by K. S. Adkins
“She deserves that,” I found myself saying. Hell, I’d already signed up for it. Sensing it, ‘cause the kid missed nothing, he smiled. “My Ma’s amazing, Luke. Trust me.”
I trusted him. And I already knew she was amazing.
But how the hell was I going to get her to trust me and think I’m amazing enough to date in less than sixty minutes?
Forty minutes later, I pulled into Hudson’s and watched Ram rap on the bay door to alert her. When it opened, I pulled inside and followed his instructions on where to park. Seriously, I couldn’t believe this piece of shit made it. Considering I almost died three times on the way over. Elizabeth stood in the middle of the bay and raised her hand for me to stop. I killed the ignition and stepped out.
“You must be Elizabeth.”
“And you must be kidding,” she laughed loud and beautifully. “What are the odds?”
I wasn’t going to answer that. “About the other night,” I said. “I didn’t mean to offend you.”
“Meh,” she said while waving the apology off. “For the record though, I wasn’t twelve when I had Ram. I was seventeen.”
She may be forty-one, but she didn’t look a day over thirty. The best part about it was she didn’t try to look younger, she simply did. From the worn clinging denim, to the tight t-shirt, the woman, like the cars she worked on, was a classic. “Are you feeling better today?” I took the risk in asking.
“Right now? Yes,” she nodded. “Ten minutes from now? Who the fuck knows.”
“I appreciate you letting Ram bring his work home,” I said, stepping closer to her. “I also appreciate you staying after hours to look at my car.”
“You’re very appreciative,” she said and brushed past me. Eyeing my car, she gently ran her hand over it, which I felt all over my skin. Jesus, when she leaned over… That ass should be illegal. “And she’s very beautiful.”
“She was my first big purchase,” I moved to stand directly next to her. “I had to have the Starship.”
“Well, 1985 was a great year for cars.” She smiled up at me and stole my fucking heart. “Especially the Camaro. She’s got some rust, needs paint, the entire interior is toast, and you’ll need tires, too. You’re looking at a full restoration. And that engine? Honestly, I can’t believe you survived the drive over.”
“She’s been in my garage for years,” I lied. “When Ram told me what you do, I figured I’d leave her in your capable hands.”
“Just like that?”
“Yes.”
“Huh,” she said and eyed me before she shrugged. “Okay then.”
“Luke,” Ram said, peeking in from the door. “I’m set up, and ready if you want to start the clock.”
Nodding to him, I said, “Go,” and watched him jog up the stairs.
“He’s smart,” I told her. “Extremely smart.”
“Thank you for giving him a shot,” she said softly. “He gets his techy side from his dad. Jon was a wiz. Ram won’t let you down.”
“He’s helping me more than I’m helping him, Elizabeth.”
“Lizzy,” she corrected.
When her face grew red, dewy, she backed up as I watched her transformation with fascination.
“Are you–”
“Excuse me,” she said, trying to bow out. But I didn’t give a shit about menopause, it happened, it was natural and nothing to be embarrassed about. I also researched the hell out of it, and how women got through it I’d never fucking know. Plus, when her face lit up, I got a taste of what she’d look like in the throes of an orgasm. And I liked it.
“Hey,” I said while I took her elbow. “Don’t run away, Lizzy.”
“God, I get so hot I just want to rip my fucking clothes off and roll around in ice cubes.”
The visual got me hard instantly. “Where’s the freezer?”
Throwing her head back, she laughed loud and long before looking at me again. “Thanks, Luke.”
“For what?”
“Making light of a shit situation.”
“I was serious, where’s the freezer? We need those ice cubes.”
“Ram said he has an hour, are you staying for that hour?”
And there it was…my in.
“Yes.”
“Would you like a tour of the property?”
“Lead the way.”
When she took the first step, I was right behind her.
Her ass, for the record, made a man want to commit not just one sin, but all of them.
I’m just going to go ahead and say it, if fucking Ram’s boss might actually score him a raise, I didn’t see how that was frowned upon. You were supposed to help your kids out, right? Plus, Luke Temple was fine as hell. The other night, I was too hormotional to truly appreciate all of his ruggedness. But now? I was appreciating the hell out of it, and he noticed. So, we began the dance around the sexual tension, careful not to break our rhythm. My heart sped up when I thought about him leading.
Having this man call the shots while I called his name.
I liked these feelings—a little too much to play this smart. I was positive if I still had my ovaries they’d have exploded by now.
Luke Temple was potent.
When he followed me outside to the rear garage, I wasn’t thinking about the fact that he would be the first man I invited into my home in twenty-two years. Sure, I could lie and say it was because he was my son’s employer, but I’m too horny to bullshit even myself.
I could have kept it professional and stayed in the shop. But I wanted his eyes on my ass when I walked.
I wasn’t thinking this might be significant or perhaps even reckless.
Because I wasn’t thinking at all.
I punched in the code, while he waits next to me with a smile on his face. Being this close to him was wreaking havoc on my senses. His cologne was so sexy, it was making me dizzy. Why was he staring at me? Oh. Right.
“After you,” I said, extending my hand.
“No, Lizzy,” he said, far too seductively. “After you, I insist.”
Entering ahead of Luke, I used the main panel to lighten up the vast space.
As a kid, this four-car garage was my version of a princess’s castle. The hydraulic lifts were my playground, the tools my weapons, and I ruled it all. I could feel him vibrating next to me with either lust or the American male love of vintage cars. Not wanting to be rude, he stood silently, but I gave him permission to, “Go ahead, you can touch.” As soon as I gave the green light, the man practically sprinted to the first car.
Seeing his respect for my work was gratifying. It’s taken me twenty years to purchase and restore all of these masterpieces. Later, I’d think about why he was the first man I’d ever wanted to see them outside of Ram and my guys.
But for now, I was going to enjoy the view.
“This is a nineteen seventy Dodge Charger.” He was nearly dry humping the fender.
“Sixty-nine,” I corrected and fought the blush creeping in. Dammit, you can’t say sixty-nine and not blush. And then I noticed my breasts felt heavy. It was all I could do not to cup them. Since this meno-mare started, I’ve gone through phases where they were sore, achy. But never heavy.
Oblivious to my swollen mammary gland dilemma, I forced myself to focus on Luke instead of my boob issues.
Oh God...now my nipples were hard, too.
“Good year,” he said with a knowing smirk, waltzing over to the pickup. “Hell, I’ve never even seen one of these. What model is it?”
“1970, Ford F-100 Ranger,” I explained slowly since it seemed my tongue stopped working. “I restored her for Ram.”
“And this one?” he asked with wide eyes. “It’s a GTO, but what year?”
“Sixty-four.”
“Jesus, I’m getting aroused by cars.”
“I know the feeling,” I muttered. I wasn’t thinking about what was under their hoods, it was what’s under Luke’s. Wonderin
g what it would take for him to pop my trunk...
“Fuck me,” he said, opening the Jeep’s door to look inside. “This thing is mint, Lizzy. I haven’t been inside a Wagoneer since I was a kid. How did you find these?”
“Auction,” I shrugged, wishing I could rip my bra off. “Gave me something to do.”
“You ever gonna sell them?”
“When I–” Nope, not going there, not here, not now. Now, I needed to be naked. Were my pants getting tighter, too? “When the time is right.”
He scoped out my body from head to toe like he had it all planned out. “Speaking of time, it’s time to head up to your place.”
If possible, my entire core heated even more, and I was shocked flames weren’t shooting out of my ass.
I hoped Luke wouldn’t think I was crazy if I stopped to hose off on the way upstairs.
We were rounding the garage, about to enter the side door when she abruptly stopped, causing me to plow into her back.
“You okay?” I asked, steadying us both.
Staring at the hose intently, she snapped herself out of whatever thoughts she had, and said, “Never better.”
“Are you sure?”
Glancing up at me, she blurted, “Let’s get some alcoholic water.”
So now, Elizabeth Hudson had me in her home and had no idea how to feel about it. From ringing her hands, to licking her lips, and pulling at her clothing, she was very much out of sorts.
Which was what I wanted.
Keeping her off balance served my purpose.
And my God, was she beautiful when she was uncomfortable. It was like she couldn’t bear to be clothed.
A strand of hair fell over her cheek and she tried discreetly to blow it away. When that didn’t work she blew harder. Then when it fell right back into her line of sight, she opened the utility drawer, pulled out a pair of scissors and hacked it off. Disposing of the hair and tossing the scissors back in the drawer, she caught my shocked expression. “Need a trim?”
“You just cut your hair off.”
“And?”
“Why would you do that? You have gorgeous hair.”
“It’s one piece. It’ll grow back,” she waved it off. “But don’t worry, I’ll regret it tomorrow.”
“Then why do it at all?”
“Because I can.”
Okay then...moving on. “If you can make the Starship even half as clutch as those cars in your garage, then my budget is,” I paused for effect. “I don’t have one. The sky’s the limit, Lizzy. Customize the hell out of it.”
“I like a man who has his priorities straight.” She winked, giving me the chance to move closer.
“I am a man who knows what he wants.”
“Subtle,” she said with a grin. “So, tell me about Safe & Sound.”
“I worked for Uncle Sam in my twenties. In my early thirties, I worked for the DEA. And heading into my forties, I decided I wanted to work for myself. I had a knack for security. Getting started wasn’t too expensive, and until six months ago, it was my business partner and I. But he wanted to retire,” I lied. “So, I started to put feelers out. Interviewed for months, never finding the right fit until I found Ram.”
Lizzy’s expression when she thought of her son was serene, almost angelic. Meeting my eyes, she said softly, “He’s special.”
“From what I’ve seen, so is his mother.”
And just like that, the spell was broken and she looked ready to rip her top off. “Want a beer?”
What I wanted was my face between her legs, but since that wasn’t being offered, I said, “Yeah, Lizzy, a beer sounds good.”
At this point, I would take whatever she was willing to give.
Twisting the top off, I took a hearty pull, enjoying the feel of her eyes on me as I swallowed. So, when she groaned I smiled. And when she opened the door to stick her head inside the freezer, I drank my beer until the heat passed.
I’ve spent less than an hour with Elizabeth Hudson and it was already the most fun I had in years.
I had my head in the freezer.
Watching Luke’s throat swallow his beer had my body burn up in flames, and I wasn’t so sure I could blame this on menopause. I did the only thing I could think of and whipped that door open shoving as much of myself as I could inside.
His presence made my kitchen feel small and hot.
Jon never evoked such feelings, nor did other guys. But Luke did.
Luke was evoking all sorts of feelings. The big one was lust, and I was focusing on that.
Lust I could handle. Lust was temporary. Hopefully, this lust ended in orgasms.
Luke was an imposing man. Stark features, grey hair, broad everything with a wickedly loud voice. His eyes nearly blinding they were so green. The lines around them were deep and gorgeous. His stubble…fuck. That stubble was making promises I hoped Luke himself could keep, too.
I was a woman who appreciated a man who didn’t fight aging.
Seriously, I was forty-one not ninety-one, and if I was feeling it and he was feeling it, I saw nothing wrong with it. Yes, this man employed my son, but if lines were drawn, expectations were clear (because there wouldn’t be any), I didn’t see the harm in it. Ram himself wanted me to meet his boss. Ram knows me, knows what I’m about, which meant he also knows I wouldn’t allow this to go beyond what it was.
A quick fuck between consenting adults.
“How long has this been happening to you?” he asked with a voice filled with desire. Believe me, I got it. Luke was older than me, that much I knew. How much older? Didn’t much care. I wasn’t marrying the guy. I just wanted him to get me off a few times before I fixed his ride.
He hooks me up, I hook him up, simple.
Seriously, I was so good at this networking shit.
“About a year,” I said, exiting the freezer in favor of the fridge for my vodka. Once poured, I add my mixer, taking a hearty pull before finishing my sentence. “You didn’t follow me up here to ask about my change of life, Luke.”
“You’re right,” he grinned, and the lines by his eyes deepened, making my knees weak. “Ram live with you?”
“No, he has his own place down the street.”
“He seems to think we’d hit it off.”
“Yeah? What do you think?”
“I think we’d be explosive.”
“I see.”
“Do you have any plans coming up?” he asked, but it was the way he said plans that had me wondering if he meant whether I have a rotation of fuck boys. Okay, so this was odd, and I was hoping I was overthinking it. I had a healthy sex life, and it was nothing to feel guilty about. But dammit, I was feeling standoffish about it now. Shocker.
“Not at the moment, but plans can change. You?”
“Don’t have time,” he said while moving closer. “Been divorced three years and haven’t even considered it until I saw you.”
“When people say they’re divorced I never know whether to say congrats or condolences.”
At this, Luke chuckled. Dear God, if I still had ovaries…
“In my case, it’s congrats.”
“I’m not big into mystery, so I’m going to just come out and ask. Were you inquiring about plans in general or if I was fucking anyone?”
“Shit,” he coughed out his beer. “You don’t mess around.”
“Don’t have time,” I mimicked him. “So, which is it?”
“I’m the type of man who likes to know where I stand, that’s all.”
“Really?” I drawled sarcastically. “Well, I’m the type of woman who doesn’t appreciate questions like this. So, if you like to be able to stand, you won’t ask any more stupid questions.”
There. I did it. I put this gorgeous man right in his place. Boom!
Well, until he crowded my space making it clear my plan didn't work. “I’ll stand, kneel, or lie down. Whatever you want, Lizzy. As long as you tell me what I w
ant to hear.”
“And what’s that?” God, was this my voice?
“Say ‘yes, Luke’.”
Just then, Ram gave two raps before entering, saving me from tackling Luke with my mouth.
“Hey Ma,” he said with a smile. God, my son was beautiful, he was equal parts Jon and me. He turned to Luke next. “What’s my time?” Unconcerned with the sexual tension and clothing issues his mother was suffering.
“You didn’t clock yourself?” Luke asked, never taking his eyes from mine.
“No,” he answered casually, leaning against the counter. “I didn’t need the added pressure.”
Glancing at his watch Luke told him, “Thirty-eight minutes, Ram. Hell, my best time with that equipment was forty-four.”
“Still got the job then?”
“Job was never in jeopardy, I just wanted to test your abilities.”
“I know,” he said, winking at me, and I giggled. “I was actually done ten minutes ago, but Ma doesn’t like it when I showboat.”
“That right?” he questioned me with me a smirk.
“Yes, but I approve of him being subtle about it right now.”
The sound of his laugh was addicting, I could get hooked on it. It was sharp and raspy, seemingly unused. It showed he was a man who didn’t laugh for the sake of laughing and that made it precious.
Slapping my son on the shoulder, he said, “Monday, I’ll put you on the road. Is that cool with you?”
“Yeah,” Ram answered easily, which was his way. “It’s cool with me. Thanks, Luke.”
“All right then. I’m going to show your mom how everything works, and we’ll touch base tomorrow morning.”
Kissing my cheek, he announced, “Then I’m out. Later, Ma.”
“Bye, Ram.” I smiled, so fucking proud of my kid tears spring.
“Later, Ram,” Luke said, doing the man hug. No sooner was the door closed, when he took three steps forward and looks down at me. “You raised one hell of a man, Lizzy.”
“I had help,” I said quietly because I didn’t want to bawl in front of him.
He ran his finger between the valley of my tits. “Tell me about his dad?”
