Page 48 of Turn Up The Heat

“It does?” Bellamy blinked.

A chuckle escaped from one side of his mouth. “You get all excited about the grocery store, Bellamy. And I’ve never met anyone who thought making croissants from scratch was a fun way to blow a Sunday afternoon.”

Her cheeks flushed, which didn’t make Shane want to let up. So, he didn’t. “I bet you’ve de-boned an entire chicken before, haven’t you?” He nudged a soft laugh out of her, loving every second of the deepening rosy glow on her face.

“Well, yeah, but…”

Shane continued, not giving her any room to argue. “And you make all your pie crusts from scratch, too, right?”

Bellamy crossed her arms over her chest and looked like she wanted with all her might to say no. But he knew she couldn’t. “They taste better that way.”

His expression grew triumphant, and she let out a begrudging smile as he pressed on. “And I’ll bet beyond the shadow of a doubt that you knowexactlywhat wine is the perfect accompaniment to the thirty-two ounce porterhouse at Butcher and Singer downtown.” It was one of the swankiest steakhouses Philly had to offer. She’d probably eaten there a billion times.

“You’ve been to Butcher and Singer?” Her smile was gone, replaced by total surprise. “I thought you said you and the city didn’t mix.”

Well, fuck.

“I live in the mountains, not under a rock,” Shane joked, trying to keep his own smile in place. He felt it slipping, despite the effort. “Everyone around here has heard of Butcher and Singer. Plus, I told you, we mechanics do eat from time to time.”

Whatwasit about this woman that made him open his mouth without thinking? He cursed silently and took a huge bite of his sandwich as if to prove his point.

“Wow. Guess you don’t go halfway, then.” She took a bite of her own before finishing her thought. “And I prefer a nice pinot noir with steak. It stands up to the bold flavors without overpowering them.”

They ate the rest of their lunch without saying much, the quiet around them punctuated only by the snapping wind outside. When there was nothing left but crumbs and apple cores, Bellamy gathered the trash and tossed it into the wastebasket.

“Thanks for lunch. I guess I owe you one.”

Shane shifted where he stood, still wearing a thin layer of unease. “Don’t worry about it.”

She rocked back on her heels, looking at him with an expression he couldn’t quite read. “So, what do we do now?”

“There’s not much by way of entertainment around here,” he apologized, following her gaze around the garage.

“You were working on your car when I got here, right? Is there something wrong with it that you need to fix?” Bellamy peered at the Mustang. Wait, was that a flicker of interest on her face?

Weird.

“No. Think of it like being in front of a pantry full of your favorite foods. I just tinker, kind of play around with it, that sort of thing.”

A spark lit her features. “Really?”

Shane’s gut stirred. “Sure. There’s always something I can fine-tune. Plus, it chills me out, you know? It’s just relaxing.”

Her laugh sent a straight shot of sexy and sweet right down his spine. “Like making pie crust,” she said. “You want to show me?”

What. The. Hell. No one he’d ever dated had ever even had so much as a passing interest in his absolute love for cars. “Are you serious?” Shane blinked a couple of times to make sure he was awake and not stuck in some odd dream.

Bellamy chewed her lip and fastened him with a hesitant look. “You don’t have to, if it’ll be a pain. I mean, I don’t know a thing about cars.”

A grin spread over his face, slow and sure as a sunrise, as he walked her over to the Mustang and popped the hood. “Well, you’re in luck. I do happen to know a thing or two, and I’m all about sharing the joy.”

16

“Truth?” Bellamy cranked her brow at the sight of the shiny, intricate metal guts under the hood of Shane’s car.

Shane stood so close she could feel the heat of his body next to hers, which did nothing to help her concentrate. “Of course.”

“I have no idea what I’m looking at.”

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