A chuckle burst out of him. “Ahh. It’s been one of those days. Just give me a minute and I’ll have those keys free.”
He returned to his truck and retrieved a slim jim. Back at her car, he slipped it between the rubber and the window. Within seconds, a click sounded and he opened the door. The jeans stretched taut across his ass as he leaned inside.
Damn. She bit her bottom lip. Everything about Lance was nice to look at—clothed or unclothed. Last night she’d gotten a view of him without his shirt—a very distant view. But that distance hadn’t taken away from the chiseled muscles of his abs or chest, but left her longing for a close-up. That longing was back in full force.
Her trunk popped open, taking her attention away from his delectable ass to the back of her car.
“Oh, thank God! You’re a life saver.”
“Nah. Just have the equipment needed to get the job done.”
Boy, did he ever. She wanted to throttle herself for the random thought. Seriously? From his ass to his junk? Damn dirty mind and erotic fantasies.
“How much do I owe you?” she asked, just to get herself back on track.
He waved his hand. “Not taking your money.”
She gaped at him. “I have to pay you. You drove out here.”
“I told you last night I was going to take care of you, didn’t I?”
There was that protected feeling again. She was uneasier with that than she was with her attraction to the man. She could learn from Lance, but she had to protect herself and couldn’t rely on him.
“I don’t think that included car issues,” she teased, trying to lighten things.
“It included walking you to your car, so I don’t see why this is any different. In fact, I can think of a few other ways I could take care of you.”
Had he just moved closer?
Yes. Yes he had.
Her heart thumped hard against her ribs. Now, these feelings she could get on board with—wanted to get on board with.
“What other ways could you take care of me?” she shocked herself by asking.
In just a few steps, Lance closed the distance between them, standing directly over her so she was forced to tilt her head back to look at him. For years, she’d felt some sort of panic at having a large man tower over her. Not this time. Not now. All she felt was excitement. Desire. A thrilling throb that reminded her that she was a woman. And damn if it wasn’t a liberating feeling.
He reached for a strand of her hair and gently ran his fingers over it. Holy shit, she wanted him to kiss her, with a need so strong it was overwhelming. Her breathing hitched, and Lance’s pupils dilated in response. They stood like that, staring at each other, him caressing her hair. The air surrounding them became thick with lust, heavy and undeniable. If he kissed her, without a doubt her reaction would be the opposite of what it had been since that night. The thought made her giddy.
Clearing his throat, he tucked the strand behind her ear then stepped back. “I don’t know. Maybe…I could change out those shitty tires of yours.”
She blinked at his one-eighty turn. Why had he pulled away? Why wasn’t he looking at her now?
Scrambling for something to say to cover the sudden awkwardness, she blurted, “If you won’t take payment, at least let me buy you dinner.” She inwardly groaned. That hadn’t made it awkward, not at all. “I’m not hitting on you. I just like to settle my debts. Just want to buy you dinner, not go on a date.”
Good lord, shut up. She clamped her mouth closed before she said anything else to make this even more unbearable.
“I appreciate the offer,” he said, still not meeting her gaze. “But I already have a date with a special lady tonight. Maybe a rain check.”
A stab of jealousy pierced her, but she forced a smile to cover it. “Definitely. Enjoy your date.”
He tipped his cap, backing away. “I always do.”
Another prick of jealousy hit her as he turned and hurried to the wrecker as if he couldn’t get away from her fast enough. When his engine roared to life and he pulled away from the curb with nothing more than a quick wave, she stalked to her car, grabbed her keys, and slammed the trunk closed.
Had she completely misread that?
She was rusty, but she didn’t think she was that rusty. No. He had definitely wanted to kiss her as much as she’d wanted him to. Unlike her though, he didn’t want to travel down that road.
He had a date—a special one.
Whatever was going on, Lance was giving her a clear this-isn’t-happening message. And she had never felt more disappointed.
…
Sitting outside his ex-wife’s two-story brick house, Lance tightened his grip around his cell phone, trying to rein in his anger at Mitch. They’d been bugging the piss out of him all afternoon. “I already told Ralph I’m not coming. I have plans tonight.”
“You don’t get to tell us no, Black,” Mitch said. “You agreed to the terms. We expect total cooperation.”
“I agreed to fight for five grand, win or lose. That, I’ll show up for. This, you can fuck yourself.”