by Marla Monroe
Did Ben already have a girlfriend? Was he taken, married, in a committed relationship? Alice found that she really wanted to find out. The fact that he wasn’t wearing a wedding band didn’t say much in this day and age. Many men no longer wore them, and she expected that working with his hands as he did would prohibit it. She wanted to know if there was even a chance that he’d go for someone like her.
Someone like me? What does that mean?
Well, she was quiet, but fun loving. She enjoyed shooting pool and liked beer with her pizza. Curling up with a good book on a rainy Saturday afternoon sounded like heaven to her. While she wasn’t one to overly fuss about her appearance, she liked spa days, even if she held them in the privacy of her own bathroom.
Would Ben like someone like her? Could she interest him enough that he’d ask her out? Alice hoped so. Now that she’d thought through it, she realized that she was more than a little attracted to the big man. She was curious and a little silly over him. All after one quick truck ride with less than a dozen sentences between them.
Yeah, she wanted him for her own.
Chapter Two
Landon watched as Ben leaned under the hood of the shit-brown SUV. It was barely seven a.m. and he was already elbow-deep. He’d been working on old Charley’s truck the day before. It wasn’t finished, but here he was digging through another vehicle first.
“Hey, where’d that come from?” he asked.
“Picked it up last night. Woman broke down on the highway,” Ben said.
“Some hurry that you’re working on it instead of Charley’s?”
“Nope. Just wanted to see what was wrong so I can let her know before I finish the truck.”
Landon harrumphed. That wasn’t like his partner at all. He didn’t drop everything for some stranger. Was it because it had been a woman? Was he attracted to her? That might be a good thing. His friend hadn’t been interested in a woman in ages.
“Want me to finish up the truck for you?”
“Nope. I’ll get it.”
“Fine. I’ll start on the Altima as soon as you finish that so I can pull it in.”
Ben stood back from the SUV and wiped his hands on a rag. “Finished now. It’s the alternator, and she needs an air filter. Help me push it out, and you can pull the car in. I’ll work on this one after I finish Charley’s truck.”
Landon helped him push the SUV out of the bay then drove the Altima in to work on it. To his surprise, the big man walked into the office and made a phone call before returning to work on the truck.
“Call the owner?” he asked.
“Yep.”
“What did she say?”
“Nothing. Just told her what the problem was.”
“So, what does she look like?”
Ben huffed out a breath. “I don’t know. Cute I guess. Red, curly hair and green eyes. Curvy.”
Landon smiled down into the engine he was working on. Yeah, he hadn’t paid one bit of attention to what she’d looked like. The man was interested, even if he wasn’t admitting it. Things were looking up for his friend.
“She sounds nice. Wonder if she’s seeing anyone,” Landon fished.
“How should I know? Besides she’s not your type.”
“How do you know? I thought you didn’t pay much attention to her.”
“She’s classy looking. Quiet.”
“You saying I can’t like classy?” he asked.
“I’m saying she’s not your type.” Ben looked up with a scowl pulling at his forehead.
“Guess I’ll just have to find out when she comes to pick up the car.”
Landon nearly chuckled out loud when Ben cursed under his breath. Yeah, he was baiting his friend, but the man seriously needed to get laid and venture out again. The women he’d picked to get serious about had all been users, but Ben hadn’t wanted to hear it when Landon had pointed it out. Now it sounded like he was interested once again in someone. He just hoped the woman turned out to be good for the other man and not another bitch looking for a sugar daddy.
Landon had no trouble finding women. His trouble was finding one who interested him longer than a few weeks or months. After a while, they’d all turned into bores to him. Same thing every day, every night. He wanted someone who could surprise him and make him smile at the oddest of times. She was out there. He just had to keep searching.
A few times he and Ben had shared a woman. It had added some spice to the sex and worked well for them, but the women tended to only want it as a one-off for the thrill of it. While he and Ben had enjoyed it enough to spread it out longer, the women hadn’t, so it hadn’t lasted long.
Too bad. Sharing someone between them had been exciting. He loved watching how a woman could go crazy with two men pleasuring her. He liked watching his friend go down on the woman while she sucked his dick. He especially liked it when they were both inside of her, driving her high enough she couldn’t even scream when she came.
Yeah, he could go with sharing one with Ben long term if they found the right one, but threesomes weren’t really kosher. People would talk. They always did. He and Ben and whoever they were with would be the topic of conversations for years if they made it long term. Even he wouldn’t want a woman they cared about to have to deal with the fallout from a relationship that would have been fine with him. Ben would want to kick the ass of anyone who talked bad about her. No, it was fine for daydreams and jerking off to in the shower at night but wasn’t for real life.
“Truck’s finished. Going to park it in front of the office. Call Charley and let him know when you take a break,” Ben said.
“Call him yourself. You seem to be dealing with the phone pretty damn good today. You called the woman about her SUV.”
“Fuck you.” Ben stormed into the office, slamming the door behind him.
Landon smiled, feeling the corners of his mouth pull tight. Yeah, Ben was already thinking hard about the woman. He really needed to meet the lady who’d pulled the other man’s attention out of his ass.
A few minutes later, Ben returned to the garage area. “He’s coming in after one to pick it up. You can deal with him. Left the ticket on the desk.”
“You going to work on the woman’s now? Need help pushing it back into the bay?”
“Yeah.” Ben stomped over to the SUV and got behind it, waiting for Landon to wipe his hands and help.
Once it was back inside, Ben opened the hood and grabbed the protective sleeves they used to keep from scratching or greasing up the side of the vehicle while they worked on it. Though Ben had acted like it was no big deal, Landon had noticed how careful he’d been in applying it to the side of the body then how his mouth had almost lifted in a smile as he got to work.
I think he’s got a crush going on. Fuck, big Ben’s already jonesing for the woman and he probably hasn’t spoken a half-dozen words to her.
Landon shook his head and returned to work on the Altima. He heard the other man curse once or twice as he banged a knuckle then his head on the hood. By the time Ben had pulled out the alternator, it was noon and Landon’s stomach was rumbling.
“Want to grab lunch at the diner?” he asked.
“Nah bring me something back. I want to get this finished. Need to get started on that fucking Bronco the Johnson boy drove into the creek. Thing’s a mess.”
“Plate lunch or burger?”
“Burger and fries.”
Landon nodded then washed up before walking the three blocks to the diner. It felt good to stretch his legs. Even though he’d been standing on them or under the car, walking always felt good and helped to clear his head now that fall was beginning to get a grip on the days.
He walked in and grabbed a stool at the counter. Betty walked over and leaned across the counter.
“Hey, Landon. Where’s Ben?”
“Working. Need two cheeseburgers and fries. I’ll eat mine here and take his to go.”
“Sounds good. Sweet tea?” she asked.
“Ye
ah, thanks.”
He looked around and nodded at a several of the guys he knew. Then he saw her. It had to be the woman Ben had been talking about. She had shoulder-length curly red hair, a soft round face, and enough curves to make a man drool. He couldn’t see her eyes from there but bet they were green, just as the other man had described them. What was her name?
Holy hell, he wanted her just from that one look and what his friend had said about her. Not his style? Hell yes, she was.
Fuck. Ben liked her. His friend hadn’t liked anyone in a long time. He couldn’t go for her. She belonged to Ben if she belonged to anyone. A quick spark of anger burned in his gut then sizzled out. He couldn’t be angry over this. It was what it was. If Ben didn’t honestly seem interested, he might approach her. But Ben came first. They were best friends, and you didn’t poach on each other’s women.
* * * *
Alice realized she’d been staring at the man sitting at the counter almost since she’d first noticed him. She couldn’t see his face except when he turned to nod at someone, but he was almost beautiful to look at. He had shaggy hair that boasted every shade of brown or honey and reached just shy of his broad shoulders. The burgundy T-shirt showcased just how well he was built with an emphasis on his narrow waist while his jeans spoke of a round ass that made her want to squeeze it to see if it was hard or soft.
What is wrong with me? I can’t have these type feelings about two different men. It’s slutty to go for two at one time.
She’d never liked more than one guy at a time before. But then she wasn’t with either one of them, so did it really matter if she had the hots for both buff bods? It never hurt to look. She could daydream and wish and no one got hurt.
Well, except for her libido, which was seriously affecting her. After talking with Ben earlier about her poor SUV, she’d had to change her underwear and pants. Just his deep, gravelly voice made her pussy wet enough to soak through her pants. She’d never had that happen to her before.
Now, here she was slobbering over another man, and damn if her pussy wasn’t weeping again. She didn’t even know what he sounded like or what color his eyes were. She’d never gone for a man just because of his looks before. Yeah, she looked, but once they were out of eye range, she’d forget about them. There was no forgetting Ben or this guy, for that matter.
I need to go home, masturbate, and get them out of my head. I came to Canyon Creek to relax and take a step back for a while, not jump every man I see.
So why didn’t she think that a good orgasm would clear her head? Maybe because the one the night before hadn’t pushed thoughts of Ben back one inch. Yeah, that might be the reason.
Alice finished her meal and stood up after leaving a tip on the table. She carried her ticket to the cash register and paid before walking out, forcing herself not to look back at the jaw-dropping man sitting less than four feet away. No, she wouldn’t turn back and look.
She would walk to the shop a few blocks away and check on her vehicle. Yeah, Ben had said he’d call her when he got it finished, but she wanted to see him again. Besides, she was in the neighborhood since she was at the diner. The brisk walk would help clear her head of the effect the stranger in the diner had on her libido.
A few minutes later she walked up to the shop and stood outside the bay that had her SUV parked in it. She could see Ben’s ass as he leaned over the side of the front and heard him curse as he worked.
“Landon, just put the damn burger in the office and I’ll get to it in a minute. This fucking alternator is giving me fits.”
“Um, Ben?” Alice cleared her throat.
He jerked up and hit his head on the hood. “Fuck.”
“Sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you.”
“What are you doing here?” he asked.
“I was so close I thought I’d drop by and see how it was going. I know you said you’d call, but I didn’t think it would hurt to come by.”
“It’s fine, but I’m not finished. I’ll call.” He wiped his hands on the grease rag sticking out of his pocket then shoved it back in.
“I didn’t expect you to be finished. I’m in no hurry. I work from home, so I don’t have to have it right away.”
“Good. I’m having trouble getting the new alternator in place. The old one was a bitch to get out, as well.” Ben leaned against the side of the car.
“Sorry it’s such a pain. I guess you deal with things like this all the time though.”
“Mostly.”
“So, I guess I’ll let you get back to work. Just stopped by on my way back home.”
The crunch of gravel behind her let her know someone else was walking up. She turned and had to stiffen her jaw to keep it from dropping open. The amazing man from back at the diner walked up with a bag in his hand. Was this the Landon Ben had thought was there when she’d walked up? What the hell?
“Brought your lunch, Ben.”
He stopped right next to her and smiled. The sun burned a little brighter as his whiskey-colored eyes smiled down into hers. While he wasn’t as tall or as large as Ben, Landon was still tall at just under six feet and built like a quarterback with a trim waist and tight ass. Yeah, she’d like to see him wearing a pair of those tight breeches football players wore. Damn, the man was just as amazing to look at as Ben.
Hell no. She couldn’t be attracted to both men. They evidently were friends, and from the grime beneath Landon’s short nails, it looked like they worked together. What was she thinking?
He stuck out a hand. “I’m Landon. That must be your SUV Ben is working on.”
“I’m Alice. Yeah. It broke down on me last night.”
“Nice to meet you. He’ll have it finished up in no time.” He smiled.
“Put my lunch in the office, Landon. I’ll get it later.” Ben walked over and stepped between her and the other man.
Was he jealous? No, that couldn’t be true. They barely knew each other.
Landon winked at her and strode over to the office to open the door. He closed it behind him.
“I’ll call you when it’s ready. Should be later this afternoon,” Ben said.
“Okay. Thanks. I’ll wait for your call.” Damn, that sounded lame. She wasn’t going to sit by the phone and wait. Not really.
“Okay.” He stood there as if waiting for her to leave. Maybe he was.
She nodded and turned to walk away. He cleared his throat, and she stopped to look back.
“Did you walk here?”
“Um, yeah. I walked to the diner for lunch then walked here.”
“Fuck. It’s like ten blocks to your house. You don’t need to walk that far. I’ll drive you,” he said.
“You don’t have to do that. I like walking. I sit a lot while I’m working so it’s good exercise. Besides, your food is going to get cold.”
“Too much at one time. I’ll drive you. Give me a minute.”
She watched as he walked into the office and talked to Landon. Then he returned and placed a hand at her back to guide her toward a shiny red pickup. He actually helped her up then walked around to the driver’s side and climbed in next to her. She buckled her seatbelt and smiled at him when he turned to back out of the parking place next to an equally shiny black truck, and she couldn’t help but wonder if it was Landon’s.
The short trip to her house was made in silence charged with a crackling of energy. She didn’t know if he felt it, but she sure did. The slight touch of his fingers at the small of her back earlier had created a crescendo of need inside her in a few short seconds. Her battery-operated boyfriend was going to need new batteries.
When he pulled into her drive, she expected him to wait while she climbed out like he had the night before, but to her surprise, he opened his door and jumped down to hurry around to her side to help her climb out. Then he walked her to the door.
“Lock up behind you. Small town don’t mean it’s safer than the big city.”
“I will. Thanks for the ride, Ben.”
“Yeah.”
Alice unlocked the door and stepped inside. She turned, expecting him to have walked away, but he stood there waiting. She guessed for her to close the door and lock it. So she did.
Seconds later the sound of Ben’s big truck starting then backing out of her drive released her from the dream-like fog she’d been in as she leaned against the door like some love-struck teenager. She peeled off clothes as she headed for her bedroom and the extra batteries she had stored in her nightstand.
Chapter Three
Ben looked at the clock once more. He’d put off calling Alice about her car until today then had put it off some more until it was closing in on noon. He’d finally gotten finished with it just before closing the day before but couldn’t make himself call her and tell her it was ready. Once she had her SUV, he wouldn’t have a reason to see her again.
And that pissed him off. Why did it matter? It wasn’t like he planned to take her out or anything. He wasn’t even attracted to her.
Much.
Okay. He was. He liked her, and that was why he didn’t want to call her just yet. As long as she didn’t have her car, he still had that illusion that she was his for just a little while longer.
“You know, she probably needs her car, Ben. Call her. Ask her out.” Landon, and his big mouth, hadn’t let up all morning.
“I’m not asking her out. Why would I want to do that? I just haven’t had time to call yet.”
“Okay. Give me the number, and I’ll call her. Maybe I’ll ask her out. She’s hot.”
“The hell you will. I’ll call her.”
Asshole would mess around with her for a few weeks then toss her aside. I’m not letting him do that to Alice.
He stomped over to the office and slammed the door behind him. Bastard. No way he was going to let Landon ask her out. All he’d do was use her then walk away. She deserved someone better than that.
