Page 167 of Hell Hath No Fury
Matt had started to walk towards her. Of course, he was worried about her car, she thought. Annoyed by the prospect that it took a motor problem to get him to come to her, she put her vehicle in drive and pulled away, leaving him in the middle of the street, staring at her taillights as she disappeared from view.
She’d barely covered one block when her cell phone rang. She glanced down to see his business name flash on the screen.Although they weren’t friends per se, he was the only garage in town, so of course, he had her number.
She answered on speaker. “What?” she asked, knowing she was being rude and her parents had taught her better.
“I don’t like the sound of your car, Harper. Why don’t you turn around and let me take a look at the engine before you leave for the weekend,” Matt said.
She frowned, ignoring the trip of her heart at the sound of her name on his lips. “How do you know I’m going away?”
“Your uncle mentioned it when he was in the shop with his truck.” Her retired uncle used to own the hardware store before selling to a man about ten years older than Harper who had moved to the area with his family.
Small town and uncle with loose lips, she thought, her ire building. “I’m on a tight schedule. There’s a late lunch with other shop owners I want to make it to.”
Matt muttered something to himself and she thought she heard the word stubborn in there. “Then promise you’ll call me if you have a problem.”
“Yeah, okay. Thanks,” she said, softening her tone. It wasn’t his fault he didn’t reciprocate her feelings.
“Have a good trip,” he said in a gruff voice before disconnecting the call.
She’d have a great trip if she could put all these feelings behind her. She couldn’t deny his good manners or caring personality. Would she be so crazy for him otherwise? But he didn’tseeher, he never had. And that truth only fed into the insecurities she’d possessed ever since she realized she was bigger than the other girls, and when her curves had developed at an earlier pace and had been much more pronounced than her friends.
She tried not to wonder whether that was why Matt wasn’t interested in her, but she’d also dated enough men to know she was a pretty enough woman with a personality they’d enjoyed.
It’s not you, it’s me. The line she’d used to end more than last night’s relationship. And that’s what Matt would probably say to her if confronted with the fact that Harperwantedhim.
She wanted his muscular arms wrapped around her and his full lips coming down hard on hers. She yearned to feel the scratch of his beard on her cheeks and between her thighs. In fact, she desired him to the point where she had full-on erotic dreams starring the man. She wriggled uncomfortably in her seat, her body coming to life at the thought of being with Matt.
But thoughts and dreams were all she’d ever have.
Maybe she’d meet a guy on this trip, she mused, in an attempt to be more optimistic and to lighten her mood. A sexy barista who shared her love of coffee and classic rock and who found her curves the hottest thing he’d ever seen.
And on that hopeful thought, she smiled and put Matt Banks in her rearview mirror, at least for now.
* * *
“Dammit.” Matt Banks slammed his cell phone onto the counter, lucky he didn’t break the screen. Harper Sanders drove him mad.
Or maybe he was just mad at himself for the distance he kept between them. Distance he’dpromisedto maintain, and Matt was a man of his word. Not wanting to think about why he stayed away from a woman he desired so badly, he ran a hand through his too-long hair and groaned when the memory of that day stayed with him. Her older brother, Noah, had been home onleave from the Marines, and he’d stopped by Matt’s garage that he’d inherited from his late father.
Matt thought Noah had come to ask him to service his jeep that sat in the street while he’d been gone.
Instead, the bulky soldier had stepped into Matt’s personal space. “I saw the way you were looking at my sister at the tavern last night.”
Matthadbeen eyeing Harper.
He always scoped out the gorgeous full-figured woman he’d been in love with forever. But they’d grown up together as friends. They’d been young. Neither made a move. Then she’d gone to college and he’d waited, knowing she’d be home for good one day, and he’d planned to act then. That time had come, and he’d been considering how he was going to ask her out, but she’d left with her friends before he could do it.
“So?” He stood up to her brother.
“So she can do better than a garage owner without an education, that’s what. And since I’m not around to make sure you keep your hands to yourself, I want your word you’ll leave my sister alone,” Noah said, his fists clenched as he made his point.
In doing so, Noah had hit at the sore spot Matt never admitted to the world. His father died and he’d taken over the garage, giving up any dreams he’d had of higher education or being more than a guy who worked with his hands for a living. Over time, he realized he found running the business fulfilling, working on cars soothing to his peace of mind.
But at the time? With the bigger man looming over him and Matt’s own insecurities new and in full force? Knowing that like him, Harper had lost her father only when she was much younger, her brother was like her male parent and role model. And he’d pointed out shortcomings in Matt he’d thought about himself.
So he’d caved. “Yeah. Right. Whatever,” he’d muttered. “I’ll leave her alone.”
And he had.
