Melissa let out a soft sigh and leaned against the truck in the next bay, her hungry eyes roaming my body like it was some kind of twenty-four hour buffet. I suppose, to her, it was. She was dressed in a pencil skirt and a button up top with far too many buttons undone, her amble cleavage practically spilled out of her top. I knew she’d done that intentionally.
“What is it Melissa? I’ve got stuff to do,” I grumbled, irritated at the interruption.
“It’s lunch time,” she drawled flirtatiously, batting her lashes at me. “Figured you’d want to have a break, maybe grab a bite to eat with me?”
“I’m working,” I reminded her, my brow creasing with annoyance. “Mrs. Winston is waiting on her vehicle. It needs to be finished before her hair appointment is over.” I added, rolling back beneath the car. Melissa stood there for several long minutes, and then she thankfully walked back to the office.
“Sure you aren’t hungry?” Miles snickered from the engine bay beside the one I was working on. He’d been with the shop for a few months now, and he was familiar with Melissa’s blatant come-ons and loved to razz me about it. He thought it was the funniest fucking thing.
“Get back to work,” I scowled.
An hour later, I passed the keys off to Melissa to hand to Mrs. Winston, along with the bill for the work I’d done. The tight lines around her lips and eyes showed me that she was offended that I had refused to take a break with her, but I couldn’t care less about Melissa’s feelings.
“We got a call for a tow,” she said, handing me the information stiffly. I took it without another word, grabbing the keys to the tow truck off the hook behind the counter. There was no sense in apologizing to Melissa. She’d get over it and get right back to hitting on me again tomorrow.
I walked out of the garage and into the bright sunlight, wiping my grease covered hands on my work jeans as I pulled my pack of smokes out from my shirt pocket. I was itching for some nicotine in the worst way. The tow truck was parked out front, and I climbed in, grateful for the quick break away from the ever overbearing Melissa.
I drove to the location written on the paper, and found a red Camry pulled over to the side of the highway, the engine smoking. “Well I’ll be damned,” I muttered, shaking my head in wonderment.
Long, toned legs and a delectable ass cased in denim greeted me as I got out, slamming the door behind me. I approached slowly, my thirst acutely growing. I’d know that ass and those legs anywhere. I licked my lips, repressing a grin.It must be my lucky day,I thought.
“Oh thank God,” Elle spun around, her long hair catching in the wind. The relief fell from her face as she stared at me. “Seriously? Could this day get any worse?” she added, a frown pulling those thick lips down.
“I don’t know, I was going to ask if this day could get any better,” I chuckled, crossing my arms and surveying the mess of her car. “What happened?”
“I don’t know, that’s why I called for a bloody tow and mechanic,” Elle retorted, exasperated with me.
“You called the right guy,” I smirked. I knew I was a sight for sore eyes, covered in grease and dirt. Mechanics don’t exactly have the cleanest job out there, but I also knew how much Elle used to love the sight of me all dirty after a day of work. Sometimes, I could scarcely shower before she jumped my bones.
Elle bit her tongue, holding back the retort that I know was sitting on the very edge of it. Thinking about Elle’s tongue made me feel a little hot under the collar, so I got to work hooking her car up to the tow truck.
I could feel her eyes on me as I worked. I knew she was checking me out. You don’t spend every day with someone for over two years, having crazy wild sex with them, and not know when they’re checking you out. I may have made a bit of a show for her too, flexing muscles and taking my time.
“Are you going to finish this up any time soon? I’m supposed to meet Tessa at the florist’s,” Elle snapped, her patience waning. I looked at her over my shoulder.
“Why don’t you come and hurry me up, then?” I dared, smirking at her. She huffed at me and rolled her eyes, her arms folded protectively across her chest.
“I wouldn’t touch you with a twelve-foot long pole, Braden Miller. But if you don’t hurry up, Tessa will kick your ass from here to next week,” she replied, the corner of her lip lifting in an adorable sneer.
She had a point. I stopped fucking around and got Elle’s car safely secured. “Can I give you a lift?” I asked, nodding to the tow truck.
“Looks like you’re going to have to, now, doesn’t it? Had I knownyouwere driving the tow truck I would have arranged another ride but I’m late enough already,” she grumbled, sounding completely unhappy with the arrangement as she stomped over to the passenger door and yanked it open. “Hurry up,” she added, annoyed that I was still standing there.
Running a hand through my messy hair, I shook my head with a rueful smile. Elle was just as feisty as she’d been the other night, and it was fucking turning me on in the worst way possible. The last thing I needed right now was to pop a boner.
I climbed in and Elle’s familiar scent washed over me like a wave of nostalgia, making me smile and ache at the same time. She still smelt like the sweetest mixture of apple blossoms, jasmine and French vanilla. It was the same perfume she’d worn in high school, the very perfume I’d bought her for our six-month anniversary and every other important date after that.
”Still wearing that perfume, huh?” I asked her, trying to suppress a grin. It had to mean something, right? I was the one that bought it for her, and here she was…years later, still wearing it.
Elle froze, my words doing something to her…and I wasn’t at all sure if it was agoodsomething. “Just drive,” she said through clenched teeth.
Instead, I regretted my poor choice of words. If only I could take them back. Hell, if only I could take back everything I’d done to hurt this beautiful girl.
I cleared my throat, pursing my lips. “Yes ma’am,” I said before checking my blind spot to make sure I was safe to pull back out onto the highway.
Elle fiddled with the stereo, trying to fill the endless void of silence that stretched on between the two of us. I had a million things I wanted to say to her.
“The stereo system doesn’t work,” I said, my eyes sliding over to her face. She stiffened again, her hand frozen on the dial.
