Remember Me: A Calendar of Love Novel #4

by Parker, Lexy

  She held up a hand. “I have to ask, don’t answer if you don’t want to, but did you sleep with him?”

  I felt my cheeks turning red. “I did.”

  She screamed, putting her hand up for me to high-five. “Wow! You little she-devil!”

  “It was completely out of character for me. It just kind of happened,” I groaned.

  “You liked it. That’s why you feel guilty,” she said, a new understanding on her face.

  “Yes. It’s killing me. I didn’t want to like it so much.”

  She grabbed me and hugged me. “I’m happy for you. Enjoy it. Don’t feel guilty. You’re a healthy woman and this guy sounds like he could really be someone special. Talk to him. Tell him how you feel. If you need to pull back and slow down a bit, tell him. If he walks away, that’s his choice. You don’t need that kind of drama in your life.”

  I sighed. “I agree and I’m going to.”

  “Good. Now it’s time to get to work. I hope I get to meet the new man in your life,” she said with a smile.

  “I’m sure you will very soon, assuming he’s in my life. There’s always a chance he could decide I’m a total basket case and go running in the opposite direction,” I said.

  “I seriously doubt that will happen,” she assured me.

  She went up front, leaving me alone with my thoughts. I felt a million times better. I had almost called in sick for the day. I’d wanted to lie in bed and wallow in my self-made misery. I was glad I got up and dragged my ass into work. I got to see Clay and clear the air there a little bit. Talking to Kasey had been a huge help. She basically told me everything Jamie would have said. I knew Jamie would tell me she was happy for me, but I also had to believe there would still be a bit of judgment on her part. She loved her brother. I knew it would be a little tough for her to think of me with another man.

  I would have to talk to her. I owed her that much. I didn’t want to start hiding things from her. We were best friends and I wanted to believe our relationship extended beyond our connection to Gage. It was going to be a test of our friendship, another thing weighing on my shoulders. I didn’t want to lose her. I would tread carefully, hold back some of the details in order to spare her.

  I had Kasey to talk to about some of the intimate details of my relationship with Clay, assuming there was even a relationship to be had.

  Chapter 21

  Clay

  It was the end of another day. It was somewhat satisfying to know we had accomplished what we set out to do that morning. All the deliveries were made on time, even though it was just the two of us running the show. Jamie was stepping up, picking up Sadie from school so Philip could work an extra couple of hours. It was a huge help for me and I owed her big time. I loved that they were both so willing to step in and help me out when I was really struggling.

  I checked the time. Dani was supposed to be on her way over. I was looking forward to spending some time with her in a safe zone. There was nothing sexy about the garage and no bed. Of course, we didn’t use a bed the first time, but it was the idea of removing all temptations. We wouldn’t be tempted with sex. It was a good chance for us to hang out, get to know each other a little better and grow the relationship. I liked her and wanted something real. I didn’t want to have the awkward tension between us and I certainly didn’t want her to end up hating me because she felt guilty.

  I heard a soft knock on the front door and quickly moved to open it. Dani was standing there, looking beautiful as ever. She was not the kind of woman who should be getting her hands dirty under the hood of an old truck.

  “Hi there,” I said, smiling.

  She was wearing a pair of jeans and short boots with heels. Her hair was pulled back in a ponytail and she was wearing a tiny shirt that hugged her body, showing off the beautiful breasts I had been lucky enough to feast on. The memory of feeling her full breasts in my hands sent a shiver of desire straight to my groin.

  “All right, show me this beast and let’s see what needs to happen,” she said, all business as she strolled in, walking like an expert in the heeled boots.

  I closed and locked the front door behind her. “This way,” I said, walking toward the back-shop area where the truck was sitting. It was a sad sight, sitting in the middle of the garage, the hood up and a small oil stain below it. That was a problem for another day. My main goal was getting the thing to run.

  “Here the thing is, in all its sad glory,” I said, turning on the overhead lights.

  She hung her purse from a hook and walked to the truck. It was hard to see her as a woman who knew her way around an engine. She looked more like the kind of woman who should be sitting in a salon chair, getting her nails done and hair styled. She deserved pampering, not being asked to fix a man’s truck. It was embarrassing to have to rely on a woman to help me do what by all accounts was a man’s job. I swallowed my embarrassment and stood at the front of the truck beside her as she stared at the engine, her hands on her hips.

  “I don’t think it’s all that bad,” she murmured, reaching out and touching a hose here and there.

  “That’s good, right?”

  “Yes, very.”

  I stood back and watched her work. She seemed to know exactly what she was doing. I watched with rapt attention as she picked up this tool and that and put her hands under the hood. Her long, lean figure leaned over as she used what were apparently very strong arms to yank on some bolts. I was beyond turned on, fighting to keep my libido in check.

  On occasion, she would ask me to hand her a tool. Thankfully, I had at least that much knowledge and didn’t embarrass myself further. When she stopped and looked around the garage, I waited for her to ask me for whatever it was she was looking for.

  “Do you have a piece of cardboard or something I can put down to lie on?”

  “You’re not getting under the truck,” I said firmly.

  She raised her eyebrow. “There are a couple of bolts I need to reach and the only way I can do that is from under the truck.”

  “I’ll do it. Point them out and I’ll take care of it. I’m not letting you get on the floor,” I told her firmly, having to draw the line somewhere. “I can unscrew a bolt.”

  She smirked. “Really? Now you’re going to pull the man card?”

  “Yes. Hand me the wrench and point me in the right direction,” I said, dropping to the ground, rolling to my back and sliding under the truck. I remembered the oil stain about a second too late and inwardly groaned when I felt my shoulder rub across it.

  I should have at least thrown down some damn paper towels. I wasn’t sure I could get any more embarrassed than I already was. She turned me inside out, turned me into a fumbling idiot.

  “Ready?” she called out.

  “Yes,” I said, moving my head to see her and where she was pointing.

  She pointed at the bolts that needed loosened. I reached up and began to work them free. I caught a glimpse of her face, her gaze concentrated on what she was ordering me to do. She was resting her elbows on the front of the truck, and occasionally our eyes met. To say it was a strange thing we had going was an understatement. I could feel the sexual tension between us. It was electric. I caught her watching me, chewing on her lower lip. I had seen that look before. She’d gnawed on her lip when we’d been in the thick of it on Friday. It was taking me to a place I couldn’t go. I was too afraid to address it and she didn’t seem too excited to act on what was blooming between us either. I would keep it under wraps. She was doing me a huge favor and I wasn’t going to insult her by hitting on her or alluding to our sexual encounter. It was one of those things that could not be talked about, right up there with politics and religion.

  With the bolts removed I shimmied out from under the truck. I stood up, wiping my hands on my jeans. She removed what she called the alternator and held it up. “This is what you need.”

  “That’s going to make everything all better?”

  She grinned. “Mostly. We may as well
change the belts and the oil while we’re in here. You’ll need to call around and see if the part is available. The truck isn’t too old, so I imagine it should be easy to find. It will last longer if you take care of it now. I mean, you take care of your body.”

  Electric heat slammed into me. The way she had said it, the way her eyes roamed over my body, it was all sexual. She liked playing with fire. I liked that—even if I couldn’t respond.

  I nodded. “I’ll check tomorrow,” I said, not telling her I hoped the part was reasonable and not too expensive.

  I still couldn’t justify spending thousands of dollars to fix a truck that wasn’t worth too much more than that. I was in a bit of a financial pickle and needed to watch every penny if I wanted to be able to pay the bills and Philip at the end of the month.

  She held up her hands. “Bathroom?”

  I nodded, pointing her toward the door. She walked away and I watched. Of course, I watched. The jeans hugged her hips, lovingly cupping her pert ass as she moved. The woman could be a supermodel with the long stride and sexy sway of her hips as she moved. I heard the water come on and looked down at my own hands.

  I walked to the other bathroom and quickly washed up, turning to look at the stain on my shoulder from the stupid oil. I walked back to the shop to find her walking out of the bathroom, drying her hands.

  “Thanks again for coming over and doing this. It is a huge help,” I told her.

  She shrugged. “It’s really no problem. I haven’t worked on a vehicle in a long time. It feels good to get my hands dirty.”

  I chuckled, shaking my head. “I’m glad you enjoy it.”

  “I could show you how to do it. Then you could take care of your own company trucks and save yourself a lot of money on maintenance.”

  I grimaced. “I’m not the kind of guy who likes to get greasy. I don’t mind getting dirty and sweaty, but greasy isn’t my thing.”

  She giggled softly. “I’m not sure there’s a difference.”

  “There is. I’ll go hiking through the mud, lay low in the trees or dig for worms any day of the week, but the whole fixing cars thing has never interested me. I prefer to be out doing something,” I explained.

  “I see.”

  There was an awkward silence between us once again. I felt like I had to address the elephant in the room. It had been weighing heavy on my shoulders since Friday. I felt like I knew why she ran out on me, but I wanted to hear her say it. I couldn’t live with myself if I had done something that really bothered her.

  “Dani, is everything okay? Between us. The other night, you kind of took off and didn’t look back,” I said, moving to stand beside her where she was leaning against the front fender of the truck.

  “I shouldn’t have done that,” she replied without giving an explanation.

  “Did I do something?” I asked.

  “No. It was all me. I’m sorry if I made you feel bad,” she said, looking down at her feet.

  Obviously, she didn’t want to talk about the details or the real reason. I got it. I wanted her to feel like she could talk to me about anything, but that was up to her. This would have to be on her terms. I could tell she wanted to keep me at arm’s length.

  “All right. Noted,” I said, trying to hide the frustration.

  She pulled away from the truck and moved to stand in front of me. My arms were folded over my chest as I looked at her.

  “Clay?”

  “Hmm?” I muttered, not feeling like doing a lot of talking.

  “I had fun the other night.”

  I looked at her, wondering how she could say that when I knew she was carrying around so much guilt. “I did too and not just the last part of the night. I enjoyed spending time with you. I’d like to do dinner again if you’re up for it.”

  She slowly nodded her head. “I would like that.”

  The way she was looking at me was reminiscent of the way she’d looked at me on Friday a second before she kissed me. “Dani,” I said her name, almost as a warning.

  “Clay.” She repeated my name and leaned forward, her body closing in on mine as she leaned up and pressed her lips against mine.

  I groaned, moving my arms away from my chest and holding her against me. I used my tongue to part her lips. She opened her mouth wide, softly moaning as her body melded against me, her tongue dancing with mine. All I could think was how good she tasted. Her lithe body was pushing against mine, letting me feel all her delicious curves.

  “Dani,” I groaned, the single word holding so many questions.

  I was giving her a way out. I would stop in a heartbeat if that’s what she wanted. I wanted her and that was very evident with the erection pushing against her as she continued to rub her body against mine. She had to know what she was doing to me.

  Her answer was to deepen the kiss, her hips grinding against my lower body and telling me exactly what she wanted. Who was I to deny a beautiful woman?

  Chapter 22

  Dani

  There was something about the man that turned me on and stripped away all my inhibitions. I couldn’t seem to get enough of him. Watching him under that truck had made me horny. His shirt had crept up a little, revealing his belly button and that lovely little trail of black hair that led to a very happy place. A place I wanted to visit right then, in the shop.

  My hand slid down his chest, cupping his groin as I pushed my tongue inside his mouth. He groaned when I squeezed him through his jeans. I loved that he was just as turned on as I was. I kissed him again and then used one hand to unbutton his jeans. I slid my hand under his briefs and cupped his cock and balls.

  He jerked. “Dani, here?”

  “Right here, right now,” I whispered, sliding down his body and pulling his jeans down as I dropped to my knees.

  His cock was hard and jutting, right in front of my face. I reached for him, wrapping my hand around his shaft and pulling him into my mouth.

  “Fuck!” he shouted as I slid my tongue down his hard length.

  My teeth scraped over him, pulling up and then sliding back down, taking him deep into my throat. His hands moved to my hair, loosening my ponytail as he massaged my scalp, gasping and groaning with pleasure. I loved that I could excite him. It made me feel powerful and sexy.

  “Up,” he grunted.

  I looked up, meeting his gaze, his dick buried in my mouth. His jaw clenched and there was a fire in his eyes I had never seen before. He reached for me, jerking me up and moving away from the truck. He spun me around, pressing me against the front driver’s side of the truck. His hands moved around my waist, undoing my jeans and jerking them down. His jerky movements were testament to his arousal.

  “Hurry,” I whispered. “Hurry,” I begged, squirming as he yanked my panties down.

  His hand moved between my legs, his fingers separating my folds and inserting one finger inside me. I was already wet and ready for him, making his passage smooth.

  “You’re so wet,” he whispered in my ear.

  “I want you,” I panted.

  The finger was good, but I wanted his fullness inside me.

  “Come,” he ordered in a harsh voice.

  I cried out, my body obeying his demand and orgasming. My hands pressed against the truck, holding myself up as he undid me from the inside out.

  When my body stopped spasming, I turned to look at him over my shoulder. “I want you inside me.”

  He dropped his head, his mouth moving over mine as he pushed his finger inside me higher. I gasped, swallowing his tongue into my mouth.

  I felt him shuffling and heard his shoe hit the floor a second before the next one. I tried to kick off my shoes, but with his finger inside me, it was difficult to concentrate on anything. A wave of ecstasy rocketed through my body. He slid a second finger inside. I whimpered with pleasure. My jeans weren’t all the way off. I wanted them off. I shimmied again, trying to kick off my jeans.

  “Slow down,” he whispered.

  “My jeans,” I g
asped when his fingers moved inside me.

  “Shh, I’m going to do you like this,” he assured me.

  “But—” I moaned when he moved the fingers in and out.

  “Trust me?” he asked.

  I whimpered again, nodding my head. “I do.”

  He pulled his fingers out, leaving me feeling empty before the head of his cock probed at my entrance. I shifted, trying to move, to shuck my jeans so I could open my legs wider.

  “Don’t.” He bit out the word as he pushed inside me.

  With my thighs almost stuck together, he felt too big. I couldn’t open my legs and make his entrance into my body easier. He didn’t want it easy. I felt my body being stretched, every nerve ending screaming for more and demanding less at the same time.

  “Oh, God,” I groaned when I felt his body pressed against my ass.

  He was buried deep and it felt so good to be filled so completely. I didn’t move or breathe as my body adjusted around him. His hips thrust once, shoving my lower body against the cool truck. The cold against my front and the heat from his body pressed against my backside was a beautiful contradiction. I let my head fall back, languishing in the pleasure he was giving me. I let myself get lost and sail away on a blissful wave as he slowly rocked in and out of my body.

  “You feel so good,” he whispered, nibbling at my earlobe.

  He kept up his slow assault on my body. It was so good. “More,” I whispered.

  He stepped back, pulling out of me before slowly turning me to face him. His mouth closed over mine, another sensual kiss before he dropped low and quickly pulled my pants off. Both of us stood facing one another, naked from the waist down and breathing hard. He reached for me, pulling me close to him before lifting me up. My legs wrapped around his waist. He carried me out of the garage and into his office.

  I looked up at him and smiled. He had a look of pure determination on his face.

  “So serious,” I teased.

  “I’m taking this very serious,” he mumbled.