“You said it wouldn’t start?”
Zoey’s eyes snap back to me when she realizes I noted the direction of her gaze.She nods with a sigh.
“I’ll deal with it tomorrow.Probably have to get a tow truck out here.Hopefully, it isn’t forever dead.Still, it was my mom’s truck, so I guess it would be poetic for it to meet its end at her childhood home.”
“You mind if I take a look?”
I’m already moving toward the vehicle, wanting to discover what might be wrong with it.Zoey steps down from the front porch to follow me.
“Do you know your way around cars?I’ve always meant to learn.”
The idea of Zoey bent over an engine is sexy as fuck.
“I help out the local mechanic, so I know enough.What happens when you try to start it?”
“Nothing.Literally.No lights turn on.It doesn’t try to sputter to life.It’s just … dead.”
Interesting.
I pop the hood, but even with my advanced eyesight, I can’t see much.
“Got a light?”
“Sure.About the only thing my phone is good for out here.”Zoey turns on the flashlight capability, apparently preferring to use that than dig around for the actual flashlight in her bag.
“No service?”I ask while examining the wiring.
“Nope.Not unless I want to climb up in the old tree house out back.Up there, I get one, maybe two bars if I’m lucky.”
She steps closer, watching my movements over my shoulder.A light breeze has her maple fragrance swirling around me.I have a theory about her scent’s effect on me, but I’m not jumping to any conclusions until I talk to my brother.Still, I want her to press up against me, let me bury my nose in the juncture of her collar and neck so I can get lost in that delicious smell.
Instead, I concentrate on the engine.That’s when I spot the obvious problem.
“Here.Found the issue.”There’s a wire that’s dangling loose, clearly missing its home.“Without this attached, the battery won’t work.Do you have a wrench?I’m going to need to tighten the bolt to keep it in place.”
“I know I saw a toolbox.I think it’s in the front closet.”Zoey strides back to the house, taking the light with her.
In its retreating glow, I watch the way her shapely body moves.That pair of jeans is hugging her ass as if the material finds her as attractive as I do.
I should look away.
A decent guy wouldn’t be gawking at her.
But she’s just so … gawk-able.
All those soft curves have my fingers curling.I want to feel her, grip her, but not too hard.I want to sink into her.
Fuck.Now, I’m getting hard.
Trying to distract myself, I turn back to the engine.Without the light, I can’t see all the nuances, but now that I know where the problem is, I reach out to finger the loose wire.
I’m simultaneously grateful for this malfunction and annoyed.Because her truck wasn’t working, I was able to convince her to get on the back of my bike.But I don’t like the idea of her vehicle failing on her.It’s not unheard of for a battery wire to come loose, but only if whoever last worked on Zoey’s truck didn’t do their job right.
What else might they have messed up?
“This is all I’ve got.Well, as far as I know.I’m not even a quarter of the way through her stuff.”Zoey hobbles back, lugging a large metal box.She drops it next to me and holds up her light so I can see.
The tools inside are jumbled together, but I’m able to find a wrench.
