As Ken fumbled with his car keys to lock the door, I slid behind the wheel. “We might have to hold off on lunch for a bit, sweetie. Is that alright?”
Mia nodded, entranced by having her beloved teacher in our truck. As we pulled out of the lot, Mia launched into an animated story about our bike riding adventure, her voice filled with glee. Ken listened attentively, his chuckles urging her to keep talking.
As I drove, I stole glances at Ken from the corner of my eye as he listened to Mia’s enthusiastic storytelling. He had this ethereal quality about him, almost like he’d stepped out of a Renaissance oil painting you’d see in a museum. High cheekbones with a smattering of freckles, a strong jawline, and bright eyes—this blend of gray, green, and orangey-brown colors, wrapped up in a slim, well-toned body.
But it was more than his physical appearance. Ken’s manner was tender yet assured, an unspoken strength in the way he moved. He leaned in closer, nodding and smiling as Mia’s animated chatter filled the truck. His soft laughter wove through her words, making her eyes light up brighter with each giggle.
There was a hint of something else there too, a flicker of vulnerability that he tried to hide behind a polite smile.
It made me want to know more.
I shook my head. This is Mia’s teacher, for fuck’s sake. The last thing I need is to make things awkward by ogling the poor guy.
Fuck, I wasn’t even sure he was gay.
Just focus on getting Ken’s tire fixed, idiot. Quit making this into something it’s not. Now wasn’t the time to get distracted by a pair of pretty eyes and a great ass.
Get his car fixed and make sure Mia got her lunch.
Still, as we pulled into Alonso’s shop and I watched Ken unfold his lean frame from the passenger seat, I couldn’t ignore the fact that there was something special about him. “All right, let’s see about getting you back on the road,” I said.
Ken smiled, and the curve of his soft lips sent warmth surging through my chest. “Lead the way.”
I grabbed the flat tire from the truck bed and headed inside, Ken trailing behind me with the spare, and Mia skipping alongside him, chattering away. Ken’s eyes widened as he took in the shop—clearly a setting that he had little experience in. “Thanks again for doing this for me. I didn’t mean to take up your afternoon.”
“No worries, man. This’ll just be a few minutes. Let’s get this tire patched up, yeah?” I headed over to the tire machine, clamping the flat in place. “Ken, grab that buffer and bring it over, would ya? Might as well show you how it’s done as long as you’re here.”
Pointing to the heavy-duty sander, I grinned as Ken lugged it across the garage to where I had the tire secured. Ken watched with keen interest as I flipped on the sander and began buffing away the old rubber around the puncture site. “So, first we grind away the damaged area,” I explained, angling the sander to expose the inner lining. “Then we’ll plug it from the inside before patching over the outer hole.”
Ken nodded, his brow furrowed in concentration as he studied my movements intently. “Makes sense. Mind if I give it a try?”
“Sure, here.” I held out the sander’s grip, my hand brushing against Ken’s as he took it from me, raising goosebumps along my arm.
Ken flushed, his eyes meeting mine for a fleeting moment before refocusing on the task at hand. This surge of… exhilaration flit through me.What are you doing, Marc?I wondered, with a rush of warmth that had nothing to do with the sander’s heat. Stepping back, I gave him room, but couldn’t resist glancing at the curve of his neck as he worked, taking in the fresh scent of his shampoo mixed with the faint muskiness of exertion.
“Like this?” Ken’s tongue poked out adorably as he worked, those long fingers deftly guiding the sander.
“Yeah, you’ve got it.” I leaned in to change his grip, and the physical proximity made it hard to ignore the electric pull between us. “Slow and steady does it.”
Ken’s breath hitched ever so slightly as I moved toward him, but he didn’t pull away. If anything, he seemed to sway infinitesimally closer, our arms brushing as he continued sanding under my guidance.
The contact sparked a delicious tingle low in my belly, one I ruthlessly tamped down.Don’t go reading into things, Mendez. He’s just…being friendly, that’s all.
Still, as Ken’s throat bobbed with a hard swallow, a faint blush tinted those chiseled cheekbones, my heart thudding insistently. That undeniable spark of mutual interest, telltale signals that all gay men knew well and understood—one that made my pulse kick up a notch.
Ken Parker was definitely into guys—and unless I was wildly misreading the signals here, he just might be into me too.
Fuck.
I smoothed a layer of pungent glue over the sanded patch, acutely aware of Ken’s proximity. “Now we need to let that rubber cement dry for a bit before applying the patch.”
While the rubber cement dried, Ken leaned closer to the tire, brows knotted as he examined each inch. A streak of grease marred his cheekbone, and my thumb tingled with the urge to clean it away.
Whoa there,I thought, my heart stuttering in my chest. He’s Mia’s teacher, for Christ’s sake. Off limits.
I busied myself with preparing the tire patch, trying not to notice Ken watching me. “How’s Mia doing, by the way?” Ken asked, his voice soft. “First few days at a new school can be tough.”
“She’s hanging in there. Brave kid.” Emotion welled in my throat like it did anytime I talked about my Mia. “I just want to give her the world, you know?”
