The Heiress and the Mechanic: San Diego Social Scene Book 5

by Tess Summers

  He was sure that had to be expensive. Considering jeans and t-shirts made up eighty-five percent of his wardrobe—aside from the shop coveralls, which were professionally laundered—Ben decided he’d keep using his local dry cleaner for things he didn’t want to iron.

  “I also have a steam dryer. I’ll do anything to avoid ironing,” she confessed.

  Her admission made her even more adorable in his eyes.

  “You didn’t have to go to all that trouble.”

  She wrinkled her adorable nose. “I know, but you got your shirt dirty cleaning me off; it was the least I could do. And, I figured since I was washing that, I might as well throw your pants and underwear in, too. Your wallet and the change from your pockets are on my dresser, by the way.”

  Ben had been infatuated with her last night at the diner; this morning was proving no different. Actually, his crush might have gotten worse after their dirty sex last night followed by this little act of domesticity. There wasn’t a thing he didn’t adore about this woman.

  Although he wasn’t looking forward to riding his Harley in wet clothes.

  “Well, thank you for doing that for me.”

  “You can use my shower, if you want. I’ll get your clothes for you.”

  Normally he would have preferred showering at his house, but he was intrigued to see what Scout’s shower said about her.

  Stepping onto the spacious tiled area, he learned that she more than likely had a cleaning lady—because her shower was spotless. She liked lots of girly products that smelled good or exfoliated her skin. Her shampoo and conditioner came from a salon—he recognized it as the same brand his sister used—and she had a bench that was perfect for shower sex. His dick started to move at the idea.

  Where are you, Harper Finch? Ben thought with a chuckle as he began to lather himself up.

  She probably wouldn’t be interested. He’d fucked the hell out of her last night, and she was more than likely sore today. If she wasn’t, well, then he hadn’t done his job right. And he was all about doing his job right, no matter what.

  He was grinning with satisfaction thinking about how many times she had come last night when she poked her head around the corner of the block glass.

  “I put your clothes on the bed.” Then she glanced down at his hard cock and gave him a knowing smile. “I guess I’m the one who needs to do a better job of wearing you out.”

  Ben thought about tugging her under the water with him, but was unsure whether she’d find that sexy or annoying. He quickly rinsed the soap off and opted for kissing her with water dripping down his face instead.

  “Unfortunately, Scout, I think with you I might be insatiable.”

  With a cocky grin, she reached down to stroke his slippery shaft, murmuring against his lips, “Mmm… The feeling is mutual.”

  “Be careful, baby girl, or you might find yourself bent over that bench.”

  “Okay, okay. You win.” She giggled and stepped back with her hands up in the universal I surrender gesture. The top of her robe slipped open, revealing her naked tits underneath. Ben couldn’t help but notice her nipples were hard points, and he was sure his grin was a lecherous one.

  She glanced down to where he was staring and closed the material with one hand, tucking one piece under the other before retying her belt. He noticed, however, she didn’t leave the room or take her eyes off him as he finished his shower.

  “See something you like, Scout?” he called with his eyes closed as he rinsed his hair.

  Unabashed, she leaned against the wall and purred, “Absolutely.”

  He got out, and she handed him a towel, continuing to watch as he dried off.

  “I have a feeling you’re going to be trouble.” With a wink, he wrapped the towel around his waist. His hard cock tented the material.

  “Is there any other way to be?”

  He leaned down and gave her a peck on the lips. “When it comes to you? Hell, no.”

  “Glad to see we’re on the same page,” she giggled before spinning on the ball of her foot and prancing out the door.

  He quickly followed. He’d follow that woman to the ends of the earth if it meant he could stare at her ass.

  “So, after lunch, you wanna catch a Padres game?” Ben asked as nonchalantly as he could while inspecting his clothes she’d laid out on the bed.

  He glanced over at her and found her eyes lit up.

  “I love the Padres! That sounds like fun.”

  “I could probably get us box seats…” Cassie had said anytime he wanted to go, she’d be happy to get him into the box seats owned by the pharmaceutical company she worked for. He’d never asked her before; hopefully she really meant it.

  “Oh, it’s such a beautiful day—let’s sit outside in the bleachers and enjoy the sunshine. I’ll even buy you a hotdog and beer.”

  A woman after his own heart.

  “How could I say no to that?”

  She strutted toward where he stood at the end of the bed, still clad in only a towel. Palming his cock over the fabric, she rubbed his entire length and whispered against his lips, “You can’t.”

  Indeed. This woman obviously had his number—and he wasn’t complaining one bit.

  ****

  Harper

  She really liked Ben. From the second she’d met him, he’d intrigued her. Getting to know him better, she felt nothing but caring and kindness from him. Okay, the dirty sex wasn’t necessarily ‘caring and kind,’ but she had felt safe the entire time. And definitely adored.

  Harper had never met anyone quite like him—not even Tyler, the man who’d been her husband for three years. But then again, her ex was a cheater, so that wasn’t a good comparison.

  After she’d found Tyler in bed with one of his many groupies, she’d wondered if he still would have strayed if she’d done things differently—dialed back her dreams and aspirations to better support him, and, as he liked to point out, focus on her health. Maybe she should have given him more attention and let him shine.

  But it didn’t take her long to realize… Fuck that.

  Dimming her light wasn’t going to make his shine any brighter, or make him want to be faithful to her. She had decided on the steps of the courthouse after the judge signed the divorce papers that she was blazing her own trail. The only way she was going to be with someone was if he not only shone as brightly as she did, but encouraged her to be better. Someone who viewed her drive as a complement to his, not a threat to his masculinity.

  Did a man like that even exist?

  It was obviously still way too early, but Ben McCallister had checked those boxes so far.

  But he didn’t know her—not the real her, anyway. And once he did, she doubted he’d still be interested.

  Harper decided she’d worry about that another day.

  Even though she’d said she could meet him at the restaurant to save him from having to drive back to her house, he arrived to pick her up in a shiny silver Chevy Silverado.

  As he helped boost her up into the cab, his hand firmly on her ass, he told her, “I would have brought my car, but I don’t like to leave it unattended in large parking lots.”

  She understood that. She felt the same way about Cary Grant, which was why she owned the Volvo, too.

  “What kind of car?” she asked as she sat back in the passenger seat.

  “1967 Shelby Mustang GT500.”

  Wow. He had excellent taste in cars.

  “Ah. Eleanor.”

  With one hand on the door frame, he raised one eyebrow slightly higher than the other. “How do you know about Eleanor?”

  “Come on, Benji,” she teased. “Anybody who’s seen Gone in 60 Seconds knows about Eleanor.”

  He looked at her adoringly, making her stomach do flip-flops.

  “Could you be any more perfect?”

  Chapter Ten

  Ben

  This woman. Seriously. Where had she been all his life?

  Oh, yeah. Married to someone
else and having a career.

  He should be hitting the brakes—she was way out of his league. But she certainly hadn’t treated him like a two-bit grease monkey. On the contrary, she seemed as interested in him as he was in her.

  She might not be too good for him—she might just be too good to be true, period.

  He was going to have fun finding out.

  They arrived at the restaurant to discover there was an hour wait for a table.

  “Why don’t we just grab food at the ballpark?” she suggested.

  She kept getting more and more attractive.

  He opened up her truck door again and helped boost her up, his hand resting squarely on her butt as he did.

  “You know, you don’t have to open my door,” she told him as she got situated. He came around and got in the cab before answering.

  “Actually, yeah, I do—unless it offends you. But I hope my mama raising me to have manners doesn’t insult you.”

  She gave a small smile. “I’d say your mama raised you right. Of course it doesn’t offend me—who the fuck would get offended by something like that?”

  “You’d be surprised,” he said, shuddering at the memories of some of the nightmare dates he’d been on in his adult life.

  “Well, I just don’t want you to feel obligated to open the door for me.”

  He started the truck then reached for her hand without putting it into gear.

  “I like opening the door for you, Scout.”

  She tucked her chin when she looked down and bit her lip as if to hide her grin. He couldn’t help himself: He leaned over and kissed her softly on the cheek.

  “You’re adorable.”

  Harper briefly rested her head on his shoulder and murmured, “Thank you.”

  The dark-haired beauty in his passenger seat sat up straight and pulled her seatbelt across her lap while Ben did the same. He glanced at her again before he put the truck in drive—and realized her eyes were brown today. He did a double-take.

  “What?” she asked suspiciously.

  He smiled and shook his head as he pulled out of the parking lot. “Nothing. I just noticed your eyes aren’t blue today.”

  Her mouth twisted in a crooked, embarrassed smile. “Oh, that. Well, I like colored contacts. They’re a fun accessory.”

  “I wasn’t criticizing. I’d just never seen eyes so blue before. My sister told me they were probably colored contacts, but I’d never heard of such a thing.”

  She furrowed her eyebrows. “When did you talk to your sister about me?”

  “Remember when we were walking into the party together last night, and I got a phone call? That was my sister.”

  “And you felt the need to talk about me after first meeting me?”

  “Baby girl, you had me when I heard the rumble of your camshaft—before I even saw you.”

  “Or smelled the unburnt gas,” she teased.

  Ben chuckled. “Yeah. Don’t forget about bringing Cary Grant in next week. I’ll fix him right up and have him running as good as new.”

  “Okay,” she conceded easily. “Let me look at my schedule when I get home. Should I call you on Monday to book a time?”

  “Or you could tell me tonight when I take you home later,” he said with a sly smile. After I’ve made you scream my name again all night long.

  They arrived at the ballpark and were able to get two seats along the first baseline. Harper tried handing him money for her ticket, but his glare made her put it away.

  “Then I’m buying the beers,” she declared.

  “Fine. Then I’m buying the food.”

  “You’re really quite the alpha male, aren’t you?”

  He didn’t know if she intended that as an insult, but he was taking it quite the opposite.

  “You’re just now figuring that out, baby girl?” he quipped—possessively putting his hand on the small of her back to drive the point home. “Do you object?”

  She hesitated, as if contemplating her answer, and finally admitted, “No. Not so far. It’s been kind of nice, actually. Just don’t go acting like a caveman.”

  “You mean out of the bedroom,” he growled in her ear as they found their seats.

  He tried to disguise his satisfied smirk when he noticed her stiff nipples poking through her white Padres t-shirt. He loved how responsive she was to him.

  His beautiful companion noticed him staring at her tits and looked down. Crossing her arms in front of her diamond points, she grumbled, “You’re not that sexy; I’m just cold.”

  He couldn’t help but laugh—it was eighty-four degrees out.

  “Whatever you say, sweetheart.”

  She pressed her lips together as she unsuccessfully fought back a smile.

  “Okay, fine—you are, but don’t let it go to your head.”

  “You don’t have to worry about that.” Ben slipped his arm around her and side-hugged her. “But for the record, you are that hot.” His dick definitely agreed.

  Ben was startled to feel someone clutching both his shoulders and squeezing hard. Looking behind him, he tried to keep his face neutral when he saw his best friend and former roommate, Luke, with his wife, Cassie, and their oldest child, Lucas.

  The beautiful blonde woman had given birth to their second baby daughter not more than four months ago. She looked like she had before she got pregnant the first time.

  As happy as he was to see them, he really didn’t want to subject Harper to his best friend’s scrutiny so soon after… shit, are we even officially dating?

  “What’s up, sexy?” Luke teased as he climbed over the chair next to Ben and sat down. Cassie and Lucas took the more civilized route and came down the row.

  “Hey! What the hell are you doing here?”

  “It’s a great day for some baseball. Cassie saw you from the box, so I guess we’re sitting with you now. Unless you want to come upstairs with us?”

  Ben shook his head, about to explain that Harper wanted to sit outside, but then he heard a little voice.

  “Tío Ben!” his favorite boy of all time squealed, then lunged at him and grabbed him around the neck for a hug.

  “How are you, buddy?” Ben asked and pulled the boy onto his knee, facing his date.

  Lucas noticed Harper and became shy, ducking into Ben’s shirt.

  Cassie and Luke were also staring with interest at his companion, and Luke nudged him with his elbow.

  Ben stifled a sigh. Obviously he had to introduce her.

  “Luke, Cassie, this is my friend, Harper Finch. Harper, my best friend Luke Rivas, and his wife Cassie. And this here”—he tickled his honorary nephew’s sides, making the little guy squirm and giggle—“is Lucas, their son.”

  “So nice to meet you,” Luke said as he leaned across Ben and offered his hand, which Harper dutifully shook.

  Cassie was too far away, but didn’t let distance stop her. She stood and shuffled in front of Luke, then Ben and Lucas, then Harper, until she was seated on the other side of Ben’s date.

  Greeeaat.

  “Hi. It’s so good to meet you! How do you and Ben know each other?”

  And so the third degree begins.

  It was a good thing he loved Cassie like a little sister. An overbearing, nosy little sister.

  Harper, however, took it all in stride.

  “We met at an engagement party last night, and he invited me to a baseball game today.”

  Cassie looked at Ben with shock.

  “Really? I’m surprised he’d want to come, since we’re not playing his Astros.”

  Ben shot a silent look at Luke that said, ‘Get your wife under control. Now. Before she starts saying shit she shouldn’t.’

  Luckily, they’d lived together long enough that Luke understood immediately and intervened.

  “Aw, doll, you know he likes the Padres. He just has a soft spot for Houston. Plus, he likes to get a rise out you by giving you shit, and you always dutifully take the bait.”

  Cassie stuck
her tongue out at Luke—or at Ben, he wasn’t sure which. Maybe both of them collectively.

  “Is that who my nephew learned that from?” Ben teased.

  Cassie’s eyes grew wide, and she turned her attention to her stepson.

  “Lucas, I’m sorry. Madrastra should not have done that. It’s not nice. I don’t want to ever see you doing that.”

  “So do you have to sit in timeout?” the little boy asked innocently.

  Luke smirked, but Ben saw it as an opportunity.

  “Yes, your madrastra has to sit in timeout in that seat.” He pointed to a seat further down the row. “For…”

  Cassie narrowed her eyes at him in warning.

  “Five minutes,” Luke quickly interjected, lest Ben get crazy.

  “Five minutes,” Ben nodded in agreement.

  Ben knew she would be a good sport—she had to set a good example. She quietly stood and walked to one seat to the left of where she had previously been sitting. Luke winked and blew his wife a subtle kiss, causing her to smile from ear-to-ear. Those two were so ridiculously in love, it wasn’t funny. But if anyone deserved a happy ending, it was Cassie and Luke, after all they’d been through to be together.

  “Where are my goddaughters today?” Ben asked.

  “Madrastra said they’re too little to have fun at the game, so they’re spending the day with Tía Brenna and Tío Ron,” Lucas answered.

  “But you’re big enough to have fun,” Harper observed with a smile.

  Lucas, still on Ben’s knee, made a show of flexing his muscles—something he did a lot whenever anyone mentioned how big he was getting.

  “I’m going into first grade,” Lucas said with an air of authority. “Sofia is still a crocodile, even though she turned three.”

  Harper and Ben looked at Luke in bewilderment.

  “It’s the preschool room for two year olds,” he explained.

  “Oh, wow. You are a big boy,” Harper said with enthusiasm. “Do you play baseball?”

  “T-ball,” Lucas corrected. “Tío Ben was my coach.”

  Harper looked at him like she was surprised.

  “What?” he asked.

  “Is there anything you can’t do?”

  “He can’t cook for shit,” Luke interjected.