afternoon, especially the way his muscles showed off the ink of his arms. Is he tattooed anywhere else ? That thought had been the reason she’d carelessly dumped tomato soup all over a man wearing a suit, who’d stormed from the restaurant.
She’d be lucky if Matilda didn’t become ex-boss number six this year.
With a sigh, she rolled down the window. “Can I help you?”
“I’m thinking I can help you. Car won’t start?”
“That’s right. Can you fix cars?” She opened her door, and he scooted backward so he wouldn’t get hit with it. “What are you still doing here?” He’d left five hours earlier.
“I had some things I couldn’t get out of my mind. A person I expected to see earlier didn’t show up. I drove by to see if he was here. And, well, I wanted to see you again.”
“You did? Why?” She’d done nothing but stumble and stammer the whole time he was around.
“Because.” He smiled, and her heart stuttered. Small lines dotted his face. Laugh lines. Travis had a dimple on his left cheek. It made him look softer and she liked the effect. With his ink and the sheer size of Travis, he intimidated her. However, the laugh line showed her that he had a gentle side too. She wanted to reach out and touch them. Only that would be weird and she really worked on not doing odd things. That had to be one of her goals. “Pop the hood for me.”
She bent over to flick the switch to show the engine for his inspection. Her shirt rode up her back just a touch, and when she stood up, she noticed him watching her from the corner of his eye.
Lilliana bit down on her lower lip. No sex. No men. No. No. No . Somehow she had to remember that meaningless sex made her feel exactly that way…meaningless.
The next time she took a man to bed he had to be the right one.
Even if Travis made her wet just by looking at him.
He bent over and studied her engine.
“Is this what you do? For a living?”
He raised his head, leaning to the side so she could see him. “I own a collection of body shops in Philadelphia. I don’t repair the cars myself anymore, but I certainly remember how.” He moved away from the car. “This one is shot. When was the last time you changed the oil?”
“Um.” She’d done so much to the car. Had she really forgotten to have the oil changed?
“Um.” He laughed. “That says enough. Regular maintenance on all cars keeps this situation from happening.”
She could have taken anything but him patronizing her. Unable to stop the surge of anger that flowed through her veins, she banged on the side of her car.
“You know what? You don’t know the slightest thing about me. Do you think that I’m just some stupid woman who couldn’t be bothered to change her oil? Because I was, what, going to the mall?”
“No…”
Whatever he would have said she didn’t hear because she kept going. “I have bills beyond bills. My mother is dead. She left a ton of debt, and my name was co-signed on all of it. I’ll never be able to pay any of it off. Not ever. This car is the only thing I own in the world, and now you tell me its dead. Before yesterday, I hadn’t eaten more than a cracker with a slice of cheese on it in two days. You can take your superior attitude and shove it where the sun doesn’t shine.”
She turned on her heel and stormed back toward the diner. A tow truck would cost and arm and a leg, but what choice did she have?
“Wait.” Travis grabbed her arm, and she spun around, her fists clenched. If he didn’t let go, she might punch him in the nose.
“Relax.” His eyes met hers, and the strangest thing happened. Her heart rate started to calm down. Little by little she could feel herself doing as he’d told her to do. He smelled really nice. She could make out the scents of soap and sandalwood. Her mother had often said she had a gift for aromas. In another life, maybe she could have designed perfumes. Made millions of dollars.
Travis raised an eyebrow. “You
She’d be lucky if Matilda didn’t become ex-boss number six this year.
With a sigh, she rolled down the window. “Can I help you?”
“I’m thinking I can help you. Car won’t start?”
“That’s right. Can you fix cars?” She opened her door, and he scooted backward so he wouldn’t get hit with it. “What are you still doing here?” He’d left five hours earlier.
“I had some things I couldn’t get out of my mind. A person I expected to see earlier didn’t show up. I drove by to see if he was here. And, well, I wanted to see you again.”
“You did? Why?” She’d done nothing but stumble and stammer the whole time he was around.
“Because.” He smiled, and her heart stuttered. Small lines dotted his face. Laugh lines. Travis had a dimple on his left cheek. It made him look softer and she liked the effect. With his ink and the sheer size of Travis, he intimidated her. However, the laugh line showed her that he had a gentle side too. She wanted to reach out and touch them. Only that would be weird and she really worked on not doing odd things. That had to be one of her goals. “Pop the hood for me.”
She bent over to flick the switch to show the engine for his inspection. Her shirt rode up her back just a touch, and when she stood up, she noticed him watching her from the corner of his eye.
Lilliana bit down on her lower lip. No sex. No men. No. No. No . Somehow she had to remember that meaningless sex made her feel exactly that way…meaningless.
The next time she took a man to bed he had to be the right one.
Even if Travis made her wet just by looking at him.
He bent over and studied her engine.
“Is this what you do? For a living?”
He raised his head, leaning to the side so she could see him. “I own a collection of body shops in Philadelphia. I don’t repair the cars myself anymore, but I certainly remember how.” He moved away from the car. “This one is shot. When was the last time you changed the oil?”
“Um.” She’d done so much to the car. Had she really forgotten to have the oil changed?
“Um.” He laughed. “That says enough. Regular maintenance on all cars keeps this situation from happening.”
She could have taken anything but him patronizing her. Unable to stop the surge of anger that flowed through her veins, she banged on the side of her car.
“You know what? You don’t know the slightest thing about me. Do you think that I’m just some stupid woman who couldn’t be bothered to change her oil? Because I was, what, going to the mall?”
“No…”
Whatever he would have said she didn’t hear because she kept going. “I have bills beyond bills. My mother is dead. She left a ton of debt, and my name was co-signed on all of it. I’ll never be able to pay any of it off. Not ever. This car is the only thing I own in the world, and now you tell me its dead. Before yesterday, I hadn’t eaten more than a cracker with a slice of cheese on it in two days. You can take your superior attitude and shove it where the sun doesn’t shine.”
She turned on her heel and stormed back toward the diner. A tow truck would cost and arm and a leg, but what choice did she have?
“Wait.” Travis grabbed her arm, and she spun around, her fists clenched. If he didn’t let go, she might punch him in the nose.
“Relax.” His eyes met hers, and the strangest thing happened. Her heart rate started to calm down. Little by little she could feel herself doing as he’d told her to do. He smelled really nice. She could make out the scents of soap and sandalwood. Her mother had often said she had a gift for aromas. In another life, maybe she could have designed perfumes. Made millions of dollars.
Travis raised an eyebrow. “You
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