Page 20 of Reckless Curves
Kendra snorted. “Tell me something I don’t know. Big brothers are a pain.”
Tom pulled up the floor panel and saw that Kendra had a donut instead of a proper spare tire. Still, it would do the trick for now. Unfastening the donut, he lifted it out and leaned it against the back bumper. The space underneath the donut was empty.
“Where’s the jack?” he asked.
“Isn’t it there?” Kendra came to his side and looked down into the wheel-well. “What the hell?”
“I don’t believe this. What the hell is wrong with him?” Tom started putting the donut back in place. “He doesn’t loosen the nuts, doesn’t make sure you have a jack and spare tire. I’m going to kill him.”
Once he’d secured the donut in place, Tom replaced the floor panel and shut the hatch. Walking around to the passenger side, he saw that the jack wouldn’t have done them any good.
“Your rim is bent all to hell. We will have to tow this to the garage,” he said.
Kendra groaned and dropped her head into her hands. “How much is that going to cost?”
Tom gave her a sharp look. “Cost? Nothing. I’ll take care of it.”
Kendra raised her head. “No, no. Marcus can fix it.”
It was hard, but Tom held his temper in check. “The only thing Marcus will fix is his broken nose because I will beat the crap out of him.”
Her mouth curved upwards and her eyes lit up. “I’d like to see that.”
Tom couldn’t remember wanting to kiss a woman more than he did Kendra. Her luscious lips were so inviting that it took superhuman effort not to haul her against him and capture her mouth with his. “Don’t tempt me. C’mon, you’ll ride with me. The Mustang’s backseat is big enough for his baby car seat.”
“Really? How do you know?” she asked, following him around to the other side of the van.
“I’ve taken my niece and nephews a few times so that Sam and Tonya could go away for the weekend,” Tom said. “Mikey still has to ride in a baby seat.”
“You watch their kids?”
“Yeah.”
He watched her climb into the back of the van to get Connor’s seat and had to curb his body’s reaction at the sight of her perfectly shaped ass clearly outlined as the shorts pulled taut over it. Needing to divert his attention, Tom walked to his car and looked to Connor, who was fast asleep on the seat.
Tom reached in the car for his son. Connor never stirred as Tom settled him against his shoulder. Looking down at Connor, Tom still couldn’t believe that the perfect little boy was his. A lump formed in his throat as potent love rose in him. Watching Kendra fasten the baby seat in his car, Tom became even more determined to bring her around to his way of thinking. He didn’t know how yet, but he would. He wanted his son with him every day, and Kendra was the one woman who didn’t make his body break-out in hives at the idea of marriage.
But right then, his priority was getting them home and then coming back for the van. And then he would have words with Marcus.
