Page 24 of The Mechanic's Virgin

I shake my head. “Nope, you stay. You have been working hard all morning, and it’s my turn to do something nice for everybody.”

He cocks his head to one side and eyes me as he wipes his hands on a towel. “You sure?”

“Positive,” I reply, stepping up close and kissing him softly. His lips are salty with his sweat, causing my body to pulse with excitement. “Anything specific you want?”

He leans in close and whispers, “You. Naked. In my bedroom later.”

“That’s a guarantee,” I whisper back. “But what about food?”

He grins. “You pick. Just get back here soon, okay? Before I go into Grace withdrawals.”

Buzzing, I slide into my car and put it in drive. “I will! Don’t you worry!”

It’s not far to downtown. The main drag of shops, diners, and boutiques are bustling with people today. The sun is out, and there’s a nice breeze as I park and walk to Bill’s, the local deli.I can’t believe how excited I am to bring Nash back a sandwich and something to drink. It’s not much, but it will do until I learn how to cook and have a tasty meal ready for him at the end of each of his tough days.

I’m just about to enter Bill’s when a woman steps right in my way, moving intentionally into my path. She’s tall, sharply beautiful, and impeccably dressed in a power suit, like one of my father’s associates would wear. It screams money and manipulation.

“Grace, isn’t it?” she asks, her voice cool.

My heart skips a beat. “How do you know my name?”

Her lips form a thin smile as she looks me over like a doctor diagnosing a patient. “I’m Sheila. Nash and I…well, we go way back. He told me about you.”

My body tenses. “He did?”

“He sure did.” She nods. “He said you were his ‘new plaything.’ I hope you know it will only be a little while before he tosses you aside.”

I lift my chin defiantly. “Look, I don’t know who you are, but–”

“I’m his ex-girlfriend,” she snaps, cutting me off. “And I’m here, as a fellow woman, to warn you about Nash. He’s not the man you think he is.”

“Warn me? Warn me about what?”

Sheila makes a contemplative face, as if pondering her next words carefully. “Nash…has a temper. A bad one. He’s controlling and very possessive and can also be violent as well.”

“No way.” I shake my head. “You’re lying.”

“Am I? I guess he didn’t tell you about the sexual assault charges I filed against him?” Adrenaline dumps through me, causing my fingers and limbs to go ice cold.

Her eyes soften on me like a mother looking at her child who has just learned a terrible truth about the world. It’s like shepities me. “So hedidn’ttell you. I figured he wouldn’t. That’s why I’m here. To let you know to stay away. He may seem all charming and incredible, but the day will come when you realize you’ve made a terrible mistake being with him. Be careful. For your own sake.”

Before I can even respond, she walks away. I stand there for a moment, my heart pounding in my ears, my limbs shaking, her words echoing like trauma in my mind.

My phone buzzes in my pocket, shocking me out of my stupor. I snatch it and see a text from Nash:

Hurry back, princess. Already missing you ;)

I stand there a second, stuck in a stupor, unable to move. Once my body finally listens to me, I walk into Bill’s on autopilot and order a few sandwiches for everyone. My brain is stuck overthinking everything Sheila just told me, and also simply not working. By the time I get back to Nash’s shop, I’m simply a bundle of nerves, trying not to quiver as I hand the bag over to him.

Nash smiles broadly like he hasn’t stopped thinking about me since I left. He takes the bag and kisses my temple, saying something about how sexy I smell, but I barely hear him. Because all I hear now is Sheila’s voice in my head.

And as I look at him, the man I’ve fallen head over heels for, I hate myself. Because I don’t know what to believe.

11

NASH

Grace isn’t answeringher phone. She’s not texting me back, and although it’s only been one night that she’s been gone, I can feel deep in my gut that something is terribly wrong.

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