When school was done for the day, I checked my hair, makeup, and did a quick assessment of my ass in my jeans. Finding all of the above acceptable, I was ready to take She-Ra and my spare to Red’s to get the tire fixed. If I happened to see a hot, blue eyed mechanic while I was there, I was totally prepared. Okay, not really. Every time I saw him, my stomach contorted into shapes reserved for circus performers, but I was as prepared as possible.
“Hey, Red,” I said, pushing the door open. He stopped writing and looked up. “I caught a nail last night and need the flat fixed.”
“How did that happen?”
“Went through a construction zone.” At least, that’s where I suspected the nail came from. I hadn’t been too careful about where I’d parked at CARE, and with all the building going on, a flat tire was bound to happen at one point or another.
He nodded. “We have some other cars in front of you, but if you want to wait, we’ll get to it in about thirty minutes.”
“Sounds good.” I glanced through the office door window, out into the shop bay.
“Looking for someone?” Red raised an eyebrow, his lips lifting in a knowing grin.
I could feel my cheeks flaming. “What? No!” I said, trying to throw him off the scent. I didn’t need Red—or anyone else for that matter—knowing about my obsession with Jax. I was barely comfortable knowing about it myself. “I was just looking around.”
Red chuckled. “Uh huh.”
“Really!” I said, in my most affronted voice. “I was!”
“Whatever you say, Syd.”
I narrowed my eyes, annoyed that I’d been caught, and dropped my purse next to one of the lobby chairs. Red disappeared into his office and soon I heard the muffled sounds of his voice coming through the door. He must be returning phone calls. I stole more glances at the shop bay as I grabbed a bottled water and some chocolate from the vending machine. I wasn’t hungry, but I needed an excuse to get up and investigate the employees currently working. Plus, I needed to calm my nerves. Chocolate was very soothing. I saw two other guys in the bay, neither of them Jax. I frowned, letdown, and sunk into one of the chairs. I was surprised at my level of disappointment, actually. As I thought about my reaction, my analysis led me to the unnerving realization that I’d become absolutely infatuated with Jackson West. There was no other explanation for it. I checked my watch. It was only eleven in the morning. That must be the reason for Jax’s absence. He’d said he worked in the afternoons.
Thirty minutes later, She-Ra was in the bay, getting her tire patched. I’d been disappointed all over again when Devon, one of Red’s other employees, had come to get my keys. No Jax today. I wondered when I’d see him again. I could always make up a car problem so I’d have an excuse to stop—stabbing various things under the hood with a screwdriver should do the trick. But there were only so many times I could use that method without Jax—and Red—seeing through it, and me looking like stalker.
I glanced at my bag full of textbooks and assignments. I thought about starting them, but I knew the tire wouldn’t take long, and I didn’t want to get interrupted in the middle of my work. I pulled a paranormal romance novel from my bag instead. Romance novels were my guilty pleasure. I feared no real man would ever be able to live up to them. I’d left off at a particularly rapturous scene, and was eager to get back into the story. I started reading, going through pages, and chocolate, like the world was about to run out of words and sugar. Completely enthralled with the story, and oblivious to everything else, I jumped out of my skin when I heard, “You’re a fast reader. With all the thrusting going on there, I’d think you’d want to savor it a bit and not rush through.”
I jumped, dropping the last of my chocolate on the ground. Luckily, my water had a cap, or there’d have been an even bigger mess to clean up. I glared up at Jax, annoyed about my lost chocolate, though it was hard to stay mad when he looked even more delicious than the candy. His jeans sat low on his waist, his red work shirt straining over his chest and arms. I wanted to lick him. I marked my place in the book and folded it shut. “I took a speed reading class.” I refused to be embarrassed by the fact he’d just seen me reading something much more than R-rated. “How long were you standing there, anyway?” I asked casually.
“Long enough for him to change from werewolf to human, rip off her clothes, and impale her with his massive member.”
I pursed my lips as my cheeks heated. He’d been there awhile. At least ten pages by my count. “It’s not nice to spy on people, you know.”
“It’s not my fault you weren’t paying attention.”
My eyes narrowed to slits. “And it’s not my fault you’re kind of an ass.”
He grinned. “So was the werewolf. I’m taking notes.”
I rolled my eyes and changed the subject as I picked up the remains of the chocolate from the floor and threw it in the trash. “I didn’t know you were here today.” And he hadn’t been when I got there. I checked!
“Again, not my fault you’re oblivious. Your car’s done. The hole was from a nail. It was small and easy to patch. I changed it out and put the spare back in the trunk. I also did a tire rotation for you since your records show you haven’t had it done for more than five thousand miles.”
I lifted my brows in surprise that he’d had the forethought to check that. “Thanks. I thought Devon was working on my car?”
“He was. Then I got here.”
I pushed my brows together. That was weird. Usually the same mechanic who started a project was the one to finish it. Plus, it wasn’t even noon yet. “Don’t you usually work later in the day?”
“I’m here early today.”
I couldn’t help but wonder why. My mind immediately wandered to Red’s knowing look when I’d scanned the shop like I’d been tactically trained to find washboard abs by the FBI, and then Red’s phone calls. A part of me—a pretty big part—wanted the reason Jax had come in early to be me. A thrill went through me at the thought.
Jax walked to the counter and printed off an invoice. I paid for the flat fix and grabbed my stuff. I wasn’t expecting him to follow me outside, but he did. The warm breeze danced through my hair as I threw my purse on the passenger seat. “Well,” I said, trying not to sound too awkward, “thanks again.”
“Leaving already?”
“You have to work, and I have things to do.”
“Werewolves?”
I pressed my lips together, owning the embarrassment. “If I can find one.”
He grinned. “And if I didn’t have to work?”
My brows gathered, unsure what exactly he was asking. “If you didn’t have to work, what?”
“Would you still have things to do?”
This time it was my turn to grin. “Wouldn’t you like to know?” The fact was, if he was offering himself up as one of the things on my to-do list, I’d take it—with a condom and no hesitation. The act first, think later Syd was taking charge.
He watched me for several seconds, like he was trying to figure me out. “Well, I can promise you one thing, you wouldn’t want to rush through it if you were with me.”
I widened my eyes. “Pretty ballsy to compare yourself to a paranormal being who can bench press six hundred pounds and change his dick size at will.”
His lips slid into a slow, sexy line, his eyes raking over me like I’d just been undressed. “Sweetheart, there is no comparison.”
He’d rendered me speechless. Absolutely no words. I’d been interested in the muscle-bodied, blue eyed God before, but now, I could barely contain my curiosity. He hadn’t really opened up to me at all, and our conversations mostly consisted of innuendo. He was guarded, arrogant, and sexy as hell. All things that made me want to get inside his head even more. He was drawing me in, and I just kept getting more and more invested. Jax was my House Hunters! I couldn’t turn away. I swallowed. Hard. “Your ego is off the charts.”
The afternoon sun highlighted his bronzed skin, and the lighter cocoa tones of
his hair as he fixed his gaze on me. “I’m not the type of person who lies to myself. I know what I have to offer. And I can promise you it’s better than anything you’ve ever read.” I widened my eyes at that. Clearly, he didn’t know about my romance novel expertise. He grinned like he knew what I was thinking. “As a bonus, with me, you wouldn’t have to worry about claws, or the chance of being ripped apart mid-orgasm. I’m a far better choice than fiction.”
It took me a few seconds to respond. “Noted,” I managed to get out, still a little shocked by his opinion of himself—and trying to decide if his statements were an actual invitation. Yeah, we’d flirted, and we had chemistry, but was he as attracted to me as I was to him? I almost snorted at the thought. It seemed impossible. We had nothing in common but our love for cars and banter.
Jax pulled She-Ra’s keys from his pocket and dropped them into my hand. “How’d you get this car?”
We’d gone from werewolf sex to car questions in less than ten seconds. I felt like I had verbal whiplash and it took me a minute to get my bearings after the subject change. My mind was still stuck on what he’d look like naked—with or without claws. I shook it off and answered his question, “I stole it. How do you think I got it?”
His lips tilted in a half grin. “It’s a pretty unique car. Red mentioned your dad made you learn about it. Was it his?”
I usually hated when people stereotyped muscle cars as not for girls. I also hated when people assumed my dad / grandpa / boyfriend / sugar daddy bought my car, but Jax seemed genuinely interested, not condescending. “Yeah. My dad bought it when he was in high school and drove it on the weekends when I was growing up. I loved going out with him and riding in the car. He told me that if I kept my grades up, he’d give me the car when I turned sixteen. He made me spend a year learning about the car and how it worked before he let me drive it. And even though he wanted to give it to me as a sixteenth birthday gift, I didn’t let him. I got a job and paid him back. He agreed to that, but insisted on paying for the maintenance and insurance. He said it was the least I could do for being born with boobs and not making his insurance premium skyrocket.”
Jax grinned, his eyes sliding down to my lilac shirt, the top three buttons undone and hinting at the lacy purple bra I had beneath it. He’d clearly noticed the cleavage tease. “I’m also really fond of your boobs—for other reasons.”
“I’m sure you’re fond of boobs in general.”
“Yours are special.”
My stomach fluttered and I looked down, trying to hide my smile as I answered, “Uh huh.”
“You look more dressed up than usual today.” His eyes went over me again, taking in the tailored jeans, silk button-up shirt, and black heels. “Did you have a job interview or something?”
“No. It was my first day of law school. I’m going to go home and study, then try to relax before things get even more hectic tomorrow.”
His expression changed from a guy checking me out, to a guy slightly more intrigued with my brain than my bra size. It’s a rare thing to see. “I didn’t know you wanted to be a lawyer.”
“It runs in the family. I love the law, though, and I think it’s great that I’ll get paid to argue.”
He laughed. “I imagine that’s something you excel at.”
Now it was my turn to grin. “I had years of practice debating my dad. He’s an attorney, too.”
He cocked his hip out and leaned against the car. “So you have a good relationship with your dad?”
I nodded. “My mom was the cautious one. My dad let me have fun. It was a good parenting combination. Maybe not for them—I’m sure they argued like crazy over what I should be allowed to do—but, it was good for me to have them both, and see both sides.”
“Do you have siblings?”
“Nope,” I answered. “What about you? What’s your family like?”
Jax’s face shuttered. “Complicated. I don’t see them often.”
His immediate shutdown of all things emotional made me wonder about the backstory behind his feelings and his family relationships. “Siblings?”
“Yeah. I’m the oldest.”
“Ah, so you were the test child,” I said. I’d had friends who were test children. They were all pretty bitter about the advantages their younger siblings got from their pain.
“Still am.”
I shifted my bag on my back, adjusting the weight from all of my books. “I always felt like I missed out on something by not having siblings. Growing up, I thought a brother or sister would be a lot like having a built-in friend.” Jax crossed his arms over his chest as he listened to me. “Now that I’m older, though, I realize that just because you have a sibling, it doesn’t mean you’re always going to be close. People change as they grow, and sometimes that means drifting apart.”
He looked off into the distance like he was thinking, and then nodded. “Families can be complicated.” He opened the car door for me and I got in, fastened my seat belt, and started the car. “Let me know if you have any problems with the tire—” he paused and leaned down into the window, his face inches from mine. His contemplative look had been replaced by a mischievous one—“or if you need someone better than a werewolf.”
“He actually said to let him know if you need someone better than a werewolf?” Brynn asked, eyes wide.
I replayed the conversation in my head, licking my lips as I did. I nodded, and Brynn laughed. “You want him. Bad.”
“No!” I shook my head fervently. “I totally don’t. Really.” Even I knew I didn’t sound believable.
She snorted a laugh. “You stare off into space every time you mention him, and you always lick your lips when you’re thinking about him. I haven’t seen you this obsessed with a guy since the Henry Cavill look-a-like lived on our dorm floor freshman year.”
I gave a dreamy sigh, remembering doppelganger Cavill’s perfect…everything. “Damn, he was hot.”
Brynn picked up her purse and took one last look in the mirror. She swiped a finger over her lip line, checking to make sure none of her Wicked Crimson lipstick had escaped to unauthorized places. She liked to draw attention to her mouth.
“Who are you going out with tonight?” I asked.
After getting my tire fixed, I’d spent all afternoon buried in text books, case studies, and homework. Brynn had apparently used the time differently. Her classes for her Masters in Psychology had started today, too. It seemed she’d already found more research candidates. “A guy in one of my classes. He looks like a pirate. I hope he’s up for role playing.”
I gave a disbelieving laugh. “How do you get guys to agree to all of this?” My sexual experience landed far more on the vanilla side of things than Brynn’s—not by choice, however. In fact, every guy I’d suggested something more creative with had almost gone flaccid at the thought. Maybe it was because they were too young and inexperienced. It wasn’t my fault I’d been reading romance novels since I was a teenager and had plenty of interesting sexual knowledge to draw from. The guys I’d dated definitely hadn’t read romance novels, and weren’t up for the challenge. My mind went straight to Jax, and what he would be up for. I mean, hell—he was apparently better than a werewolf. The train of thought immediately made me hot—everywhere.
I took a few deep breaths, trying to keep calm until Brynn left at least. I had a vibrator upstairs fully-powered and ready to give me some relief, but I’d rather wait until she was gone to retreat to my room.
“I’m excellent at persuasion,” she said, grabbing her keys. “And in the heat of the moment, it’s not difficult to get a guy to do pretty much anything.” Huh. That hadn’t been my experience. “I’ll let you know if I have another entry for my research file when I get home.”
I rolled my eyes as she walked out the door. I took a drink of my ice water—which did nothing to help alleviate the ache between my thighs, or the seam in my jeans that was pressing into just the right spot.
Jax.
Naked.
I muttered a string of curses under my breath and briefly considered pretending I wasn’t home. Then the doorbell rang again. I wanted to be upstairs behind the privacy of my bedroom door. Not worrying about people on my porch. But I didn’t think I’d be able to concentrate if I thought someone was still outside, casing the joint. This time, a solid, thudding knock hit and I jumped. I scowled, marching to the door. So help me, if this was a salesperson or someone asking me to find Jesus, I would take off my sock and throw it at them. I had priorities, and they had nothing to do with chatting about my preferred religion, or cable company.
I swung open the door, totally annoyed at the interruption, and came face-to-face with a wide, sculpted chest. My eyes quickly traveled up to his perfect face and panty-dropper eyes. Jax was holding a box of pizza, six pack of beer, and wearing his standard jeans and a tight black tee shirt.
I wanted to rip them all off.
Right there.
I probably wouldn’t even take the time to close the door.
My current agitated state didn’t help matters. I’d been on my way upstairs to take care of the images of Jax in my head. Now I had the real-life man standing in front of me looking like he seriously needed to be relieved of clothes and thoroughly kissed. I reminded myself to stop being so horny and focus on the goal. Jax’s lips tipped up, his expression a little sly, like he was holding a secret behind it that only he knew. My brows came together and I smiled, a combination of confusion and amusement. “Umm…hi.”
Tempting Sydney Page 4
