Sophie continued in reverse until she’dbacked neatly into the garage. Turning off the ignition, shestepped out into the unseasonably arid June day. She attempted tosmooth her road-wrinkled skinny jeans and white t-shirt, shook outher tired feet in her black Toms, and pulled her windblown hairinto a loose ponytail. She felt almost presentable.
A shrill, grinding sound pierced into herbrain. She covered her ears reflexively. Wincing, she walked aroundthe back of her car and caught sight of the racket in theneighboring garage bay.
No wall separated the three single bays ofthe garage. Just tool benches, boxes, and automotive equipment thatformed an unofficial, mobile divider. A pair of legs covered inoil-stained jeans and ratty combat boots stuck out from anantiquated Ford pickup.
Assuming this was the notorious Asher, Sophieattempted to sneak away. Not that she was a fraidy cat, but shedidn’t feel an overwhelming need to meet him just yet. Not afterPippa’s warnings about him. Not when she was tired and likelywouldn’t be very witty or quick on her feet to deal with therumored Casanova.
Too late. The screeching halted, leaving athick, deafening silence in its stead. The body connected to thelegs shoved out from under the truck and rose to stand.
Oh. So that was Asher.
Floppy as over-boiled spaghetti noodles,Sophie’s legs completely betrayed her, and she worried as towhether they could continue to hold her up. A warm, fuzzy sensationcoursed rapidly through her veins. All reasonable brain activitywent caput like a fried hard drive, and she forgot her ownname.
Before he noticed her, with her mouth gapingopen from the next garage bay, he pulled his ratty cotton shirtover his head and used it as a makeshift grease-rag to wipe theblack grime off his hands and face. Now that was just unfair. Hisabs defied reality; that was more than a six-pack. Was that evenpossible? Without her consent, a dreamy sigh escaped Sophie’smouth.
Dammit, he heard. Asher turned in thedirection of the sound. If he was surprised to see a strangerstanding there, he didn’t let it show. “Hey. Want to give me a handwith something?”
What? She managed to pull her gaze from theridiculously chiseled abs in front of her and looked at hisface.
Not helpful.
Warm, whiskey eyes surrounded by dark lashesbrushed over her from head to toe and back again. His sharplyangled jaw was accented by last Friday’s five o’clock shadow. Hisbrown hair, a few shades lighter than his stubbled beard, was a fewweeks past needing a trim.
The corner of his mouth quirking into adevastatingly attractive smile, he asked, “I can’t get the light atthe right angle, mind holding the flashlight?”
She surprised herself with a docile nod ofassent and ambled brainlessly over. May as well extend her arms outand start drooling, demanding brains for dinner.
He handed her a flashlight, which sheaccepted without thinking. As if talking to a clueless child, heshowed her the location of the black hole that had swallowed thelost bolt.
Scowling, she remembered herself. She was anintelligent human being. Not a zombie-giggling-horny-groupieflashlight holder. “Actually, I just got in. Pippa’s waiting for meso we can go unload the moving van.”
With a nod and a heartbreaking sigh, he ran awiped-clean grease-blackened hand through his already mussed hair.“Of course. Sorry. Never mind. I’m good.” Eyes lingering on herlips for a fraction of a second, he shifted his focus to theflashlight.
Well, now she felt like a jerk. Refusing whenhe tried to take the flashlight back, Sophie moved closer towardsthe truck. “Sorry, it’s been a really long drive. My brain turnedto mush after being stuck on I-5 behind an accident for hours. Whatdo you need?”
Asher’s gaze flashed back to hers and stayedthis time. His eyes softened, the whiskey warming to a gooey honey.“Thanks. I really appreciate it. I lost a fucking bolt.” Gesturingat the engine compartment, he scowled at the beast that had socruelly swallowed such a tiny, critical part. “If I could just getthe light in the right spot to see what I’m doing, I think I canreach it.”
Sophie walked closer to the truck and shinedthe light down into the engine, searching for the proverbial needlein a haystack.
“It’s right down there,” he gestured as heapproached. Moving to her side, smelling deliciously masculine, allsweaty and half-naked after working in the garage all day, hepointed where he’d last seen the bolt.
Inhaling his mind-bogglingly rugged scent, anunexpectedly appealing mixture of engine oil and mountain air, shetried to focus on her task. “Here, you hold this,” Sophie orderedas she handed him the flashlight.
Stepping up onto the rusty chrome bumper,placing her feet wide apart for stability, she rested one hand onthe side of the truck and leaned down over the engine. With herfree hand, she grimaced as she reached deeply into the narrowopening where the light shined on the troublesome bolt.
Stretching to her shoulder until she nearlyfell headfirst into the engine, she was able to grasp it out fromthe crevice it had been lost in and hopped off the front bumper.Got it. She almost cheered but didn’t want to sound tooeager.
Holding the prize between two fingers, sherested the other hand on her cocked hip and raised an eyebrow.“Looking for this?”
Smiling with relief, he tried to grab thebolt from her hand.
Feeling uncharacteristically flirty, shepulled it away, hid it behind her back and demanded a thank youwith a raised eyebrow and a taunting smile. It had been a painfullylong time since she’d flirted with an attractive man… and meantit.
Clearly enjoying the challenge as much as shedid, he closed the distance between them. Stopping inches away fromher, he drove her mad as she ached with the need to get closer,nipples standing at attention. She could feel the heat radiatingoff his body, warming her down to the bone. Biting her lip, shemanaged to withhold the dreamy sigh that tried to escape,again.
His hands trailed down her arms, his fingerstracing every groove in her skin, until he reached her hands, hischest a breath away from pressing against hers.
Stunned by the electricity between them, shedidn’t have the wherewithal to maintain her tease and her griploosened. Snatching the bolt from her hand, he stepped back andflipped it in the air like a coin. If she weren’t so aroused by theplayful smirk he wore proudly, she’d smack it right off hisarrogant face.
