One of the Guys Read Free Page B

offered a car and apartment to continue the relationship. A month ago, a few well-placed words and the flash of a smile helped him avoid a speeding ticket, and he ended the night playing a sexy new version of cops and robbers with a particularly frisky female officer.
    So why couldn’t he get through to Ronnie?
    Her constant rebuffs only made him try harder because he couldn’t get her out of his head. Her full, lush lips were the kind of lips that were not only perfect for kissing, but perfect for other more wicked acts. She never wore jewelry and except for the occasional lip gloss, makeup never graced her dark, bistre-brown complexion. But by the silky-smooth appearance of her skin, she didn’t need it.
    She had what some might consider a masculine haircut, her natural hair cut low on her head and only allowed to grow an inch or so before she cut it all off again, but the haircut brought attention to her eyes. They were gorgeous, large, luminous—earthy brown, like soil, and with a curtain of thick lashes.
    The hideous gray of the mechanic’s overalls couldn’t detract from the brown of her skin, which was like a blank canvas, open to a palette colors. The loose-fitting jumpsuit hinted at her slender curves and made him more curious about what lay beneath. If he had his way, he’d know exactly what her naked body looked like and felt like a long time ago.
    Diego’s phone rang and he fished it out of his pocket. He immediately recognized the number. Loisa Jimenez was someone whose call he always answered.
    “Do me a favor.” He tossed Dave the keys to his truck. “Take down the VW, and move the truck to the back lot.”
    “Sure thing.”
    Heading toward the unremarkable tan building that housed his towing company, Diego answered the call. “¿ Oigo ?”
    The female voice on the other end continued the conversation in Spanish. “Hi. Do you have a few minutes to talk?”
    “I always have time for you. You know that.”
    She laughed, the sound of her laughter still one of her best features. During the period they shared an apartment and planned a life together, her laughter and good humor had been an aspect he looked forward to on a daily basis, particularly during the darkest period of his life.
    “You always say the sweetest things,” she said.
    “I mean it.”
    Ambling into the tiled waiting area, he nodded at Rosita behind the counter, who worked the day shift as a receptionist and dispatcher. The property was along a fairly busy road during the day, but at night traffic slowed to a trickle, so for second shift Diego preferred a male dispatcher who brought along his Rottweiler, Demon, to keep him company.
    He closed the door to his office, a small square dominated by an old metal desk covered by a wooden top, inherited from the previous owner and filled with work orders, bills, and miscellaneous other documents that needed his review. He hated the paperwork but took pride in running his own company, a feat he’d never imagined accomplishing at the age of twenty-eight.
    Fortunately, a little over a year ago and two years into his move to Atlanta, the previous owner of this establishment was in a financial bind and on the verge of bankruptcy when the opportunity presented itself for him to become a business owner. After negotiating owner financing and a small down payment, he took over the towing company and renamed it D&M Towing. He inherited six drivers and two dispatchers.
    As luck would have it, being next door to the mechanic shop facilitated a worthwhile side business. Whenever he towed junk cars or owners abandoned their towed vehicles, he could apply for title and sell them to a scrap yard. He let Taylor Automotive fix the better ones, and he sold them for a tidy little profit.
    He set his booted feet on the desk and crossed them at the ankles. “What’s going on with you?”
    “Well, I need to ask you a big favor,” Loisa said slowly.
    The hesitancy in her voice aroused his curiosity, but he