NOELLE
I dreaded the day Ash discovered I’d been lying to him this whole time.
It would only solidify his perceptions of police.
I tightened my grip on the flashlight to keep it from trembling.
Ash bent closer to the box and muttered under his breath.
“Stupid bastards. Would have been better for everyone if they’d touched the wrong wire.”
He twisted two wires together, then melted some kind of sleeve over the break.
“How do you know all this stuff?”
I pushed my hair out of my face and resisted the urge to put a hand on his shoulder.
Ash shrugged. “Not a lot to do as a kid in my neighborhood. You either learned shit or you died.”
The casual way he said it contrasted with the way his shoulders tensed.
I watched in fascination as he fixed two more wires.
He’d not only figured out the problem that caused the blackout, but he knew how to fix it.
Efficiently.
Without electrocuting himself.
He’d given me a scare when he bit through the candy, but watching him now, I realized Ash was incredible with his hands.
I’d heard the other bikers talking about Ash and how he always worked on their bikes.
They had the most custom wheels in three states, all thanks to Ash. No wonder he took such pride in his work.
“How long would it have taken the electric company to fix this?”
I tried to keep still, afraid that if I moved even a little, it would throw off his concentration.
Ash smirked. “From what I’ve seen of that bunch, they’d be chasing their asses for three days. They’d check everything else before they made their way here and looked in this box.”
He pointed his wire cutters at the spot he’d fixed. “And even then, they probably wouldn’t have realized what’s wrong as fast as I did.” He winked. “I’m rather spectacular.”
“And modest too.” I played into his charm without hesitation.
Ash was open and warm. He made me wonder what it would be like for us to have a real relationship.
He returned to his work. “Why be modest when you can be extraordinary?”
He took the flashlight from me and cast it over the box from top to bottom. “That should work. Once I throw the switch, we’ll need to get out quick in case they decide to investigate.”
“You know, seeing you like this, it’s pretty hot.” I fanned my face and grinned at him.
Part of me felt ridiculous, but the other part–a larger part–enjoyed the way his crooked smile emerged.
He pushed to his feet. “Really?”
“Yep.” I popped my lips around the P sound. “You might not keep it legal, but it’s like I said earlier. You’re really just a big softie.”
