck. I run a hand over my jaw, trying to rein in the frustration bubbling to the surface. “Oh, well. Okay.” I gesture toward the boat, holding out a hand to Savannah. “Come aboard.”

She eyes me warily but takes my hand, and the moment her skin brushes mine, something sharp jolts through me. Awareness. Attraction. Trouble. It’s all there.

Yeah,fuckis right.

I haven’t felt this kind of attraction in years—not since Annalise, and that ended with me picking up the pieces alone. But this? Savannah’s nothing like her. She’s not polished and performative. She’s real. And that might be even more dangerous.

Her hand is warm, callused, and firm, and I can’t seem to let go as I lead her toward the hatch.

“Oil leak, huh?” Her tone is casual as she peers into the open engine compartment.

“Well, you don’t have to be a mechanic to know that,” I mutter, ignoring the way Todd’s smirking behind her.

She pulls a Leatherman from her back pocket, flipping through the tools with ease before selecting a small, but wicked-looking knife. Bending over, she dives into the hatch without hesitation like she’s done it a million times.

I try to keep my gaze on anything but her curves, which are all too tempting in those damn jeans. I glance at Todd, standing behind her with his hands stuffed in his back pockets, smirking like the bastard he is.

Savannah’s voice drifts up, and I realize she’s... talking to the engine?

“Just a little snip,” she croons, her tone soothing like she’s calming a skittish horse. “I’ll be careful. It won’t hurt. See? All done. Now, let’s tighten this screw. That’s better. That must feel better.”

She straightens, flipping the knife closed and slipping it back into her pocket like she’s just performed surgery. All business now, she glances at us. “You need to refill the oil. Do you have some?”

“We do.” Todd’s already moving toward the storage locker.

“What was the issue?” I cross my arms to steady myself.

She holds up a small piece of hose, her grease-smudged fingers pinching it like a trophy. “Small leak in the oil hose. There was enough give to cut it and reattach the nozzle. She won’t give you any trouble now.”

Stunned, I hand her a cloth.

She wipes her hands and tosses it back without a second glance. “You’re welcome.” Her lips quirk into a sardonic smile.

I blink, my brain short-circuiting for a moment before I manage a gruff, “Yeah. Thanks.”

Todd returns with the oil, grinning like a Cheshire Cat. “She’s handy, huh?”

Handy? That’s one way to put it, but all I can think is how her hands felt in mine, how good they would feel around my cock, and how much trouble we’re all in if I don’t get my head on straight.

Chapter9

Savannah

“Do you need to go to the garage or back to the B&B?” Todd asks as he slides into the driver’s seat beside me. His voice is easy, like we’ve known each other for years and like my insides aren’t all twisted up.

Damn brothers!

I glance out the window at the quiet town, where snow clings to rooftops, lawns, and trees, turning everything soft and white. “Can’t do anything about the Civic without the new parts.” I swirl my head around. “Please just return me to Northwick’s Peace.”

The name fits the B&B to a T. Hell, the entire village has this serene, untouched atmosphere, like time stopped here a hundred years ago. Well, mostly peaceful. If not for the Turner brothers.

They confuse the hell out of me.

Todd, sitting a mere few feet away, is attractive in a boy-next-door kind of way. If the boy next door had strong hands, a chiseled jaw, and shoulders broad enough to block out the sun. No, not boy. He’s all man.

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